I'm taking a break from my usual "tell you what music to like" format to talk about a little project of mine. I read Empire (Australia) magazine, one of the better film publications out there for the casual reader; and one of the regular sections I enjoy the most is "Masterpiece", where a classic film is broken down and discussed to uncover just why it is so good. In the issue 100 Special (July 2009), Masterpiece was guest-written by Frank Darabont, the writer and director of The Shawshank Redemption; instead of focusing on a single Film, Darabont provided about 10 films in each genre that he recommends to Film Students to broaden their understanding of the medium.
I've been watching this list of 221 films for a couple of years now and I've noticed a couple of things:
1. Pretty much every film is American, there are almost no films not in English.
2. The genres are a bit funny, there are no Documentaries, Musicals and Music Films are lumped together and "Animated" seems to stand in for "Children's Films".
3. There are no Short Films. What's the deal Darabont? La Jette not good enough for you?
4. Some of these films are terrible. Genuinely bad cinema that I would not suggest to anyone.
I'm yet to finish any particular genre in The List, but I'm getting close to completing a couple. When I finally finish one (or more) I'll be discussing them here and providing my own list to contrast. So there's something to look forward to.
Right now, I'm knee-deep in uni work, but as soon as I write my way out, expect something new and possibly Springsteen-related.
Hat Guy - "I've been knocking on the door that holds the throne,"
