A first blog post is sort of like a first kiss – sure, it’s very exciting and all, but it’s also pretty clear to all parties involved that you don’t have a clue what you’re doing.

So let’s just keep it simple, shall we? The aim of this blog, Cinematic for the People, is to share some information, discussion, and opinions (and yes, I am aware of what certain unsavory body part that opinions are like) about anything and everything involving the movies. I’ll be touching on all the big-deal Hollywood blockbusters, of course, but also as many independent, foreign, classic, or otherwise obscure films as I have time and space for. My goals is to have something to offer to both the casual cinema-goer who catches a flick or two per month as well as the hardcore movie-geek who owns every Criterion Collection DVD or scours the internet hourly for the latest tidbit about what material Spider-man’s eyeholes will be constructed out of in the series’ next installment.

My taste in movies is all over the map – Nosferatu, Singin’ In the Rain, Oldboy, and, uh, Half-Baked all comfortably share space on my DVD shelves at home – so I hope to cover as wide a range here as possible, and not to trash anything that isn’t actually trash (though I certainly believe there's a distinction between “good trash” and “bad trash”).

I do have a particular affinity for the great “underdog” films that, for whatever reason, didn’t connect with the majority of critics or moviegoers – like Punch-Drunk Love, whose incredible closing scene supplied the title of this post – and also for movies made by scrappy, resourceful filmmakers who didn’t let their lack of money, access, or support get in the way of them getting their vision to the screen.

What’s to come? Well, we’ll see – 2007 was a particularly terrific year for movies, so here’s hoping that this year will give us lots more memorable films to talk about in the coming weeks and months. Feel free to drop me a line here at the Register at nscalia@nhregister.com, and check back every few days for updates of all shapes and sizes.

Until then, try to have yourself a transcendent experience in a darkened room surrounded by loud noises and complete strangers. Trust me, you’ll love it.