WHY MOVIES?

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When it comes to sharing a story, there are many different mediums to do so. For me, movies are the medium that I gravitate towards. Books, plays, music, and old-fashioned word-of-mouth storytelling are great, but movies hold a special place in my heart. Movies have always been a big part of my life. Growing up, many fond memories are attached to the movie-watching experience. Movies also offer more than other storytelling mediums by allowing the creators, directors, and actors to add more to the story than what is written. To truly understand my love of movies and why we need to walk down memory lane.

Growing up, I did not have the exciting vacations most kids had. No trips to the beach or to Disneyworld. Most winter, spring, and summer vacations were spent at other family members' homes. One particular cousin is a cinephile like me, and every summer I spent with him was always filled with late nights watching movies on cable television. I remember I stayed up for two nights watching a movie marathon hosted by TNT. The first one was a Godzilla marathon, watching all of the old-school Godzilla films, starting at 8 pm through the night until 6 am, taking commercial naps so I could stay up to finish the movie. The second was a Kung Fu-marathon. I remember the excitement while watching a movie and the anticipation while waiting for the next one to start. I was eager to discover what happened to the characters if a sequel was up next and the feeling of closure when everything was said and done. Those feelings are still present today anytime I watch a movie at home or in the theater. Each of those movies brought along many different things that added layers and created depth in the storytelling experience.

Movies have the unique ability to add to a story using many different methods. The soundtrack and score of a film can add drama and emotion to a scene and cause the viewers' emotions to change accordingly. The same music can transport us back to the movie experience and help us reminisce later in life. The visual effects can add things to a movie that we may not have imagined, seen, or are impossible. The locations a movie is filmed in can literally transport us to another part of the world and inspire us to travel there one day. The actors can deliver dialogues and use non-verbal communication to make characters feel real and relatable. These and many other things make the storytelling experience of a movie more immersible.

I enjoy partaking in other storytelling mediums, but movies are my comfort. After a bad or stressful day, watching a movie that elicits happy and joyful emotions is my go-to. If I feel stuck, an inspirational movie does just that; it inspires me to dream and work toward my goals. Books are great but require work, focus, and significant time investment, depending on your reading speed. Plays and the theater are fun and alternative mediums. Still, they can be expensive and unavailable in your area, and the seating usually needs to be more comfortable. Word-of-mouth storytelling is always a gamble since other people may not be as intriguing as they think. You need to be in the mindset to interact with another human being. Movies solve many of those problems and can transport you to another world or dimension or help you escape reality for a few hours. No matter how busy life gets or the state of the world, movies will always be my go-to for an escape.