To all my friends followers, and fellow movie lovers who have followed 6 Degrees of Film,
I am working on a different dynamic for the blog I’ve written for the past seven or eight years. In that time, the way our media culture has changed is overwhelming. It really is overwhelming for me, at times, and I’m sure many readers who just don’t feel as organized or connected as we should. I know I feel that way about covering film and a myriad number of other topics that I write and blog about.
Political writing, in fact all writing bombards our e-mail boxes, and fries the brain. Any number of worthy causes out there threaten to swamp us with outpourings of e-mails asking for our time and our money. I’ve decided to try and scale back on some of these projects and causes, not because they aren’t worthy, but simply because I will not be able to answer the call. That’s the problem with life. We just don’t seem to be able to answer the call and then perhaps we feel guilty or inadequate when we can’t do it all. That is how I feel at times.
But no more! I’m turning over a new leaf and part of this includes my writing and my blog posts. I’m still blogging, but simply not as frenetically and haphazardly as I was. There needs to be a plan in place. One of the happiest parts of the plan is the book I finally finished last year. 6 Degrees of Film is the culmination of many years I’ve spent blogging about film. Some of the reviews that I’ve posted are included in the book. But most of the material is new.
Now I’m not asking anyone to buy the book. Some of the material is reprinted on the blog. But, I’m hoping to build on the success of my book and blog and would ask those who love film to sign up for the newsletter I’ve been writing. The next one is out in June. One of the things I’m continually writing about is the way we connect with film. The 6 Degree connections thread through our lives and connect many of the films we have loved in the past with some of the films we are watching today.
On Reviews: One of the things I have written about in the book is the need for film critics to write clearly and concisely on film. Roger Ebert and other critics like him have been sorely missed in past years. Something else I have been actively pursuing is a way to connect some of the better parts of the multi-media culture with film criticism. That has led me to a section on the blog for Recommended Reviews by Critics.
One of the other things I’m excited about has been the development of Capsule Reviews. These reviews are usually pretty short, but they give you a good idea of what a currently released film is all about. Of course, there are still going to be lengthier sections on the blog for more in-depth coverage of film. But these will be previewed in the 6 Degrees Newsletter also.
Stay tuned for more from 6 Degrees of Film. Here’s watching with you!-MLJ
Six Degrees of Film 