Coffee in a Tower

The Daughter asked me to have coffee with her at the top of the Clark Tower, the 3rd tallest building in Memphis, overlooking miles and miles of Memphis, and probably parts of Arkansas and Mississippi. There's a sweet little restaurant and bar on the 33rd floor, and we sat next to a window on the south side and had coffee and chocolate cake. Next time I go I plan on ordering the crab cakes and taking a picture of the fabulous view.

Within Our Gates (1920)

Within Our Gates is a 1920 silent film about race relations directed by Oscar Micheaux. Wikipedia claims "it is the oldest known surviving film made by an African-American director".

I find the exaltation of "the North, where the prejudices and hatreds of the South do not exist" a bit hard to buy. It seems to move a bit slowly, and it's hard for me to get involved. Too much romance for my taste, maybe.



It's listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, which says the film "has immense historical value" and describes it as "powerful, controversial and still haunting in its depiction of the atrocities committed by white Americans against blacks during this era". A Film Canon calls it "a powerful, sophisticated inversion of Birth Of A Nation."

Earth (1930)

Earth (or Zemlya) is a 1930 Soviet film directed by Alexander Dovzhenko, a Ukrainian filmmaker. It seems virtually plotless to me, with lots of fairly static images of faces and fields and sunflowers. There is much weeping, wailing and bemoaning of fates. Alternating with laughter. And a tractor.

via youtube:



It's listed in the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, which calls it ""arguably... the single greatest achievement of the ever-more-impressive Soviet silent cinema" and says, "Anyone looking for the origins of Andrei Tarkovsky's cinema must start with Earth." Slant Magazine calls it an "orgiastic paean to Soviet collectivism and tractor-ism". FilmReference.com opens with this:

Earth is a tribute to life in the Ukraine, the birthplace of its creator, Alexander Dovzhenko. The film's star is essentially the Ukrainian village in which the story is set: it is not necessarily a tale of Russian farmers and kulaks but a visual poem about life and the calm acceptance of death.

Rounding the Mark

Rounding the Mark is the 7th in the Sicilian Inspector Salvo Montalbano detective series by Andrea Camilleri. I found a few of these at my favorite local used book store, started buying them new, then got the ones I didn't already have for Christmas. I've been enjoying them all.

from the back of the book:

Two seemingly unrelated deaths form the central mystery of Rounding the Mark. They will take Montalbano deep into a secret world of illicit trafficking in human lives, and the investigation will test the limits of his physical, psychological, and moral endurance. Disillusioned and no longer believing in the institution he serves, will he withdraw or delve deeper into his work?

Eurocrime recommends it and calls it "a nicely complex tale populated with three dimensional characters, each with their own individual personality traits." The Telegraph offers a positive review. Amore Travel Guides says, "In spite of the serious topics Camilleri manages to keep the dark humor his mysteries are known for." The Guardian claims "The real Sicily lives in his pages," notes that "His birthplace of Porto Empedocle, on which Vigàta is based, has changed its name to Vigàta" and says,

the Montalbano mysteries have a timeless feel about them. They are the books of a wise old man who has lived a lot, eaten well and versed himself in the best Italian and foreign literature.

I've also read these:
1. The Shape of Water
2. The Terra-Cotta Dog
3. The Snack Thief
4. Voice of the Violin
5. Excursion to Tindari
6. The Smell of Night
9. The Paper Moon
10. August Heat
11. The Wings of the Sphinx
12. The Track of Sand

Messiah

Messiah, Apotheosis: Book Three is the 3rd book in S. Andrew Swann's space opera trilogy. Again, my complaint is that it -like book 2- starts off with an info-dump summary of the previous work, and I'd have preferred that to be in a story-thus-far section I could have easily skipped. That said, this has been a fun series.

from the back of the book:

In this final volume of the Apotheosis trilogy, the seemingly unstoppable alien AI Adam has cast his nano-cloud of destruction across the known universe. All who stand against him are turned to dust. All who accept him as their god are absorbed into his consciousness. And as solar system after solar system falls under his sway, there are only a few who old any hope of breaking Adam's stranglehold all sentient life.

In the heart of the Vatican waits a 'man' from the past who might point the way to a future beyond Adam....

The fleets surrounding the world of Bakunin will sacrifice what they must in a last-ditch effort to defeat the undefeatable....

And on Bakunin itself -amid a planetwide campaign of conquest- humanity's last hope may lie with Nickolai Rajasthan, a Moreau who has believed, all his life, that the human race that created his kind is already damned beyond redemption....

SF Signal closes its review with this:

Messiah is an excellent conclusion to a consistently good series and proves that S. Andrew Swann is one of science fiction’s most underrated authors.

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

I got 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (the book edited by Steven Jay Schneider) for Christmas from The Husband. I've wanted this for years, and it's a treat to have my very own copy. There are various editions of this book, and the films included change some over time. I have the 2011 version. I'll add more links below as I write up more of the films.

Before 1920:
1. A Trip to the Moon (1902)
2. The Great Train Robbery (1903)
3. The Birth of a Nation (1915)
4. Les Vampires (1915)
5. Intolerance (1916)
6. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920)
7. Broken Blossoms (1919)

1920's:
8. Way Down East (1920)
9. Within Our Gates (1920)
10. The Phantom Carriage (1921)
11. Orphans of the Storm (1921)
12. La Souriante Madame Beudet (1922)
13. Dr. Mabuse Parts 1 and 2 (1922)
14. Nanook of the North (1922)
15. Nosferatu (1922)
16. Haxan (1923)
17. Foolish Wives (1922)
18. Our Hospitality (1923)
19. The Wheel (1923)
20. The Thief of Bagdad (1924)
21. Strike (1924)
22. Greed (1924)
23. Sherlock, Jr. (1924)
24. The Last Laugh (1924)
25. Seven Chances (1925)
26. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
27. Battleship Potemkin (1925)
28. The Gold Rush (1925)
29. The Big Parade (1925)
30. Metropolis (1927)
31. Sunrise (1927)
32. The General (1927)
33. The Unknown (1927)
34. October (1927)
35. The Jazz Singer (1927)
36. Napoleon (1927)
37. The Kid Brother (1927)
38. The Crowd (1928)
39. The Docks of New York (1928)
40. An Andalusian Dog (1928)
41. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
42. Steamboat Bill, Jr. (1928)
43. Storm over Asia (1928)
44. Blackmail (1929)
45. The Man with the Movie Camera (1929)
46. Pandora's Box (1929)

1930's:
47. The Blue Angel (1930)
48. L'Age D'Or (1930)
49. Earth (1930)
50. Little Caesar (1930)
51. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
52. À Nous la Liberté (1931)
53. Le Million (1931)
54. Tabu (1931)
55. Dracula (1931)
56. Frankenstein (1931)
57. City Lights (1931)
58. The Public Enemy (1931)
59. M(1931)
60. La Chienne (1931)
61. Vampyr (1932)
62. Love Me Tonight (1932)
63. Boudu Saved from Drowning (1932)
64. I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)
65. Trouble in Paradise (1932)
66. Scarface (1932)
67. Shanghai Express (1932)
68. Freaks (1932)
69. Me and My Gal (1932)
70. Zero for Conduct (1933)
71. 42nd Street (1933)
72. Footlight Parade (1933)
73. Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
74. She Done Him Wrong (1933)
75. Duck Soup (1933)
76. Queen Christina (1933)
77. Las Hurdes (1933)
78. King Kong (1933)
79. The Bitter Tea of General Yen (1933)
80. Sons of the Desert (1933)
81. It's a Gift (1934)
82. Triumph of the Will (1934)
83. L'Atalante (1934)
84. The Black Cat (1934)
85. Judge Priest (1934)
86. It Happened One Night (1934)
87. The Thin Man (1934)
88. Captain Blood (1935)
89. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
90. A Night at the Opera (1935)
91. The 39 Steps (1935)
92. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
93. Top Hat (1935)
94. A Day in the Country (1936)
95. Modern Times (1936)
96. Swing Time (1936)
97. My Man Godfrey (1936)
98. Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
99. Camille (1936)
100. Sabotage (1936)
101. Dodsworth (1936)
102. Things to Come (1936)
103. The Story of a Cheat (1936)
104. Captains Courageous (1937)
105. Midnight Song (1937)
106. Grand Illusion (1937)
107. Stella Dallas (1937)
108. The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
109. Make Way for Tomorrow (1937)
110. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
111. The Awful Truth (1937)
112. Pepe Le Moko (1937)
113. Jezebel (1938)
114. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
115. Angels with Dirty Faces (1938)
116. Olympia (1938)
117. The Baker's Wife (1938)
118. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
119. Stagecoach (1939)
120. The Story of the Late Chrysanthemums (1939)
121. Babes in Arms (1939)
122. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
123. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
124. Destry Rides Again (1939)
125. Only Angels Have Wings (1939)
126. Gone With the Wind (1939)
127. Daybreak (1939)
128. Gunga Din (1939)
129. Ninotchka (1939)
130. The Rules of the Game (1939)
131. Wuthering Heights (1939)

1940's:
132. His Girl Friday (1940)
133. Rebecca (1940)
134. Fantasia (1940)
135. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
136. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
137. Dance, Girl, Dance (1940)
138. Pinocchio (1940)
139. The Mortal Storm (1940)
140. The Bank Dick (1940)
141. Citizen Kane (1941)
142. The Lady Eve (1941)
143. The Wolf Man (1941)
144. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
145. Sergeant York (1941)
146. Dumbo (1941)
147. High Sierra (1941)
148. Sullivan's Travels (1941)
149. How Green Was My Valley (1941)
150. The Palm Beach Story (1942)
151. Now, Voyager (1942)
152. Casablanca (1942)
153. To Be or Not to Be (1942)
154. Cat People (1942)
155. The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
156. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
157. Meshes of the Afternoon (1943)
158. Fires Were Started (1943)
159. The Man in Grey (1943)
160. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
161. I Walked with a Zombie (1943)
162. The Seventh Victim (1943)
163. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
164. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
165. Ossessione (1943)
166. Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)
167. To Have and Have Not (1944)
168. Laura (1944)
169. Gaslight (1944)
170. Henry V (1944)
171. Ivan the Terrible (1944)
172. Double Indemnity (1944)
173. Murder, My Sweet (1944)
174. The Battle of San Pietro (1945)
175. Spellbound (1945)
176. Mildred Pierce (1945)
177. Children of Paradise (1945)
178. Open City (1945)
179. The Lost Weekend (1945)
180. Detour (1945)
181. I Know Where I'm Going! (1945)
182. Brief Encounter (1946)
183. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
184. Paisan (1946)
185. The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)
186. My Darling Clementine (1946)
187. The Stranger (1946)
188. Beauty and the Beast (1946)
189. The Big Sleep (1946)
190. The Killers (1946)
191. A Matter of Life and Death (1946)
192. Great Expectations (1946)
193. Notorious (1946)
194. Black Narcissus (1946)
195. It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
196. Gilda (1946)
197. Monsieur Verdoux (1947)
198. Out of the Past (1947)
199. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
200. Odd Man Out (1947)
201. The Bicycle Thief (1948)
202. Letter from an Unknown Woman (1948)
203. Secret Beyond the Door (1948)
204. Force of Evil (1948)
205. Spring in a Small Town (1948)
206. Red River (1948)
207. Rope (1948)
208. The Snake Pit (1948)
209. The Lady from Shanghai (1948)
210. Paleface (1948)
211. The Red Shoes (1948)
212. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
213. Louisiana Story (1948)
214. The Heiress (1949)
215. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
216. Gun Crazy (1949)
217. Adam's Rib (1949)
218. Whiskey Galore! (1949)
219. White Heat (1949)
220. The Reckless Moment (1949)
221. The Third Man (1949)
222. On the Town (1949)
223. Orpheus (1949)

1950's:
224. The Asphalt Jungle (1950)
225. Rashomon (1950)
226. Winchester '73 (1950)
227. Rio Grande (1950)
228. All About Eve (1950)
229. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
230. Los Olvidados (1950)
231. In a Lonely Place (1950)
232. The Big Carnival (1951)
233. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
234. Strangers on a Train (1951)
235. The Lavender Hill Mob (1951)
236. Pandora and the Flying Dutchman (1951)
237. The African Queen (1951)
238. Diary of a Country Priest (1951)
239. An American in Paris (1951)
240. A Place in the Sun (1951)
241. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
242. The Quiet Man (1952)
243. Forbidden Games (1952)
244. Angel Face (1952)
245. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
246. Ikiru (1952)
247. Europa '51 (1952)
248. The Bad and the Beautiful (1952)
249. The Big Sky (1952)
250. High Noon (1952)
251. Umberto D (1952)
252. The Golden Coach (1952)
253. The Bigamist (1953)
254. The Band Wagon (1953)
255. Madame De… (1953)
256. From Here to Eternity (1953)
257. Tokyo Story (1953)
258. Roman Holiday (1953)
259. Wages of Fear (1953)
260. The Naked Spur (1953)
261. Pickup on South Street (1953)
262. Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)
263. The Big Heat (1953)
264. M. Hulot's Holiday (1953)
265. Voyage in Italy (1953)
266. Tales of Ugetsu (1953)
267. Shane (1953)
268. Beat the Devil (1953)
269. Johnny Guitar (1954)
270. On the Waterfront (1954)
271. Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954)
272. Les Diaboliques (1954)
273. Animal Farm (1954)
274. Rear Window (1954)
275. A Star Is Born (1954)
276. The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
277. La Strada (1954)
278. Seven Samurai (1954)
279. Senso (1954)
280. Silver Lode (1954)
281. Carmen Jones (1954)
282. Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
283. Salt of the Earth (1954)
284. Artists and Models (1955)
285. Guys and Dolls (1955)
286. Pather Panchali (1955)
287. Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)
288. The Mad Masters (1955)
289. Hill 24 Doesn't Answer (1955)
290. The Ladykillers (1955)
291. Marty (1955)
292. Ordet (1955)
293. Bob Le Flambeur (1955)
294. Kiss Me Deadly (1955)
295. The Man from Laramie (1955)
296. Rebel without a Cause (1955)
297. The Phoenix City Story (1955)
298. Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)
299. Night and Fog (1955)
300. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
301. Lola Montes (1955)
302. Forbidden Planet (1956)
303. The Burmese Harp (1956)
304. The Searchers (1956)
305. A Man Escaped (1956)
306. Written on the Wind (1956)
307. The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)
308. Giant (1956)
309. All That Heaven Allows (1956)
310. Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
311. The Wrong Man (1956)
312. Bigger Than Life (1956)
313. High Society (1956)
314. The Ten Commandments (1956)
315. 12 Angry Men (1957)
316. The Seventh Seal (1957)
317. An Affair to Remember (1957)
318. Wild Strawberries (1957)
319. The Nights of Cabiria (1957)
320. Throne of Blood (1957)
321. The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957)
322. Aparajito (1957)
323. Gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1957)
324. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
325. Mother India (1957)
326. The Cranes Are Flying (1957)
327. Paths of Glory (1957)
328. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
329. Man of the West (1958)
330. Touch of Evil (1958)
331. Cairo Station (1958)
332. Gigi (1958)
333. The Defiant Ones (1958)
334. Vertigo (1958)
335. Ashes and Diamonds (1958)
336. Dracula (1958)
337. Mon Oncle (1958)
338. The Music Room (1958)
339. The 400 Blows (1959)
340. North by Northwest (1959)
341. Some Like It Hot (1959)
342. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
343. Eyes without a Face (1959)
344. Ride Lonesome (1959)
345. Black Orpheus (1959)
346. Shadows (1959)
347. The World of Apu (1959)
348. Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)
349. Ben-Hur (1959)
350. Pickpocket (1959)
351. Rio Bravo (1959)
352. Floating Weeds (1959)

1960's:
353. Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
354. Breathless (1959)
355. The Hole (1959)
356. La Dolce Vita (1960)
357. Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)
358. Shoot the Piano Player (1960)
359. L'Avventura (1960)
360. La Joven (1960)
361. The Cloud-Capped Star (1960)
362. The Housemaid (1960)
363. Psycho (1960)
364. Black Sunday (1960)
365. Peeping Tom (1960)
366. The Apartment (1960)
367. Spartacus (1960)
368. Splendor in the Grass (1961)
369. Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
370. La Jetee (1961)
371. One-Eyed Jacks (1961)
372. Lola (1961)
373. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
374. La Notte (1961)
375. The Hustler (1961)
376. West Side Story (1961)
377. Viridiana (1961)
378. The Ladies Man (1961)
379. Through a Glass Darkly (1961)
380. Chronicle of a Summer (1961)
381. Jules and Jim (1961)
382. Mondo Cane (1962)
383. Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962)
384. Dog Star Man (1962)
385. An Autumn Afternoon (1962)
386. L'Eclisse (1962)
387. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
388. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
389. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
390. Lolita (1962)
391. Keeper of Promises (1962)
392. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
393. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
394. Winter Light (1963)
395. My Life to Live (1962)
396. Heaven and Earth Magic (1962)
397. The Birds (1963)
398. The Nutty Professor (1963)
399. Blonde Cobra (1963)
400. The Cool World (1963)
401. 8 1/2 (1963)
402. Passenger (1963)
403. Contempt (1963)
404. Hud (1963)
405. Flaming Creatures (1963)
406. The Great Escape (1963)
407. Shock Corridor (1963)
408. The Leopard (1963)
409. Barren Lives (1963)
410. Mediteranee (1963)
411. The House is Black (1963)
412. The Haunting (1963)
413. An Actor's Revenge (1963)
414. The Servant (1963)
415. Goldfinger (1964)
416. Scorpio Rising (1964)
417. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
418. Marnie (1964)
419. My Fair Lady (1964)
420. Woman in the Dunes (1964)
421. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
422. A Hard Day's Night (1964)
423. The Red Desert (1964)
424. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964)
425. The Masque of the Red Death (1964)
426. Before the Revolution (1964)
427. Gertrud (1964)
428. The Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)
429. Black God, White Devil (1964)
430. Onibaba (The Demon) (1964)
431. Vinyl (1965)
432. The Shop on Main Street (1965)
433. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
434. The War Game (1965)
435. Tokyo Olympiad (1965)
436. The Battle of Algiers (1965)
437. The Sound of Music (1965)
438. The Sargossa Manuscript (1965)
439. Alphaville (1965)
440. Chimes at Midnight (1965)
441. Repulsion (1965)
442. Juliet of the Spirits (1965)
443. Pierrot Le Fou (1965)
444. Faster, Pussy Cat! Kill! Kill! (1965)
445. Golden River (1965)
446. The Man Who Had His Hair Cut Short (1965)
447. Hold Me While I'm Naked (1966)
448. Blow-Up (1966)
449. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
450. Daisies (1966)
451. Come Drink with Me (1966)
452. Seconds (1966)
453. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
454. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
455. Persona (1966)
456. Masculin-Feminin (1966)
457. Au Hazard Balthazar (1966)
458. Two or Three Things I Know About Her (1967)
459. The Graduate (1967)
460. Playtime (1967)
461. Report (1967)
462. Hombre (1967)
463. Belle de Jour (1967)
464. The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967)
465. Week End (1967)
466. The Godson (1967)
467. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
468. Point Blank (1967)
469. Wavelength (1967)
470. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
471. The Red and the White (1967)
472. Marketta Lazarova (1967)
473. The Jungle Book (1967)
474. The Fireman's Ball (1967)
475. Earth Entranced (1967)
476. Closely Watched Trains (1967)
477. Viy (1967)
478. The Cow (1968)
479. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
480. Planet of the Apes (1968)
481. Faces (1968)
482. Rosemary's Baby (1968)
483. If…. (1968)
484. Memories of Underdevelopment (1968)
485. The Producers (1968)
486. David Holzman's Diary (1968)
487. Shame (1968)
488. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
489. Hour of the Wolf (1968)
490. Targets (1968)
491. Night of the Living Dead (1968)
492. A Touch of Zen (1969)
493. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
494. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
495. Satyricon (1969)
496. Z (1969)
497. The Conformist (1969)
498. Easy Rider (1969)
499. High School (1969)
500. My Night at Maud's (1969)
501. Lucia (1969)
502. In the Year of the Pig (1969)
503. The Wild Bunch (1969)
504. Andrei Rublev (1969)
505. Le Boucher (1969)
506. The Color of Pomegranates (1969)
507. Kes (1969)

1970's:
508. Tristana (1970)
509. Five Easy Pieces (1970)
510. El Topo (1970)
511. Woodstock (1970)
512. Deep End (1970)
513. The Spider's Stratagem (1970)
514. Little Big Man (1970)
515. The Ear (1970)
516. Patton (1970)
517. M*A*S*H (1970)
518. Performance (1970)
519. Gimme Shelter (1970)
520. Zabriskie Point (1970)
521. The Bird with The Crystal Plumage (1970)
522. The Garden of the Finzi-Continis (1970)
523. Wanda (1971)
524. W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism (1971)
525. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
526. The Sorrow and the Pity (1971)
527. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)
528. McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)
529. Walkabout (1971)
530. Klute (1971)
531. Harold and Maude (1971)
532. Red Psalm (1971)
533. Get Carter (1971)
534. The French Connection (1971)
535. Shaft (1971)
536. Dirty Harry (1971)
537. Murmur of the Heart (1971)
538. Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song (1971)
539. The Last Picture Show (1971)
540. Straw Dogs (1971)
541. Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)
542. The Heartbreak Kid (1972)
543. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
544. Cabaret (1972)
545. Last Tango in Paris (1972)
546. High Plains Drifter (1973)
547. Sleuth (1972)
548. Deliverance (1972)
549. Solaris (1972)
550. The Godfather (1972)
551. Cries and Whispers (1972)
552. Fat City (1972)
553. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
554. The Bitter Tears of Petra Von Kant (1972)
555. Frenzy (1972)
556. Pink Flamingos (1972)
557. Superfly (1972)
558. The Sting (1973)
559. The Mother and the Whore (1973)
560. Badlands (1973)
561. American Graffiti (1973)
562. Papillon (1973)
563. Enter the Dragon (1973)
564. Mean Streets (1973)
565. The Long Goodbye (1973)
566. The Wicker Man (1973)
567. Day for Night (1973)
568. Don't Look Now (1973)
569. Sleeper (1973)
570. Serpico (1973)
571. The Exorcist (1973)
572. Turkish Delight (1973)
573. The Spirit of the Beehive (1973)
574. Fantastic Planet (1973)
575. Amarcord (1973)
576. The Harder They Come (1973)
577. Pat Garret and Billy the Kid (1973)
578. Dersu Uzala (1974)
579. The Conversation (1974)
580. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)
581. Mirror (1974)
582. A Woman under the Influence (1974)
583. Young Frankenstein (1974)
584. Chinatown (1974)
585. Celine and Julie Go Boating (1974)
586. Blazing Saddles (1974)
587. The Godfather Part II (1974)
588. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
589. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
590. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
591. One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
592. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai Du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
593. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
594. The Wall (1975)
595. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
596. Barry Lyndon (1975)
597. Fox and His Friends (1975)
598. India Song (1975)
599. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
600. Manila in the Claws of Brightness (1975)
601. Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom (1975)
602. Nashville (1975)
603. Cria! (1975)
604. The Traveling Players (1975)
605. Jaws (1975)
606. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie (1976)
607. Carrie (1976)
608. The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
609. All the President's Men (1976)
610. Rocky (1976)
611. Taxi Driver (1976)
612. Network (1976)
613. Ascent (1976)
614. In the Realm of the Senses (1976)
615. 1900 (1976)
616. The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976)
617. Star Wars (1977)
618. Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
619. The Last Wave (1977)
620. Annie Hall (1977)
621. Last Chants for a Slow Dance (1977)
622. Storszek (1977)
623. Man of Marble (1977)
624. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
625. Killer of Sheep (1977)
626. Eraserhead (1977)
627. Ceddo (1977)
628. The American Friend (1977)
629. The Hills Have Eyes (1977)
630. Soldier of Orange (1977)
631. Suspiria (1977)
632. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)
633. Five Deadly Venoms (1978)
634. The Tree of Wooden Clogs (1978)
635. The Deer Hunter (1978)
636. Grease (1978)
637. Days of Heaven (1978)
638. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
639. Shaolin Master Killer (1978)
640. Up in Smoke (1978)
641. Halloween (1978)
642. The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)
643. Real Life (1979)
644. My Brilliant Career (1979)
645. Stalker (1979)
646. Alien (1979)
647. Breaking Away (1979)
648. The Tin Drum (1979)
649. All That Jazz (1979)
650. Being There (1979)
651. Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
652. Life of Brian (1979)
653. Apocalypse Now (1979)
654. The Jerk (1979)
655. The Muppet Movie (1979)
656. Manhattan (1979)
657. Mad Max (1979)
658. Nosferatu (1979)

1980's:
659. Ordinary People (1980)
660. Atlantic City (1980)
661. The Last Metro (1980)
662. The Shining (1980)
663. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
664. The Elephant Man (1980)
665. The Big Red One (1980)
666. Loulou (1980)
667. Airplane! (1980)
668. Raging Bull (1980)
669. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
670. Das Boot (1981)
671. Gallipoli (1981)
672. Chariots of Fire (1981)
673. Body Heat (1981)
674. Reds (1981)
675. An American Werewolf in London (1981)
676. Three Brothers (1981)
677. Man of Iron (1981)
678. Too Early, Too Late (1981)
679. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1981)
680. E.T. The Extra-Terestrial (1982)
681. The Thing (1982)
682. Poltergeist (1982)
683. Blade Runner (1982)
684. The Evil Dead (1982)
685. Tootsie (1982)
686. Yol (1982)
687. Diner (1982)
688. Fitzcarraldo (1982)
689. Gandhi (1982)
690. The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982)
691. A Question of Silence (1982)
692. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
693. A Christmas Story (1983)
694. El Norte (1983)
695. Videodrome (1983)
696. Return of the Jedi (1983)
697. The Big Chill (1983)
698. Sans Soleil (1983)
699. The Last Battle (1983)
700. L'Argent (1983)
701. Utu (1983)
702. Terms of Endearment (1983)
703. The Fourth Man (1983)
704. The King of Comedy (1983)
705. The Right Stuff (1983)
706. Koyaanisqatsi (1983)
707. Once Upon a Time in America (1983)
708. Scarface (1983)
709. The Battle of Narayama (1983)
710. Amadeus (1984)
711. The Terminator (1984)
712. Paris, Texas (1984)
713. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)
714. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
715. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
716. Ghostbusters (1984)
717. A Passage to India (1984)
718. Stranger Than Paradise (1984)
719. The Killing Fields (1984)
720. The Natural (1984)
721. The Breakfast Club (1985)
722. Ran (1985)
723. Come and See (1985)
724. The Official Story (1985)
725. Out of Africa (1985)
726. The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)
727. Back to the Future (1985)
728. The Time to Live and the Time to Die (1985)
729. Brazil (1985)
730. Kiss of the Spider Woman (1985)
731. The Quiet Earth (1985)
732. Mishima (1985)
733. Prizzi's Honor (1985)
734. Vagabond (1985)
735. Shoah (1985)
736. The Color Purple (1985)
737. Manhunter (1986)
738. Stand By Me (1986)
739. Blue Velvet (1986)
740. Hannah and Her Sisters (1986)
741. She's Gotta Have It (1986)
742. The Decline of the American Empire (1986)
743. The Fly (1986)
744. Aliens (1986)
745. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
746. Down by Law (1986)
747. A Room with a View (1986)
748. Platoon (1986)
749. Caravaggio (1986)
750. Tampopo (1986)
751. Peking Opera Blues (1986)
752. Salvador (1986)
753. Top Gun (1986)
754. Sherman's March (1986)
755. The Horse Thief (1986)
756. Yeelen (1987)
757. Wings of Desire (1987)
758. Project A, Part II (1987)
759. Babette's Feast (1987)
760. Raising Arizona (1987)
761. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
762. Withnail and I (1987)
763. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
764. Au Revoir Les Enfants (1987)
765. Broadcast News (1987)
766. Housekeeping (1987)
767. The Princess Bride (1987)
768. Moonstruck (1987)
769. The Untouchables (1987)
770. Red Sorghum (1987)
771. The Dead (1987)
772. Fatal Attraction (1987)
773. A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)
774. Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (1988)
775. The Vanishing (1988)
776. Bull Durham (1988)
777. Ariel (1988)
778. The Thin Blue Line (1988)
779. Akira (1988)
780. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
781. Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie (1988)
782. A Fish Called Wanda (1988)
783. The Naked Gun (1988)
784. Big (1988)
785. Dangerous Liaisons (1988)
786. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
787. Landscape in the Mist (1988)
788. The Decalogue (1988)
789. Die Hard (1988)
790. A Tale of the Wind (1988)
791. Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
792. Rain Man (1988)
793. The Story of Women (1988)
794. Alice (1988)
795. Batman (1989)
796. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
797. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
798. The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover (1989)
799. Drugstore Cowboy (1989)
800. My Left Foot (1989)
801. The Killer (1989)
802. Do the Right Thing (1989)
803. Roger & Me (1989)
804. Glory (1989)
805. The Asthenic Syndrome (1989)
806. Sex, Lies and Videotape (1989)
807. Say Anything... (1989)
808. The Unbelievable Truth (1989)
809. A City of Sadness (1989)

1990's:
810. No Fear, No Die (1990)
811. Reversal of Fortune (1990)
812. Goodfellas (1990)
813. Jacob's Ladder (1990)
814. King of New York (1990)
815. Dances with Wolves (1990)
816. Europa Europa (1990)
817. Pretty Woman (1990)
818. Archangel (1990)
819. Trust (1990)
820. Close-Up (1990)
821. Edward Scissorhands (1990)
822. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1990)
823. Total Recall (1990)
824. Once Upon a Time in China (1991)
825. Boyz 'n the Hood (1991)
826. Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
827. Delicatessen (1991)
828. A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
829. Naked Lunch (1991)
830. La Belle Noiseuse (1991)
831. The Rapture (1991)
832. My Own Private Idaho (1991)
833. Thelma & Louise (1991)
834. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
835. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
836. JFK (1991)
837. Slacker (1991)
838. Tongues Untied (1991)
839. Hearts of Darkness: A Filmmaker's Apocalypse (1991)
840. The Double Life of Veronique (1991)
841. Strictly Ballroom (1992)
842. The Player (1992)
843. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
844. Romper Stomper (1992)
845. Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
846. Unforgiven (1992)
847. Aileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992)
848. A Tale of Winter (1992)
849. The Actress (1992)
850. Man Bites Dog (1992)
851. The Crying Game (1992)
852. Farewell My Concubine (1993)
853. Groundhog Day (1993)
854. Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993)
855. Short Cuts (1993)
856. Philadelphia (1993)
857. The Puppetmaster (1993)
858. Jurassic Park (1993)
859. Blue (1993)
860. The Piano (1993)
861. The Blue Kite (1993)
862. The Wedding Banquet (1993)
863. Schindler's List (1993)
864. The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
865. Red (1994)
866. Hoop Dreams (1994)
867. Forrest Gump (1994)
868. The Lion King (1994)
869. Clerks (1994)
870. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
871. Natural Born Killers (1994)
872. The Last Seduction (1994)
873. Pulp Fiction (1994)
874. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
875. The Wild Reeds (1994)
876. Chungking Express (1994)
877. Crumb (1994)
878. Satantango (1994)
879. Through the Olive Trees (1994)
880. Heavenly Creatures (1994)
881. Dear Diary (1994)
882. Muriel's Wedding (1994)
883. Riget (1994)
884. Babe (1995)
885. Deseret (1995)
886. Braveheart (1995)
887. Safe (1995)
888. Toy Story (1995)
889. Casino (1995)
890. Heat (1995)
891. Zero Kelvin (1995)
892. Clueless (1995)
893. Smoke (1995)
894. The White Balloon (1995)
895. Seven (1995)
896. Underground (1995)
897. The Brave Heart Will Take the Bride (1995)
898. Xixch Lo (1995)
899. The Usual Suspects (1995)
900. Dead Man (1995)
901. Fargo (1996)
902. Three Lives and Only One Death (1996)
903. Shine (1996)
904. Breaking the Waves (1996)
905. Independence Day (1996)
906. Secrets and Lies (1996)
907. Gabbeh (1996)
908. Lone Star (1996)
909. Trainspotting (1996)
910. Scream (1996)
911. The English Patient (1996)
912. The Ice Storm (1997)
913. The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
914. Taste of Cherry (1997)
915. Funny Games (1997)
916. Titanic (1997)
917. Open Your Eyes (1997)
918. L.A. Confidential (1997)
919. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
920. Buffalo 66 (1998)
921. Rushmore (1998)
922. Run Lola Run (1998)
923. Happiness (1998)
924. Pi (1998)
925. The Celebration (1998)
926. Ringu (1998)
927. The Thin Red Line (1998)
928. Three Kings (1999)
929. Magnolia (1999)
930. Fight Club (1999)
931. The Audition (1999)
932. The Blair Witch Project (1999)
933. All About My Mother (1999)
934. Beau Travail (1999)
935. Being John Malkovich (1999)
936. American Beauty (1999)
937. The Matrix (1999)
938. The Sixth Sense (1999)

2000's:
939. The Gleaners and I (2000)
940. Gladiator (2000)
941. In the Mood for Love (2000)
942. Kippur (2000)
943. Yi Yi (2000)
944. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
945. Amores Perros (2000)
946. Dancer in the Dark (2000)
947. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)
948. Memento (2000)
949. Spirited Away (2001)
950. The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003)
951. Kandahar (2001)
952. No Man's Land (2001)
953. City of God (2002)
954. Uzak (2002)
955. Talk to Her (2002)
956. The Pianist (2002)
957. Oldboy (2003)
958. Good Bye Lenin! (2003)
959. The Best of Youth (2003)
960. The Passion Of The Christ (2004)
961. Head-On (2004)
962. Downfall (2004)
963. Paradise Now (2005)
964. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
965. Tsotsi (2005)
966. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
967. The Departed (2006)
970. Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
971. Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Making Benefit Glorious Nation Of Kazakhstan (2006)
972. The Lives of Others (2006)
973. Once (2006)
974. Apocalypto (2006)
975. La Vie En Rose (2007)
976. Paranormal Activity (2007)
977. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)
978. There Will Be Blood (2007)
979. No Country For Old Men (2007)
980. Anvil! The Story of Anvil (2008)
981. The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008)
982. The Dark Knight (2008)
983. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
984. Gomorra (2008)
985. Let The Right One In (2008)
986. The Hurt Locker (2009)
987. Avatar (2009)
988. District 9 (2009)
989. The Hangover (2009)
990. In the Loop (2009)
991. The White Ribbon (2009)
992. Inglourious Basterds (2009)
993. Fish Tank (2009)
994. Monsters (2010)
995. Of Gods and Men (2010)
996. Black Swan (2010)
997. Four Lions (2010)
998. The Social Network (2010)
999. Inception (2010)
1000. The King's Speech (2010)
1001. True Grit (2010)

choosing to be a stay-at-home mom

I find myself dwelling on Ann Romney and Hillary Rosen's little kerfluffle. Rosen's comment that Romney "has actually never worked a day in her life" was extremely awkward, since that particular way of saying that a woman has chosen to stay at home with her children rather than seek paid employment has been avoided like the plague for decades. What was she thinking?

On the other hand, Rosen went on to say Romney has

never really dealt with the kinds of economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing in terms of how do we feed our kids, how do we send them to school and why do we worry about their future

On that point Rosen is spot on. Romney has been able to be a stay-at-home mom because she wanted to be, with multiple properties, all the advantages that kajillions of dollars provides, staff to help her run her domestic empire...

I think about the women I've known who wanted to be stay-at-home moms but couldn't afford it. I think about the women I've known who didn't want to be stay-at-home moms but had to wait to go back to work until their kids were in school because they couldn't afford daycare.

I wonder about the wives of the men laid off during Mitt Romney's rise to riches, and I wonder how many of them were stay-at-home moms who had to go "back to work" afterwards.

I'm irritated at Rosen for making such a stupid gaffe. I'm irritated at Romney for seeming to think that her ability to "choose" is just like that of every woman with children. I'm irritated at Romney for championing "choice" when it's her choice but not so much otherwise.

I was a stay-at-home mom. Just like her? I don't think so.

Heretics

Heretics, Apotheosis: Book Two is the 2nd in S. Andrew Swann's space opera trilogy. I'm finding these books fascinating and a lot of fun. My main complaint is that the author seems to feel we need an in-depth review of book 1 to start us off. I wish he'd stuck in a review chapter as a prelude, and I could've skipped that part.

from the back of the book:

Nearly two hundred years after the collapse of the Confederacy -the last government to claim sovereignty over all of humanity's far-flung interstellar colonies- forces ranging from the Eridani Caliphate to the Roman Catholic Church to the alien-created AI named Mosasa are jockeying for control. So when strange transmissions are received from beyond the fringes of human space, the race is on to get there first.

As Heretics opens, all hell is about to break loose. Mosasa has been destroyed by Adam -another of the surviving alien AIs. And Adam is about to launch a plan of conquest that has been centuries in the making. If he succeeds, he will rule all humankind -all sentient life-forms- as a God.

Only a few know the truth about Adam's plans and how deeply he has stretched his forces across the galaxy. And even with the aid of some unexpected allies. does the human race have any hope of defeating this seemingly omnipresent and omniscient entity...?

SF Revu calls it "unpredictable, enjoyable, and hard to put down". SF Signal says it's "outstanding".

Ann Romney: pro choice???

from jezebel:

...we have to respect women and all those choices that they make....- -Ann Romney

The Dawn Rider

The Dawn Rider is a 1935 John Wayne Western -he does look young in the '30s- that lasts less than an hour. It's a formulaic plot and quite predictable but fun nonetheless to see John Wayne begin to build his career. The Internet Archive has this online:



Reviews of these old Westerns are few and far between, but Goat Dog calls it a "routine John Wayne oater" and adds, "These films are never first-rate, but they can be highly entertaining, and this one is toward the top of the pile."

Prophets

Prophets, Apotheosis: Book One, is the first book in S. Andrew Swann's science fiction trilogy. I had been looking for recommendations for something in the space opera vein and had seen this suggested. My local bookseller had all 3 books on the shelf. Perfect. I enjoyed the first book and already have the 2nd one on my bedside table waiting for tonight.

from the back of the book:

AT THE EDGE OF HUMAN SPACE- It is nearly two hundred years since the collapse of the Confederacy, the last government to claim sovereignty over all of humanity's far-flung interstellar colonies. The void has been filled by many different powers, ranging from the Eridani Caliphate to the Roman Catholic Church. When strange transmissions are received from beyond the fringes of human space, they reveal the existence of human settlements lost since the demise of the Confederacy, colonies that could shift the balance of power should they be claimed by the Caliphate. Thus begins a race between the most advanced ships in the Caliphate fleet and an expedition of mercenaries and scientists recruited by a AI who has a long history with the Confederacy. But when they reach the source of the transmission, Xi Virgins, they will uncover a threat far beyond the scope of any one human government....

SF Signal gives it 4 out of 5 stars and says it's "A splendidly constructed space opera". SFF World calls it "a rewarding and enjoyable novel, a solid entry in the Space Opera subgenre". io9 concludes:

This volume sets up a lot of action for the next book, and that's cool. But Prophets really feels like the first third of a 600 page novel. If the second book picks up the pace The Apotheosis Trilogy will be a satisfying traditional space opera with a twist.

Sagebrush Trail

Sagebrush Trail is a 1933 John Wayne Western in which Wayne escapes from wrongful imprisonment and dedicates himself to finding the guilty man. It's short at under an hour and can be seen online thanks to the Internet Archive.



This is a fairly predictable old Western, an enjoyable enough take on a standard plot. The music is dreadful.

Wild in the Streets

Wild in the Streets is a 1968 dystopic vision of a future Los Angeles during a time when the youth take the country over and everyone over 35 is confined to concentration camps. It stars Christopher Jones, Shelley Winters, Richard Pryor, Diane Varsi and Hal Holbrook.

youtube has it online:



Moria says it "has a satiric bite that still grabs one quite pleasurably more than three decades later". Roger Ebert gives it 2 stars and calls it "pretty bad". The Spinning Image says,

This could be a prequel to Logan's Run in a way, but a lot grimmer in tone, taking to extremes the worries of its day, although it's quaint to see a film that believes simple politics could change society so quickly.

Only the Valiant

Only the Valiant is a 1951 Western film directed by Gordon Douglas and starring Gregory Peck, Ward Bond, Gig Young, Lon Chaney, Jr., Neville Brand, Jeff Corey (who has a Star Trek connection), Michael Ansara (who was also in Star Trek), Warner Anderson, Steve Brodie, and Terry Kilburn (Tiny Tim in the 1938 Reginald Owen Christmas Carol). I have to feel sorry for Chaney, who, I think, deserves better than he gets in these kinds of roles.

Time Out calls it "surprisingly astringent" and is impressed with Peck. DVD Talk says, "The film is charming for its classic qualities". History on Film describes it as a "by-the-numbers western".

Day of Anger

Day of Anger is a 1967 spaghetti western starring one of my favorites, Lee Van Cleef. Riz Ortolani wrote the music. This is thoroughly enjoyable.

trailer:

Spaghetti-Western.net says, "All in all, this one is a winner" and "Any way you cut it, this is a Spaghetti with enough to keep anyone happy." DVD Talk praises Van Cleef, saying

Talby is a great character for Van Cleef, who turns in a confident, and in places quite chilling, performance. He reveals a real talent for silently employing subtle changes in his facial expression to successfully communicate Talby's feelings and thoughts.

The Red Man's View

The Red Man's View is a 1909 15 minute D. W. Griffith Western film starring Owen Moore. It is a sympathetic portrayal of the plight of Native Americans facing aggressive white encroachment.

It's online at the Internet Archive:

Robbery Under Arms (1920)

Robbery Under Arms is a 1920 Western silent film made in Australia and directed by Kenneth Brampton. It's based on a novel by Thomas Alexander Browne writing as Rolf Boldrewood. The book can be read online here.

This movie is less than an hour long and can be viewed online thanks to the Internet Archive:

"The women suffered, as is their lot."

Alas.

The Gunfighter

The Gunfighter is a 1950 Western starring Gregory Peck as the title character. Also in this are Alan Hale, Jr., Karl Malden, Millard Mitchell, Jean Parker and Ellen Corby. It's directed by Henry King. I had never heard of this film before I came across it on youtube, but I'm glad I've seen it. It deserves wider attention.

Time Out has a glowing review, opening by calling it "superb" and closing with this:

Magnificently directed and shot (by Arthur Miller), flawlessly acted by Peck and a superb cast, governed by an almost Langian sense of fate, it's a film that has the true dimensions of tragedy.

The Examiner says, "Strong performances from the assembled cast and Oscar-nominated writing make “The Gunfighter” a must-see film for serious fans of the classic Western." EW recommends it, describing it as "a ruthlessly heartbreaking tale of a famous gunslinger ... grown weary of facing down an increasingly young bunch of challengers to his quick-draw supremacy." Images Journal has it on their list of 30 great Westerns. It gets a 100% rating from the critics at Rotten Tomatoes.

The Ox-Bow Incident

The Ox-Bow Incident is a 1943 Western movie. It's directed by William Wellman and stars Henry Fonda, Dana Andrews, Anthony Quinn and Harry Morgan. Margaret Hamilton, Harry Davenport, Frank Conroy and Jane Darwell also have parts.

This is a perfect portrayal of the lynch mob mentality and is a powerful film.



Images Journal includes it on their list of 30 greatest Westerns. Western Fiction Review says it "perfectly captured the bleak and psychological elements of the story." DVD Talk describes it as an "austere and uncompromising story of a pitiless lynch mob". The Western Review says it "is scarcely less than a perfect picture" and concludes with this:

The Ox-Bow Incident was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry in 1998; it remains a true milestone of the Western’s first half-century, and one of Henry Fonda’s finest films.

Dodge City

Dodge City is a 1939 Western film directed by Michael Curtiz and starring Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Alan Hale, Bruce Cabot, Ann Sheridan and Henry Travers.

It was at youtube for a short while but is no longer.


There's a version dubbed in German here, but that isn't quite the same.

Slant Magazine calls it "a well-crafted and perfectly capable western". DVD Talk calls it "a pleasant enough westerm with few surprises". Everybody seems to agree that Flynn is misplaced as a wild west sheriff.

In Old Arizona

In Old Arizona is a 1928 Western. Wikipedia cites it as "the first major Western to use the new technology of sound and the first talkie to be filmed outdoors" and says, "The film made extensive use of authentic locations". It also credits the film with being "instrumental in developing the image of the singing cowboy" for which I am not grateful. I was never a fan of the singing cowboy.

The scene where the Cisco Kid and the soldier size each other up -"you got nice big gun, too, eh" while patting each other's holstered guns- was interesting. That came early, and it affected the way I watched the rest of the movie.



Goat Dog describes how bad it is in some detail. I didn't think it was that bad, but the "singing cowboy" is unforgivable.