The World According to Pooh: Pooh on Film

Disclaimer: these views are a work in progress, and are subject to editing and/or review at any time

Top Ten Favorite Movies (no particular order)(aside from alphabetical)

A Bronx Tale - Honestly, the only thing I don't like about this movie is that teenage Collogero has the worst run of any protagonist in any movie. Ever. The basement crap-game scene is still funny to this day.

Big Lebowski - The dude abides. The Jesus might be Turturro's best work. Even though I find Julianne Moore monstrously creepy (in this, and in everything else), she adds something to the overall acid-trippy ambience.

Fight Club - OK, so the last third might or might not be a train wreck. But everything up to that point is so good, and so on point that it works. Plus, how else could it end?

GodFather, Part II - DeNiro. Pacino. Height of their early games. Check Please.

Heat - See above. The bank robbery scene is about as good as you can do action, and it completely served the plot.

Lone Star - I'm something of a sucker for detailed, multi-layered storytelling. Chris Cooper is better in this than he was in Adaptation, for which he won for Best Supporting.

Miller's Crossing - The best gangester movie ever made. And it's not even a gangster movie.

Rear Window - Its amazing how some of the best movies are those which explicitly limit the freedom that the film medium gives them. The forced P.O.V. of this one is a wicked commentary on our own voyeurism. Hitchcock hinted at this with the weird inversion in Psycho when Tony Hopkins is sinking Janet Leigh's car, and builds a whole movie around it here.

Third Man - The first film course I ever took, watching and commenting on this movie was the final. Most fun I've ever had in a test. A perfect movie for reviewing the first half-century of the medium, since it has homages to pretty much every genre. Despite the dark surroudings of post-war Vienna, the predessescor of the modern "Happy Caper" type movie. The zither theme lets you know that nothing really bad will happen, as tense as it might get at times.

Tombstone - Most. Quotable. Ever. Honestly, if Mrs. Fletch didn't completely suck the life out of Mrs. Earp, might be the perfect Western not named "Unforgiven"

Other Favorites.

The Rock - Kickass action. All-time who's-who of "That Guy" supporting characters, and James Bond dropping Leo McGarry off a balcony. So what if the whole thing is utterly ludicrous. It's a live action comic book.

Varsity Blues - Me - "In my 30 years of coaching...and with your love and support of this years great team, we're gonna win number 23. Go PACK! Go Pack! [Two-handed Hilterian silencing gesture]. Now, I want to bring up our quarterback and inspiration. Captain Lance Harbour." Josh - "I was layin' in beyd last night (SCREAMS), and I had a dream..." Because that's how we rolled, pregame style...

Pooh's Views