You know what I love about Italian movies? I love that I can watch them more than once. American movies? Too easy. Give me one viewing and I’m good. Citizen Kane? Yeah, I knew what time it was. The Godfather? Didn’t need a Ph. D in Best Movies Ever Studies to figure that one out. […]
6. La Dolce Vita (Fellini, 1960) Read More »
Lou Reed, the lyricist, I like to compare to water flowing downhill: he takes the quickest, shortest path. It’s not always precise, it’s not always artful, but, like a garbage man making the morning rounds, he gets the job done. He cuts to the chase. He shoots first and asks questions later. I don’t even
7. The Velvet Underground & Nico (The Velvet Underground/Nico, 1967) Read More »
I’ve always wanted to hijack a hospital intercom, press the little button and go, “Paging Dr. Zhivago, paging Dr. Zhivago.” Just to see if anyone notices. ***** Some movies are like a snack that tides you over – a can of Pringles, a box of Triscuits, a bag of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish. Doctor Zhivago is
7. Doctor Zhivago (Lean, 1965) Read More »
After initially coming home from the record store assuming I’d purchased either the soundtrack to a new Pixar film centered around a giant, anthropomorphic flamingo, or the latest release from the older sister of early 2000s dance-pop diva P!nk, and finding myself sorely disappointed, I decided to give it a couple of listens anyway and,
8. Music From Big Pink (The Band, 1968) Read More »
New York. Just like I pictured it – skyscrapers, and ev’rythang. ***** One uneventful day during my interminably monotonous youth, I decided that, when I grew up, I was going to live in New York City. Seemed pretty obvious to me. Hard to pinpoint any one thing in particular that did it. Perhaps a few
8. Midnight Cowboy (Schlesinger, 1969) Read More »
This is the beginning … the beginning of my essay … the beginning. ***** Maybe it’s just me, but have the Doors become the band that people “used” to like? To admit that you once went through a Doors “phase”? Perfectly acceptable of course. But to admit that you’re still a Doors fan? Isn’t that
9. The Doors (The Doors, 1967) Read More »
I almost thought about placing this film at number “8 ½” on my list instead of 9th, but upon further reflection, I decided that doing so might have been considered too cute by half. (Alternate first line: I almost thought about turning my essay on 8 ½ into an essay about an adrift blogger despondently
9. 8 1/2 (Fellini, 1963) Read More »
A rock band … doing a country album? What’s next? Sonny Bono, U.S. congressman? ***** Whenever I try to explain my immense and seemingly illogical passion for country music, I always make sure to offer a key qualifier: “I love country music that was released before I was born.” See, country music used to be
10. Sweetheart Of The Rodeo (The Byrds, 1968) Read More »
This movie is part-time Buddhist? This movie? The movie that opens with shots of sadistic, barbaric children gleefully torturing scorpions and ants via flaming twigs? The movie that, before you’ve even had time to unwrap your box of Red Vines, presents you with a shootout in which a temperance union full of little old ladies
10. The Wild Bunch (Peckinpah, 1969) Read More »
Amazing how I’ve made it all this way, and yet I still haven’t bothered to explain what the format of my blog is actually going to look like. Are you ready? Do you really think you’re ready? Are to ready to learn what radically bold and bracingly new format is this radically bold and bracingly
I Am The Part-Time Buddhist Pop Culture Guru: Intro Essay (Part 5) Read More »