• Name: Arjen van der Lely
• From: Holland (where ?)
• Profession: Teacher
• Age: 54 (in 2016)

Now what's my obsession about this picture ? I don't know. I was about 13 years old when I first saw it , in the cinema. I had seen clips on television, so I had an idea what to expect. Above the cinema-entrance they built an incredible flaming tower (Those were the days. I also remember an immense King Kong when that came out. They don't do those crazy things here anymore). 13 years old, you can imagine the impact ! It was a big adventure, I-me-myself was in the Promenade Room, trapped by the fire.
There are many films from my "younger-years" that are my personal classics. There probably is a connection (any psychiatrist want to comment ?!). But "The Towering Inferno" always kept its no.1 position. I saw it many times. I still love to watch it, and there are new levels of excitement: the 70's style architecture and its colors, it's hilarious and beautiful at the same time. And Paul Newman is a scene-stealer everywhere he appears. Whatever he says, I believe him, I think he really means it: He could sell me anything !
Other Seventies-classics of mine (in random order) are: The Omega Man, Logan's Run, The Omen, Coma, The Cassandra Crossing, Escape from New York, The Fury, Jaws 2.
Other personal classics: Die Hard, Basic Instinct, Pulp Fiction, Scarface, Judge Dredd, Bound, The Matrix !

When I was younger, I made 3 short movies (30 minutes each) on Super 8. My first movie "Het Vocht" (Winner on an infamous Horror Film Festival in Holland) is shown this year (in a retrospective of that Horror Film Festival) on the official Dutch Film Festival.

Info, comments, requests: e-mail !

You speak Dutch ? Then have a look at my latest work-related-website ARJEN WERKT.