I watched two documentaries this weekend.
The Scorcese-directed Bob Dylan: No Direction Home was excellent. Even my wife, who has minimal use for Dylan and has never seen Don't Look Back, loved it. One of the interesting little sidelines was the constant reminder of how recent the Civil Right Movement was. I mean, Dylan's only a couple of years older than my Dad, and there he was at the March on Washington and playing fields in Mississippi. I mean, I know that it was recent - I'm from Alabama, for god's sake - but it's hard to internalize just how incredible it is that when my Dad was a young adult, many Americans - a majority of Alabamans, even! - couldn't vote because of the color of their skin. And now there's a man of African descent who could be the next president of this country. I know this. I've even made this argument to friends. But wow, how incredible it is.
Scorcese got Dylan to discuss his younger self, which is a major change from his cryptic old man persona. It was nice to see the guy smile at his younger self.
The other documentary was Herzog's Little Dieter Needs To Fly, which I saw a few years ago, but had wanted to revisit after seeing Rescue Dawn. What a great movie! Herzog is the man.
A San Franscisco band called The Young People do an excellent noise-skronk cover of one of those Night Of The Hunter songs. I think Jon B turned me on to them.
A San Franscisco band called The Young People do an excellent noise-skronk cover of one of those Night Of The Hunter songs.
"Pretty Fly" is not meant to be a noise-skronk song!
Leaning... leaning... safe and secure from all alarms
This is the song OA put out. "Pretty Fly" is the one I got as a cover (by the Stinky Puffs, one of the side projects for John Flansburgh of TMBG. The song is actually credited to Sister Puff as it is three women singing a capella in close harmony).
Both songs, incidentally, though they sound traditional were written for the film by the guy who composed the score.
Both songs, incidentally, though they sound traditional were written for the film by the guy who composed the score.
Interesting, especially since "Leaning" is treated as a traditional song in the movie (when Lillian Gish's singing overwhelms Mitchum's).
I did not know of a NotH soundtrack!!! SQUEE! "Leaning" scares the bejeezus out of me - in a good way.
The house in
The Party
was indeed fabulous. I need more Peter Sellers!
Sellers is in The Millionairess, which is on TCM this afternoon. So is Sophia Loren.
My Tivo is ready.
There's nothing quite like The Party. I kept thinking it was trying to say something, but I wasn't sure what it was.
I think The Millionairess misses to a poor adaptation of the play. Too literal in some ways, not literal enough in others. Sellers and Loren are(as you would expect) superb.
I finally watched V for Vendetta, which my DVR recorded off of FX, so it was edited for content, etc., but I still found it to be an excellent film. Loved Hugo Weaving's performance as much as I did Natalie Portman's. Also fell for the doomed Stephen Fry character--such a nice guy, such a obvious redshirt.
