question of the day: Just why are you interested in film, anyway?

movies

We talk about movies a lot here, obviously, but I don’t think we’ve ever gotten down to the most basics of basics. To wit:

Just why are you interested in film, anyway?

What is it about movies that drew you in in the first place, and what about them continues to hold you? It is about escapism? Art? Pure entertainment? Distraction from real life? Something else entirely? Do movies that fail to meet your primary movie needs depress your interest in films overall, or do they reinvigorate you to find the movies you will enjoy?

For me, it was spectacle and escapism that first captured my interest as a small child: films such as Star Wars and Fantasia, particularly with their imagery that does not exist in the real world. I also recall being scared and awed by these films, but in good, safe ways -- I didn’t have to put myself in any actual danger to experience those emotion. And still, to this day, escapism and emotion are the two things that thrill me most in a movie, and if they can be combined in the same film, those are the best kinds of films to me.

Your turn...

FYI, that image is from my profile page at Letterboxd, a social network for people who like movies and like to share recommendations. The movies pictured are among those I’ve rated recently.

(If you have a suggestion for a QOTD, feel free to email me. Responses to this QOTD sent by email will be ignored; please post your responses here.)