#august rush

August Rush

You know what's out there? A series of higher tones. It's arranged by nature. It's governed by the laws of physics of the whole universe. It's an overtone, it's an energy, it's a wavelength. And if you're not riding it, good lordy, you'll never hear it.

and WHAT DO YOU MEAN Kirsten Sheridan also directed August Rush 😳 which I love so much that I saw it in theaters 3x

stars

Thanks for tagging me @mundaneone , I don't normally like doing 'get to know me' posts, but I am a massive movie buff- evidenced by my own personally curated (and half inherited from my dad) Blockbuster-esque movie wall. When I die, I'm gonna haunt the Criterion Closet. So without further ado, and maybe a lil over sharing because ofc-

∆ The first movie I ever watched on DVD. My dad took me on our weekly trip to Blockbuster (he worked for Phillips, so got a 50% discount on a brand new, $500 DVD player), and he let me help him pick our first 10 DVDs. He let me pick the first movie we would watch from the stack. It was the year 2000, the summer before I turned 8. It was also the very last movie I watched with my dad in the summer before I turned 27 and he would have turned 59, in 2019. This movie always made me cry, but now I bawl.

∆ The first DVD I got for Christmas when I was 8. This was the start of my illustrious movie collection, alongside my Dad's.

∆ The first movie I watched with my mom when I visited her after she moved almost 1000 miles away after my parents divorce when I was about 14. We cuddled on her boyfriend's pullout sofa (a Christmas tree lit up in the corner of the room even though it was summer because she hadn't seen me or my brothers since the summer before and missed Christmas with us), and rented a movie "on demand" through his cable DVR. (Streaming before Netflix murdered Blockbuster, for anyone who wasn't alive before we stopped summoning the internet with the demonic tones of a dial-up connection.)

∆ The best Studio Ghibli movie. If you don't agree, may all your bacon burn.

∆ The first movie I can recall crying to. I was absolutely obsessed. At least for the first 3 of what would eventually be a 14 movie franchise. (My Grandma brought the first one on VHS when she took a break from retired life- sailing around South America with my Grandpa on their little sailboat, and came to stay with us when my little brother was born.)

∆ The first Disney movie I remember being obsessed with (followed closely by The Little Mermaid). I got it on VHS for my fourth birthday, but that night, before I could watch it, my big brother tore the tape out before my very eyes. When my mom asked him wtf?! he told her he was mad he didn't get any presents on my birthday. I never got a replacement. Still bitter about it.

∆ The movie I've been falling asleep to since I was 5. The soundtrack slaps. (Coming in 2nd place for a nostalgic bedtime OST: Spirit Stallion of the Cimarron.)

∆ This one has a killer soundtrack as well, and I was obsessed with Freddie Highmore and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. (My Dad understood that I loved movies, he's the one who instilled that love of storytelling in me. But I hated his other favorite pass-time- going out to restaurants for 2+ hours while my parents hung out and drank with family or friends. Once I was old enough to go alone, he'd take me to a nearby theater, drop me off to see a movie while everyone else enjoyed their evening at the loud, crowded restaurant, then would come pick me up in time to order food just before everyone called it a night. He may not have fully understood me, but he really tried to make me happy. It's a shame we never got me diagnosed with autism. Anyway, saw this movie instead of having to go to dinner, and felt very special, because on the way back to the restaurant it was just me and my dad, and he let me ramble on about how great the movie was. He always trusted my taste in movies.)

∆ Also, strangely, a comfort movie.

∆ The first movie I remember seeing at the Drive-In Movies, 6 years old, sitting on the roof of my family's ugly green van and eating popcorn. It was the encore of a Double Feature, with a movie that had come out the year before- Men In Black. (This started my obsession with the Drive-In, my safe place.)

∆ And +1 Bonus: If asked what my favorite horror movie is, this is the first one that comes to mind. (2nd place goes to The Shining, the movie I considered tied with Titanic as my absolute favorite when I was 6 years old. My mom was appalled, my dad thought it was hilarious. Also, weirdly, my mom would only let me watch the second VHS for Titanic because the first half had a sex scene and the "Paint me like one of your French girls" scene. It's like she thought sex was worse than an explicit mass casualty event?!)

*Disclaimer, this is not a ranking, just 10 of my favorite movies that are clearly very important to me because of the memories attached. The oversharing was optional 😂 so don't feel pressured guys. Feel free to make your own post or attach 10 gifs to this one and keep the movie recs going, I'd love to see your responses-