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Okay, so yes, I am a film studies professor; I have taught film studies for 23 years now. I presently teach film and media studies at Montana State University’s School of Film and Photography. Though I LOVE teaching film, I have been wanting to expand my thoughts on film to a wider audience — e.g., create a film blog — for years but for various reasons have been stalled time and time again. At least tentatively – and I say “tentatively” because I do want to let this film blog breathe so to speak, e.g., let it grow organically into whatever it grows into – my initial focus is threefold:
Screening the Most Important Films
As I’ve begun a project to largely see the most important films for each year (eventually going back to the 1920s and formative years of cinema), I have had a strong desire to chronicle my thoughts on some of the films that most strike me. To that end, I thought I might use this blog as a kind of log of my thoughts, which I thought perhaps might be of interest to others as well. So far, I’ve completed the years 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009. I am presently working on 2013. In terms of what films I screen, I have tried to cast as wide a net as possible, looking at the highest rated films from film review sites such as Metacritic and Rotten Tomatoes, prominent lists from publications such as Film Comment’s tremendous annual listing (compiled not just from film critics but other figures in the industry), and from films that have garnered awards. I know that this still won’t cover every important film but my hope is that as time goes on I’ll pick up other films along the way as they rise to surface via scholarly work in the cinema arena. And, hey, my hope is also that via this site I will also pick up films I may have missed as I know many of you will have films to contribute!
The Artistry of Cinema
I have always wanted to have a venue where I could pass on my passion for the artistry of cinema. Of course I do that in my teaching already but a blog seemed like a perfect way to expand my audience. It seems to me at this time of our sea of escapist entertainment mediums (e.g., film, TV, gaming, graphic novels, etc.), we may be losing the power of filmmakers to creatively exploit all of the possibilities of the cinematic apparatus, not to mention delving into more issues, and doing so more provocatively and more deeply.
Films Can Change Us
Finally, I have always wanted a platform in which I could express my thoughts on the many issues that are conveyed through films. That is, to my mind, the most important films engage in the issues that impact our lives, making them incredibly important vehicles for our own edification. A moment in a film I just recently watched – The Invisible Woman (2013, Ralph Fiennes) – perfectly expresses this idea: After hearing Charles Dickens’ wife pooh-pooh Dickens’ work as just entertainment (“‘Tis a fiction designed to entertain”), our protagonist, Nelly, responds ““Surely it’s more than that. It changes us.” I would strongly argue that is indeed what the best films do as well, “change” us in ways small and profound. I want my thoughts to at least be partially informed by this dynamic, exploring those issues in films and how they might “change” us.
A Different Kind of Film Blog
As you can see from the above, my focus for this film blog will not be about what so many film blogs focus on, the emphasis being on popular films, films as sources of entertainment chatter (e.g., casting news, plot choices, Easter egg hunts, etc.) and reviews. Of course, there is nothing wrong with such a focus – I enjoy these film blogs as much as anyone – but my desire is to make this a film blog that goes a little deeper.
But It Will Be Fun Too!
Now, less I already lose readers, let me just finally say that though this film blog will be more cerebral, I do want to also make it fun! One of the ways that I will do that is through a favorite popular culture structure: lists! I have always loved creating lists so that will very much be a part of my film blog as well, as you will see with my first post on my favorite 20 horror films. Moreover, my posts will come in the form of a series of series (e.g., “Important Documentaries,” “Important Films of 2013,” “Important Political Films,” and so on), a format that I hope provokes discussion and debate!
And On Blogging Itself (Hey, I’m New To This Craft!)
Finally, just a note on blogging itself: Blogging is new for me, so please be patient as I learn this skill set. (I have pretty much just dived into this new arena with the idea that I will learn and grow as I go.) And, hey, I would love to hear from all of you on ideas, suggestions, thoughts on how to make this film blog better and/or any beginner mistakes I may be making! In my teaching, I tell my students that though they are taking my classes to learn from me, each of them bring to the classroom their own expertise, knowledge, and experiences that I can learn from, and, in the context of my film blog, that is especially true of those of you who know more about blogging than I do!
Spoiler Alert!!!
Oh, and just a general head’s up: I don’t worry about spoilers! For one thing, to my mind, to fully explicate why I love a film I need to examine the film in its entirety. For another, again, this is not a film review blog but a film blog for going a little deeper into films and perhaps a (lively!) discussion of films, presumably films that have been screened and discussed for some time now and have been seen by most of you. In other words, if you don’t like spoilers, I recommend you see the film before you read my blurbs on the film!