As I look out the window of the T, I see it. It doesn't look like much from the outside - a mere building among the restaurants and beauty salons of Washington Square. I jump off the trolley car and make my way down the street toward the bright yellow sign - a beacon of sorts after long weeks of work. Upon walking through the doors, it can all look quite sketchy at first with its simple white walls and somewhat poor lighting. Some people might even turn away. But me? I'm a kid in the candy store. Or rather, a movie lover in a video store aptly named Movieworks. And before I go any further, the answer is no. I was not paid by Movieworks to write this column. Although if anyone from the store is offering a monetary donation for my hard work on this column, far be it from me to hurt their feelings and turn it down (checks made payable to cash for tax purposes please).
Ironically enough, the only reason I went to this movie house in the first place was for my final paper in Religious Quest. I needed to find a film other than Aladdin that poorly depicted Muslims, and my research was telling me that I should check out House of Sand and Fog (excellent movie despite the poor depictions) and The Siege (horrible movie despite Denzel Washington). I made my way on the Boston College bus over to the now-defunct Blockbuster in Cleveland Circle only to find that they hadn't even heard of those well-known films. Then again, why was I surprised? After all, that Blockbuster didn't even have Scream 3, a travesty in my humble opinion since the third Scream is clearly better than the second. But I digress. To not fail my core religion course, I decided to investigate the rental place I had seen from the C Line. I was in for quite the surprise, as not only did they have the two movies I needed for class, but any movie my imagination could ever dream up.
If you think I'm exaggerating when I say that Movieworks has practically every DVD ever made, then I dare you to go there and prove me wrong. Looking for a new release like Sweeney Todd? You'll find it against the right-hand wall. How about one of the volumes of the first season of Murder, She Wrote, because who doesn't love Angela Lansbury? That would be on the left. From foreign films to cult classics, it's all there among the floor-to-ceiling shelves. Going to Blockbuster used to be the most stressful event of my life, wondering if they would have the cinematic masterpiece I wanted. Movieworks has ensured that the only problem I should encounter in finding the perfect movie is wondering whether the Comm. Ave bus will ever get to Conte.
Well-known new releases may be what draw me into Movieworks on any given week, but discoveries are what sustain my business. For example, August Rush was a very well-publicized movie, with its seemingly stellar cast of the likes of Terrence Howard, Robin Williams, and Keri Russell. Upon viewing the film, though, I regret to inform you that the movie … well it sucked, quite honestly. A smaller cast and film like the Parker Posey flick Broken English on the other hand? Absolutely charming. Not that I am an indie snob, as I'm sure last week's spread about chick flicks proves.
The older DVDs are broken down into genres: comedy, drama, classic, horror, etc. Believe it or not, I do not reside in the comedy section searching for every romantic comedy ever made. I feel this disclaimer must be made given my homogenous cinematic article choices of late, and the shameless mocking from some of my friends. Indeed, I would probably call myself a genre slut, attempting to get my hands on any movie that has ever been considered good or interesting. So when I decide not to watch Almost Famous' William Miller write his Stillwater article for the 86th time this year - see, my favorite movie isn't even a chick flick, ha - I head to the hallowed shelves of Movieworks for something I've never seen, and hopefully an even better high than that kid in the candy store.
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