Entry below was written from the perspective of a certified Megamall rat.

Sta Lucia East Grand Mall (Sta Lu to Rizal folks) was my least favorite place to dine in and watch movie. In my mind, it was like, eww, the department store and supermarket are poorly lit, rats could be just everywhere to pounce on you at any given time. Outside the mall perimeter are pick-up girls doing ‘midnight sale’. (Hey, majority of the market vendors in our village told me that.) I haven’t seen the cinema yet, only their announcement billboards along Felix Avenue painted in black ink against white background which remind me of white tombs in cemeteries. Having been to major parts of the mall gave me one solid impression – it could be those you see along Avenida.

So watching Spider-Man 3 on its opening day at Sta Lu was the farthest thing in my mind.

But then, you can never tell what would happen next – plans get spoiled and options are limited to just one. When my brother decided to take his car to Cavite and celebrate his birthday there (which happens to be May 1 also), I am left with a choice to watch Spider-Man 3 at the neighboring Sta Lu rather than spend another hour of bus ride to Ortigas under the blazing 12 noon sun. All in the name of the black spider.

I was in Sta Lu at 11am sharp, thinking I’d be the first person in this part of the world to see Spider-Man 3. (The movie will be shown in the US on May 4.) When I reached the top floor, fanatics were all over the cinema lobby. The hotdog stand could barely accomodate demands of starving aliens lining up for hotdog sandwiches and drinks.

There were about 5 to 7 cinemas showing Spider-Man 3. I was in Cinema 7 ticket booth for the 12:10pm screening, stuck at the tail end of almost half a kilometer line. I envied people who came to watch the movie with their families and friends. They managed to scatter themselves in different ticket booth lines that whoever reaches the booth first gets the privilege to choose seats. Have mom and I decided to end our one-day old cold war earlier, I wouldn’t be spending two and a half hours watching the movie with my butt flat on the floor. And I paid P140 for that. Gaaah!

Now Sta Lu Cinema is not that bad after all. It is well-carpeted, the seats are comfortable and steps are lighted. There is even Figaro which added some class. The only not-so bad thing is the screen that is a bit smaller for the film – Thomas Haden Church was read as “omas Haden Church” and Bryce Dallas Howard as “ryce Dallas Howard”. I wonder if there were other details of the film, particularly at the left side of the frame, that were cut out of the picture. Oh well, who cares?

Indeed, the greatest battle lies within — my butt ached, my legs were cramped and my tummy growled in protest. On my right were kids who spilled their drinks on the floor and on the guy seated in front of them. The cinema smelled of stale frozen french fries and hamburger patties with onions on it. At the end of the movie, someone shouted “palakpakan naman!”.