This is My 500th Post

As you can tell from the title of this post, I am celebrating a milestone.  I’d like to thank everyone who takes the time to come here and read my posts, and especially those who join in the discussion by leaving comments. 

I figured for this post I would take a quick look back at some of my favorite recommendations.

Below are my ten favorite movies from among the hundreds I have reviewed.  Please note: this is not a “greatest movies of all time”, or “most technically proficient movies of all time”, or best of whatever criteria you might use for what makes a favorite movie.  I simply go on the impact the movie had on me when I watched it.  Also, this is not my complete Top 10 movies of all time because I simply have not reviewed some of them yet (i.e. Lawrence of Arabia).

As you will see, I tend to like happy movies.  In fact, I’m always a little leery of people who dislike them.  “Too silly!”, they scoff.  “Unrealistic!”, they charge.  “They’re kissing again.  Do we have to hear the kissing parts?”, they whine.  Okay, that last quote was from the little grandson in The Princess Bride, but that’s exactly how all these grownups sound when they complain about good, romantic movies for no other reason than that they are romantic. 

Why does a movie that makes someone happy “smack of manipulation”, but a movie that makes someone depressed “shows true art”?

After discussing movies with a woman I had known for a little while she all of a sudden exclaimed, “You’re a romantic!”  She said this in a tone of voice that was part delight, part astonishment, and part “Did I just see Bigfoot?”  All I have to say to this statement of hers is, “Guilty as charged.”

Each of the movie titles is a link to my review:

1.  The Princess Bride (1987) – a great movie for everyone

2.  Seven Samurai (1954) - a true epic in every way

3.  Amelie (2001) – fall in love with a wonderful Frenchwoman

4.  Whale Rider (2002) – the little movie that could

5.  Pride & Prejudice (2005) – the best version of one of the classic love stories

6.  Shakespeare in Love (1998) – a movie done as if written by the bard himself

7.  Throne of Blood (1957) – Shakespeare meets Japanese theater

8.  The Silence of the Lambs (1991) – riveting performances and big scares

9.  The Man from Earth (2007) – a movie with no gimmicks, just a great story

10.The Avengers (2012) – well written and enormously entertaining

In addition to movie posts, I sometimes recommend books, hikes, and TV shows.  I also have an occasional humor post.  Here are my favorites among those:

TV – Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Book – Ender's Game

Hike – The Beehive and Champlain Mountain

Humor – What Happened to the Ads?  (This is my favorite not because it is the funniest, but because I was able to turn a bad experience into one I could laugh at.)

A few months back I tried a new type of post with my Discussion Starters, but they didn’t go very far.  I may or may not try them again.  I am kind of proud of my two posts on the Pros and Cons of shakycam, though.

I’ve still got plenty of ideas for movie categories (i.e. Great Movie Years, Misquoted Movies, “What’s in the Case?”, Maine People, The First Movie I Saw Them In, Conjunction Junction, “Once Upon a Time”, Funny Chases, and about 100 more.)  I also have some unfinished business in that I need to write a review for the latest Derrick Storm graphic novel for my All Things Castle category, and I still need to watch and review Brave for my 2012 Big Summer Movies category.

I hope to someday be writing a “This is my 1,000^th post” post.  And I hope that those of you reading this are still there with me (and that you’ve brought some new friends along.)

Thanks.