We believe that employees who are passionate about their hobbies, bring many positive skills to their professional life. Movie aficionados are no different. It might surprise you to know that immersing yourself in diverse narratives and cinematic techniques cultivates creativity, critical thinking, and an appreciation for other peoples stories. This month we’re highlighting a few DiRADians who are movie fans!
What type of movies are your favorite? Comedy, Horror, RomCom, Action, Thriller, etc.
Noah C: Anime/ Animation, Horror, drama, scifi, and fantasy
Kirsten B: I absolutely love Horror, True Crime, and Documentaries. If you know me, horror is my absolute favorite.
Brooke S: I love them all. Story is what separates a good movie from a bad movie for me.
What about these movies interest you?
NC: Horror and drama keep you engaged with good story telling and intrigue. While Fantasy/scifi do the same in a setting you can only imagine or see on tv or video games. And anime / animated movies have great story telling and beautiful artwork to admire.
KB: I love the suspense of horror movies; sometimes, I love the twists involved in them. When it comes to True Crime/Documentaries – I love seeing the process of how things were handled, and at times, true crime, documentaries, and horror movies all intertwine with each other.
BS: I love when a movie makes me feel something. Like if a horror movie can genuinely make me feel uneasy or an action movie gets my heart racing or I cry when the two characters fall in love, then I know its a good movie.
What got you into movies? Is there a certain movie that got you hooked? A person or persons who you love to enjoy them with?
NC: My dad started taking me to the movies very young. He actually once pulled me out of school in the 3rd grade so we could see Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith.
KB: I was a teen in the early 2000s when Marvel Movies first made waves; going to the movies with my friends every weekend was just something you did back then. Horror movies are something my husband and I first clicked with.
BS: One of our favorite things to do as a family growing up was to go out to dinner and a movie on the weekends. We’d talk about the movie on the ride home. Some of my favorite memories.
Do you have a favorite movie(s) that you keep going back to rewatch?
NC: Skyfall (James Bond) & Blade Runner 2049. And pretty much any Miyazaki movie
KB: The Chucky and Scream series are my absolute favorites, but sometimes I just want to binge-watch Studio Ghibli movies.
BS: My favorite movies of all time are The Mummy and Jurassic Park, but I have movies I go back to depending on my mood/time of year.
What do you wish more people knew about the movies/genre you enjoy?
NC: People should give anime/ animated movies a shot. Some of the best story telling is done in those genres
KB: It’s not for everyone; you should not feel pressured to like them.
BS: There’s something for everyone! Even within genres. If you don’t like Transformers movies, that doesn’t mean you hate action movies. Also, always get your reviews from people who know what you like. Critics aren’t always correct in their Rotten Tomatoes score (in my opinion). Some truly great and entertaining movies are “rotten”.
If someone is curious about the genre you enjoy, where should they start? What movie do you think would get them interested?
NC: Spirited Away, or any other Miyazaki films are a great way to get into anime/animated movies/shows.
KB: I suggest starting small; I grew up watching Goosebumps and Tales of the Crypt Keeper. But start watching horror lightly. Any Disney Halloween movie is a good place to start and then work your way up popular franchises.
BS: Personally, I think The Mummy is the perfect movie. It’s got action, horror, romance, and comedy all rolled into one. Plus the story is rich and well rounded. Also, the visuals hold up pretty well considering it came out in 1999.
Finally, since it is the holiday season, are there any movies you’d recommend to watch this time of year?
NC: Die Hard. Best Christmas movie of all time.
KB: Okay don’t laugh – but my favorite movie to watch during the holiday season is Love, Actually. But horror wise, Krampus or Black Christmas.
BS: All time favorites that get multiple watches every December: The Holiday, Elf, Four Christmases, and The Santa Clause.