And so it was, a year ago that the Crew assembled for the first time in the Back Yard. Little did we know that our bare bones idea to watch a film projected on a wall, rather than listen to Headsets, would blossom into a full fledged institution.
When we met that first time, we left the picnic table in place, used Coolbaugh’s Macintosh to play the film, and the speakers we used were on Andy Kottler’s indestructible boom box.
Wiener was, as has almost become tradition, absent from the screening, and we sat and watched Tooda’s inaugural pick ‘The Big Lebowski.’
As soon as it ended the debate began. What kind of pick was that? I hate that movie! Didn’t work for me. The debate about the Selection became as much fun, if not more fun, as watching the film itself.
Since that night we have had many ups and some downs. We have abolished the inclusion of prison films (till February ‘07), we have debated what is and is not a chick flick, we have been joined by many new friends around the screen, and our Web Site has been viewed by well over 100 people, most of them strangers to us.
In March of 2006 this Web Site went online, and it stands now as a testament to a group of friend’s dedication to each other and to the group they have created. Over the next few weeks, the Blog will feature articles recalling the first year of Movienight. We will have commentary from outsiders who have been in the Back Yard, statistical analysis of our first year and what we have seen, and other ruminations about our group and how it has endured.
As we celebrate this milestone in our groups history, it is gratifying to look back on all the nights we have shared together and all of the films we have enjoyed. This Web Site has preserved that history and allowed us to share our passion with friends and strangers. Many may not know or remember that it all started with the Wednesday Movie Night Groups page that Ben Wiener set up for us. The first e-mail he sent to the Group reads as follows:
From: Benjamin Wiener
To: <wednesdaymovienight@groups.mac.com>
Date: Wed Mar 01, 2006 10:19:37 AM PDT
Subject: Tonight*
Yo-
Sorry I can't make it tonight. I hope Zack will be there, though.
I should be back in action next week. Can someone with too much spare time, not naming names here, upload the rest of the movie artwork for the films we've seen?
We should all add our comments on movies on Thursdays.
Ben
*[Editor’s Note: There was in fact no Movienight that night as our schedule was changed to welcome the arrival of August Eisenberg]
With that began a new era for Movienight. We were online, off and running, and not naming names. The summer has brought some slide in the comment department, we still have to live without Wiener at many picks, and we still lean on the “guy with too much spare time” to bring our ritual to the World Wide Web, but Movienight is here, and we hope it’s here to stay.
It has been an amazing year, and while we look forward to the new one that begins tonight with Tooda’s pick, this site will continue to devote space to cataloging the ups, downs, and in-betweens of “Movienight: Year One.”
Enjoy.
