Deepfocuslens
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A Return to Nostalgia
🕑 Added 2022-03-24 20:10:42 +0000 UTCAs a child, I watched a lot of movies with my dad. He loved stuff like Remains of the Day and Sense and Sensibility. As many know...Sense and Sensibility was my favorite film as a little girl. I hadn't seen it since the mid to late 1990s until very recently. I have many opinions of course...but I have to say, when you return to something you only viewed as a child...you remember all the things you thought at the time, but now with tons of perspective. Of course we all know this. But isn't it a pleasant reminder of who you were and who you would become? It's like returning to an old treasure box, or a childhood home almost. And it also helps you to understand now...why you were drawn to it initially.
A movie like that naturally is peculiar for a 6 year old little girl to like. Obviously I knew very little about adults or their vocabulary. So really, the story was often explained to me by my mom to help me follow. But now I realize....all I was doing was studying their peculiar behavior, their interactions, imitating it...learning large words. I realized perhaps this is partially where I got my love for words. It was never through books, as many often think. I'm not a big reader. I think a lot of it had to do with Jane Austin movies among other things. I never fit in with adults, and still find them just as peculiar as I did then. But this type of story, naturally enhances the peculiarities of a certain social interactions of the time...and thus, one can relate it to the strangeness of adults today. I see very little difference, to be quite honest.
But yeah...had fun revisiting these films. Remains of the Day was soooo much better, just in terms of quality and artistry, even if I do have some complaints. Good score too. Sense and Sensibility as a movie is kinda structurally unsatisfying, and also hella contrived as a piece of writing. But man....an emotional journey to the past. As a kid my hero was the character of Elinor Dashwood, due to her resourcefulness and her strength to carry forward through adversity. Everyone told me that I was much more like her younger sister, Marianne Dashwood - who is aloof, dramatic, adventurous, too honest for her own good, and too sensitive in the heart. This would often make me defensive and angry as a kid when people would compare me to her. But as an adult....I see everyone was right, to an embarrassing degree lol. >< What movies do you return to that remind you of who you were? I might try and find a way to make this into a topic video. But, yes, would love to hear any stories you have that are similar. But also...suggestions for a video in the future!
Comments
Deepfocuslens
XD I know what you mean...When I saw Jaws, I couldnt go to the pool the next day with my best friend out of fear. I just lied and told her I wasn't feeling well.
Ross Skilton
Where does one begin with such overarching concepts (also I am drunk when writing this.) I saw Jaws at age 6 and have never been able to swim in any kind of slightly deep water ever since. But 'The Never Ending Story' and 'Flight of the Navigator' were two of the most influential films of my youth. I have nostalgia for them and for Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, that was the first film I recall seeing in the cinema, I saw it with my brother. Later it was Dead Poets society that I saw as a teenager and that changed me and how I think about the world. That is all I can write now, later human.
Brian Wright
One movie that I loved seeing as a kid was the Disney film "Candleshoe" from 1977. It was one of Jodie Foster's earlier films and it featured David Niven, Helen Hayes, and Leo McKern. It was a treasure hunt with clues that were fun to figure out as the story progressed. I loved the setting in rural England, great cinematography! Very atmospheric too! I was delighted to see that this was on Disney+! On another note, there are two books that I remember reading back in grade school that I still enjoy today: "Gone Away Lake" and "Return to Gone-Away". The fact that these two novels haven't been adapted to the screen yet is depressing. :-/
Bennett Oliver
NBK is definitely a film I need to go back and watch to see how I feel about it. And because of its extreme, polarizing nature, it certainly provokes a lot of discussion. Sorry you’ve got bad memories associated with it. It’s understandable if you choose not to review. That’s the other reason why I’m hesitant to admit I loved it at one point: I’ve known too many douchebags who worship the film.
Rufus Harvey
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) is the first movie that comes to mind when I think of movies from my childhood. Sure, there are movies I'm nostalgic for like The Wizard of Oz, Toy Story 1& 2, Shrek, and The Iron Giant, all are great films I used to watch on repeat. However, E.T. sticks out to me as THAT movie that defined my childhood. It is very hard for me to be cynical about the everytime I rewatch it as an adult. There something so pure and comforting about that movie. It has the sense of awe and child-like wonder that Spielberg is so good at. It even has bit of an edge that you don't see in a lot of kids movies these days (like the penis breath joke). So, it breaks my heart when I hear people say that they don't like it, even to the point where I feel I have to reevaluate and justify my feelings towards it. Everytime I put it on, it wins me over each time. As an adult, I admire the craft of the filmmaking itself while still retaining my childhood love for it. I think it's a perfect movie and one of Spielberg's best films. Oh, and John Williams score is *chef's kiss*
swift minus one
Thiers so many, but one of them is ABSOLUTELY 2001 a space odyssey. I was obsessed with cicra 97-99. Then i never watched it again. Brought it on dvd. Never watched it. It was SOOO profound. That its like i dont need to watch it again. Its not really on tv ever so never ran into it there either. But then...... in 2018 the 50th anniversary rerelease in IMAX hit theaters. And i ended up going. In the midst of the current direction of movies, and pop culture, and what i knew about movies in 2018 vs 1998, it was all there. I was in the middle of a movie theater attendance Renaissance, going to superhero movies, and special events, retro film nights. And thier it was . 2001. Like a old band performing a song that hadnt performed in years (or never had till then). What did it mean to me in 98? What did it mean in 2018? Everything has changed but nothing has changed. Didnt think i would watch the movie again after 99, nevermind in a theater.
Jared Angcanan
Bruhhhhh it’s so good! Better than The Lion King in my opinion
Deepfocuslens
Definitely want to at some point. It's something I keep in mind always. Those just take work. haha But it'll happen.
Deepfocuslens
Haha quite the selection there. Some for sure resonated with me as well on this list, and I had a lot of variety in my tastes as a kid. Fight Club seems to be the big one with many I notice. I want to review Natural Born Killers but....part of me resists. Mainly because I had a terrible boyfriend years ago, and that was his favorite film. XD
Deepfocuslens
Haha so many are the same for me I am noticing. My dad's favorite film is The Godfather, I think. And he had me watch that as well. But a little older. I believe I was 14.
Deepfocuslens
Babe is a fantastic film. Same for me. Watched it a ton as a little one.
Deepfocuslens
Comedies are good idea. I'll keep that in mind for potential one next month. Yes, Spider-Man for me was a big one. Especially the second one. At the time I thought it was one of the best Superhero films out there.
Deepfocuslens
I wish more of my audience liked musicals :((( Because this is a topic that I would love to do
Deepfocuslens
lol Kung Fu Hustle was a big one for me too. I regret that I never actually saw Lilo and Stitch.
Deepfocuslens
Land before Time was mine too!
MacLachlan
The SpongeBob Squarepants Movie (2004) and the Land Before Time films are very emblamatic of my childhood. Probably because I was so drawn to the idea of going on an adventure with my friends.
Bennett Oliver
Suggested topic: you could pick another decade and do a Top 5 for that. I know you’re not one for making lists, but…could be fun to see what everyone comes up with.
Bennett Oliver
Well, in terms of nostalgia, I’ve already talked about my love for Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, so…I’ll talk about the other, more mature films. I grew up in the ‘90s, so that’s always been my most personal, formative decade in terms of movies I like. Which isn’t bad, considering it’s one of the best decades for cinema, rivaling that of the ‘30s and the ‘70s. At about 5 or 6, I sat amongst a bunch of extended family members at a reunion and watched Terminator 2 when it had come out on VHS. I came out of it alright, so my parents became pretty lax about what movies I watched, thinking I could handle it. So all through elementary school, I had seen a good number of R-rated films—mostly of the Stallone-Schwarzenegger variety. Cliffhanger, Demolition Man, True Lies, etc. Not everyone at school was allowed to see such movies, so I was a little proud that I was able to watch them. I was even allowed to see Pulp Fiction (which, granted, my parents probably fucked up in letting me watch, and they knew it, too. Thankfully, at that point I didn’t know what sodomy was, so I was more confused than traumatized when I got to THAT scene). But there are a handful of movies that I count as milestones in terms of forming my point of view about them. Independence Day (July ’96)—I had gone to see this in the theaters and it was at this point that I realized I loved movies. I don’t think I really knew that before then, despite the fact that I was really into Star Wars and had watched a good number of them over the years. But it was the experience of going to see this one particular movie, which was touted as an event, and having such a great time that I knew I was hooked on movies. Not soon after, I got a subscription to Entertainment Weekly, where amongst all the articles, I started to read the reviews of Lisa Schwarzbaum and, particularly, Owen Gleiberman (who I still read to this day and consider a huge influence). Goodfellas (February ’97)—a turning point was when I watched this on VHS in a cabin while on vacation. It, quite simply, blew me away. Like a lot of people, Scorsese was the one who showed me what movies could actually do, how expressive they could be. The swooping camera shots, the rock n’ roll soundtrack blaring over crazed violence…I had never seen anything like it before. I wasn’t watching a movie so much as experiencing it. That was when I started to pay attention to who was directing movies. I went through a good deal of Scorsese’s back catalog (Taxi Driver, Raging Bull), and started to branch out to other directors. Natural Born Killers (spring/summer ’00) —Eventually I got to Oliver Stone. I’m always hesitant to say I grew obsessed with this movie given its notoriety (it was the Columbine shooters’ favorite film). People tend to raise red flags over such an admission. But for a time, this movie was like a drug for me, especially when I got my hands on the Director’s Cut DVD. It’s not the violence, which is so stylized as to be rendered abstract, sometimes even cartoony (the violence in, say, No Country for Old Men is far more disturbing). It’s the whole entire, crazy-ass aesthetic and sensibility of the thing. The way Stone changes up film formats, going from Super 35mm to grainy black-and white 16mm to Super 8, and switching tones and moods on a dime…it was the first film since Goodfellas that expanded my mind to the possibilities of cinema. It was like a drug. But yes, eventually the effect wore off. Fight Club/Requiem for a Dream (2000-2001)—there’s nothing special to say about these films other than, for a time, they were the kinds of movies that I loved, and emblematic of who I was at that time. I loved these movies simply because they were dark, transgressive, shocking, graphic, and flew in the face of more genteel films. I thought at the time that made them better, more profound films. I certainly didn’t mine them for deeper meaning. My love for them was adolescent. But as I grew up and took on a more mature worldview, the status of these films fell by the wayside. I still very much enjoy Fight Club, but I don’t consider it the masterpiece I thought it was. As for Requiem for a Dream, let’s just say I now see it for the empty cinematic pyrotechnics show it is. I moved on from them to LOTR when those came out. The Last Temptation of Christ (2002 or 2003)—we come full circle back to Scorsese. This film rocked me to the core, beyond any kind of flashy aesthetic. I was deeply shaken by the film’s presentation of Jesus, how he struggled to fulfill his destiny. I won’t go any further into it other than to say this was one of the first films to inspire me to find deeper meaning not just in films and their narratives, but in life itself. Mind you, I didn’t become a Christian, but I began to sought out the truth in things as a result. These are just some of the films that I look back on. In case you haven’t noticed, brevity is not my strong suit.
Stephen
Just about anytime I watched a movie with my dad growing up, he would almost always fall asleep within the first 10 minutes, didn't matter if we were in our living room with surround sound built into the walls or in an IMAX theater. The only movie that I really associate with him when I watch it is The Godfather. My parents were strict when I was a kid so I was too young to see it but I remember he and my grandfather regularly praising the first two movies while comparing it to their favorite TV show at the time, The Sopranos. Seeing The Godfather as a teenager was definitely a revelation, it being of the first "grown up" movies I was finally allowed to see. Then seeing The Sopranos as an adult I see my dad's complaints about the last few seasons, especially the ending and think "No...this is the greatest TV show ever. The ending is perfect." As far as some other movies that take me back to my childhood: * Men in Black * Small Soldiers - My parents actually bought me all the action figures of the characters and the lunchbox. Seeing it now as an adult, knowing it's satire, cracks me up. * The Tim Burton and Joel Schumacher Batmans * Spider-Man 1& 2 * The Harry Potter series - Read the books as a kid and saw all the movies. Now I've severely outgrown them to the point I can't watch that special HBOMax did for the 20th anniversary. * The Lord of the Rings series - Again read the books as a kid, including The Hobbit. I'll never forget seeing the first one around my 9th birthday. They're definitely the "Star Wars" for our generation.
Wolfman Brandon
One that I used to watch constantly on VHS as a kid, and by kid I mean early grade school, was Babe. I had a thing for talking animal movies and shows regardless of quality. However, Babe is one of the rare films that I've revisited as an adult that I love more now than I did as a kid. Not only do the special effects on the animals hold up beautifully but I never appreciated just how wholesome the story and characters were. Who would've thought that a relationship between a farmer and a pig could be so subtle and heartwarming? It also has one of the best final lines in any movie:. "That'll do, pig. That'll do." As for possible topics, maybe worst movie you've seen many/several times?
Jackson Littlewood
When I think about nostalgic movies that remind me of who I used to be, the first one that comes up is the Sam Raimi Spider-Man trilogy. I say trilogy because even though I don’t think the 3rd one is very good, there was something about the kid version of me that still identified with that version of Peter. Maybe if you combine the emo from Spider-Man 3 with the wonderment and innocence of the character from the original 2, that was me as a little kid. The wonderment of a child combined with very little understanding about how others around you actually feel. Younger me was also very obsessed with surface and appearance as Peter is, rather than being comfortable in my own skin. I definitely cringe in thinking about that kid, but I also feel like it’s very natural, and a lot of it was probably a product of being bullied, again similar to Peter Parker. Maybe I’m reading too much into it but that’s the example that comes to mind. As far as topic video ideas go, maybe favorite comedies? I’m not sure I’ve heard you talk much about that and I definitely have a few comedies that are very near and dear to me.
Tyler Shobe
I always get a little nervous about revisiting really nostalgic movies because I love having that pristine memory of what it was to my mind. Like the movie The Pagemaster starring Macaulay Culkin is this wonderful and grand literary adventure in my mind with all this cool animation. I'd almost rather hold onto that childhood memory than taint it with my cynicism. But then there's always the chance that sort of nostalgia can help fuel this reignition of childlike wonder so it's a double edged sword.
Jared Angcanan
Topic suggestion? Underrated musicals!! I definitely feel like True Stories (1986) deserves more love.
Jared Angcanan
Lilo and Stitch definitely influenced my unhinged energy as a kid, and the “chosen family” theme definitely influenced my outlook on life and friendships later on. The script isn’t perfect, but for the most part, the film actually holds up! There’s some spectacular hand-drawn animation, especially in the hula and surfing scenes. Kung Fu Hustle influenced my sense of humor in grade school, and it’s still funny and cool today, but the romance and growth of the protagonist DEFINITELY doesn’t hold up, it’s way too rushed.
Steven Aguilera
Escape from New York. Snake Plissken was the ultimate badass! Yet, still classy enough to address the President as "Mr. President." Anyways, when I watch films from my childhood, I tend to feel the same way about them and can be very forgiving about their flaws. Horror films especially, conjure up feelings of dread and fright as I felt them back when I could invest myself into things without filtering them through any current standards I have developed since; back when I could feel! Before life crushed my very soul! Before this cold, black withered heart... But when I try to expose others to the same films now, they cannot get into the same mindset and just see something campy. Yeah, like Hammer Horror films I used to watch with my dad on Creature Features. Good times...
Deepfocuslens
lol me too. Though by the time I got to Spy Kids I was maybe 11...so I had a bit more awareness of what I liked and disliked. Around this time I discovered I wasn't huge into the Robert Rodriguez aesthetic.
Woosh
I have a lot of nostalgia for the Rush Hour and Spy Kids movies lol. I would watch them endlessly as a kid.
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