Hollywood movies – the cultural element uniting the world
For the movie buffs out there, Universal Studios City is a must visit itinerary if you are in Los Angeles. Movies and music are elements of soft power, reflecting the cultural terminology. The universality of these elements being adopted at global level is where the USA derived its superpower status.
Having said this, I must also confess that I am a movie buff. , My late Abah was the influencer; Hollywood movies did play a pivotal role in moulding up my teenager’s life and the way I comprehended issues around me.
Back then, in the 1960s, we didn’t have TV for entertainment. As such, I was exposed to the Hollywood movies very early in my formative years. My late Abah “dragged’ my siblings and I to frequent the three cinemas in my small hometown, Bentong, Pahang, Malaysia.
Influencing one’s personality
I remember the big movie stars in the 1960s like Omar Sharif, Gregory Peck, Clint Eastwood, Telly Savalas, Steve Mcqueen, Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Franco Nero. The movies that I could still recall watching with my late Abah were “McKenna’s Gold”, “For A Fistful of Dollars”, “The Good, The Bad and The Ugly” and “The Godfather” and its sequels.
I watched the movie “Love Story” (Ryan O’Neal and Ali Macgraw) with my group of school buddies in the mid-1960s. The famous words of Love Story (Ryan O’Neal and Ali Macgraw) – Love Means Never Having To Say You Are Sorry – will forever be imprinted on my mind. I remember the scene vividly when the cancer stricken Ali Macgraw lied on her deathbed. The song from the movie entitled “Where Do I Begin?” was the most sung song at the time.
Nevertheless, some movies did have an impact on me and I would consider them as evergreen, for example, Serpico (Al Pacino), Apocalypse Now (Marlon Brando and Robert Duvall) and The Deer Hunter (Robert De Niro). These are the legendary actors of Hollywood.
So, considering my over enthusiasm where movies is concerned, I would definitely find the Universal Studios most interesting to be discovered. Well, not really. Something more humanly took place as written below.
Universal Studio – Caring for the Needy
This was what took place. The scenario depicted here had set me thinking aloud. It was when we reached at the ticketing counter to purchase our entrance tickets. I was caught by surprise when we were charmingly greeted by a lady. I guesstimated her age to be about 80 plus years old. She handled the designated task in a professional manner. I was truly impressed by her personality and commitment when the hubby asked many questions about the tickets and activities of Universal Studios. She provided the answers to the questions in the most efficient way. She even went out of the way to give some suggestions to ensure our visit would be a memorable one. Thank you, Linda.
Recalling my journey as the former Secretary General of Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (2010 to 2014), the elderly group was one of the target groups of the ministry. Most of the elderly persons that I encountered with during my tenure were still physically abled.
The biggest problem faced by the Ministry then was the acceptance of our society on the ability of the elderly category (60 years old and above) to perform the tasks at hand. The skeptical attitude actually derives from the mindset about the capabilities of the elderly themselves. This is where the private sector should take the lead, challenging and eliminating this kind of mindset. The private sector should play a crucial role in recruiting this group of individuals, ensuring the growth of our economy with them being included in the nation’s labour participation rate. This is an example of the outcome of policy adopted by Universal Studios that can be emulated by other nations or entities.
Studio Tour – so many things to absorb
We went straight to the Studio Tour. An interesting one, I would say. The tram ride tour brought us to the 3D sites of famous movies. The first one was the “Skulls Island” where we were attacked by King Kong and dinosaurs. Then we were off to the 3D “Fast and Furious” movie studio. Here, we experienced a speedy car chase with Vin Diesel and his team chasing the baddies. These activities really set the adrenaline pumping extra time.
Then off to the 3D “Earthquake” studio where we saw a truck on fire with water gushing in from nowhere. Surreal it was. Next, we came to a location where it demonstrated how a rain scene is created in movies. Subsequently, gushing floodwater rushed down from the hilly slope towards us in the tram (see pix below). Awesomeness.
Passing by the Bates Motel of Psychic movie, a young man with a knife came running towards our tram. We were screaming aloud. We were also shown a collection of vehicles utilised in the movies Knight Rider, Fast and Furious and Jurassic Park. That was really something.
Hollywood Hills
A huge Hollywood signboard with big capital letters on top of Mount Lee is the landmark of Hollywood industry. It was a spot that I had not been to before; we made it a point to visit the place. We were with hundreds of other visitors, flocking up the hill and taking pictures with the signage at the back of us. Everyone seemed to be doing the exact same position. This must be a standard pose for tourists visiting this location.
It’s a wrap. Enjoyed the time spent with my dearest hubby during the visit.
Thank you for stopping by, guys !
Noorul Ainur Mohd. Nur
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
noorul.ainur@gmail.com
Sojourner Noorul 