A Few New Additions to the Collection

Well, I finally got my Visa situation taken care of, so I manged to send off for some DVDs I was in need of for my dissertation, and a few extras, too.

I found that two of my most desired films, the original The Jazz Singer (1927) and the wonderful Crossing Delancey (1988), were finally out on DVD, so I snapped those up immediately. Also, I found the Canadian film Double Happiness (1994), a solid intermarriage-related film about a Chinese-Canadian girl and her traditional family, was on sale with another of my favourites, the surprizing New Waterford Girl (1999), so I grabbed both of those, as well. I also ordered the last copy in Ontario of Trembling Before G-d (2001), a film I have to speak on at Brock next week, but it has yet to arrive.

However, one film I had been meaning to get forever was likely the most necessary purchase, as it is sort of a key film for my research. It's not a great film, but likely one of the most overt pieces on Jewish-Gentile romance to come out in a long time. As I say, not great, but ok - Keeping the Faith (2000), which I used to have on VHS before someone ran off with it.

However, I must warn you - the only way I could get this film is in a budget double feature DVD with one of the most heinous pieces of cinematic horror I've seen in a long time, the travesty that is The Preacher's Wife (1996).

This movie was so horrible that I still cannot believe it was made by people actually trained in the making of movies. It still makes me cringe, thinking about it. I got the budget DVD thinking that it wouldn't hurt to have another film about the clergy, or about religion/spirituality, but now I actually regret having it in my collection at all. I might have to cross out the title on the spine of the DVD packaging, lest people think I own it of my enjoyment of the atrocity. Avoid at all costs, people. Dreadful.

So, now I am actually writing again with some purpose, and hope to have a chapter done by the end of the month. I quake in my boots -- talking about your dissertation in the "some day" sense is so much less daunting than actually putting stuff on paper. Yikes. Wish me luck.