Beltmann

After the great one-two punch of Old Joy and Wendy and Lucy, is it fair to say Kelly Reichardt ranks among the best American directors currently working? (I'm leaning towards yes.)

Waltz with Bashir is thoughtful, powerful, and engrossing. Loved it.

Son Volt played Letterman for both Okemah ("Afterglow 61", sounded great) and The Search ("The Picture," marred by way too many horns).

Yippee-ki-yay, melon farmer!

7th Heaven / Frank Borzage / 1927

Let's not overlook the role of exaggeration to make points about SBS and its place in the Wilco canon. I think nearly everybody on this board that has ever criticized SBS (including me) would agree that it's still better than most records released in the last few years.

I love that one, too! It's a great one-two punch.

I remember those days. Then I got a career, and then I got kids. Totally agree about Transformers 2. That was a chore to sit through--easily the worst movie I've seen this year (and I kinda liked the first one).

I haven't seen the trailer. But I'd say it's possible that the movie might only appeal to a narrow base--you have to be willing to forgive some of Allen's late-period tics.

But when they get things wrong, it only proves that they aren't one of those librul elitists who value contemptible things like book learnin'.

Five years ago, who would have thought we'd eventually be making jokes about twobobs hiking the Appalachian Trail?

Whatever Works might not be Manhatten--too often the thesis is worked out in a creaky, schematic way--but it's still one of Woody Allen's loosest, boldest, and warmest comedies in recent memory. And Larry David is a pleasure to watch, or more specifically, a pleasure to hear.

No kiddin'. I'll be waiting for this with eager anticipation.

I knew it was only a matter of time before my five-year-old daughter learned what a "zombie" is. I just didn't think she would learn it this week from a Michael Jackson video.

I held out for the actual release date, having heard only a few early live versions of a handful of songs. My initial impression was that it was another album in the vein of SBS, which meant that once again Wilco had made a well-crafted album for other people. But I've been listening nonstop for a week, and W(TA) has grown on me immensely. Even the few tracks that feel minor contain tiny glories and subtle oddities that I'm thrilled to have. In other words, it might be in the same vein as SBS but it convinces and pleases in a way that SBS didn't (at least to me). And "Sonny Feeling" is al

It's a very clean, spare gangster flick--I liked how Mann tried to revive the structure of the classic gangster movies of the '30s and '40s.

Now, now...

White Dog / Samuel Fuller / 1982

If you like that sort of thing, I highly recommend Sick: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist.

YHF is the most important to me--it's the closest to my sensibilities--but BT is right there, too.

I made it.

The International is a pretty good actioner padded with just enough cynical social criticism to keep it interesting. I also caught up with Valkyrie and Defiance, two unconventional WWII stories told in very conventional ways. Still, both are made with some degree of old-fashioned craft, and I enjoyed them for what they were.

Yes, and it's driving me nuts.

Over the weekend I received one of the coolest birthday presents ever: The Dickson Baseball Dictionary, which is a comprehensive listing of the language of baseball. Sample entry, abridged: Baltimore chop: A batted ball that hits the ground close to home plate and then bounces high in the air, allowing the batter time to reach first base safely. "[bill] Hinchman broke loose with a single that bounded over [Dave] Altizer's head. The revival of the ancient Baltimore chop was appreciated" (The Washington Post, July 20, 1907) First use in print: 1905. "[Joe] Kelley netted a high bouncing bin

Been listening to this a lot... I love when the whistling kicks in. It's a really great version!