Professor of archeology, expert on the occult, and how does one say it? Obtainer of rare antiquities.

If you read movie blogs, and if you're here it's a good bet that you read one or two, you may have seen a meme going around. Basically, people have been writing 10 movie based facts about themselves, and then tagging other to do the same. I was not tagged. I'm not surprised by this as I write pretty infrequently these days. And besides, if I really cared all that much, I'd just do the damn meme anyways.

Now before you start yelling at me to 'quit your whiny whining whiner', let me explain something. The whole point of that last paragraph (other than linking to 3 other blogs) is because something came to mind this evening and, well, it made for a good lead in.

I have one movie related thing about me that I want to tell you. One thing that I want to write about tonight. See, I was looking for a movie to watch tonight. I'm bored. That's all there is to it. So, it occurs to me that I could watch a movie. Ok, sounds like a plan. I'll put a movie in. Well, I don't want to pay too much attention to it. See, I almost want background noise as much as I want anything. So, whatever movie I pick, it has to be something I've seen before. And it can't be Evil Dead 2 since I just loaned it out. It's been a long time since I saw Amelie and I've been wanting to watch it again for some time.

So I pull the DVD out of the DVD drawer. I put it in the DVD player. The menu comes up. I press play. I wander off momentarily. I come back. I press the audio button on the remote. As much as I love the sound of the French language, I know less than 30 words any more. And besides, like I said, I don't really want to pay that much attention. There is no dub on the DVD. French audio and English subs only. Now. This wouldn't normally bother me. Not even a little. Like I said, I love the sound of the French language. Subtitles don't bother me, not even a little. I just didn't want to pay much attention.

See, this happens to me a lot. I want to watch a movie, but not something new. Something I've seen before. Something that I've seen many times. Something that, if I leave the room and come back, or turn my attention from for a little while, I'll know just what's going on when I come back in the room.

This brings me up to the real reason for this post. My assumption is that I'm not alone in this. That other people do this with movies as well. And, well, I thought that it might be fun to share some favorites. I don't really have a good name for the list, but I'm going to list a few that I always fall back on, and if anyone else is so inclined, comment, or write about it on another blog and let me know.

My List Of Movies I Like To Watch When I Want To Watch A Movie But Don't Want To Watch Something I'm Unfamiliar With (in no specific order):

• Raiders of the Lost Ark (tonight's choice (Temple of Doom and Last Crusade are just as likely))
• Star Wars (any of the six)
• Lord of the Rings (any of the three)
• Shaun of the Dead
• Serenity
• Doomsday
• Event Horizon
• Hellboy II
• Planet of the Apes (the Chuck Heston original)
• Resident Evil

Alright. What have you got?

You may have seen this already, but I was entertained.

In which I ramble about my view of humanity

I was thinking that I would review The First Men in the Moon for you today. You know, the movie I posted the poster of yesterday? You remember? Come on, it wasn't that long ago! Well, for those of you who don't recall, The First Men in the Moon was the 1964 film adaptation of HG Wells' story of an expidition to the moon in 1899, you know, 70 years before it actually happened.

On the moon, they meet some insectoid creatures. The scientist wants to try to communicate with them and to learn from them. However, it is Arnold Bedford who takes over, throwing the creatures into a pit and fighting with them before even attempting to learn the slightest thing about them. And, to be honest, it made me very sad.

You have to assume that it is Bedford's reaction to the strange creatures that humanity would emulate should we ever encounter some peoples from another planet. While some people, like the scientest, Cavor, would want to greet and learn from the new creatures, it is much more likely that we would instintively lash out and attack them without waiting for provocation. And, at the end of The First Men in the Moon, it is Bedford's glee that the creatures had been wiped out by an accidental germ from Cavor that really kind of sticks with me.

It strange, sometimes, to see a mirror held up to humanity in film. Think about The Lord of the Rings. It is Aragorn, the noble king who stands by his friends and would never betray them, that we hope to emulate. However, it is the tragic Boromir who is more of a true encapsulation of mankind.

Boromir is a good person, but he has many flaws. He wants only to do the right thing, but he doesn't realize that the right thing is the wrong thing until it's too late. He believes only in himself and his ability to succeed. Where Aragorn sees the ring as an evil thing that cannot be wielded by man, Boromir only sees a weapon. A weapon that he believes can save his land and his people. The truth, ultimately, is that they're both right. Boromir is simply too short sighted to see that the only way to use the weapon is to destroy it.

Of course, Boromir is tempted to take the ring. Who among us would pass on that? If all you saw was the ability to save the ones you love, wouldn't you try to take the ring as well? How many of us could truly pass that kind of power up the way that Aragorn did? Aragorn is the ideal, but Boromir is the reality.

We fear what we don't understand. Boromir and Bedford both show us this. We want to do the right thing, we want to help those around us, but sometimes, I think, we lose track of the right way to do that.

The real hero of LotR

I don't spend all my time just thinking about Star Wars. No. Often times, I play Scrabulous on Facebook. And, other times, I think about the Lord of the Rings movies.

In fact, that's what I found myself thinking about last night. Granted, it might have been because I put Return of the King into the DVD player.

So, I'm watching Return of the King and thinking to myself "Wow, Frodo wouldn't have accomplished a god damn thing without the help of Sam." Sam is the real hero here. I mean, sure, it's Frodo who destroys the ring, but Frodo does that because he has to, not because he wants to. If it were up to Frodo, he would have kept the ring for himself. It's only the attack by Gollum that forces Frodo to destroy the ring.

Sam though, carries Frodo to Mt Doom. Sometimes figuratively, sometimes quite literally. Sam is incorruptible. Sam is faithful. Sam makes a promise and keeps it. Sam fulfills his mission despite the odds and despite the challenges. And, in the end...Sam gets the girl.

By Hollywood standards, isn't that the definition of a hero? And yet, he's relegated to mere sidekick status. He is Frodo's friend and gardener. He is just an average hobbit who never really cared about leaving the Shire.

It's Sam who really learns what he is capable of through the adventure, and it's Sam who truly saves the day. As Frodo succumbs to the Ring, he begins to sympathize with Gollum. But not Sam. Sam never trusts him. And even when Frodo sends Sam away, Sam doesn't give up. If not for Sam, Frodo would have been eaten by the giant spider (whose name escapes me at the moment and I'm too lazy to look up).

Through everything, Sam is there. Never turning his back on Frodo, never worried about his own self interests. He is willing to sacrifice everything in order to ensure that Frodo succeeds. He knows that it's Frodo who will be remembered, not Sam.

But, even Frodo (in a breif moment of calm and clarity) admits that Sam's role is vital:

Sam: I wonder if we’ll ever be put into songs or tales.

Frodo: What?

Sam: I wonder if people will ever say, "Let’s hear about Frodo and the Ring," and they’ll say, "Yes, that’s one of my favorite stories. Frodo was really courageous, wasn’t he, Dad?" "Yes, my boy, the most famousest of hobbits. And that’s saying a lot."

Frodo: You left out one of the chief characters: Samwise the Brave. I want to hear more about Sam. Frodo wouldn’t have got far without Sam.

Sam: Now Mr. Frodo, you shouldn’t make fun. I was being serious.

Frodo: So was I.

Samwise the Brave. Friend of Elves, Killer of Shelob*, Hero of Middle Earth.

*Yes, I went and looked it up.