About Me
My earliest memories about film were as a child in an old Dodge van. It had a DVD player so my little brother and I could watch movies while our parents were listening to the radio. We would always watch whatever recent Disney, Pixar, or Marvel movie that we had. We also used headphones to listen to the movies, but since they weren't noise-canceling, I could still hear the radio and it would reinforce some memories. Now when I hear an electropop song from the early 2010s I'll think about some random movie I would watch back then like Spiderman or the mediocre second Thor movie.
I even had a choice between watching that movie and Frozen, and I ended up picking Frozen because although I was less interested in it, I was a little scared from going to theatres before that were too loud for me. The most pivotal moment while watching movies was a negative reaction after viewing. I have a friend that I've known forever because our dads were friends since high school. We have all the same interests in movies, TV shows, games, sports, and film. As thirteen year olds, we watched Transformers: The Last Knight because it was our favoite franchise growing up. When we left the theatre, my dad and friend said that they didn't like it that much while I said what I always did, "I liked it."
Looking back, it was clearly a terrible movie but it wasn't until that point I realised I liked everything unless it was popular to dislike it, like Justin Bieber in grade school. I was never critical of the media I consumed and just enjoyed the surface level entertainment, which isn't bad but it didn't leave me satisfied with my bigger ideas I was starting to have about the world around me. Although I don't really remember when this started, I would regularly watch movie reviews and critiques on YouTube because they were interesting and entertaining. That now brings me here with an understanding of storytelling and what makes great films which I can improve upon.
I have some fond memories of sitting in back of my grandma's van, watching Disney and Marvel movies. That was always a part of my family's road trips, especially with my cousins. As far as your time as a pop culture critic, young people are constantly being molded by their friends and other media. I used to wait until more than a few of my friends gave their opinions of a movie until I gave mine so I could give the "right one".
ReplyDeleteI loved going on long car trips because I knew I could sit back and watch movies the entire time. I would have to agree that Disney and Marvel movies are the best to watch. One thing that I would also have to agree with you is that in grade school it was popular to hate on something that everyone disliked for whatever reason. To me it was funny that people as a group could just dislike something.
ReplyDeleteNice to meet you! I also think Transformers: The Last Knight is a terrible movie but I also said that I liked it out of the theatre, even though I was bored in my seat. I typically never criticized the films I watched too much either, I would just go home and watch a bunch of video essays about it just like you, and then that would become my opinion. I decided I wanted to stop regurgitating other people's thoughts about movies and developing some of my own. I hope this class helps us both!
ReplyDeleteWhen you write, " I was never critical of the media I consumed and just enjoyed the surface level entertainment, which isn't bad but it didn't leave me satisfied with my bigger ideas I was starting to have about the world around me," I am nodding in agreement. You have a fascinating way to telling your story, Ethan.
ReplyDeleteI see a screenwriter!