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Hello!

A quiet week at DVD Savant. I'm prepping a book review for the column, as well as a review of a disc designed to sell primarily for its expert commentary track. I guess I'll find a better way to explain that when I get to the review itself.

I'm also debating whether or not to review Olive Films' beautifully encoded Blu-ray of Miracle of the Bells, a late-forties' movie with Fred MacMurray and Frank Sinatra about the power of Faith and Goodness. Or at least, that's what it wants to be about. I found its values offensive, and I wonder if I shouldn't disqualify myself from writing about it just because it affects me so strongly. I alienate enough readers by leaking my political thoughts, so why press my luck with churchgoers?

I do get asked how I choose what to review. What's offered is a big part of that answer, of course. Savant isn't limited to old movies; I just avoid things I find bad or dull. I'm in with some trends but not others. I've stopped going to see most mega-budget superhero epics, because I forget what them almost as soon as I exit the theater. I try not to chase after the big titles that everyone's writing about, and that includes many of the Oscar winners in the last ten years. It's more rewarding to investigate movies slightly outside the mainstream, that readers might appreciate learning about. It's great when I hear from a viewer who thinks he may have discovered something based on a Savant recommendation.

But plenty of movies I don't like come along, that seem to beg for a review. I found it impossible to write about The Exorcist without waving my personal bias like a flag, and perhaps that's a weakness. The same goes for equally competent but hateful political pictures like My Son John. There I have to be even more careful in my criticism, for the mail response will certainly let me know if I fail to present a logical argument. Conservatives take note, as lately I think my reviews have become more wary of the evasions and illogic that crops up in some liberal social comment movies.

Perhaps it's better to steer clear of Miracle of the Bells. Or maybe I should go for it, and not worry. I admire the frankness of Leonard Maltin's movie guide, which calls it ludicrous and slams it with a low rating. But a sixty-word capsule review doesn't require him to explain anything. I find the movie really disturbing, which may be some kind of residual guilt from my Sunday School days. Any advice?

Thanks for reading, Glenn Erickson