Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters

I am so happy this week is basically over. I've just been feeling so tired, like I'm fighting a cold, and overly worried about things. I am really excited to sleep in a little and be lazy! Tomorrow night after work my boss is having everyone over for drinks and snackies, and she lives quite a bit a way from me. I'm not sure when I'll be home (it's over an hour drive), so if I don't get to my movie tomorrow, I'll watch it Saturday morning. I promise.

Today I watched Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, directed by Paul Schrader in 1985. Schrader is extremely well known for his screenwriting, having written some amazing films like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull. I actually don't think that I've seen anything that he directed before - lots of stuff that he wrote, though. It was interesting to watch this movie for me in that respect. The movie was great. Totally unconventional, but beautiful, unique, and crazy awesome. The strange style works so well here, and I always love it when I can see something that I haven't seen before, like a genre approached in a new way.

The Marriage of Maria Braun

Quick post before I head off to bed. I have no idea why I'm so drained this week. It's been really frustrating, painful, and stressful, and I think my body is just overwhelmed. It's hard to focus on movies and writing when you feel like you just need to go straight to bed after to work, but alas, I struggle on, for you.

Today I watched The Marriage of Maria Braun, directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder in 1979. I was interested in seeing this because I really enjoyed the other movies by this director that I saw for the first time through my project. It was pretty good, although I just personally was having a difficult time with it because I'm so exhausted. I feel really bad when I can't pay attention to something completely because of my mood or physical state, but I guess that's one of the tough things about this project! I really liked the focus on the characters, and the gritty look at life during World War II. It wasn't a heartwarming tale about the human spirit, but a story about how far people will go to get what they want or think that they need.

Magnolia

Man, today was something else. I worked through my lunch break so I could leave work for a doctor's appointment, and I didn't get home until really late - like 9 p.m., after not eating or drinking all day. I have the beginning stages of some weird, painful bone-spur-like condition in one foot, so I ran out to try to buy some shoes to alleviate the pain and pressure on it, hopefully preventing it from getting worse and saving me from having to have icky bone surgery down the road. They're not the cutest shoes, but they're really comfy and I think will make a big difference for me at work. Figures that I never wear skyscraper heels (er, well, a few times here and there, but mostly platform ones and mostly many years ago!) or shoes that fit wrong and yet I end up with issues. Argh! Luckily I got to come home to watch a movie that I love - Magnolia, directed by P.T. Anderson in 1999.

I haven't watched this movie for such a long time. I think the first time I watched it, I was 15. I remember it so well, though - I was totally blown away. I really didn't watch many movies that weren't just new releases, as terrible as that is to admit. I had no idea that movies could tell stories in such unique ways, that they could do anything as cool as this. It wasn't that movie that finally got me to take film seriously or start learning about directors and all that sort of thing, but it will really always have a place in my heart, because I can't watch it now and not remember that sense of wonder and excited smugness, like I had discovered some secret or something.

The Long Goodbye

Every time I go out to stores in the fall, I compulsively must by any pumpkin products that I find. This weekend I did some stockpiling of fall seasonal beers, and started excitedly buying pumpkin treats and Halloween decorations. I feel really stoked about fall this year - summer felt really short, but I can't explain how happy I am to start wearing hoodies, warm fuzzy shoes, and eating pumpkin everything. Who knows - I'm just really pleased that the weather has been so nice and fall-y.

Today I watched The Long Goodbye, directed by Robert Altman in 1973. It's an updated version of Raymond Chandler's novel, taking place in the '70s instead of the 1950s like most film noirs, I read that Altman wanted to give off the impression that Phillip Marlowe, the main character, had gone to sleep in 1950 and woke up in 1970. I was pretty skeptical at first, but I really loved this movie. The characters were great, and the story got a really unique and interesting update that worked really well for me.

An Update.

Hey, just wanted to let you guys know that I've updated my Google calender to better reflect what I'm going to be watching. I don't think I'll have time this weekend to watch The Last Temptation of Christ in addition to my other movie and all the stuff I need to do so I moved it to the end of the project. I also moved Mephisto to the end, because I'm not sure I'm going to be able to obtain a copy by Wednesday. There are some import DVDs or VHS tapes on Amazon, but I really can't afford to get it rush shipped to me, so I might just watch it at the end of the project so I can save like, $30. Otherwise, everything should keep going as planned!

Leolo

Good thing I put off writing this post until 2 a.m. Ah well, I don't have to really wake up early tomorrow or anything. I went out with Anthony to see Contagion today -  I loved it! I almost applied to work on it as an internship, but never did for some reason. That was a really bad choice. I sort of wish I was writing about that movie, but I'm here to write about what else I watched today. After I came home from some an exciting search for a canning rack (none were found), I watched Leolo, directed Jean-Claude Lauzon in 1992.

It's a strange film, sort of darkly comedic, which I love. In his essay, Ebert mentioned that this director only made two films before he tragically died in plane crash. I felt pretty sad after reading that, because I really enjoyed his style and storytelling ability. This movie looks amazing, has a really interesting and weird plot, and off-beat, strange comedy. I wasn't expecting to love it as much as I did. I was pretty weirded out by it at first, but it really grew on me.

Late Spring

I am so happy that this week is over. It was a little stressful at the end of the day today - I was rushing around constantly, ugh! I'm glad to be home where I can sit under a blanket, wear cozy slippers, and finally start to unwind. I came home and zoned out for a while, and then started to watch today's movie.

I watched Late Spring, directed in 1949 by Yasujirô Ozu. It's a really great film. Sad, but still quiet and tender. Everything about it is wonderful, from the way it is filmed to the story. I thought I'd be too tired from work to focus on something as delicate as n Ozu film, but honestly, I felt really alert and interested the whole time it was on, like I got a second wind or something. I feel tired now, but Anthony bought me Bridesmaids today, and even though I've seen it already, I'm really determined to stay up and watch it. Time for an energy drink, I guess.

Tonight.

I thought I'd skip (i.e. watch over the weekend or at the end of the project) tonight's long-ish movie, The Last Temptation of Christ, because Ebert was signing his memoir someplace vaguely in my area. I got there early and lazed around, but I was expecting it to be like the last one I went to - in the upstairs part of the B&N, which it wasn't, so I didn't get into line until a bit later than I wanted to. It was really cool to see all the people who came out, it was a really diverse group.

Proof of the lazing.

It was pretty good - I'm always stoked to see someone I admire so much, and having books signed by him is really meaningful to me. It was a little disappointing, though. It felt really rushed - you sort of had time to say half a sentence and by that point, the B&N employees were giving him another book to work on. I had hoped to get a picture with him, but by the time I had explained that I was some dope from the intarwebs, he got handed another book and I didn't want to rudely cut into someone else's time, like "No! I'm important, I'm from the internet!" I feel a little let down, just because the other book signing I went to felt a lot more intimate and we all seemed to get more time to be chatty and goofy with him, and I was hoping to have that experience again.

Yay!

But it's ok. I didn't start this blog to get his attention. I did it because it means something to me. Because I wanted to take on a project and see it to the end (I can't count how many times I thought I'd do something different in my life and stopped after a few weeks or months). I wanted to keep learning about film, and keep myself writing and working while I was unemployed. And to connect, on some level, with someone I look up to. To be honest, doing this has changed my life. There are plenty of reasons why the signing could have gone how it did - maybe he wasn't feeling well, or hell, he's probably such a fan that he was a little embarrassed and star-struck about it. You never know, right?

Last Tango in Paris

So, today's movie is Last Tango in Paris, directed by Bernardo Bertolucci in 1972. I never really heard of this movie before, but it's got Marlon Brando and the scandal of being released with an X rating (which was then lowered to NC-17). I guess people found it to be really disgusting and pornographic, which I didn't, really, but films have probably gotten more open about that sort of thing since the 70s. Probably.

I can't decide how I feel about this film. On one hand, personally, parts of the film bothered me. Not because I'm all prudish and nasty, but because I just get really uncomfortable about issues involving violence (physical or sexual) against women, and some of these scenes fell into a gray area for me. It's just my issue, but it definitely affected the way I viewed the movie, for better or for worse. There were parts of it that I really liked, though, which made it sort of complicated for me to come to any sort of conclusion about.

The Last Picture Show

I feel like every post is prefaced by me whining about how tired I am and how short my post is going to be. Today I really mean it, though - I'm actually almost falling asleep writing this. I don't really know why I feel so run down - I think I got way too little sleep last night so I really need to hurry up and head to bed. I really loved this movie, though, and I want to write about it!

Today I watched The Last Picture Show, directed by Peter Boganovich in 1971. It stars a young Jeff Bridges, which is pretty fun. It's a great movie, focused on kids growing up in a small town in Texas. I loved their relationships and interactions. It was hard to believe most of these actors were pretty much unknown when the film was cast, because they were so great in it! I actually got this movie as part of Criterion's BBS box set, and although I never heard of it until now, I'm so glad that I own a copy.

L.A. Confidential

I feel so tired, and like I'm fighting a cold. Maybe I'm just run down. There are a lot of things I have to do this week, so I'm feeling a tiny bit overwhelmed. I don't know, I just feel excited about going to bed, for whatever reason :)

Today I watched L.A. Confidential, directed by Curtis Hanson in 1997, which I recently picked up on Blu-ray. I really love this movie, and I was excited to get a chance to watch it again. I think I first saw it in a film noir film and pulp fiction class that I took in college. We were reading James Ellroy novels and watched this, and I remember just thinking it was amazing. I love how strangely smoothly the plot comes together before we can even realize it, and the focus on the psychology of the main characters is so great. I never read the James Ellroy novel this was adapted from, but his writing style is different and tough, and I really appreciated the challenge that the writers took on in adapting this film. Even though Danny DeVito is narrating in the opening scenes of the film, I always hear James Ellroy's voice instead. It's just something he would say, you know?

La Belle Noiseuse

I was so tired after the gala last night! It was a lot of fun though, I was so glad that I volunteered. It seemed like it was a good time for everyone who attended as well. I got home really late, and wasn't ready to go to sleep, so I stayed up too late talking and lazing around. I had a lot of things I wanted to do today, but I really needed to get groceries, sleep in, and watch my overly long movie, so I wasn't able to do everything I wanted to.

Today I watched La Belle Noiseuse, directed by Jacques Rivette in 1991. I was not really enthused about this movie. It has a running time of four hours, and I pretty much assumed it would just be simply too long to be watchable. I looked up the plot summary on IMDB and it sounded...interesting. Could it be interesting for four hours, though? Somehow, it was. It felt long, but I didn't mind. I was really engrossed in the story, in the acting, in every part of the movie. It was my whole day, and it felt like it, but I thought it was worth it.

Killer of Sheep

Probably a shorter post today, since I need to get ready to stuff my face with Capt'n Nemo's and head downtown for the gala I'm volunteering at. I figured there wouldn't really be vegetarian food offered to the volunteers, so I thought I'd load up on something filling. Er, well. Mostly I've had a horrible craving for it. I have to wear a white shirt at the event, and white shirts and Nemo's do not go well together. I was thinking I'd wear a hoodie over it and zip it up all the way, as protection from the inevitable barrage of secret sauce.

Today I watched Killer of Sheep, directed by Charles Burnett in 1981. It's a really great film for a lot of reasons, but was sort of slow and sleepy to watch early on a Saturday. I really liked the cinematography, the quiet, sad message, the realism of it. It felt like a documentary, but also like an Italian Neo-Realist film. It focused on everyday life, on normal, average people, and had the slow pace that life really can have.

Juliet of the Spirits

Sorry for another one of my famous, late night posts. I didn't get home until like, 9, and then I needed to run out and pick up dinner and stuff it in my face. I probably didn't start the movie until close to 11pm. Ah well, at least I got it done! We're having a big event tomorrow for work, and I'm going to volunteer for it in the evening. At least I can sleep in a little bit, although I'll need to get up early to get my movie watched before I go.

Today I watched Juliet of the Spirits, directed by Federico Fellini in 1965. It was his first color film, and it's really just over-the-top with his style. I don't really know how I feel about the movie, though. Ebert seems to think it's a lot better with subtext about Fellini himself and how the movie was made, but nevertheless, it's still great to look at. I...agree? I think?

Johnny Guitar

I finally made it back into work today. I was so busy today that I felt like I had been at work all week! Plus I ended up staying over an hour late so that I could get more stuff done. I'm glad to be back home and rest, it was a really long day for how sick I felt.

Today I watched Johnny Guitar, directed by Nicholas Ray in 1954. I really am not sure what to make of this movie. Maybe I needed to watch it in a better mood, when I was more ready to concentrate on it and not just laze around? I just feel confused by the whole thing. It was very strange. After I watched it, I felt like how I did when I first saw the spoofy 1967 Casino Royale when I was like, 9 or 10. I had no idea it was a comedy, I didn't know any of the actors in it, and I did not understand a single part of it, and I remember for a long time it was my most hated movie, because I never could figure out what had happened in it or why. I feel like I'm just sort of missing something with Johnny Guitar, maybe, be it that it was my mood or that I don't know these actors well enough or something.

Inherit the Wind

Hopefully I should be in working order and able to go back to my job tomorrow. I feel so bad missing so much work, but unfortunately with food poisoning, it seems there's not much you can really do to fix it other than wait. I'm feeling better, and actually able to eat somewhat normal food, so yay!

Today I watched Inherit the Wind, directed in 1960 by Stanley Kramer. It's a great movie, focusing on the courtroom procedures during the famous Scopes "Monkey Trial". In it, it was attempted to be decided if it was alright for evolution to be taught in schools or not. It's sort of disturbing to me how current this movie feels, and how relevant it is. The actual trial was in 1925, but we are still having similar debates today. I don't find it unnerving because I'm personally not religious - I find it unnerving that we're still not secure in our separation of church and state. Religion already has a venue to share it's beliefs and thoughts, and so should science.

Howard's End

Another short post from me, because I'm still feeling really crummy and just started getting some relief from a terrible migraine. I want to try to get to bed early so I can see if some rest helps alleviate my symptoms so I can maybe try to stagger into work tomorrow. This is my second movie and post for the day, so I feel that I deserve some sort of reward for my good efforts.

So, I watched Howard's End, directed by James Ivory in 1992. It's based on the E.M. Forster novel of the same name. I was a little skeptical about it when it started - it was long, it sounded sort of boring, and I wasn't feeling up to sitting around for something like this. However, once I relaxed and let myself get lost in the story, I really enjoyed it. The story was great, and it was shot really well.

Groundhog Day

Alright, I sucked it up for you guys and watched yesterday's movie today. Mostly I started getting  bored and realized I hadn't sent the movie back yet, making it seem pointless to not watch it. I still feel pretty terrible, and I have the worst headache, so I'm going to keep this post short-ish. Also I have another whole movie to watch, one that's two and a half hours long.

I was pretty doubtful when I saw Groundhog Day, directed by Harold Ramis in 1993, in Ebert's newest Great Movie book. I haven't seen the movie since I was a kid, and I don't remember liking it too much, because I was probably stupid. I guess I always just thought of it as a "whatever" sort of movie - everyone has seen it, but other than that, it's not that great. I'm pretty happy I was able to watch it again, because I was surprised by how funny it was and how good the story was. Bill Murray is absolutely perfect for this role, and I had so much fun watching his character. The movie definitely improved my morose mood, brought on by watching too many documentaries on On Demand.

Sickly.

Hey guys,
Just wanted to update you before I go pass out again. I've had incredibly bad food poisoning for the last few days, and it hasn't really let up at all. I've been severely dehydrated, throwing up every hour (couldn't even keep down water yesterday) with a fever, body aches, everything. I guess I never really had food poisoning before - I never knew it was so bad! I guess it can last for 3-5 days. I'm hoping that it's not going to last much longer. With all of that going on, I haven't been able to get to work, let alone sit down and watch a movie and write about it. I'll have to bump today's movie and yesterday's movie to the end of my list and watch them later. Hope you guys understand! Hopefully I'll be doing better tomorrow and can get back to posting. :)

The Godfather Part II

I had a pretty fun day today - got my hair did, had some good food and got some errands done. I was hoping to go out with some friends but today's movie was horribly long and I didn't really follow up with them so I ended up just being lazy instead. I bought the two dumbest (read: best) Blu-rays when I was out today, too - Ferris Buller's Day Off and The Big Lebowski. I'm stoked. And I can't really focus on writing this for whatever reason.

Today I watched The Godfather Part II, directed by Francis Ford Coppola in 1974. I don't really get why it was like, some big controversial Ebert review or whatever. His original review sounded critical but positive to me, but I'm probably dumb. Maybe people were upset to see something not just praising a movie that they really loved? Ebert hates my favorite movie of all time, but I think his review about it makes some good points, although I disagree. Quite possibly I'm just used to disagreeing with criticism about movies, so I don't think someone is...whatever...for not loving something right away or pointing out parts they weren't on board with. Anyway, I really like this film, maybe not as rabidly as some fans, but it's a great movie, and it was nice to watch it again - it had been a while.

Forbidden Games

So glad that it's finally Friday! I can't wait to go to bed early and sleep in somewhat! I don't know why this week felt so long even though it was so short. The antibiotics I'm on give me really bad insomnia, and I haven't been sleeping really well. Do any of you have insomnia? Sometimes I get like, fixated on some weird thought that stresses me out and I can't let go of, which makes it impossible for me to sleep. Last night I started obsessing over the DVDs of Shoah that I bought, panicking that they were not in English (they're imported with several language tracks). I almost got out of bed at 3am to play one of them just so I could calm down!

Today I watched Forbidden Games, directed by Rene Clement in 1952. It's pretty short, and I guess had a lot of difficulties in the production, so it's not the most perfect looking film. It's a great film, though. It really uses a unique perspective to tell a very interesting story. It's sort of disturbing, but mostly just amazing. I didn't think I would really like the film, and I was worried it would be horribly depressing, but it was great.

Fitzcarraldo

Somehow it's an hour later than I thought it was, and frustratingly enough, I have a really awesome movie to write about. Probably for the sake of my job I should try to keep this short. Not sure if that will really happen or not, though. :) Today I watched Fitzcarraldo, directed by Werner Herzog in 1982.

I was actually sort of excited to watch today's movie, although I didn't want to admit it. Mostly because explaining Herzog and Klaus Kinski to my co-workers is pretty difficult. I was stoked, though - I love both of those guys, and I was really excited to see another Herzog epic full of madness and strange. I would think that he would have had enough of the jungle after Aguirre, but he masochistically went back to drag a 320-ton boat up a hill. I know that he's a big believer in locations, that there is something magical that they can bring out, and after seeing more than a handful of his films, I'm a believer, too. The jungle might be awful, but it made an amazing film, and the harsh conditions surely brought out some neat (and crazed) performances.

Faust

So you know yesterday I was a whole bunch of whine about how bad I felt and I couldn't focus. Today I watched a movie that, despite my mood, I was totally engrossed in and focused on. I watched Faust, directed by F. M. Murnau in 1926. It's silent - which I know is off-putting to many, but not to me. I think I've written pages about how much I like silent film. "Dreamlike!" I always say. "Otherworldly!" I'll try not to, uh, say that too much this time. :)

This was one of the coolest looking silent films I've seen - tons of really neat practical effects and fantastic costumes and makeup. The story is interesting, but it's pretty blunt and the characters are sort of just...symbols? That's not the right word. They're like...caricatures. They don't have a lot of development, they mostly just exist to represent something and forward the plot. I don't mind, though. I loved how this movie looked and felt, and that alone made it really incredible for me, however shallow that might be.

Fanny and Alexander

Not feeling so hot - still dealing with my various health issues from last week. I'm trying another round of the scary, tendon-rupturing antibiotics (totally paranoid that I'm having pain already), and going in for more tests on Thursday night. It was just one of those days. It was hard to get back to work after the long weekend, and even harder when I was dealing with a lot of issues on top of everything. I don't mean to complain - I just sort of have to, because everything that I was dealing with today just put me in a mood of some kind. I wasn't really into today's movie, and I know it was just because I was worried about a lot of things, stressed out, and feeling really sick. I hope that you understand! I don't think I've had to many off days, so please forgive me of this one. :)

Today I watched Fanny and Alexander, directed by Ingmar Bergman in 1982. It's really long, like 3 hours and 8 minutes long. I worked late today, so I didn't really get an early start on this movie. I sort of liked it - there were parts I was so into, but I just couldn't get myself focused on it and I know I need to watch it again sometime to give it a fair chance. 

Exotica

I had a really nice sleepy, lazy day today - lazed around eating guacamole and chips, and salad, watching TV and sleeping. It was pretty much awesome. After a lot of bumming around I decided to watch my film for the day, which I was less than enthused about. It was one that I had trouble finding to rent, so I purchased a used copy for really cheap. The disc arrived I was so irritated - not only does it look sleazy and sick, the whole front of my disc was stained and scratched. Then, I took it out to check for other damage and the back of the disc was in perfect condition. It is a mystery. I don't know why I didn't want to watch the movie - it sounded sort of lazily perverse and boring, and I everything I read about it was confusing and made no sense.

Of course, since I'm telling you how much I thought I'd hate the movie, I ended up loving it. It was one of the coolest, most interesting character dramas I've ever seen, and I loved everything about it. The way the story unfolds is just genius, and I'm so glad that I own it!

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser

Sorry this post is so late and so short - I watched this movie earlier in the day, but then I had family and friends over, so I didn't get around to posting or anything like that. I really liked today's movie - The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser, directed by Werner Herzog in 1974. It stars Bruno S, the strange fellow who was also in Stroszeck. It's a great movie, and one that I've meant to see for a long time. It's been on my Netflix queue for forever, I just never ended up watching it for whatever reason. I'm really glad that I did now.

The film is based on  a true story, but in typical Herzog fashion, he's not really concerned with the facts. He's just fascinated by people, and loves to focus on anyone who is different, strange, or interesting. Some people, I imagine, would be annoyed that he doesn't always tell the truth, but I like it. I guess I feel like I share his gaze, sometimes. I went to see Cave of Forgotten Dreams when that came out, and there is a scene where a guy dresses up in furs and plays a flute for no apparent reason. The way Herzog lingered on him felt like it mimicked my interest in that guy - he didn't really make sense or have anything to do with the plot, but he was part of what Herzog experienced in making the movie, and what he was interested in. I love that he's so interested in people and weirdness.

El Topo

I don't know if I can write this post. It's really late and I finished watching the movie a while ago. I've just been sitting and staring, trying to think of something I can write about. I'm not sure that I can. Not because I'm tired or whiny or sick, but because I seriously don't know what to say about this movie. I love it - I've seen it before and I just instantly fell in love, but that certainly doesn't give me words to explain why I like it.

Today I watched El Topo, directed by and starring Alejandro Jodorowsky in 1970. The film is credited with starting the Midnight Movies phenomenon, after it was distributed across the US by the manager of the Beatles. I can see why people probably really liked the movie in the 70s, with all the strange symbols and journeys. Why do I like it, though? How can you watch a movie and not know why you love it? How frustrating! "What should I say?" I keep complaining. "It's El Topo, that's what you should say," Anthony told me. "But that's not really a post!" I whined. "Maybe you should just keep this one short," he said. At least I'm not the only one speechless about the film!

El Norte

I was sort of not looking forward to today's movie, just based on the simple fact that it's really long - 2. 5 hours. I kept putting off watching it and didn't start it until it was late, but the movie was so good that I was totally interested and engaged the whole time. Seriously, it was good enough that it's currently 3am and I still want to be awake and writing about it, because I'm too excited about it to go to bed like a rational person and just post in the morning.

Today I watched El Norte, directed by Gregory Nava in 1983. I never really heard of the film before, and was mostly just displeased by anything I read about it online before I watched it. The word "epic" was thrown around, both to describe the plot and the length. Tired from work and with some sort of repetitive strain injury from hole punching over 500 little hang tags, I really wasn't in the mood for anything long in story or in actual running time. I was so shocked by how unexpectedly awesome the movie ended up being! I started it so late that I sort of assumed I'd be too tired to really care about it, but I got so into it as soon as I started watching. I felt so awake and focused on the plot - it was so great!

Easy Rider

 So ready to Friday tomorrow! I really need a long weekend so I can rest, relax, and finally clean up from my vacation. I still have suitcases laying around and things to unpack and clean up - not even joking. It felt like it was so hard to get back to work that I feel like I really, really need a break. Plus, it's not like the end of my vacation was really relaxing, since I had to wake up at all sorts of early hours so that I could drive home and stuff. Whine whine whine. Sick and tired, tired and sick. Poor me. (not really)

I have seriously just been staring at the screen for a half hour or more, trying to think of what I could possibly say about a movie as famous and influential as Easy Rider. It was written by Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper, and directed by Hopper in 1969. Even if you haven't seen it, if you know film, you know Easy Rider. It's the movie that started the New Hollywood movement in America, and the film that made Jack Nicholson famous. So why can't I think of how I feel about it?