For the Love of Movies

   This is my first post talking about one of my favorite topics - movies!  I have enjoyed the movies since I can remember.  Throughout my childhood in the 1980s, I fell in love watching some of the most memorable and iconic films of all time -  Flashdance, Ghostbusters, Footloose, Splash, Star Wars, Superman, Terminator, Indiana Jones, Top Gun, and many more. 

   Growing up, movies helped shape my perception about the outside world and opened my mind to new possibilities and wonders.  You see, I grew up in a border town in far west Texas where life was much different from what was depicted in the movies.  My community was 90% Hispanic, everyone spoke a mixture of English and Spanish and one's hopes and dreams did not extend very far.  My community was very tight-knit with family being the epicenter of all decisions and end-states.  But I knew there was much more to life than what I had known growing up.  I knew through hard work and determination, I could break through these cultural barriers and realize my hopes and dreams.  Inspirational movies such as Stand and Deliver, Stand by Me and Dangerous Minds were a few movies that motivated to me to push myself in school and persevere.

   I came of age in the 1990's with pop culture, iconic films such as Clueless, Titanic, G.I. Jane, Pretty Woman, Ghost, and many others.  I was enamored of Julia Roberts and thought she was the prettiest woman ever.  Demi Moore's role in G.I. Jane was inspiring for me because that was the first time the conversation of women in combat was being seriously discussed.  In fact, that movie planted the seed of entering the U.S. military after college; which I did -- Go Army! 

   I remember the first time I stepped into a movie theater I was on sensory overload.  My very first movie I saw in the theater was Disney's Bambi (re-released in 1984).  I remember being consumed with the pungent aroma of buttery popcorn, dazzled by the neat rows of candy bars, and tickled by the fizz of an ice cold Coca Cola.  Since then I was hooked on viewing movies on the big screen.

   Fast forward to present day and movies still have a powerful impact on me.  I find that going to the movie theater has a therapeutic affect where for two hours I can escape reality and transcend into the magic of cinema.  After a particularly stressful work week,  I enjoy perusing the new release movie reviews and listings on moviefone.com, and work out a strategy to take in the latest movie coordinated with dinner plans.  Dinner and a movie is still the ideal date for me.

   So, I have decided to take my passion for the cinema a step further and created a movie review blog where I can offer up a fair and balanced critiques of upcoming films and performances.  My overall intention is to assist you in choosing which films are must-sees and which ones are wait-and-sees.  I hope to interact with all of you in thought-provoking and intelligent conversations about film, reviews and cinema news.