10 Musical Reminders that Ennio Morricone is a Legend

You don’t need to be told that Ennio Morricone is a living legend. His work from the 1960s all the way up to present day stands alone in the world of film score composition. You don’t need to be told all of this because it’s impossible to watch any number of beloved movies made in that timeframe without encountering his distinct style, which elevated each one of those films to new heights. Even in the last few decades, his brilliant scores are being repurposed to enhance a whole new generation of filmmaker’s scores. Here are ten songs to remind you of Morricone’s wizardry.

Quentin and Me: A 30-Something Fan’s Relationship With a Filmmaker

Films, filmmakers, and actors/actresses define eras of your life. It’s bound to happen when you’re a hardcore movie-watcher. Name any on-screen (or even off-screen) personality, and I can tell you when I became aware of their work. My first look at Quentin Tarantino happened in 1994, and my experience as a movie-watcher has never been the same. I’ve seen every one of his movies on the big screen ever since, with one exception. Much like Wes Anderson, Quentin Tarantino’s films have paced the last 18 years of my life. I remember exactly where I was when I saw each one.

Who Would Win in a Fight?

I’ve been posing the question “Who would win in a fight?” for years, and it’s been a lot of fun. It’s a pretty simple game. Choose two people or groups who are bound by any sort of similarity, and ask “Who would win in a fight?” involving the two people or groups. You can solve age-old questions this way. Namely, you’re solving the question of who would win in a fight between two very similar people or groups. The only rule to remember here is that they’re fighting. You might like Option A more than Option B, but do you really think they’d win if it came to fisticuffs? Here are some examples of how the game works, with movie personalities, and my own answers.

Movie-Themed Birthday Cakes

The long and storied tradition of movie-themed birthday cakes begins when you’re young and someone hands you a cake featuring characters from your favorite animated movie. It usually ends as you approach adulthood, when cakes in the shape of Mickey Mouse’s head are replaced with black forest, german chocolate, and peanut butter angel food (my personal favorite). But some people never get past that early stage of having movie-themed birthday cakes. Here are a lot of very diverse examples.

Minimalist Designs of Famous Film Hairstyles

Nike recently released a series of t-shirt designs that pay homage to classic Major League Baseball hair styles. Every great player in the last 30 years who featured a goatee, an afro, a fu manchu, a beard, or a simple mustache is featured on these shirts. Upon seeing Nike’s creations, my thoughts naturally shifted towards what a similar design style would look like with movie characters. Here are some minimalist designs of famous film faces and hairstyles:

–

–

The Ten Coolest Quentin Tarantino Characters

–

Quentin Tarantino celebrated his birthday over the weekend. As a fan of his highly quotable genre mashups, I feel obligated to celebrate. One of my favorite things to do after seeing a Tarantino film is to ask my friends which character was their favorite. Each film has a wealth of impossibly badass characters. Here’s my list of the ten coolest Quentin Tarantino characters:

Winston Wolfe, Pulp Fiction
He’s Winston Wolfe, and he’s here to solve problems like skull and brain bits all over your car. He can make a thirty minute drive in ten. He keeps all the Lash LaRues of the world from jingling and jangling their spurs. And he does all of it in a tuxedo. I don’t care about that guy from the Dos Equis ads- Winston Wolfe is the true “Most Interesting Man in the World”.