Sunday, February 10, 2008

Sunday night film frenzy!

Keris posted a challenge to the blogging community - to discuss the films of our life.
Now I've only used some of her suggestions as obviously I have never watched a film with her husband or her mother for that matter (although that made me cry Keris - your post about your mum). Anyway, here are the films that have defined me.

Films that remind me of my childhood
You say childhood, I say Star Wars. We watched this so many times - too many times. I was in love with Luke Skywalker - before of course I realised he was a little wet and Han Solo was mucho more sexy. I didn't get the bad boy thing at seven or eight, but I get it now, trust me.
I wanted Princess Leia to be my best friend. Really. I would pray for it. I thought we could have the best of craic and maybe she would lend me some of her nice dresses. I still kind of want that white dress she wears at the end of A NewHope.
The films of Doris Day also featured largely in my childhood - especially Calamity Jane. I wanted to live in the cabin and paint flowers on the door. I wanted to wear the yellow dress and fall in the crick. I wanted Howard Keel to fall in love with me and I wanted to wear that GORGEOUS dress she wears to the ball. I still want to wear that gorgeous dress she wears to the ball.

Childhood films I had to be removed from because of the weeping
Not traditional childhood films, but Bill (Mickey Rooney was in it), Champ and Who Will Love My Children all reduced me to an hysterial wreck around the age of 10/11. My aunt would babysit us during the summer and we always watched these fecking films and it never ended well. NEVER.

Films that made me cry the most (not necessarily in childhood)
What Dreams May Come. I sobbed - nay howled - for a full hour AFTER this film ended. My husband, who was then my boyfriend, was deeply alarmed at my horrendous reaction. I mean I could not breathe, I was crying so hard. Snot was flying everywhere. It was the least pretty thing I've ever done (and I'm pretty sure I pooped in labour). But it was a very sad film. I haven't watched it again. Seems in adulthood I learned the lessons I didn't when I was wee. When a film makes me cry til I vomit I no longer watch it a second time.

Defining films of my teenage years
Skipping past the obvious Ferris Bueller, Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink stuff... the films which I remember most from my teen years are

1) Top Gun. I loved Tom Cruise. I wanted to marry him. And have sex with him. His love scene with Kelly McGillis was the first time I saw a love scene on TV and felt certain feelings. I loved that film. It pains me to this day that he turned into such a godawful twunt that I now hate him and would not have sex with him even if he begged me, or sang 'You've Lost that Loving Feeling' to me in a crowded bar with Dr. Greene from ER. (Now this is strange, because in direct contrast to the Star Wars Luke/Han thing, I now rather fancy Goose from Top Gun and he was the nice one...pity he died.)
2) The Lost Boys. We watched this, a lot, when I was growing up. We (me and my friends) could quote you 100 lines from it and still I can't hear the name Michael without thinking "Michael's great. I like Michael" in a slutty voice. I could never watch the bit where the vampires ate people though - I'm a feardy cat.
3) Dirty Dancing. This is my dance space. This is yours. SAY NO MORE.

Films seen more than once at the cinema
Four Weddings and Funeral - I went through a Hugh Grant phase when I was 18, before I realised he wasn't a bit attractive and a bit foppish to be truly sexy. Although he did redeem himself in Love Actually a bit and I like it when he calls people a dirty bitch.
Forrest Gump. It made me cry - not til I vomitted, but not far off. I had to go back to see him declare his love for Jennnnnaaaeee one more time.

The only two films I have ever persuaded my husband to see at the cinema with me.
Life with Eddie Murphy and somebody else. Which should have been renamed Shite.
The Sum of All Fears. The sum of all my fears is that I would have to watch this film again.

Films that I will never watch again because they didn't agree with me.
See above for 'What Dreams May Come' information and the second film I will never watch again is Schindler's List. I saw this when I was 17 and it didn't really disturb me. In fairness we had been watching actual footage of actual holocaust mass killings in History so I was able to see that this was only a film.
But when I was around 23 I saw it again on TV and I felt physically sick. I was terrified throughout and I just won't ever watch it again. It is an amazing film, but not comfortable viewing.

Best recent cinema experience
Enchanted with the boy and my niece. It was magical.

The film me and my friends quote but no one else has ever seen
Sing - cheesy film where people sing songs to save their school from closing. The songs were good.

1 comment:

Keris Stainton said...

How could I forget The Champ?

And What Dreams May Come - was that with the hell with all the heads sticking out of the mud? *shudder*

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