Updated: December 2002
Back in the fall of 1998 my friend, James, looked at my growing video collection and said, "Hey Ji, you really seem to love movies." I thought about his statement for a few seconds and replied, "Yeah, I guess I do." And that's how it all began. I hadn't ever thought that I "loved movies." I mean, I enjoyed going to the theater and renting stuff from Blockbuster. But I never thought of them as anything greater than mere entertainment. And now, film is probably one of the highest priorities in my life, other than God, my family and friends, and my job.
The first movie I really liked was "Back to the Future." And I did enjoy "Die Hard" and "The Hunt for Red October." But the crucial year for me was 1991. "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" and "Terminator 2" came out within two weeks of each other that summer. I saw the former 5 times in the theater and the latter 7 times. I guess a lesson I learned during that time was that watching a movie more than once was actually enjoyable. It was so much fun to eagerly await the scene when Kevin Costner shoots an arrow through the last hangman's noose or when Arnold blasts his shotgun right into Robert Patrick's head. That was a great time in my life.
My taste in movies has grown a little bit since then. I don't watch only action flicks anymore, and I'm trying to watch more films from earlier in the 20th century (right now, I'm in love with American cinema from the 70's). But the movies of the 90's will always have a special place in my heart because watching them was when my love for film initially grew.
So, what can you expect from this mini-website about film? Well, I'll probably only devote an entire page to a film if I own the DVD. That's not a strict rule, but I know that I will buy movies that I've loved and at the same time consider to be candidates for repeat viewings. Plus, I want to be able to watch it as many times as I need to before saying much about it. I mean, I can talk like crazy about stuff I watch, but it really takes at least four or five viewings for me to have concrete thoughts and feelings that I want to share.
Another thing to take note of is the picture at the top of each film's page. If you've seen the film, the little jpeg will probably strike a chord with you because of the memorable scene it captures. But if you haven't seen it, my hope is that it will stir your curiosity. Actually, you may not want to even read what I have to say because there will be plot spoilers. Anyway, I hope you enjoy what's here, that you get an idea of my film preferences, and that you might even read about something you haven't seen yet and feel motivated to check it out.
(please note that some of these pages are works in progress)