"I'm an excellent driver"

Yes, readers, the blog goes right here. Everything's now in one place. (Well, everything except co-productions which alternate location like Best Pictures From the Outside In and such.)

Fake Jew, Real ScientologistNick, Mike and I are proud to bring back "Best Pictures From the Outside In" series for its 20th episode (the halfway mark). The films are Gentleman's Agreement in which Gregory Peck poses as a Jewish man to write a scathing expose on anti-Semitism and Tom Cruise plays a cocky jerk who suddenly finds he is with family (no, not in that way) in Rain Man.

If you're new to the series and need a refresher, here is the index to all 20 episodes. Nick, being the overachiever that he is, also keeps a tournament list a readers poll and ranks all the winners.

Please join in the conversation of that episode at Goatdog's blog. There's so much to discuss. Do you love the 80s time capsule of Rain Man. Do you like being lectured to by Gregory Peck? Mike sums both films up in an animated 2 minute recap, I share my theory on how Tom Cruise inspired Twitter (no really) and Nick overshares his Scientology (not really).

P.S. I think you should know that Bull Durham was totally robbed of an Oscar nomination in 1988 and Black Narcissus (which we recently wrote about) was robbed in 1947. What were they thinking?

Welcome!

"Willkommen, Velkommen,  환영합니다 Aloha, Bem-vindo, Bienvenue, 欢迎, Bienvenido, مرحبا بكم, Vítejte, etcetera"

A fresh new year, a fresh new site! HAPPY 2011. The Film Experience is nearly "whole" as it were, merging its many parts. You may experience a few kinks for the first week(s) of January, but please look around and explore. Minor suggestions (i.e. don't say "start all over"), congratulatory compliments and everyday chatter are as welcome in the comments as you are to The Film Experience itself. We'll probably need a week to get up to speed at our newly renovated home.

While you're here check out the top films lists from decades past, the galleries, the calendar ("agenda" tab works best), the Oscar prediction charts (freshly updated with new commentary), our own kudos ("the film bitch awards"). We're still working on importing the recent contents of filmexperience.blogspot.com and the old articles from the site but new blogposts will now be right here at the home page.

Oscar nomination morning is but 3 weeks away! So let us know what you think of the new predictions.

"Cheers, Prost, Sláinte, L'Chaim, Skål"

The Film Experience loves the Academy Awards but it's a site primarily devoted to the love of movies. We mostly just believe in the Oscars as a door into that magical world, or a gateway drug if you prefer. If you're new to the site, please check out the "about" page. Rest assured that many of the series you know and love from the blog will return here over the course of the next month or two, and there's also a couple of huge anniversaries coming up in 2011 that we'll have to pull out all the stops for: Moulin Rouge! (2001) turns 10 this summer. West Side Story (1961) turns 50 toward the end of the year and that's just the two titans.

Here's to 2011!