Breakfast Verdict: Meat-lover’s omelet, grits, and biscuit at the Black Bear Cafe’. Omelet was good, with plenty of meat, the biscuit was good and flaky. The grits were lousy. Tasteless and watery yet lumpy at the same time. Blech.
Book Verdict: Sackett by Louis L’Amour. Lots of fun. Vivid writing, immersive descriptions of Western landscapes that the author clearly loves, and a flair for exciting action. Easy, enjoyable light writing. Picked it up at a used book store, which is where it will likely end up again.
Want to explore the deep sea without your submersible imploding? This is how you go about it. Verdict: The bottom of the sea is an exceptionally boring place. Also, James Cameron has a whole lot of money. A whole lot.
44. WINGS (1927)
The first Best Picture Oscar winner holds up decently, thanks to spectacular (by any standard) flying sequences and stars Clara Bow’s and Buddy Rogers’ timeless adorableness. And yes, that famous “blink-and-you-miss-it” appearance by Gary Cooper is a real eye-catcher. Verdict: Not bad. The action sequences are the real stars. There’s truly some unbelievable aerial photography that probably needs to be seen on a big screen to be fully appreciated. See it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JG_ZVqLIAU0
45. TRUE GRIT
The Coen Brothers’ treatment of the John Wayne classic is better in every way. Wayne, of course, is irreplaceable, but Jeff Bridges is quite marvelous in his own right. The intentionally overwritten dialogue suits the movie wonderfully and almost stands on its own as a separate character. Great stuff. Verdict: Highly recommended.
I’m always creeped out a little by dragonflies at first, and then, the more I look at them, amazed by how wonderfully strange and beautiful they are. I do appreciate the fact that this guy was kind enough to wave for the camera.
The flying sequences are great, but it’s the surprising human quality that makes this one work. The actors are good, the writing pays enough attention to character and relationships to hook you, and it’s got a surprising amount of heart. A very pleasant surprise. Verdict: Much better than the original Top Gun.
41. THE BLACK STALLION
The first half is exquisite — it’s some of the most beautiful, minimalist storytelling you’ll ever see. The second half is more pedestrian, but still looks beautiful and has a great performance by Mickey Rooney. Kelly Reno, who plays the boy, is excellent throughout, and his partner in most of his scenes — a stunning Arabian stallion named Cass Ole’ — is straight out of a fairy tale. Verdict: Uneven, but heads and shoulders above what they’re making for kids today.
42. DOG DAY AFTERNOON
What a great movie this is. What more is there to say about this except how the hell did Art Carney beat out Al Pacino for the Oscar in 1975? I’ve seen “Harry and Tonto” and Carney was good, but…come on now. Verdict: Just flat-out tremendous.
