2011: A Film Odyssey
16 March 2011
Chris Vaughan is on a very special mission: To watch and review one movie each day all throughout 2011. At Movie House we love movies and we're very pleased to be able to help Chris complete his mission!
"For a lot of people cinema is an escape, a way to forget about their everyday worries for a couple of hours and immerse themselves in another world. Many of those people will watch a movie once and never really think about it again. Not me. Unfortunately, I am cursed with an intense (some may say unhealthy) obsession with film. I cant let go, the transient state that many experience with cinema does not exist with me. Every film I watch permanently occupies a small part of my brain, no matter how hard I try to shake it off. After I watch a movie, it runs through my head for days. I am usually the last person to leave the cinema, entranced by the closing credits. I dread the long sticky walk out of the theatre, popcorn crunching underfoot and a million questions buzzing in my brain.
I have an insatiable appetite to devour every last drop of the experience. Why can’t I watch a movie every day? Why not indeed. This particular thought stuck in my head way longer than any specific movie-related quandary. So, I set myself the goal of watching one movie every day for an entire year. Inspired by my favourite director Stanley Kubrick, I shall undertake my very own odyssey. For me this year will be 2011: A Film Odyssey.
I intend this project to be as much about sharing my enthusiasm for cinema, as it is highlighting the change in the consumption of media and the emergence of social networking as a viable means of engaging with an audience. With the rise of services like facebook and twitter I can reach a vast audience, whilst creating an interactive and involving forum for like-minded movie fans. I will post my thoughts and discussions on every movie I watch via facebook, twitter and my online film diary. I will openly and actively encourage feedback and interaction. The opportunity for me to gain new insight in to the movies I watch from other film fans is a truly exciting prospect. My hope is to create an online community for film fans to share their thoughts, express their delight and air their grievances.
A key objective of the project is to emphasise the fact that there are still quality movies out there, you just have to look a little harder nowadays. There has been a distinctly unimaginative change of strategy in Hollywood recently. The studios intense focus on commercially bankable projects has resulted in an uninspired spew of lacklustre remakes, reboots and franchise sequels. Risk adverse studios are stifling the opportunity for creative and innovative projects. Some of the most exciting cinema is now coming from Europe and Asia. I aim to restore the faith of bored film fans by pointing to the most compelling movies being released worldwide. Irrespective of budget, language or subject matter.
In association with Movie House Cinemas, who have been kind enough to accommodate my project and generously allow me to view the best new releases in their theatres – I hope you will join me on an exciting journey through film in 2011."
Chris Vaughan 2011.
© Movie House Cinemas Ltd 2013