Tag Archives: John Travolta

“I always wanted to be somebody, but now I realize I should have been more specific.” — Lily Tomlin

It’s her birthday today. I wrote about Lily Tomlin (and other talented actresses who come from comedy/improv) in my “Present Tense” Film Comment column. She is on another level. I mean … A couple years back, as part of an … Continue reading

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October 2022 Viewing Diary

Truman & Tennessee: An Intimate Conversation (2020; d. Lisa Immordino Vreeland) Fascinating dual portraits. No “talking heads”. The entire thing is made up of their own voices, told in talk shows, or interviews. Amazing footage I’ve never seen before. Christine … Continue reading

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Performances I Loved This Year

I still haven’t seen a couple of big ones. Hence … it’s a work in progress, and I’m sure I’m forgetting people. But these stand out. Royalty Hightower, “The Fits” [My review] Matthias Schoenaerts, “A Bigger Splash” Cliff Curtis, “The … Continue reading

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Review: In a Valley of Violence (2016)

A Western starring Ethan Hawke and John Travolta. It’s not perfect, but God, when it works, it works. Here’s my review at Ebert.

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Sick-Bed iPod Shuffle

I had surgery on Saturday. My mother’s been here helping me. Hopefully my health problem is now solved. Fingers crossed, y’all, I’ve been living with this horrible situation since 2013. And I already had surgery for it in 2010. It … Continue reading

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“Royale With Cheese!”

Next up in the series I’ve been doing for Epicurious on food in film, is a piece on Pulp Fiction. There’s barely a scene without food in it. The monologue about blueberry pancakes always makes me hungry. Food in Pulp … Continue reading

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6-State Shuffle

5-plus hour drive yesterday as I drove through New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey. It was a New England kind of day, where you can pass through multiple states in one day. I am freckled and … Continue reading

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Beach Drive iPod Shuffle

I’ve been back and forth to the beach 5 times in the last 5 days. It’s been hot, humid, and I yearn for the ocean. Because of my writing gig, I can’t hit the road until around 2, which often … Continue reading

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Experiencing Anti-Matter With Some Friends

Yesterday afternoon, I trekked out to Brooklyn again to Keith and Dan’s. Their friend Michael was also joining. Keith was making dinner, and we were all going to watch Certified Copy, which I have been absolutely chomping at the bit … Continue reading

Posted in Movies, Personal | Tagged , , , | 27 Comments

The Saturday Night Fever opening sequence

Awesome: some screengrabs from Saturday Night Fever‘s iconic opening sequence. Funny, looking through that, I realize that I know almost every shot by heart, without even trying. That unforgettable strut! The music! The gritty streets. Classic.

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