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In 1974, the top money-making films were Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein, The Godfather II, Murder on the Orient Express, Herbie Rides Again, and Texas Chainsaw Massacre. There were plenty of satire, comedy, gangster, mystery, children, and horror films to go around. Actors such as Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro, Ingrid Bergman, Ellen Burstyn, Al Pacino, Lauren Bacall, and crazy Gene Wilder were well known on the big screen. And just one week after the now-legendary Leonardo DiCaprio was born, so was I.

Our family enjoyed Saturday night television, and we never missed those special times when beloved movies played their yearly run. The Sound of Music always comes to mind. With the aroma of popcorn in the air, we gathered in the small den to watch once again while mom put rollers in my hair for church the next morning.

Movies were a special treat. After all, there were 5 of us. When I saw The Empire Strikes Back in 1980, the average ticket price was $2.69. By 1983, Return of the Jedi averaged $3.15 per admission. Fast forward to 1992 when I graduated high school, and it had jumped to $4.15. But somehow, we managed to keep up through the Beta, VCR, and Carmike Cinema at Harding Mall.

Then my old favorite theaters were torn down; Walmart and Aldi now stand in their places. We all jumped when Fountain Square Mall was built with a 14 theater megaplex in the late 1980's. We leaped when we heard word of the massive Regal Hollywood 27. As a child, I knew of only 3 theaters in Nashville. Now I can reach 6 different theaters in under 20 minutes.

I don't know when I came to love the movie experience so much. Perhaps it was bonding over Star Wars with my brothers, leaving school early to see Annie with Mom and Granny on my birthday, sneaking my friend's copy of Dirty Dancing into the house after the 8th grade dance, or paying numerous times to see the Disney films of the late 80's and early 90's with my college friends. Who knows? It could have been when I decided it was worth the extra $6 for popcorn and coke in my new-found independence.

So here I am. I go to the movies. A lot. Usually by myself when the day is winding down. I love the entrance to fairy tales, the tears of broken hearts, the adrenaline of the chase, the nail-biting suspense, and even the occasional laugh out loud. I like the big screen with the lights down low, sitting two-thirds of the way up in the center of the aisle. That's my spot. You can find me there when I'm ready for a break from reality, a good cry, or a favorite book on screen.

The word is out. It seems I'm often the go-to girl about movies. It's sort of fun. But in 2012, it's a little intimidating. Movie-making is rarely original. Society usually isn't interested in purity, kindness, and innocence without psychopaths, murderers, and erasing every sexual boundary we used to hold to as socially acceptable. Disclaimers will abound as I attempt to share what films I've seen, enjoyed, and even walked out of. But the experiment will be interesting.

Let's go to the movies...