Welcome!

Hi there, and welcome to my movie blog! This being the first post, I should probably say a few things about myself and why I’ve decided to start this blog. If you’re looking for actual movie-related content, then you can look forward to the blog proper starting either later today or tomorrow. But for everyone who doesn’t mind indulging me for a few moments, feel free to keep reading.

It’s been quite a while now since I first considered starting a blog about movies. I love movies – I love reading, writing, and talking about them. And, of course, I love watching them. My friends were encouraging when I mentioned the idea, and I decided that I would follow through with it. But, time and time again, I put off getting started.

More than anything else, the problem was getting off the ground. I’ve always thought the hardest part of doing most things is getting started, and that it gets a lot easier once you have momentum on your side. So here’s hoping that momentum is with me this time around, and that it can stay with this blog for a good long time.

So why even start a movie blog, anyway? Well, one thing that I’ve found especially encouraging as a fan of the movies over the last few years is how much more “aware” the mainstream public is when it comes to the world of film. Just a few years ago, the movies that made it to the major awards shows were easily dismissed by a lot of viewers. Oftentimes, people hadn’t even heard of the movies that had been nominated for the most prominent awards. Today, however, these types of movies are much more widely recognized and, as a result, they are much more successful. This has put a pressure on the entire movie-making world to produce higher-quality movies throughout the entire year, not just during the so-called “awards season.” If you’re doubtful, just look at the high caliber of America’s summer blockbusters over the last few years. Overall, right now is a great time to be a movie fan.

I have to give most of the credit for this shift to the Internet – to news sites and blogs devoted to informing us and expanding our enjoyment of film in one way or another. They make the world of film more accessible, more social, and more exciting, and they provide the casual fan and the hardened movie aficionado alike with a place where they can feel at home. I can only hope that my own little blog lives up to the precedent established by so many others before me.

At this point, I hope I’ve made it clear that this blog isn’t about just me. Conversation is one of the most exciting things we can do when it comes to movies, and I encourage you, whether you agree or disagree with what I have to say, to leave comments expressing your own opinions. Heck, why not leave a comment on this post when you’ve finished reading?

As for the specific direction of this blog, I don’t plan for it to be a “movie news” blog. I also don’t plan for it to be a “reviews-only” blog. Instead, I think it should be a little bit of both. We don’t compartmentalize our thoughts about movies in such a rigid, fact/opinion way, so it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me to write about them in that way either.

That said, I’ll be sure to comment on movie news that I find interesting or significant. And when I do review movies, I’ll do my best to keep the movies I review relevant in some way. In most cases they will either be fairly recent (to theaters or DVD), part of a special theme I’m talking about, or part of a “Movie of the Week” feature that I plan on doing. So, hopefully, that leaves a bit of something for everyone.

Anyhow, I figure that’s enough for one post. Welcome again, and whether you were one of the people who encouraged me to start this blog in the first place or you’ve just stumbled across it from some distant corner of the net, I hope you stick around.

-Marc