I've had this blogspot for almost four years now, but it only became ken on cinema just a few months ago and this has basically been an exclusive movie blog for just a year. So it's been a full year since I started doing this and you may wonder why I do this despite the fact that there are probably hundreds/thousands of blogs similar to this one. While that is true, I do this blog for myself and for the people that know me and know about my love for film. And I hope that people who don't know me as well can appreciate the fact that I do have a love for film that is unbreakable.
I've watched over a thousand films in my lifetime, maybe more. I watched way over a hundred films last year, including 30-35 films that came out in 2010. I'm still working my way through all the other 2010 films and I will still be reviewing them until they all come out on DVD, at least. Then, it'll exclusively be 2011 films. And yes, I am a bit selective when it comes to what new movies I watch. I've reviewed every single new movie that I watched in 2010, except for Unstoppable but I still gave you a score on that one, at least. I watch films that I want to watch, from filmmakers that I like, or maybe just because that particular movie interested me enough to want to see it. That's mostly why I tend to give more good reviews than bad reviews. I like to give some filmmakers the benefit of the doubt. That may also be why a movie that I rated "8/10" might have more negative feedback than positive. By saying it's an 8 out of 10, I'm already telling you that I liked the film a lot. But I want to be clear as to why I don't view it as highly as I do other films.
One thing I've learned as I've grown and gotten more comfortable with publicly evaluating films is that when you do something like this, you're putting yourself out there for everyone to see and, in that case, you could be subject to ridicule. Luckily, I've never been personally ridiculed for my taste in films and most people have had nothing but kind and encouraging words to say about my blog and that's great. Another thing I've learned that has helped me mature is that I no longer insult people for liking a film that I didn't like. I used to do that at one point, I know I did. But when you review films and you put your opinion on paper, I find it disrespectful to display a complete distaste for people who did or didn't like a film.
This is especially true when you consider my taste. The truth is, I love films that divide people or that get a rise out of people. Films that really stick with you after you've watched them and resonate with you as time goes on. It was funny because I was wondering when I knew it would be right to reward a film with my perfect "10/10" rating and, basically, I know as soon as I see it. The films that were in my top 15-20 films of the 2000s, I knew how good they were almost right away. That doesn't mean I liked the film as much the first time I watched it, but I knew after watching each of those films at least once, that there was something special in those films.
This is the case with a film like "Black Swan" which so far has been the only recipient of my perfect score for 2010. And yes, it absolutely deserves that score in my opinion and I will stand by it. That being said, I know that it's not for everyone and I know that some people may come away hating the film but that's exactly the type of film that I go for. I know for sure that Black Swan is a great film with a lot of artistic merit, I know that I was personally riveted through the 108 minute running time and I know other people who felt the same way. I also know people who didn't feel that way and while I understand where they may be coming from, I would never chastise them for not feeling the way I feel. By the same token, I expect an equal amount of respect when it comes to that. It doesn't matter if you personally enjoy evaluating films or if you just feel like you have something to say about a particular film, but regardless... if a film has compelled you enough that you feel the need to say something about it, either positively or negatively then the film did something right. I'm sorry but that's true. I remember when Children of Men, There Will Be Blood, and Inglourious Basterds came out. There were people who loved those films as much as me and there were people who hated them, absolutely hated them. At first, I found it hard to believe that they come away from those films feeling that way. But I've since noticed that if those films stirred them in that way then the film must be good. It re-affirmed to me that those films are really that good, that these are the types of films that stick with people long after they've watched the film... even if they hate it and even if they normally don't have strong feelings about any films.
Since I know that my favorite films of each year will tend to be films that other people may hate, I expect the scrutiny and the hate. But this is the first year of which I have publicly expressed my opinions on these films and so when I see someone hate on a film that I liked so much, I feel personally obligated to respond. I know film, even at my young age. I know film inside and out. That type of confidence is what drives me to talk in so much depth and to publicly express my feelings on those films. So when my intelligence is insulted, or when I see people insult other people's intelligence when it comes to liking/disliking a film, I can't help but lose some respect for that person. It's ok if you don't like a film, that doesn't give you the right to insult the people that do like it. And that's the main thing that I've learned since I've started this blog and I just want to express to everyone that you would never get that type of disrespect from me. I made this blog because I love film and I love talking about film, I didn't make it to insert a sense of superiority. I expect that same level of respect from others.
Neverminding that, 2010 was a great year for film and 2011 is looking to be just as good. Although I expected 2011 to be a lot more top heavy than 2010. 2010 has about 20-25 films that are very solid with 10 of those films being just wonderful. Looking at the 2011 lineup in film, seeing the names of Malick, Payne, Speilberg, Reitman, Soderbergh but not much else... leads me to believe that 2011 will have some really great films but the top 5 films of 2011 may be on a much higher level than films 6-10 of 2011. I could be wrong and I hope that I'm wrong. Either way, I can't wait to find out. I will keep soldering on with this blog and I hope to update it even more in 2011 than I did in 2010. I hope you've enjoyed reading this blog as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Expect some more observations about films that came out from last year as I officially expect to close out the year of 2010 with my top 10 list later in the month (or in February).
The blog must go on!
p.s., I know that I dedicated one blog to ridiculing moviegoers who went to see Vampires Suck, but I feel that there is an exception to every rule. My only rule is, all films are fair game except films made by the idiots behind "Disaster Movie" and "Epic Movie." Forget it, those films are terrible and you shouldn't watch them because they're bad for you.
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