Film
I’ve always been a huge fan of films or movies or “cinema”, perhaps my third favorite passion or hobby (or ‘addiction’) these days after Jazz and Black Theatre, going back to my formative years in Detroit (1960s/70s). Like most kids, seeing movies at the local single-screen movie house offered 2-3 hours of excitement, amazement, escapism, wonderment, joy, and bigger-than-life images on a super-large screen. Wow!!!
I have very fond memories of seeing many great late-1960s/early-1970s movies at such venues before the onslaught of multiplex cinemas: The Sound of Music; Planet of the Apes; Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid; The Good, the Bad and the Ugly; Chinatown; The Exorcist; The French Connection; Dirty Harry; The Sting; and Serpico. Just to name few… That experience and feeling have never left!
In fact, shown in the graphic above are my all-time favorite Top 5 movies, plus a Bonus pick. You serious cinema aficionados should have no trouble at all guessing the titles. If not, please check at the bottom the page…
With only three network television channels (2, 4, 7) available in Detroit in the 1960s, along with Ch. 9 from Windsor and UHF Ch. 50, as well as Saturday morning cartoons, our viewing options as kids were somewhat limited. Although, “Bill Kennedy’s Showtime” on Ch. 9 (1956-69) that showed old classic 1940s/50s films was the bomb!!! (A former Hollywood actor, Kennedy’s voice introduced the 1952-58 “Adventures of Superman” TV show i.e. “It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superman!”)
Of course, I was exposed to all types of movie genres back then: western, horror, sci-fi, paranormal, romance, ‘chick flick’, super-hero, drama, comedy, horror, action, adventure, thriller, fantasy, whodunit, monster, and martial arts. I mustn’t leave out the bloody cops & robbers, shoot’em up type with car chases, fist fights, and explosions… And, I must admit, there’ve been some outstanding, classic films made in each genre over the years. For my money, the all-time best movie car chase ever is from “Bullitt” (1968), filmed in the S.F. Bay Area with the great actor, Steve McQueen, performing his own driving stunts in his 1968 mustang!!!
Admittedly, most of these films, if not all, were produced by the big Hollywood studios. A few “independent” films were made outside of Hollywood, which featured documentaries, artsy films, and foreign films. Despite much lower budgets, many of these independent films, featured and presented at your smaller art houses, were outstanding!!
As I got older and my taste in movies became more refined, perhaps tired of the formulaic, paint-by-the-numbers offerings emanating from the Hollywood machinery, I became more drawn to independent films, in general, as well as the very interesting, thought-provoking, and newsworthy topics and subject matters being presented. Also, with times changing, a wide variety of young, diverse filmmakers were getting an opportunity to show their wares via producing and directing independent films.
So much so that, nowadays, 80-90 percent of my moviegoing selections comprise “independent” films. Make no mistake, however, Hollywood still knows how to produce first-rate films. There’s nothing quite like being in a huge movie theatre in NYC with several others on opening weekend of a greatly anticipated film, a large digital-image screen with Dolby surround sound, popcorn & soda in hand… The problem is that today’s 12-24 screen multiplex choices, more often than not, include: horror, paranormal, animation/CGI (I enjoy seeing real actors!!), fantasy, sci-fi, musical, and comedy. Not my fancy, nor is “streaming” movies at home or on my smartphone, laptop, or tablet!!
Before I departed for the Bay Area in August 2001, I’d spent several years working in Washington, D.C. Back then, I’d often go to the movies after work (before Jazz!) or during the weekends at the many D.C. art houses that were screening independent films. I’d easily average over 100 movies per year during the 1990s, mostly of the independent nature.
Once I acclimated myself to the Bay Area and its lay of the land, living in close proximity to San Jose, Oakland/Berkeley, and San Francisco, I quickly discovered the richness and abundance of art houses that offered independent films (e.g., Lumiere, Opera Plaza (best popcorn ever!!!), Embarcadero, Clay, Bridge, Shattuck, California, Albany Twin, Piedmont, Camera 3, Camera 7, Santana Row, etc.). To that end, from 2002-2012, I averaged ~137 movies per year (not to mention my simultaneous expansion into Jazz and Black Theatre (2004) during that same period). Sadly, many of these smaller theaters have since closed.
After returning to the “DMV” in June 2013, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that access to independent films at art houses and multiplexes, even for very short runs, was still pretty good. The art houses, specializing in screening independent films, included: E Street Cinema, West End, Bethesda Row, Avalon, Angelika Pop-Up, Angelika at Mosaic, Charles, Parkway, Senator, Harbor East, and Harbor 9. And, fortunately, some local 12-24 screen multiplexes seemingly reserved a few screens for independent films: Egyptian 24, Hoffman Center 22, Magic Johnson Capital Center 12, Tysons Corner 16, and Majestic Stadium 20. To that end, from 2014-present (November 2023), I’ve averaged ~100 movies per year. Sadly enough, COVID-19 caused a few of these art houses to close down permanently.
For those movie buffs, I’ve included below a tally of all of the wonderful films that I’ve seen since 2000:
| 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 |
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 |
| 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 |
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 |
| 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
| 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 |
| 2024 | 2025 |
Yep, I just love my independent films!!! And for those who wish to test their cinema IQ, acumen, and/or expertise when it comes to memorable quotes, scenes, and sounds from classic movies, please check out the link below:
Clockwise from top left: “The Godfather” (1972), “Malcolm X” (1992), “Goodfellas” (1990), “The Usual Suspects” (1995), “Enter The Dragon” (1973), and “Presumed Innocent” (1990).
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