One year ago this month I cancelled my cable and relied on Netflix and DVDs for my screened entertainment. The decision was easy when you considered what we were paying for the opportunity to surf channels between 10 and midnight each night and not find anything we liked. Even with Netflix hiking their prices, we still pay half of what we paid with Cable. Now when we sit down to watch, it’s no longer a matter of trying to find something we like, but instead it’s a matter of choosing one thing out of all the things we like. During this time I amassed a significant collection of DVDs. I was already a collector, but the drop in prices and the lack of Cable services created a need I couldn’t resist. As I near my 500th DVD, it occurs to me that many were bought after having seen the film in theaters or in the past and then shelved to watch “later.”

Well later has arrived. The current state of the economy demands that I curtail frivolous spending. And let’s face it, I need to start watching these before I die (see Media Consumption: The New Debt). I built a site to house my collection and it allows me to write a review and collect movie poster images as well. If you like movies, and you’re interested you can follow my progress. I can’t say how often I’ll update, and there’s no shortage of movie reviews on the internet, but at least it will help me keep track of what I’ve watched recently and what I thought of it.

I suppose I should have started with a Halloween movie, or something classic, or something good, but I’d just gotten this 4 movie collection of Bad News Bears movies and was eager to watch them. It includes the original 3 from the 70s and the 2005 remake. I watched the original and then the 2005 remake. Sadly, it was the disappointment with the remake that inspired me to write my opinion on it. Bad movies are one thing, but bad movies made by good directors with good actors and a good source story are another thing entirely.

Bad News Bears (2005) (review)

The Bad News Bears (1976) (review)

One has to wonder why they felt like they had to change the title so subtly.