Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Welcome to The Reaction Shot



My name is Ross Colgan and I am a self-diagnosed film fanatic.  I have always liked movies, but it wasn't until the winter of 2009 that I really fell in love with them.  I was 21 years old, had recently moved to San Francisco, had a part time job and very few friends and found myself facing a ton of free time and an impending anxiety disorder.

Luckily, I also had a subscription to Turner Classic Movies and a DVR.

I would spend ten minutes a day searching through the television guide weeks into the future, downloading to my DVR every movie on TCM that I was even remotely interested in.  It started with vague recollections of hearing the name of a film. "It Happened One Night," sure I've heard of that, I'll record it, "From Here To Eternity," oh that's where that famous kiss on the beach was from.

Soon I had given myself quite the film school.  I became intensely interested in certain directors, and would scour the guide to fill my DVR with everything I could by Billy Wilder and Woody Allen and Ingmar Bergman and Martin Scorsese and Orson Wells and Sidney Lumet and John Huston.  The list kept expanding.

These films were vastly better than any of the movies I could find at a Redbox.  I couldn't imagine that anyone wouldn't enjoy these films and appreciate them as much as I now did.

But the fact remains that a lot of people won't watch a movie if it's older than they were alive. Some people won't watch a film that's not in color. Most people wouldn't touch a silent movie.

I get it.

It can be daunting and challenging to watch a film from another era.  Clothes have changed, technology has changed, propriety has changed, the way we speak to each other has changed and this can all get in the way of enjoying a film.  Things can seem unintentionally silly or quaint.

My goal in this blog is to talk about films that are universally considered to be the best ever made, most of which were not made in the 21st century--most of which were not made in the second half of the 20th century--and discuss them in a way that is as welcoming and fun as it is informative.

We are living in an exciting time in the adolescence of an art form.  Film is barely over a century old, a baby compared to music or painting or sculpture, and we can enjoy the whole of it.  There have been thousands of films made and yes, a lot of them are trash, but the ones worth watching--the ones that have shaped modern cinema, are worth not only a watch, but an appreciation.  A Conversation.

So in the words of Rick at the end of Casablanca, * "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful blogger-reader relationship."


- Ross Colgan




*NOTE, he didn't really say that.  Sorry.

3 comments:

  1. I really like your blog topic. I grew up watching such movies back when AMC actually played American movie classics! Your About Me summed up who you are pretty well and I find it interesting how you developed your passion. I didn't see a blog description that would be present under the Blog Title. I like your title but I definitely think that a description is needed because if I were on a mobile device and the screen not wide enough to display the red curtains, I wouldn't know what it was about.
    Your first post was a good starting point. I look forward to reading your analysis. The body text is a little small but I could just be getting old (probably the case).

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  2. I think this is a really interesting blog! i love that you are "self diagnosed!" I could not find your blog description so I would try to add that in :) I think your first post is really interesting. I cant wait to read more and hear more about the movies that you think are "the ones" to see! i love movies as well and am really intrigued to hear your opinions and thoughts! This blog seems really interesting! The only improvement i would say is that it looks as if your "about me" and actual posts look like they are in the same blog post, i dont mind, but i think they could have been different posts. but this looks like an awesome start!

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  3. I really like your topic you chose for your blog, from your first post and about me section it is clear that this is something you are genuinely passionate about. The one thing I would say is your first post could have been a little different because I noticed it had a lot of similarities with your about me section. Not a big deal though I still found your post and writing style very conversational and personable. Can't wait to read more!

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