For the Love of Film
My love of film started at a young age, with the typical Disney films and rom-coms (Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging, Wild Child and Aquamarine all were a staple of my childhood) being the only genres I deigned to watch. My first memory of cinema is watching the animation film, Spirit, in the cinema with family friends and my sister crying on my mums lap when one of the character almost dies. I suppose most of my memories with film included memories of friends and family.
I watched the previously mentioned rom-coms at sleepovers with all my friends, shouting at the screen when Georgia and Robbie kissed, and my sister and I went through a phase of watching every Harry Potter film repeatedly throughout one summer. We also watched the Pride and Prejudice film every night for a week after watching it for the first time on a Sunday night several years ago. Once I fall in love with a film, all I want to do is watch it over and over again – this was a massive issue however when I saw Greta Gerwig’s Little Women adaptation last year and couldn’t stop thinking about it for a month but I’m still waiting 6 months for the DVD. Do people still buy DVDs?
My dad was a huge influence in how my passion for films has grown; ask him any question about any film from the decades and even if he hasn’t seen it, he’ll most likely know who’s in it, the year it was out and who directed it. He introduced me to the “classics” such as Pulp Fiction, The Godfather, Goodfellas and then he introduced me to what he considers as classics. This included Highlander, Die Hard, Rocky, Dirty Dancing and Top Gun. We used to have a once-a-year tradition where we’d take a day off school and watch 3 movies for the day; I’d choose one, my sister would choose one and my dad would choose one.
Cinema was a massive part of my childhood and while in school I was part of the after-school film club where I watched films I wouldn’t have watched anywhere else, this included Raising Arizona and my personal favourite Spirited Away. When I began working full-time, my family and I would still try to take a trip to the cinema at least once a week. My favourite cinema in Bristol is The Watershed, down on the waterfront. They thrive in the field of independent cinema and I have seen some incredible films there including Borg vs. McEnroe, Trespass Against Us, Everybody Wants Some as well of some big blockbusters such as 1917, Boyhood and The Shape of Water.
My love of films was not just limited to feature-length blockbusters; I also worked part time for an online magazine called Film Curiosity which dedicated themselves to showcasing the best short films, particularly in Bristol. I watched many different short films, all a triumph in themselves as the thought of creating a story within 10-15 minutes is not something I think I could do. I loved watching the story arc and the detail of the characters and was amazed at how they never felt rushed or squashed into a certain time frame, they just worked.
My friends are also influential in the sort of films I watch and my depth of knowledge of films with several of them being bigger film fans than my dad. It’s as though those who have a passion for film can’t help but gravitate towards each other. We’ve spent countless Saturday nights at Bristol’s first dive bar, Mother’s Ruin, discussing new releases and if we think Robert Pattinson will be a good Batman.
I suppose that’s one of my favourite things about film and cinema; even if you meet with someone you’ve never met before, you can always bond of film. I have memory after memory of happy films, sad films and the films I’ve watched every night for a week. It brings people together and gives others a common ground.
That is why I was so happy when Jess asked if I’d like to be the film editor for The Everyday; a ground-breaking magazine finding common ground with all types of people. And I now get to read articles, write articles and propose articles all about my most passionate subject.
So, welcome to the film section of The Everyday, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Written by Issy Packer
Hi! I’m Issy, I’m 23 years old and I’m an English Literature graduate currently living in Bristol. I’m very passionate about a number of things including travelling, writing, reading, film, music and feminism.