Though Hollywood continues to churn out formulaic bull$#!*, there are still some great films being made. I generally dig through older films and documentaries for gems that show a spark of originality. Recently I saw a newer film, Encounters At the End of the World, by Werner Herzog. Herzog is incredible. Like most movie talents that are worth noticing, he's relatively unknown in the United States. The film's description makes you think it's just another nature documentary (don't get me wrong - I love Wild Discovery and Planet Earth), but I knew that Herzog would take it somewhere else. It is a film that needs to be experienced. Herzog explores the Antarctic's strange life and character, but he also takes a look at the people that live there. The elements of the film combine to create an eerie awareness of the majesty of nature, as well as the human spirit. The movie doesn't answer all our questions, like most nature documentaries seem to. It widens the horizon. It gets us to ask the questions necessary to awaken the mind, to jumpstart our imagination.

I need something that makes me think, that engages my mind. Film is an artform like any other media, but it takes more than a slick plot and attractive actors to make art. It takes an adventurous soul, seeking to crack open something that people are only dimly aware of, and showing people something that they need to know. Truffaut's Fahrenheit 451 accomplishes this task, as do all his works that I've seen. It is as faithful an adaptation of a book as I've seen, and it is yet more. The world of Montag comes to life, and we get to know the emotional toll of a repressive society. The color red is repeated amidst bland greys and blacks, taunting us. Where will be the next fire?

Pay close attention to the movies you watch. See if they are really engaging your intellect, or if they are merely regurgitating a group of likable forms in a semi-new arrangement. Be more than a passive observer, feebly accepting whatever is thrown at you. Go beyond the new releases section at the local video store - just like everything in life, there is so much more to be found for those that will seek it out.

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