Finally saw The Searchers last night. It is on Roger Ebert's list of great movies. I'm not sure if it's because this film looks dated to me, or maybe because I need more than spectacular scenery, or maybe because I need better acting and a better screenplay but this movie just didn't do it for me. I started looking at the time 30 minutes in. This was a very long movie. I suppose there is some context missing because I'm only judging what I saw last night. I don't care what came before it or what has come since. I don't care what its place is in movie history. Its technical achievements and social commentary, if indeed that's what it was supposed to be, are really not that big a deal to me here in 2012 and maybe that's not fair.
The Searchers might have been something in 1956 but probably not to many of those 1956 audiences. "Ahead of its time" is what most current movie critics say about it. Would like to read some of the reviews of the time but not enough to go looking for them. Whatever ground it broke then is almost meaningless to me now and I'm sure that's not fair, either. I was looking for a Saturday night popcorn movie. The Searchers was a major disappointment on that score.
For what it's worth, I've never considered John Wayne a particularly good actor. I like most of his movies, though. For my money, he is best in light western fare like North To Alaska and McLlintock.
About today's iTunes shuffle: The Closer You Get is a rather obscure soundtrack from a rather obscure film but the wife and I just love the music. She liked the film much more than I did but we absolutely agree on the music. It's one of those understated, slice of life films that comes out of the British Isles regularly. The link brings you to a YouTube video that features the overture, I suppose. It has elements of all of the film's music.
I offer one from the CrabAppleLane backyard on this hot and humid CrabAppleLane Sunday.
CrabAppleLane Blue Jays - July 29, 2012
38 days until football season ...
5 song iTunes shuffle:
- Allison Road - Gin Blossoms - New Miserable Experience
- Maria Maria - Santana - Supernatural
- The Closer You Get - Rachel Portman - The Closer You Get Soundtrack
- Song For The Life - Alan Jackson - Who I Am
- Most High - Page & Plant - Walking Into Clarksdale
Quote of the Day
Fetch what home? The leavings a Comanche buck sold time and again to the highest bidder, with savage brats of her own?
Laurie Jorgensen, The Searchers
Blog of the day is here.
Quote from said blog: "It’s a very good western. Most of the performances are weak, but the direction and storytelling are powerful."
I marvel at Ebert's fascination with John Wayne, but I am not a fan. My parents were, though. Maybe the cut-off was our generation.
We used to have blue jays around here all the time when I was a kid. I bet I've seen less than 10 in the last 20 years. Nice picture, Rob.
I'm still a fan, Marie. When Wayne strayed from his strength, his acting became noticeable. The two I mentioned were always faves in the Ferrara household. He seemed a little more natural in those.
We have lots of blue jays here. Kinda wish we didn't have so many. They're noisy and the cardinals won't go to the feeders when they're making all of that racket.
Very nice pic. I've seen a couple of blue jays at my feeder the last couple of weeks, but they haven't made it a regular stop that I've seen, nor hindered the other birds. I counted what appeared to be eight juvenile cardinals the other day, either on the feeders or pecking at the ground below. They, and some of the other birds, appear to be doing a number on the bugs when they aren't at the feeder. I haven't found a single Japanese beetle this year.
The blue jays here stay at the feeders in groups of 6-10 for a time but then wander off. They like to splash around in the bird bath, too, as do the cardinals, titmice, and chickadees. Do you have one?
I think most of my backyard birds supplement their diets with insects.
Yeah, I have a bird bath. All of the birds have finally warmed up to it, which means I'm rinsing it and refilling it pretty much every day. I'm very disappointed in their sense of hygiene. :)
I'm thinking about what I want to do in that area for the winter. I'm pretty sure I'm going to feed through the winter, but I guess a good source of water, even with all the snow, is a big deal for the birds such as cardinals that hang out all year. I don't know what to do along those lines.
If you keep food and fresh water out, you'll end up with a lot of nearby nesting birds.