From Roulette With Love
Dearest readers,
Last week I posted my 20th film review which I can hardly believe. So, this week, instead of a review, I wanted to reflect a bit, solicit some reviews of your own, and talk a bit about the present and the future.
Reviewception
Thinking about the past, I have thoroughly enjoyed my portion of Review Roulette, and I hope you have enjoyed yours too. Thank you for reading and sharing and commenting as I do my little reviews. Getting the chance to broaden my own horizons concerning Hollywood films in a critical and challenging way is absolutely my idea of fun. I get to watch movies and test my own creativity and critical thinking skills to conjure a perspective I would not necessarily innately have about the film, and truly that is one of the most wonderful uses of my time I can imagine.
I cannot speak for my audience though, and I would really love to know if this is working for you. Do you get something out of these reviews? Do you want to see something different or more of some things? Maybe refresh the Review Roulette wheel with some new approaches? Suggestions for genres I don’t automatically gravitate towards (excepting, of course, horror because I am in fact a small, terrified cat)? Please do share your thoughts if would you like (and please also be kind with your criticisms)!
Intermission
Thinking about the present, I am so grateful I get to study what I study and write what I write and connect with the fascinating, brilliant people I get to connect with to continue doing these things that I love. I hope we can all take a moment to find something to be grateful for and to seize moments of joy in a world in which those moments might be fleeting or easily overshadowed by pain and misery and sorrow. Not to get too heavy right here in the middle, but I want to encourage that feeling that comes just after unclenching your jaw, taking a sip of water, squaring your shoulders if you are able, and taking a deep breath for even a moment to realign the physical with the mental. You are worth a moment of relaxation and a flash of gratitude for even just that release of tension.
Wedding March Madness
Thinking about the future, let’s do something fun. If you follow me on Twitter (or I guess know me personally), you likely know that I am getting married in just a few months and that in addition to finishing my PhD in that time, I am actively planning a wedding. So, what better time to add something to my plate? Let’s do a bracket.
On my Twitter (@gvaughnjoy) in the coming weeks, I will start a tournament to determine the Best Wedding Film Ever Made By Anyone Ever*.
*From a subjective list of films chosen by me and specifically released or distributed by Hollywood studios and voted on mostly by my followers on Twitter who happen to see it while it’s up, so super scientific and definitive. Superlatives like “best” are definitely really great to use for describing art because art should be a competition and there should definitely be a definitive objective winner among subjective art pieces as determined by subjective means.
As it is nearly March, we are obviously going with the name Wedding March Madness for our bracket tournament. I am finalising my picks and would love to know if which wedding films you are ride or die for so please add any you feel strongly about in the comments! I will host this competition on Twitter and update you all here via Substack notes.
I think that is everything I wanted to say for the moment apart from reiterating my immense thanks for you all keeping me going on this site. Your likes and comments and shares and reads really do mean the world to me and I appreciate your virtual presence here with me so much.
I will have a film review up for you next week. Wishing you peace, love, and hydration!
Love,
Vaughn