Cinemania

Every year I look forward to autumn like the anxious, nerdy child I once was; except now instead of being excited for school to start, I’m relieved and thrilled that the “serious” film season is here; the “prestige” films all vying for Oscar glory are more often than not released between Labor Day weekend and the end of the year. Additionally, the changing of the season makes me crave the indoors as a shelter from the cool breeze and rustling, colored leaves. It’s a little different here in SF now, as the leaves aren’t really changing much (palm trees); but I am slowly discovering that SF is a movie town that rivals NYC, and my desire to watch movies in a theatre or on my laptop is increasing as the days get shorter.

For instance, over the two months I’ve seen The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Michael Clayton, The Jane Austen Book Club, 3:10 to Yuma, The Darjeeling Limited, Lust, Caution, The Brave One, Becoming Jane, Death at a Funeral, and 2 Days in Paris, all in chain theatres. I’ve seen Love and Death and Interiors at the famed Castro Theatre in a double feature, and have rented almost too many DVDs to keep track of.

I’m looking forward to so many more, that I wonder when I’ll have time to see them all, what with work, my reading list, and a social life to participate in. I will say that seeing all of these films does two things: 1. it makes me pretty good at choosing Oscar winners for Oscar pools; and 2. it cuts down on the number of “new releases” DVDs I will rent in the spring. So far, I’m enjoying that SF is so supportive of my cinemania – I’m just hoping to not have to see too many bombs along the way.