CHILDHOOD FAVOURITES
HERE IS A list of the ten favourite films of my childhood. Ten is hard. It could be a hundred at least. This is the list today and it may be different if I were asked tomorrow or in a week. It represents films that had the biggest impression on me before the age of about 16. Whilst some of these choices may seem wildly inappropriate, this is what my childhood was like.
I remember vividly seeing The Witch, aka Superstition (1982), when I was far too young. I must have been about seven and I was terrified. My stepdad had a dodgy ‘video shop’ operated from his front room. There was zero monitoring of what I had access to. The videos were in false covers that looked like books but you’d open them up and read titles like The Hills Have Eyes, Friday The 13th or The Evil Dead. I can see threads in here such as great soundtracks, scores or incidental music.
This may not be the coolest list of films, and whilst there are many, many more films I have seen since, films from around the world that have influenced me or profoundly affected me, these are the films that had the biggest impression at a young age. In no particular order.
THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966)
My stepgranny was obsessed with Westerns. I’d be allowed to stay up past my bedtime if I rubbed her bunions, and this was how I saw all of the great spaghetti Westerns.
THE OMEN (1976)
Coming from a Roman Catholic family, this ticked every box.
THE LOST BOYS (1987)
Being a teenager (just), watching this on video with my boyfriend, I wanted to be Star so badly. Also, because we were living in a children’s home, we felt the film was just about us. Amazing soundtrack as well.
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984)
Scared me. Still have problems sleeping but love it so much.
POINT BREAK (1991)
I loved the fact that Lori Petty’s character was just as tough as the boys, without being ‘a bloke’. Went on to learn it was directed by the amazing Kathryn Bigelow. No wonder she didn’t patronise the female role.
THE EXORCIST (1973)
I think I wanted to be an actress even back then. What a great role to play. I thought that I had superpowers as a kid… not that I was possessed!
THE SHINING (1980)
On every level, just appealed to me. I guess
I just loved being scared. I believed in ghosts and I’ve always believed in the afterlife.
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991)
I just loved Jodie Foster’s performance. I think I was starting to understand directing by this point. I loved the style of the film, the close-ups, the sense of jeopardy and the idea that not all bad characters are totally bad.
THE ENTITY (1982)
Possibly one of my favourite films of all time, still. Barbara Hershey’s performance, Oscar-worthy. There’s another theme here, ghosts, Catholicism, the afterlife. But also the way film can examine psychosis in human behaviour. Another one based on a true story. Even at a young age I knew I liked how things were shot, but I just didn’t know the terminology.
KES (1969)
This was shown at my school on the telly they wheeled into the classroom. I identified so much with the main character. I didn’t understand but I was already drawn to realism in films that I would continue to explore in my own work. This more than anything made me want to become an actor.