I am a movie buff. Actually, the term movie aficionado might be a better description. I just LOVE movies. I’m the kind of person who can watch the same movie over and over again as not only a form of entertainment but as a form of comfort as well. There’s just something so alluring about entering the world of the movie for a couple of hours and escaping reality. It’s a nice mental break.
As one of my favorite childhood movies, The Neverending Story, once proclaimed – albeit it was about books, not movies, but it can still be applied – “Have you ever been Captain Nemo, trapped inside your submarine while the giant squid is attacking you?…Weren’t you afraid you couldn’t escape?”
Movies take on a certain sense of reality to us as we become engrossed in it’s plots and invest in it’s characters. Sometimes the stakes become so high because you care so much for characters you didn’t even know two hours ago. It’s that sense of escapism that makes movies so magical.
No matter the genre, movies have a way of connecting you to a world that isn’t your own and allowing you to process a wide range of emotions that you may not otherwise process in your daily life. A great comedy can uplift; a drama might allow you shed tears you’ve been holding inside.
Referring back to my previous example in The Neverending Story, as a child with no remarkable life experience at the time, I got to experience Bastian’s journey from ordinary boy to a boy who was able to save an entire magical land that exists solely from the dreams and hopes of mankind. It was this sense of empowerment that made me feel so enamored. It sparked my imagination! If this ordinary boy could be so extraordinary, why couldn’t I be extraordinary as well?
The Neverending Story was a social commentary on children growing up and losing their imaginations. But it also delivered a powerful message through one of it’s most disenchanted characters, G’mork, “Fantasia has no boundaries”.
As an adult I can now see the allegory in this message, one that, despite my youth and lack of understanding at the time, thankfully connected with me none-the-less: the imagination of man is boundless. We can grow into adults and still employ imagination in our daily lives.
This is why I love movies! Even if I wasn’t cognitive of it’s influence, The Neverending Story shaped who I would become. It subconsciously reminded me to keep my imagination going even as I matured into an adult. And that sense of wonder has remained with me even today. It’s kept the kid inside of me alive and I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
Just a few months ago I decided to watch another childhood classic, E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial. As I was watching it I was reminded of the awe I felt as a kid. This movie was a story about connection and friendship. So much so that as E.T. was dying, Elliott, too, became gravely ill. But despite this, Elliott did what he could to protect his friend. It’s such an uplifting movie and that’s one of the reasons that the movie connects so well with it’s audience. It’s story and themes are universal.
The moment when E.T., Elliott, and a group of neighbourhood kids try to whisk E.T. away from the government on their bicycles was such an emotional scene. You wanted these kids to succeed because they were doing what was right.
And then one of my favorite scenes occurred – E.T. and the kids lifted off into the air and evaded the police. And I still felt that sheer joy, excitement and wonder of a kid! I remember being amazed by the scene as a child, and 25 years later I still experienced that amazement. That is movie magic!
If you’re at all interested in recapturing that magic, thankfully Cineplex – people who love movies just as much as I do – has been offering fans a chance to watch classic movies and relive the experience once again on the big screen! It’s called Most Wanted Movies.
Next week they are airing E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial on the big screen. You can catch it on one of it’s three show times on either September 15th, 18th or 20th. The movie is only $6. It’s a great chance to not only relive your love of a movie again but to introduce these classics to a new audience.
Over the past few years I’ve gone to see Ghostbusters, Indiana Jones, and Jurassic Park again and each time I’ve gone I’ve gotten to witness a new generation capturing the awe of these classics for the first time and it’s amazing!
For more information and a chance to vote on the movies you’d like to see back on the big screen please visit http://www.cineplex.com/Events/MostWantedMovies.
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