Some other stuff and why I can't remember A NIGHT TO REMEMBER

I'm in a Criterion lull right now. Fishing With John (42) has been shipped back to Mother Netflix and I'm currently waiting for Lord of the Flies (43) to appear in my mailbox. I don't think I need to tell any one who's reading that my goal of having watched all these films and maintaining a life is, if anything a lengthy one. So far, I've posted 7 times and in those seven posts I've finished two releases. Yes, one of them was a six-episode television series, but nonetheless, this is like the fucking Odyssey of dork-epics. I will not fight a one-eyed giant though, but hopefully I will be wooed to a magic island full of beautiful women and opium.

I watch a lot of, well stuff besides Criterion and I thought while you waited in agony for my next discourse on a Criterion related film, I'd fill you in on some of the other stuff I'd been picking over:

Body of Lies - I'll see anything Ridley Scott makes (except for that Russell Crowe wine movie, oh no siree, I won't go near that) and the addition of Leonardo DiCaprio AND Mr. Crowe made this pretty much a must see. Sure, this movie was exactly one hour too long (the first hour to be exact) but you get to see DiCaprio sporting a Muslim beard, and Crowe reprising his fat executive character from The Insider. Can you do better than that? Not a bad flick, maybe grab it on video.

Mad Men Season 2 - This might be the best television series ever created. And Season 2 is just ramping that feeling up. I'm a Sopranos super-fan, but this show, right out of the gate, has just been blowing my mind. The trails and tribulations of the rich and powerful in the 1960s ad world is too fascinating, throw in mystery, intrigue and a bevy of beautiful lads and ladies, as well as some of the best written dialogue ... certainly in contention for best show ever. Watch it now, or be that schlub who has to sift through eight seasons in two weeks before the finale, like I was for The Sopranos.

Into The Wild - I love this book, and this movie, though not perfect, was an ambitious, visually thrilling stab at it. Emile Hirsch hasn't won me over yet, his attempts at pain and suffering in this movie come across as high school level acting, but he certainly looks the part. The supporting cast is great, especially Keener and Vaughn, and I really felt like Sean Penn got this book in a way a lesser director wouldn't have. My ex-girlfriend hated this movie and I've been waiting to see it for a long time just so I could justify her being wrong in hating it. Hey, Leah, you're wrong, this movie is pretty awesome. Ooooooooh, dis.

It's hilarious to me that when I was peeking to see what the next Criterion film I'd be writing about would be, I was literally shocked to see Roy Baker's A Night To Remember, as I have no recollection of this film, aside from the fact that it was old, British and was about the Titanic. I also remembering that after watching this film James Cameron's Titanic seemed a lot less original, as there was huge chunks from this that ended up in that. Though I can't remember what those chunks are, they were there. I was also sort of proud of myself because I had this image of a band playing on the deck (oh those honorable musicians, playing stupid music until the boat sank and they drowned ... dumbasses) but when I went to the Criterion home page I realized it was just the teaser image for the film. Sigh.

Tomorrow: The Killer (7)