OK... Why Am I Doing This??

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions.  And for some reason, mine always seem to be different from everyone else's!

A song that is popular, I can't stand.  The top-rated television show, I have no interest in.  The actor voted sexiest of the year, I think is just "blah".  I definitely have different tastes than most females my age.

So why have I decided to start a blog where I plan to review various "stuff"?  Read on...

About a year or so ago, I began rating some older films over at the IMDB website (aka: Internet Movie DataBase).   I usually keep my opinions to myself, so it was a strange experience.  As usual, I found my ratings seemed to differ from other people's, sometimes by quite a lot.  But it was fun, knowing I probably wouldn't get bashed for being a bit different in my tastes.

I started with films by that versatile silent-to-sound comedian (...director/writer/producer) Charley Chase, adding some screen shots as I went.  It was my small tribute to Chase, as he isn't as well known as, say, Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin, even Harold Lloyd (though he should be), so my humble reviews were a way for me to add a little "ooomph" to his memory.

But then I rediscovered actor Patrick McGoohan.  That has been a totally different experience.

I am not used to being interested in someone who has had a world-wide fan-base for decades.  His work in The Prisoner made him a cult hero.  Thing is, though I had known of him since I was a kid (thanks to his two original appearances in Columbo), I had no real idea what The Prisoner actually was.  My mother had mentioned it once or twice, saying it was a strange show about a man on an island.

Fast forward to 2019, enter The Simpsons.  To be more specific, episode #254, "The Computer Wore Menace Shoes" from 2000.  Homer Simpson starts his own website, full of local gossip.  When he runs out of "news", he begins to make stuff up.  This attracts attention, and he is kidnapped and brought to a strange island to be interrogated.  After watching the last half of the episode, I was completely befuddled.  Why was Homer being gassed at every turn?  Why were people talking with British accents?  Why was that Number 6's voice so familiar?  I waited and watched the ending credits, and things started to become clear... the voice of Number 6 was none other than Patrick McGoohan!

I then remembered Mom's mentioning of that show called The Prisoner.  I did a quick search via our cable-box and couldn't believe it... there was an obscure channel that was airing the series!  I set the DVR to record an episode.  I don't remember which it was, though I think it was actually the first, called simply "Arrival".

It was an experience.

What a strange show... really colorful... but what was that big white balloon all about... gee, I didn't know McGoohan was so darn handsome when he was younger... who is this "Number 2" guy... oooh, I like that Lotus... why are the villagers so dumb... BAH I won't watch any more of this silly sci-fi show... I hate sci-fi...

I now have the whole series on DVD, along with Secret Agent/Danger Man and (so far) about half of McGoohan's big-screen films.  Also two McGoohan biographies, one Prisoner book, and a French book about Secret Agent.  I can't afford to pick up all the others just now.

Yup.  I'm hooked.  Patrick has joined Charley.

So now I find myself typing up reviews of McGoohan's work, even though lots of people have done so on their own blogs and websites, some of which are filled with some amazing photos and information.  As I learn about the man, my reviews have started becoming way too long for IMDB.  And I feel silly always publicly commenting on McGoohan's blue eyes (sigh).  So I decided maybe, just MAYBE, someone out there would be interested in my humble opinion of his films (he didn't like to call even his TV shows "shows" or "episodes", they were "films").

As I did with Mr. Chase, I hope to bring a tiny bit more attention to the man... and to the work he did OTHER than with The Prisoner, which seems to be all anyone cares about!  And I don't plan on giving my be-all-end-all opinions about what that show was all about.  McGoohan himself preferred people to ponder it, then make up their own minds. If it meant different things to different people, all the better.

I'll be starting off here with expanded versions of my recent IMDB reviews, then I hope to move onto other topics.  Keep in mind I am not a professional anything, I just feel like trying this idea out. Will it will be worth all the trouble?  We shall see...

... And thus, if you are so inclined, please read on!  I only request that if you decide to leave a comment, please be civil.

Be seeing you...