Here we are yet again with another Friday Question Fun! This time, the question I’m asking is leading into something else (more details to come very shortly).
What are some movies that define your childhood / adolescence / high school years?
We all have movies that we identify with, but as a kid the movies we identify with are probably also the ones we watched over and over or a movie that just had everything you love in it. The movies we loved as kids may not be the same movies we love as adults, and movies we hated in our younger years may be held to different standards now too.
When I was a kid, I would watch tons of giant monster movies: Godzilla, Gamera, Specterman (a huge favorite), etc. many of which I’m not sure I even remember now. One film that I’m not sure anyone else has heard of is Attack of Super Monsters, which is a mix of live-action men in rubber dinosaur/monster suits and anime. It was really the perfect thing for a kid like me, I loved dinosaurs, I loved anime, I loved guys in rubbers monster suits, and I watched it innumerable times. A few years ago, my wife tracked down a copy on DVD and watching it as an adult had a flood of pure nostalgia come back to me. It was great. I still consider Attack of the Super Monsters to be the film that defines my childhood.
What about you? It doesn’t have to be your childhood, it can be any era of your life.
Andy Watches Movies 
Labyrinth, Return to Oz, and Never Ending Story. 🙂
😀
“KRULL”, “The Sword And The Sorcerer”, The Original “Clash Of The Titans”, “Spaceballs”, “Big Trouble In Little China”, and The Animated “Fire & Ice” (the 1983 Version). There. That’s A Decent Enough Sampling hehehe
I Love Your Friday Questions!
-B.
Good picks – Thanks, Brad!
Good question. As much as I resent it now due to some of the things George Lucas has done subsequently… Star Wars RULED THE WORLD when I was young. For people of my age bracket, there was simply nothing else. The toys, the movies, everything it was a one track world at that point in time.
Ditto for me, my man. Star Wars is still such a huge part of my life but I wanted to showcase a film that defined me as a kid that I hadn’t really visited since, otherwise I’d have said Star Wars too.
The awesome monster movies from the 50s: The Thing From Another World, Godzilla, Them! Forbidden Planet, The Day The Earth Stood Still, Earth vs. The Flying Saucers, and The Beast From 20,000 Fathoms.
Most definitely! There was one film that I watched a lot that I can’t remember the title of…But I do remember that it featured a crab that was supposed to be enormous. I literally think I watched every film from the “genre” when I was a kid.
I love everyone of those films you mentioned. I own them all. I still watch Godzilla films regularly lol. Some are on Netflix.
Ahem………Good Burger
Haha classic
E. T. is one that really blew me away as a kid. It still is my favorite family film.
I still watch those old Godzilla films time after time, plus (does this count) endless Saturday morning cartoons.
Saturday morning cartoons definitely count! Give me some Tom & Jerry and I’ll still be happy
Several Steven Spielberg films defined my childhood; he, along with Alfred Hitchcock, was the director who enticed me into my love of film. I did projects regarding them both when I was in fifth grade. As for adolescence or high school years, I’m not even 15 yet, but if there was one film that I saw at the beginning of my middle school years and still love three years later, it’s got to be Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Yesterday, my Algebra II teacher explained absolute value by alluding to the scene in which Ferris and his friends try rolling the Ferrari’s wheels backwards to take the mileage off, but the mileage only goes up even higher because distance cannot act in a negative value.
I love that; using movies to explain math
Escape From New York, Halloween, The Warriors, Logan’s Run and – you already know – (I know it’s TV) Doctor Who : )
Dr. Who has been on so long it transcends being just on TV – good picks!
Monster movies – check for me on that one. I remember watching Godzilla vs. everything you can imagine. Mothra was a crazy one.
I know this sounds cliche, but Star Wars was my life as a kid. The original original trilogy before all of the changes. Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, Poltergeist, Jaws, Rocky, Back to the Future to name a few. I even remember Red Dawn (at the drive in) having an effect on me when I was young. I was in High School when I saw that one.
All classic picks!
The Nightmare before Christmas, Little Monsters, Gremlins, then My babysitter once my mother left for work would be Michael Myers, Chuckie, but mostly John Hughes. =D
Good picks – John Hughes definitely helped define a lot of our generation’s movie taste
What a coincidence, I just did a similar post on this topic. http://filmactually.blogspot.com/2012/08/developing-cinephilia-my-essential-films.html
Ha, total coincidence!
I like that you divided it up though very cool
I like this post bro. You made me use my noggin to think of some. Hmm gotta be The Empire Strikes Back, Jaws, Star Trek 2 – The Wrath of Khan and Raiders of the Lost Ark oh and Superman The Movie!
All great picks! Nothing wrong with using the ol’ noodle from time to time
ha! true. I almost left out Superman. My Mother took me to see that for my birthday and I got the day off from school the next day because the movie let out so late.
Nice!
The thrills of Aliens and Die Hard got me hooked on movies.
I still remember the first time I saw Aliens and it definitely changed me. Great picks!
Back to the Future, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Sandlot, Poltergeist , Night of the Living Dead.
All great films!
Childhood: The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Hercules (the animated Disney versions)
As a preteen: Rat Race, Ocean’s Eleven, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Legally Blonde (I know), Miss Congeniality (I KNOW)
As a teenager: Kill Bill, Little Miss Sunshine, Volver, Fight Club
Hahaha
Fav childhood movie would definetly be The Goonies, I watched it every Saturday afternoon, I’m pretty sure I know every line. When I got older it was any brat pack movie, Pretty in Pink, Sixteen Candles, Breakfast Club..those posters are still hanging on the walls of my bedroom back home. God love my mama for leaving it the same hehe!
The Goonies was such a staple for me too.
I kind of wish my room had been preserved from when I was a teenager
Yea it’s kinda cool, but kinda creepy. Whenever I stay there overnight I feel like I’m 16 again and wake up expecting my fiancé to turn into my terrible high school boyfriend
The three movies that affected me most as a little kid were Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Superman: The Movie, and Smokey and the Bandit. Two others were Bruce Lee: Superdragon and Summertime Killer; these last two were from my dad’s small VHS collection.
Believe it or not, I’ve never seen Attack of the Super Monsters, though you’ve left me wanting to now. As far as men in rubber suits goes, I was a big fan of the original, 1960s Ultraman TV series. Also watched King Kong vs. Godzilla and Godzilla 1985 a lot too.
My early-teens began with The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Scarface.
Attack of the Super Monsters is probably readily available to watch online, it’s not great but it’s kinda fun. I used to love Ultraman, Kamen Rider, all those things too. Lots of fun.
Superman was the first film I remember seeing in the theater, so that will always hold a special place in my heart. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Ghostbusters, Return of the Jedi. The Goonies was great.
But the film that had the biggest impact for me was The Crow. That came out the year I graduated and I can specifically remember my feelings that year revolving around that film.
I also LOVED the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street films when I was a kid.
I really wish I remembered the first film I saw in theaters. I’m sure it was something lame, but I’d still like to know.
Nightmare on Elm St. terrified the living crap out of me as a kid. I don’t know why but I really thought that was a realistic scenario.
I think I must have driven my parents mad with how many times I watched both Ghostbusters films when I was little. Peter Venkman was my hero when I was younger!
Peter Venkman for president.
Monsters, Inc. is one Pixar flick I had fun with, but probably the reason I always wanted to check under my bed.. I like The Goonies and The Sandlot a lot, too. Hook and Jumanji and Flubber, too. And I’d watch Who Framed Roger Rabbit a lot, and I want to revisit that one soon. I really can’t think of any others.
I’d love to revisit Roger Rabbit too because I watched it a lot as a kid and I KNOW there is stuff that went over my head.
Yeah probably! I wonder how many hidden sexual jokes I’ll be able to find.. I just love it; it’s like a crime story with live action and animation, how can you not love that?
Oh the memories! Some of mine are the same as others that have been mentioned: Goonies, Ghostbusters, Labyrinth. As for animated movies, as a kid I loved a little known movie called The Last Unicorn (feat. vocal talents of Mia Farrow, Angela Lansbury, and one of the Bridges – Jeff I think). Also The Secret of NIMH with the rats who were experimented on and were made super-smart. I own both of these purely for nostalgia reasons – haven’t watched them in many many years.
I loved Secret of NIMH, I even read the book (books?) as a kid – I also own several films PURELY for nostalgic purposes.
There are so many. “The Wizard of Oz” has to be up there. Back then it was a once a year thing. You couldn’t just pull out a DVD (or even a VHS)…it was on TV once a year, that was it.
I remember watching it at my Grandparents house one year and running into the kitchen during the scene with the Wizard. That big green veiny head was scary!
I also remember one year I was probably in about 4th grade and I was invited over to a friend’s house for a sleepover. It was the night “The Wizard of Oz” was going to be on, so I was like “cool, we can watch the Wizard of Oz!” My other friends coming to the sleepover were like “no way…Night Rider is on, we’re watching that.” I was flabbergasted! How could you turn town watching “The Wizard of Oz!?!?” Remember, once a year. So…I watched the movie with my friend’s mom on a little TV in the kitchen while those dopes watched a talking car.
Hahaha that’s a great story, I love that
Goonies, Better Off Dead, and Spaceballs for me.
I love Better Off Dead, I need to see that one again
There are quite a few. The 80’s Alice in Wonderland TV miniseries, Secret of NIHM, The Last Unicorn, The Mouse and His Child, Dark Crystal, Neverending Story, the Hobbit. It’s funny that I just realized most of these are animation but none are Disney. I watched a lot of Disney, but I rarely watched and re-watched any of them like I did these movies.
Hm never heard of the animated Alice…
That and Dark Crystal were the two that weren’t animated. It featured a bunch of comedians of the time in bad costumes with a lot of cheesy music. Sammy Davis Jr., Jonathan Winters, John Stamos, Beau Bridges, Jeff Bridges, etc. etc. etc.
Back to the Future, Karate Kid, or Indiana Jones. That pretty much sums up my childhood. LOL
Karate Kid! I hated those smug Cobra Kai so much!
Cobra Kai….Never Die. LOL
Although made before I was born, Mary Poppins and Sound of Music definitely was my childhood movies. Along with The Little Mermaid.
Also, Hiyao Miyazaki`s movies was actually in the most part of it, the most significant would be My Neighbor Totoro and Castle in the Sky! Till today, he still makes some pretty awesome stuff!
I think my wife would pick the same, and Ghibli films still rock
Alien, Aliens, The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Big surprise!!
Lol
Salo
I should try to come up with a question you couldn’t have Salo as the answer
Until you review it, I will persist. 🙂
Hahaha fair enough
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Wizard of Oz and The Sound of Music as holiday tradition movies… Home Alone, Waynes World, and Dumb & Dumber for most views and quotability.
No Sandlot for quotability?
Great blog topic! The Guns of Navarone and Back to the Future were big childhood movies for me.
Guns of Navarone is a surprising one, if only for it’s length
“the sandlot” defines almost every summer i had, until i turned 16.
As a kid, it was all about the Brat Pack movies for me; The Breakfast Club, St. Elmo’s Fire, Pretty In Pink…..and have to add Dirty Dancing in there. All my friends would have marathons of those movies and would watch them back-to-back.
Brat pack movies were great to watch in marathon sessions!
It was Shock Theater and all those old Universal Monster movies that did it for me. Every Saturday afternoon spent in front of the TV eagerly awaiting Karloff, Chaney and Lugosi. Good times!
Great post, I would say E.T, The Goonies and Jurassic park where movies that defined my childhood.
My list could be endless Andy but for just a few, I’d have to say… Big Trouble In little China, Back To The Future, Labyrinth, Inner Space, Gremlins and Indiana Jones (either temple of doom or the last Crusade).
For me it would be a bunch, but the short list is Labyrinth, The Goonies, Stand By Me, The Neverending Story, Any Universal Monster movie, and too many others
friday the 13th, Nightmare on elm street and then the amazing Gremlins… and last the amazing Fistful of dollars… ohh just the music gives me flashbacks…
Wow! Sorry to say, but I’ve never heard of those movies… That “monsters” one looks awesome, though. Maybe I should start checking out more obscure movies or something like that…
I’ve already written about movies from my childhood (and I see you’ve given me a “like” for that article) and if anyone whishes, they can check them out here: http://radumoviephoto.wordpress.com/2012/08/17/movies-from-our-early-years/. Good one! Have a nice day, my good sir!
I know I am late to the conversation but I was going through my emails and saws this post. I am right with you on the giant monster movies thing. My life revolved around Godzilla movies, toys, and comics. But if I had to pick one movie that defined my childhood I would have to say Heavyweights. I was always the fat kid of my classes when I was a kid so this movie was very comforting that there were more out there like me and that it was okay to be fat. I mean I am not fat anymore but this movie will always have a special meaning to me. Plus it is just plain funny without being dumb.
Goonies, RAD, The Karate Kid, Return of the Jedi, ET, A Christmas Story
All classics – I’m really glad I’m not the only one that loves A Christmas Story, I feel like most people like it out of obligation to seeing it every year around Christmas, but I really love that movie.