Waiting For Ben Hur

First.  To all three of my (semi-) loyal readers, sorry for not being here for you to help waste your work days. I've been eyes deep in my stupid screenplay and work and I moved a few miles and I hate winter and blah blah blibbity blah.

The good news is that spring appears to be here (fingers crossed) I like my new place, and my screenplay is done.  I missed a few (self imposed) deadlines but I finally put that ornery bastard to bed last week.  This week I have not thought about it one bit (or at least if I did think about it, I quickly changed my mind) and I have been decompressing with video games, sleep, and movies.

Second.  A few weeks ago I got an email from Netflix wherein they offered me a free month of their disc-based service.  I have had the streaming only version of Netflix for ages and I have often sighed when what I wanted to watch was not available in that fashion.  So I gamely accepted said offer and have started to get the discs again. Two at a time.  Blu Rays.  It's nice and I like it.  The caveat, you ask?  Well, in the past, when I had the disc delivery plan, sometimes I would let the discs sit on top of my TV for weeks at a time without watching them.  Sometimes I would watch them, sometimes I would mail them back unseen.  I was wasting what I consider to be a quality service.  So.  This time I decided that I would have an agenda with my selections.  I selected the AFI top 100 movies list and decided that I would watch the movies, in order, from 100 to 1.  Even the ones I've already seen.  I would intersperse these hundred movies with other, less prestigious movies so as not to feel like every disc was an IMPORTANT FILM.  I decided that I would write reviews of these movies here in this blog.  I was/am excited for this.

Except.

A Tangent.  When you select a movie that Netflix does not have a bazillion of, they inform you right there on your queue that it will require a short wait.  Year ago, I forget the movie, I had a short wait.  Netflix emailed me and said that they were awfully sorry for the short wait so instead of delivering my movie from my usual distribution center, they would send it from a different center, in Florida no less, so it would be an extra day or two before it arrived.  That kind of service and short wait I do not mind.  Apparently this is not how they deal with the short waits anymore.

Third.  Number 100 on the AFI list is Ben Hur.  I haven't seen this movie since I was a kid.  To be honest, with the exception of vague memories of chariots, I have no recollection of it and will be able to watch this movie completely afresh.  I'm looking forward to it quite a bit.  Except.  Except there is a short wait.  I have received no email informing me of it being sent from a different distribution center.  It just sits there atop my queue reminding me that I can't have it.  I expected the first two movies I received to be The Dark Knight Returns and Ben Hur.  Instead I got TDKR and Contagion.  And then the Avengers.  And then the Collector.  And then the Hunger Games.  And then Resident Evil: Retribution.

Sigh.  I mailed the last two movies on this list back today and needless to say I do not expect Ben Hur to arrive to replace them.

So as I review these films (reviews will start in a few days) I will continue to title these posts as Waiting For Ben Hur until it actually shows up and I can watch it.

Anyways, I will now bid you adieu as I will attempt (yet again) to consume my body weight in meats/carbs.

Thank you and good night.