One of Jay's all time likes is cinema.
Jay's father managed several theaters for a time, and when Jay was still quite young he help the old man out, learning to run the projectors, change the reels of film, rewind the movies' many reels with a hand-operated contraption, and change the electrodes in the carbon arc projectors. Jay's always appreciated machinery, maybe stemming from that experience. The job had its rewards. At an early age, Jay was able to appreciate the work of Marilyn Monroe and other bombshells of the day, from the projection rooms, inbetween projection duties.
Movie houses were mostly nicer, prettier, and better appointed than the ones we suffer with today. Going to the movies was a big deal, like going to a concert. Besides the wonderful, ubiquitous concessions, there was a mystique to moviegoine. Especially in nicer theaters in the evenings, flashlight-wielding ushers guided customers to seats. Managers summarily tossed out troublemakers, and since cell phones hadn't been invented nobody made or answered inane calls during the feature. Ahhh, the good old days.
Jay gave up going to actual theaters years ago, though he still watches many movies. The DVD player has to do, mostly for its useful pause button, but also for the availability of a fast-forward function when the directors wax poetic about something stupid, something boring, or something infuriating, offensive, or sick. Jay particularly dislikes movies in which he hates all the characters - not uncommon among current flicks. He dislikes violence - always has - and will put up with it only if it's absolutely essential to the story being told. Sex is much better. Do sex; imply violence. Much better. And please don't confuse the two.
Same with drugs. Filmmakers, pay attention! It doesn't take much footage to convey that a character has a drug problem, is a drug dealer or whatever. Move on! There is absolutely nothing entertaining, expository, or useful about watching other people use drugs. Any drugs, and that includes nicotine. Except coffee drinking. That's okay, but do move on, or suffer the indignity of a burst of fast forward.
Jay would much prefer to watch movies in a nicely appointed theater. By himself. No cell phones allowed. No loudmouths, hecklers, crying babies or other annoyances, but with a few pauses allowed from time to time for bathroom breaks or to refresh drinks, The DVD does the job, though the screen is small and the sound barely adequate - till Jay can replace his stereo.
Jay's favorite movie is hard to pick. Way hard - there are so many masterpieces to choose from. He's a major fan of the works of Hayao Miyazaki, especially "Princess Mononoke," and of Jean-Pierre Jeunet, especially "A Very Long Engagement." He loved "Network," the original one from 1976 about television (quote) news (unquote), and a wonderful old French movie named "Le Roi de coeur" (The King of Hearts). Rope in most of the classics, too, especially the Chaplin comedies, the Peter Sellers slapsticks, and lots of other rib ticklers. Not to mention "Yes Giorgio" already mentioned in these columns. Jay likes mysteries and even puts up with the violence entailed in them. His favorites are those from the novels of Agatha Christie - Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, to indulge in a little name dropping. So picking one favorite, not going to happen. Picking a thousand favorites, maybe, but why?
Jay loves animated movies. Goes back to his early experiences in the projection rooms. The main features came comprised a dozen or so reels of around twenty minutes each. After Brigitte Bardot finished doing her on-screen thing, or whatever, the cartoons started. The more the merrier for the audience, though the projectionist had quite a time of it. Those seven-minute reels gave little time to load up the second projector with the next one, so there was zero chance to actually watch the cartoons. Jay's father generously handled loading the projectors by himself so Jay could devote undivided attention to the cartoons. The rewinding task waited till the next feature started. One must have one's priorities!
The picture has little to do with movies, but a lot to do with Jay's sad farewell to Kodachrome, for which the only remaining processing plant closed at the end of 2010.