Monday, March 07, 2005

Time to Trim the Fat

I'm hankering to divest myself of about 100 DVDs; the convenience of Netflix has rendered my video library an unnecessary luxury, and I plan to dispense with most either through Ebay or some sort of yard sale.

In preparation last night I was going through the collection and trying to decide which films I absolutely wanted to keep, and based on the sheer number of times I revisit them, here are the films I must have in my house at all times:



I saw EWS in the theater three times and have watched the DVD in its entirety at least 10 times, and every time I see it I notice small details that shift or challenge my interpretation. This is also an aesthetically pleasing film.



I love everything about this film! The performances are great, the art direction and sets are sublime, the music is perfect, Lena Olin is nude, Polanski manages to be funny and spooky at the same time. I've seen this a dozen times and never tire of it. Mysteriously, Polanski explores much of the same thematic territory covered by Kubrick in EWS; the films even share some common scenes and scenarios.



Every time I see this I think "How can I watch this again?" Apocalypse Now is more than a film--I inhabit this film when I see it.



I've spent many hours in the Overlook Hotel, and plan to revisit it again and again. The remastered DVD is a revelation after my old washed-out VHS tape.



Another film, like The Shining, which manages to confine its characters in a wide open landscape cinematically shrunken by circumstance. Suffocating, dreadful, and mysterious. Wilford Brimley rules, as do the special effects. A film infinitely better than E.T.



Holly Hunter is simply the greatest, and I'm a huge fan of Harvey Keitel. I know a lot of folks don't "get" this movie; I think it's endlessly fascinating.







I could watch these movies back-to-back every month for the rest of my life and not tire of them.





I love Scorsese's stuff, and enjoy his more gritty, violent fare as much as anyone--but his two great religious pictures stir me profoundly. Scorsese's violent pictures always feature spiritual rejuvenation; his spiritual films explore the connection between suffering and redemption in more detail.



Daniel Day Lewis, Juliette Binoche, and Lena Olin--how could I not watch this over and over?





Cronenberg reminds us again and again that pain can be beautiful.



Fresh every viewing! I love it to death.

These will stay, but most of the rest can go (I'll hold on to all the Kubricks/Scorseses/John Carpenters/Cronenbergs/Lynches/Criterion Collections). I hope to rake in a significant chunk of change.

13 comments:

Nick said...

Lemme know whatchu gettin' rid of OK

I will pay $

curious

Geoff said...

North Pole volumes I, II, III--just kidding.

I'll let you know when I get around to it. Might be some good stuff and some cheesy stuff in there.

Nick said...

Yeah I know you could not part with those.

God, there's tumbleweeds here.

Nick said...

I shit you not---4ss Barnacle from 043 just came in with his own fold-up chair. The apocalypse is nigh!!!! W T F

Geoff said...

We're getting spanked! Some sign language class, a media class, and an Econ class have all conspired to send droves of mindless procrastinating peons in here looking for Gallaudet Today and Broadcasting and Cable and The Wall Street Journal, all of which we keep behind the desk.

Nick said...

Well, it is spring break for one of the colleges...

Geoff said...

@ss Barnacle! I saw him coming out of Starbucks the other day when I was walking to work.

One of the students here told me Tomato Boy used to come in all the time--there's somebody I haven't seen in a while. Wonder if he's still alive?

Same goes for Scratchy and Rollin' Nolan.

Nick said...

I'd welcome tomato boy and Nolan with open arms but barnacle creeps me out. I swore he came here years ago when I first started. I kept seeing someone scurrying around the LL stacks and I thought it was him but wasn't sure. Now I KNOW.


who was scratchy again?

Anonymous said...

Oh man, retail attracts the nicknamed.

Now we deal with Music Hog, Music Hag, "Buddy Can You Spare A Dime?", Cyrus Chestnut, and Smell-Cat. In the recent past we've had Dancing Bug, "Earth Wind and Fire", Reggae Man, Aqualung, Bluto, Bubble Head, B. B. Thing, and The Red Baron. Further back we had Dutch Boy and Fat Boy (and Tomato Boy). The names Nathan Alexander, Edwin Casey and Will need and deserve no nicknames - their trespasses are too monstrous for any levity. The worst are those which don't even have a known name - like the guy who wears cutoff sweatpants in the summer and "accidently" exposes himself when sitting in the cafe, then stalks women around the store.

Geoff said...

Ah, a familiar litany of the dregs of humanity--like Dick Tracy villains named after characteristics. Dutch Boy was one of the worst!

Scratchy was the guy with oily long hair; he dressed like a biker but looked like Ichabod Crane. His voice was barely audible, high-pitched, and scratchy. N. Lippy would have to kick him out every night because he'd refuse to leave until after close.

Nick said...

Whatta about Wet 'N' Wild, Herb Garden, Stevie Blunder, Hunky Homeless G(a)uy?

Dutch Boy, first passenger ever of the Maryland Light Rail!!!


The Grey Man, kicking a whole shelf of travel books at me...

Nick said...

Whatta about Wet 'N' Wild, Herb Garden, Stevie Blunder, Hunky Homeless G(a)uy?

Dutch Boy, first passenger ever of the Maryland Light Rail!!!


The Grey Man, kicking a whole shelf of travel books at me...

Geoff said...

Ah, precious memories. I still remember the first time I waited on Herb Garden.

"Y'all gots any books on herb gardens?"

I look up some titles, take him to the section, and he points to the title:

"That's my name! Ahahahahahahahah, hahahahahah!"

Fuckin' weird-o!

I still remember the woman who would put books on hold and then say people had read them before she did and now they were no good anymore. Fruitcake. She told me there were too many different faces in the store and mine was hair with a face.