This month was my
first anniversary as a JAVAFLIXian!
The group has grown greatly since then.
The above photo was taken this past July, at
the viewing of "Philomena". I wasn't there, but several of my friends are! That's Barbara, lower right, on the loveseat by herself. On the tan couch, in the blue shirt, is Sandy. Between them, on the folding chair, in the green shirt, is Bonnie. Nanci is wearing the ballcap, behind Sandy, and Kimberly is behind Nanci and wearing a blue shirt, too.
As I said, I wasn't there. I was with Willie at the ballgame instead. I had meant to be at this screening, though, and had signed up for it, even though I had already seen the movie.
Many of the movies are ones I've already seen at least once. Last year, it was rare that a selection was not one I had seen.
Last year, I had joined the group in February,
seeing my first film with them the next month. That one, the foreign film "
Wadjda", was new to me and of great interest. I had liked that there were only three of us there, that wintry night, but looked forward to meeting others at future films.
I missed the next months.
For April, I
commented on the film, but did not attend. I had seen "
Dallas Buyers Club"
at the beginning of 2014 and could not bear to ever see it again.
In May, I did not want to see "
12 Years A Slave'. I still have not seen it and truly have no interest in doing so. Apparently,
few others chose to go see it, as Patrick screened it for only himself and two others.
But I was there - and with a big crowd! - for
June's screening! Apparently,
"Her" was attractive to the voyeuristic vein in people. I had already seen it, of course, but on a weekday afternoon in a deserted theatre. It was good to see it with others! Truly, this was the best-attended JAVAFLIX event, with almost twenty people there. Wow!
July has already been covered, so let's move on
to August. "
The Lunchbox" was
an Indian film I'd already seen at my beautiful Cinematique - but it was such a lovely film that I leapt at the opportunity to see it again! Such an excellent story of love and death and regaining one's joie de vivre - or should I say, ज़िंदादिली (the Hindi translation)? As I recall, everyone very much enjoyed this one!
September found the JAVAFLIX group "
Finding Vivian Meier". I had
already done so while in Daytona Beach. I advised all to see the Helen Leavitt photography exhibit at the
Jepson Center before their viewing. I hope they did.
Then
"Belle" came to the JAVAFLIX screening room. Ah, yes! Even though I had
already seen it with my stepmom and first niece, I was eager to see it again. I was joined by twenty others!!! Great discussion afterward, though it did try to wander off into "back in the day" areas. That's okay; easy enough to regain the focus!
I skipped
November's screening of "
Chef". Already had that dish! But I did leave the group these words of advice.
"
Fun movie, with a side of heart! Wish I could be there, but I have plans in Daytona Beach that weekend. Be forewarned - you'll want Cubans after the movie!"
December,
January, and
February have all featured movies I'd never seen!!! That's been amazing!
As you know, I see a lot of movies. I used to read books, but I do not have time for that indulgence. Movie-going has been a very satisfactory substitute and takes far less time. So, when this group of mixed viewers managed to select three films, over a course of three months, which I had not seen - well, it's not quite a miracle, but it is miraculous!
The films were "
A Most Wanted Man", "
Calvary", and "
Dear White People". I had never even heard about those last two. The other I knew of, but hadn't seen it because it was being pushed as "Philip Seymour Hoffman's last movie" when it played in the multiplexes. This was definitely the right venue for it, especially as I had been to
my friend Arthur's funeral that morning and was in need of distraction. Nothing like a spy film, full of betrayals and lies, to do the trick!
For the January event, I made a cake. Odd, right? But Patrick's birthday was coming the following weekend, so I made a cake. It was an
Orange Dreamsicle Cake and I gave him the four pieces that were left. The movie generated a lot of talk about death and religion the stages of grief, whether that grief is for one's own impending death or that of another. I'm glad Sandy and I took off for
karaoke afterward!
I've already waxed rhapsodically about "
Dear White People", so you can read about
here. That truly was a lot of fun!
Tonight's movie was "
Birdman", the Oscar winner for Best Film of 2014.
How very appropriate to share my second viewing of the movie with the fine folks at this discussion group. You can read more about it
here.
Thanks, Patrick! I look forward to more time shared with you and this diverse group of movie lovers!
(
smile)
