After 38 years on the planet with 34 of them having my ears prick up at the mention of the name George Lucas I’ve somehow never seen “American Graffiti”. Today I watched it for the very first time.

I knew it had good reviews, cars and lil’ Ronnie Howard but nothing else. I was blown away and was smiling from beginning to end. The cars, the dialogue, the actors, the colours, the humour, the soundtrack! The only thing I didn’t like were the unnecessarily depressing captions at the end.

I usually see a film at least twice before buying it to keep but I’m ordering the blu ray come payday! I can’t wait to watch it again.

I feel both sad to have missed out seeing this decades ago and also glad to still be finding something new and wonderful just sitting there waiting to be found.

Was that a young Harrison Ford in a cowboy hat?! Despite his jaw not looking wide enough that was a big surprise. I must’ve missed his name in the credits.

(The casual use of the word “snatch” to describe the ladies was a bit shocking though - it has a much coarser meaning in my country!)

George Lucas’ career really would’ve been something special if he’d spent it making movies as alive and fun as this one.