Rules of Film Club

There are no rules of film club.

The general practice is, as Lisa mentioned hearing from Ben, to write at least one sentence about every movie you see.

But no one is enforcing even this one standard.

Other than that general unenforced expectation, anything goes.

Brandon and I started this thing spontaneously and organically because we liked talking about movies together. But we're not leaders or presidents. We're just a couple of guys that like talking/writing about film who have been thrilled to find a few more friends who like to do the same. As co-founder of this modest group, I have no more "say" than any of the rest of you. You've been welcomed here. We won't kick you out even if you puke on the virtual table every night. The only way you're leaving is if you decide you're done and abandon blog.

I mean, hell, we've let Jason stay this long, right? :)

All that said, I do have a few quirks of my own. The email thing is definitely one of them. Due to the peculiarities of the way I currently access the Internet (90% of my Internet activity is through my iPod Touch), I'm just not going to read what you're writing if it isn't coming to my inbox. And I WANT TO READ YOUR BLOGS as soon and as often as possible. Seeing a new post is a real joy. I check feeds, too, but not nearly as often as I check my email and the best app I've found for feeds is still more of a pain than I'd like. So, I ask that simple favor of each new member.

I make up other rules for myself, especially with little projects. Two of those projects right now?

1) Catching up with Brandon's 40s-50s lists. I could just list all of the movies that I've seen, probably about 40% of Brandon's lists and a handful that he hasn't seen. Instead, I make a stupid rule for myself that I can only put a movie on a list if I have or will write about it on this blog. The reason behind the rule is to force me to re-watch favorite movies. And also to be continually shamed by how pathetic my lists look next to Brandon's.

2) 1929. I'm currently watching and ranking films from 1929. The rule? I have to watch each of these films with my wife, which is a true joy, but slows my viewing of these films down because I watch a lot more than she does. I'll often be watching a movie while she's doing something practical or I'll watch something when I get up extra early or, less frequently, stay up way too late. Watching a feature film at 10pm is a lot less likely to happen than falling asleep to an episode of Smallville and even that's on hiatus until we get Season 3. I've forbidden myself from watching any movie from 1929 without her.

My latest and best rule? A film is eligible for a year's Top Ten list only if it was actually first released in that year. I maintain that this is entirely reasonable, but I have all of Film Club and virtually all professional critics against me.

BUT, all of the above rules are for myself and not for any of you. Watch movies. Make up your own rules. Or don't.

Keep writing no matter what.