Why do this?

I got a call last week letting me know that a DVD I had ordered had come in. I was excited because I really love the movie (Shadow of a Doubt). However, when I got home, I made the unfortunate mistake of looking at my DVD collection. Normally I avoid looking at my collection. It is massive, an eyesore, and, of course, there's the biggest issue - half of the DVDs are unopened.

I've got more than 600 DVD movies, and more than 80 television season and miniseries DVD box sets. 355 DVD movies are unopened. 41 television box sets are unopened. I've got classics, sci-fi, modern action movies, comedies, horror movies. I've got sitcoms, crime dramas, sci-fi shows, BBC stuff, cartoons from the 1980s. I've got movies that cost me $40, and movies that I bought in the cheapo bin for $4.

Looking at it got me to thinking. Right now, my birthday is less than five days away. I will be turning 33. I have decided that by August 10, 2010, the day before I turn 34, I will make sure that every DVD I own will be watched. This is a huge undertaking. My husband and I have made half hearted attempts at this in the past. Unfortunately, we are rarely ever in the mood to watch anything at the same time. So, since I bought at least 98% of the DVDs, and I have more free time, I've decided that it all comes down to me.

In the past, there have been four things that have always ruined my attempts to watch all my DVDs:

1) Out of a couple of hundred DVDs, it's often so hard to choose just one that I give up and do something else.

2) I keep buying new movies, which makes it harder for me to watch the older ones.

3) Sometimes I get distracted by video games.

4) I have seen over half of them.

I have come up with a way to fix these problems.

First, I am going to make a tentative schedule. No more wasting my time choosing. I don't think it's a good idea to make a schedule out for the year, but I will make a monthly schedule, with a DVD(s) assigned each day.

Second, other than the two DVDs I already have on order, I will be buying no more DVDs until this project is completed. This is going to be incredibly difficult. Since I used to manage a movie store (big surprise), I have friends at a couple of movies stores whom I enjoy talking shop with. Since I am not going to stop visiting them over the course of a year, I am going to have to force myself to leave my credit card at home when I decide to go.

Third, I will stop all purchases of new video games as well.

As for the fourth problem, it is one of the reasons I have created this blog. I have decided that I will try and be an amateur movie critic, watching a movie a day so that I can share my thoughts even on movies I've seen dozens of times. This makes the idea of watching the second and third Indiana Jones movies exciting.

Though this task is daunting, I am looking forward to it. I have 355 movies and 41 television box sets waiting to be conquered. It should be fun writing about this journey along the way.

I will have my August schedule up within 12 hours. My first movie will be watched by Friday night.