Obviously I need to come up with a new name; suggestions are welcome. Anyway here's the idea: I'm really into the movie The Shining (see above picture in which I am literally "really into" the movie). Since I just co-wrote a scary book I found myself watching The Shining over and over for various reasons that I won't even mention because I'd have to type all day to get across the sublime nature of The Shining (one of Kubrick's Michaelangelo-like monuments to the sublime).
And I realized, I've seen this damn thing so many times that I know everything they're going to say in the movie before they say it. I can't even remember the first time I saw it, and, at that time, I'd already read the book (which is very different), so I wasn't coming at the story "fresh" (or "virginal").
But maybe there's somebody on Horrorthon who's never seen The Shining! That would be great, because (assuming I could induce that person to watch and review it) I could get that particular fun insight into a favorite movie that comes from a friend checking it out and reporting back.
Then it occurred to me that there's got to be some "crucial" movie of someone else's that I haven't seen. Ultimately we're looking at a simple informational task that would end up with everybody knowing who is the "movie virgin" for their favorite horror movie (or regular movie), and then everyone checking out the movies and reporting back. Like I said, it needs a better name, and we don't need to do anything that would make anyone feel tired or under pressure (as October Horrorthon stuff can). But, can you dig it? Like Secret Santas, kind of, without any secrets or gifts, but with movie reviews.
13 comments:
jordan- i am so in. however, i will choose a really bad movie as my "contribution" so you may want to play without me.
I think it's a great idea and I love the name! But unfortunately I don't think you'll find anyone here who hasn't seen the Shining.
I love it Jordan but as JSP said I think you might be hard pressed to find anyone here who hasn't seen the shining. I know I have a few obscure favorites that might have gotten past some people here and I'd be more than willing to share. On the other side of it, I'd love the challenge of finding and watching a few hidden gems that I've never seen. Count me in and I love the name.
I love the idea!
How about this:
1) A "trial run" set up so that (ideally)
a: each person watches/reviews 1 previously-unseen movie
b: each person's "favorite" was watched/reviewed by somebody else (who'd never seen it
2) It could be like Secret Santas, with double/blind data so that the person reviewing doesn't know whose "favorite" they're watching and/or the person mentioning a "favorite" has no idea who's going to review it.
Fun. Okay, it looks like no one is naming their seminal films yet, but I know what mine is.
Just wanted to share a few fun experiences that had to do with this theme. Once, when I was touring around the country doing improv, our group holed up in Oregon for a few days in this crappy motel. We spent most of the time hiking in the Columbia River Gorge, but one day, we got all three (well all three at that time) Star Wars movies and a VCR from a local rental place, and we watched them all in succession. There was a guy there who had never seen them, and it was really a fun day. He was super spiritual (kinda creepily so) and we were always joking about "the dark side" so it was great that he finally got to see those movies. He dug them, but not as much as those of us who saw them starting at eight years old. Is there any way to replicate that experience?
Second, my ex claimed to be a horror fan, and I've never really made that claim. But he'd never seen Evil Dead 2. It was so fun showing it to him. He could not believe he'd missed it. It was a revelation.
On the down side, there was the time that Octo showed me The Tall Guy, which he'd been talking about pretty much since we went out back in the 90s. I was very excited to see it, since I love Emma Thompson. I've been a huge fan of hers since I saw her doing Shakespeare, when she was married to that Kenneth guy and not famous yet. I'm like a rabid Emma Thompson fan.
Well, that was a virgin backfire. Not only did I not like the movie, but Jeff hated it by the time we were done watching it. It was so embarrassingly dated that he still cringes whenever it comes up in conversation. I think he can't quite believe he ever liked it!
This sounds like terrific fun! I have a movie in mind that I'd like to put out there. I completely agree with the double blind. Should we each pick like 3 films just to make sure there are enough choices?
1) Okay, so each participant needs to come up with a movie. Pick something that you're totally in love with but that you're additionally so damn familiar with that you can't even call it "watching" any more, when you see it. It's just too hard to get caught up in the story. You anticipate every move.
2) We'll anonymously toss all those titles into a pot (digitally speaking). (I'll make a little web app to do this part.)
3) A list will come up of all the movies. Everyone can anonymously select a movie (it will disappear from the list). The gizmo will keep track of whose writing which review and who originally posted each movie.
4) I'm not sure what should happen if there aren't enough movies or aren't enough "virginal" viewers for the movies that are proposed/listed. Any ideas?
"I'm not sure what should happen if there aren't enough movies or aren't enough "virginal" viewers for the movies that are proposed/listed. Any ideas?"
I think we should each submit 2 or 3 movies in order to avoid that problem.
Yeah, and rank them, right? More coding, but so what.
I really love this idea.
I love that damn picture by the way. It's as though you're not particularly pleased with the flowing blood behind you and you've done everything in your power to stop it but resigned yourself to that fact that it's out of your control.
Totally in - just need to hammer out the details. 3 anonymous submissions? I'm certain that one of mine is a dead giveaway to my identity. So 3 separate anonymous submissions perhaps? Jordan, this is your glorious beast so the rulebook burden is on you.
I'm in. I'm not sure mine will be all that unwatched, but I'll try...
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