Film, one all my favorite hobbies of all time. Nothing makes me more happier and interested than sitting down and watching either one of my personal favorites or watching something new with an open mindset. Since I was a young child, film has played a rather large impact on my life and still does to this very day. The older I became, the more my mind was challenged by sophisticated, thought provoking stories that grabbed my attention. Beyond being my favorite hobby, it has played out in the friends I have made, the research papers I've written, and the career path that I am striving for. To understand this, we have to take a step back to the time of VHS tapes.

From Humble Beginnings

What better way to start off one's love for film than with the 1980/1990 classics? The early years of my childhood had a large amount of films that stole my heart, particularly Pixar's "Toy Story" (1995), Universal Pictures' "The Land Before Time" (1988) and Dreamworks' "The Prince of Egypt" (1998). The Animation world expanded my mindset on the endless possibilities of what storytelling can do simply with the idea of toys coming to life or adding personalities to Dinosaurs. Little did I think that one of my personal favorite Bible stories could be turned into an animation that covered the brotherly bond between Ramases and Moses that was eventually broken. The Bible only expands so much on their early relationship, so to see a movie cover the possibility of the relationship was like was absolutely incredible to see on the big screen.

During the 90's was also my first witness to the original "Star Wars" Trilogy on VHS. Not only was this my first major motion picture (or motion pictures), it was the beginning of my fondness for villains. Aside from his colors being my colors, Darth Vader quickly became my favorite villain of all time. Until the prequels were released, I constantly questioned who Darth Vader was before when he was Anakin. What caused him to turn to the dark side? Why was his hatred for the republic so strong? His death had me in tears not just simply because my favorite character died, but moments before his death, I was saw him for who he truly was behind the mask and the machine. I saw a man with regret who redeemed his honor and humanity in the eyes of his son. Truly a heart breaking moment for me. From then on, I began to have a huge fascination for villains based on their past and what made them the way they were. I guess you could say that this was the introduction to philosophy for me.

The Beginning of Sophistication

While I did enjoy certain actions film, another trilogy soon created a whole new world for me. To this day, The" Lord of the Rings Trilogy" holds a deep and special place in my heart. When I saw "The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" (2001), I was honestly frightened by the Orcs and Nazgûls to the point where I had nightmares. This however did not stop my love for the film. When Gandalf "died", my heart sank as it broke through floor boards when I began crying in front of the screen. Why would they kill off such a beloved character? I could not wrap my mind around it. With the release of "The Two Towers" (2002) and "The Return of the King" (2003), I cried on numerous occasions when characters died, evil was destroyed, and loved ones moved on. It was a classic tale of good vs. evil on the big screen that was done so well in various areas, a series that could not stop watching especially when it was the extended edition.

Two years later, a certain film was released that sparked the beginning of my love for sophisticated, mind-blowing films. This was Director Christopher Nolan's "The Prestige" (2006). When my friend Daniel first introduced this film to me, I was not really interested but I gave it a chance. As the film progressed, I greatly became intrigued and engaged to the point where my jaw dropped at the ending, shocked by what I had just witnessed. As soon as it ended, I literally re-watched the movie that same night. Aside from the ending, what really blew my mind was noticing from my point of view that neither of the two main characters were good in this movie. Throughout the film, I was constantly torn between Angier (Hugh Jackman) and Borden (Christian Bale) and eventually came to the realization that they both were not good moral characters. Neither was a protagonist but rather both became antagonists by the end of the film. Both committed horrible acts and constantly betrayed and turned on people in their lives to the point where they both lost the ones they loved the most in the end. Just really stuck out to me and to this day, it is a personal favorite film. From then on, other I began watching more sophisticated films such as "The Sixth Sense" (1999), "Unbreakable" (2000), "Shawshank Redemption" (1994), "Dead Poets Society" (1989), and more. These films in particular opened the door for me to really think about authentic storytelling and endings that leave it open for interpretation.

The rise of the superhero genre

Around this time, I did still enjoy superhero films, however that all changed when Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy sequel "The Dark Knight" (2008) was released during the summer. The trailer beforehand intrigued me since the Joker appeared different than usual regarding his facial appearance. I waited in line with my brother and a few friends for over six hours and I can assure that I was not disappointed. The film, just like the Joker, was very unpredictable in its story, plot twist, and ending. While I did enjoy it, something about it just stood out to me. Over the summer, I watched the film 4 times in theaters and was constantly blown away by Heathe Ledger's performance. He really portrayed the Joker's nihilistic point of view on the world during his encounters with Batman which really made me think of Alan Moores' "Batman: The Killing Joke" (1988). Today, this film stands out as my #1 favorite superhero film of all time not just because Batman is my favorite, but because the story was rich in consistency, philosophy, and action.

Around the same year, Marvel's "Iron Man" (2008) made its way into theaters. Again, when I saw the first trailer, I was greatly surprised at how accurate Tony's armor was to the comics. While this film was not as sophisticated at "The Dark Knight", I literally could not believe that this was going to be a movie! From then on, the Marvel Cinematic Universe had me glued to the screen along with the closing of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy and the DCEU's first film, "Man of Steel" (2013).

The College Years: Film Reviews & Film Sets

As time progressed during my studies at Biola University, I began to become more and more familiar with classic black and white films, specific films by directors, and more. During my freshman year, it began with "Life of Pi" (2012) and "Lincoln" (2012) which were the to films I reviewed first for the Biola newspaper, The Chimes. It was not until my senior year that I really began to become more analytical when I took the course, Faith & Film, as an elective. Throughout the course, we as a class watched 12 films and while I had my differences on which films I enjoyed or disliked, they all really stood out to me each week as we talked in a group. These films ranged from war to dramas, documentaries, and even superhero. To be honest, it was really hard to keep myself from raising my hand so much, especially when we saw the "Dark Knight" Trilogy. I just had so much to say that I had to get out in the open. Because of this, my professor took a keen interest in me, recommended that I apply for a film network program through Biola, and connected me with other faculty. Not only did the class and professor expand my thinking in film, but also in my career path as I began to look into film schools, network through film programs, and work on Biola student film sets as a volunteer.

Throughout the spring semester, I was involved with a small film program at Biola called the 558 Network and was mentored under former Biola Student, Mr. Bell, who had a very similar mindset to mine, but on a more academic level. Throughout the spring, we saw and discussed film and other career/graduate school opportunities which really gave me a lot of confidence in myself and ways to connect with others. During the semester, I also began working on multiple film sets as a Production Assistant, Grip & Electric Assistant, and BTS Photographer. While these film sets went on for hours at a time that include long drives and were only student made, it was something I truly enjoyed and became passionate about and is something I still continue to do this day.

Final Words

Growing up, I always questioned why I was glued to the T.V. I understood my parents' concern but I just could not stay away and now I know why. I absolutely love authentic storytelling, plot twists, new ideas, fantasy worlds coming to life, the sparking of controversy, and so much more. There was no way I could just simply stop and there is no way I am going to anytime soon. From this, opportunities and friendships came out of it and I could not be anymore happier with my decision making. My only minor regret is not being more open to other majors during my freshman year at Biola, but that being said, God allows things to happen for a reason and, regardless, I still have made a number of accomplishments along the way and am still continuing to.