The Plan

I'm starting my New Year's resolutions a month early. In order to a) educate myself more thoroughly about film, b)develop my writing technique, and c)create a not sizable portfolio, I'm going to work my way through the--at the moment--over 450 titles from the Criterion DVD collection. Criterion is a video company that releases the "greatest" films--many long unavailable--with lots of extras and pristine sound and picture. Working your way through the list will expose you to the film masterworks as well as "Blood for Dracula."

Drawbacks

A)"Blood for Dracula"
B)Having to watch the pain as cinema brutal buldingsroman "Fat Girl" once again.
C)Dipping into the Kino and Facets Video catalog is really necessary for completing a survey of essential cinema.
D)Looking like a fool next to the masters. What do I have to gain by critiquing these works? They can only reveal my shortcomings. What could I possibly add to the conversation about "The Rules of the Game"? (This brings to mind a conversation I had with my tenth grade English teacher. After finishing the required "The Scarlet Letter," I asked her if for my paper I could write why the book was bad. She told me I didn't have the expertise to do so. I've learned a great deal since then, shed some of my arrogance, grown wiser, and "Scarlet Letter" is still a bad book.)

Pluses

A)Hopefully building a better critical lexicon. Learning to wield some more expressive words than "very," "fantastic," and "awful."
B)Goals. Therapists say these are important.
C)Writing on a regular basis. Keeping the fingers moving is important to becoming a better writer and typist.
D)Seeing hundreds of great films. And "The Rock." Yes, there are some seemingly inexplicable choices in the Criterion catalog.

Promises
A)I will not try to be Roger Ebert, David Denby, Pauline Kael, etc. This project is about developing my own style.
B)I'll try to give the films the benefit of the doubt. There's a reason Criterion selected "Armageddon", and though I think it's one of the worst films ever made, I'll try to give it a fair shake. Michael Bay is a master of technique even if he stinks at storytelling. And don't worry. There are only two Michael Bay's in the mix. The rest of the list is full of heavy weights like Ozu, Kurosowa, Truffaut, and Renoir.
C)I will tell you what I'm watching ahead of time so you can play along at home. Criterion numbers each of their releases and for the near future we'll be following that list in order.
D)If you want to share your insights into the films, feel free to post at the bottom of each entry. I'll try to respond to everyone creating an ongoing film discussion if that's desired.
E)I'll try not to bore you.

First up, Jean Renoir's great escape "Grand Illusion". A WW I POW film featuring director and actor Erich Von Stroheim.

Next will be "The Seven Samurai," the Kurosawa action masterpiece. I saw this one on the big screen so rewatching it on my tiny television will likely diminish the experience. But hopefully the limitations of my viewing space will add an extra wrinkle to the project.

Following Kurosawa, will be a Hitchcock I have never seen, "The Lady Vanishes."

So let's get started. Fire up your Netflix queues, Amazon wish lists, library OPACs, and file sharing software if you're a no good scofflaw and come along for the ride.