To be a well-rounded person, it seems to me, one simply must see certain films, just as one must read certain books, know certain artistic and musical works, and so on. I consider myself at least moderately familiar with art and music and literature, though I'm hardly qualified to teach others about them. However, I do know a lot about film and film history, and I enjoy talking about them and sharing the benefits of what I've learned with others.

For that reason, and because I feel on some level that I need to justify the money I'm spending on my ever-growing DVD collection, I started inviting friends over for a biweekly movie night featuring great and important films from history. Films are chosen for their technical, historical, or artistic significance; whatever the criteria, they have to be fun to watch. Before each movie I put together a brief essay introducing the film, explaining its significance, and posing a few questions for discussion.

I wish that I could invite you to join us, dear reader, but my home simply isn't that big. Instead, I'm including here the essays I send out every two weeks; feel free to follow along at home.