This month marks Reel Speak’s 11th anniversary.
It was February of 2010. Netflix was still putting DVD’s in the mail, James Cameron’s AVATAR was about to be the biggest box office earner of all time, the 82nd Academy Awards were on their way to declaring Kathryn Bigelow’s THE HURT LOCKER as the Best Picture of 2009, and Martin Scorsese was ready to release his fourth consecutive film with Leonardo DiCaprio with SHUTTER ISLAND.
Also in that month, I, this Blogger, had an idea. An idea to share my love for cinema with the rest of the world. It was a love affair that began in 1977 with STAR WARS, which grew and expanded over the years into all forms of celluloid-storytelling; sci-fi, horror, Westerns, fantasy, action, comedy, drama, arthouse, and high-fantasy…I could never get enough. The movies were a bonding element for family and friends, and much time was spent on barstools and living room couches debating, arguing, and discussing the movies, characters, stories, and quotes that we loved and hated. From Han to Rey, from Indy to Chief Brody, from Corleone to Plainview, from Superman to Iron Man…cinema had no limits for me.
In the early goings of 2010, it was time to share that love beyond the barstools; to make that first step into a larger world. On February 24th of that year, the first introductory blog post went up. That same day, the first film review was posted: SHUTTER ISLAND.
In the last year, the film industry has changed drastically. The mishandled pandemic has shuttered our beloved movie theatres, some of them for good…leading some films to land scatter-shot on what seems like a thousand different streaming services. It’s been a challenge to keep up with what has been released, and even though cinema may be changing forever within the next year, this Blogger’s love for film remains. This annual birthday blog; a list of direct and in-direct film references, serves as a summation of all the things that keep Reel Speak going. It’s a peek behind the curtain of this blog, and a re-affirmation for me.
WHY I LOVE THE MOVIES
20. Because the trick is not minding that it hurts.
19. Because if they catch you, they will kill you. But first, they must catch you.
18. Because a Jaguar Shark ate my best friend.
17. Because we will not walk in fear of one another.
16. Because of John Williams.
15. Because I have been, and always shall be your friend.
14. Because what we do in life echoes in eternity.
13. Because Red October was hunted.
12. Because the only Virtue is Vengeance. A Vendetta.
11. Because Crom laughs at your four winds!
10. Because it’s a wonderful night for Oscar.
9. Because they made me an offer I couldn’t refuse.
8. Because “I love you”, and “I know”.
7. Because if someone asks me if I’m a god, I say yes.
6. Because I will drink your milkshake.
5. Because every man dies, not every man really lives.
4. Because they needed a bigger boat.
3. Because there had to be snakes.
2. Because the Fellowship will not fail.
1. Because the Force will be with you, Always.
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