Audiences queue for tickets of the Tet’s blockbuster Giai cuu Than Chet

The holidays filled local cinemas and theater venues as a variety of films and performances played for sold out Tet crowds.

Some cinemas and theaters even had to open additional show times to meet the increased demand as holiday audiences packed venues across the city.

At a cinema near you

The Tet season is always high time for local movie theaters as people have more time and spend money more generously.

Megastar Cineplex theaters raked in up to VND6.8 billion (US$390,000) in revenues by selling some 90,000 tickets in only six days.

In a new move, Megastar Hung Vuong and Megastar Tan Son Nhat featured foreign films such as Dai chien Xich Bich (Red Cliff 2) and Chuyen ke luc nua dem (Bedtime Stories) this Tet.

In the past, Vietnamese theaters have generally shown only local films during traditional holidays.

The two cinemas also attracted viewers with domestic films such as Giai cuu Than Chet (Hot kiss 2), Dep tung Centimet (Beautiful by the Centimeter) and Huyen thoai bat tu (Legend is alive).

“Hot kiss 2” sold as many tickets as “Red Cliff 2” at Megastar cinemas.

Megastar Hung Vuong in District 5 welcomed over 6,000 viewers a day and Megastar Tan Son Nhat in Tan Binh District attracted about 3,000 viewers a day.

Evening shows sold out hours beforehand and Megastar Tan Son Nhat manager Le Ngoc Chau said the theater had to open additional morning and evening showings.

A representative at Galaxy Cinema said “Hot kiss 2” brought in VND14 billion ($800,000) to Galaxy theaters in two weeks, attracting double the number of viewers that saw “The Battle of Red Cliff.”

He said the film was the Vietnamese blockbuster of the year.

Galaxy Cinema opened late night screenings at 11 p.m. to meet demand.

After watching “Hot kiss 2,” Hoang Anh said: “The film not only makes us laugh but also helps us understand a more profound meaning… that we have to always strive to better ourselves.”

“Hot kiss 2” is the highly anticipated sequel to Nu hon Than Chet (Kiss of the Death), Vietnam’s highest grossing film ever, which also won the silver prize at the 2007 Canh Dieu Vang (Golden Kite) awards, Vietnam’s answer to the Oscars.

The film follows the story of a school girl who enlists the help of an angel of death to become popular at her new school. But the angel is young and inexperienced and most of his help backfires, triggering mad-cap antics along the way.

Curtain call

The city’s live theater venues also sold out throughout Tet.

IDECAF theater at the French Cultural Center filled its seats with several new plays such as Lung nguoi trong mong (Looking for a sweetheart), Dua voi bong (Joking with the shadow) and Quan Thich thich lam quan (Quan Thich wants to become a mandarin).

Director of the IDECAF theater Huynh Anh Tuan said: “Before Tet, we had already sold out tickets for shows on the sixth day of Tet.”

The Phu Nhuan Theater showed three plays over the holidays, including Chuyen chung cu (Tales from an apartment building), Ky nghe lay Tay (Skills needed to marry foreigners) and Thay re (Changing son-in-laws).

The Phu Nhuan productions were the theater’s best sellers of the year.

Hong Van, director of the Phu Nhuan Theater, said all “Skills needed to marry foreigners” tickets sold out before Tet began.

Van said there were usually two performances in a normal day but the theater added an additional show for Tet.

All seats at the Sai Gon Theater at 5B Vo Van Tan Street were also filled for the holidays.

Sui gia dai chien (The battle of the in-laws) also became a best-seller at the Ben Thanh Theater.

Outside of cinemas and theaters, amusement parks such as Dam Sen and Suoi Tien were nearly overwhelmed with visitors from Ho Chi Minh City and neighboring provinces over Tet.

Reported by Bao Tran