Carabimero
Senior HTF Member
What are some movies meaningful to you--and why?
In 1978 my father and I went to see CAPRICORN ONE, a movie about a faked Mars landing. The movie wasn't brilliant by any stretch, but as it turned out, it was the first movie my dad and I ever saw together, just the two of us. And as it turned out, it was the last movie we saw together, as well.
You would have had to know my father. Virtually everyone who met him loved him. There was no put on with him. He was plain spoken--an spoke spontaneously. He made whoever he was talking to feel like the most important person in the world.
So we're sitting in the theater that night and Sam Waterston is trying to escape from the men hunting him down. If he's caught, he'll be killed. And he's determinedly climbing this sheer rock face, telling a long joke to himself. When he finally gets to the top, the bad guys are sitting there in their helicopter, patiently waiting for him. And my dad blurted out, "Oh man! The poor guy!"
The people sitting around us cracked up.
I still watch CAPRICORN ONE to this day, usually once a year, with the lights out, and remember that wonderful evening when I had my dad all to myself. I was the youngest of two sons, and usually I ended up with my mother. My older brother got to hang out with my dad most of the time, but for some reason, that night, my mom and brother were somewhere else. It was just me and my dad.
Shortly thereafter I got the LP soundtrack to the movie. I remember my dad came into the room when I was listening to it. I told him where the music matched certain scenes. He thought it was neat that I could remember the music like that. He did live to see me make my first student movies, and he knew I planned to move to Hollywood. But then life swerved fast, and he was gone. I was still a teenager.
Tonight I just got the BD of CAPRICORN ONE. I admit I'm disappointed it doesn't have the director's commentary. I have the 2002 DVD but apparently it's the DVD released between the one I have and the more recent BD that has the commentary on it. I'm about to turn off the lights, put on the show, and see it as I've never seen it before, probably clearer than it was that night in the theater.
I love that the movie hasn't changed, and still reminds me of that wonderful evening with my dad.
In 1978 my father and I went to see CAPRICORN ONE, a movie about a faked Mars landing. The movie wasn't brilliant by any stretch, but as it turned out, it was the first movie my dad and I ever saw together, just the two of us. And as it turned out, it was the last movie we saw together, as well.
You would have had to know my father. Virtually everyone who met him loved him. There was no put on with him. He was plain spoken--an spoke spontaneously. He made whoever he was talking to feel like the most important person in the world.
So we're sitting in the theater that night and Sam Waterston is trying to escape from the men hunting him down. If he's caught, he'll be killed. And he's determinedly climbing this sheer rock face, telling a long joke to himself. When he finally gets to the top, the bad guys are sitting there in their helicopter, patiently waiting for him. And my dad blurted out, "Oh man! The poor guy!"
The people sitting around us cracked up.
I still watch CAPRICORN ONE to this day, usually once a year, with the lights out, and remember that wonderful evening when I had my dad all to myself. I was the youngest of two sons, and usually I ended up with my mother. My older brother got to hang out with my dad most of the time, but for some reason, that night, my mom and brother were somewhere else. It was just me and my dad.
Shortly thereafter I got the LP soundtrack to the movie. I remember my dad came into the room when I was listening to it. I told him where the music matched certain scenes. He thought it was neat that I could remember the music like that. He did live to see me make my first student movies, and he knew I planned to move to Hollywood. But then life swerved fast, and he was gone. I was still a teenager.
Tonight I just got the BD of CAPRICORN ONE. I admit I'm disappointed it doesn't have the director's commentary. I have the 2002 DVD but apparently it's the DVD released between the one I have and the more recent BD that has the commentary on it. I'm about to turn off the lights, put on the show, and see it as I've never seen it before, probably clearer than it was that night in the theater.
I love that the movie hasn't changed, and still reminds me of that wonderful evening with my dad.
