Once more, into the breach

I'm starting this blog to post my thoughts and efforts in documenting my viewing of the Criterion/Eclipse collection of films.

This is something I've been wanting to do for some time - I've still got two or three irons in the fire - (I am finishing a viewing of all the cinema by Satyajit Ray, and there is some overlap here) But mostly I've been wanting to take advantage of the selection of Criterion DVD's in the Twin Cities, and we'll see how this goes, whether or not I'm able to contribute anything to the conversation or if it's just "Good film - needs more explosions"

For the most part, I plan on using Library Materials in the Hennepin and St. Paul Public Library system and hitting the interlibrary loan system if need be  - I own a few DVD's and Blu-Ray's but as part of my attempt to declutter my life, will not be doing much purchasing at the present time unless I find some of the material (like the Zatoichi collection) is going out of print.

In addition, I hope to post some thoughts on cinema from the POV of an amateur - someone who barely knows anything about cameras, or angles, or pacing - I have friends who have directed movies and they no doubt will be vastly amused if they come read this - I was a broadcasting major in College but my experience was limited to Radio

My PLAN is to go in numerical order on the spine - I may have to find other publishers for out-of-print DVD's but I will avail myself of all the essays on the Criterion website before watching, and go into these films with a small grasp of what I'm getting into

When it comes to the Eclipse series, I may skip around a bit, we'll see. I can already tell based on availability there is one collection I want to watch ahead of the others.

I am partial to Japanese, some French, and Indian Cinema, mostly because I have either been to those countries, or just really REALLY like Samurai films - so you've been warned :)

Finally one last thought - and it's political so you can skip this paragraph now if you don't like politics - I dislike the wave of Nationalism that has taken over the United States with the election of Donald Trump. I recognize that America has it's own culture, with good and bad points, and that we've got some great cinema, but I feel too often we only look at ourselves.   I feel the citizens of my country would benefit greatly from having more exposure to the outside world, countries, political systems, values, etc - even if we don't embrace them.  As part of my time in India (for work) I got to know several Indians who discussed their new Prime Minister, and got to see that in some ways, the fights we have between Conservative and Progressive values are not at all unique to America, or even Democracies.

My hope is that by viewing all these (mostly) foreign films, that I will be a better citizen of the world and better able to understand the conversation and history of what has taken place prior to now.   And of course, to be entertained - anything like this is worth doing if it's fun :)

I will create a twitter account to link to this and will follow any other movie blogs that are interested

and....to begin with, we will start with an out-of print Criterion DVD I had to go to Downtown St. Paul to get - The Grand Illusion, by Jean Renoir

RB