La Bamba

Movies are too expensive nowadays.

$9.50 on a weekend is probably $4.50 too much.

I remember a time when I paid $3.50 at Orchard cinema. I was 11 then.

Orchard cinema was one of my favorite theatres then. Among the films I watched there were Ghostbusters, The Woman in Red, Dead Poet's Society, Good Morning Vietnam, La Bamba and Ishtar. I'm sure there were more but that's all I can remember now.

Some of the films that made a great impression in my childhood were La Bamba, Ghostbusters, Dune and Top Secret.

La Bamba was really special.

As we speak, I'm listening to The Best of Ritchie Valens which is always very strange as the soundtrack which I'm so fond of was performed by Los Lobos.

I didn't know then but it didn't matter. The music was amazingly good. It was one of the films that you'd pay to see it again - just for the music.

Till now, Donna is one of my favorite love songs. I still remember how he would sing to her over the phone and it's really a sweet sweet scene.

The acting by Lou Diamond Phillips and Esai Morales was intense. Esai's performance as the tortured, self-destructing brother was especially mesmerizing.

The other thing that worked for me was the sad ending. Till then, I haven't seen many films that end on a down note. The fact that it's a real story makes it a lot more poignant.

I saw another telemovie about Buddy Holly, who died in the same plane crash as Ritchie (of course, you know this). It wasn't half as good but That Will Be The Day is another extraordinary song.

In recent years, I haven't seen many movies like these. I did enjoy Almost Famous very much and That Thing You Do much lesser.