rosebud was a red herring

So, as many of you know, I was a film major in college (or a Moving Image Arts major, as my college so pretentiously called it). This makes me, by default, something of a film nerd. I can't help it; when you spend four years of your life living, breathing, sleeping, and eating some of the most amazing films ever made in the art form's short history, you learn to love it or hate it. I happen to love it.

I do, however, try to keep my filmic ramblings to a minimum for my own sanity and yours. I discovered my freshman year of college that movies (regular movies, the kind you pay 12 bucks to see at the google-plex) had been ruined for me by my ongoing education. I could not just watch a film any more; I had to analyze it -- the camera angles, the lighting, the direction, the mis-en-scene -- as though it were my assigned film and I were preparing my 20-page freshman thesis (true story). I was horrified!

It took some time (and an intervention and a 12-step program), but eventually I learned how to relax. Now, I'm proud to say that I can sit back and watch Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby without tearing my eyeballs out of my head. I can actually even manage to be marginally amused by it. Marginally.

As a matter of fact, the further I get from my college graduation (HOLY CRAP where did those three years go???), the more I find I have to really put my game face on if I want to actually analyze a film. I've gotten a bit out of practice.

But film geeks never really die, they just fade to black.

Every once in a while, something will stir these feelings in me again. I was driving home from work last week when I saw just such a thing. It was the marquee for the little art house theater at the corner of my block. Two summers ago, they started showing classic films there at 9:00 every Wednesday night (though, their idea of classic might not be everyone's as it includes Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure).

This week, the marquee reads: "Citizen Kane Oct. 25 | Maltese Falcon Nov. 1."

I nearly died of joy right there in the middle of the road. Two of my FAVORITE films, and, arguably, two of the best films of all time. In fact, I think this little theater may be paying me a loving farewell as we get ready to leave this fine state, because this is their lineup for the next five weeks.

I cannot even begin to express my love.

And, speaking of film geekery, being the crazy party animal that I am, I plan to spend my Halloween night here watching The Phantom of the Opera (1925), Buster Keaton's Haunted House (1921), and a Felix the Cat cartoon with orchestration provided by live musicians. This too has me doing the film geek dance of geeky joy.

Somebody tape LOST for me tonight, kay?