THESE ARE A FEW OF MY FAVOURITE FILMS by Janice Johnson

I am a member of the Let’s Write writing group run by the Writers’ Bureau*. Esther Chilton* leads this, and I also follow her writing website. Every week Esther provides three types of prompts – write a limerick; write a story in x number of words to include certain ones; and a themed one. This article was inspired when I was writing in response to a themed one on our favourite films.

So, what is my favourite film? That’s such a tough question. I think it depends on my mood. I know I struggle these days for a film to hold my attention. Terry (my husband) and I download or record one and then halfway in, I do some more of my jigsaw puzzle or a bit of crocheting, while watching, so I don’t get bored.

Over a lunch at the London House Cafe in Malvern, I asked Terry what his favourite film was. After a lot of discussion about Alien, The Shining, Dirty Harry, and Predator, he decided upon Monty Python’s, Life of Brian. None of these were high on my list, although I enjoyed three of them.

My short list ended up with the original Disney version of Jungle Book (I Wanna Be Like You-oo-oo); Gone with the Wind (tomorrow is another day and the best sex scene ever – who needs graphic detail when Scarlet O’Hara says it all with a smile); Oliver (As Long as He Needs Me); Carousel (When You Walk Through a Storm in its original context); Mary Poppins (Feed the Birds); and making it to the top, Grease.

Why Grease? Probably because I was just seventeen when I first saw it at the pictures (I still say pictures and not cinema), and it holds special memories. Also, every time it’s on television I say, “Nah, I’ve seen this at least twenty times. I’ll give it a miss.” Two hours later, I’m hoarse from singing all the songs at the top of my voice, word perfect and totally in tune, of course. As Rizzo would say, there are worse things I could do! I have a passion for musicals just like my mum did.

I also love ‘old’ films. Put one on and I am transported back, not just to the film but also to the enjoyment of watching them with my mum, dad, and sister on a wet Sunday afternoon in the sixties and seventies. That raises another memory of the first time I ever cried over something on screen. My younger sister could sob over an advert for crisps, but I never let tears fall over a film or television programme until I watched Carve Her Name with Pride at about the age of nine. I remember this weird sensation building up in my stomach, bubbling until it erupted and then I couldn’t stop crying. And what set me off? It’s an emotional film with a powerful story, but what really got to me was the poem, The Life that I Have by Leo Marks*. I always loved words, and this helped me truly appreciate the tremendous power they can have.

Below is an alphabetical list of twenty films I really enjoyed and will happily watch again and again.

• An American Werewolf in London (1981)
• Back to the Future (1985)
• Carousel (1956)
• Carve Her Name with Pride (1958)
• Casablanca (1942)
• Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
• Don’t Look Now (1973)
• E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
• Gone With the Wind (1939)
• Grease (1978)
• It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
• Mary Poppins (1964)
• Oliver (1968)
• Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
• Singing in the Rain (1952)
• Some Like it Hot (1959)
• Sound of Music (1965)
• The Jungle Book (1967)
• The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
• Wizard of Oz (1939)

When my list was complete, I did a bit of research on the top films of all time and realised that the film release dates of my choices didn’t go beyond 1985. This wasn’t a conscious act, as there are modern films I’ve enjoyed, but I believe films that become our favourites are those which are held in our hearts. This could be because of nostalgia for the period, who you watched it with, or the emotions you felt when you first saw it.

There are also films that I didn’t enjoy. One of these is The Amityville Horror (1979). I saw this at the pictures when it was released and it petrified me so much that I’ve never watched it again. I’m now a fan of horror (as long as it’s not too gruesome), so perhaps I should give it another go now that I’m braver. I tried this recently when I rewatched an episode of the original Star Trek series which had scared me so much I’d crept into my four-year-old sister’s bed for comfort. Anyone else been terrified by the Tribbles? I mean, really!

Maybe my brief foray into films has prompted you to think about your favourites. If so, let’s have a heated debate over some popcorn!

*Links
https://estherchilton.co.uk
https://www.writersbureaucourse.com/pages/about-us
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_That_I_Have