In high school, I studied film making and the history of film. I saw boring films like The Battleship Potemkin and I saw very cool things like Nanook of the North . And from that moment on, I have really, really, really loved film. And even though I am always saying that I love this movie and I love that movie and this is my all-time favorite, etc., etc., I actually know an awful lot about films and have seen some truly amazing stuff in my life from all different eras, from all over the world. (And even while I hated The Battleship Potemkin, I absolutely loved Ivan the Terrible, Parts 1 & 2. So it wasn't Eisenstein I wasn't fond of, it was just that I found Potemkin really long & tedious & boring.)

But I have, like, the classic "history of  film" collection that I suppose every "history of film" buff owns; most of it collected back when it was on video only. I can't really be bothered with the expense of replacing it all with DVDs now (unless of course it only costs $5 at Target and it's practically flung right up there in my face  -- see post below re: Scissorhands.) So I am totally unoriginal in regards to my collection. But you know, a lot of these films became classics b/c they're really good -- they engage you, they draw you right the fuck in.

Last night, I started watching this again (if you are the classic "history of film" buff, too, you will recognize it and either roll your eyes, or smile. I of course love this film):



And I am exhausted again, and lonely, and feeling shut out and burnt out and worn out; defeated, confused -- you name it. So I'm going to go crawl into bed now and watch the rest of it. And maybe by the end of the film, I, too, will be "calm, and even content, and settled into the loneliness" of the title... We shall see, gang. Meanwhile, life goes on.