If you believe the vocal minority that dominates Internet discourse, there’s nothing more important in life than positivity. It’s a sentiment worthy of an eye roll so intense it’d take invasive surgery to put them back in place, but only because of how it's employed. When most people say “positivity,” they mean taking pleasure in the most surface-level ideas, forsaking nuance, and disavowing the idea that we should be challenged to be positive instead of simply waking up and deciding to be “happy.”

‍

Truthfully, genuine positivity comes from being open, and no openness is more beneficial than openness to change. Life is short, but it’s also long, and the more we embrace that fact and appreciate just how much time we have, the better off we’ll be.

‍

For example, think of that person in your life. It may be a parent, a partner, a boss, or a friend, but they’re that person who can never let go, never be free, never admit defeat, never concede that maybe, just maybe, they changed. Even if they weren’t wrong because they felt that way at the time, they, God forbid, changed their mind.

‍

What happens when you think of that person? You get angry right? They only thought they hated chocolate, but you came around with a delectable chocolate mousse cake and foundationally altered their palette. But to admit their enjoyment is to admit they were “wrong,” so they refuse to finish their slice and claim once more that chocolate isn’t their cup of tea.

‍

If we could only know what these people gain from denying themselves the simple pleasure of embracing change, thus denying themselves amazing cakes or, in the case of this blog, good movies, perhaps we’d be able to help them see the light. Alas, we can't pry people’s eyes open, so if they don’t want to see, they can remain in the dark.

‍

However, this writer refuses blindness, so this is the introduction of an exciting, ongoing series where I rewatch films I didn’t care for on my initial viewing and see how time treats them. Notice that, despite the graphic and headline, the word“hate” was not actually used in that sentence. It’s more concise than saying “The Movies I Didn’t Like To Some Degree,” so “hate” it is. Yes, I did hate some, but that’s the beauty of time and movies: if you’re open to change, you can re-discover things and view them in an entirely different light.

‍

Will every film go from its initial rating to Cantyland? No. Some will improve, some will regress, and some will stay the same. I’ll begin with a rewatch, and every article will feature an opening blurb explaining my initial thoughts of the film, why I decided to revisit it, and my first Canty score. Then, a review and a modified score if need be.

‍

Having already rewatched the first film in this new series, I am excited to share. Stay tuned!