Bless The Shamus

50 Reasons I love Cameron Crowe.

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18 Responses to Bless The Shamus

  1. Emily says:

    “Rock stars have kidnapped my son.”

  2. red says:

    hahahahahahaha

  3. Kate P says:

    I had no idea about Crowe’s connection to “Vanilla Sky.” I remember walking out of the movie thinking it wasn’t so great–the music was awesome, though–but I wound up thinking about the movie over and over, for weeks, afterwards.

  4. ryoushi says:

    When I was in highschool I had a pretty fast Camaro while just 200 miles away, Cameron Crowe was hanging out with Neil Young.

    Bastard.

  5. brendan says:

    Number 51:

    He uses “Within Your Reach” by the Replacements in Say Anything. Perhaps the greatest lo-fi love song of all time.

    I must say, however, that I was almost on the lifelong bandwagon for Crowe until Singles hit the cineplex. I went opening day because this was the guy who did Say Anything. And while I own and love the soundtrack, I think the movie is a big lame-o. A full on comedy about Matt Dillon and his band? Yes. Psuedo tragedy with Campbell Scott and Black-Pool-Oil-Eyes Sedgwick? Big no. Oooh, loook, Campbell has an old pizza box and a beard, he must be distraught. Whatevs.

    Stopped paying attention after that, but might have to revisit a few of his movies.

  6. red says:

    I loved Jerry Maguire – I own it, I love it, I watch it repeatedly – despite the fact that I’m not a R.Z. fan – but she’s kind of sweet in that movie (maybe cause it’s before she really became famous?) i don’t know – I just loved Cruise’s acting in it – he got to play a goofy scared operator – a guy used to flashing a smile and charming people – but kind of empty inside. I don’t know, I felt like it came the closest to being the most personal he’s ever been (that, and Magnolia). I also loved it because Cruise was so funny. i never think of him as funny, but he makes me laugh in that movie.

    “All right. I shoplifted the pooty.” Just the WAY he says that line, the look in his eyes … hilarious!

    etc.

    Love the movie.

  7. red says:

    Oh, and Regina King kicks some serious BUTT in that movie – I loooooooove that performance, I thought she should have been nominated.

    Cuba Gooding, as an actor, NEEDED the actress playing his wife to nail it – to be that strong – because that relationship, that marriage – needed to be so CLEAR, and strong – we needed to invest in it, in order for the entire story to work. And she also needed to be great in order for him to shine – and oh boy, was she ever.

    Brilliant – she’s a great actress.

  8. Kate P says:

    Brendan, I’m totally with you on “Singles.” One of the best soundtracks in my collection! But the movie? Horribly depressing.

    Sheila, do you think R.K. and C.G. Jr.’s couple wound up being the better couple in Jerry Maguire? I kinda felt that way.

  9. Carl V. says:

    That was a fantatic post! I had no idea that Crowe had done alot of that stuff. I was also thrilled to discover someone else who loved Elizabethtown as I always feel in the minority on that one.

  10. red says:

    Kate – absoLUTEly a better relationship!! The relationship those 2 characters have is my ideal, anyway. :)

  11. Emily says:

    Oh hell yes, on the Regina King applause. She and Gooding had incredible chemistry in that movie as well. I love that her character was so much more than “decorative jock wife,” and that had as much to do with her performance as the way the character was written. I love that line where their little boy says the word “mofo” and she tells him “why don’t you be the first black man in your family not to use that word and then I’ll let you live?” She delivers that in a perfect way – forceful and commanding without being just plain bitchy.

  12. red says:

    hahahaha Yes!!!

    And her freakout when watching him get injured on television.

    Imagine how cheesy that COULD have been. And then think of how you would REALLY react if you were her … and that’s how she plays it. She just knocks it out of the park. It’s inTENSE.

    She’s incredible.

  13. red says:

    Also – her face as she watches her husband sing – and BADLY – at the wedding reception.

    Like – he’s doing all these jazz riffs, and he’s terrible – but he thinks he’s great – and the camera pans to her, and there she is very pregnant, exhausted, and with a deadpan expression on her face. She then turns to her friend and says, “We should go …”

    It’s just such a funny moment!

  14. Emily says:

    Oh, that freakout scene was awesome. The way she plays it out – going from worried to angry to relieved, without a second of it coming off contrived. She’s just amazing.

  15. red says:

    And how she wacks his brother in the head when he cracks a joke at a particularly scary moment? She leans over and just attacks him – it just felt so real. Damn – so good. I get all worked up every time I see it, and it’s all because of her.

  16. ryoushi says:

    As a musician I appreciated his attention to detail in Almost Famous. There’s a scene in the Hotel, where Willaim is getting pulled down a hallway and he catches a glimpse of a guy and a girl working on a song. It’s just a quick shot but you know it’s gotta be Gram Parson and Emmylou Harris. Gram was one of his first interviews and he’s always had a soft spot (as have many of us) for Emmylou.
    This is the whole song.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51m_UOtKldY

  17. DAW says:

    Tiny Dancer.

  18. DAW says:

    I wrote the above before following the actual link; I’m glad to see that “Tiny Dancer” wasn’t overlooked on the “50 Things” list.

    But I’m back to comment again because of Spicoli. Spicoli! I saw “Fast Times” just after it came out in a raucous Southern California theater with an audience that was more like a “Rocky Horror” crowd than the usual more reserved crew. They mocked the young nerdy guy mercilessly, laughed and jabbered continuously during the whole film. But they fell silent as soon as it looked like Spicoli was about to say something: it was clear even to that group that we were in the presence of comedic greatness, and everyone had to hear what he was going to say next.

    In retrospect, I think that was the perfect atmosphere for seeing that movie.

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