Welcome

The Concept
Since I moved back to West Virginia and am thousands of miles away from some of my favorite movie buddies, I decided to begin this weekly film discussion site so we could still watch movies together, kind of, and discuss them. Like a book club, each of this site's exclusive, contributing members will take turns in a rotation, selecting one discussion-evoking film a week (that you may or may not have seen) to be considered and debated between our scholarly minds.

Note: Your film selection doesn't necessarily have to be "a good movie." For example, "Troll 2" (1990) would be an excellent suggestion because it is considered by some to be one of the worst modern horror movies.


The Point
The point is to enjoy lots of unusual cinema and catch those movies that every film lover should see, like "Freaks" (1932) or "Gerry" (2002), and of course, to have a fun time talking about them.


The Only Three Rules
1.) No profanity or vulgarity in our discussions, please. (That means you, Karl. ... tee he.) Naturally, some of the films we screen will have plenty of that, so I'd prefer to at least keep our blog discussion on the up-and-up.

2.) Debate is fine. In fact, it is strongly encouraged. But no personal or malicious attacks on one another.

3.) You may suggest films rated R, PG-13, PG and G. If it's NC-17, let's talk about it first via e-mail. For example, "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" (2006) is a relevant possibility, but something like "Beyond the Valley of the Dolls," (1970) --- even though it was written by Roger Ebert --- I'd have to say nix. Some "Not Rated" films and "Director's Cut" films are also fine. In short, we're not going to review any soft-core or hard-core pornography, though some R-rated films, arguably, push that envelope. (Also, really old movies from the pioneering days of motion pictures are also acceptable. Just make sure your choice is something that most people could actually find. Often, libraries are a great video store resource.)



The Requirements
I guess the only real requirement if you want to join the discussion is to have a Gmail account. If you don't have one, it's no big deal. Go here: http://www.gmail.com/ Otherwise, if you're too busy, not interested or don't wish to see a particular film because of its rating (or any other reason), then you're not expected to see it. If you don't want to comment, you don't have to do that, either. Of course, the more voices joining the discussion, the better.

[ Addendum: My friend Bill Barnes seems to think that since you all aren't "commentators," or, one who leaves comments, you won't need a Gmail account to post, as long as I give you the log-in info. He may be right. Bill Barnes is irritatingly often correct. ]

This next part isn't a requirement, but it's a strong recommendation: Since many of the movies we'll be screening are obscure, you might want to have a Netflix or Blockbuster account so you can order those ahead of time. We only have a window of a week (and we might have to expand that, but I hope not). But we'll build a schedule so you can plan for weeks in advance, so think about which filmic treat you're going to recommend to the group.


Considering the Cinema
"Considering the Cinema" is my new, movie critic trademark. It's my concept for my reviewing. Each July I plan to release a movie review yearbook that includes most of the releases for the previous year. On July 1, 2009, I plan to release a book called "Considering the Cinema 2008." And the following year's book will be titled "Considering the Cinema 2009," and so forth. Since our discussions will be our group's consideration of cinema, I might include some of our stellar exchanges (provided we have some) in my book, just for fun. So bring your best insights to the table. They might get published in hard-copy print.


If You Accept This Invitation, Here's What to Do:

1.) Write me back and let me know if you're "in." If so, I'll start compiling a list of our discussion group members (in the order I receive the responses). I'll give you the log-in information so you can make actual posts, not just comments. Also, decide what your first film suggestion will be, so I can list it ahead of time for the group.

2.) Our first week will begin this Sunday, July 20, and end Saturday, July 26. As the creator of this site, I have the honors of selecting the first film: "Gates of Heaven" (1978). Each week, I'll provide an info-photo box (if possible) of the film under consideration. So look for this first movie at your favorite video store so you can start discussing it next week.

3.) If you have any questions or concerns, let me know. And if you know any film lovers who might be a good contributor to our site, please have them read this first post and send me an e-mail.

Thanks for being a part of this.
Let's have some fun and consider some cinema.

Sincerely,
Jason