I watched a delightful documentary over the weekend called The Last Blockbuster. It's about the last remaining Blockbuster video store located in Bend, OR (there used to be three in Alaska, but they've since closed). It made me nostalgic for the days of going to the video store on a Friday and grabbing a bunch of movies to binge over the weekend. If video stores and stations like USA, TBS, and WGN hadn't existed, I wouldn't have watched half the movies I've seen in my life. Unlike records stores, which I also love, video stores weren't intimidating. Even the indie video store I went to in college (on Magazine Street - I can't remember the name) was always a cool place to hang out, and I never felt judged for anything. Video store clerks were always super helpful in recommending movies.
Anyway, the documentary got me thinking about the social aspects of renting movies, namely introducing friends to favorite movies and dating and movies. After I finished The Last Blockbuster, I watched one of my favorite movies of all time, Harold & Maude. It was a movie I rented a lot (I own a copy now), and I remember watching it with an ex-boyfriend and he was not fan. At first, I didn't understand why he didn't like the movie. Not only does the movie include a soundtrack by Cat Stevens, including my favorite of his songs, it's quirky and funny and odd. My ex finally admitted it was the age thing; would have been fine with the movie if the ages of the characters had been reversed (Harold being 80, Maude being in her 20s), but thought it was weird that it was the opposite. We were not together too much longer after this conversation. We didn't break up because he didn't like Harold & Maude, but I can't say it wasn't on my mind at least a little bit.
The movies we love, like the music and books we love, make us who we are. I don't need my friends or SO to love every movie I love, but if you hate it for no real reason, I take it personally. It's not about liking all the same things, but about appreciating the things people you care about care about.
Here's my top five, not necessarily my five favorite movies, although I love them all, but the five I'd start with if I was introducing someone to my top movies. I featured four of my top five movies on my other blog in a feature I called "Lazy Movie Weekend." I never got to Harold & Maude. I also wrote about my sixth and seventh favorite movies too.
- Xanadu
- The Breakfast Club
- Empire Records
- Almost Famous
- Harold & Maude
Details:
Thread palette: DMC 310, C600, C900 (2 strands), SS 920, 810 (2 strands)
Inspiration: The Last Blockbuster - would love to see your top 5 in the comments!
Comments
Post a Comment