Harvest Moon: Louis Malle’s Black Moon (1975)

Until recently, Louis Malle’s Black Moon (1975) had been hard to find. Thankfully, Criterion released it this summer and I finally found my chance to watch it. It tells the tale of a pubescent girl trapped in a world torn by a literal battle of the sexes. Battalions of men and women are roving the landscape gunning each other down. It’s in this environment that the pubescent Lily escapes to the countryside. Upon discovering an autumnal home, her entire reality melts into a fantasy world.

French Follow-Up: More Notes About the 50 Greatest French Films

When you take on a project as large as “The 50 Greatest French Films of All-Time“, there’s bound to be some nuance. No doubt, there will be questions about which films I may or may not have seen; which films wouldn’t have made even a top 100; and which films I have yet to see. To clear up some of these questions, here’s a follow-up that might answer some questions. First, here’s what came in at numbers 51 through 75. For all purposes, you may consider this the “Honorable Mention” category:

The 50 Greatest French Films of All-Time

–
This week will mark Bastille Day. What better time to honor a country that’s given the world of cinema so many incredible films? In terms of both quality and quantity, I’d stack the history of French film up against any on the world scene. To pay proper homage for Bastille Day, I’ve compiled the 50 greatest French films of all-time. A few notes before we get started:

100 More Things I Love About the Movies

–
When I passed the 100,000 hit marker in November, I honored the event with what became one of my most popular entries- 100 Things I Love About the Movies. As it turns out, my odometer recently rolled over another milestone- the 200,000 hit marker. As logic follows, I’m due for another stroll down 100 Things Avenue. So without further ado, here are 100 More Things I Love About the Movies:

Long, Strong, and Down to Get the Classics On: The Insanely Long Movie Checklist

–

Despite the fact that Sir Mix-A-Lot’s knighthood is clearly invalid, I’ve still opted to quote him because his long/strong/down to get the friction on line from the timeless “Baby Got Back” perfectly pertains to several fantastic bits of cinema. These are films that show up on “Greatest” lists all the time. They’re influential, and some of the best movies ever made. They’re also, unfortunately, endurance tests that require 4 hours or more of viewing. In at least a few cases, it’s best to think of them as a mini-series, viewed an hour or two at a time. Here’s my checklist of insanely long movies that I have seen or that I intend to see.

I Love You, Movies

–

With Valentine’s Day coming up very soon, I thought I’d give a special gift to movies- a love note, as it were, to some of my favorites. Here are 100 movies that I love- the kinds of movies that I can watch again and again. These are the films that blow me away with their genius. Or they’re the films that make me laugh every time. They’re the movies that have turned me into a movie nerd. These are 100 movies that I love, presented only in alphabetical order. In fairness, I love countless movies- hundreds and hundreds more than 100. So consider this my attempt at (for the most part) keeping it a little light-hearted and staying mostly away from the heavier drama. Beyond that, there’s not a lot of rhyme or reason here.

Why I Buy the Movies I Buy

After enjoying a Spaced marathon a few days ago, I remarked to my friend, “That was one of the best purchases I’ve ever made”. And it’s true. I bought the entire series- two seasons of Daisy and Tim and Mike and Marsha and Brian and Twit… er, Twist- less than 12 months ago. I’ve already re-watched it twice. On top of that, I’ll be loaning it to a friend and fellow Edgar Wright fan within the next few months. I look forward to helping someone else turn on and tune in.

Hearing the comment come out of my mouth made me wonder just what exactly inspires me to buy the movies (and TV shows) that I buy?