Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, Family and Friends, Complete Strangers, Everyone (regardless of race, age, gender or sexual orientation)… I take this opportunity to welcome one and all to my new blog. I’ve got to tell you that I feel pretty damn special about having decided to finally put this website up and express my thoughts and views. Let’s start it appropriately then…
In the movie trailer guy’s voice; “It started out… as an interest. It became… a hobby. But now, many would say its a few thousands feet… past… an obsession!” – On the 20th August 2009… Nick Bryant welcomes you to For Love of the Movies!”
I have however, been brutally advised by a so-called ‘friend’ that blogs are a dime a dozen… like assholes and BMW’s… everyone has one!” Call me a naïve newbie… nevertheless; it’s a place where I can open the valve and release a bit of what’s going on in the folder marked “legendary” in my grey matter.
The movies to me have always been something at which to marvel. To which from a young age I sat watching – seemingly hypnotized. From the days back in the early 80’s (just out of a diaper) when I would stay up late with my old man and watch series on TV (M.A.S.H, Hill Street Blues, Cheers, St. Elmo’s Fire, Cagney & Lacy, Hunter) through the mid 80’s (MacGyver, The A-Team, Knight Rider, Jake and The Fatman, TJ Hooker, Riptide and Airwolf). I can even recall the first movie I ever went to see on the Big Screen – HARRY & THE HENDERSONS. (The likeably story of a Middle American family, who accidently hit a “Big Foot” with their car and take it home.) I was a kid, OK! [What I would give to say the first movie I ever got to see was The Usual Suspects or Reservoir Dogs.]
The movies are something that many people will argue, I take way too seriously – but the truth is that I don’t. But, I do love movies. I love the fact that incredible journeys, amazing stories, peoples lives, love and romance, terror and horror, the supernatural, space, animation, court-cases, sports, mythical creatures, human triumph, fact and fiction
(and everything in-between) and more so the limitless bounds of one’s imagination can be transformed over a period of time. From nothing but a thought or dream, we are offered a two hour extravaganza of emotion that remains for a life-time. (We forget it takes months, sometimes years to get onto that huge piece of white screen.) At the end of the day, love it or hate it – its escapism. Pure escapism. Ahhh, to be entertained and, we as the viewing public, get to choose our form of escapism whenever we wish – from such an array of incredible films.
I take film seriously when people ‘slate’ that which they have never experienced. I think as serious film watchers, we definitely grow over time. I started out only watching comedies, when the likes of a Chevy Chase was cracking me up in classics like Fletch, Fletch Lives and the National Lampoon’s Vacations. Comedy grew to Action… and I was introduced to John Rambo, John McClain and Rocky Balboa. As much as I was moving forward with coming attractions, various performances started making me look ‘back’ and hunt out actor’s previous work. Before I knew it, I had discovered Marty McFly, The Terminator, some Big Trouble in Little China… and screen gems like The Godfather, The Deer Hunter, Midnight Express and Deliverance (Oink!). And then the flood gates opened thrillers, dramas (You can’t handle the truth!), documentaries, Sci-fi (Stop… Dave!) and horror (… Every town, has an Elm Street). A network starts to develop in your head and you constantly seek out who did what, when, with whom and through which studio. I was hooked. Totally. Completely. Without question. Hiring moved to purchasing. The library grew. The old and the new.
With the luxury of choosing what we watch, we tend to become picky and greedy. I believe we lose out a lot of what the world of the movies has to offer by putting on blinkers. Back then, I decided I would do whatever I could to get an over-view of the broadest spectrum of film I could. Call it a bit of catch-up if you will. (Then, came the Oscars – but that’s another blog entirely.)
I began to realise that anyone who; undertakes to write a film, produce a film, direct a film, film a film, write music for a film, star in a film or co-star in a film deserves respect. It’s a monumental task. It’s an up-at-dawn, pride swallowing siege that we will never fully hear about. Thing is, we’ve all come to expect “block-busters” from everything we watch. But, we need to realise that whilst some people are out to change the world of cinema forever, some purely want to make a small, labour-of-love film. Respect it for what it is… watch it, don’t watch it.
Whether a film is applauded or slated – we need to tip our hats to those who tried. This isn’t to say it cannot be thrown to the critics for a roasting. I’m a firm believer of thrashing a dud… but in my opinion some film critics get too high and mighty for their own good. We get zero star reviews on some of the biggest block busters ever to hit the screen. And, vice versa for films that make us want to slit our wrists and jump off a building into a container of broken glass and acid, which we are advised – is a masterpiece. Some make hundreds of millions of dollars – yet are thrown to the beasts. Films that bomb with the public are art-house gems. This is where I believe we need to put down the review and make up our own minds. Judge for yourself, off a clean-slate. Don’t let snotty critics change your mind before you even get to see what is on offer. It’s your money, so you choose what film you want to see. Don’t even read the reviews! Have an opinion – different strokes for different folks. But, if you don’t go and see it… don’t be a sheep. Keep your mouth shut until you have a substantiated opinion. (This is where I take things seriously.)
Today, I consider myself to have fair knowledge of what’s happening in the world of movies. I at least try and keep up-to-speed. My collection now sits at almost 1000 DVD’s and BluRay Discs. (Box-Sets, Special, Extended, Directors or Collectors Editions. Only non-pirated stuff. Don’t be a thief. In the same way you expect to be paid for your services as an employee, have the common courtesy to accept that so do Directors, Producers, Actors and Crew.) I subscribe to a few movie websites and follow a few magazines.
This blog will contain my honest views on; what’s hot and happening, movies you really do need to see before you die, a few Top 10’s, classic movie lines, best dialogue, personal favourites and movie reviews. I will also be posting a few guest reviews and blogs. If you would like to submit, drop me the addition and I’ll look through it.
Until next time… see you at the movies!