Love hurts.
But not nearly as much as piano wire.
The time is right for fighting in the streets, boys.
WHY DO YOU LOVE MOVIES? (Part Two)…
Because one list wasn’t nearly enough.
Because the opening theme for Superman: The Movie makes me wish I could fly every time I hear it.
Because Lola will run and keep running until her dying breath to keep Manny safe.
Because the love and appreciation of making films and watching films comes through when you watch any film of Edgar Wright’s or Quentin Tarantino’s.
Because I got a headache from laughing so hard and so constantly at Forgetting Sarah Marshall that I had to stifle my laughter.
Because of Harry telling Sally all the reasons why he loves her and needs her in his life.
Because I refused to blink or breathe until I saw The Driver finally do both.
Because Zack Mayo goes back and makes Casey Seeger climb that wall.
Because of showing movies like The Hidden or From Dusk Till Dawn to people who have never heard of them and then watching their reactions.
Because of Cobb finally saying good-bye to Mal and letting her go.
Because of Snake Plissken.
Because there’s so much more to The Crying Game than Dil having a penis.
Because beautifully-executed fight choreography makes me sit up and take notice like nothing else.
Because of the Black private dick that’s a sex machine to all the chicks.
Because Geoffrey Holder as Baron Samedi scared the living shit out of me as a child.
Because the final scene of Cabaret scared the living shit out of me as an adult.
Because of “My friends. You bow to no one” and how that one statement speaks volumes.
Because of Billy Wilder.
Because of the way Nicky smiles when the news reporters announce that Jason Bourne’s body hasn’t been found.
Because no matter how many times I watch it, Laurie running for her life to escape from Michael Myers and begging Tommy to hurry up and open the door always makes me sit up with tension and yell at Tommy to move faster and hurry up.
Because all John McClane wants is to tell his wife how sorry he is and how much he appreciates her.
Because seeing Hugh Jackman as Wolverine and Heath Ledger as The Joker for the first time silenced any and all doubts I may have had about them bringing those characters to life.
Because Ennis finding his shirt intertwined with Jack’s makes my eyes water every single time.
Because The Departed made me scared to ever walk out of an elevator hitting the ground floor once the doors open.
Because it’s an art form that makes me want to talk about it endlessly at 3 in the morning on my Facebook page with Nikki of Cats Not Cancer.
Because you haven’t lived until you’ve seen a movie on a genuine and actual IMAX screen.
Because a movie that was ignored upon its release can be rediscovered like a lost treasure and make someone wonder why he or she didn’t go to see it in a movie theater.
Because of how a single movie trailer can fill an entire audience with anticipation and excitement.
Because seeing a really great film with a really great audience that appreciates and responds to what they’re seeing on screen is one of the best feelings in the world.
Because my then-boss felt strongly that United 93 was nothing more but an exploitative film only being made for money and on opening day, I sat in the audience and heard people weeping when the screen finally cuts to black.
And to end this with someone else’s words, because of all the times I’ve held my breath worrying about someone who doesn’t even exist.
Earlier this month, Film Crit HULK of BadassDigest.com wrote an article in which he answered the question, “Why do you love movies?” and it can be read here:
http://badassdigest.com/2012/02/05/why-you-love-movies/
He gave his reasons, hundreds of commenters gave their reasons and here are my reasons for both of you to read in its entirety:
Because the first movie I remember seeing in a movie theater was The Terminator back in 1984. (Don’t judge.)
Because Ellis “Red” Redding finally explained to the parole board what it means to be rehabilitated.
Because Jesse can’t bring himself to reach out and touch Celine and nine years later, she can’t bring herself to reach out and touch him either.
Because the final car chase and ending of Death Proof made me cheer and applaud like a seal on weapons-grade crack.
Because of Will Graham vs. Francis Dollarhyde to the tune of “In-A-Gadda-da-Vida.”
Because Anton Chigurh showed that good doesn’t always triumph over evil.
Because when I was thirteen, I saw Butch go back to rescue Marsellus with katana in hand and knew I was watching something special.
Because if a movie is good enough and can grab your attention and hold on to it, you really won’t care if you have to read subtitles.
Because Kobayashi does nothing but speak and he is every bit as terrifying and intimidating as Keyser Soze.
Because Jake Shuttlesworth hugs his wife’s tombstone, wishing more than anything that he wasn’t hugging his wife’s tombstone.
Because I smiled and breathed a sigh of relief when The Bride succeeded in using her chopsticks to feed herself rice.
Because of Annie Hall.
Because of Luke Skywalker holding his dying father after his life is saved from the Emperor.
Because the censors had no complaints when Virgil was beating the crap out of Alabama but found it problematic when Alabama started fighting back.
Because of every single minute of Raising Arizona.
Because Spike Lee was able to make Malcolm X the way he wanted to and he didn’t have to do it alone.
Because so many posters on the message boards at CHUD.com intelligently explained why Knocked Up isn’t nearly as misogynistic as you may think.
Because Tommy realized far too late that he wasn’t really going to be made.
Because the first time Leatherface appears and kills someone (without his chainsaw) and it’s every bit as disturbing to listen to as it is to look at.
Because Blake can’t bring himself to arrange his mother’s funeral when he comes back home.
Because Chow Yun-Fat sliding down a banister, firing two pistols at once and killing his enemies, became one of the coolest motherfuckers on the planet.
Because the final car chase in The Road Warrior still embarrasses most action films in their entirety.
Because no one else on the planet truly understands Vincent Hanna and Neil McCauley or why they do what they do and that’s why they take each other’s hand at the very end.
(TO BE CONTINUED…RIGHT NOW!)
Your friendship is more important to me than your blood.
There is no honor among this company of thieves.
Trying to stop him from accomplishing his mission is impossible.
This is not my beautiful house or my beautiful wife…
An evening of sex, lies and doing the Time Warp.
The family that eternally slays together, stays together.
I still haven’t found what (and who) I’m looking for.
Believe it or not, she’s the savior of the universe.
Driving isn’t the only thing that matters to him anymore.
Some people can’t allow their true colors to shine through.
Who will survive and what will be left of them?
