Deep Impact | John Matrix | Commando

It was between 1988 and 2000.

Our father typically takes us (me and my elder brother) every friday night to Madurai Mappillai Vinayagar or Manicka Vinayagar theatre for watching the newly released or the continuous run of an English language speaking film. 

In the late 80s, for some reasons, I couldn't recall, why our father took us for Arnold Schwarzenegger's newly released "Commando", on the first day noon show to Mappillai Vinayagar theatre. We didn't get tickets. It was housefull. The subsequent Friday we ensured that we reached the theatre by 13:45 hours, as the show started at 14:10 hours, still we didn't get tickets. It was housefull. The third subsequent week, we reached by 13:30 hours, we didn't get tickets. It was housefull. The fourth subsequent week, we ensured that we reached the theatre an hour before, 13:00 hours. We did get the tickets. We had to stand in the queue for an hour. Commando was an unprecedented success at Madurai Mappillai Vinayagar theatre. It ran housefull for 3 months in a row, about 100 days. 

I Dont need to count the number of times we watched Commando in the theatres, VHS, and satellite channels as it could near infinity. Just imagine, a film touching 10 days is considered to be a blockbuster now. But way back in the late 80s, with only a handful of english speaking and understanding folks, this movie influenced the cinema enthusiasts of Madurai and became a super hit. These posters were kept in remembrance of the massive reach of Commando for years near the first class entrance of Mappilai Vinayagar theatre. Colonel Matrix will always prevail in our lives. 

Authored by Balaji Thangapandian aka #BT - a spacefarer, who is also curious about film-making, connectivity technologies and military history.

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