Almost all films I’ve watched in the last decade were watched on some sort of aircraft for a myriad of reasons – because I got too lazy to go to the theatres, or too cheap to buy pay-per-views, or going to a theatre is one of Kathy’s migraine triggers, and so forth.

Good thing is, since 4 or 5 years ago I was no longer force-fed whatever the plane was playing – there are always a tonne or two on-demand movies to choose from – as a result the first 15 minutes or so is inevitably spent on browsing the menu. (well there are web sites, but I consider zipping through the channels part of the fun…)

Still remember watching 15 or so movies on my last two trips, both on Continental, mostly superhero ones – all the X-Mens, IronMan, Hulk, Hancock, Gandhi (okay, not a superhero nor a recent film, but arguably close on the first count)… All were great. Maybe it’s just my genre. I still remember there’s a total of over 200 to choose from – I could easily go non-stop for 30 minutes just to read the synopses.

This time I was on Air Canada and its selections seems meager in comparison. Scratch that. Meager is an understatement – it’s downright lacking. So I “only” watched 5 for the round trip:

Hangover (2009)

Extreme pointless fun. Must watch.

Terminator Salvation (2009)

This is a joke. 80’s style action film with ubiquitous explosion. Crappy brainless plot, no character development. Utter waste of 2 hours.

The Green Mile (1999)

I missed this when it was out – but after 10 years it’s still miles ahead of a lot of 2009 flicks.

Angels and Demons (2009)

Don’t know about the novel, but the film is underwhelming at least compared to its predecessor. Trivial plays of symbolism, scant plot and an ending that anyone can anticipate way ahead.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009)

Action-packed with a fitting plot. Again, maybe it’s just my genre.

Apart from movies, there are things I always do during flights:

1. Bring a book. Just in case all the films are like Terminator Salvation. Plus, I can always read at my own pace.
2. Or bring a computer. Your own film, music, things to read or to do.
3. On an aisle seat, always look for the hidden button that lets you lift the aisle-side armrest. Very convenient and there’s always one if you look close enough.
4. Put on the seat belt so it clicks, but only “fasten” it loosely – it’s there to pull you backwards and downwards. Downwards I can understand just in case of a sudden descent but a loosely-fastened belt can do the job – and you only need to be pulled backwards in case of sudden deceleration or if the plane is making a nose-dive. I doubt in these situations a tightly fastened belt is going to make any difference, anyway.
5. Whatever you do, DO NOT SING!! Your ticket entitles you to a seat and the “airspace” that belongs to the seat – anything beyond that, please show your other ticket. Music to your ears is noise and intrusion to mine. (yes, someone sat beside me today sang non-stop)