Tag Archives: Jim Jarmusch

“The purpose of an artist, whatever it is, is to take the life, whatever he sees, and to raise it up to an elevated position where it has dignity.” — William Carlos Williams

“No ideas but in things.” – from “Paterson”, by William Carlos Williams The first poems I read of William Carlos Williams, in high school English class, were the red wheelbarrow one and the one about the plums. I imagine that’s … Continue reading

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“The only gossip I’m interested in is things from the Weekly World News – ‘Woman’s bra bursts, 11 injured’. That kind of thing.” — Johnny Depp

It’s his birthday today. In recent years, he has been taken up/hijacked/ by his personal problems and his terrible misguided marriage and subsequent trial. Before, he was taken up with gargantuan franchises, etc., and some of the clarity of his … Continue reading

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“Memphis amateurs are the world’s professionals.” — Rufus Thomas

Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie was filled with deep cuts, so appreciated if you care about this story, and not just Elvis’ story, but the environment from which he came. Memphis. Beale Street. Thomas was a singer, yes, and he recorded … Continue reading

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August 2021 Viewing Diary

Pig (2021; d. Michael Sarnoski) I wish I could write at length about some of these. I just don’t have the time these days. I absolutely loved Pig, about an isolated woodsman-truffle-hunter (Nicolas Cage) whose beloved truffle pig is stolen. … Continue reading

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Twins in Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson

I wrote about Paterson for Ebert’s Top Ten of 16. I have my own theory about the twins theme. The recurrence of twins all over the place is obvious … and yet simultaneously mysterious. Those kinds of random “clusters” that … Continue reading

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September 2020 Viewing Diary

September was the longest month of my life. I started out putting my cat to sleep. I was in Rhode Island and had been so for a month. I came home, and everything had changed. And everything will keep changing. … Continue reading

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I Hate Lists, But … The Best Movies of 2016

The Roger Ebert contributors each submitted our own individual Top 10 Lists for 2016 – compiled here. As mentioned in the introduction, the NUMBER of titles – all total – that show up on this list is a testament to … Continue reading

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For Rogerebert.com: The 10 Best Films of 2016

The Ten Best Films of 2016. Each regular contributor sent in their own personal Top 10s (which will be posted today or tomorrow), and then those lists were put together and tallied up. I wrote the entry on Jim Jarmusch’s … Continue reading

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November 2016 Viewing Diary

Elle (2016; d. Paul Verhoeven) I loved it. People HATE this movie. One lady on Twitter said that men should be banned from making films about rape. How you would enforce such a rule is beyond me. Also: No fucking … Continue reading

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2016 Movies To See

Out Now Out Soon Out Earlier This Year

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