Why I Like Movies

Hi Again!!

Before I actually start blogging movies, I thought it might be appropriate to mention why I like movies so much. My association with movies goes back to my childhood, when there were only three TV stations. When I moved, I found I could get a couple more (Los Angeles) stations, and that almost doubled my ability to find movies.

But, still, it was my local movie emcees that were my best friends. I was thrilled when my dad actually befriended one, Don Rodewald, and he became like a member of our family. When I lost my dad in Sep 2003, Don continued emailing updates regarding his wife and family. Which reminds me, his birthday is coming up....

The "other" afternoon emcee was Jim Hayden. I played in a band, and Jim invited us to do a set on his afternoon show. They did just about anything they wanted on live TV back then- 90 minute movies took all afternoon to air. Forget about fast-forwarding though commercials- the live movie breaks could be as entertaining as the movie itself!

Anyway, I spent the hours and hours after school watching westerns, dramas, comedies, musicals and any movie they aired (in black and white, of course). But I soon found myself more than entertained- I was patterning my vocabulary after characters I liked. I was starting to carry myself, walking and using some mannerisms of my cinematic heroes.

Then I progressed to analyzing what I thought funny, what I thought sad, what I thought profound. I started building a repertoire of gag lines to make friends laugh. I started viewing philosophies of characters against my philosophies of real life.

Many of life's lessons I wanted to share could concisely be summed up in a line from a movie. An emotion I wanted to define could be described with a movie scene.

And so it went- the more I watched movies, the more I liked them, the more I resonated with them, the more I memorized them, the more I used them as references.

I don't expect you are as crazy about the movies as I am (though, maybe you are), but you can still relate to one or more of my experiences. Surely, you can tell me of a time a movie (character, line, scene, etc) affected you to laugh, cry, or share it with another person (And I promise, that will be the last time I call you Surely).

That is what I hope this blog will be-- a portrayal of how life imitates art imitating life. This could be fun, couldn't it??

Come back often and see where we are and write whatever you want about it. You can even start by posting your early experiences with movies right now! Or later ones, if you are sensitive about giving away your age-- it certainly (whew! I ALMOST said "surely" after promising NOT to!) doesn't matter to me, your age. We can all enjoy movies.

Good day, and I'll see you here next time!

Warm regards,
Fred T Wyrick