I believe in the power of films. My whole life I’ve been surrounded by movies, tv shows and classics (thanks to my parents). As a toddler I would watch the same three or four movies over and over again because I couldn’t tell my parents to put something else on. Movies were and still are my favorite way to entertain myself. When I would start crying or fussing about something my parents would put on classics like Stand By Me, The Jungle Book, The Dukes of Hazzard, or Moulin Rouge. Since then, the variety of movies I enjoy has expanded greatly. I’ve seen countless popular 80s and 90s films that my parents grew up with, such as The Goonies, Sixteen Candles, Top Gun, License to Drive, and The Breakfast Club. Don’t get me wrong, I love early 2000 movies, and present day tv shows too. There’s too many to type because the list goes on and on.

I assumed that since I’ve seen all of these movies many times that everyone has. However, most people haven’t even heard of the movies I’ve seen. It’s like a special treat when I talk about a certain movie, from the 80s or 90s, and someone actually knows what I’m talking about. To me, it’s really sad when I hear that kids my age aren’t being exposed to widely known cinema and films that have been a part of our culture for a while.

I’m not blaming today’s youth for not being exposed to films and tv shows; they actually can’t really help it and I think they didn’t have that much of a choice. It could be because they’re distracted by other things, like their phones, or maybe they’re just not interested in watching tv shows or movies their parents grew up with.

If only the people who are distracted knew what they’re missing. They could be watching incredible script writing, talented actors, and unbelievable scenery made into masterpieces.

Regardless of the quality, some people can’t watch something longer than 20 minutes without checking their notifications. Sometimes, I’ll catch myself doing it, but I guess that’s what you can expect when living in a zombie phone apocalypse, as my dad likes to say.

It’s weird to think that something you watch on television can have such an impact on you, like those sad dog commercials that make everyone cry, or cliffhanger death scenes which leave the audience on the edge of their seats. All they can think about is what would’ve happened if the movie had continued just a little longer.

We all know the different ways humans can be touched by words or pictures. Movies are a first hand viewing experience for the audience to take in. This allows the watcher to see what the film creators want them to see, understand and feel.

I’m not really sure what my life would be like without films. I know it sounds pretty dramatic to say that, but I really do have a passion for watching movies and I actually like to critique them. Basically, I like to write reviews because I like to project my opinion and putting it in a writing format is one of the best ways to do that since I also enjoy writing.

My dream job would be to watch newly released tv shows or movies for a company like Netflix and tell them whether it’s decent or not for the public to see. Kind of a long shot dream, but I think it’s definitely something I’ll try and work towards.

Films are my escape from reality. When I watch tv I feel relaxed, I feel happy, sometimes sad, angry, and often confused. If a film can make you feel certain ways towards a character or an idea or an action, then how can it not be powerful? I hope everyone will soon realize just how powerful films really are.

I believe in people. I believe in characters. I believe in the importance of taking time to tell a good story, and that’s why I believe in the power of films.