When I was younger, I was introduced to films like the Indiana Jones, Star Wars and the James Bond films by my dad, which probably furthered my big interest in movies today. I also grew up reading the Harry Potter books and ended up seeing every film in the franchise in theaters except the first one. I have a few memories of some of these movies, specifically the first Indiana Jones film, Raiders of the Lost Ark and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Firstly, for Raiders of the Lost Ark, I first saw when I was relatively young, so my parents didn’t want me to see the more violent parts, though later viewings as I got older knew these scenes were very tame. The specific scene though was set in the desert where Indy comes across an airfield and attempts to steal the airplane with Marion Crane. Indy is attacked by a more muscular man and eventually ends up with that man being pushed back into the spinning blades of the plane and killed. Before this happened I remember hiding behind the couch in my basement so that I wouldn’t see what happened. The scene actually just cut away from what actually happened with just some blood spatter and reactions from Indy and Marion. The ending of the film with all of Indy’s enemies faces melting from opening the Ark of the Covenant was another story. The other memory I have with a movie was when I went to go see Chamber of Secrets in theaters. The movie came out in 2002, so by that logic I was about 6 when I saw it. Being 6 and seeing a movie with a large scary snake kinda freaked me out a bit and I think I walked out for a short bit as Harry fought the Basilisk. These experiences stick with me for some reason and I can still watch these films today and enjoy them greatly because they were part of the culture I grew up with. On another last note, I grew up listening to the Beatles constantly since my parents introduced them to my sister and I when we were kids. I feel it was the exposure to this kind of music led to shaping my musical tastes today. I definitely think that things that one is exposed to as a child helps shape part of who they are in the future.
