A Year at the Movies: One Man's Filmgoing Odyssey
Encyclopedia
A Year at the Movies: One Man's Filmgoing Odyssey is a book written by Kevin Murphy
about his experiences of seeing a movie each day, for the entire year of 2001. Much of the content derives not only from Murphy's "filmgoing odyssey" but also from his thoughts and observations on the changing nature of the filmgoing experience itself. Murphy comments extensively on the overwhelming prevalence of multiplex
movie theaters which generally screen Hollywood blockbuster
films at the expense of a wider range of classic, independent and foreign language films. While many of the daily film viewings chronicled in the book fall into the Hollywood kitsch
category, quite a few sections deal with films that Murphy actually enjoyed watching, whether because of the film itself or because of the quality of the theater in which it was viewed.
Some notable experiences:
Kevin Murphy (actor)
Kevin Wagner Murphy is an American actor and writer best known as the voice and puppeteer of Tom Servo on the Peabody Award-winning comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000.- Early career :...
about his experiences of seeing a movie each day, for the entire year of 2001. Much of the content derives not only from Murphy's "filmgoing odyssey" but also from his thoughts and observations on the changing nature of the filmgoing experience itself. Murphy comments extensively on the overwhelming prevalence of multiplex
Multiplex
-Science and engineering:* Multiplexing, combining many signals into a single transmission circuit or channel* Multiplexer, an electronic device that accomplishes multiplexing* Multiplex , a laboratory procedure in molecular biology-Entertainment:...
movie theaters which generally screen Hollywood blockbuster
Blockbuster (entertainment)
Blockbuster, as applied to film or theatre, denotes a very popular or successful production. The entertainment industry use was originally theatrical slang referring to a particularly successful play but is now used primarily by the film industry...
films at the expense of a wider range of classic, independent and foreign language films. While many of the daily film viewings chronicled in the book fall into the Hollywood kitsch
Kitsch
Kitsch is a form of art that is considered an inferior, tasteless copy of an extant style of art or a worthless imitation of art of recognized value. The concept is associated with the deliberate use of elements that may be thought of as cultural icons while making cheap mass-produced objects that...
category, quite a few sections deal with films that Murphy actually enjoyed watching, whether because of the film itself or because of the quality of the theater in which it was viewed.
Some notable experiences:
- Dressing as a nunNunA nun is a woman who has taken vows committing her to live a spiritual life. She may be an ascetic who voluntarily chooses to leave mainstream society and live her life in prayer and contemplation in a monastery or convent...
during a showing of The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music (film)Rodgers and Hammerstein's The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical...
in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. - His extreme dissatisfaction with the movie Town and CountryTown & Country (film)Town & Country is a 2001 film starring Goldie Hawn, Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton and Garry Shandling and directed by Peter Chelsom. It is a romantic comedy in which Beatty plays New York City architect Porter Stoddard, with Keaton as his wife and Hawn and Shandling as their best friends. It holds...
. - Bringing an entire ThanksgivingThanksgivingThanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
dinner into a movie. - Enduring the Chris KattanChris KattanChristopher Lee "Chris" Kattan is an American actor/comedian, best known for his work on Saturday Night Live.-Early life:Kattan was born in Sherman Oaks, California. His father, Kip King, was an actor and voice actor who appeared on the series Reno 911! as Larrie Plum. His mother, Hajnalka E....
film Corky RomanoCorky RomanoCorky Romano is a 2001 film starring former Saturday Night Live cast member Chris Kattan. Also starring are Fred Ward, Vinessa Shaw, Roger Fan, and Dave Sheridan. The movie was directed by Rob Pritts and was written by David Garrett and Jason Ward. It was filmed at Touchstone Pictures studios...
with fellow MST3K alum Michael J. NelsonMichael J. NelsonMichael John Nelson is a U.S. comedian and writer, most famous for his work on the cult television series Mystery Science Theater 3000 . Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's 11-year run, and spent half of that time playing the on-air host, also named Mike Nelson...
. - His thoughts during the September 11thSeptember 11, 2001 attacksThe September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
terrorist attacks. - Seeing a movie in a theater made of ice and snow.