Todd’s Movie Blog

It’s been a while since I have posted anything.  I guess the reason for the dry spell is mostly due to my complete lack of interest in most of the films that are coming out of Hollywood these days.  When looking back at past posts I noticed a great deal of hostility on my part to most of the films coming out in the past couple of years.  Not to say there weren’t films I have liked, The Green Hornet and The A-Team come immediately to mind.  But most of the films that hit theaters these days, like Thor and The Hangover II, just leave me cold.

So what is the point of paying for a blog if I’m not going to actually write anything?  Good question.  So obviously I should start writing something, but if I have no enthusiasm for the big summer blockbusters, where does that leave me?  I love movies so maybe I should write about ones I like.

Every blog has a list of favorite movies; 10 favorite movies, 50 favorite movies, 100 favorite movies, etc., but I didn’t want to make a simple list.  Like Roger Ebert’s Great Movies, I decided to write articles about movies I like and what I like about them.  These posts won’t be what I consider to be the Greatest Movies Ever, because what I think makes a good movie could be different from what Roger Ebert or Leonard Maltin might think, after all these are just personal preferences, and I recognize that I have some outside the mainstream tastes (I prefer The Spirit over Sin City for example).  And I also realize that some films I like aren’t considered to be good films (like most of Bela Lugosi’s list of credits, yet I find them engrossing none the less).

So what are my favorite movies?  Good question.  I started making lists and then revising them, before I finally gave up and decided to just wing it and write about titles as they came to me.  They aren’t going to be in any order, not most favorite to least or vice versa, if I feel like writing about…..but that would be telling, suffice it say I will be posting on films I like in no particular order as the mood strikes me.  And if you think my tastes suck, let me know.  Not that I will change my opinion but I won’t ridicule yours either.

I’m skipping the Oscar’s this year.  I have to work that night, but even if I didn’t I don’t think I would want to watch anyway.  With the exception of True Grit, none of the nominees hold much interest for me (I’m such a Philistine!) plus from the rumors that are circulating, The King’s Speech is going to sweep the awards with would make for a less than exciting evening watching the same people go up to the podium all night, unless The Social Network or Black Swan cause an unforseen upset, which I doubt.

Plus I’m kind of  ticked off that Despicable Me didn’t get nominated for best animated film.  I know that Toy Story 3 was awesome and will obviously win, but come on, only three nominees in the category when best picture gets ten, and Despicable Me isn’t one of them?  A true crime.

Lastly, I’m really not that into the hosts.  Nothing against Franco and Hathaway, they are both talented actors, but if I’m going to have to sit through three plus hours of Hollywood patting itself on the back the least they could do is have a comedian as the host, but I guess Chris Rock and John Stewart’s edginess put people off on the idea.

After getting a Blu-Ray player for Christmas, I have been converting my DVD collection to Blu-Ray discs.  While looking at what’s available I have found some really perplexing things. See if any of this makes sense.  The great classic The Man Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is not on Blu-Ray, but you know what is, The Green Berets.  That’s right, one of John Wayne’s greatest films is not on Blu-Ray but his god awful pro Vietnam diatribe is.

Here’s another one.  I am a big fan of the cult classic Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the Eighth Dimension, which is of course not on Blu-Ray, but the box office bomb Water World is.  Really?  Who was dying to see that overdone bomb in high def?  Why is every film from Tim Burton on Blu-Ray except Ed Wood? You know, the film where Martin Landau won an Oscar.  Planet of the Apes and Mars Attacks, yes, Ed Wood, no.

Like James Bond?  Like Roger Moore as James Bond?  Well you’re in luck, Moonraker is on Blu-Ray, but not The Spy Who Loved Me.  No big deal, The Spy Who Loved Me is just the one most fans consider to be Moore’s best film during his tenure and Moonraker one of the silliest (thankfully they didn’t go with View to a Kill).  Other films not on Blu-Ray?  Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Big Sleep and To Catch a Thief.  Films that are on Blu-Ray?  Cujo, Batman and Robin and The Postman (sorry if I seem to be singling out Keven Costner, but let’s be honest, he made two of the lamest sci-fi movies ever, and even directed one of them).

I think most galling of all to me is that none of the classic Universal horror films are on Blu-Ray, but all of the remakes are.  As if movie fans prefer Kenneth Branagh’s version of Frankenstein to James Whale’s.  Yeah, right.