021 – Realizing There Are 366 Days in 2016

i didn’t make this sweet graphic – wish i had, though

Right?!

I considered publishing a review that solely consisted of the above, but my own artistic integrity prevents me from publishing something with such a low word count. Plus that’s not much of a review, though I’m sure my incredulity pops right off the screen.

It’s not that I didn’t know about leap years – I was even vaguely aware of the fact that 2016 would be one (mostly because I tethered the concept of a leap year to the concept of election years back when I learned about both – can’t hear about one without think about the other), but I didn’t really put two and two together in regards to the increase in work flow that it would cause me. I mean sure, if you look at things from a day-to-day perspective then it really doesn’t matter, I’ll just go about my business on February 29th the same way I will on February 28th and March 1st. But I’m a big picture guy, and I honestly doubt that I’ll have any interest in writing a review on January 1st, 2017 if I’m still writing reviews come December 31st (just look at all of 2015 to see what I mean). So from that macroscopic perspective we’re now talking about extra units, and for some reason “366 reviews” is more exasperating than “365.” I don’t know why – I suppose I’ve gotten used to the nonsense phrase “365 Days of Reviews” over the last couple of years, despite the fact that it really doesn’t mean anything.

Which elicits the question – why even do this at all? If the idea of one more review in 2016 causes me tsuris then what’s the point? Back in the wild days of 2014 the idea behind 365 Days of Reviews was that it would instill a consistent discipline within me that I could then apply to the rest of my life upon its completion. And for a while, I did. Through much of the first half of 2015 that work ethic helped me to script some sort of scene every day, whether it be film, television, or some other miscellanea. It didn’t last, however – eventually I got distracted with extracurricular improv business and the writing fell off.

Maybe re-starting 365 Days of Reviews was the wrong commitment to make. On New Years Day I tried to dedicate myself to both written endeavors, and that lasted… maybe a dozen days. My screenwriting output has dropped to zero and my review output is edging closer and closer to complete and total bullshit (look no further than this review that you’re reading right now – well, do look further because I’d like the page views).

Maybe I’m approaching this all wrong. This could be an opportunity to re-assess and re-dedicate myself to a meaningless goal. It’s never too late to jump back on the screenwriting horse. And I’m trying to have a little more fun with some of these reviews in 2016 – I shouldn’t look at everything as a burden or a chore or a death sentence. Maybe I’ll write a new scene tonight (I probably won’t, but maybe I will). And maybe writing one extra review this year won’t be that taxing. Maybe the only change I should make is to stop letting little nothings pitch me into hyperbolic existential upheaval. I probably won’t though, because if I mellowed out that much then I wouldn’t have anything to write about.

At first Realizing There Are 366 Days in 2016 made me queasy, but I’m starting to think that I’m capable of more than I originally thought. I choose to view this as a net positive experience – there is still hope for 2016 – so here are three out of five posters for the movie Leap Year in honor of today’s subject: