The Enjoyment of Entertainment - DVD Library

I was asked recently why I follow the things I follow. That's a very broad question, but one deserving of a thoughtful and thorough answer. So, in this post, I'm going to break down my DVD library and go over some of the highs and lows of the collection. Other posts will go over my music library, reading list, and other items that I find entertainment in.

Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
This movie has a number of 'firsts' attached to it. It's the first movie I saw twice in the theatres. It's the first movie I took Emilysa to go see. It's the first DVD I bought. It's the first George Clooney movie I purchased as well. It was the first movie with a country soundtrack that I really enjoyed. All in all, it is one of my favorite movies of all time and had a lot of great memories attached to it.

The Bourne Trilogy
Every guy, somewhere deep down inside, enjoys action movies. It's the chase, or the crash, or the fights, or the fast movement, or maybe even the witty dialogue between action scenes. Guys like action. Some of the best action movies have been in this franchise. The Bourne Identity was a great movie, the Bourne Supremacy built on that legacy, and the Bourne Ultimatum tied the pieces together while leaving the open question of 'What happens between Bourne and Nicky?' I saw all three of these movies in the theatre (two of them by myself), and thoroughly enjoyed them all. If there is a fourth, I'd love to see it too!

Star Wars I-VI
Do I really have to explain this one? I mean, really, doesn't everyone have (at least part of) this series in their video library? Some of the best Science Fiction ever created.

The Godfather Trilogy
Some of the greatest movies ever made fall are in this trilogy. One thing I enjoy is seeing the first two movies spliced into chronological order (it's on TV that way every now and then). I will grant you that the third movie is my least favorite, but it was still a good movie. There are lots of cultural references that stem from these films, and they contain some of the best acting of any generation. Some may not agree, but that's their prerogative.

For Love of the Game
Kevin Costner's best known baseball movie is the classic Field of Dreams, but I find that this one is right up there in the list of all-time great sports movies.

The West Wing - Seasons 1 through 7
Aaron Sorkin has a way to creating the kind of fast-moving dialogue that I thoroughly enjoy watching in a drama. I was something that is going to keep my attention for the full 44-ish minutes of the show, not just the few minutes of the climax of the episode. The West Wing did this for me. The casting was great, the stories stayed fresh (except for Season 5, which was my least favorite season). My favorite episode is "Dead Irish Poets" in Season 3. It's a great example of how drama and comedic wit can create good television. It didn't hurt that I find politics interesting (after all, I decided to study the topic for four years).

M*A*S*H - Seasons 1 through 11
Instead of drama with a comedic wit, M*A*S*H provided comedy with the occasional dramatic twist. This is one of the most respected shows in television history, and for 27 years could claim that it had the most watched television show in TV history (the series finale "Goodbye, Farewell and Amen" was eclipsed by Super Bowl XLV). How you can stretch a three year war into eleven seasons of television takes great talent and dedication. But, again, it was great television and even more fun to be able to watch on ones own schedule.

Monty Python's Flying Circus - 16 Ton Megaset
Hilarity ensues anytime those six crazy Brits get together, and the television show they had was no different. I mean, really, what's better than John Cleese laying on top of a desk in a white bikini and black dress shoes and socks, stating completely straight faced "And now for something completely different." Just classic!

Dead Poet's Society/School Ties
I put these two in the same category because they both are set in similar settings - boarding schools. The stories vary slightly from each other, but both contain actors used to comedic roles (Robin Williams and Brendan Frasier, respectively) that assume very serious characters and have to deal with very serious topics. Dead Poet's Society looks at the pressure that young people are under to balance expectations against finding out who they are. In the end, it costs one character his own life. In School Ties, we look at the damaging effects of antisemitism and how this kind of intolerance can damage personal and professional relationships.

Oscar
Sly does comedy! Stallone plays a mobster on the day that he decides to go legit. A comedy of errors commences involving both this professional and personal life. While not his most popular movie of all time, it was a great one. I bought this movie before buying any of the Rocky movies.

Empire Records
My favorite movie of all time. How can you not enjoy a movie that follows a day in the life of a mixed up kid that works in a record store? Featuring a young Renee Zellwiger, Liv Tyler, and Ethan Embry, all supervised by Anthony LaPagila (Without A Trace). This movie is an absolute cult-classic, and is one that I never tire of watching.

So, there you go. A small breakdown of things I have in my DVD library and why. It's probably not a great explanation of why, but it's what was on my mind when writing. For some of this, you just have to know me a little bit to understand.

Thus Sayeth Your Haus