"The Hall", formally a church. St Johns Park, New Town. August 2010.
Struggling for ideas, I dipped my toe into the Intertubes for ideas and plucked out the My Life in Films Meme. At one time in my life, I watched a lot of fillums. Now I have children, and I watch Shrek every few weeks. Feel free to steal and apply as you see fit.
Films That Remind Me of Childhood
Anything featuring Sylvester Stallone punching people, getting punched, or blowing things up. The brother and I were avid fans of Sly and all things Stallone. That said, I wanted Ivan Drago to triumph and demonstrate the historical inevitability of Communism. Things obviously didn’t go to plan.
That said, nothing beats Rocky or Rambo at the Drive-In (remember them?)
Childhood Films Where Removal was Necessary
I don’t remember much about it, but I am told that there was a traumatic response to that part in The Muppet Movie where Animal eats one of the "insta-grow" pills, turning him into a giant. I believe that I may have been asleep and was a little shocked.
I also remember a reaction to the John Hurt dressed as The Elephant Man that very much missed the spirit of the film. I was terrified of the Elephant Man. His inherent dignity obviously didn’t shine through to a four year old. That said, my mother threatening that I continued to be naughty, “the Elephant Man will get you” probably also didn’t help…
Films that Defined My Teens
Tricky this one, as I was a contrary bugger and turned my nose up at the tastes of my peers. Thus, I can give you all of my long held rationales why Ghost and Pretty Woman irrevocably damaged a whole generation of young girls.
I shall have to confess that I eschewed Bill and Ted… for the rambling work of Hal Hartley circa ‘89–‘94. It seemed to conform to my highbrow taste, although they seem stilted and pretentious in retrospect. That said, The Unbelievable Truth, Trust, Simple Men and Amateur were on high rotation at my place through the teens.
Films Seen Multiple Times at Theatres
Multiple visits to the Burnie cinema were very much centred on the ‘movie marathons’ that they occasionally showed (two/three for the price of one). Thus, I believe that I saw Cocoon, Splash, Goonies, Big, Cocktail, Stakeout, Dirty Dancing, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Young Einstein and a number of others a multiple times. I’m not sure that I’ve seen a single billed film ever more than once at the pictures, but I’m sure that I wanted to get back and see ET, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Return of the Jedi. I am pretty saw that we saw Rocky III at the pictures and the drive-in..
First Date Film
I am not sure that I have ever been on a ‘date’. I think that the first film I saw with Jen at the theatre was Pollack, so I will say that.
Nightmares from Films
I’ve already mentioned The Elephant Man. Any list of films that I recall as very much giving me the willies have to include The Amityville Horror and Poltergeist. The film that I terrified me the most though was a made for TV miniseries (back when the still did that) The Day After. People go on about 9/11, the Bali Bombings and Islamic terrorists, but for mine that has nothing on the oppressive fear of nuclear holocaust that seemed heavy pre-Glasnost.
Films that are Guilty Pleasures
I must confess to enjoying much of the Carry On… canon. I can’t say that I carry a lot of guilt over it though.
Last Film I Saw at the Theatre
My salary is certainly not large enough to make regular trips to the cinema (people really pay 20 bucks to see a movie? Don’t they have Broadband?). The last movie I saw at the cinema was Juno, and that was because Jen scored some free tickets. I have considered taking Henry along to the latest Shrek, but the showing times are not great.
Favourite Film No-one Else Seems to Know About
C’mon, we live in a global village! I think that is very hard these days to have an ‘unknown’ favourite. Once upon a time I would have said Kieślowski’s Dekalog, but then I discovered that the rest of the world knew about it! If I had to pick a little known gem, I might reach for would be Phillip Noyce’s very short Backroads, a harsh little road film that a lot of people haven’t had the opportunity to see.
If you would like to tackle this topic, help yourself. Or, if you'd just like to chuck your two bob's worth in the comments, go for it. I will promise not to ridicule you (unless you attempt to argue that any of Baz Luhrman's films have any merit whatsoever...)
Comments
Interesting post, by the way. I remember being 6 years old and terrified that the heart-pulling-out-guy from Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom was going to come out of the toilet one day. My parents didn't use this as a threat, though.
I had a bit of a wander around St John's Park last week, looks like just about every minor movement in architecture is represented on some level...
The part of Temple of Doom… that I didn’t like was the bit with the snake at the dinner table. Like Indy, I’m not fond of snakes.
St Johns Park is like I imagine one of those theme parks to socialism that can be found in the Baltic, only more gloomy.
I forgot to mention A Fish Called Wanda, I believe that I saw that film at least five times as part of a double bill. A Fish Called Wanda and Cocktail; A Fish Called Wanda and Dirty Dancing; A Fish Called Wanda and Young Einstein; A Fish Called Wanda and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Someone at the Burnie cinema must have really liked A Fish Called Wanda.
Films Seen Multiple Times at Theatres:
Harold and Maude,Koyaanisqatsi
Nightmares from Films:
Psycho
Films that are Guilty Pleasures:
Nine ½ Weeks
Favorites from last year:
Slumdog Millionaire, Good by Lenin
Favourite Film No-one Else Seems to Know About:
Urga, Man on Wire, Grizzly Man