My cinematic history is actually a huge part of who I am.  As a child both my parents worked a lot, but every Friday we would all jump into the car and head to the movie theater.  So for me going to the movies was not just a form of entertainment but it was an important part of our family night out.

 

The first cinematic marvel that I can remember seeing was Micheal Jackson Thriller, I know its not a movie but it still left me in awe.   However, the movie that I still remember from my childhood that really made me believe in magic and other worlds was The Never Ending Story.  Of course I watch both these now and have to laugh at how ridiculous the special effects are.

In my teenage years the movie that I remember the most was Rocky Horror Picture Show.  We used to dress up and go to the Roxy every Saturday night, It wasn’t just a movie but an interactive show.  I still go watch this movie, or play if a local theater company is putting it on, every October and enjoy it as much today as I did back then.

I don’t think that the power of a movie was really clear to me until I was 21 years old.  My dad who is a proud Vietnam Veteran was diagnosed with PTSD or Shell shock whatever you want to call it.  He was really struggling with his diagnosis and wouldn’t talk about it with anybody but his fellow VFW members.  He used to tell me that I wouldn’t understand and he didn’t want me to.  I never understood what this meant until I saw the movie We Were Soldiers, it was then that I started to understand what he and other soldiers went through and that their bond was indeed forged in fire.