Movies are something I can’t imagine living without. They are so ingrained in me that they are almost lifeblood. OK, so that may be a bit of hyperbole, but still movies are special to me and always will be. This post is a very personal one for me to write because of how significant cinema is to me.
I can’t tell you when it was, but moving images have fascinated me for so long. There is a sort of magic to film that is difficult to articulate. It’s an immersive experience that can’t be rivaled and one that never gets old. Since I knew of cinema, my heart was pierced by its arrow into what is a fully fledged love.
There are many people I have to thank for their cinematic input in my life.
The first are my parents. My dad’s taste usually revolves around crime thrillers and true gangster movies( which was eye-opening as a kid when I’d sneakily catch moments I was too young for.) My mum has probably the most varied taste; she’s the only person I know who adores quaint period pieces and then in the next breath often brutal and psychological horror. I mean, it was my mother who introduced me to the Alien movies. These disparate tastes with both of my folks continues to impress and guide me in my cinematic adventures, even if their picks are varied to say the least. Id rather have my parents have unusual taste in movies than not, and if it weren’t for them, some of my love for cinema might not have formulated into what it is now. My younger brother too deserves a shout out for his science fiction and fantasy based preferences which had me knowing most of the dialogue from Star Wars and Jurassic Park as a kid.
Then there is my late Grandpa, who opened my eyes to the possibilities of cinema. He taught me the valuable lesson that newer movies aren’t always the best, and often the older a film is, the more excellent and influential it can be. He introduced me to many classics, he was a big lover of the sweeping Hollywood epic and old horror movies. I owe him a lot and though he is no longer with us, his influence on me is still potent. He was a truly amazing Grandpa.
Now onto my college teacher Mr. Albert. As a student of film, he had a vast knowledge of it and what he gave me was even more love for the cinematic arts than ever. He always got me to broaden my horizons and search out underrated movies, while teaching me the importance of behind the scenes work. His motto was looking outside the box is the key.
And finally, all of you wonderful bloggers out there continue to influence my movie watching. I couldn’t have asked for better people to follow me and make such cool recommendations on movies. Your support is a beautiful thing.
A so concludes my love letter to cinema.
beetleypete said:
Always good to read how someone developed a love for films and cinema. I suspect that your story will resonate with many other bloggers.
Cheers mate, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I hope it does just that with others. Did you find it interesting enough Pete?
LikeLiked by 1 person
beetleypete said:
Of course it was interesting. We all have our own story of how we came to love films. I expect my own interest was born from being young at a time when there was only one channel on TV, so we always went to the cinema as a family, sometimes twice a week. And there used to be two films shown, with the ‘B’ film before the main event. (Unless it was a long epic)
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Those are some nice memories to have Pete. I like getting people to remember good things relating to cinema.
LikeLiked by 1 person
beetleypete said:
I remember those things all the time, V. Going to the National Film Theatre as a teenager, then joining again in 2000. Watching the ‘Midnight Movie’ when BBC 2 first started broadcasting, and all those years before VHS or DVD ever existed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Man, you’ve had a cinematic life indeed Pete. I’m majorly jealous.
LikeLiked by 1 person
beetleypete said:
Hence all those links and recommendations! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I knew they must have come from somewhere.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dr. Rex said:
Thank you so much for this post! Getting to know you is exciting! Sounds like your family is amazing! Hugs, peace, love …. 🙏🏽
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Thanks, happy you found it fun and intriguing. My family, as much as they drive me mad, are really cool.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dr. Rex said:
Families are made to drive each other mad, yet we are stuck with them … lol! 😂 … come to think of it, many are really cool.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Haha, you can choose your friends but not your family. Happy you are enjoying my blog. I have this main blog, and another one for different content.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dr. Rex said:
😀 … could you send link to your other blog, please?
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Well the other blog is for erotica, and I wouldn’t want it to be too graphic or shocking for you. Here’s the link, hope it’s good. https://bunsareallthatyourequire.wordpress.com/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dr. Rex said:
Found it! Lol … follow? Don’t know yet!! 😂
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Hope none of it disgusts or offends you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dr. Rex said:
No worries, it’s OK … I’ve seen plenty!! LOL …
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
That’s a relief.
LikeLike
fragglerocking said:
Lovely post V~man.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I wanted to enlighten others on how I came to be the person I am today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
fragglerocking said:
Success! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
You’re a real sweet person, Fraggle. You know how to brighten the day.
LikeLiked by 1 person
By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
This is lovely Vinnie! I think it might be one of my favorite posts of yours! With your background and love of cinema, I have another movie recommendation for you. Hugo, which is directed by Martin Scorsese. It’s based on the Caldecott winning novel The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick. I think you’d be enchanted by it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
That’s a high compliment coming from someone as esteemed as you. Appreciate your loveliness. Ah, I have a copy of that film somewhere, just needs to be opened now. I love Scorsese.
LikeLiked by 1 person
By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I guarantee you’re going to love that movie Vinnie!😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I don’t doubt that. Why would you say that this is your favourite post of mine?
LikeLiked by 1 person
By Hook Or By Book ~ Book Reviews, News, & Other Stuff said:
I just love the way you shared how your family inspired your love of film. I feel the same way about my dad and books.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I owe my family a lot. And both my parents got me into reading too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
keepsmealive said:
Films are like life. Often times crap or confusing or boring or in a language we don’t understand. Or we’re left wondering why the most popular stuff is popular at all, when so much good stuff is just over there… But sometimes, those rare times, a movie hits us in the life just right, resonating deep and forever marking our experience with its association. And sometimes they contain so much beauty and insight that we’re left floating in the escape and power of it all for ages.
Fantastic post, Vinnie! We knew films were important to you, now we know a bit more of the why.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Wow, that was a beautiful comment. Very soulful and I am inclined to agree with what you said. Films will always be a part of me.
LikeLike
keepsmealive said:
Thanks Vinnie. I could say many of the same things about records, for myself, as you do about movies, so maybe I was just subconsciously sharing your love of an artform even if we love different things more!
LikeLike
vinnieh said:
I too love music a lot. Guess we could be mutually linked by a love for an art form.
LikeLike
shehannemoore said:
Vinnieh, here I am leaving a comment. This is a great post because you show your love for films in it. All kinds of films, right across the board, through the important people in your life, I especially love what you say about your mum’s taste and also your Grandpa. Very true words spoken there. Films are such a part of life, even if I have been a bit disappointed lately by some of the stuff out there. I can still turn to favourites and be in that other universe, one I want to escape to again and again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Films are a vital part of me. The world would seem empty without them. My family has a large part in shaping my cinematic mind and then the rest was me spreading my wings. Thrilled that you liked this post, it’s a really personal one.
LikeLike
shehannemoore said:
It is a lovely post precisely for that reason. I have always loved films, all vintages, I even have film books galore! The world would be an empty place without the magic of the screen.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I too have a big collection of film books. I appreciate your commenting here, my other blog is in need of some feedback.
LikeLike
shehannemoore said:
Awwwww.. Why is that one not getting enough feedback?
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
It is, just not as much as here.
LikeLike
shehannemoore said:
Well, these things sometimes take time. I am sure it will xxxxx
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I appreciate your encouragement.
LikeLike
Liam said:
Completely agree, the immersive-ness can’t be challenged. TV has come a long way, but it’s still not on the same level. Great post Vinnie.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Movies are just special and always will be. The buzz from seeing a quality movie is unequaled, at least in my view it is. Thanks, Liam.
LikeLiked by 1 person
raistlin0903 said:
A life without movies…Let me see if I could make that work…..nope, moving on 😂😂 Seriously though, I love movies as much as you do. I love the way they let you escape into another world for a few hours, and let you forget things that might be on your mind, or make you feel happy if you are feeling down. It is a hobby that I could not imagine ever giving up. Not in my lifetime.
Funny that you mentioned that you got your love for movies from your parents. I got mine from my mum, who loves movies even more than I do 😉
Thanks for sharing this very personal post. It was a great read 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Escape and love is what movies provide best. We all have those movies we can watch a million times and still see it as fresh. Your mother sounds super cool indeed.
LikeLiked by 1 person
raistlin0903 said:
Haha, she really is. She watches more movies than me, if you can believe that lol. But yes, what you say is so true. I’ve got quite a number of movies like that laying around 😊
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
A movie buff mother is a cool thing to have.
LikeLiked by 1 person
turntabletalk said:
Great post. So glad to hear that your family played such a crucial role in developing your love of movies. Reminds me of how I owe much of my love of music to my father, and how he helped me discover so much great music out in the world today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
My mum and dad are mainly to thank, along with Grandpa, my brother and my teacher. Each person introduced something different regarding cinema.
LikeLiked by 1 person
ninvoid99 said:
I think films provide something more. Not just as a form of escape but also the feeling that no matter how fucked up the world can be. There are stories that you can relate to and know that you’re not alone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
You said it excellently. Being relatable is one of the best things in movies. There’s that feeling of that you know how someone is doing and who they are. Thanks for your comment man.
LikeLike
alexsigsworth said:
You’d like “Cinema Paradiso” (1988), about a boy who develops a friendship with a film projectionist.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
My kind of movie then. Will venture forth and seek it out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Jay said:
You just made me reflect, and actually, my family are not movie goers let alone movie lovers. I’m influence-less!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
You must have got your cinema love from somewhere.
LikeLike
Dell on Movies (@w_ott3) said:
Very cool post. It’s always interesting to see how other people came into being movie buffs. Glad you had so many people to show you the ropes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Yeah, it seemed almost destiny that I’d be into movies given the pedigree. I am most thankful to everyone who influenced me.
LikeLike
movierob said:
so cool to see how inspirational so many people r in ur life. Keep up the excellent work Vin!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I owe a lot to all of them. Good that I come from a cinematic loving family.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Vern said:
This one tugged at my heart strings.Your mom and mine are very similar. I remember one year when I had the chicken pox. She rented me The Shining to watch. Excellent post
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Glad you connected with this post, Vern. Cinema does that to all of us I believe. We are some how linked by films.
LikeLike
thoughtsallsorts said:
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post Vinnie. Great one.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
That incredibly nice of you to say. It was a personal one to write and came straight from the heart.
LikeLiked by 1 person
thoughtsallsorts said:
It definitely comes through in your post…it reads with such admiration and love for both your family and the art of film!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Well if my post has done that, I’ve really succeeded with my intentions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Often Off Topic said:
Beautiful post Vinnie! I stumbled into the movie world mostly alone, but bloggers just like you have opened my eyes to so many movie possibilities that I don’t think there’s a movie I would ever turn down now.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I’m very honoured that I’ve been an influence. That’s all the love I could ask for here.
LikeLike
Elizabeth said:
My fondest memories from the movies are from my childhood. The ushers were dressed in uniforms and showed you to a seat. It got very quiet, the lights went out and huge velvet curtains were drawn back revealing a huge screen. Then the lion roared and the movie began. Wow!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
My, now that sounds like cinema at its apex. I do so wish I’d been around.
LikeLike
Elizabeth said:
It was an event and we were always nicely dressed. But we had to wait seven years before seeing a Disney movie for the second time. That was their release schedule.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Cinematic events should have that splendour now.
LikeLike
adolescentcriticblog said:
For as long as I can remember I’ve always liked movies. As I’ve grown I have discovered countless films, a lot of them I love and keep watching after all these years. If movies never existed, I would not be who I am today.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I liked your comment a lot. Thank you for following my blog. I’m following yours too now, it’s pretty great so look out for me there.
LikeLike
richardaustinwriter said:
Greta post. My own love letter to cinema is here. I’d love it if you had a read.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I’d love to read it.
LikeLike
houstonphotojourney said:
I often think of you as the kid in the movie Cinema Paradiso – loved that movie 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
vinnieh said:
That’s a film I have yet to watch but the comparison sounds extremely flattering.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Forward thinking dad said:
Seems like film offered you a nice way to connect with family.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
It went hand in hand.
LikeLike
Alex Withrow (@shiftingPersona) said:
Great work here. I love reading personal film love letters like this. I could not agree more with your teacher. Looking outside the box has to be key when trying to discover great art. Remove convention and explore. Great post!
LikeLiked by 2 people
vinnieh said:
Thanks Alex, this post meant a lot to me. My teacher was a really cool guy. His lessons taught me well.
LikeLike
alexraphael said:
What a lovely post. How cool you’ve had so many influences. Did you see the Empire Top 100 btw?
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I loved doing this post. Yes I did see that Top 100, happy The Godfather came first.
LikeLike
alexraphael said:
How many had you seen?
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Too few actually.
LikeLike
alexraphael said:
I’d seen 90. I promised myself I woudn’t get annoyed at some of the choices. And yet…
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Haha. You’re doing better than me, Alex. We all can’t agree on the choices, where would the fun be in that?
LikeLike
alexraphael said:
That’s what I told myself going in ha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
We all have our own fondness for specific movies that someone out there will disagree with. I say, embrace the difference.
LikeLiked by 1 person
kmSalvatore said:
Very nice back ground for you Vman, and yes I agree , that could be my story, movies have always been a big part of my life. As I think you may have guessed. About the only thing I never got in to was science fiction. I have a special fondness for older movies, esp. B&W . A great blog V. Thanks for sharing
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Movies mean the world to me. I liked the aspect of sharing my cinematic encounters and introductions with others. If anything, it gave me a great insight into how my followers came to enjoy movies.
LikeLiked by 1 person
jasonschrumoneverythingmovies said:
hey vinnieh just wanted to say that I am new to word press and just started my own movie blog a couple days ago. I stumbled upon this post and wanted to tell you that it him with me and i have been a love of film for as long as I can remember. Will be giving your page a follow and look forward to reading more movie posts.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Why thank you for commenting. I’ve just looked at your blog, and you’re doing really good. Just followed you.
LikeLike
aaronpkahle said:
Nice love letter to movies. I watched movies since I was a little boy but the moment I realized I loved film was the first time I saw Do the Right Thing. The Brooklyn neighborhood tale about racism on a hot summer day struck a chord with me. Sometimes it’s one movie, sometimes it’s one year of movies, and sometimes it’s just all of it together. The love for cinema is shared by millions, Vinnieh. Glad you put your heart out there. And thanks for following!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Thank you for following and commenting. Like you said, it can just be that one film that really captures the attention. I had many influences that did that to me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
bookishandawesome said:
This is such a beautiful post, Vinnieh! And I’m with you right there, the magic of films is really difficult to articulate. There’s just something all encompassing about them, isn’t there? But ultimately, I’m glad they’ve made such a huge impact on you. It always makes my heart sing to learn how deeply touched or influenced by art someone’s life is.
Cheers, Shelumiel
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Thanks for commenting. Cinema has had such a profound impact on me, that I just had to write about it.
LikeLike
GaryGreg828 said:
This was a great post, very insightful; you did a good job staying on-track and not veering off in a million different directions as many bloggers do at times (myself included)…
But, you did leave out one important detail I wanted to know!! WHICH movies did your grandfather introduce to you?? You need to edit this entry and list a few of those titles! 🙂
Or at the very least, reply to this comment and let me know. I am curious which movies your grandfather recommended to you. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
Well he introduced me to so many, but off the top of my head;
Gone with the Wind
Lawrence of Arabia
All About Eve
Black Narcissus
Meet Me in St. Louis
The Poseidon Adventure
Cat People
LikeLike
GaryGreg828 said:
Gone With The Wind and Lawrence of Arabia are excellent.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
For me, they are Hollywood film making at some of its finest and most epic.
LikeLike
MovieBabble said:
Love this post! I love it when people share their personal stories regarding film!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
It was really fun sharing my experiences with movies. They’ve shaped a lot of me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
MovieBabble said:
They’ve shaped all of us!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I have much to be thankful for.
LikeLiked by 1 person
MovieBabble said:
I’d like to think we all do!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I concur with that statement.
LikeLiked by 1 person
daboogieblog said:
I could feel your love for movies in every sentence that you wrote, amazing post!
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
That’s very high praise and I’m so happy you wrote it. Your blog is simply wonderful too.
LikeLike
Pamela said:
I have to agree. Movies are so important to life. You can almost always find a deeper meaning in even the most trite of films, and it is those deeper meanings I always look for when watching a new movie. I’m a psych major, so i look for character development and meaning in the most insignificant of actions. This allows me to see the bigger picture.
LikeLiked by 1 person
vinnieh said:
I am like that. I find that a simple gesture can have the biggest impact on the story.
LikeLike
wildsoundreview said:
Reblogged this on WILDsound Writing and Film Festival Review.
LikeLiked by 1 person