If you do not think Harry Dean Stanton is a cinematic treasure, please watch the clip of repo man below and and read the exerpt from Roger Ebert's original review of the film. And if you still don't believe it - there's nothing i can do for you.



"Harry Dean Stanton is one of the treasures of American movies. He has appeared in a lot of films without becoming a big star, but he has that total cynicism that brings jobs like repo into focus."

Full review here

While I enjoyed Stalker, i found my head thoroughly scratched due to the final scene. Did the girl have supernatural powers or were those glasses merely moved by the rumble of the passing train? The film open with a glass being moved by a train, which, in retrospect, leaves one to wonder...
A possibility i have toyed with, little discussed on the Internet, is the idea of these powers being the result of her father's great desire. Remember both Stalker and Writer leaned into The Room momentarily when Writer lost his balance. Could one of them wished this for the girl? Do you have to step fully into the Room in order for it's powers to work. It's a long movie and not without it's slow spots for sure, but i found it quite worth the effort. I most was surprised at the humor and the effective way it created tension out of absolutely nothing. I think Shamaylan's The Happening owes a great debt to this movie. Upon thinking more about it i realized it reminded me of a Becket play with one crucial difference - a payoff at the end. The endless talking, little explained characters and bizarre environments did not bother me due to the fact they had an ending which lived in that world. Not some pointless, boring Beckett-style shite.

In all a big thumbs up for Stalker. If you have a spare 2 hours and 40 minutes, check it out and get back to me.

Randall's Island, son!

My drawing, published in the very first issue of Smoke Signal!

Stop buy Desert Island and pick up a copy, it's free!

post office post

Readers of this blog are probably very curious as to how i feel about the Post Office on Varick St. The answer? Not to shabby! I have been working in this neighborhood for lo these two months now and have become quite familiar with this branch of the united states postal service. And if you think i am some noob when it comes to judging post offices, think again my friend. I measure all new york post offices i enter against, both, a standard of excellence (Grand Central Post Office) and inadequacy (Williamsburg Post Office).

If you see this post office in your neighborhood turn the other way. Don't take my word for it read these reviews, surely written by people with faces fixed in masks of unamusement... possibly blind rage.

I know my many (2) readers are also wondering what i think of all the Late Night Talk Show changes happening. I'll save that for another post...