Movie Blog!

In a world where Prime Time television was king, one man must fight to survive...


So, it was going to happen eventually, and I'm pretty sure its going to happen fairly often around here...It's MovieBlog! So, here's the deal: I am a moderate collector of DVDs--


*cough, cough*


Alright, Greer, I know. I am a pretty big collector of DVDs--


*loud throat clearing, perhaps masking the word "bullshit"*


Ok, fine! I'll admit it...I am addicted to collecting DVDs. I have a problem. I cannot quit anytime I want. And I will not be going to meetings because it feels too good and I have not yet hit rock bottom. And I won't hit rock bottom, because I'm impervious to the pitfalls of having too many DVDs.

Here are the pitfalls:

1. Space: After about 200 DVDs, finding a place to put them becomes a bit of a hassle. I used to use tall DVD racks, which took a large portion of my living room wall in Rome. Now I use large media books. Lots of them.

2. What to watch? This problem may be unique to the massive DVD collections, and my friends who remember the days the DVDs were actually out in the open on display will remember this...There are so many movies that you can't figure out what to watch! You see something you'd like, but you're ambivalent about it because you think if you look long enough, something will jump out of you that needs watching.

3. Borrowing and lending: This has gotten way easier. Before, it was difficult to keep up with who had what, but not to worry! From my business class days in undergrad, I have learned to use Microsoft Access to create a DVD database! It has everything, and I also have set up a box to click if a DVD is "checked out" and who has it. This also helps with #2 because now I can browse on my computer screen without having to actually go through pages upon pages of movies. That's right, I made a database for my movies. I'm a total nerd. Notice I didn't say a geek because I can't fix anything technical that breaks down, but I can still enjoy the many benefits.


Anywho, there's the background. So, amidst talk of music and various things that interest me, I think I'm also going to post entries every now and then that highlight a movie I've watched lately. Oh, and as a sidebar--I don't really watch TV. If there's an interesting TV show that I catch at some point, I'll just get it on DVD. Why should I have to make sure that I'm at the same place at 9 o'clock on thursdays, week after week? I'm a rebel. An outlaw. And I watch when I want.


So, *Dah, Ta-DA!* Time for MOVIEBLOG!


This weeks movie:


Groundhog Day! That's right--I love this movie. Instead of being another romantic comedy--it's also this crazy existential trip through a weird time loophole that has an angry, acerbic Phil Connors living the same day over and over...for eons and eons.

I think the "eons and eons" aspect is what people may miss only seeing this movie once. There's this implied sense that Phil has been in this time warp for thousands of years. It doesn't really come out and say it in the script, but you can see these really incredible changes in the way he deals with the things around him. The same people, the same weather, the same events...forever.

An interesting fact: Originally, the script opens right smack in the middle of the curse, with Phil somehow knowing exactly what's going to happen all day long. Then. the films flashes back to February 1, the day before the curse. I guess the filmmakers thought that would be a little too avant garde for a general release romantic comedy, so they keep it pretty sequential.

I'm not going to spoil it--all I have to say to you, dear reader, is go rent it. It's an extremely funny movie that imparts a worthwhile message about happiness, making the most of time, and respect for holidays in which rodents predict the weather. I know I learned my lesson.

Which brings us to:

TUNE(s) OF THE WEEK!!!!

This week, I'm going to post links to 2 pieces of music prominently featured in Groundhog Day.

the first:

Rhapsody on a theme by Paganini, 18th variation
Rachmaninoff

This is a piece you've undoubtedly heard at least snippets of before. It's become a bit of a classical background cliché, which is too bad because it really is a haunting melody. If you feel like a real treat, hunker down and listen to the whole Rhapsody (It's available for listening on YouTube). Rach's writing for piano and orchestra is insane and definitely worth your time to check out.

and the second:

Ray Charles - You Don't Know Me

Also featured in Groundhog Day, Ray Charles' hit accents Phil's plaintive attempts at love. I think this is a tremendous song, and Ray's soulful voice sends it straight home unlike many of the covers of this tune. There's a feeling of "just get to know me, and you'll see."

Enjoy, friends. Until next time!