Part 2: Adam’s Movie Review List II [The first post from AMRL's current incarnation]
For about one-and-a-half years, beginning in November of 1999, I focused a love of movies and a love of writing and an obsession with going to see movies into my own sort of movie review “list.” I reviewed, in my own way, every movie that I saw in a theater, and sent it, on email, to the world. At first, the world consisted of maybe five people, or maybe two, it’s hard to say. By the end, the world consisted of around fifty, which seemed quite exciting to me.
Eventually I tired of writing so much, so often, and I drifted away from reviewing. Since that time I have drifted away from movies, as well. I still enjoy them immensely, but I don’t go to see nearly as many, and I don’t scour the movie news websites daily to learn every little thing I can about every little film.
That said, some former members of Adam’s Movie Review List still ask me if I would ever start again. Some have even suggested a blog. So here I am, to try again, to work with shorter, less frequent reviews, and to resurrect Adam’s Movie Review List within these cozy confines. I will numble on movies, I think, along with everything else.
‘Nuff said.
Part 1: ADAM and his LIST [The "About" page from the web edition of the original AMRL]
Well. I suppose I’ll start at the start.
I really started going to movies on a regular basis around my freshman year in college. That was the first year I ever saw all of the Best Picture candidates (Titanic, The Full Monty, As Good as it Gets, Good Will Hunting, and L.A. Confidential). It wasn’t until the next year that I really started getting picky about what I went to see. And that’s when I got addicted. That was 1998.
At the end of October, 1999, I went to see Fight Club, all by myself because no one wanted to go with me. It was excellent, and a lot of heavy stuff happened in it. I came back feeling all beat up, but there was no one to talk about it with. This was very frustrating. I felt I had to get it out.
The next movie I saw was Run Lola Run. This time, just for fun, I wrote a short, very amateur review and sent it to three people. Even though I didn’t ask them if they wanted it, those are the three charter members of Adam’s Movie Review List.
After getting a taste for it with Lola, I sent out a letter to all my friends and some other people, asking them if they would like to be on my new movie review list. Most of my friends ignored the letter, though I forced them on later. I decided to review all movies I saw in theatres, no videos. And thus, Adam’s Movie Review List was born.
I like to write about what I think about movies. It makes me feel powerful. No, no, just kidding. I just like it. My list has grown from three to over thirty. I now stretch from coast to coast, and periodically send reviews to other countries (right now two people get my reviews in Asia). My reviews are usually spoiler-free, since I don’t believe in giving anything important away. I instead just write my thoughts. I don’t give any sort of rating to movies because I think people put too much emphasis on stars or thumbs or whatever. People who read my reviews have to determine, from my reflections, whether or not they would like the movie. I also don’t just see every movie that comes out. I only see the ones I want to and think will be good. For that reason, I rarely have negative reviews. I’m sorry if this disappoints some of you. I would just rather not suffer for two hours and waste my money, if I can help it. If I ever do, though, my list members will certainly hear about it.
Now, thanks to the world wide web, Adam’s Movie Review List is accessible from anywhere in the world. Ha! Imagine that. It even allows for this little story. Whether that is a good or bad thing, I guess, depends on how much you like stories. Or actually, this story. If you want to find the real story behind my list, or you don’t believe this one, I suggest going through all the reviews in order and reading only the introductory paragraph. Read them, however, at your own risk.
Oh heck yeah.
‘Nuff said.
