A Gilded Planet

Cockfighter 1974.  83 minutes. USA. Directed by Monte Hellman. Watchdate: 2/27/2011. That's not Warren Oates, but yeah that guy is putting a live chicken's head in his mouth. Oh - here is that hero of our regrets, that stoic of unfought battles past - Warren Oates , a man for his time in a movie of its time. When images capture the mood of a hungover people, we can breathe easy for there is no fabrication of anger, disappointment, inadequacy, even betrayal. There is a genuine worthiness in the expression of these sentiments. In the intimations of skill and sport in the insular world of cockfighting, one can read the thoughts of entire culture. The time during which I held away the movie at arm's length has now passed and I am ready to fully embrace this perfect example of that certain 70s Americana feel, the sullen working class bourgeosie ready to be kicked in the knees for the next forty years, all of it encapsulated in the petty robberies, the money hidden amongst r...

Cisco Pike 1972.  95 minutes. USA. Directed by Bill L. Norton. Watchdate: 9/9/2011. God I love that 70s American vintage badass style especially when it not only involves Gene Hackman and Kris Kristofferson BUT ALSO our man Harry Dean Stanton. Gene Hackman plays a narc with a secret and Kris Kristofferson plays a fallen pop idol turned drug dealer. They tangle and the result is exceedingly pleasurable and disturbing.

Drive 2011. 100 minutes. USA. Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn. Watchdate: 9/19/2011 Drive is a contemplative action noir with an 80s European aesthetic and a 70s American attitude (or perhaps sensibility might be the better word). It strikes an unusual balance between the visceral and the detached. The cast is pretty good: Albert Brooks is particularly inspired in this joint. It's one of the better 2011 movies that I've seen.