Right before the beginning of summer break, I immediately pondered, “What would be the best way to spend my time?” After looking at posters of the Avengers Endgame and Aladdin near my home in Apgujeong, a smile appeared on my face. As a big fan of movies, I made up my mind to watch movies that I had been looking forward to.
 

So far, the spring and summer of 2019 has been a movie season to be reckoned with, thanks to the arrival of several movies ranging from the long awaited Spiderman : Far From Home to movie adaptations such as Aladdin and even the newly released Detective Pikachu. These movies not only shape the current media by arousing popularity but also have become an essential part of our lives. 

In order to investigate the current generation's thought on movies, I conducted an anonymous survey on my school community asking questions such as student's movie preference and platform for watching movies. The participants insisted on remaining anonymous throughout the survey. 

A: I would say any movie that is related to the term “superhero” or “Marvel” seemed to be popular amongst my friends. A lot of people, including myself, have watched these superhero films since we were in elementary school, so it brings a lot of memories. Those movies are fun to watch without thinking about the flow of the movie at all. 

B: I would say any movie with a strong reference to current pop culture is popular. For example, movies from Marvel survive thanks to how people have embraced it as a part of pop culture. The same goes for Detective Pikachu. Pokémon is known universally is an icon of gaming and a title that can instantly grasp the attention of anyone who knows it.
 

A: A movie theater since movies never feel the same unless you watch them on a bigger screen. Besides, it feels wrong to watch movies from pirating sources. Other websites such as Netflix aren’t fast enough to upload new movies.

B: Both, since I want to feel the experience of a movie on a big screen, and also on my computer. I first watch movies in a cinema to feel the raw feelings of them. If I want to watch them again, then I watch them on my computer since they will probably be released by then.
 

A and B: Without a doubt, they impact our lives in several ways. Movies are a form of entertainment that we relieve our stress on, but they also provide a reflection of our human selves and give lessons that can actually impact our future lives. They are also very valuable memories that could potentially be spent with friends or family.
 

Movies are definitely crucial parts of our lives. They not only act as entertainment for us, but also form our culture in many ways. They are something that we look forward to in our lives regardless of what we do. Movies shape what we see in our lives, and as a result, shape a part of what we are.
 

 
 

Matthew Choi 
Grade 11
Asia Pacific International School