Dear April,
As I mentioned to you last night, we’re reaching that point with our Netflix queue where we’ve consumed most of the stuff worth watching. The well of Battlestar Galactica and The Wire-level serial dramatic TV on DVD has begun to run dry. And as our recent experiments in trying to catch up on new releases have demonstrated — a Total Recall remake? Seth MacFarlane as a weed-smoking teddy bear with Peter Griffin’s voice? How desperate were we? — we’re probably better off reaching further back if we’re to find a more consistent quality to our evening entertainments.
So here are a few potential paths we could consider:
1. Watch the entire Criterion Collection. Maybe in order?
You’re always complaining (rightfully) that the past few years I’ve spend too much time on politics and don’t show you weird, artsy movies anymore. Well here’s the mother lode and now we should start exploring it.
2. Watch the complete filmographies of great directors.
You mentioned last night that you’d be up for all of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies. That’s a direction I wouldn’t mind pursuing (and it would include plenty of Criterion titles.) Among more recent directors I wouldn’t mind re-watching all of the Coen brothers or Darren Aronofsky. But I’d love to explore older directors too like Frank Capra and Billy Wilder. And you still haven’t seen most of Stanley Kubrick’s movies, right?
3. Watch all of the Best Picture Oscar-winners. In order?
I’m just itching to start exploring more classic Hollywood films, especially those from the ’30s and ’40s. Time to really start understanding the history of this strange town that’s just 15 minutes down the road…
4. Begin to explore foreign film more?
First on the list I’d put Italian and Japanese cinema. During my film obsessive days I never made much progress plowing through Fellini and Pasolini’s filmographies. Akira Kurosawa and Yasujiro Ozu still have too many titles I need to check off my list too.
5. Since we’re taking the year off from DisneyLand what if we compensated by educating ourselves on the totality of Disney’s output? What if we tried to watch more classic Disney films?
For my Monday family blogging at PJ Lifestyle I’m going to try and focus on Disney, the complete picture — the man, the company, and his films. I started reading Disney’s World by Leonard Mosley this morning and had no idea that the creator of the Happiest Place on Earth possessed such familiar flaws and shortcomings.
So which direction shall we go? Say the world and I’ll prepare the queue…
Love,
Dave
P.S. I also need your help with an article I’m working on. Earlier this month I promised readers a list justifying our choices for the “5 Do-Them Every Time Rides.” I have not yet delivered and suspect that your assistance is required…
******
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