Introduction to an Action Movie Enthusiast, Updated Version
Dear fellow classmates,
This post is meant to introduce myself to you all. My name is Robert, and I am a senior Microbiology student. The pandemic has certainly changed what I thought my senior year would be like, but I know it has affected everyone in many ways. I'm just grateful to be here.With that out of the way, I wanted to spend some time discussing things that are more fun and less scary. First up: movies. I am a big action/Sci-Fi movie fan. I love all things Marvel, Harry Potter, Star Wars, and so on, but my favorite movie is The Matrix (I also love the John Wick series, so I might just be a Keanu Reeves fan). Some might call my taste simplistic, but I get very excited about giant explosions, fight scenes, and car chases, and amazingly, the Matrix has it all (with the added bonus of slow-motion for dramatic effect). However, the best movie I have seen recently is Ford v Ferrari, and while it does have action, I wouldn't call it an action movie. But wow. I did not research the movie beforehand, so I just assumed it would be some sort of showdown where Ford engineers attempted to build a car faster than a Ferrari. Little did I know that I would be viewing a mostly-true story about one of the most impressive racing feats in history, complete with emotion, drama, and a lot of car jargon. I was inspired to read several articles after the movie to learn more about Le Mans, the Ford company, Carroll Shelby, and Ken Miles. Ford v Ferrari was about much more than a race, and I can't recommend it highly enough. Just for fun, I'll include a picture of the Ford model that beat the Ferrari below. (This is NOT a spoiler, don't worry!)
Moving on to some more active hobbies, I really like playing racquetball, and I have OU to thank for that. I had never even seen a racquetball court before coming to OU. Right after I moved in freshman year, my roommate and I went to go look at the rec center, and we were intrigued by the racquetball courts. We looked up the rules, rented some equipment, and learned to play. We loved it immediately. Since then, we both bought our own racquets, and we used to play all the time. Now, with COVID-19 making it much less safe to do indoor activities, my roommate and I have switched to playing tennis. Unfortunately, tennis requires significantly more precision than racquetball, so I have a lot of work to do!
Other than that, I also like to play basketball, pickle ball, and ping-pong. I love going on rollercoasters, the bigger the better. But, in spite of the connotation that gives, I'm actually a pretty cautious person, and I don't like taking risks.
It's good to meet you all,
Robert from Rob Blogs 2.0
I remember seeing the Matrix for the very first time, Rob, and just WOW, it really was spectacular. For quite a while I would have said it was my favorite movie, but now my allegiance has shifted to Interstellar (that one gets an extra boost from the amazing soundtrack). At some point, you might run into the idea of "maya" (the illusion of the world) in your reading in Indian stories and mythology, and the Matrix is one of the best explorations in Western storytelling of that idea that reality might not be what you think it is! And YAY for ping pong. I am not a very sporting person, but ping pong is my own sport of choice. I'm the kind of person likely to put myself in the way of a moving ball and get hit (the physical world is just confusing to me, ha ha), but luckily being hit by a ping pong ball is not a problem. It's one thing to say that reality is not what we think it is, but another thing to actually get bonked in the head by a fast-moving ball. Anyway, welcome BACK to the class and I hope you will have a good semester in here where things are more or less the same, thank goodness, despite the raging pandemic...
ReplyDeleteHi Robert! I also love Marvel, Star Wars, and Harry Potter, so it's nice to meet a fellow fan! Are you watching WandaVision? I have never seen The Matrix (don't ask me how, because I honestly don't know why or how I haven't seen it yet), but I did watch the first John Wick last semester and enjoyed it! I'm probably less of an action movie fan than you though. I have also played racquetball at the Huff a few times and enjoyed it, but I never really got into it like it seems you did. I hope you have a great semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Robert! I definitely have a very different taste in movies than you. I am a sucker for a good romance or comedy and have never been a fan of sci-fi. However surprisingly, I am also a huge fan of thrillers and mysteries. I can go back and forth between watching a sappy love story and a violent murder mystery, so I guess you could say I do like action sometimes. I have always wanted to play racquetball! Freshman year I used to always see people playing when I was working out and I thought it looked so fun, but I never tried. I LOVE ping pong and am actually very good at it and very competitive. Good luck to you this semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Robert! I am completely on your side with the fact that this pandemic has changed how I expected my year to go. Although I am only a sophomore, I can't imagine how unfortunate it is to end your college experience from your room and I am truly sorry for that. I am also a huge Harry Potter fan. I found myself going on crazy Harry Potter binges over quarantine and I have read the books so many times and never seem to get tired of them! I don't know much about racing but I find it interesting and something to definitely look into!
ReplyDeleteHello there Robert!
ReplyDeleteIts is funny because before reading your post I also thought that Ford vs Ferrari was just about them building cars and trying to out do each other. I had no idea that it was racing based and now I feel silly. I have also never seen the Matrix, but have always heard such exciting and great reviews. I am more of a tennis gal (minus the accuracy lol) so maybe raquetball could be my sport. I know my grandpa loves to play it and always wanted my sister and I to try it out. Well, Robert, I hope you have a great semester and a safe one at that!
Hi Robert!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on being a senior! I am also about to graduate, so this is definitely a weird semester. Regarding your movie taste, I enjoy all of the movies you listed! My husband is also a huge car nerd, so Ford v. Ferrari was something we watched as soon as it came out. After reading your post and how you like action scenes, I would recommend watching Gone in 60 seconds. It has Nicolas Cage as the main actor which is kind of funny, but it has a bunch of beautiful cars in it as well as really fun fast driving scenes. It has beautiful classic cars, such as a couple of Porsches and a 67' Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.
Hey Robert!
ReplyDeleteI am a senior majoring in psychology and minoring in sociology. I love action/sci-fi movies as well. My favorite series is the Fast and the Furious franchise. Marvel is amazing too! I love rollercoasters. The only rollercoasters I have been on was when I went to Disney World when I was 11. That being said, I was still short and could not ride all the rides I wanted to. I have always wanted to go to Six Flags. Maybe one day I will get to go!
Hi Robert! I don’t think action movies are simplistic at all! There’s a reason why we’re drawn to them, and just because they’re high-energy and have a lot of special effects doesn’t mean they lack storytelling value, so I would agree with you that they’re awesome! I’ve only played racquetball once, but it was really fun! Hopefully when the pandemic has waned a bit more, I can go back to the Huff and try again. I hope you can go back soon, too. It’s nice to meet you, and I hope you’re having a great spring!
ReplyDeleteHey Robert, I must say that it is quite nice that you were able to pick up a new sport when coming to OU. Despite of the pandemic and such, you still pick up tennis to learn. That is so cool about you. I love action movie as well. If you have a chance to check out a good movie, I recommend check out The Gentlemen. I think that you would like it. It is a great movie that I have seen before
ReplyDeleteHi Robert,
ReplyDeleteOne of my friends played tennis in high school, so he loves all things tennis, racquetball, pingpong, or even pickle ball as you mentioned. Anyways, him and I along with our other friends always are playing and being active with these sports as well. There is even a new pickle ball restaurant/building around Oklahoma City if you live close to here. I need to try the place out once the pandemic slows down a bit! You've also enticed me to watch a new movie tonight, Ford vs. Ferrari. You had such great things to say about it to the point it's making me want to try it out!