In an ode to physical media – here are some of my favorite movies by default. They seem to have a similar theme – which is they all seem to be musicals. Was this because I liked musicals or because it is some of the only guaranteed family friendly fare?

My Fair Lady - 1964

I’ll admit to developing quite a crush on the incomparable Audrey Hepburn from watching this movie. Her transformation from rags to seeming riches is the basis of many of the quintessential teen movie plots.

The Sound Of Music – 1965

I’ll be the first to admit it, there is some controversial iconography in this movie – it’s a historical musical set on the back drop of World War II is going to have some problems with it.

That being said, this movie has convinced too many people that the Austrian national anthem is “Edelweiss”. I can’t think of brown paper packages with out thinking about this movie. It can’t be denied that this movie has had an impact on more filmmakers than just me.

All that and the idea of being frugal – something that had to happen with our large family in the city – held some sway with me. To this day, I really do want to learn how to make dresses and pants for other people.

Marry Poppins – 1964

Surprisingly – my parents didn’t crack open the Disney Vault very often in my childhood and according to Wikipedia – this one didn’t make the cut of the infamous vault. However it was on VHS in my home and a super important achievement in cinema. Using a method on in camera mattes for actors working on an analog to a green screen that was patented by Disney – The animators at the Walt Disney Company were able to have our fair lady interact with cartoon penguins and more.

The Wizard of Oz – 1939

I don’t remember this one being my favorite of our limited VHS collection – but that doesn’t mean it isn’t an important cinematic achievement. It took us from sepia to tri-strip technicolor – a giant leap from one medium to another

While the film tricks are easy to spot from modern eyes – it’s still easy to get lost in this classic of the format.