Whenever you set out to make a supercut, an obvious goal is to be as comprehensive as possible. Of course, to be completely comprehensive would be extremely unlikely (you are human, after all), but you should at least get the essentials down. I didn't do that in Mirror Scare, and it kills me. It's been brought to my attention several times that I left out Evil Dead II and Repulsion, among films. For that, I offer this atonement. Know that this will haunt all future dreams of the completist in me, whom as a child traveled with my entire set of Encyclopedia Brown or Ramona books when I was reading just one of them because bringing them all along just felt right.
Obviously, it's for reasons like this that I refrain from labeling my videos as containing all of whatever they're devoted to. I fuck up all the time, and oversight is a fact of life. Still, leaving these out bothers me because they're both important films. I was particularly stupid in the case of Evil Dead II, because it's a film that I love, that I've seen many times and that I knew I wanted to include in this 'cut -- somewhere in the months it took me to put this together, I just forgot to pull it off the DVD shelf and then forgot about it all together. Repulsion bums me out less, because even though I own it (and not as of, like a few hours ago -- I will scan in the receipt, if it please the court), it's not a film I particularly enjoy. I appreciate its moodiness and that it is as disorienting as its protagonist (or whatever she is) is disoriented, but to me, watching it is tedious. I've seen it once the whole way through, and that's enough for me. The 10 seconds of mirror in there wasn't something I was going to remember, anyway. What can you do? The brain has limitations.
Because of the latter omission, however, Jeffery Wells at Hollywood Elsewhere (a blog I do not read and won't be starting any time soon) labeled me "handicapped" and decided that I created something endemic of cinematic ageism or something. I've never seen someone get so pissy over a supercut, but I don't fault him. We all have things that we hold dear. In the comments (which, via readers, list some other less egregious omissions), he writes additionally: "Anyone posting a montage of all the key mirror-shock scenes who doesn't include Polanski's Repulsion clip is simply derelict and probably ignorant. That's it, end of discussion, no excuses....generational myopia. In the doghouse until further notice." I think that myopia is not accounting for human error, which is what was at work here. I also find the doghouse comment foolhardy, as it implies that I would figuratively choose to visit or reside on his property, when in fact I wouldn't even dignify it by shitting on his lawn.
Your riposte to Wells warmed my poor, black necrotic little heart. He's a nicompoop. Your supercut is superduper, revised or otherwise.
You're my favorite blogger.
Posted by: TyTyBaby | February 10, 2010 at 12:06 AM
One reason I've always appreciated you, Rich, is that you don't seem crazed with readership. You're extremely talented, and the readers come to you. You don't need to smear someone's blog, looking for a fight.
If you're handicapped for leaving out a clip from a movie that you made from your own boredom, then the rest of us are just fucked.
Posted by: Brian | February 10, 2010 at 12:07 AM
Fuckin ZING, Rich
Posted by: Natty | February 10, 2010 at 01:02 AM
you need to send rupaul over to whoop his ass
;)
Posted by: gem | February 10, 2010 at 08:42 AM
Excellent.
I'd say PWNED, but that's a horrible, horrible neologism. You get the point.
Posted by: Adam | February 10, 2010 at 09:28 AM
I love the last sentence. Thank you for all the hard work.
Posted by: joetheigay | February 10, 2010 at 09:30 AM
Don't hate, Rich. You're just jealous of Mr. Well's stunning coiffure, which is the true star of his blog.
Posted by: Rob | February 10, 2010 at 09:52 AM
The last sentence killed me. ^_^ It IS really important to have standards.
Posted by: Jenny | February 10, 2010 at 10:25 AM
I'm just happy that you brought in Bruce Campbell.
Posted by: AnnD | February 10, 2010 at 10:31 AM
You do so much on this blog...for FREE!!! What a jerk. Don't let the bastards get you down.
Posted by: Kristi | February 10, 2010 at 10:39 AM
Oh Rich, he doesn't deserve your shit on his lawn. I didn't even follow the link to his website...I prefer to deny him the pleasure of increased traffic.
I agree with gem. RuPaul would not be amused by his comments.
Posted by: electric | February 10, 2010 at 10:58 AM
I think that your mirror supercut was genius. Mirrors are often used but I couldn't tell you the movies I've seen using it. Jefferey Wells is an idiot, but people on the internet are often times more critical then need be. Just wanted to let you know I really enjoy your blog :)
Posted by: Amanda Huggins | February 10, 2010 at 11:03 AM
well said Rich.
Posted by: Coy | February 10, 2010 at 11:28 AM
If I thought about it for a little while, I could probably come up with 20 films with mirror scares not included in the supercut. However, not being a total jackass, the thought of tearing apart a supercut for excluding "x" film didn't even occur to me. I might have to turn my horror fan card in if this is how I'm supposed to behave online. Especially if it involves using terminology for differently abled people as an insult. Talk about a fail.
The original supercut was great and I fail to see how including more films just to include more films would have made it better.
Posted by: Robert | February 10, 2010 at 11:29 AM
I am in love with your site and can only hope and wish that there will be more supercuts to come.
Posted by: Krystale | February 10, 2010 at 11:36 AM
Poltergeist 3. It was all about mirrors.
Posted by: Gustavo | February 10, 2010 at 12:35 PM
If the dude cares so much, he can make his own supercut and put it up for public critique too. But I rather suspect he's one of those kind of guys who can't do, and so only criticizes.
Posted by: Rana | February 10, 2010 at 01:24 PM
Who the fuck is Jeffrey Wells again? And nevermind the mirror scares, what does he say regarding your Small Wonder montage? Personally, I thought you were a myopic ageist for not choosing My Mother the Car.
Evil Dead I-III were genius.
Posted by: Vanessa M | February 10, 2010 at 01:26 PM
I've always thought Jeffrey Wells had chronic PMS, and this just confirms it. I can't believe he'd throw such a peevish hissyfit over a youtube clip. He should have to watch some poorly edited fanvids as punishment.
Posted by: Nicolars | February 10, 2010 at 01:47 PM
Haters gon' hate. Keep doing what you do best!
Posted by: sairentohiru | February 10, 2010 at 03:12 PM
I just browsed through "Mr. Jeffrey Wells" sorry excuse for a blog for a bit... why anyone would want to dignify that tripe with so much as a glance is beyond me. What a shitty, shitty, cunt of a miserable man... to actually invest the time and effort to tear apart someone else's work in some crappy blog that nobody worthwhile reads. It's like the people that sit there and write long-winded diatribes in the comments page of some stupid music review featured on Yahoo or something... it's just laughably misplaced effort. That douche of a twat needs to take the sock out of his cunt and get a fucking life.
Posted by: ben | February 10, 2010 at 03:17 PM
Ramona!!
Posted by: Spontaniouse | February 10, 2010 at 03:47 PM
Rich, you rock and the mirror scare supercut rocks. Wells can suck it.
Posted by: southwer | February 10, 2010 at 06:04 PM
I miss checking your blog for a couple of days and find this on my favourite guilty pleasure, DListed, with the fun quote: "Mirrors, the Hardest Working Bitch in Hollywood". I love when my worlds collide. And your supercut rocks!
Posted by: Kim | February 10, 2010 at 08:00 PM
Check out this crazy movie about mirrors called The Broken.
Posted by: Liz | February 10, 2010 at 08:58 PM