Urchins watch movies. Some movies more than others. Some movies more than once. Or twice. Some movies we memorise, and still we can’t get enough. These are the movies we’ve seen way too many times.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
By no means am I a sci-fi/fantasy geek, but I have seen The Lord of the Rings an obscene number of times. On a technical level, I appreciate Peter Jackson’s intense attention to detail. You feel as though you’re literally in Middle Earth, not an expensive Hollywood set. My appreciation, however, doesn’t end there. Unlike so many adaptations of beloved books, the LOTR films not only stayed true to the storyline, but they captured the essence of J.R.R. Tolkien’s world. Though I haven’t watched any of the films for quite some time now, I know that I can always come back and feel right at home wherever I left off.
The Austin Powers Trilogy
There are several things from my childhood that portended my future Anglophilia. Watching the three Austin Powers films a truly shocking number of times was one of the most severe. At the time, I just knew that I loved their farcical nature. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realised how completely British the films’ humour is. While I never enjoyed some of the more crass bits (Fat Bastard’s disgusting eating, for example), the innuendo, farce, and puns have always been endlessly entertaining to me.
Watching current and classic British humour now, it is clear that my penchant for such comedy was fostered at an early age by the Austin Powers films. I’ve also always greatly respected and appreciated Mike Myers’ commitment to and passion for the project, which was carried through all three films and numerous character performances. His zeal for the project is tangible in every minute, hilarious detail, and makes the films that much more enjoyable for me as a viewer.
Magnolia
I was going to start off by saying how absurd it might be to have watched a three-hour film over and over again in college, but… well, you read Margaret’s pick above, didn’t you? But yes, while college roommates Margaret and Sarah were watching rugged, muddy warriors saving entire kingdoms, I was trying to convince everyone I knew to sit through a screening of Magnolia with me. Paul Thomas Anderson has, since his breakthrough film Boogie Nights, been generally beloved by film enthusiasts, and the young filmmakers among them seemed to latch onto Magnolia the most. Being the young writer in college, Magnolia‘s ambition, dialogue, and daring all spoke straight to me, and each time I watched it, I grew more and more brave in my own creative ambitions. As an adult now, I see many of Magnolia‘s flaws but it still holds a place in my heart, just as it did years ago, when I defended the film’s infamous pivotal scene loudly to a friend in a video store.
Which films hold a special place in your heart many times over?
