The Ground Rules

What is Film Roulette?

That is a good question, my dear reader. But first, allow me to introduce the author behind the concept, namely me.

My name is Francis Lai. I happen to be another young, upstart film critic voicing his ultimately irrelevant opinion on the topic he so passionately defends and cares about. I consider myself to be a humorous, intelligent, and all around amable person; whether or not you will is a different story.

Over the past 17 or so years of my life, I have taken in (as of May 15, 2014) 543 feature length films (with a couple of exceptions) and organized them into a series of lists posted here: <http://community.flixster.com/user/deckard42/movie-list>.*

As something of an underage film critic/aficionado, one may assume I lack the experience of veteran critics such as Peter Travers, Richard Roeper, or A.O. Scott. Those people have not met me eye to eye. And by eye to eye, I mean chest to eye because I happen to be 6'8", but that's not the point. What is relevant is the fact that I have recorded every last film I have ever seen and ranked them according to my personal preference. It's a hobby, one I'm not entirely sure I'm proud of.

Needless to say, I adore movies. So many of us do. After all, the human experience is essentially one long visually stimulating story, quite similar to a movie, but without all the misunderstandings and physics breaking. If the spoken word and written literature are the trunk of creativity in this extended metaphor, then the art of film is one of its main metaphorical branches. I could go on and on about what makes movies great, how they transport their audiences to foreign, awe-inspiring worlds, how they are able to connect with the peaks and valleys of humanity, but I need to get this exposition out of the way so I can use it in future reviews.

So, as a filthy, no good, pretentious, and crumudgeony movie critic that no one listens to anyway, I present to you my take on criticism: a game I call FILM ROULETTE.

My favorite genre of movie is good movies. But in order to appreciate the finer things in life, one must suffer through its low points. As a result, I have diversified my viewing selections to whatever, whenever, and my style of selection has carried over into the concept I present to you today.

Most critics review the new films released every Friday. I don't have a steady income to afford $10 tickets. Other critics cover a certain genre or style of film-making and detail the highs and lows of that particular niche. The movies on my DVR don't fall into one category; they fall into about 12. Keenly noting this, I decided that I should review the random films I see in, what else, a randomized order. At the end of every review, special, or announcement, I will post a list of six films, chosen at random from my movie lists, and I will leave it up to vote in the comments section. If I am ignored and no one comments, I will choose myself because it's quite lonely in my room.

I also take requests. That doesn't mean I'll review your fav-o-rite film right away. I will just add it to the list and see what happens. HOWEVER, I will reject some requests. I do not need a hundred people telling me to review The Human Centipede or Hostel. I have my limits. And brothers. I don't need my younger brothers busting in on the torture scene from Audition.

Finally, I promote open conversation in the comments below. If you think my take was absolute bullshit and that I should be booted off the Internet, congratulations! You have the freedom to write a strongly worded letter down below. I shall offer my rebuttal as soon as possible.

To begin, I leave you with six films. They are:
SPARTACUS (1960)

PLANES (2013)

ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK (1981)

DAREDEVIL (2003)

PRETTY IN PINK (1986)

TRUE GRIT (1969)

So vote now...whoever you are.

*Note: Some lists do not work: they include 3 copies of All The Movies I've Seen - The 7s, Deckard42's Great Movies, and 2 copies of the Worst Movies Ever.