In the beginning, there was a notebook.

The Watchlist.

In the photo above, you'll see my watchlist notebook. I put it together the day after seeing the Tarantino/Rodriguez genre-fest Grindhouse. A pivotal moment for me. In the following years, I would jot down titles or lists that would inspire my curiosity. As time went by, it grew title by title, then page by page. I've stuck to it as the true source for documenting movies I want to see. However, as streaming services appeared and bookmarking IMDb pages became secondhand, it fell out of use.

In launching this blog and collecting my thoughts about its use, this notebook has been at the forefront of my brainstorming. Cataloging my journey through the notebook title by title seems like an entertaining and satisfying method to navigate through my years of listing films. I'm genuinely excited to dive into this dusty Moleskine and share my experiences during the process.

Do you have a watchlist? For those of us in the pre-Letterboxd era, keeping a hand-written list of movies seems totally normal. I assume there are Five Star spiral notebooks out there brimming with French New Wave, New Hollywood, and Blaxploitation movies scrawled in #2 Ticonderoga pencil. As a rule, though, I think it's pretty necessary to maintain a proper watchlist in whatever form you choose. Don't let those streaming services fool you into thinking that your queue will be there forever, no matter what. Hell, look at the disappearing digital copies from Vudu, Apple, and even Amazon Prime. Maintaining a separate list keeps you in touch with your interests and not at the whims of a content overlord.

Join me in turning the pages of my notebook.