The Classics Series

Its been a very long time since I've written anything, either for this blog or my other one, and late tonight I'm just struck with the bug to get back to it. I'm sure tomorrow morning when I'm tired and grumpy I will regret this choice, but to hell with that for now.

Every few months, Cinemark puts on a series of movies which they call the "Classics Series" and it features 6 films, for 6 weeks in a row. Sometimes they have a theme, and sometimes they are just thrown together. About this time last year my mom and I decided to attend the series, and I've fallen in love with them. We get so excited each time a new one is announced, and it becomes a weekly ritual for us to drive the 40 minutes to League City to see and old movie. Sometimes I've seen the film before, and sometimes they are things I would have never made it through on my own - that's when I'm especially glad we went.

Tonight marked the end of another series, so I'd like to take a brief moment and recap what we saw and what I thought.
First up:

1) On the Waterfront - I would have never watched this film if it wasn't for the series. Black and white, old school Marlon Brando but it really was a good film! I now understand the "I coulda been a contenda, I coulda been somebody" line, and never would have guessed that's the movie it was from.

2) Rear Window - Luckily my mom briefed me on this storyline, otherwise I would have been thoroughly confused in the beginning. I really enjoyed this one; partly probably because I have voyeuristic tendencies and it was a fantastic mystery. That, and Grace Kelly's wardrobe was to die for. It was fantastic to actually sit and watch her on the big screen.

3) Chicago - We skipped this one...we were running late, have seen it before, and didn't really care. So, there's that.

4) Grapes of Wrath - Alright, Steinbeck, we get it. Shit was tough back in the day. Man, talk about a depressing movie! This is another one that I probably wouldn't have ever watched in my own free time, and it was great to see it on the big screen due to the black and white and everyone talking like a hillbilly. The sound being way up and digital really helped. I don't really know if I got the huge literary and symbolic messages I know I was supposed to...but I know that it was really sad and depressing, so I got that much out of it.

5) Shawshank Redemption - I'd seen this before, but this was a great refresher. Again, seeing it on a big screen was fantastic, and really made the story come alive. Sometimes you forget how good Morgan Freeman has been and for how long, and that movie really reminded me.

6) The Silence of the Lambs - I have to be honest, I'd never seen this film. I knew all the quotes, and I can make the Hannibal noise like nobody's business, but I'd never seen the movie. I was thoroughly creeped out, and it made me love Anthony Hopkins even more than I already did. The two characters who stole the show however were Precious, the psychopath's dog, and the cross-eyed PhD Jodie Foster consults with about bugs. The big take away I got from the movie was, despite what you may think, even if you are cross-eyed, you can still earn a PhD.

I highly recommend going to part, or all, of a Cinemark Classic Series if you can. The next one starts April 13th with an awesome TMC Documentary about the Oscars, then the other movies are Ben Hur, the 10 Commandments, Titanic, Gladiator, and Spartacus. Also, if you are a popcorn eater, get the souvenir bucket with $3 refills. Its a helluva deal if you go every week.

See you in the theatre.
A