At the onset of 2009, a few of the writers here at rednoW decided to embark on a little experiment: See 100 films. In the midst of this endeavor, we could not help but rethink what rednoW is all about. It has been our hope not to simply point others towards film and music (of wonder) per say, but to also begin to rethink how we are actually experiencing such mediums.
Something we often felt throughout the so-called "Centurion Project" is that we wished more people were seeing some of the same films in order to have additional outlets to discuss. In other words, we were longing for a bit more of a communal experience.
So, what are we proposing?
Join us in 2010.
For the upcoming year, we are inviting you to delve "into the dark" with us - a project inspired by rednoW's de facto sage Craig Detweiler - and his latest book Into the Dark. In short, we are inviting you to experience 60 films this year (5 films per month). We are by no means intending to be exclusive in who is a part of this project, but we are hoping for a committed group.
How it will Work...
At the beginning of each month, we will send out 5 films for the upcoming month. These films will concentrate on what Detweiler argues as the emerging or "new canon" - recent films (since 2000) that have found their way into IMDB's Top 250 list. This is not to say that we will not deter from this list each month, but we will view it as a worthy starting point. Because we want to offer a variety of experiences throughout the month/year, we will generally breakdown our month as follows:
1 current film (in theaters), 1 film from the "new canon" (American), 1 foreign film, 1 documentary, and 1 older film (pre-2000).
Share
While the "individualization" of our society might suggest otherwise, we believe art was not meant to be experienced in isolation. After each film, we invite you to share your thoughts, experience, and questions with the group. We will provide this space, a set of basic questions, and some recommended reading that will prove helpful as we approach this art form together.
100?
We realize that some of you might view 60 as an effortless task and welcome the challenge of 100 films this year. We certainly encourage this. We'd simply invite you to add an additional 40 films (of your own choosing) to the list and keep a log. We hope you'll share what you find.
Who's In?
There might be some hesitation to join us in fear that you need to have some special film "insight" or something. The answer is a big "no." It would be an awful experience to have some group in which everyone assumed they "get it." The beauty of a community is that everyone contributes whatever they have - no matter what. We want diverse backgrounds, experiences, and opinions.
In addition, this is not an exclusive group. Any who have an interest, we welcome.
I'm Not In, but...
If you feel you cannot handle 60 films this year but simply want to "see the list," let us know and we'll be happy to share.
Details
Finally, those of you that want to head "into the dark" with us, let us know by sending an email to intothedark [at] rednow [dot] com with the subject heading: "I'm in". This is not because we are some massive operation, but because this is how we'll route the details (including the first 5 films).
Further questions? Contact us here.
