Therapy

Packing for the big apartment move isn’t stressful at all.  For days, I would agonize about where or how to start.  But when I got started throwing away stuff and keeping the ones that mattered, I actually was having so much fun.  It was as therapeutic as buying new stuff.

I’ve followed the advice of friends who had done a lot of moving:  be brutal.  If you haven’t opened a drawer for months, everything in it should go to the trash bin.  If you haven’t worn a shirt for a year, give it away.  Even art that doesn’t interest you anymore should go.  Get rid of CDs that you don’t intend to play, like an autographed copy of 1994 Miss Universe Dayanara Torres’ Antifaz.

But the only ones that I’ll keep, en toto, is my DVD collection.  Going through the DVDs got me thinking, what 10 DVDs should I keep if my new place only had room for 10?  It’s a highly unlikely scenario, but blog-worthy nonetheless.

This isn’t my “all-time best of” list.  These films are either most frequently played or are precious for sentimental reasons:

1.  Moulin Rouge.  The two-disc collector's edition is even more excessive.  I'm usually not fond of behind-the-scenes features because they take out the magic from moviemaking.  But this package is a spectacle in itself -- the music, dance, art direction, pre-visualizations of Baz the crazy Aussie. 

2.  The Godfather Series.  My first boxed set.  The lame Part III has earned some respect when viewed together with the two classic prequels.   

3.  Universal Soldier.  Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme’s comedy classic, and it wasn’t meant to be funny.  It was my first DVD; came free with my first DVD player.

4.  Raise the Red Lantern.  Most often borrowed by friends but it’s still with me.

5.  Himala.  Apropos for Lent.

6.  Red, White, Blue Trilogy.  I've had it for many years now but I haven’t gotten past Red yet.

7.  Sound of Music.  The first movie I saw on the big screen.  The special edition is a favorite thing -- makes me want to take the Salzburg Tour. 

8.  Notting Hill.  Guilty pleasure.

9.  Billy Elliot.  Every collection must have a coming-of-age film; this must be the best. The scene where Billy dances in anger as The Jam's Town Called Malice plays is the most often viewed movie moment in my player.

10. Manhattan.  Now, that’s my fave movie of all time.