Why John Likes Movies

I’ve been writing this blog for a year now, and I can’t escape the impulse to look back. I’ve watched A LOT of movies—too many, perhaps—and with every 4-star film I watch, my love for the medium grows, which begs the question: Why do I love movies?

Why have I allowed my DVD collection to get so big I’m embarrassed to tell people how many I actually own? Why is Rotten Tomatoes the first website I check when I boot up my computer every morning? Why do I know most films’ release dates years ahead of time? Why have I memorized every major Oscar winner in the last 30 years—if not longer? And why do I spend the vast majority of my free time either watching movies or writing about them? Because I love movies.

But why? Most of you would probably agree that it’s a difficult question to answer. Like when people ask me what my favorite movie is, I don’t know what to say because I have so many answers, so many reasons why enjoy watching movies so much.

I love being transported somewhere new. Whether a film takes me back in time, to an exotic country, or to a world where anything is possible, I love seeing people, places and things that aren’t normally part of my everyday life.

I love the powerful ways in which the written word can be transformed by images and sounds. Reading books is nice. I like to read. But reading tells me things; it doesn’t show me anything. Movies show you things. They show you the best and worst in people. They show emotion of all kinds. They give you a snapshot of what an artist—the director—is thinking and feeling.

They also show you how individuals react in strange and unfamiliar situations. Our instincts tell us to avoid the unknown. If I found myself in a situation like those in some of my favorite movies, I’d be terrified. Movies can transport us to these often dark places without the sense of fear and uncertainty. Sometimes, films manage to recreate those feelings. That’s when you know you’ve watched something pretty special.

I love being surprised by movies. Sadly, it’s rare for me to go into a movie without some kind of preconceived notion as to whether I’ll like it or not. Something as simple as knowing who’s in it or who directed can tip me one way or the other, but sometimes, I’m surprised. There’s nothing like watching something I’m indifferent toward going in and being floored by it. Rachel Getting Married was a film like that. Didn’t expect much going in, but it ended up being one of my favorite films of the last decade.

I love admiring film as a craft. I love watching actors totally transform themselves or completely inhabiting someone else. I love watching a masterful director tell his story in a new and inventive way. I love listening to the brilliantly crafted words of a writer and the stirring sounds created by a composer. Watching all these pieces come together and complement one another to create something great is fun and inspiring in a way. It shows that these artists are dedicated and that their hard work is worth something.

I love everything about the movies. I even love (or I guess I should say appreciate) the little things that annoy everyone about going to the movies. The stale popcorn and artificial butter. The uncomfortable seats and sticky floors. The occasional breaking of a projector and the annoying people who text while the coming attractions play. To steal a quote from George Clooney in Up in the Air, all the things you probably hate about going to the movies are warm reminders that I’m home.

Perhaps I’m romanticizing things a bit much, but years after watching movies replaced video games as my number one hobby, I still obsess over every major review that comes out, every dollar of box office, and every Netflix envelope I receive in the mail. I still read Reelviews, InContention, Thompson on Hollywood, and Roger Ebert’s blog obsessively, and I still scour Twitter for news and information on a daily basis.

I just love movies, and I love writing about them. I’ve enjoyed the journey thus far, and I hope you have too. I look forward to many more years of writing about what I love, and I hope you’ll come along for the ride. Thanks for reading!

-John