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Today's Monday Movie Meme from the Bumbles is all about how you nurture your inner movie buff and keep the memories alive. It's really not about just sitting and watching a film anymore...there is a whole social and technological aspect that comes into play. Here are some of the tools we use in the Nawrot household to fully appreciate everything the silver screen has to offer:
1. Netflix - not only is this the way we watch 95% of all movies, but is also an excellent tool to keep track of everything you've seen, and everything you want to see, your ratings, your comments, and recommendations to your friends. It is like another social network.
2. IMdb - there is not a Monday Movie Meme that goes by where I don't tap into this source at least a half dozen times. Generally if you Google anything pertaining
to a movie, this website will be at the top of the search list. Love a movie but can't remember the actors' names? Want to know everything that an actor has ever done? Want a plot synopsis? Look no further. Who needs a good memory when you have IMdb.3. Read the Book/See the Movie - yes, I happened to use the title of a reading challenge out there (hosted by James @ Ready When You Are, C.B.), but long before that, I've always felt that reading a book, then watching the movie adaptation brings a whole different appreciation for the film. Sometimes the whole essence of the plot is changed from Point A to Point B, and other times the translation is so perfect that the experience is completely three-dimensional.
4. Movie sharing - for those films we love and want to watch over and over, we will buy the movie. This is a frequent occurrence with the kids - only a kid can watch Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings 30 times in a row and not get tired of it! For my husband and I, we seem to have alot of WWII movies in our library. What makes for interesting and spirited dinner party conversation is when you have shared these movies with your friends - sort of like an informal movie club. A couple of my husband's colleagues are WWII movie addicts like us, and it always seems like there is an outstanding loan amongst us.
5. Educate the kids - as our kids get older, nothing has given us more pleasure than sharing the classics with them. The Sound of Music, Rocky, Ferris Bueller, Gone with the Wind, Big, you name it. And the cool thing is, they GET it. (The only issue is that some of those older PG movies can be a little dicey - you may get boobs or f-bombs, so we stand by ready to cover eyes or ears!) Some of the most enlightening and philosophical conversations we have had with our kids have been inspired by movies we've shared.
6. My sister's blog - Kathie watches more movies in a week than I do in several months. She is a freelance movie critic for her local paper and for online publications, and she keeps a blog as well. You won't find much chatter about the big releases when you travel in her circles - she specializes in art house films and Asian films. It would be a challenge for me to name a movie she hasn't seen. So when I need a little edg-ma-cation in the film arena, this is where I go.
How do you keep your movie memories alive? I'd love to hear your thoughts!
14 comments:
What an informative post! We use Netflix quite a bit (more so now that my son gave us a DVD player that allows us to stream our instant queue onto our television) - but I had no idea that the site could be used as a movie networking site. I will have to check that out.
I really don't watch too many movies, and I am not sure why. I am hoping that C. B.'s challenge will help me find a balance between reading and watching narratives.
Have a great week, Sandy!
How cool to have another family member who blogs! Your sister's blog looks a little too sophisticated for me - I'm way too lowbrow for it! :--)
Yes, NetFlix and IMDb are sites I use a lot. Now I'm off to check out your sister's blog. What a cool job!
Netflix and IMdB are a large part of my life, but I'm lucky in that I can keep movies alive through my work. I teach Introduction to Film to college freshman/sophomores so twice a week for a total of three hours I get to talk film. It's wonderful!
We love Netflix and IMDb! We like sharing our favorites with our kids too, but since they are so young this has meant mostly classic family movies, Star Wars films, and the first two Harry Potter movies.
I don't watch that many movies either, since the only time I see a movie is at the theater. I do love IMDB, though.
We've been members at Hollywood Video for years and loved to go in to get movies because the people that used to work there were so knowledgeable. Sadly, it's gone so far down hill we don't use it at all any more. But those guys that used to work for would come out and pull things we never heard of and would never have found on our own for us and they were almost always well worth watching.
I used to be so much more in touch with the world of cinema...there were even a few movie review blogs I regularly read, but in the past few years I've neglected my passion for movies quite a lot :\ I still visit imdb though :P
I like Lisa's comment about chatting movies with the video clerks. I used to do that too. The web replaced those stores and the conversation too - which is more convenient but kinda sad.
We do lots of interloaning with friends and family of DVD's too.
Totally agree with your Read the book/See the movie. It works both ways for me. Sometimes watching a movie makes me want to read the book it was based on, which adds a different dimension to the movie.
IMDB is the best! No more senior moments and grasping at my brain for that actor's name! I use it allll the time, especially when I do the Monday Movie Meme! Is that cheating? It doesn't seem like cheating to me, just diligent research, right? :)
Now, see, we are of opposite opinions when it comes to books and movies. If I know there is a movie coming out, I want to see it first, then read the book. Once I've read the book, with a few exceptions, it ruins the paltry efforts that Hollywood comes up with.
I have loved sharing with my kids and grandkids the movies I grew up with or watched as a young adult. And you know what? A kid was never harmed by hearing a curse word (they hear them on the playground all the time) or by seeing a boob here or there. I would much rather have them see those things than gratuitous violence. However, some movies are over the line and I don't even feel comfortable watching those.
Great post, Sandy!
I use a lot of the same movie watching tools as you do. We have hopped back and forth between Blockbuster and Netflix a few times, but found that Blockbuster frequently delivers damaged discs, so we always go back to Netflix. I also have a big movie collection (mostly starring Johnny Depp) and I like to share old movies with the kids. I always, always read a book before seeing the movie version, and my husband sometimes camps over at IMDB for hours! I don't think we watch as many movies as you do, but we do watch a lot. We also try to have a family movie night with the kids every week as well. I am glad that you posted a link to your sister's site, it sounds like somewhere I would love to visit and I will be checking it out!
What did I do before Netflix and IMdb? Not remember much!
Hey Sandy, sorry for not coming by for so long. I'm finally able to blog after a while.
I'm so jealous that you have Netflix. I can't use it because I live outside of the US.
I refer to IMdb quite a bit too. :)
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