Someone asked me what
my favourite videos were yesterday.
Before I could even
think of the answers, I was struck by the word “Video”.
Such a broad term now… as in a VHS tape? Or a
music video?
I went with the
former, mainly because I don’t really watch a lot of music related things (one
of the side effects of having a television with an aerial that doesn't work.)
If you ask me if I have seen a new TV show, the answer is incredibly likely to
be no, as we haven’t had a “working tv” for about two years now. (There is a
theory among my friends that I essentially live in a bomb shelter. I can’t tell
you who Kim Kardashian or Nicki Minaj are, but I can give you an extensive
run-down on who was in M*A*S*H in the 80’s. Anything post 2000 and I am more
than a little vague)
Not that I really
miss having a working television - we have a myriad of DVDs and videos (ah-ha,
see the call-back to the original point? Let’s return to it before I digress
any further.)
Favourite movies are
hard for me to pick. I tend to have a handful of movies that I can watch, over
and over - honestly, I can almost watch my favourite movie as soon as it is
finished.
That movie is The Princess Bride.
To anyone, of any age
that hasn’t seen this movie, I implore you - go watch it,
right now. RIGHT NOW. (Also read the book - William Goldman, go now, read,
watch, love it.)
To praise this movie, in its own words, “it has Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles… “
The Princess Bride came out in 1987 and
was directed by Rob Reiner (who directed one of my other favourite movies…) I
would have been about 8 when I first saw this movie and since then, it remains
a classic in Katy World.
I was talking about
it earlier this year with The Boy, and he hadn't seen it. I immediately dug out
my video (yes, actually a video) and made him watch “my movie” and he of course
loved it and bought me the deluxe edition DVD for Christmas. Good guy.
Second movie… that
one is actually harder to narrow down because as I have stated, I have a myriad
of movies that I adore…
But I think it’s a
draw between the following :
Rebel Without a Cause and When
Harry Met Sally.
Rebel was directed by Nicholas Ray and starred
James Dean, Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo.
I suppose I came late
to this movie - I think I was about 14 or 15 when I first saw it, (after my
James Dean obsession began, obviously) but as soon as it was over. I rewound
the video (yes, again, a video) and pressed play again.
There is so much in
this movie, so many amazing and poignant moments. Natalie Wood in her first
“grown up” role and Sal Mineo staring, acting or not, in absolute adoration at
James Dean. And Dean, so uncertain and heart-breaking, that I forget he isn't a
teenager in this movie. (I have an issue with “Dawson’s Casting” but it goes
unnoticed for me in this film)
Which
brings us to When Harry Met Sally (which is the movie previously mentioned as being directed by Mr
Reiner.)
I can already hear
the groans and any respect you had for me going way down.
Yes, it’s a romcom, yes
it’s predictable, and yes it’s a trite story. Blah blah blah, whatever.
I love it. I love the dialogue. I love the
characters.
The soundtrack is
wonderful, Harry Connick Jr singing wonderful old jazz songs, like ‘I Could
Write a Book’, ‘It Had to Be You’ and many other fabulous songs.
I know most of the
movie by heart, and quotes from Harry and Sally frequently come up at my house.
It’s not even a
guilty pleasure movie for me – I don’t watch it ashamedly with all the doors
locked, in the dark. It’s legitimately a movie I really enjoy and I have been
known to make people watch it, just to prove that it’s actually a clever and
well put-together (and one of the most quoted romcoms) movie from 1989.
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