Today, I’m introducing a new type of review to the blog. I love reviewing films, but sometimes I want to just sit down with a film and review it even though I don’t necessarily feel it’s a classic or all that timely. Therefore I am introducing retro movie reviews. Now, be aware of the fact that I am using a very liberal interpretation of the word ‘retro’. So, what does ‘Retro Reviews’ then signify if the use of the word ‘retro’ is liberal?
Well, here I am using the word to separate it from being a classic review, seeing as the films aren’t necessarily old or good enough to be considered classics or even new classics. Let’s just say that ‘Retro Reviews‘ means that the movies to be reviewed have to have been released prior to January 1st, 2010 to be considered eligible. This cut-off date was chosen due to the fact that this blog has released Top Ten Films-lists for every year starting with 2010.
I probably won’t go further back than the 1970s when doing Retro Reviews. What I love about introducing this type of review is that it frees me from only reviewing a couple of films a month. And it gives me an opportunity to state an opinion on films we don’t talk about enough, or that incorporate a style that isn’t all that fashionable anymore.
I hope you’ll like this type of review, and appreciate the fact that there are now four opportunities for me to really talk about a specific film on this blog: regular Reviews, Retro Reviews, Classic Reviews, and The Collection (even though that isn’t strictly a review-type, but more of a recommendation-section). So, what films do I have planned for the next couple of retro reviews? Well, I really want to review Cloverfield before reviewing the ‘sequel’ (or whatever it turns out to be) on Thursday, but other than that? Well, here are a couple of films I’m considering:
- Avatar (2009)
- Batman Begins (2005)
- Casino Royale (2006)
- Finding Nemo (2003)
- Iron Man (2008)
- Lost in Translation (2003)
- Spider-Man (2002)
- Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- Spider-Man 3 (2007)
- Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
- Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005)
- The Aviator (2004)
- The Dark Knight (2008)
- The Departed (2006)
- The Passion of the Christ (2004)
Furthermore, I have set a new cut-off date for Classic Reviews, which used to be 1993 (until I reviewed Quiz Show), but will now be December 31st, 1999. I don’t plan to update the cut-off date later, as I think it would be inappropriate to state that a film from the 2000s is a classic. Instead, I’ll consider a potential New Classics-section, wherein I could place reviews of films that I deem worthy of that term. At the very least, the blog will have The Collection, which can feature films not necessarily named classics.
Do you have any suggestions for any movie to be given a retro review? Sound off in the comments.
– I’m Jeffrey Rex
I'm Jeffrey Rex 