Does our movie collection define us?

So I was glancing through my movie collection today and I got to thinking about whether our movie collections are a fair reflection of who we are. I mean, isn’t that the reason why so many choose such high falooting films as their favourite??

Let’s be honest! Seriously! You know those moments when you are chatting with someone early on in a relationship of some kind and the discussion turns to movies and you ask “what is your favourite film?”  Well how often do you get someone saying something like White Chicks or something a little more mundane like Die Hard? The answer is NOT OFTEN. Why? Because nobody wants to admit that they aren’t higher functioning.  I can’t even count the number of times when I’ve asked a person what their favourite film is that they’ve come back with an answer such as Shawshank Redemption or The Theory of Everything. It’s important to look smart right? That and it would be rather less impressive than coming out with Resident Evil. 

It got me wondering whether some people genuinely don’t think those sorts of movies. But then that doesn’t make sense. If so many girls hated romantic comedies or if so many guys hated movies such as Piranha 3D, why do studios continue to churn them out? Methinks that the answer is that people just lie out of embarrassment. No one wants to be that person who likes corny, cheesy, or rude movies. 

I’m going to be honest. My movie taste is eclectic and rather odd at times. I somewhat embarrassingly admit that I do have a fair few movies that have “hot” people in them. You know, the sort of movie where you would see boobs here and there. That being said, none of the movies I own are filthy. So while my mind may go into the gutter every now and then, I do have some scruples. Plus there are some films I’ve purchased just out of intrigue. I purchased Spring Breakers for example because I was bewildered about why James Franco got such high praise for a seemingly titilating movie while I purchased Fifty Shades of Grey literally because I had read the book as part of a dare and I wanted to see whether the movie was as cheesy as the book. I would also confess that I also have slight things for Vanessa Hudgens and Dakota Johnson that added to my intrigue. 

I do own a lot of immature movies. By immature, I mean your typical young adult type of film such as the Hangover, Get Hard, numerous other Will Ferrell movies and I did also purchase Piranha 3D. What can I say, I like creature features!!!

I have a fair few blockbusters too as well as some more critically acclaimed ones such as The Godfather, A Beautiful Mind and Dr Strangelove but anything smarter can be easily balanced out by the stupid. 

So what does all this say about me? Maybe that I’m inquisitive, I’m red blooded, I can be serious at times but I’m also quite capable of being silly too. I guess you could say that it also says that while I enjoy the thoughtful and intelligent film, I also enjoy going to films for the big spectical and I’m not afraid of big booms, car chases and action. 

I think probably the biggest thing that would surprise people about my movie collection though, beyond the cruder variety of film is the romantic element. I own quite a few romantic comedies and dramas. Indeed, one element I liked about Fifty Shades of Grey was the rather ludicrous love story that developed. Yep, that’s right. I felt really bad for Anastasia Steele and I could empathise with falling for someone who had different ideas of what love and sex were and how hard that is. Maybe that sounds stupid but it did make sense.  I also like romantic movies with happy endings. There’s too much sadness in the world. Isn’t it nice when people find love at the end? Cheesy, sure! But I wouldn’t be sad to have that romantic ending!

Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that movie collections probably do say a lot about you and it’s a shame that people aren’t more open about films they like. While it’s quite embarrassing for me to admit (more than anything) that I bought movies like Fifty Shades of Grey or Springbreakers, I actually think that it isn’t as damning or incriminating as I worry it is. I also think it’s no harm for a person to admit they like movies like that or to say that their favourite movie is something cheesy or silly. It just shows you are human and probably makes you sound more relatable than someone who only gets their kicks out of a three hour Scorcese film that has “deep meanings that reflect society”. Honestly, half the time, I don’t leave a film thinking “okay, that was slow but the underlying messages were inspired”. I’m probably more likely to say “that movie was cool! It was so high paced and fast actioned. And that woman was really cute!” Sometimes, a stupid movie that makes you laugh out loud is far more rewarding than watching the Revenant, which is, despite being beautifully shot and reasonably acted, a rather boring movie with somewhat of an anti-climax. 

What are your thoughts?