Random Top Five Depressing Films List

I must admit that film fans love making lists, and nowhere is that more apparent than "Film Comment" magazine, which features several lists in his front pages these days.

Here is a random list I made of the five most depressing films I've ever seen. Since I wrote it up in a mere five minutes, there are assuredly some downers I have overlooked....."Sounder" comes to mind.

All of these films are either foreign films or documentaries and "Night and Fog," a 1955 French documentary on The Holocaust is actually both!

I made the mistake of watching "The Bridge," a documentary about people who killed themselves by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco the same week I went to The Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. (I don't recommend doing that). One of the people who committed suicide actually flew in from Houston to jump off the bridge.

"Pixote" is a 1981 Brazilian film about a boy whose mother is a prostitute (it will make the Apu triology seem uplifting!). It was so depressing that I literally could not get out of bed the day after I watched it.

The film's young star Fernando Ramos da Silva (1967-1987) would die from gun violence when police shot him to death at the age of 19. "Pixote" was his only film. the film's director Hector Babenco went on to make "Kiss of the Spiderwoman" and other critically-praised films.

"Streetwise" is a documentary about homeless people in Seattle. The plight of the children in the film make it especially difficult to watch.

And, "At/The Horse," a film which came out some 20 years ago from acclaimed director Ali Ozgenturk, is about a destitute Turkish villager who moves from the country to Istanbul with his son.

Amazingly enough, no German or Russian films made this list!:



1. "The Bridge" (doc)
2. "Streetwise" (doc)
3. "Pixote"
4. "Night and Fog"
5. "At/The Horse."

PS_ After publishing this post, I decided to look to see if there was a group involved with preventing suicides from the Golden Gate Bridge. And, there is indeed a Golden Gate Suicide Barrier Coalition. Their web site is www.goldengatecitizens.com/suicide

Quote of the Week- Jimmy Buffett

I must confess to profound irony as I just gave my students at a community college in Mount Airy, NC, (not where I really work!) a spelling test and I could not spell Jimmy Buffett's name right (it has two 'f's and two 't's).

Nevertheless, the mayor of Margaritaville and long-time Key West, Fla., resident will be releasing a new cd called "Hotel Buffett" on Dec. 8. I am sure Parrottheads are all excited abou this one!

According to his web site, the track titles will include "Summerzcool," "A Lot To Drink About" and "Surfing In a Hurricane." (hmmm...that sounds like a VERY bad idea).

Here is today's quote from Buffett, whose name I am finally spelling correctly!:

"Let me remind you: We are party people, and things will get better."

My Ten Favorite NBA Teams

For the first time since listening to NPR's sports show "Only a Game" some ten years ago, I am regularly watching NBA basketball and sports in general.

My favorite team is the Orlando Magic because they have a player named J.J. Reddick, a former Duke star from my hometown of Roanoke, Va., and a Turkish player named Hedo Turkoglu, who was named the NBA's sixth man of the year a few seasons ago.

There was a piece in the liberal journal "The Nation" which appeared while the Magic were playing the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA finals last year which did cause me reason for concern. The article mentioned that the Magic were run by an arch conservative named Rich DeVos, the founder of Amway (coincidentally I found out we share a common birthday, though since he was born on March 4, 1926, DeVos is quite older than me), but nonetheless the Magic remain my favorite team. The Orlando Magic also feature stars Dwight Howard (pictured) and Vince Carter.

In NBA action today (Sunday), Orlando beat the New York Knicks 114-102. The Minnesota Timberwolves upset the Denver Nuggets 106-100. The Sacramento Kings defeated the New Orleans Hornets 112-96. And, the Boston Celtics won out over the Miami Heat 92-85.

Here is a complete list of my ten favorite NBA teams


1. Orlando Magic
2. Denver Nuggets
3. Washington Wizards
4. Utah Jazz
5. Charlotte Bobcats
6. Chicago Bulls (mascot is pictured)
7. Dallas Mavericks
8. New York Knicks
9. Boston Celtics
10. Sacramento Kings

PS_ I found out that Hedo Turkoglu is apparently now with The Toronto Raptors; I did not hear about the trade!

Know Your Congress Reps and Senators (Entry 19 of 21)

Today's entry is devoted to Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Missouri) who gave then presidential candidate Barack Obama a coveted endorsement. But, rather than do our usual blog entry giving background on the senator, I thought I would just go with some of her recent tweets on Twitter, which include mentions of the White House dinner which made headlines this week when a DC couple managed to somehow sneak past the Secret Service without an invitation!

The first of Sen. McCaskill's tweets is in reference to today's college football game between rivals Missouri and Kansas:

"Woooooohoo! What a game nothing better than beating the Jayhawks."

"Sat by David Axelrod last night, one of the truly good guys. Talked about family....and health care."

"Prime Minister Singh seemed genuinely moved by the warm welcome. Our alliance with India is very important I think tonight strengthened it."

Dead or Alive (7 of 12) Joe Strummer

Today's 'Dead or Alive' segment focuses on Joe Strummer, the lead singer of the punk rock band The Clash which lasted for a surprisingly short time (1977-86), yet their impact is undeniable. "Rolling Stone" proclaimed that The Clash was the 30th greatest rock artist of all time.

Strummer was born in Ankara, Turkey- of all places on Aug. 21, 1952. He was the son of a British diplomat.

I first became familiar with the band when I was 13 in 1983 when their music video "Rock the Casbah" was in high rotation on MTV.

The band's great hits include "Rudie Can't Fail," "Lost in the Supermarket," "Train in Vain (Stand By Me), "Should I Stay or I Should I Go," and their political anthem "London Calling," the title track of their 1979 smash album.

"Train in Vain (Stand By Me)" was recently featured in the soundtrack of the summer's indie hit film "500 Days of Summer."

The Clash was known for being 'a bit left of center,' and the band is credited with making punk music more political. Though the band sold lots of records, they never quite managed to become a political band which merged well with the mainstream that U2 has turned into though they were played on the radio more often than the 1990s left-wing American band Rage Against the Machine.

Strummer was joined by the likes of Mick Jones, Keith Levene and Terry Chices in creating the band's unique sound which featured a range of musical influences, including reggae!

The album cover to "London Calling" is now going to be on a British postage stamp.

Strummer was also a good actor, though he has appeared in only a few films, including "The King of Comedy," "Straight to Hell" and "Mystery Train," which is my favorite Jim Jarmusch film.

The band has many admirers, including my friend Todd Ristau who oversees a stage company in Roanoke, Va., called Studio Roanoke.

And, The Clash has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Though it does not include The Clash (I believe), the documentary "Kill Your Idols" about the New York punk scene in the 1980s is airing on The Sundance Channel this month.

I will conclude this entry with a great quote from Strummer who perhaps saw where the future of rock and roll was headed long before he left the stage:

"I think we're going to have to forget radio and just go by word of mouth."

Happy Thanksgiving from Weird Al Yankovic!

I am blogging today from a computer in Rock Hill, SC, which might be the new home of the world's largest Wal-Mart............I'd rather watch the last few minutes of the Detroit Lions-Green Bay Packers football game!

Incidentally, Weird Al Yankovic has a new two-disc greatest hits cd out, and he recently performed on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon."

And, my friend Chris Knight who has a blog called "The Knight Shift" is claiming that he will deep-fry a kitten every time he hears a Christmas song before Thanksgiving...........does "Father Christmas" by The Kinks count?

Celebrity Tweets- Kim Kardashian

I joined Twitter a few months ago, and ever since I have followed political figures ranging from Al Gore to John McCain as well as some celebrities who have less sway on Capitol Hill. Among those is reality tv star/rich girl Kim Kardashian who shared what she was doing for the holidays with those of us who are following her (should I publicly admit this?!):

"How is everyone spending their Thanksgiving tomorrow? I am cooking! Any good recipes?"