Accidental Education - An Exercise In The Random: July 2018

Tuesday, July 31, 2018

Recommendations: Influential Movies, Part I

I always say that I have a lifeblood trifecta (not to include coffee, of course): movies, books and music. These types of media have soothed me, shaped me, implanted themselves squarely in most facets of my every day life. They become therapy, escape, validation, support, even aspects of personality and humor. Yes, I am one of those annoying people that use movie quotes in every day conversation (and sometimes song lyrics...I don't discriminate) , and am disappointed (internally, of course) when people don't pick up on them.

Recently, on Facebook, a friend nominated me for one of those "10 Days of the Most Influential Films of My Life" challenges. You post a copy of a movie poster with no explanation, just a day number and the caveat that it's an influential part of your existence. First of all, I did 8 days worth of posting, all on the first day, because I know myself. I will get busy or distracted and I will forget. But also, I did it because once I got on a roll, I couldn't stop.

SO many movies are influential in one way or another. They didn't all touch me spiritually, or ideologically, there weren't all beautiful in cinematography, but they represent periods in my life, battles, laughs, relief, constant friends that I return to time and again, or that affected me some how. This challenge is what led me to think, perhaps I need to list these, for posterity in one place, with meta-tags, so they can be searched and referred to, you know, like a librarian does. And since I am a librarian, here we are. ;)

So, without further ado, some of my most influential movies, in no particular order. Laugh if you dare.