Yeah, I Like Movies
I’ve loved watching movies and television for as long as I can remember. In elementary school I would wake up at 4:00 AM on school days just to watch old Full House re-runs. As a middle-schooler I went to the midnight premiere of a Harry Potter film, and stayed awake the whole time (my dad fell asleep about halfway through). The first PG-13 movie I saw was a big deal. Even now I look forward to every “Five Dollar Tuesday” at the local movie theater more than anything else. I watch Good Mythical Morning on YouTube every day while I get ready for school. These anecdotes (along with countless other experiences) lead me to decide to become a film and screen studies minor.
This decision changed the way I watch movies forever. I have always been a talker in movies at home (except ones I’ve never seen before-for those I remain completely silent). I loved to spout off random facts and make commentary as I watched. This annoying (according to my loved ones) tendency has increased ten-fold since I became a film minor. Learning about how movies are made and the choices that lead to their conception gives me so much to talk about — so much that my friends complain that I “ruin” their favorite movies for them. One day my friend came to me and said, “Jurassic World is a terrible movie!” A little taken aback, I responded, “I know. So?” She then explained how she used to love the film, but after going back and viewing it (having learned a thing or two from my jibber-jabber) she came to recognize poor plotting and terrible writing.
I do love watching movies with other people, but I don’t mind doing so by myself, either. I typically go to the theater to see movies I’m especially excited about, as I think seeing them on the silver screen is so different than at home. Otherwise, I watch the occasional movie with my roommates or on my laptop alone. Sometimes I’ll go to a friend’s house for a movie night, where I show them one of my favorite movies.
Wherever I watch I movie, I’m always engaged. I sit forward, drinking in every frame and analyzing every scene. My friends tell me they can see the gears turning in my head as I watch. This is especially true during the first viewing. One of my biggest pet peeves is when people talk, text, or sleep during a movie. I don’t want to miss a thing, and it bothers me when others don’t feel the same way.
My favorite films are oddly diverse, so when someone asks me what kind of movies I like, I tend to say “…All of them?” From Moulin Rouge! to The Shawshank Redemption to Fantastic Mr. Fox, it’s clear I don’t stick to one genre. However, most (I say most, because who doesn’t have guilty pleasure movies?) of the films I love are slow in story-telling, visually pleasing, and/or successful in character development.
Lately, however, I’ve been really interested in sci-fi horror. I’ve always loved Jurassic Park, so naturally I also adored Alien, which I saw for the first time last year. District Nine is another I recently watched and is a top favorite. So, while some genres do stick out to me more than others, I’m hardly picky.
Television viewing is a bit different for me. If I’m watching a brand-new show as it airs weekly on cable — for me right now it’s Riverdale and This is Us — I tend to watch it with my roommates, as our television is in the living room, and we’re all invested in new episodes. I’ll also watch shows I’m not really interested in that happen to be on T.V. while I’m hanging out with my roommates. When I binge, however (and I do a lot of binging), I do it alone. I usually turn on a show I’m familiar with, and let it run in the background as I go about my day. I only do this with shows I’ve seen several times, so if I leave the room for a moment, I won’t miss anything. Examples include The Office (I love both the U.S. and U.K. versions), Gilmore Girls, Parks and Recreation, and Friends.
These shows are “mindless” to me — in that I can watch them without having to think too much. But I’ve come to learn that viewing of any kind requires cognitive function. While viewing even these sitcoms and dramas (which I’ve seen millions of times), my brain has to take in each frame and put it into a logical order and fill in the blanks — and that’s how I come to understand the narrative. It’s important to realize that although I may feel more relaxed (and, well, stupid) watching these television shows, what my brain is doing unconsciously is truly extraordinary.
I have seen a few other television shows and will re-watch them occasionally — such as Stranger Things and Stranger Things 2, Sherlock, Rick and Morty, and Adventure Time. I usually watch these serials alone as well — but in a different way than, say, The Office. I sit forward, my eyes glued to the screen, analyzing everything on the screen. There are only a few examples of these, because I feel I don’t have time to sit down and *really* watch these engrossing shows. And if I can’t give my full attention to them, I’d rather not see them at all. Therefore, I’m rather unfamiliar with most television, as I mostly just re-watch the series I love. I hope to branch out a bit — and binge out a bit more.
Watching television and film is one of my favorite pastimes, and I’m so glad I can do it for college credit. Being able to analyze the things I watch and discuss them with others who have the same passions is so exciting. I watch a lot, and I’m curious to see if this class will change the way I do so.