Mountain Bikes, Bass Guitar, and other stuff I like

I recently had the chance to discover a silent film gem called Lonesome courtesy of the Criterion Collection .  I’m always amazed at how the fine folks at Criterion keep unearthing these lost classics, from even as far back as 1928.  That the film’s celluloid has even survived the ravages of time is a miracle in the first place. Criterion's fabulous artwork Lonesome ’s story is simple: middle-class working man and woman (Jim and Mary) feel a sense of isolation among teeming masses living in New York then happen to meet at a Coney Island carnival.  Jim is played by Glenn Tryon and Mary played by Barbara Kent. Both are masterful and conveying emotions and ideas using only facial expressions and body language.  Their meeting, after much coercion from Jim and resistance from Mary, leads to a blossoming love. Too quickly over the course of one afternoon at the carnival? Perhaps, but it’s the movies after all and magic does happen. Silent films are a visual treat pr...

Here's a thoughtful, easy-paced film about a dysfunctional Japanese family dealing with the loss of one of their sons, who died trying to rescue a swimmer fifteen years ago. The film is not overly depressing, as one would expect, but instead gives us pause to reflect on things that really matter in our lives. It's not clear if the family's dysfunction was present before or after the tragedy. There's a familiarity to the story, in that Japanese films tend to deal with death and how it affects the family rather straightforwardly and without melodrama. Such is the case in Tokyo Story by one of Japan's greatest filmmakers, Yasujiro Ozu. Each family member is dealing with this death in their own way. The father, has shut himself off from everyone. The mother nervously chatters about the house with her daughter, perhaps not knowing how to express grief. The one most affected is the brother, who has palpable guilt and regret. He is ashamed for not becoming a do...