Movie Night: guide my sword, don't lose your head

When I was in college, I used to run the weekly Movie Night in our dorm. Every thursday night we would select two movies (usually linked by some theme), reserve the big screen TV in the residence hall lounge, and sometimes even order a pile of food. It became a tradition in the way that collegiate group-bonding activities do, and I have greatly missed it. So, I've decided to start it up again, only this time, via blog! With the added bonus that we can discuss the movies in the comments section.

So, on to the first UNMEDIA Movie Night!

The movies this week are: The Princess Bride and Highlander

At first glance, these movies look to have nothing in common. TPB is a fairy tale, about (and I am quoting from the movie here) Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, True Love, miracles... but I have always felt that the real heart of the film was Inigo , whose classic line "Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die." has practically entered the mainstream. And the music to the Guide my Sword scene is an emotional masterpiece (score by Mark Knopfler (yes, THAT Mark Knopfler!).

Highlander, in contrast, is a dark film, about immortals walking among us throughout history, striving to behead each other in New York. This is a strange but really exciting film, coupled to a rocking music soundtrack by Queen. This movie doesnt just engage in madcap swordplay, but really explores the nature of immortality - and yet is also a basic story of survival.

One thing they have in common is their respective cult status (which does have a non-zero overlap, as I am living proof). They approach Star Wars level of devotion - literally in the case of the fanfilm, Brains and Steel. And of course the two films share a lot of swashbuckling swordplay. But the real link between them is a basic underlying theme: skill, and heart, are the key to defeating evil. Not on the scale of a vast campaign, but rather as a personal one-on-one struggle.

I highly recommend signing up for NETFLIX. It's a DVD rental service by mail, with no late fees. The DVDs are delivered straight to your door with paid-return envelopes. It costs about $20 a month, though, so it isn't worth it of you watch fewer than 4 movies a month. But if you do watch at least that many movies, then this really is teh future of movie rentals. Check it out.