What was the movie that made you love movies?

As far back as I can remember, the first time I really noticed and felt a love for film was probably thefirst film I remember ever seeing - Star Wars: A New Hope. My mum's boyfriend at the time used to put on the original Star Wars trilogy every week for me to watch and I NEVER got bored of them. I was also fascinated by how big the film felt in terms of it's scale and environment and vast array of colour characters. It was literally like another world to me and I was glued to our TV screen like a Mofo, especially when I would watch Empire Strikes Back and Return Of The Jedi as those were my favourites of the trilogy at the time. I remember at the back of the VHS case for the film and wanting to know everybody's name on the credits from the music composure to the director George Lucas. I remember being confused as to why the director (a term I wasn't familiar with) was credited before the main actors and my mum's boyfriend at the time told me 'The director is GOD of the film, without them there is no film', I pretty much worshipped directors after that, and especially Lucas.

I would site A Nightmare On Elm Street as another film that made me appreciate films almost as much as Star Wars did, even though I was never old enough to watch it. But I remember the pretty strong effect it had on me. The sense of fear, anxiety and pure terror just captivated me.


The film that REMINDED me as to why I love cinema was Memento. I hadn't really seen anything that blew me away since The Matrix and wasn't really into the whole indie scene. I started to get a little desensitised to a lot of the films that were being shown. But back in late 2001 (the film had already been released on DVD and video for almost a year but I went to a private screening not knowing anything about it) my life and attitude towards film changed after seeing this film. It was the sole reason I decided to study film at university and one of the main reasons why I will never give up on the cinema.

Although I was only two years old at the time; I'm told I was taken to the cinema to see Star Wars on it's original theatrical run in the UK. Naturally from the age of four to eight I became obsessed with the series, and asked for the toys every Christmas. I had a similar affection for Raiders of the Lost Ark, and James Bond films. The latter of which I was always allowed to stay up late and watch when they were on television. For Your Eyes Only and The Spy Who Loved Me were my favourites (at the time) because both had underwater sequences, and I loved anything to do with the ocean.



Which leads me onto 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Jaws. The first time I saw both films was at Christmas, and again I was allowed to stay up way past my bedtime. I saw 20,000 leagues one Christmas eve when I was around five years old and remember loving it. I think the combination of the underwater theme, being allowed to stay up late, and the excitement of it being Christmas eve, all contributed to the magic. Jaws was a similar experience, again it was Christmas and I stayed up late (I think I was six or seven). My mum had told me the film was scary and whilst I wanted to be grown up; I was still a little worried I wouldn't be able to handle it. Safe to say I made it through the movie alive, and felt like I was on my way to becoming a man; even if the blue carpet in our hallway had me imagining it was water, and the shark was going to get me.



Although I was aware of, and enjoyed watching movies; I didn't really start becoming a fanatic until I saw Aliens when I was fifteen. I've recounted the story on these boards before, but it involved a smuggled videotape, some school friends, and my dad being out of the house (as I wasn't allowed to watch 18/R rated movies). Everything about that flick blew me away, from the way the marines looked, to the sound those huge guns made; the shafting blue light, Bill Paxton swearing a lot, and Vasquez pinning that alien's head to the wall with her foot before blowing it's brains out. That movie just plain rocked for me.

Mad Max 2/ The Road Warrior and Dawn of the Dead were similarly mind blowing experiences. I loved the weird dystopian atmosphere, punky costume design, and kinetic energy of Mad Max 2. With Dawn of the Dead of the Dead it was the dystopian theme again that interested me, and the story of survival that captivated me. MoFo's can blame that movie for my obsession with gory movies and Italian cinema. It was the first time I ever heard Goblin, and there was a certain Dario Argento involved too. Plus I became obsessed with zombie films which led me onto to one Lucio Fulci.

There are other movies that I should mention too for getting me hooked. They include The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, The Terminator, The Thing, Demons, The Evil Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Robocop, and The Howling. All hold clandestine teenage video memories for me

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in the old days The Original Star Wars Trilogy

in more recent times Taxi Driver and Ikiru

I haven't seen as many movies as a lot of the other members on this forum, and I'm definitely not as educated on the film making process. I mainly focus on the acting and the story, whether it entertains me or not. In my opinion if a film has good acting and a good story that keeps my attention the whole time, it's a good film. I saw Titanic when I was about 11 years old, and from what I can remember it was the first movie that I had seen that wasn't childish in nature. So I'll have to say that seeing Titanic was what caused me to start really loving to watch movies.

Rocky (1976)

Taxi Driver or Akira...

Twilight
Time Travelers wife

Developed interest in me to watch hollywood movies

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I knew the thread would produce some exciting, different, not usually discussed about films. Never in a million believed Kevin Costners Robin Hood would steal the show. Whodathunkit?!

I think i will also add the holy Ghostbusters too..i remember how obsessed i was with that movie as a kid...i guess most people were back then...

Ok, but what made you like Kermit The Frog? Kermit rocks but I was just curious if theres a story there with you.

The Shawshank Redemption

Prison isn't just something with bars. Sometimes you can make a prison within yourself.

The movie showed me friendship and appreciating the things around you. To not take anything or any day for granted.

And to never stop believing in hope, no matter how small it is.

the fact that i've been a fan of the muppet show as way back as i can remember

First seris of Indiana Jones

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I've been a prolific movie-nut longer than I can remember. When I was about 4-5, my father bought an RCA Selectavision CED player and several movies, including Phantasm. I LOVED it! And still do, despite the pipe-cleaner fly scene. And then there was A Christmas Story, which my grandparents had on VHS and I watched religiously, even at non-holiday times, every time that I visited them.
But if there's a single film that made me realize that I absolutely LOVE movies, it would be Once Upon a Time in America. In third grade, I moved to a place that had The Movie Channel, and it was my first real experience with premium movie channels. OUATIA was a few years old, but there was a period of several months when they would air it a few times a week. I was about 8 years old, and I fell in love with that movie. I bet I watched it 10 times that year.

For me its Cast Away. I dont know whats with the film but it made me really appreciate Russell Crowe and stories of adventure. Akira Kurosawa's Seven Samurai however made me love filmmaking.

You mean, like, you were so unimpressed by Tom Hanks' performance in Cast Away that by default it somehow gave you an appreciation for Russell Crowe?!? Or did you mean Tom Hanks? Or did you mean Master & Commander?

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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra

Or maybe they're just stupid.

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Iro's Top 100 Movies v3.0

Sorry I just confused him with Hanks. I was thinking of the movie A Good Year when I wrote that. I stand corrected.

Very well.

Well with all those hair in the face..