And finally the day came - it was December 19, 2003. Friday. The day. The day of the Lord of the Rings Marathon Screening. I had high expectations on this particular event and guess what - it went better!
And there's me. And Tini, and Jen, and Sue. Us. Us plus three cinema hall's worth of other people. People armed with the marathon screening tickets. Tickets and pajamas. Pajama-wearing people who queued and hung out right on the floor of Sunway Pyramid's TGV lobby from 7.45PM till the screening starts at 11PM.
We wanted the goodie bag badly. We thought we were the crazy ones for arriving at SP's TGV right before 8PM, but a threesome - a couple of guys and a gal already in their pajamas - beat us to it. They were crazier than us, but we were more prepared. We got pillows. And Tini brought her comforter, and Sue got her midnight kimono. Huh!
We decided to forgo the comfort of a restaurant seats and tables and tapaued our dinner instead. We made a pit stop at Giant to buy some more ammo (i.e. food). But I could not find caffein! I know I gotta have Nescafe if I were to survive the 11-hour gawk at the crisis in Middle Earth.
Thank God there was a gal promoting the new Nescafe variation - I downed two cups and hoped for the best. By the time we got back to TGV, there were already more than 10 people in the queue - many in their pajamas, some even brought board game to play while waiting - admirable, really.
We berthed near a bunch of Chinese boys and gals, who turned out to be very very sporting LOTRiens. No hunks so far.
Tini and Sue talked me into changing into Tet's green pajamas - both pieces, I mean. I thought I'd settle with just wearing the top. It's really hideous. But since the guy with the mic - the so-called MC - was blaring about showing up in your night attire crap again and again, I decided, what the heck - it is SP, so I don't think I'd meet anyone I know.
So there I was in the ugly borrowed pajama when Bob my rockstar friend tap me on the shoulder and asked, "Ergh, is there a pajama party going on here?"
I screamed! Quite loud. I could not believe someone I know caught me - me in my ugliest greeniest persona. But there he was and I was saved from further embarassment when the goodie bags were finally being given away.
I got mine, Sue got hers. Jen was late so we couldn't take it for her. But Tini - man oh man, they said her attire didn't fit their bill - so I gave her the nice big poster I got, and Sue gave her a bunch more from her lot. I would have given both Tini and Jen more had I not promised my sis I'd give her the whole bunch.
Minor setback, but we toss the incident away and charged into the hall. We were in Hall 2, and so was Bob. Jen's seat was right next to this 3R personality - at first I didn't recognize who this celebrity-person was (I mean I know she's a face from TV but didn't really know who).
So when this person was giving her token I'm-a-friendly-celebrity-you-know smile to all around her, I was wondering why was she so perasan one? Rilek aa akak..
But then we got talking. It turned out that she was quite nice, and she even gave us some tips about the Chevenning Scholarship Program (apparently she's been summoned for an interview, hence probably there goes our chance at it). Still, she became the girl next door when Tini asked about Nicholas Saputra, the Indonesian hunk whom this celebrity had had the chance to work with via a Siti Nurhaliza video clip.
While we talked I got myself ready:
pee: check!
food: check!
drink: alamak not enough, but then Sue offered some of her supplies. So check!
socks: check!
pillow: check!
the gang: check!
neck-craning skills: check! (yup, a tall guy had to sit right in front of me.)
Five minutes after 11PM, the first chapter commenced and the crowd inside flipped on their seats. Lord of the Rings - The Fellowship of the Ring (Extended version) ran on for about 3 hours and 30 minutes, and I marked one particular scene (in the mines of Moria) which Gollum was exposed to the audience as well as Frodo which I consider should have been in the initial version. I managed to keep my eyes open and enjoyed the films plus the additions with only 5% attention deficit.
When it ended, the hall was filled with hoots and applause. Quite a sporting lot we were with. And have to say the rest of the additional scenes were definately instrumental. Cool!
Tini, Jen and I rushed to the Starbucks cafe downstairs to redeem some of the vouchers given by Starbucks. I tried to get as much caffeine as possible. Told Tini to nudge me if she sees me crumble in my seat. Just a couple of hunks spotted at the Starbucks cafe. Well, better than nothing.
The next installation commenced at about 3AM. Lord of the Rings - The Two Towers Extended Version was even longer than Fellowship of the Ring, running for about 3 hours and 44 minutes. I almost dozed off a couple of times, but managed to stay awake - and I didn't miss that cool stunt from Legolas - you know that trick with the horse en route to Helm's Deep as well as that slade ride down the stairs while killing the Uruk Hais during the battle at the end of the chapter.
Major cool, major long, yet I'm still hoping there's more. Probably because I only read the first and the third book which I bought at the second hand store, hence it was tougher to piece together.
During the second break I stole 40 winks - obviously not enough, duh.. but it was all I can afford. And my bladder wasn't in its best behaviour either.
The second break was a bit longer than the rest. Grapevine within Hall 2 said the TGV fella on duty fell asleep, hence we didn't get to see the final chapter till it was about 7.35AM.
During Lord of the Rings - Return of the King, I had to take a couple of pee breaks - shoot! Well, I am planning to watch the film again so I succumbed to my bladder's demand and missed the death scene of Gondor's Keeper's second man.
When the third film ended, many clapped their hands and celebrate for completing the marathon screening. I was dead tired, very sleepy but if TGV had scheduled for an encore, I'd stay rooted to my seat. But the TGV fellas were already handing out T-shirts and congratulatory certificates. And Bob was telling us to tell others who had not watched the movie that Frodo died in the end.
So we had to go. It was over. I could not believe it - though I was complaining about being very very sleepy and all, when it finally ended I just could not get enough of it.
The Lord of the Rings Marathon Screening is definately one of the most memorable cinema experience for me. And I wanna do it again!
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