Titanic returns to theaters this week, 15 years after grossing all those box office dollars, 15 years after Leonardo DiCaprio stopped millions of hearts around the world (known as Leo Mania at the time), and 15 years after Celine Dion's cheesy-yet-heartbreaking song My Heart Will Go On. Oh, the nostalgia!
Jack, Rose and that great big ocean liner can now be viewed in 3D and RealD 3D, meaning those iceberg chips will be flying at us while we watch with all the nostalgia in the world, behind those giant 3D glasses.
The film will also be in regular 2D, for those not interested in the added special effects.
The return of Titanic also means the return of my childhood obsession with Leo and company (or at least, what's left of the obsession). Gone are the days of rip-out posters from Bop and J-14 -- teen magazines that were purchased with lunch money I had saved during high school. Gone are the radio replays of My Heart Will Go On, mixed with clips from the movie -- just enough to tug at your 13-year-old heartstrings. And gone are the boy-ish looks of DiCaprio, who was only 22 when Titanic was filmed.
These days, Leo is apparently fat, and Leo Mania has significantly died down. Seriously, when was the last time someone purposely taped a poster of DiCaprio, now 37, on his or her wall? (A giant J. Edgar billboard in the Gramercy Park area of New York City doesn't count).
As I continue to contemplate whether or not to shelve out $18 USD to see Titanic in 3D this week, here's a quick trip down memory lane, and five things to know about my childhood obsession from 15 years ago.
Feel free to add your own thoughts on Titanic, Leo Mania and the nostalgia surrounding the blockbuster. Are you ready to go back to Titanic?