Introduction

During a trip to "Barnes & Noble", I come across a book (a big book, to be more precise) entitled, "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die". I'm intrigued by the title and my first thought is, "I MUST see them?" Mr. Steven Jay Schneider (the author of the book) seems to be a little bossy doesn't he. I mean, who has the right to tell me what I MUST see? I'll see what I please and if Mr. Schneider doesn't like it, well I guess that's just too bad. And then I realize, after flipping through the pages and spotting some familiar faces (Pulp Fiction, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Buffalo '66, Clerks, Sideways...among others) that maybe this guy's on to something. Maybe I am lacking some classic and foreign viewing in my movie habits. Maybe I haven't seen everything that is truly worth seeing. I myself have worked in three video stores and DO consider myself somewhat of a movie buff. I mean, I've seen a lot of flicks!

"The real usefulness of...1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, is that it provides good ideas for DVD rental. I have, by the way, seen 943 of the 1001 movies, and am carefully rationing the remaining titles to prolong my life"

The above piece was written by Roger Ebert and appears on the back jacket of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book. So I start thinking...If I see all these films, I'll have seen more movies than Roger Ebert. Well, not really, as I'm sure he's seen other movies besides the ones collected in this 5th Edition of Steven Jay Schneider's text. But I could be one up on Mr. Thumbs Up! I could go up to him, on a rainy day in Chicago and say "Hey, Rog' I saw 'em all baby!! All 1001...943?...pathetic!!"

So I slapped down my $35 and bought the book. Not just to spite Ebert, but also to advance my knowledge of film.

So why am I telling you all this? I was hoping you'd be interested in joining me on my journey. This is a diary of my adventure into the history of film...the history of essential film, and I'd like you to come along. Lets travel all the way back to 1902 and make our way, together, to 2007. Now I must warn you...I'm not your typical critic. There are some so-called classics out there that I have been less then impressed with. For instance, "2001: A Space Odyssey" bores me to no end and I am of the opinion that "Requiem for A Dream" is a very overated mess. But I have the balls to tell those movies that, to their faces. I don't stand quivering and say "Yes, Requiem was good, I enjoyed it!", just to get a pat on the head and fit in with the rest of the crowd. I tell it like it is. If I don't like it, I say it and if I do...well I say that too, of course.

So let's go...let's have fun. Let's watch some movies and see what we haven't. Relive what we have...good or bad. Maybe we'll form some new opinions on flicks we previously thought of as stinkers...or maybe they'll stay stinking.

This is the beginning of my journey. My diary into cinema...

September 11, 2009 2:44am