that time of the year

Hey, it's that time of the year again.

Watched a post-midnight show of Charlie & The Chocolate Factory at Orchard Cineleisure with my bro last Friday/Saturday.

Nopes, the issue here is not the movie. That one's cute. What I'm gonna say here is pretty creepy, actually.

As we know, The Chinese Hungry Ghost Festival started as of that Friday. Those who's seen the trailer for THE MAID should know what the festival is about. Ghosts of ancestors come down bla..blaa..

ANYWAY.

Those who used to watch Chinese horror movies (esp. the Hong Kong ones) will know that they always leave the front row empty at 'getai' shows and the same goes for cinemas (or so I thought...) Apparently, when I booked the tix online that morning at around 10am, the 1st 3 rows are already booked. So I land a couple of seats on the 4th row from the back.

However, when the show start, my bro started grumbling.
HIM: Aiyoh, even at this hour it's full-house. Damn cramp, sia. Why dun you book the seats behind us? They're empty!

Puzzled, I turned around. It IS empty. THE WHOLE ROW, in fact. Erk??!

ME: Shoot, lah. The whole freaking row behind us still empty and the show start already. You know what this means???
HIM: What?! Damn, I feel like climbing over and sit behind.
ME: I'd rather u dun. It's the Hungry Ghost Festival. Ghosts also want to watch Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, mah.
HIM: Damn, sia. They got the best seats in the house!

Anyway, minutes later, I turned back again to see 2 couples seated there. I kept looking back to see if they're 'real'. Turned out, they sat there cos' their seats are pretty cramped (4 seats in the row behind them are empty).

This is what watching too much Hong Kong horror movies (as a kid) do to your head. THINKING of NONSENSE, in fact. Sheesh..!

PS: I specifically remember one movie where a couple who sat at those 'designated' seats incurred the ghosts' wrath and were kept them in the building. Tried as they might, they're unable to find the exit, until the next morning. Creepy.....