Savant's new reviews today are
Christmas has come early with a boatload of January titles, 14 on the 6th alone that Savant wants to review ... and some of them are newer than 1975!
Gary Teetzel wrote me to say that other sites have announced that Fox is going to bring out Ray Harryhausen's One Million Years B.C. on March 9. For collectors, that means that Ray's entire filmography will be on DVD save for MIGHTY JOE YOUNG and his fairy tales. I'll be sure to review Million; I can remember talking my neighbor Joe Ott into driving me to see it (he was three years older and had a license). I remember Forrest Ackerman's announcement in Famous Monsters, that it was on the way.
That movie I'm so hot to review is almost 38 years old. I realize that the hit tallies around Savant might soar if I covered new films, which I'm perfectly capable of doing. But that would be work, when what I enjoy writing about more are the movies I love. What can I say about a picture like LOVE, ACTUALLY? I thought it was terrible but the audience I saw it with had a fine time. And what do I have to say about LORD OF THE RINGS that hasn't been said 50 times before? RETURN OF THE KING doesn't need any more cheerleaders. UNA BREVE VACANZA needs cheerleaders. THE HILLS HAVE EYES needs cheerleaders who can see beyond the gore.
The emails I get tell me that I succeed in one way, and that's in communicating my enthusiasm for movies I like. If I have a useful opinion beyond that, well, maybe it's a public service. When a movie's really good, the transfer becomes less critical. When it's really bad, I have to start thinking why people would like it, especially if it was popular when new. What's the point in slamming a movie? No matter what it is, there's somebody out there who'll love it. Why should I stand in the way?
DVD Talk is building a stable of movie critics, among them some really good writers. I'm really proud to be among them now. When they compare notes, it's often about their less-than-hospitable experiences elsewhere. We all appreciate Geoffrey Kleinman, a fearless leader who tries to be fair and is always there to help. So I have to consider myself fortunate to be here too. Happy Holidays ... more reviews over the weekend. Glenn Erickson
Posted by DVD Savant at December 18, 2003 04:12 PM