Have you ever just loved something so much that you could talk about it for hours? Have you ever had the extremely selfish nerve to steer a conversation back to the topic that you hold dear to your heart? I am sure that anyone who reads this could and would attest to these questions. Everyone has that one topic that they love to talk about and I am no exception. And ironically enough, I am going to selfishly steer this piece over to one of my favorite topics: film. I have always liked movies but I didn’t actually start to love them until around five to eight years ago. Some people made sports to talk about and others had television, but I wanted to become the “movie guy” of my friend circle. And as I sit here in my room with posters for “Star Wars Episode VI – Return of the Jedi” and “Zootopia” on my wall, I think I have succeeded. However, as the years go by, I begin to wonder: if I am not doing anything regarding film, what exactly is the point?

Make no mistake, I do not mean to conjure up any existential crises amongst any of you. But think about it, sure I enjoy going to the movies every weekend (and I literally mean EVERY weekend) and I love to just talk about what movies are coming out in the next year, but what am I even gaining from all of this? Before I go any further, no, I am not going to give up on my hobby and neither should you. Rather, I am curious as to whether or not anyone should pursue any trivial form of entertainment for them. That statement can be seen as dangerously existential and I really don’t mean it to. I love movies and yet I don’t seem to be making an impact on the world around me because of it.

I suppose it is not all that bad. I have the privilege to be able to actually go to the movies and I am given infinite possibilities for me to express my thoughts on them. At college I have a radio show devoted to film and movies (and sometimes television if you are lucky) and the internet is literally as cesspool of sites in which I can drown others in my opinions. I am starting to think that there may not be a point to this piece. Maybe I feel unappreciated in my love for watching and discussing movies. I don’t feel depressed or anxious about these unappreciative feelings and I at least attempt to be respectful in conversations if they are not about any sort of film. It is hard for me to explain how I am feeling right now. I technically am a film critic. Hell, anyone who watches a movie and says “that was good” is a film critic. Perhaps it is because I am not paid and therefore not respected as a film critic that gets me down. Nevertheless, I just wanted to let off some steam and maybe allow others to continue to pursue their hobbies knowing that it’s okay to do so.