Valentine’s Special contest: tell me your first date movies
February 10, 2012
I’ll admit it: I’m an old romantic (okay, less of the old but you know what I mean!) I know Valentine’s Day isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but Mr B and I always mark it some way.
In April, we’re celebrating a special wedding anniversary and after XX years together, I think we’ve earned the right to indulge in a chocolate heart or two!
So in the unashamed spirit of romance, I’m offering two of my books as prizes and I’ll announce the winners on Valentine’s Day.
The two winning commenters on the blog can choose any one of my books, in any format, wherever they live in the world. As long as I have the book in stock or as a PDF, your wish is my command, US or UK edition. I’ll sign the print editions, if you like.
Date movie dream – or disaster?
I recently posted about the movie Shame on Facebook and this drew lots of comments about what would make a good – or disastrous – date movie.
My first date with Mr B was a visit to see Chariots of Fire which gives away how long we’ve been together, although we were dating for five years from then until we actually tied the knot.
So I’d love to hear about your actual or suggested ideas for date films. Did you choose a rom com or action movie? A screwball comedy or an arthouse drama? Did you start a lifelong romance over Sleepless in Seattleor crash and burn while watching Mission Impossible IV?
So now, it’s over to you…
Posted by Phillipa @ 5:55 am | Leave a Comment
Jessica Sjoholm Says:
On my first date with my current boyfriend, we went to see Hitman, although we had both agreed to watch it, I didn’t really know what it was about. I didn’t watch any of the film in the end as it really wasn’t my cup of tea – although the fact that we spent the duration of the movie texting each other whilst we were sat together might have had something to do with it too!
Charlotte Says:
My first date with my first boyfriend was *supposed* to be a trip to see Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, but my best friend wanted to see that the day before, so instead we saw The Day After Tomorrow… enough nail-biting moments for hiding your head in your date’s shoulder! Another (unofficial) first date involved a trip to see the medic’s pantomime at uni!
Rachel Lyndhurst Says:
I’ve never been asked to go on a ‘date’ to see a film(unless you count going to see Star Wars with a male school pal aged 11).How sad! Maybe that’s why I write romance?
It’s just as well, I well up at *everything*. Yep even The Chipmunks makes my bottom lip quiver. Not a good look …
Have a loverly time with Mr B!
XX
Hilary Says:
Happy special anniversary to you and Mr B! Hope you enjoy a year-long celebration.
Well, I’ll transfer my choice from the other place to here 😉 The first movie I took my OH to (because he wasn’t really a movie-going sort of chap) was ‘Annie Hall’. Now, at that stage, we had by no means a done deal, and I put down our survival together for 32 married years partly to the fact that we survived that! Do not try this at home. Enough to make you despair of ever forming a close and loving bond with anyone!
It actually got us thinking and talking about ‘miscommunication’ and probably did us a power of good. But, romantic? Noooooooo ………..
Kareby Says:
I had returned to the town I went to high school my last year of college to complete an internship. I was picking up a friend’s little brother from soccer practice and ran into a guy who graduated a year before me, who was acting as the assistant soccer coach. He was never anyone I was interested in and thought he was a bit of a goober. 5 years had past and he looked a bit better but still not someone I was interested in.
“Scott” asked if I was interested in hanging out with friends and I said “why not?”.
Off I went and as I walked in the door the phone was ringing and it was Scott asking me if I wanted to see a movie. Uh….okey…. sure?
What was I getting myself into. This was not a bunch of friends getting together, this was a DATE.
He picked me up, his hair greased back and his jeans to high waisted. He took me to a HORRIBLE action movie, which I can’t even remember the name of. I spent the movie sitting as far away as possible and freaked that he was trying to hold my hand.
He had to get the sense I wasn’t interested,,,right? I mean the SIGNALS WERE BLARING!
No. The man actually tried to kiss me goodnight. I literally shoved him and slammed the door.
That was our one and only date. It still skeeves me.
Phillipa Says:
High waisted jeans? A ‘goober’. Kareby you deserve a medal!
PS what’s a goober? A minger?
Thank you for the date movie tales so far – keep them coming, I really need a laugh right now!
Phillipa Says:
jessica -even the name ‘Hitman’ doesn’t sound very promising… but welcome to the blog!
Kate Hammond Says:
I couldn’t tell you a single thing that happened in any bit of the Twilight movie. (I am told that this is possibly a good thing?)
My date and I kissed like a lovesick teenagers (in an empty cinema, i hasten to add!) throughout the entire 122 mins of cinematic glory.
Juvenile. Silly. And wonderful.
Phillipa Says:
Kate – which Twilight? I’ve seen all three and snogging during the last one was a very very good thing…
Phillipa Says:
PS MR B and I restrained ourselves during ‘Shame’ until we got home. I fear its message of abstinence was rather lost on us. 😉
Phillipa Says:
That was too much information and if he ever visited the blog, he would kill me.
valerie Says:
for me it would be a suggested date as i’m now married ..
i would have dream to meet mr right in a commun place where we can talk such as a pub a library or a bookshop and we would bump into each other and both become so red ..we then started to talk (in a slow voice if it was in a library ) and discovered that we both love the same kind of books and movies ..
and then the wonderful mr right would propose me to go to the cinema to see a drama issue from a book we both have read the book about ..it would be a perfect way to feel self confident and to have a first date
mr right told me he would probably cry as he did when he read the end of the book ! i told him that it will be the same for me as i’m a very sensitive person
so on the D day well dressed not too much but the perfect clothes that i love wearing i would go to the cinema and meet mr right ..we buy tickets go the our seat and start talking about the possible way to have this film compared to the book .
during the film we were both silent but i could see that both of them were starting to have red eyes again ..and i saw the first tears and we finished in the arms of one another with a tissue in the other hands to clean our tears ..and i would be seduced to see that mr right is a very sensitive man too and i would love that ..
at the end of the movie we would spend some time talking about the way the film was made and remembering why we were crying so much at the end ..we decided to have a coffee somewhere and it was a perfect date ..to be crying on the same drama movie together arms in arms
Phillipa Says:
Valerie – that sounds wonderfully romantic!
Kate Hammond Says:
Heeheee! I love the sharing that goes on here! There’s never TMI!
It was the second Twilight movie – I don’t even know what its called! I was that involved! 🙂
I am really keen to see Shame – sadly there is nowhere showing it near me anymore. I shall have to wait patiently for the DVD.
Mrs. Higgins Says:
My first date movie was Pretty Woman with Richard Gere and Julia Roberts. I will never forget that date. We are married 18 years and still in love.
Happy Anniversary Phillipa! Chariots of Fire is a great movie.
Chanpreet Says:
You know, I don’t think I’ve ever been to a movie on a date. I will have to rectify that in the future. I think the perfect first date movie for me would have to either be a comedy of some sorts, or one of those movies based on a superhero from a comic book. That way we’d be comfortable and have a good time. And the date would have to include candy and popcorn. I’ll take Lemon Heads and Atomic Fire Balls any day! 🙂
Phillipa Says:
Welcome, MrsHiggins (love the name.) I still watch Pretty Woman, no matter how many times it’s on TV. 🙂
Chanpreet – yes, best to stay on ‘neutral’ ground! But I am wondering what Lemon Heads and Atomic Fire Balls are…
Kate: as long as Mr B doesn’t see this…
Kirsty Pole Says:
I once went on a first date where we went to see ‘Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blue’ which wouldn’t have been so bad except the guy that I was on the date with was a few years older than me, drove a car with blue lights underneathe and looked like the last person you would ever imagine would have an interest in Reece Witherspoon playing a blonde lawyer with a small dog called Bruiser. I spent the entire film with my face buried in my Fanta Ice Blast too scared to look at him and I still to this day couldn’t tell you what actually happened in the film. The best part of all…the date had been set up by my Mum. Oh. Dear.
Sue Locke Says:
I was taken to see Bonnie and Clyde. In those days they let you in during the film. We hadnt checked the time so walked in to be confronted by the end scene in all its gory glory!
Rebecca Emin Says:
This is more like what not to do for a date.
My first ever cinema trip date was when I was about 13 but I’d already decided I didn’t really like the poor boy by the time his Mum dropped us off at the cinema.
I’d read all the comics and they warned of this dreadfully shocking behaviour where a boy would pretend to yawn and put their arm around you. This was my worst fear… and guess what… yes he did it.
I was leaning to the left (he was on my right) all the way through the film to stay as far away as possible.
The film: Gremlins! That was stressful enough in itself as it was rated 14 at the time an I was worried they wouldn’t let me in.
Oh what fun!
Sue Says:
PS It was also my first first date!!
carol Says:
My first date with my husband to be (sept 2012) was Just friends. My partner was embarrasssed that we sat in a room full of teens. I was so nervous I didn’t realise at the time , what a hunk Ryan Reynolds is. 🙂
carol
Phillipa Says:
Kirsty – I am racking my brain cell to wonder why a guy would want a car with blue lights underneath?
Sue – I vaguely recall the end of B&C. Hails of bullets and pools of blood spring to mind. Good choice!
Rebecca – I have to say you made me laugh out loud. Excruciating, being 13, isn’t it? Then again, dates at the cinema, at any age, do tend to invite the overarm popcorn shuffle…
Carol – and look what’s happened (carol just announced her engagement, folks… :)) Have you seen the Proposal, yet, dear Ryan.
Leah Says:
I don’t think it was our actual first date, but it was very early days, and it was our first movie date. We went to an art house theatre’s Gene Kelly double feature–American in Paris and Singing in the Rain. My mom was a big Gene Kelly fan, so I had probably seen bits of the movies somewhere, but I had never seen the whole movies. I loved both movies and was very taken with the idea that I had met someone with such good taste to take me to this sort of movie instead of whatever was the current blockbuster. After the movies were over, we walked back to the car, and John was singing “Singing in the Rain” and dancing. A year later we were in Paris and walked by the Seine at night looking for the spot where Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron had filmed that wonderful scene. There may have been dancing involved then as well!
Stevie Carroll Says:
I don’t think I’ve had a cinema date since university, and back then the only one that springs to mind was the X-Files film, although I’m sure there were a few arty ones as well.
A really good film for a certain type of date in my opinion would be ‘Imagine Me and You’.
Chanpreet Says:
Phillipa, Lemon Heads and Atomic Fire Balls are candies. You can figure out the flavors from their names. They are quite delicious! 🙂
Phillipa Says:
Leah – I just knew you and John would go to a classy movie!
Stevie – I haven’t heard od Imagine Me and You but I’ll have to check it out on IMDB.
Chanpreet – think the Lemon Heads would be more my style. 🙂
Brandy Says:
The first movie date my husband and I went on was to see You’ve Got Mail. However, the air conditioner in the theater was broken and since this is Texas we’re talking about, everything shut down. We had to sit on the floor in the lobby for about half an hour while they fixed it. However, being from Texas, we realized the severity of the situation and patiently waited. Then we watched the movie, which I loved! It was a great movie date.
Phillipa Says:
Hi Brandy – thannks for visiting the blog and sharing your movie date; I try to imagine how hot it is in Texas (and Leah, above, lives there) but even on our hottest day ever in the UK, it only reaches around 99 – and that’s very rare, only every decade or so. Most of us don’t have air con so we have to put up with it! At least it was a hot movie date…