The summer movie
season is my favorite time of year. This is where the some of the most
ambitious films make their debut. The summer is ruled through high-octane
action and outrageous comedy. It is the quintessential time of pure escapism
entertainment.
In my early
childhood I didn’t get a chance to experience a lot of these movies in
theaters. I had to wait on a home video release or catch them on HBO or
Showtime at a friend’s or a cousin’s house. It was a rare treat to get to go to
the movies.
My love for summer
movies truly started in the summer of 87’. I was 7 years old and I had just
passed the first grade. Miss Bruce (my first grade teacher who I love to this
very day) encouraged my love for reading. She gave me an activity book for the
summer as a reward for reading over a 100 books that year. So you could say I
was already off to a good start.
During that summer I
spent about two weeks with my grandmother Mary who took me to Atlanta. It was
during this trip that I got to see my first summer blockbuster in theater. My
grandmother took me to see Predator. That’s right Predator with Arnold Schwarzenegger. My grandmother is so awesome I know! My mind was blown. I couldn’t stop talking
about the movie I loved it so much. And thus the seed was planted.
Fast forward two
years later it’s the summer of 89’. This summer will forever stand in my memory
as the greatest summer in my early childhood. I remember standing in a line
that stretched the length of the mall with my Aunt Barbara and Uncle Jimmy. The
air was electric with anticipation as we waited to get our tickets to watch
Batman with Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson. Epic. My brother and I ran
around for a week saying quotes from the movie.
When my cousins from
New York came down we saw the movie again. It was even better the second time.
My mother took us to see Honey I Shrunk the Kids (ah yeah Rick Moranis) a week
after that. I loved it. I didn’t think the summer could get any better but it
did.
We went up to New
York to spend the other half of the summer there. While up there I was able to
talk everyone into seeing another movie on my summer movie radar (quite a feat
for a 9 year old) Ghostbusters II (Bill Murray and Slimer oh yeah). As many
times as I got permission to stay up late and watch Ghostbusters when ever it
came on television there was no way I was going to let this opportunity pass me
by to see the sequel in theaters. The movie was awesome. It even had Bobby
Brown in it (who also was on the soundtrack for the movie which provided part
of the soundtrack for my summer).
So far I had seen 3
of the 4 movies I wanted to see that summer. I was content. The best was yet to
come. Summer was almost over and I was back from New York. I was in for one
last treat. I got to see Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. That’s right Harrison
Ford and Sean Connery on the same screen. Awesome oozed out of the corners of
the screen I kid you not.
This however wasn’t
the best part. What made this movie my ultimate favorite for the summer was the
fact that my biological father took me to see it. It was the very first movie
he had ever taken me to. Considering the fact that Indiana Jones and the Last
Crusade was a father and son adventure it felt right. I’ll never forget the
feeling I had. These are just a few of my experiences (I have more that I may
touch upon at a later date).
I came to realize
the power that movies possess whether they have a message or not. The true
power in movies I feel is the ability to help create powerful positive
memories. In my case it was being able to watch movies with my family and
friends the pinnacle being with my father at the movies.
It’s these moments
that drive me personally as a filmmaker. In return I want to be able to make
movies that create these moments for a new generation. It’s not much but I can
then say I helped to make the world a little bit better at least for that short
period of time. It’s a bit corny I know but hey it’s something right?
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