I. stanley kubrick is one of the few commercial filmmakers i can think of whose talents were appropriately rewarded--rewarded with resources, autonomy, relative privacy, and most of all time. when you step back to look at how long he spent perfecting every film he made, how he was given free reign to do so, and, as a result, how few films he actually completed in his lifetime--it is astonishing, enviable, and as close to justice as i have ever heard of in that crazy business.
watch "stanley kubrick: a life in pictures" in its entirety here. we did last night, sort of by accident, because once you start it's quite difficult to turn off.
II. continuing with our mini robert altman festival, we started "the long goodbye" last night. why am i just now learning how cool elliot gould is? there's a great deal of him talking to himself in this movie so far, which i love (another beautiful detail that made "no country" so great, as an aside), so i'm excited to finish it. oh, and it features the best opening sequence involving a cat ever committed to film:
a fantastic start and loving tribute to picky cat owners everywhere. genius.
III. a fun shot from pedro almodovar's volver, a movie i like more every time i put it on. it's the film that made me a penelope cruz fan and a ladies' night movie of the highest order. i mention it only because i'm watching it right now, switching periodically between windows to write a little, watch a little, write a little more.
movies with dinner, movies in bed, movies in the background
and still not time enough to see them all!
some light on the screen
