Getting sorted

Today I get my desk organised, sort all those bits of paper with notes on them, bring my database of videos and DVDs up to date, renew my library books, send out my Christmas cards and buy my Christmas presents.

I need to review this blog too, because I have got various series on the go and am getting a bit confused.

I've got the adaptation series. Story to screen. I've done why adapt and what is adapted. Next, I plan to do the refining process between the first treatment through the screenplay to the shooting script. After that I shall look at the changes that can occur during filming. And finally, the post -production alterations that might be deemed necessary.

Then I have my list of criteria for lists. Put like that it sounds a bit daft, which it no doubt is. Anyway, coming up are canonical, prejudice, snobbery, familiarity, sentimentality, the herd-like mentality, cultishness, genre, star, iconoclasm, politics, innovation. It's going to keep me busy all year.

I also want to do more reviews. I plan to post comments on IMdb - http://www.imdb.com/

and link them here. I want to do The Wild Bunch, the Searchers, High Noon, and The Getaway. If they all seem too obvious, I also have in mind Hell Drivers, Ride Lonesome, Three Godfathers and Written on the Wind. I have already sumbitted my thoughts on Stan (the TV play) and Twelve o'clock High.

I suppose I should write about films I don't like. Perhaps life is too short. On the other hand something needs to be said against over-praised works like The Graduate, Rio Bravo, Klute, The Italian Job, Ben-Hur, Titanic, Gladiator, If, The Wicker Man, Easy Rider and Star Wars in its entirety. Now there's a good series.