Scott from the blog He Shot Cyrus recently started a new meme entitled “10 Movie Facts About Me”. He nominated me a few days ago but unfortunately I have been a little snowed under and didn’t do anything. It seems to have spread like an infection in a bad disaster movie. The latest infected are Heather from Movie Mobsters, Paul from Paragraph Film Reviews and Marc from Go,See,Talk! Unable to fight it off any longer here are my ten facts in no particular order (I have already revealed a few of these in previous posts):
- I wrote my first film review at age five or six. It was for The Cannonball Run. Each Monday morning in primary school we had to write “what I did at the weekend” one week having not done anything else of interest wrote about the movie I had seen. I said who was in it, what was good about it, what was wrong with it, I compared it to other films and drew a picture of a car. I was really proud of it, my teacher hated it. Partly because she said the exercise was “What I did at the weekend, not what someone in a film did” and partly because I asked her how to spell Lamborghini Countach and she didn’t have a clue.
- Until I went to university at the age of eighteen I had only seen seven movies at the Cinema. I can name them but won’t, it will be the subject of a blog post one day.
- In 2008 I went on a “pilgrimage” to West Texas to see the locations where the movie Fandango (that gives my blog its name) was filmed.
- I have been going to the cinema most Sundays for about twelve years with the same friend. I have not told him that I write a movie blog. At first I was embarrassed about people I know reading what I write. Then I thought it would be fun to see if he would ever come across my blog one day.
- I still own more than 200 movies on VHS and regularly watch some of them.
- I don’t have a favourite movie. I like too many to chose just one.
- When I was about ten years old I was introduced to Christopher Lee, I had no idea who he was. A few months later Channel 4 started showing a series of old Hammer Horror movies starting with Dracula: Prince of Darkness. This is when I first got interested in horror movies.
- Despite living four hours drive from a decent surfing break I learnt to surf inspired by the movie Point Break.
- I saw over 100 new releases last year, I am on target to see even more this year.
- I have a great memory plots but not for names. If a movie I saw twenty-five years ago comes on TV I will probably remember pretty much what happens but if you ask my who was in the movie I saw last nigh I will have to think about it and then say something like “the bloke from trainspotting”.
I understand it is my duty now to pass it on. I have tried to stick to people I don’t think have been nominated yet but this thing is spreading so fast they probably all have several nominations by now.
- Katie from The Stories That Really Mattered
- Caz from Lets Go to the Movies
- Wynter from CinemaScream
- Ruth from FlixChatter
- Alex from Film Forager
Fandango Groovers Movie Blog 
points:
#1. isnt Cannonball Run a bit risqué for a 5 or 6 year old?
#4. brilliant. must take real discipline to keep that secret (although you have sat through a lot of crap Bond movies, Fands, so you obviously have discipline.)
#7. someone else mentioned Prince of Darkness in this meme thing – might have been Kai – and its funny cos i remember staying up late to watch that with my auntie when i was very young. i watched the start of it again a few months ago and its still scary
“isnt Cannonball Run a bit risqué for a 5 or 6 year old?”
I was never really into many kids films. My favourite movies between the ages 6 and 10:
Star Wars (first film I remember watching)
The Blues Brothers (still a classic)
Convoy (it was the middle of the CB craze that lasted all of a year)
Smokey and the Bandit (as above)
From Russia With Love (the first Bond film I remember seeing and still my favourite)
haha, some friends of mine bought CBs and thought they were really cool.
they were not.
Twasn’t me… but I did call you and your boy McD to the MEME dance floor… what up, McG???
More and more I find I am in complete agreement with your #6. Well put Andy!
Also, I think I’ll check out Fandango now that I know how much influence it had on you:)
You will have to let me know what you think. It isn’t some bloated epic that you see on critics top ten lists; it’s a good honest fun movie about ordinary people, a bit like Diner or Dazed and Confused.
I have tons of VHS tapes still loitering in the junk room closet at my parents’ house. Even though 85% of them are worn out from use and overuse, I can’t bear to part with them!
I found Streets of Fire (that I reviewed last week) in my loft; I hadn’t seen it for about ten years. I have lots of gens like that waiting to be rediscovered.
From Russia With Love? At 5 and 6? Who am I to judge, I’ve gotten my nephew (also 6) hooked on Sweeney Todd, The Aviator and Howards End (I’m a bit embarassed about the last one).
I completely understand where you’re coming from with #4
I thought my parents were being really strict, school friends were watching “video nasties!”
Thanks for tagging me, mine should be up in an hour 🙂
WOW, you wrote a review when you’re only 5?? Boy, I could barely conjure up a decent sentence let alone write a paragraph!
I too find it hard to name just one favorite movie, I can probably come up with a top ten but there are just too many good ones to single out only one!
Hey I’m curious to see your blog post on #2! I don’t think I saw many movies at the cinema by the time I went to college, either. I did watch a whole bunch of stuff on VHS though, and my mom was a huge fan of the soap opera DALLAS so I was really well-versed on the Ewing family & their shenanigans!
I watched a lot of VHS as a kid too.
As for my review at 5/6 I didn’t say it was any good but from a kids point of view it was a masterpiece.
I thought you named yourself after that tocket-ordering thing they always play a commercial or in the previews.
VHS is awesome, don’t let anyone say otherwise.
I’m from England. I had never heard of that ticket thing until after I started blogging last year. For a fuller explanation click here
He..he.. I got to admit that’s the first thing I thought too, but now I know you’ve got the blog name from something else entirely. Btw, I forgot to give you kudos for watching sooo many films… I don’t think I’ll ever be able to catch up with you!
My boss and I had an monumentally huge discussion about Christopher Lee and his dracula – and more recently – heavy metal persuasions!
Cool list. Are you still based out of the UK?
yes still in England.
I like that you don’t have a favorite movie. Aside from Aliens, any of them listed in my top ten could easily rotate at any time. That’s why I don’t mind including certain trilogies as one, because sometimes it’s just not fair.
I can’t wait for your friend to find out about your site. Most of my friends kind of are in the know, but I waited a long time before I made it common knowledge.
I even struggle with a top ten. I get to nine then have can’t decide on the last one.
I LOVE that you started surfing after watching Point Break… I started having sex after watching porn… what a coincidence! 🙂
I was going to call you out on the MEME but a bunch of other people all ready had so I spread the love… you’re a popular dude!
If you’re ever in California, call me up… we’ll head to the HB pier and you can shred my waters!!!
I was in California for just over a week a couple of years ago. Drove up highway one from LA to Santa Cruz, for two days it was shrouded in mist and flat so we gave up and left a day early to go to San Francisco. There was to much going on there so didn’t get around to surfing.
Great to see that I’m not the only one who doesn’t have a favourite film. Like you, there are too many to mention and it also varies from year to year.
I also started my weekly trips to the cinema, when I started university, until then I saw the grand total of 3 films. Can’t believe it now, as I watch about 3 every week!
Three, I thought my seven was low. I did grow up in the 80’s as home video was taking off though. I have seen three this week but there is usually only about two a week worth seeing.
“I have been going to the cinema most Sundays for about twelve years with the same friend. I have not told him that I write a movie blog. At first I was embarrassed about people I know reading what I write. Then I thought it would be fun to see if he would ever come across my blog one day.”
Wow very strange but kind of cool especially if he ever finds it and recognize you!
Wow was the exact same thing I said after reading that. Kind of funny in a way.
[…] Fandango Groovers […]
wow…at the age of 6? I didn’t have interest writing long sentences at that age.
200 movies is quite a collection…I don’t think I have that much, I only collect those I like the most.
Hehehe when you said about surfing because of Point Break…my mind goes to Hot Fuzz and remember Nick Frost wanted to become a policeman because of Point Break.
Hey Andy I’ve only just found your comment inviting me to do this!! I will try and get round to it at some point, need to think of some interesting facts.