Back when I was 9, and in Dubai, going to the video store to rent DVDs was special. We didn't have a TV at home, thanks to my Dad, who fantastically believed that TVs would hamper our education and the all movies we watched were on DVDs which we played in our CRT screened 15 inch monitor.
I did not know what LCD was, or how LED looked, and the only happiness I ever got were from the visits to the DVD shop.
The DVD shop was owned by a Keralite, who loved my sister and me. In the beginning, I'd call and torture him asking him to keep the latest flicks ready. Then I started calling and asking him when the latest movies were going to come out on DVD. At one point of time, I was even the silent Managing Partner at this small video store, helping the guy out in deciding which movies to buy, and which to avoid. After a couple of years, he'd let us in to the other side of the counter so that we could browse through the movie DVDs as much as we wanted. We could take out the DVDs, read the synopsis (This was how I learnt what it meant) and keep them back in order if we weren't impressed.
We were allowed to rent out 2 movies at a time. My dad got One, because he was my Dad and he was paying for the whole thing. My sister and I had to share the Second one, which would invariably lead to spiteful fights in front of the other customers. But none of them cared much as they'd think we were the owner's kids. My mom would slowly whisk the violent one away, and the other would get the pleasure of choosing the Second DVD at leisure.
The only films we did agree on were slapstick comedies, where, either the family was going on a long doomed vacation, or something terribly wrong was going to happen on Christmas.
Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Steve Zahn, and good old Mr. Robin Williams brought us closer.
It is extremely difficult thinking of going back to that DVD store, and not having a new Robin Williams movie to rent.
The first time we rented out a Robin Williams movie, there were no fights.
R.V. wasn't exactly his best film but it was a brilliant watch with the family.
I fought with my sister when I wanted to watch Dead Poets Society and she didn't, but funnily, both of us ended up crying when the movie ended.
We were moved.
Mr. Keating was the kind of professors we wanted at school. He taught us how much better it was to study in a system which let you enjoy what you learnt. It reminded me that there was a lot more that could be done to this education system of our that we are so proud of, here in India.
Years later, when my English teacher took the poem O Captain, My Captain!, I wasn't even listening to her. I didn't need to. I knew more about the poem than her, or anybody else for that matter. Robin Williams had given soul to the body that was Walt Whitman.
That was Robin Williams to you. He'd make you laugh your arse off, but would still do justice to the character and story behind the film.
You had to only remember Night at The Museum to know Ted Roosevelt wasn't such a bad President after all. He made Vietnam look like a bundle of fun in Good Morning Vietnam!
He made your sorrows go away, Robin Williams did.
It is sad that he had to go the way he did, but most great comedians have famously battled depression.
The Italian short story on a comedian named Pagliacci comes to mind.
A man goes to a doctor, and tells him he is depressed. He can't eat, sleep or talk as he is mentally depressed.
The doctor tells him that the treatment is simple. There was a great comedian named Pagliacci in town, and he could make people laugh so much, they'd end up crying.
The mad cries, and says "But Doc, I am Pagliacci."
The problem with being Robin Williams was that he was the only person in the world who didn't have Robin Williams to cheer him up. And that is very sad.
We will miss you, Mr. Williams, my sister and I.
Rest in Peace, Robin LcLaurin Williams.
I did not know what LCD was, or how LED looked, and the only happiness I ever got were from the visits to the DVD shop.
The DVD shop was owned by a Keralite, who loved my sister and me. In the beginning, I'd call and torture him asking him to keep the latest flicks ready. Then I started calling and asking him when the latest movies were going to come out on DVD. At one point of time, I was even the silent Managing Partner at this small video store, helping the guy out in deciding which movies to buy, and which to avoid. After a couple of years, he'd let us in to the other side of the counter so that we could browse through the movie DVDs as much as we wanted. We could take out the DVDs, read the synopsis (This was how I learnt what it meant) and keep them back in order if we weren't impressed.
We were allowed to rent out 2 movies at a time. My dad got One, because he was my Dad and he was paying for the whole thing. My sister and I had to share the Second one, which would invariably lead to spiteful fights in front of the other customers. But none of them cared much as they'd think we were the owner's kids. My mom would slowly whisk the violent one away, and the other would get the pleasure of choosing the Second DVD at leisure.
The only films we did agree on were slapstick comedies, where, either the family was going on a long doomed vacation, or something terribly wrong was going to happen on Christmas.
Jim Carrey, Steve Martin, Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Steve Zahn, and good old Mr. Robin Williams brought us closer.
It is extremely difficult thinking of going back to that DVD store, and not having a new Robin Williams movie to rent.
The first time we rented out a Robin Williams movie, there were no fights.
R.V. wasn't exactly his best film but it was a brilliant watch with the family.
I fought with my sister when I wanted to watch Dead Poets Society and she didn't, but funnily, both of us ended up crying when the movie ended.
We were moved.
Mr. Keating was the kind of professors we wanted at school. He taught us how much better it was to study in a system which let you enjoy what you learnt. It reminded me that there was a lot more that could be done to this education system of our that we are so proud of, here in India.
Years later, when my English teacher took the poem O Captain, My Captain!, I wasn't even listening to her. I didn't need to. I knew more about the poem than her, or anybody else for that matter. Robin Williams had given soul to the body that was Walt Whitman.
That was Robin Williams to you. He'd make you laugh your arse off, but would still do justice to the character and story behind the film.
You had to only remember Night at The Museum to know Ted Roosevelt wasn't such a bad President after all. He made Vietnam look like a bundle of fun in Good Morning Vietnam!
He made your sorrows go away, Robin Williams did.
It is sad that he had to go the way he did, but most great comedians have famously battled depression.
The Italian short story on a comedian named Pagliacci comes to mind.
A man goes to a doctor, and tells him he is depressed. He can't eat, sleep or talk as he is mentally depressed.
The doctor tells him that the treatment is simple. There was a great comedian named Pagliacci in town, and he could make people laugh so much, they'd end up crying.
The mad cries, and says "But Doc, I am Pagliacci."
The problem with being Robin Williams was that he was the only person in the world who didn't have Robin Williams to cheer him up. And that is very sad.
We will miss you, Mr. Williams, my sister and I.
Rest in Peace, Robin LcLaurin Williams.
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