From Childhood to Adulthood

My Life in Films Meme for Bloggers

We have been exposed to moving pictures since we could sit quietly for more than five minutes. It is foolish to think that we are not affected by what we watch. This blogging meme helps us to explore and share our film experience through the years with our readers and while many of us will be able to share commonalities I am almost positive that we can add a few new films to our viewing lists.

This blogging meme was inspired by a post my friend Keris Stainton made on her blog many moons ago (although I cannot seem to find her original post).

Directions: Create a new blog post. Write an introduction. Copy and paste the meme below into your blog, changing the comments to your own. Use the title of this meme in your subject line or create your own. Feel free to tag your friends or not. A link back to this lens would be appreciated.

To say I love movies is an understatement. Movies are one of the things that make life enjoyable. Once the film starts rolling I am teleported into an alternative universe of diverse locations and interesting people.

Films That Remind Me of Childhood

Star Wars – I went to see this at the other end of town with my babysitter, Keith. Not the greatest baby sitter but he had a good mind for films. I loved Star Wars and I immediately fell in love with Han Solo (like millions of other young girls). I do not remember how old I was but I remember Keith taking me for soda. It was a self dispenser and we had to walk around it and fill up our plastic mug with whatever flavor we wanted. I followed Keith’s example and took a smidgen from each flavor, there had to be over twenty. I do not remember what it tasted like, I just remember it being a good day at the movies and I wanted more.

Officer and a Gentleman – This was about the time the huge laser discs movie players came out. Boy was that short lived! My best friend Barb’s sister had a laser disc player and would tease us with clips of Richard Gere. She would not let us watch the whole thing because of the language. Being sneaky, like all prepubescents, we waited until she was out and watched the whole thing numerous times until we knew the dialogue and all the dirty songs by heart. Today, if any one asks what my favourite movies are, it is in there. I have seen it over 100 times. Seriously. And I may need to get another dose of it again soon.

Childhood Films Where Removal was Necessary

Are you kidding? My mother would never remove me from anything that made me cry, scream or have nightmares. Good parenting skills there. I think my mother was born without the common sense gene. I do not know where I got my common sense from. Osmosis from my teachers and babysitters maybe.

The films that made me wail the most were: Ole Yeller, E.T. and Bambi (no child under 12 should be allowed to watch these films).

The films that made me have nightmares: Exorcist (to this day I cringe and turn away when a clip is shown on TV), Amityville (the upside, I fell in love with James Brolin) and Nightmare on Elm Street (the upside, I fell in love with Johnny Depp).

Films that Defined My Teens

Pretty in Pink / Sixteen Candles– Every girl could relate to Molly Ringwald but who on earth could not or did not fall in love with Andrew McCarthy and Michael Schoeffling. Director John Hughes films left a big mark on my teens.

The Karate Kid – Believe it or not, this film made me stand up for myself… and for other people. It is probably the reason why I handed out two bleeding noses before I made it to highschool. Don’t worry, I have mended my ways. I go for the jugular now.

Films Seen Multiple Times at Theaters

I cannot think of any films I watched in the theater more than once. Money was tight growing up so I cannot imagine paying to go to see the same show. Outside the theater the movies I have seen the most are Officer and a Gentleman, Alien, Poltergeist, Robin Hood (Kevin Costner), Reservoir Dogs, 13th Warrior, Forrest Gump, Backdraft, Resident Evil, Erin Brockovich, Coal Miner’s Daughter, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Wizard of Oz, and Hope Floats. These are movies I absolutely never get tired of seeing and can start watching in the middle and still watch it and cry and laugh or get scared at the appropriate places.

First Date Film

My husband took me to see Alien Nation on our first date back in 1988. Eek! It was an OK film. I know it had spotted aliens in it and it became a TV series afterwards but I do not remember the storyline. I was way too nervous. And considering how lost I get in my movies that is a big thing.

Nightmares from Films

I mentioned three above: Exorcist, Amityville and Nightmare on Elm Street. Others were: Ghoulies, Pet Semetary (especially the scene with the kid under the bed and the Achilles tendon — I still hop to get into bed), Incubus, Bees, The Blob, The Brood (the bloody finger prints on the ballisters!), The Hills Have Eyes, Magic (I hate ventriloquist dummies). Quite a few of these are not what I would call scary now. They are just stupid. But I was not old enough to BE watching them the first time.

Films that are Guilty Pleasures

I am a sucker for a good Harlequin Romance movie (no I do not read the books). It is like being a deer caught in the headlights. I cannot look away. Along the same line are any movies made from Jane Austen books, my favorite being Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy.

Last Film I Saw at the Theatre

We have satellite (some promotion we got with the Internet) so we do not go to the theater that often. That and it is so bloody expensive. $11 per person. We have seen two recently because Jeff’s parents gave us some gift certificates. Prince Caspian because I am a Narnian nut and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull because I am a Indie nut. We still have some coupons left and I really want to see M. Night Shyamalan’s The Happening (I love his movies–all of ’em).

Favourite Film No One Else Seems to Know About

I am going to say, The Man from Snowy River with Tom Burlinson. I had such a crush on him. Cowboys on horses with Australian accents are sexy.