"Declaration of Principles"

I suppose it wouldn't be a bad idea to explain what the goal of this site is, as I don't intend for it to be a catalog of my viewings (I have seen several blogs of this nature, and I'm not really interested in the "entry a day" kind where there are only a few sentences devoted to a certain film).

As with most of these types of things, I'm sure I'll be breaking some of these. What are rules if they can't be bent every now and then?

1) The purpose of this blog is to justify why I like a certain film so much and figure out what makes it great. This is a learning process, like anything else, and hopefully my writing will also improve as a result. There are spoilers, however I do not believe a spoiler can ruin a film that is truly great, because great films can be viewed again and again. Plot is the clothesline but it is certainly not the clothing.

2) The best way to approach any film is with as few expectations as possible. If you're looking for recommendations, the best I can say is that I'd recommend anything I write an entry for.

3) Reviews and trailers should be avoided for a film you haven't seen yet.

4) A certain director, actor, writer, or production logo does not make a film inherently great. Each film must be approached as a separate entity in determining its value. Films can be compared, for sure, but one film's value should not affect another's.

5) Supplemental material and commentaries should not form the basis of your understanding. I tend to avoid these until I've seen a film 4-5 times to establish my own understanding. What's the point of discussing a film if everyone looks at it the same way?

6) Rewatching is a gift in the age of home video... don't take it for granted!

7) Avoid words like "overrated," "open-minded,"good taste," etc.