Essential Cinema

Hurray for Hollywood (land)


I have this huge collection of film. Most of it is on LaserDisc, but there are other sources as well. Recently, I have been burning a lot of film to DVD from HBO and Turner Classic Movies (TCM).

I am not a big fan of the current crop of film from Hollywood. Ever since the expansion of mass media such as cable, satellite, VHS, DVD, Blockbuster and Netflix, films have become more of an everyday distraction and are no longer the hand crafted pieces of art that they once used to be.

In my ongoing attempt to not rail against the system but instead try and improve it (in some small way), I will be lighting this candle instead of cursing the darkness.

In an upcoming series of blogs called "Essential Cinema" I will be reviewing films. Not the new films that you pay $9 to see at your local multi-plex. These are films I have collected either because I know they are good, or because I am curious to see if they are good. Some I have seen numerous times, and some I haven't seen at all. But it is time to start sifting through the coal pile to find the diamonds in the rough.

I have learned from reading reviews by some friends on MySpace that it is best not to be long winded and over detailed about anything that you critic. So rest assured, these will be short blogs, direct and to the point. Hope you find them helpful.