Rob Christopher's Blog, page 38

3 things about Dan Curtis’s EXPRESS TO TERROR, aka SUPERTRAIN

Supertrain [1979]

1. Pointless elevator.
2. Donna Summer soundalike.
3. His idea of helping a man who’s hanging from the outside of the train: ordering the engineer to “redline” it.

Just as bad as I’d expected. Possibly worse.

3 things about Richard Brooks’ ELMER GANTRY

Elmer Gantry [1960]

1. Shoveling coal in the furnace for a plate of black-eyed peas. Without a touch of self-loathing, he takes a job in a Black church.
2. She sticks the wad of cash in the top of her stocking and says, “The best bank in America.”
3. Cat in a cathouse.

3 things about Emerald Fennell’s SALTBURN

Saltburn [2023]

1. “I was a lesbian for a while, you know. But it was all just too wet for me in the end. Men are so lovely and dry.”
2. Runny eggs.
3. We don’t learn the amount of the check.

Just not my cup of tea. Pasolini, John Waters, Brett Easton Ellis, Patricia Highsmith all did it better. Looks beautiful though.

3 things about William A. Wellman’s SAFE IN HELL

Safe in Hell [1931]

1. Their faces as viewed through the packing crate.
2. One by one the men slouch in their chairs for the chance to peek up her dress.
3. The way Nina Mae McKinney says “mmmhmm.”

3 things about Jonathan Glazer’s THE ZONE OF INTEREST

The Zone of Interest [2023]

1. She discovers a tube of lipstick in one of the pockets of her “new” fur coat.
2. Fertilizer.
3. An inkling of the future does nothing to alter his course.

I’m speechless, other than to say that quite possibly this film is perfect.

3 things about Jindrich Polák’s IKARIE XB 1

Ikarie XB 1 [1963]

1. A robot named Patrick.
2. “Prepare to sleep for 60 hours.”
3. Magnetic boots with soles that light up.

3 things about Greta Gerwig’s BARBIE

Barbie [2023]

1. Twisty ties on the back of the box.
2. “How much do you weigh? … It doesn’t matter–”
3. Gynecologist.

A selected inventory of 2023.

By the numbers …

208: feature films I watched in 2023 (24 of which I viewed in a theater)
51: books I read in 2022
28: pizzas we ordered from The Art of Pizza
22: pizzas we ordered from other pizzerias
128: mystery green statistic

Happy New Year!

ROY’S WORLD soundtrack LP named one of the most exciting jazz albums since 1969

In a new article at All About Jazz, critic Robert Middleton deems Jason Adasiewicz’s LP “a roller-coaster ride and, so far, my favorite album of 2023.” He concludes his lengthy review by writing “Roy’s World has everything you want in a jazz thriller. What stands out most is the cohesiveness, energy and mastery of a crack jazz band at the top of their game.” Read the rest of the piece for yourself!

The album is available in a beautiful vinyl edition (featuring a new Barry Gifford story) as well as digitally via Bandcamp.

Allow me to wish you all a Happy New Year and all the best in 2024!

3 things about Justine Triet’s ANATOMY OF A FALL

Anatomy of a Fall [2023]

1. Strips of gaffer’s tape.
2. Blister packs found in the kitchen trash.
3. Saltwater.