The blogathon is over, the office is empty, the clock is winding down. Time for some new posts, new reviews, new photos and new arguments. Time for new discussion. A new Toerific discussion, coming in just one week. The movie is Blackbook and the host is Ed Howard. Before we delve into the next discussion I'd like to be a spoilsport and call for a renewed vigor to the film club. Don't get me wrong, each discussion has exceeded 170 comments and the discussion has been heated at times, which is great. Sometimes people do get upset, sometimes they don't, and I'd be happier if they didn't but I suppose that's the nature of the beast when discussing cherished films.
However, Flickhead (Ray Young) who hosted the last one (Somebody to Love) was wondering why everything had to be crammed into one day. Originally the idea had been for the discussion to go on and on. The first day would be jam-packed for sure but for a couple of days after it would continue. I noticed this is indeed what happened with the first two posts by Marilyn and myself but after that it kind of died off and now everyone seems to think that after the first day the discussion is over. Now, I don't want to spoil the party for Ed at all, so I'm not suggesting we change anything radically. But I would like to make a suggestion.
One of the things that makes for a bit of confusion is the rapid-fire commenting. Often times a point will be made and get lost in the firestorm of comments or three people will respond to the same comment while the original comment has been forgotten by the next four people already discussing something completely different. And so on. But how to correct this?
I'd like to suggest, only a suggestion you understand, that the host moderates a kind of question and answer session in which he or she poses a question concerning the movie and members in turn give their take on it. In other words, something that would slow the conversation down a bit. I make this suggestion knowing that Ed Howard is the next in line and in Ed I have the utmost confidence. I believe if anyone is up to this task it is Ed.
If that suggestion doesn't go over well with anyone how about this, for much further down the line. Suppose after watching the movie every member writes it up and posts it on the same day. Then we could each go from blog to blog and discuss our reactions to what everyone has written. This guarantees everyone will have a well thought out response to the film. A host will still pick the movie but will no longer bear the burden of single-handedly moderating it
Or perhaps both of these suggestions are lacking and you, dear TOERIFC member, have a better idea. Or perhaps further, Ray and I are the only two who get a little befuddled on posting day and nothing should change. A part of what makes this film club great and the reason I am constantly getting requests to join (which I haven't forgotten about for those who have e-mailed me) is that all of our members come together in striking solidarity once a month for an intense, heated discussion. I don't want that to end but I would like this club to grow, evolve, never remaining static.
Please let me know if any of these ideas sounds reasonable or if perhaps you have a few of your own. Thanks, and don't forget: Blackbook, directed by Paul Verhoeven, Monday, July 20th at Only the Cinema, hosted by Ed Howard.
