A rant about film from a film fanatic

What happened to the good old days of genre film? Looking through my DVD collection, which has passed the 1500 movie mark, I see tons of titles of films that would never work nowadays, or better yet wouldn't be able to be sold through any of the big film companies or in any of their smaller 'independent' companies either. Films like Coffy, Thriller: A Cruel Picture, Almost Human, Fight For Your Life or Superfly. Films that pushed the envelope every time and sometimes had a bit of social relevance and sometimes they just offended to get ticket sales. But they always held your interest and people were willing to stick around for double and triple features. We see as a whole this can't be done anymore with the common moviegoer. Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez failed with their fun homage to the genre picture Grindhouse. Seeing it at an advanced screening where there were rabid fans of the filmmakers and celebrities like Dee Snider and the like there, it was a great experience, an experience that I envy my father and others had the chance to see back in the 70's and early 80's.

I also envy the film fanatics who live in Los Angeles and Austin, who have great theaters who cater to genre fans by showcasing the best of the best and sometimes the worst of the worst. It's a real experience to watch a film that's got a bad reputation, such as Faces of Death or I Spit on Your Grave with a bunch of friends at home and being shocked, amazed, horrified, hysterical and all these other emotions that a film can bring to people. But it's another feeling all together to have it blown up on the big screen and to watch it with a crowd of well informed movie fans who are there for that particular reason and not some new multiplex movie that has a bunch of brats and mongoloids who can't bear to leave their phone off for 2 hours, let alone for upwards of 4 or 5 hours. Perish the thought to have a film nowadays without one cellphone going off or hearing someone text right next to you. To see the little luminescent atrocities around you, as if you were at a Asia concert and wanting a shotgun to the mouth in the worst way.

Is there anything wrong in what I'm saying? This is an outcry to fans of film in New York City. We need some good theaters again. Sure, there's a few that will play the new independent film or genre picture that you wouldn't be able to see in North Dakota. But I want old films, films that haven't been blown up on the big screen here in NYC since the heyday of the grindhouse cinema. When you were afraid to go to the theaters. When you would sit on god knows what and try to dodge a bum, a hooker and a cop all in the same aisle, all probably doing one another as well.

I want a theater I can go to and see a Monte Hellman film. Or a Russ Meyer film. Imagine one of his films on the big screen? Hoo boy, blows my mind thinking about it. Hell, I'd love to see Plan 9 From Outer Space on a screen somewhere. Anywhere, it doesn't matter. I just want to feel the excitement the film industry used to showcase. Not to say the quality has gotten worse, but there was a method to a good genre film of the 70's. The way they were so awkwardly paced, you'd think it was by accident. Maybe it was, but who cares? I'd rather watch Cotton Comes to Harlem than a film like The Reader any day, and I think if you gave people a chance with more of a selection, you might have a change in the industry.

But what do I know? Madea Goes to Jail just topped this weekend's box office with $42 million of receipts while Coraline has barely made $55 million and it's got a ton of things going for it that other tripe doesn't, such as a stop motion film by Henry Selick from a book written by Neil Gaiman. How could you lose with that combination? And it's in 3-D too, so you're always a winner when it comes to this experience. But sadly it flounders a bit while shit will always rise to the top.

Henceforth I will be attempting to write an article a day detailing my film collection in general. All the DVDs I've bought over the years and if they are worthy for you, the audience, to see. Maybe on the big screen again or if at all, considering some of these films barely made it on any format in general. You might say that I should do something about it. You're right, I should attempt to do something. Which I will in my own little way by having friends over every week for a double feature. One week will be a Charles Bronson theme, the next it might be a little nunsploitation action. I really do have way too many movies to waste on just myself; why not try to give back to the people who need it the most?

If someone rich is reading this and wants to start doing screenings in a bigger venue, let me know. I'm all for it, especially with so many ideas for film in my head, I might be able to throw one of my soon to be made films within a smorgasbord of some old school faves. The ideas are endless too for cool double features. It's actually got me a big excited right now, so I need to see if people are truly down for this idea. A day that everyone is free in some sort of way is going to be tough, but it is doable.

I just want to make film exciting again. I haven't been excited in a movie since The Dark Knight and before that a handful of films touched me in certain ways but never to the point of a nerdgasm. Watchmen will probably be one of those films, but who knows? The people in the theater might annoy the shit out of me. Actually, I kind of know that for a fact because the advertising has been pretty sly to the fact that I've heard people saying, "Yo this film looks like the bomb. It's like Batman on crack, you know?" Which makes me shudder a bit, but then again gives hope to film geeks everywhere that there might be a chance to get some harder to market films out there.

But do we want to cater to the normal film fan? I'm diverting from the original intent of this blog topic, so I'll cut it short and sweet and maybe divulge a bit more on today's film goer. For now I'll leave it at this; going to start a little film revolution of sorts, even if it has to start in my tiny apartment. I mean, if Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin could start Def Jam Records in their dorm room, anything is possible.

-James