Short-Circuit Signs is my third attempt at starting and maintaining a blog where I write substantially about film and related arts and media. The first go round, I ultimately felt trapped by a self-imposed obligation to write full reviews of all movies that I saw. So, to facilitate a shift in voice I started a second blog with a broader mission in mind, but I never quite found a satisfactory way to keep writing about film that entailed anything less than consistent and full reviews. So here I am on Spout and in trying to think about how I can make this filmblog work I came up with this idea: instead of always producing full reviews for the films I see in the theater, I will at least write a short piece on, "One thing that makes this film/movie ..." and then finish with an appropriate adjective, e.g., "awesome," "dreadful," "fine," "beautiful", inlcuding explanation.
I like this notion for a few reasons. First, it should allow me to convey how I think and feel about a movie without drawing me into writing about it in a comprehensive manner. Second, it will allow me to focus on films more as a fan, as a moviegoer, than as an academic or critic. Third, at the same time, it appeals to my critical-analytical impulse in that it will also require me to focus on a particular attribute of a film rather than on broad evaluation.
In some cases, I will, no doubt, choose to right a longer reaction/review/commentary on films I see, but at least I hope to maintain a regular habit of writing about "One thing ..." I am intending this for movies I see in the theater, not only because I see most of my movies that way, but because many of the films I see on DVD are ones that I've already seen at some point. However, in much the same way as I may write longer pieces on certain films, and not just "One thing ..." entries, I may also use this device for movies on DVD, too.