Rolling Stone Names "There Will Be Blood" Film of the Decade

Here is a complete list of the ten films that "Rolling Stone" film critic Peter Travers chose for the best ten films of the 2000s. I am working on my own list, and there are three films which I am deciding upon for my own choice for 'film of the decade.'
Travers also chose his ten favorite films of 2009, which we will list on our sister blog "Politics, Culture and Other Wastes of Time."

1. There Will Be Blood
2. Children of Men
3. Mullholland Drive
4. A History of Violence
5. No Country for Old Men
6. The Incredibles
7. Brokeback Mountain
8. The Departed
9. Mystic River
10. The Lord of the Rings: The Trilogy*


*-Travers admitted to cheating for this pick.

Yet Another Quote of the Week?!- Joe Strummer

The liberal blogger Arianna Huffington maintains that bloggers are ones who suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. She may have a point as this is the fourth quote I've used this week?!

Today, we go with Joe Strummer, who was the subject of our last "Dead or Alive" entry. Alas, the frontman for the punk band The Clash is no longer with us as Strummer died on Dec. 22, 2002.

But, there are apparently efforts to recognize Dec. 22 of this year as "International Joe Strummer Day," which happens to be my mother's 70th birthday.

I'm not sure if she is familiar with The Clash, which "Rolling Stone" called the 30th best music artist of all time, but perhaps we can play "London Calling" at her birthday party though I'm not sure her friends from church would approve!

Here is the quip we selected from Strummer, who was also a great actor who appeared in the 1989 Jim Jarmusch film "Mystery Train," which was filmed in Memphis, Tenn.:

"What I like most about playing America is you be sure you're not going to get hit with a full can of beer when you're singing and I really enjoy that."

Another Quote- David Sedaris

'Tis the season, and there are several theatres around the country performing the David Sedaris stage play (a one-man show, actually) "The Santaland Diaries," including Triad Stage in Greensboro, NC, and the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton, Va.

Here is today's quip from Sedaris, who became famous by appearing at the NPR show "This American Life:"

"Seven beers followed by two Scotches and a thimble of marijuana and it's funny how sleep comes on its own."

Bonus Quote of the Week- George F. Will

The following quip is ironic for three reasons: 1) I am a centrist liberal Democrat, so I generally differ with the conservative columnist George F. Will's views though I do have a lot of respect for him, which I can't say for the likes of Glenn Beck and Chuck Norris (both are extreme far right!) 2) I am an even more partisan cat person and I am baffled that people will spend up to $700 on dogs like Scottish terriers and 3) we are quoting another 'bowtie guy' Louis Farakkhan on our sister blog "Politics, Culture and Other Wastes of Time." I can't imagine Will and Farrakkhan have ever met in real life!

We are also posting an image of this tuxedo cat here to remind folks that there are lots of cats in animal shelters across the country, including The Rockingham County Animal Shelter in Reidsville, NC, which I am told is in dire need of adoptions.

I have my own tuxedo cat in Gizmo........I named him after the title character in "Gremlins".......he is a bit on the wild side, actually?!

Here is the quote:

"The phrase 'domestic cat' is an oxymoron."

Sidebar: I actually think George F. Will and Katrina vanden Heuvel, the editor of the very liberal publication "The Nation" would have made a great couple. But, I believe Will lives with his wife and dog (I presume) in Chevy Chase, Md.

Sidebar Two: The irony of this kills me. The community college I work at in Wytheville, Va., (not the city where I actually work) cancelled a subsription to Will's former publication "The National Review" because of budget constraints!

Quote of the Week- John Ford

Since yesterday was Pearl Harbor Day, I thought it might be quirky to quote film directing legends John Ford and Akira Kurosawa on our respective blogs.

This might not be the best idea, but for now, it works!

Here is the quote from Ford who is best known for directing John Wayne westerns like "Stagecoach," "The Searchers" and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance:"

"It's easier to get an actor to be a cowboy than to get a cowboy to be an actor."

Celebrity Tweets- Cheryl Hines

Since I stayed up until 3:30 a.m. to watch the entire sixth season of the HBO comedy "Curb Your Enthuiasm" a few nights ago, we thought we'd go with some actual tweets from the 'real Cheryl Hines.'

The Ben Affleck cameo was mentioned on an entry from my friend Moviezzz on his blog.

Anyway, we need to make this quick so I can have lunch at the Green Bean Coffee House in Greensboro, NC, well actually that's an hour and a half from where I am at the moment!:

"Did anyone notice Ben Affleck in the background on "Curb Your Enthusiasm?" He happened to be in Banana Republic that day." (posted Nov. 12)

"'Serious Moonlight' won Best Film in the Orlando Film Fest! YAY!!!! My family partied like rock stars."

"I'm on Letterman tonight. love him. his blue eyes were sparkling," posted Oct. 26.

Silly Photo to Fill Space_ Zhu Zhu Pets

I could have alternatively titled this entry: "Why I'm Glad I Don't Have Kids!"

Though liberal-turned-conservative P.J. O'Rourke, now a contributor to the neo-conservative journal "The Weekly Standard" (which I actually read from time to time) maintains that somehow having a daughter made him go from being Michael Moore to Dick Cheney overnight....I suppose as I've gotten older I've gone from Michael Moore to Bill Clinton, and that seems conservative enough!

I don't know how it is in your part of the country, but here in Dixie, the conservative coalition seems to be made up of religious zealots, Yosemite Sam gun nuts and radical Ayn Rand anti-government types. I know moderate conservative columnist David Brooks was in North Carolina last year, but I wonder if he got a chance to talk to people at the Waffle House in Greensboro to see how far, far right they are........?!

Hmm.......this was NOT supposed to be a political entry.....oh well!