Blog News: Blog Plans for 2024

 

2023 is coming to an end as I've finished the 2023 Blind Spot Series earlier than I expected to while something even more surprising came in my Auteurs essay on Kelly Reichardt as I almost thought it wouldn't be finished as I'm glad I did. Yet, it was in going back to my first essay on Sofia Coppola which I updated and expanded as if I hadn't done that. The Reichardt piece wouldn't have created as Coppola gave me that push. Now that I've finished my piece on Reichardt, it does mean that the Auteurs series is definitely returning but not as frequently as I used to do it monthly but then it became every few months until 2019 when my dad passed away and I kept it on hold for years. At the same time, I had been stalling for upcoming new releases as I've already prepared essays for the next two subjects in J.C. Chandor and Michael Mann as the latter is about to have a new film towards the end of the month while the former is going to have one out next year. Both filmmakers' essays will be in the works for the time being but once Chandor's new film Kraven the Hunter comes out, it is likely that his essay will be released sometimes after I see the film. Then I hope to do Mann and then I will go into David Lean.

Then there's the question of what is next and honestly, I really don't know. Part of the difficulty of choosing a subject for the Auteurs series isn't just on who to profile but also the number of films that are available. I have created a shortlist of filmmakers that I want to profile but it is about the films that I want to see and if they're available on a streaming service or on YouTube where I can rent those films. Then there are those that I have profiled over the years as one of the things that I want to do is update some of my old essays with new pictures as well as update some things and write about some new films as I do have a watchlist of the filmmakers I've written about but the films I haven't covered. It will be a bit of a smaller project that relates to the Auteurs series as it will allow me to keep my brain going whenever I'm not reviewing films.

Now that I've unshackled myself from the burden that is cable TV and now have gone full streaming though there's a few services I haven't gotten access to that I'd like to have. The fact that there are still many services available that I can use will allow me to watch whatever I can find. The Cannes marathon will continue but likely in a smaller form due to the fact that there's timing and dealing with a couple of kids to take care of. I still plan on taking part in the 52 Films by Women pledge as I've exceeded my goal this year. I also hope to do more TV-based projects as another thing that will give me something to do as I am planning to do a big project that will take me a few years.

Given the fact that I had grand ideas for a 20th anniversary celebration project for Lost in Translation only for the project to fall apart due to my lack of how to code visuals and all sorts of things as well as the fact that the Blu-Ray I got earlier that year that I watched on September 21st was shit. Instead, I made a list of what I want from a Criterion 4K UHD Blu-Ray for the film. Yet, I saw this failure of this project now as a blessing in disguise as it forced me to think things differently. What I will do instead is write a book about Lost in Translation as I've outlined chapters that will include material that I've written in the past as a lot of it will be new material. This will take years as I want to do it right and take my time with it. That is the one thing I want to do and hopefully lead to something.

I think that is all that I have to say about what I plan to do for next year as well as the years to come. I'm still hoping to get a new laptop while just chilling and relaxing. Hopefully go to a concert or two as I haven't been to one in over 5 years. Until then, this is thevoid99 signing off...

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