Getting things started…

Hello everybody, my name is David and I am one of the founders of Ordinary Horse. One of the conversations that my friends and I often have over a diet Vimto, is what our top three favourite films are. We generally argue over each others choices and there is often more than a fair amount of mockery and ridicule dished out based on some of the films that enter the discussion.

People feel that they will be judged on the films that they like or the bands that they listen to and tailor their responses around how they would like to be perceived. Rather than admit to being mildly obsessed with Harry and the Hendersons, some would claim that Cinema Paradiso is top of their list. A friend of mine, for example, will consistantly declare that Citizen Kane is his ‘all time favourite film’. There is no doubt that it is a classic movie, an example of film making at its best. However, I also know that my friend has watched it no more than three times in his entire life.

Is it fair of me to accuse him of trying to make himself look more sophisticated by his choice of favourite film? I would say, yes. Mainly due to the fact that I am fully aware that he has watched, and loved, in excess of 100 showings of Star Wars (or as it is now known ‘Star Wars Episode 4 – A New Hope). If you can watch a film that many times and still be happy to watch it again…surely that must make your top three at least.

The criteria I use for choosing my favourite films are based on the number of times I can watch them without my love for them diminishing. I can certainly appreciate a good film, recognise a classic when I see one, but not all classics can be watched repeatedly. Take Trainspotting, for instance. A film that I enjoyed and admire for the quality of its writing, acting and directing. However, I have watched it twice, maybe three times. It is a very good example of top quality film-making but not a film that I would want to watch multiple times or during a Friday night in with a beer and box of popcorn.

The other things that I need to factor into my decision would be around the memories and emotions that certain films can produce. Like when you hear a certain song, or smell a particular fragrance – you are transported back to that time in your past.

So, lets get into it. My three favourite films…or, the three films that I would choose to watch for the rest of my life…would be…

Star Wars – A New Hope – Without question, I have watched this film more than I have any other – in fact, it is not even close. I was too young to see it when it was originally released, my first Star Wars film at the cinema was Return of the Jedi, but I first saw A New Hope on a grainy VHS and was hooked immediately. I was blown away by the space crafts, the aliens and droids, the swagger of Han Solo and my first crush, Princess Leia.

Whenever I watch Star Wars I am reminded of my youth, a time when there were only long summer days, endless football matches and bike rides for miles. When we encountered the occasional rainy day the gang would get together and the VHS copy of the film that had been recorded from the TV would be played on a loop until we had to go home for tea.

Nostalgia plays a huge part in my choices for favourite film, and Star Wars hits the spot every time.

My next choice is Ghostbusters, another film that I can, and have, watched multiple times and would be happy to watch it again and again. It had humour, scares and was filled with a fantastic cast. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis were obviously so good together and were complimented by the likes of Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts and Ernie Hudson. Like Star Wars, Ghostbusters reminds me of a time when watching movies was more of an event than it is now. Movie night at home would mean a trip to your local video shop to pick out whatever was available, and more often than not we would opt for Ghostbusters. It was a family favourite and, whereas Star Wars was about my friends, Ghostbusters was about sharing the experience with my parents and and brothers.

Although it is family friendly, there are a few risque jokes that made the younger me feel like the grown up that I want to be. And Sigourney Weaver provided me with a new crush as I moved on from Leia Organa.

When I thought about the final film in my list I struggled a little. There were so many that I could’ve chosen, so many films that I had grown up with or that represent times in my life that have been signposted by a film. So, the film that makes it into my top three, one of only three films that I can watch for the rest of my life, is Shaun of the Dead.

Shaun ticks many boxes – I have watched it multiple times and never grow tired of it. The writing and acting, the comedy timing and Edgar Wright’s direction, it is everything that you could ask for in a rom-zom-com. Shaun also pays tribute to George Romero and the zombie genre that he created – his ‘of the dead’ films could have easily made a top ten list if the rules allowed.

Shaun of the Dead was also the first film that I saw with the lady that became my wife.

For somebody who loves film as much as I do, picking out three will be a difficult task. Ultimately it will not be something that we will need to decide on in real life, not unless we are hit with some strange apocalyptic situation or dystopian society where we will be limited to what we can watch. But, what it has done for me is look back on the films that have a special place in my heart and mean something to me.

They certainly do not need to be recognised classics – if Weekend at Bernies is a film that you could watch on loop for all time then, good for you. If Italian arthouse is your thing, then that is also perfectly okay.

What we are all interested in are the reasons why you love the films that you do, the stories behind your favourites. I am sure that the reasons behind why we have chosen our films will be similar, but it will be interesting to see which movies make the list.

We would love to hear your stories!

Feel free to comment below or drop us an email at hackpost@ordinaryhorse.com.