I Got The Blues.

Originally Posted 4/9/2018, 11:25 AM:

Last night, I watched The Blues Brothers. I love John Landis movies, but this was always a favorite. It was one of those movies my Dad always had in constant rotation when I was growing up. I must have seen it a million times. However, I probably haven't sat down and watched it since the 90's.

I found myself getting strangely sentimental. It made me nostalgic about my childhood home on a snowy Sunday afternoons when football season was over but our family still ritualistically gathered around the TV while a blazing fire warmed the living room.

To my surprise, my wife and kids had never seen it. I felt like I was introducing them to an old friend that they never met and sharing a piece of my life with them that they hadn't previously known. My youngest son was dancing to the music. My wife was also enjoying the performances and cameos from the artists like Ray Charles, Cab Calloway, John Lee Hooker, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin. My oldest son was laughing at the comedy.

I began to think that THIS is why I love movies. I love the emotions they can elicit. I love sharing movies with others and watching them enjoy themselves. I love talking about them. I love the writing, the special effects, the acting, the music, the direction, the cinematography, etc. No matter how "good" or "bad" a movie is, if we look hard enough, we can all find something to enjoy or discuss. 

It is easy to label art as something we like, dislike, or feel indifferent about, but really discussing and looking at a film and seeing all the hard work, talent, effort, and put into something is why we started Next Level Nerd Movie Podcast. A movie doesn't need to be "certified fresh" on Rotten Tomatoes to be something you can enjoy. A critic's opinion should never affect your own thoughts and feelings around a movie. All art is something designed to inspire us, stir our emotions, and bring about discussion. That's what it means to be a Next Level Nerd. It's about digging into your passions and sharing those passions with others and not letting outside opinions affect your love of something.