When I entered the world of people who Applied For Things in the later part of my high school career, I ran against the peculiar combination of selling myself and explaining myself in the same stretch of writing. It’s a perilous line to walk. Still, when undertaking a blog, I feel the instinctual need to take a moment to say what on earth I think I’m doing here.
This blog exists for a number of reasons, but the most direct one is Roger Ebert. Anyone my age with an interest in film can hardly escape him, whether you agree or disagree with his reviews. But I’ve always liked him best as an essayist (one of my favorite gifts ever was a copy of his The Great Films), and I’ve found a new affection for him as a reader of his thoughtful and engaging blog.
A few months ago, his post “The Golden Age of Movie Critics” convinced me that I should finally make the transition from someone who says they’d like to blog to someone who actually does so. I’ve always been passionate about film, and discussion of it is woefully absent from my present life.
Thus. A blog was born.
The title is sort of a vague attempt to focus this blog. Though I love all sorts of film, I have a theory that most people have one genre, or family of genres, that they love enough to cut slack to. People who love cinema are quick to admit that a good film in almost any genre can bring them pleasure. What’s sometimes harder to admit is that you really loved a film like…
…like Van Helsing. Or Pearl Harbor. Or Grown Ups. (I loved one of these three, found one tolerable, and plan never to see the third. Assign as you will.) I, for one, have a low tolerance for clichéd romance plots, but will forgive pretty flimsy plot contrivances if enough things explode.
I also love a good mystery. A lovely whodunit with clues galore. Or a gritty, worldly film noir. A thriller, whether it be psychological (like Gaslight) or political (like Syriana). Or just a flat-out revenge story (I’m looking at you, Lucky Number Slevin).
So. The Exploding Macguffin will be a film blog with a slant toward the mystery/thriller/noir side. I’m notoriously rebellious with clean genre labels, so it’s a slant, not an exclusive boundary; still, I’d like it to have some sort of unifying tone.
For now, I’m aiming to post twice weekly. Once a week, I’ll post a reaction to a film I’ve just watched (or rewatched). The other post will be a potpourri; reactions to books in or about the genre, collections of trailers for upcoming projects that excite me, links to other interesting film blogs or articles, and possibly some more general thoughts on aspects of film. I expect it will grow and change as I learn what I’m doing, and comments or constructive feedback are welcome.
I’ll try to be honest and entertaining, as best I can be. Thanks for reading.
The Exploding Macguffin 