The gimmick...

Everybody wants a great job. Granted, what makes a job great is different for each person. As jobs with health benefits grow rarer each day, insurance has gained prevalence as a marker of a "great job." But at the sprite, young age of 21, insurance isn't my top priority quite yet. My goal is to rise above the drudgery of the office desk, the monotony of the cubicle, and the soul-crushing confines of the computer screen. My vision is grander. My office desk will become a popcorn box, and my cubicle, a cineplex. My screen will be measured in feet, not inches. Yes, I'm talking about the glamorous life of the film critic.

But before visions of "Rotund Roger" Ebert fill your heads, know that it's not the sedentary lifestyle or the preachy platitudes which motivate me to review movies. It's the freedom. As a critic, I'll (hopefully) be able to make my own schedule each day, work anywhere I please, and best of all, express myself freely. In college I've learned well that lively debate and the open expression of differing viewpoints are vital components of effective learning, and when you read a movie review, aren't you essentially trying to learn whether or not a film is worth your time and money? In every review I write, I hope to provide three things: concise summary of the basics (premise, characters, actors, directors, etc.); analysis of film as art that is thought-provoking but not pretentious; and most importantly, my honest, humble opinion about the film as entertainment.

And now, at long last:

THE GIMMICK.

The title of this blog, "The Three Hundred," refers to my quest to pen enjoyable and relevant reviews of--you guessed it--three hundred films. I guess it could also evoke the drama of the Spartans' quest in the 2007 film 300, although this soldier is armed with brain cells and celluloid, rather than bloodlust and bulging pecs. The blog's primary purpose is to gain experience in constructing a movie review, develop a unique, personal writing style. The Internet seems like the ideal location for critics to gain feedback about their work, and who knows? Maybe I'll drum up some significant exposure or even a loyal fan base. Without a doubt, online film criticism is a highly matured industry, but on the other hand, no place yields such high returns on such minimal investment as the World Wide Web. A kid can dream, right?

The films I've chosen to review come from 300 Must-See Films for the Aspiring Critic, compiled by Christopher Null, founder of Filmcritic.com. (Null's 2005 book, Five Stars! How to Become a Film Critic, The World's Greatest Job, carries the list in its appendix. The book was my primary influence for the creation of this blog, and I'll likely refer to it in future writing.) This impressive compilation spans the centenarian history, containing works from every significant genre, prolific director, and major aesthetic movement. Null also points to films which hold historical significance in terms of technological advancement and industry firsts, and even offers several bad movies as lessons in what doesn't work.

So this is it: day 1 of "The Three Hundred." I want to tell you how excited I am that you're here right now, because if you're still reading, it means that you've read something that piques your interest, and you believe you might find something of value in my writing, and that, my friend, is a writer's richest reward. I highly encourage you to comment on my work, especially now, because I'm literally a blank slate at this point. Your feedback will have a real influence on what I write, how I write, and why I write, and I truly value every word.

Here we go!