If there’s a fresh cake in the fridge, it must be my birthday.
That means it’s time for an annual birthday tradition. Someone I know once suggested that I make a list of things I want to do before my next birthday and seal the list in an envelope. Then, the next year I was to open the envelope on my birthday, see what I’d managed to serendipitously do (since most of the list is almost immediately forgotten), and then make a new list.
In 2008, which was my first birthday as a blogger, I augmented the tradition by creating a little watchlist for myself – choosing 21 titles I hope to watch by my next birthday. No promises that I’d get to them, but still neat to mark a few down.
Interestingly, this is the first year where I’ve seen ten of the twenty-one I listed.
While I get out and enjoy this beautiful weather, take a glance at the new list…
PARADE
MY OWN PRIVATE IDAHO
SANJURO
CRIMES AND MISDEMEANOURS
WILD STRAWBERRIES
I AM CUBA
THE CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE
NORMA RAE
ALIEN 3
EXOTICA
DUNE
THE WAY WE WERE
24 HOUR PARTY PEOPLE
ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA
THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI
PAT GARRET AND BILLY THE KID
THE SECRET LIVES OF OTHERS
THE BIG RED ONE
IF…
THE LOVERS ON THE BRIDGE