Lost Vs. The Sopranos

My dedicated readers, I have been pondering this for the last couple of weeks. Which is better, The Sopranos or Lost? So, I'm thinking, I'll break it down, point by point. (At this point, I am 4 episodes into season 2 of Lost, and have seen all of the Sopranos, except for the last 2 episodes, so maybe this isn't fair. I say it is, and my word is bond.)

1)Characters - Not a contest here. Sopranos wins in a runaway. And while I was just thinking, well, that's because there are less characters, that's just not true. The show is more focused around 5 or so characters, with about 30 more minor characters, which I think Lost could benefit from. The Depth of Tony Soprano and crew, even over only one season, just puts Lost to shame. A suggestion of 5 characters to focus on (even though I haven't met them all yet) would be, Jack, Kate, Locke, Sawyer, and Sun Kwon. Just a suggestion fellows over at ABC.

2)Plot - I'd generally say that the Sopranos has earned the world's second "show about nothing" tag. I mean, it is about family, loyalty, human psychology, etc, but kind of just runs in circles. I haven't seen Lost go too far into the soap opera hell, and it seems to have more of a traditional plot. Lost wins this one by a healthy margin.

3)Eye Candy (camera work, not beautiful bikini-clad bodies!) - I think because Sopranos doesn't have to pitch to quite as large of a TV audience, they can afford to get a bit more artistic. This isn't to say Lost doesn't get artistic, and I'd say, as far as basic TV goes, I'm impressed with how far they have gone. The Sopranos occaisional dream episodes help to edge out Lost.

4)Acting - I'd say this one is dead even. James Gandolfini and Michael Imperioli's strong performances are occaisionally dragged down by weaker performances by Robert Iler, Lorraine Bracco, and Tony Sirico, with Sirico being the worst actor on Sopranos and Lost combined. Lost, I would say, does not have the insanely good acting that a couple of the cast of the Sopranos have, but they also don't have quite the weak performances either. I give the edge to the Sopranos on this one, just for their ability to be able to curse, and be naked.

So in a close call, 3-1, I choose the Sopranos, but for Lost being on regular TV, and even being able to be included in this discussion, is quite a feat.

Le Grindhouse

I don't believe that I've had as much fun for three hours in a movie theatre than I had watching Rodriguez and Tarentino's opus to B-movie double-features, at least since LotR: Fellowship of the Ring came out in 2001 (which had me giggling like a little fan-boy for about 3 hours).

What was interesting to me was that Rodriguez seemed to completely buy into the genre with "Planet Terror," and made, from beginning to end, one of the most hilarious and best "B-grade" zombie movies that I've seen. (Freddy Rodriguez, by the way, was fantastic as Wrey, and makes me think he's a fairly underrated character actor, as he was similarly hilarious and believable as "Reggie," the self-proclaimed science experiment with only one half of his body bulked up from working out, in M. Night's tragically misunderstood "Lady in the Water.")

But Tarentino also seems very interested, in "Death Proof," in paying homage to the films of the grindhouse era, but then also turning them on their head, subverting them, and then making a kick-ass Tarentino ending to the film. And in that way, it probably moves beyond the rest of the material here, and is thus a good way to end the over 3 hour opus.

Trailer notes: The opening trailer for "Machete" was campy and hilarious - and word is that Rodriguez will work with Danny Trejo to make an actual full lenght feature! Unfortunately, it may have worked as best as it could as a fake trailer.

Don't Scream - also funny, and in a very direct "this is a JOKE" way. In that way, Eli Roth's was probably the most effective AND funny trailer with "Thanksgiving." It WAS so much of the genre, but was just on that edge that so many of them either stay on and succeed with or cross and fail that it both WAS the genre, and was one of the best spoofs on the genre at the same time.

And Rob Zombie just doesn't get it - oooh, nudity, check - oooh, violence, check - oooh, Nazis, check - ooooh, monsters, check - it was like a paint by numbers exploitation film trailer that I think anyone could do with some actors, a budget, and the above list. He really doesn't get it - he may have enjoyed such films, and always wanted to make one - but I've yet to see his work really shine in this venue. Hopefully this doesn't bode ill for his Halloween remake (although a Halloween without the score is, in my opinion, no Halloween movie).

So, much fun to be had, and one of the most brazenly self-ingulgent projects in a long time - and one that, in my opinion, works so well in so many ways.

Hee Seop Choi and the Korean 3

I recently recieved my DVD copy of Oldboy in the mail, rounding out my collection of Chan-wook Park's Oh-so-brilliant revenge trilogy (Yes, I know it's the second of the three, with the other two being Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance(the first) and Lady Vengeance). If you haven't seen these movies, run out today, right now, and buy them all. Forget renting them. You'll want to gouge your eyes out, jump in front of a train, and then drown yourself as quickly as possible, but in the best possible sense. For the basic rundown of these movies, imagine the worst thing possible happening to you, multiply by 10, and then imagine the revenge you would seek out. Yes. I know it's an awesome idea. I only wish I came up with it myself.

We're Still Alive

I know, you were worried. We're still alive. I was kinda waiting for ole KubriKhan to post, but as I see he hasn't, I just wanted to let you all know that that blog is still alive. I promise at least two postings next week. In the meantime, I wholeheartedly recommend seeing Zodiac. It's brilliant. And I wholeheartedly unrecommend 300.

The Heavy Golden Man

A little rundown of the Oscar winners, nothing special.


Best Picture - The Departed. Wicked happy about this. I woulda been fine with Little Miss Sunshine too.

Director - Marty Scorsese. Even more wicked happy about that one. Nothing else would have made me happy, and I probably would have commited Hari Kari if there were any other outcome.

Actor - Forrest Whitaker. Surprise surprise. Actually I thought this one might go to O'Toole.

Actress - Helen Mirren. Surprise fucking surprise.

Actor supporting - Alan Arkin. Yay for Little Miss Sunshine. He really did steal a lot of the scenes he was in.

Actress supporting - Jennifer Hudson. Didn't see that flick, no comment. Girl can sing though, and has super baby making hips.

Cinematography - Pan's Labyrinth. As much as I love this movie, NO! Everyone who leaves Children of Men talks about the cinematography. Everyone who left Pan's Labyrinth talked about the great story, makeup, acting, whatever, but not cinematography. The one award that made me truly upset.

Honorary Oscar - Ennio Morricone. Made me want to cry.

Like, I'm soooooooo Scared

Another list for the kiddies. This time, a Horror film list. MMMMmmmm gore.

1)The Exorcist (1973) - Ok, so at this stage in my life, I chuckle through most of the movie. However, when I was around 15 or so, nothing freaked me out more than a viewing of the Exorcist. My dad passed out during a 1973 viewing (see a behavior pattern here?), and I was known to run around the house saying "Let Jesus fuck you!" Good times. Nothing owns more than a 14 year old Linda Blair covered in vomit and slime.

2)The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) - To this day, redneck horror freaks me out, and this movie is the pinnacle of redneck horror. Forever imitated (House of 1000 Corpses, Wolf Creek, High Tension, etc etc etc), TCM proved that low budget horror was a viable moneymaker. Its low quality look adds realism and genuine horror.

3)Cabin Fever (2002) - Eli Roth's kitschy flesh eating masterpiece makes me laugh and cringe through every viewing. Cabin Fever pays homage to the 70's and 80's slasher flicks (even a tune from Wes Craven's "Last House on the Left") but manages to stay fresh. Rider Strong and Joey Kern give great performances, and the music adds an oh so eerie touch.

4)Halloween (1978) - Of course this movie came out the year I was born. Of course it's set in Illinois. No horror movie has more repeat value than Halloween does. John Carpenter's directing, writing, and music score are all first rate, and the world was introduced to the queen of all scream queens, Jaime Lee Curtis.

5)A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) - The first, and only scary, of the Nightmare series, this film gives good character development, great backstory, and one heck of a horror icon. With the possible exception of Jason Voorhees, no one has been more idolized in the genre. To top it all off, this is the film debut of Johnny Depp.

Late honorable mentions that probably should have made the list - 28 Days Later, Alien.

Live and Let Live

Yay! A List! This, my darlings, is my top 5 Live Records list. In some sort of particular order, though, who knows, maybe it's in random order. I can't figure that out myself.

5)Pink Floyd - Ummagumma (Disc 1) - This record is a great representation of early Floyd, but with a lineup sans Syd Barrett. Though the second disc is studio material, I'm choosing to take Disc 1 and count it as a seperate entity. A Saucerful of Secrets is an especially great track to wrap it all up.

4)The Doors - In Concert - This record is actually a compilation of other live records, (such as Absolutely Live and Live at the Hollywood Bowl) but I'm doing the opposite of the Ummagumma thing, and including more than I should. See how that works. I spit in the face of rules. Songs like Celebration of the Lizard and Gloria, which are not included in any studio album, really enhance the experience overall. Not to be skipped over is Jim Morrison's incessant banter with the crowds and house announcers.

3)Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds - Live at Luther College - This is a 2 disc collection of Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds songs pre-Before These Crowded Streets. Acoustic versions of Two Step, Halloween, Stream, and Seek Up are especially good. More witty banter with the crowd, which I think should be something some live albums should have. Otherwise, how do we know it's really live? Conspiracy? Have you been watching the Pink Panther lately?

2)Blues Traveler - Live From the Fall - Maybe my favorite, maybe not. It's really a toss up between this, and the other #1. Closing Down the Park and Alone are two of my favorite live performances of all time. Some more great banter (seeing a trend here?), and absolutely great live jam band shenaniganry. The echoing harmonica on Closing Down the Park is a John Popper tradition, and I gotta say, there's really no other sound quite like it.

1)Rush - Exit...Stage Left - All right everyone, you know I had to have a Rush record on here, and why not put it at #1? This tour was in support of their Moving Pictures record, which was a kind of climax of that stage of their music. YYZ is impeccable, and if you're lucky enough to have it on vinyl, or have the remastered 1997 version, you'll get to hear a wonderful rendering of Passage to Bangkok. Wicked awesome version of La Villa Strangiato as well.

756? Not on my watch . . .

So recently MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said he "may not" be at the game when Barry Bonds breaks Hank Aaron's career homerun record of 755. There has then been some uproar by the media - even those members that outwardly have disapproved of Bonds - basically stating that Selig is wrong in possibly skipping this event. But if baseball - and not just the upper offices, but fans, players, teams, etc - are so scared of this event happening, I've always wondered why not do something about it:

Don't pitch to him.

Bonds sees his fair share of intentional walks anyway - why would this be so radical a change? If most people outside of the Bay area don't want to see baseball's most hallowed of records destroyed by a player who "allegedly" took steriods in the process, why not? I don't think people would mind if he held the single-season walk record - let the forehead have that! And I guarantee that every pitcher who "happens" to walk him will be a national hero the next day.

This obviously couldn't come down from the commissioner's office - that would admittedly look like baseball was trying to "fix" its own records. But this is a record that is unlike most in baseball - it seems, to most, to reflect upon the grand history and players of the game, and I know many see Bonds' potential ownership of that record as a loss all around for the sport and its traditions.

But who's stopping each individual pitcher, on a given night, from saying, "Well, I just didn't want to give up a homer on my watch," or, if this is done closer to the record, "I didn't want to be the guy in the record books that he hit the homer against"? They wouldn't even have to say what may really be on their minds: not on my watch, not in my park, not in my game.

Heavy Metal Thunder

Ok, I know we've gotten away from the lists you've all come to know and love. I promise there will be more to come soon. Oh yes, very soon, however, I feel the need to talk about a movie that rocked my world last night, Easy Rider.

I've never seen a more technically flawed movie that I loved so much. To dwell on it too much would be sacreligious, but I feel the need to at least mention some of its problems. The editing style, or lack thereof, is atrocious. These weird back and forth cuts during scene transitions are quite annoying, but are eventually abandoned, which kind of makes it more annoying. At least stick with it. The musical editing is a bit queer, with uneven cuts and such. Aside from that, there's nothing wrong with the plot, save for a very light plot.

*SPOILER WARNING*

Ok, all that said, there's a reason why this is one of the most influential films in American cinema. The cinematography in it is excellent, with many a beautiful shot of chopper riding through the great western deserts of the US. The soundtrack is awesome, and paired with the plot line, a great time capsule of counterculture, circa 1969. Peter Fonda is the essence of cool (Tao of Steve style), and Dennis Hopper gives a great Dennis Hopper performance. Jack Nicholson comes in about 45 minutes into the film and steals the show for the half-hour that he's in it. Which brings me to some spoilers.
I hate rednecks. Especially Louisiana Cajun-necks. The baseball bat beating death of Nicholson with about 20 minutes remaining is horrible enough, but watching Peter Fonda take a shotgun blast to the face, mid-cycle to end the film was gut-wrenching. American Chopper in flames.
A scene post Mardi-gras celebration, with acid-dropping in a New Orleans cemetary, that comes out of nowhere, makes the film. An avant-garde 10 minute moment that takes the movie to new levels. It's this scene that I think most makes the film so enjoyable.
If you like wanting to shoot yourself at the end of a movie, check it out.

When Conservatives Cry . . .

So I have to chime in on this whole "OMG, Prince's silhouette with his guitar looks like a giant phallus!" debate.

Do I think that the silhouette of Prince's guitar at the Super Bowl halftime show looked phallus-like when he turned to one side . . . absolutely. Do I have a problem with it? Absolutely not.

When was the last time that you heard rock and roll being associated with sex? Like, maybe 5 seconds ago? Really, rock and sex have a loving relationship that's been going on long before Elvis shook his lovemaker on national television. So when people cry out at sexual innuendo entwined in a rock performance, I'm almost speechless. The guitar has often been seen as a phallic object, and sex has gone hand in hand with its primary popular genre of music.

But I have no problem with my child watching Prince's performance with this innuendo - why? Is it because I'm a horrible parent? A left wing nut that would just as quickly show him Debbie Does Dallas as Teletubbies? I don't think so - rather, I wouldn't mind him seeing this because he's not going to see what we see - he hasn't been trained to "hunt down" such images yet. Instead, he probably sees a silly man behind a bed-sheet, playing that guitar that looks kind of like the one his Grandparents got him for Christmas. And I highly doubt he cries himself to sleep at night, wondering why Grandma and Grandpa got him a phallus-like-object for Christmas.

Downtime

Ok, the Superbowl is over. Baseball hasn't begun yet. Hockey and Basketball aren't worth watching for different reasons. Basketball doesn't start til the playoffs, and the players really seem not to care until then. Hockey isn't watchable for several reasons. One of those is, it's incredibly hard to find what channel it's on (Yes, I know, Vs.). Another problem with it, is the regular season seems to mean almost as little in hockey as it does in basketball. No other sport offers the distinct possiblity of an 8 seed winning the championship the way hockey does. College basketball is insanely boring until March Madness, so we have a month and change to go for that. What to watch? My answer? Plain and simple, Most Xtreme Challenge.

To compact...or not to compact

My 5 favorite trash novels....

What do I consider a trash novel? I think it's pretty evident, but basically anything on the New York Times bestseller list is a good start. Mass paperback fluff. Fun reads.
Good, but not in danger of making you think. Here we go.

1)Dark Rivers of the Heart - Dean Koontz. This book takes everything Koontz is famous for - great storytelling, a strong but conflicted and battered male lead, a too-smart dog, and romance, and takes it to its pinnacle. While Koontz's writing can get as tedious as a ditto sheet (especially after you've read 35 or so of his books), this book doesn't copy his other books too horrifically. It even throws in a not so happy ending.

2)Salem's Lot - Stephen King. By far the best vampire book I've ever read (that's not Dracula), Salem's lot has great characters, and great storytelling that doesn't bog down in it's 600 or so pages. Salem's lot is gory to the Nth degree, actually frightening, and bleak. With a villain to rival any, I would highly recommend Salem's Lot for some fun summer reading.

3)8 Million Ways to Die - Lawrence Block. I hesitate to put this on any trash list, because of it's noirish sensibilities and beautiful gritty writing, but I think it qualifies. If you haven't read any of Lawrence Block's books (especially the Matt Scudder stuff), they combine detective, crime, and personal philosphy in a way that's highly entertaining to read. The story follows an alcoholic ex-cop, ex-PI in the investigation of a murder of a prostitute trying to leave her pimp. Formulaic? Possibly in idea, but definitely not in execution.

4)Angel Fire East - Terry Brooks. Ouch, MIKE! Don't kick me. I'm not calling fantasy trash! That said, I don't typically get into fantasy (with the exception of Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Neil Gaiman and a certain Raymond Feist book entitled Faerie Tale), but this novel (the third in the Word and the Void trilogy) is a brilliant climax to a modern day fantasy series. Dark in a way usually not seen in fantasy, Angel Fire East has intensely great, deep characters that you can't help but pull for. What can I say? I'm a sucker for battle of dark and light over the souls of the world stories.

5)Runaway Jury - John Grisham. No trash novel list is quite complete without John Grisham. Right? Right? Yet another in a long line of John Grisham books written to be made into a movie, the whole plot of this was trashed on screen. Book = Suit against tobacco companies. Movie = Suit against gun manufacturers. Kinda lost the zip on screen, but I'm not talking about the movie here. Runaway Jury is full of fun twists, and a sickening description of what happens to the body on an inhalation of tobacco smoke (spasming intestines, increased pulse, etc.). The characters have purpose, and if nothing else, they cast the movie well.

Almost made it - The Andromeda Strain - Michael Crichton, Crackpot - John Waters.

Where Everybody Knows Your Name . . .

When did the Dallas Cowboys become Cheers'?? I mean really, all they seem to want to do now is have people come back in through that door that left some time ago - what loony-juice is Jones drinking, exactly? I am happy to see him consider Singletary and, hopefully, Rivera. Otherwise, expect more 7-9, 8-8 seasons before the 'boys have to make a coaching move again.

As far as the actual game happening this week - I agree with LLD that the Colts haven't faced a particularly great offense yet - nor will they on Sunday. Both teams should be able to run the ball, although I'd give the edge to Chi-town there. And I don't believe that Grossman will play all that badly (though if he does, this could quickly become a rout, barring miraculous play from Hester again - not an impossibility). But lets also be honest here - yes, Berrian has speed, but his big catch against the Saints that began to put them down for good was against one of the worst corners in the playoffs, Fred Thomas. The pass to Berrian was just a prayer, basically - although a great catch by him then. The Bears also seem to be at their best when they can look at the field, and Urlacher can play QB for the defense. The hurry-up O that the Colts run should keep them off-balance enough to make a few plays, and I also don't fully trust the Bears secondary - it has to get pressure up front to have much success, and it would have to be against a very good offensive line.

That said, I agree that Peyton gets happy-feet in the playoffs, and if he reverts to previous playoff performances, it will be a long day for him and the Colts. My guess? I think he holds up enough to score more points than the Bears defense, special teams, and several good plays from Grossman: Colts in a good game, 31-24.

Superbowl XLFIEFY i dunno

Ok, so I'm gonna do the obligatory Superbowl pick. First off, lemme talk about something that at least indirectly has to do with the Bears. The Cowboys coaching vacancy. I am gonna laugh balls if they hire oft-failed pundit Norv Turner. Say goodbye to your next few seasons if he's your coach. On the off chance that Jerry Jones grows a brain, and hires ex-Bear linebacker Mike Singletary, they'll do well. On to the game. Much has been stated about Bears quarterback Rex Grossman. Guess what? Dude threw 5 less interceptions than Manning in the playoffs. 5! That's a few to say the least. Any mention that he's the worst quarterback in Superbowl history is just pure poppycock. Ok? Doug Williams of the Redskins 86ish? Tony Eason of the Patriots in 85? Quarterback dude for the Rams in 77? Horrible. Peyton Manning is a great quarterback, but dude has happy feet in the playoffs. He looks scared back there, eratic. Shifty. Like George W's eyes. Shifty. Urlacher in his face = bad for Peyton. Colts defense has looked good of late, but they haven't faced this Bears offense. Their opponents in the playoffs were the Chiefs (who insisted on running, even with 8 in the box) and the Patriots (who run a dink and dunk west coast offense.) The Bears have defense stretching recievers, and a quarterback, who, at times can get it to them. So with all that said, I think the game is going to be quite close. 21-17 Bears.

KuBrickKhan's Top 5 Films

Ok, so it's my turn to chime in here - we start in a very similar place, and I don't think I completely disagree with the films in LLD's list. But here's my take on my favorite great films.

1) Casablanca (1942)
Ok, so we start out on the same page here (I guarantee it’ll change from here). But it’s hard to argue with the placement of this film either. It’s what every film that has any element of drama, suspense, romance, or intrigue aspires to be. There’s not a moment here that’s not spot on, and any countless number of moments that are referenced in culture even over 60 years after its production. But beyond being monumental, it’s also a very enjoyable film, and one that improves each repeat viewing.

2) Citizen Kane (1941)

If Casablanca is what every film strives to be, this is the “How-To” book for any modern filmmaker. Welles basically writes the book on a technical level, but it’s also a fantastic exploration of the American Dream, the struggle of one man to find love – from those around him, to the public that he wants so much to adore him. And with Orson Welles, you have one of the most dynamic performances on screen of all time – it’s a shame that he never made a film that even approached his first (his last real work in the industry was providing a voice in Transformers: The Movie!).

3) The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003)
To me, this film (considering all three releases as one complete work) is a representation of everything that a film can be. Before anything else, it’s as entertaining a work as I’ve seen, and one of the most visually stunning works of fantastic fiction ever produced. Beyond its value as pure entertainment, though, it has an emotional core that is as true as any other great work of literature or cinema. The argument that highly “fictional” works like fantasy or science-fiction can’t be as “great” as more “realistic” films is a false one. It’s made on the premise that we have to be able to place ourselves in the film to somehow make it more relatable – but any work of cinema is fiction – living in the Shire is no more fantastic to me than living in 1930’s Morocco. What’s important is that a film moves us, inspires us, and this film does this on a number of levels.

4) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
While the films above are examples of great narrative, characters, and an emotional connection between them and the viewer, this film is the opposite. The characters are actually rather uninteresting, there is little to the narrative, and what is there is often confusing. And there is little connection that the audience feels towards characters or events. Kubrick’s masterpiece (among other great films) is a visual and symbolic exploration of human development, intellect, and potential. It’s a film that take great care in every element having a clear purpose – no shot or moment is wasted. It’s, as Ebert calls it, a philosophical statement on film, meant to inspire and awe more than entertain or tell a story. But in that, it succeeds on levels that few films do.

5) Pulp Fiction (1994)
In many ways, a celebration of a number of things that make film enjoyable – sex, drugs, violence, and rock and roll. It’s one of those films that is humorous even when it is absolutely dire and twisted, and has some of the greatest moments of dialogue in film. QT always entertains, but he also innovates – even while he constantly refers to or steals from an entire history of exploitation films and hard-edged cinema. The work never feels stale or retread, even at its most derivative.

Honorable Mentions: The Godfather, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Star Wars, Rashomon, American Beauty, Requiem for a Dream, Pan’s Labyrinth.

5 Greatest Films of All Time, in my oh-not-so humble opinion

1)Casablanca (Michael Curtiz, 1942) - Ok, what to say about this. This film encompasses everything, great cinematography, acting, directing, writing, story. One of the greatest romances of all time, is also one of the greatest Film Noir's of all time. Line after quotable line, and and ending that will tear you apart and make you smile at the same time. The embodiment of a classic.


2)Dancer in the Dark (Lars Von Trier, 2000) - Everyone who knows me, knows I HATE musicals. However, that being said, this movie is brilliant. A heart-wrenching film, with great music and an original look. Has the look of an English BBC picture, but comes through as intentional. I've never been more depressed after a movie with the exception of Requiem for a Dream.


3)American Beauty (Sam Mendes, 1999) - I think the best "embrace life" film ever made, this movie deservedly won best actor, director, cinematography, original screenplay and picture oscars. The super sweep. It's sentimental, without being cheesy, Conrad Hall's cinematography has rarely been topped (see Road to Perdition and Marathon Man as great other examples of his work), and just flat out makes you think.


4)The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972) - Cliche, I know. Fine. There's a reason why this is IMDB's #1 film of all time. It's epic, but personal at the same time. Examines the inner workings of family and loyalty, as well as being an extremely entertaining, quintessential mafia film. Along with the Godfather 2, it's the only movie ever to have a character nominated for best actor by two different actors (Marlon Brando and Robert DeNiro). Forget that Godfather III was ever made. Please.


5)The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (Sergio Leone, 1966) - I can't say enough about the way a Sergio Leone film looks, but jesus is it beautiful. The music by Ennio Morricone gives goosebumps and the pacing of this is brilliant. By far the best western ever made. This is one of the few great westerns not based on a Kurosawa film, which in turn are generally based on a Shakespearean play. Although, I think the name of this film should be the neutral, the evil, and the truly evil (and i put the ugly as the truly evil.)

Honorable Mentions - Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Traffic, La Grande Illusion, Magnolia, Sunset Boulevard, Citizen Kane, The Wizard of Oz, Pulp Fiction, Hero, Mulholland Drive.

Welcome to our blog!

This is just two gen-x'ers, who happen to be getting a little long in the tooth, taking the opportunity provided by free blogging to rant, rave, and argue about whatever we feel like in terms of pop culture, sports, politics, etc.

So tune in often, and feel free to comment on, argue against, or heap mounds of praise upon any and all of our ramblings here. Have fun!