So, perhaps like me you are a person who loves reading books, watching movies (or "films" as my dork self prefers to call them most of the time), and devours everything and anything pop culture. Perhaps you are just someone who likes to read reviews and commentary about these things and then use that as some sort of gauge as to whether you'll even bother checking something out.
...OR of course you might just have "stumbled" across this blog because, a) I forced you to visit due to your deep and undying commitment to our friendship, or b) you're someone in my immediate family and feel obliged to visit this blog because I begged you.
Well in any of those cases, welcome!
I suppose I could start this thing by explaining why I'm bothering to write this blog at all, right? Hmm, well after careful consideration these are the main reasons (in order of importance):
- It gives me something to do when I'm bored.
- Even if I'm the only one who ever reads the bloody thing, at least I'll be flexing my writing muscles a bit.
- I figured starting a blog (for the zillionth time) about things I love (films and books and other randoms), might actually lead to my being capable of starting and keeping a blog for more than ten minutes.
- I watch so many movies and read so many books in a given year that I thought: why not write about them and impart my not-so-important wisdom onto others just like me?
A couple of things you should/could/might not care about me (and which I believe are relevant to this blog)...
- I have loved films since a very young age when my parents used to have "Saturday Night Movie Night!" (exclamation point definitely warranted), where we would wear our pyjamas and watch crappy early 90s kids flicks on the fold-out couch in the living room.
- I have been a bookworm for even longer than I've been a film nut, but my tastes in books are far less snobby and much more random. Case in point: I've read everything from historical WWII books, to all of Charlaine Harris' Sookie Stackhouse series, to Shakespeare and Austen).
- At the tender age of 14 I decided that I would be an Academy Award winning actress, which involved countless wasted hours of practicing acceptance speeches into the mirror, and answering press questions about what I was wearing ("Thanks for asking Joan (Rivers, that is) This is a great outfit I had made for me by Northern Getaway!"
- At the tender age of 18, after a string of fun yet embarassing public theatre performances with my high school (slutty Eponine from Les Mis, anyone?) I realized that I was quite possibly the worst actor of all-time and therefore set my sights on something much more tangible: winning the Pulitzer prize (this later materialized into journalism which has led to a good 'adult' career for me).
- I can sometimes be very snobby when it comes to movies, an unfortunate fact that was only bolstered when I took a series of dry film theory classes in university. I will try not to come across as pretentious (afterall, I don't make films for a living so I know I'm quite likely wrong 3/4 of the time). And also, despite this admission, I have been known to love many a cheesy rom-com, sappy musical, or horrid teen comedy.
- I am an aspiring documentary filmmaker (when not paying the bills at my real-life job in communications). My ultimate goal is to someday stop writing about what others have done, and actually be one of the creators myself.
One last thing though about these reviews and other ramblings: don't be offended if I completely hate a movie you adore or completely love a book that you think is the scourge of the earth. While I am quite good at making my opinions known, they are just that - my opinions (and believe me you're probably right, and I'm probably wrong). If you agree/disagree with me, I want to hear why and I welcome comments (just be nice!).
Ok, that's all now...I swear it. Onwards and upwards! Here I come world! Look out Roger Ebert! Ah, who I am kidding? Hope you like this initial posting enough to come back sometime ;)
