Movies and Me

The lovely Scarlet Blue tagged me a few weeks ago to do a movie meme. Basically, you list three movies that inspired you to act out some of the things from the movie. I had a really tough time thinking about this. I mean, I can't recall the last time I went to see a movie, much less copy something from that movie. And I don't think pretending to be a ninja or a superhero after watching an action movie as a little kid counts. The same goes for being a break dancer after watching Beat Street (1984). Apparently, you can't make a living doing battles on the streets. But that didn't stop me and my friends from break dancing on the sidewalks, trying to imitate all those dance moves.

Now, I have to say that movies did have some impact on my life. For instance, I've written about how The Sound of Music has affected my childhood. It was my mother's favorite movie. She trained 2 of my brothers and me to sing songs from the movie and perform dance numbers to entertain the crowds. They were among our most popular acts from our repertoire. We were a big hit at church pageants and local talent shows. Most of my nieces and nephews went through the same training. It was like a rite of passage of sorts. But I have to say, as good as they were--and there were a whole lotta them to properly do So Long, Farewell--none of them had our showmanship!

And then, of course, Jaws (1975) put the fear of sharks in me. I was scared to be in the deep sea. That movie made me even afraid of the deep end of the pool! I was afraid a shark might somehow find its way into the pool and eat me when I had my back turned. And the 007 film Thunderball (1965) made my fears even worse! It had an evil villain who killed his enemies by feeding them to the sharks in his pool! And by the way, Sean Connery was almost attacked by one of those sharks in the pool during the filming of Thunderball!

To this day, I refuse to linger too long in the deep ocean, and I never go out to the deep end by myself in the dark, nekkid. Because that's when the shark gets ya!


Some movies have been very enlightening and educational experiences. When Pope John Paul II passed away, my coworkers were astonished at how I knew that the bells of St Mark and the Catholic churches would ring to signify the passing of the Pope; that the cardinals would elect a new Pope after two weeks; and that the new Pope would be announced by white smoke rising up from the Sistine Chapel.

Not a lot of Catholics know about this, and I'm not Catholic, though I did attend Catholic school when I started grade school. I surprised my coworkers by telling them that I learned all of this fascinating information from watching Eurotrip (2004)!

That movie was funny! It took all the silly stereotypes Americans have about Europe and turned them into a hilarious movie! They made fun of everybody! It also had some fantastic surprise cameos from great actors. Eurotrip made me want to explore Europe by rail, by bus, and by hitch hiking.

It took me a while, but I finally recalled three movies that fit this meme. Here we go: The top 3 movies that inspired me to act out.

Number 3: 9 1/2 Weeks (1986)

Okay, so granted, I wasn't supposed to see this movie--because I was seriously underage, even though the movie had been out for years. I was just starting puberty when I saw this film. And it made me feel even more confused about what sex was supposed to be. I remember the food from the fridge scene. That one stayed with me for a while. And when I tried it out years later, it didn't exactly turn out the way I thought it would.

Not all foods in the fridge should be used in recreation. Guess what? Jalapeño peppers not only burn your mouth, but also the sensitive parts of your body that mouth touches. Ouch.

Just be sure to have cold milk nearby to soak up the burn area after rising it with cold soapy water. Better yet, have baking soda nearby so you can mix it with water and make a paste to soothe the burns.

Stick with the strawberries and whipped cream if you still want to use food in your recreation. But I warn you, frosting, syrup, heck, even ice cream and jello end up leaving a sticky mess. So unless you're planning on cleaning out the fridge, avoid incorporating food in recreation. Besides, I've learned that food makes me hungry, not horny.

Number 2: Titanic (1997)

I've done it. You've done it. And everyone else who's seen this movie has probably done it or thought about doing it. You know what I'm talking about. That's right.

And yes, it's a douche bag move, but it's still fun to do. It doesn't matter if you're on cruise ship, a ferry, or a fishing boat. Stand on the bow, raise your hands, and shout it out:

I'm the King of the World!


Every time I'm on a boat, I think about doing this scene! I have done it a few times. But let me tell you, the minute someone starts singing that Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On, I'm finding a life vest and getting in a lifeboat! I sure as hell ain't gonna stick around to sing while the boat's sinking!

I'm gonna be in the lifeboat, dammit! I refuse to end up treading ice cold water to survive. There are sharks in the water!

And finally, the movie that had the greatest impact on me.

Number 1: The Endless Summer (1966)

I'm a beach boy at heart. This is the best surfing movie ever! It's part documentary, part home movies, but all together, a masterpiece. You don't have to be a surfer to enjoy this film. It's a classic that anyone can watch.











This is the journey of two teen surfers from California, who embark on a quest for the perfect wave and to follow summer all over the world. From California, to Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti, Australia, and Africa, there are beautiful waves to ride and great local people to meet.

It's much more than just a surfing movie. It's a glimpse into a past time when things seemed simpler, somewhat more innocent, and the world was a big, amazing place. People dressed up when they got on airplanes. Hitch hiking was a safe way to travel. And when two 18 year old friends take the chance to go surfing around the world, they have a great time finding spectacular scenery, surfing stunning waves, and meeting wonderful people. It's the story about youth and freedom and friendship, about finding happiness and adventure with good friends and good times.

I luv this movie, because it inspired me to dream big and enjoy the moment, to take chances and enjoy life. When I was a teen, my friends and I would often skip classes and head out to some really far off places to catch some great waves.

"With enough time and enough money, you could spend the rest of your life following the summer around the world"~Bruce Brown, The Endless Summer

In some ways, I think my life is all about following summer, searching for the perfect wave, enjoying the journey and the people I meet along the way.

And there you have it. The top three movies that inspired me to act out scenes from them. It took me a long time to figure this one out, but I'm glad I finally finished it. You don't have to do this meme if you don't want to, but if you do decide to post your own experiences, let me know! I'd be very interested in reading them!