I used to watch a lot of movies. I used to know a fair bit about the history of movies, too. In fact, my original chosen minor at university was supposed to be film studies. It said it was available in the 1996 UAC guide, I swear. However when it came to enrollment week, once I was at university, half a state away from my family, I was told by a bored-looking 3rd year student – obviously there on five bucks an hour – “Nah, they’re not running that anymore.”
Now as it turned out, what I did instead was better, far better, for me.
But I still love movies.
So this year I made a New Years pledge to myself; that I would go on a movie renting quest to see the movies I’ve been ‘meaning’ to since I had children, and even before. Those I didn’t see at the movies due to poor timing, or because my husband wanted to see something a little more, er, “blokey”. Or those classics I keep meaning to see, but never do.
Here are the rules I’ve set:
1) It must be a weekly (thinking of the budget)
2) I must not have seen it before, ever.
3) It preferably should’ve won some sort of award or another – not necessarily an Oscar. A BAFTA? At Cannes? An AFI? At Sundance? Sure, any of those.
(The purpose of that rule means that I’m more than likely to be picking quality. However, good all-round reviews are acceptable (even David Stratton’s. Heh.))
Last Saturday night was my first night. There – like most DVD rental stores – we have a five weeklies for $10 special. So I got:
1) American Gangster
2) No Country for Old Men
3) Miller’s Crossing
4) Syriana
5) Last Tango in Paris
#5 nearly didn’t make it. I was at the counter with The Painted Veil and the guy said to me, “Nah, that’s not a weekly. That’s a seven-day weekly”
“What’s the difference?”
“Er. The sticker on it. It should be still on the New Releases Shelf.”
“Then why wasn’t it?”
“Because it’s a weekly.”
“Then why can’t I have it at the reduced price?”
He threw up his hands, and then I threw up mine, gave up, and grabbed Mr Brando off the shelf instead.
And if you want a peek into the mature mind of my husband, after watching Last Tango, anything I’ve said to him has had this response, “Are you sure you don’t want some butter with that?” He thinks it’s hilarious.
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Starting tomorrow, I’m doing a Wordless Wednesday series using the photos of my talented cousin-in-law, which he’s allowed me to post up here. They’re the shots of our holidays, which we were lucky to share a big part with him, my cousin, aunts, uncles etc.
If you like the shots, say so. He’ll get a kick out of that, I bet.
