After a long exhausting day, some people turn to the smell of popcorn or delicious snacks in a dark room with a huge screen, which can turn out to be the most relaxing thing in the world. I count myself as one of those people.

Movies can entertain you, take your mind off almost everything, and even teach you things. Movies can be more than just something you see when you have nothing else to do and want to pass time, so let’s explore the magic of movies.

It has been a long road for movies to become the way as we know them today. The first public screening of something similar to a movie was shown by the Lumière brothers in Paris in 1895. It only showed a train in motion, but it was the first motion picture people have seen. Naturally, the first movies were in black and white, without sound, and only a minute long. It took quite a few years to make longer movies and even cut several shots together. The first film studios were built in 1897 and the first camera to take panning shots was created in 1898. At the beginning of the 1900’s, the first feature-length movie was made by an Australian production and actors began to receive credit for their work, which created a whole new profession.

Over the years, the industry was able to gradually make movies longer than just a couple of minutes, but they still had not found a way to give the actors their voices. Those movies were shown with a live orchestra in front the screen filling live sound effects along with what the character were saying shown on the screen between scenes. However, Warner produced the first sound movie, The Jazz Singer, which featured both dialogue and singing.

The world quickly embraced this new medium and used it first as mostly an informative tool. People previously received the news only through the radio, but now they were able to see them as well. Although television was invented, not many were able to afford one so most people went to the cinema to see the news and afterwards a short movie like A Trip to the Moon (1902), which is considered as the first science fiction movie ever made.

One of the first movies in colour was The Wizard of Oz (1939). The moment the film industry found out how to let they movie characters speak, they also let them sing and dance, thus creating iconic films such as Singing in the Rain. Movies have the purpose to show you how beautiful life can be so simply break out into a tap dance! On the other hand, it is nice to see a reality where dancing is the solution to everything and it sounds like a way better way to cope with all the negativism in the world and sometimes you really do want to follow their path and sing your way through the world!

We then saw the start of post-classical storytelling begin and in the 1970’s, more controversial movies were created with them filled with violence, such as Dirty Harry.

The movie industry evolved rapidly from then to today, and now they are always full of colour, fun, full of action and CGI, and to be even with you in the room thanks to 3D and 4D technology. They have come from informing humanity to also entertaining them. They always had an influence and have been important, just the purpose changed.

Today, we do not have the latest news show prior to the movie, but instead we get to see one movie trailer after another to know what will bring us to the cinema the next time we are there. Thankfully to its growth, we can choose from a wide range of genres for any and every kind of mood we are in.

Thanks to the invention of the internet and social media, people from all over the world can connect over a movie, celebrities, and genres, along with fandoms being formed. Movies have become something people started bonding over and have become a safe haven for them.

Unfortunately, everything has a sad side as well since many people have made fun of for being a nerd. However, these days it seems being a nerd or fan about things is almost seen as a positive thing rather than being offensive.

Movies have taught many of us something and have a meaningful space in our existence.

The Notebook shows you what real love can look like. You learn about faith in the Titanic with a blooming love story between Rose and Jack. The Step Up Franchise teaches you how people find themselves through music and dance, ow these two things can save someone’s life to build a better future for themselves. Star Wars gave many their first role model with Princess Leia, along with an actress who knows how to take the spotlight.

Spock from Star Trek shows that it is okay to be who you are. Call Me By Your Name explores the love between two men and tells that it is beautiful to feel free and follow your heart. A superhero movie can be everything for a little kid who needs someone to look up to and finds inspiration in his favourite hero and aspires to be like her or him. There is an emotional interview from Chadwick Boseman, who plays Black Panther, tells the story of two little boys who died of cancer who looked up to the character he played.

Movies can educate you about the all kinds of things, entertain and address things that society may not talked about, and they break those barriers and build a path for it to continue and live on. They can be so much more and it is amazing to travel, explore new worlds, and dive into someone else’s life and see how they are dealing with their problems.

So plan your next visit to the cinema, enjoy the magic of cinematography and relish how far the industry has grown. Relax and let yourself caught into the story and breathe in every second of the beauty of storytelling and everything involved within the creation of the story.

Do you love movies as much as we do? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!

The post The History and Importance of Movies appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Don’t you love those movies that are so cheesy you can’t help but love them? Or the movies that they burst out in song for no reason but makes the movie better? There are so many old school movies that are still so loved today, and the best part about these movies is they are all their own sort of wonderful. So, here is a list of the best old school movies out there!

Read on to discover some of our favourites and tell us in the comments below if you love them too!

Gone With the Wind (1939)

Gone with the wind is a very old school movie that many probably don’t know about, but if you have seen it is truly amazing. It follows a southern belle Scarlett O’Hara who is making her way through life during the Civil War drama. The movie shows us her survival through the tragic history of the Civil War and her love affairs. The movie is long, but you will not regret watching the whole thing.

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

This magical movie is an amazing fantasy/adventure. It follows the adventures of Dorothy, and her dog Toto,  who are whisked away to the wonderful land of Oz after a tornado goes through their home in Kansas. They follow the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City and meet many friends along the way. This movie is so magical and whimsical that it is still loved so many years after it had been released. It is a definite classic and probably always will be.

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

If you loved watching John Travolta dance in Grease you will love this movie. Tony Manero (John Travolta) doesn’t have much going for him during the week, but on the weekends he and his friends dance the night away. So, when a big dance competition arises he is all for it and gets a partner, Stephanie (Karen Lynn Gorney). However, along the way they start to fall for each other. This movie definitely has it up and downs and has many cliffhangers that will leave you wanting more at the end.

Grease (1978)

This is probably one of the most popular old school movies out there, and is the most successful musical. Grease follows a group of kids in their graduating year in high school, but they are more worried about friendships and romance than graduating. The movie mainly follows Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and Sandy Olsson (Olivia Newton-John) as they try to find a way to be together in the 1950’s with gangs and stereotypes, but their friends are there to share the ride. Grease is definitely a high rated film, and many people’s favourite movie.

Ghostbusters (1984)

The first is usually always the best, and we could all agree that the first one to this series is definitely the best. This movie follows 4 scientists who lost their jobs at a university, and so they decide to become ghostbusters to wage with the supernatural for money. Starring Harold Ramis, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Ernie Hudson this movie is full of laughs, has an overall good time, and leaves a catchy song stuck in your head for days.

The Breakfast Club (1985)

This weird and wacky movie was no way as popular as many of the movies on this list, but for the people who have watched it, it is absolutely amazing. The movie follows a group of five completely different (and stereotyped) kids who get detention on a Saturday. They end up getting to know who each other actually is instead of the stereotyped person they all think each other is. Despite how weird this movie is it’s so good and has led to a very popular phenomenon.

Dirty Dancing (1987)

Most people would agree this is a classic when it comes to movies, and one of the best out there. Baby (Jennifer Grey) is trying to enjoy every moment of her youth, so when she goes to a sleepy resort for the summer she is slightly disappointed. However, along the way Baby ends up becoming the dance partner to the resort’s dance instructor, Johnny (Patrick Swayze), and helps him for the last big dance of the summer.

Ghost (1990)

What a heartbreak this movie is! Ghost starts off with the night Sam Wheat (Patrick Swayze) is murdered, but comes back as a ghost. As the story goes on Sam follows his love Molly Jensen (Demi Moore) and ends up finding who killed him and why, the only thing he has to do now is protect Molly from his killer. As an epic love story, this movie will keep you on your toes until the bitter end.

Good Will Hunting (1997)

This movie is very heart to heart and shows a very deep aspect of life through simple characters. Good Will Hunting follows Will Hunting (Matt Damon) who is a genius but he chooses to work as a janitor at MIT. However, when he solves a super difficult math problem his talents are discovered by Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgard). The movie follows the Professor trying to help Will Hunting, which makes for such a strong and overall amazing movie.

Titanic (1997)

Titanic is definitely a heartbreaking movie, but it is so good and is also a true story, which makes the movie so much better. The movie is told in the perspective of Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winston) who is the only living survivor of the tragic Titanic incident. She tells her stories of what happened that day and of her love Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio). The movie is so heart-wrenching, and is done in such a memorable way. Titanic was, and still is, one of the biggest tragedies in history and the movie does great justice for it.

A Walk to Remember (2002)

Even though this movie isn’t as old school as the rest, it is still a very good movie that will soon be considered old school. This story follows an aimless high school senior (Shane West) who falls in love with a young woman (Mandy Moore) that he and his friends used to make fun of. They fall so deeply in love and reveal such memorable secrets that tug very hard on your heartstrings. This movie is a very good movie for the soft-hearted looking for a heartbreaking romance.

Any other great films you love? Tell us in the comments below!

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