Cultured Weekend

Had a cultured weekend. I have caught up on all of my projects this semester so I thought I would take time to catch up on all the artistic aspects of life.

First, instead of watching the absolutely dreadful Saving Private Ryan (yes, I know it’s almost heretical to say so) I decided to watch the much, much, much better D-Day film, The Longest Day.



Not only is this film historically accurate but it is both enjoyable to watch. Also, the film does not include buckets of blood and quantities of cursing. But more than all this, The Longest Day is aesthetically pleasing in a way that Saving Private Ryan could never be. Sorry, Spielberg; you still only have three masterpieces on your belt.

Second, I finally was able to watch the French animation film, The Triplets of Belleville.



This was a really good film and well worth the rental price. There are some absolutely sublime scenes, one in particular. Most of the characters don’t speak so if you don’t know French you can still know exactly what is going on.

Here is the plot: A bicyclist is kidnapped from the Tour de France by mysterious gangsters; his grandmother travels to the city of Belleville (which has a sardonic version of the Statue of Liberty in its harbor), where she tracks him down with the help of a musical trio gone to seed, the Belleville Triplets.

Some have said that “every scene mixes the silent comedy of Jacques Tati and Buster Keaton.” I think this is an accurate observation. But many have said that this film is nearly indescribable and must be seen to be fully appreciated. This comment is probably true as well.

I would recommend it.

Next, I have been listening to one of Bob Dylan’s Christian albums, Slow Train Coming. It made a stark difference from last weekend’s album, Ritual De Lo Habitual, by Jane’s Addiction.



This album is good but not great. There are some real good songs on them, especially the title song.

Actually, my Greek and New Testament recommended the album in class Friday. He alluded to Dylan’s song “Gotta Serve Somebody” and then recommended the whole album.

Next, the wife and I went on Friday night to see Robert Zemeckis’s new film, The Polar Express, starring Tom Hanks.



This was a really, really good film that I thoroughly enjoyed. The more I have reflected on the film over the past three days the more I have concluded that what I saw was a great film. Yes, the level of animation is suburb. Yes, the acting is good. But the story is great. It is magical and dream-like. It’s almost like a Kafka film for kids. I would highly recommend it.

Also, the wife and I rented Solaris. This was the 2002 George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh version. Not the original 1972 Andrei Tarkovsky version. Yes, I actually watched a remake. Well, I haven’t seen the original version yet.



This is not an action film. There is no action in it. This is a slow moving film about philosophy, morality, and other intriguing subjects that necessarily killed this film at the box office. I readily understand why this film was considered a flop. Which, by the way, makes it a good film to watch. I enjoyed the film and enjoyed pondering the possibilities the film raised. It’s quite existential.

But two problems did I have with this remake.

1) I do not like Soderbergh’s technique. His hand held camera jumps around to much when it should be more fixed.

2) I really did not need to see George Clooney’s bottom. Didn’t he used to have a tattoo?

I would recommend this film despite the two above points. More than anything, I now want to see the original.

Finally, I watched what is becoming one of my favorite films, The Thin Man, starring Myrna Loy and William Powell.



I like how Amazon reviews this film: “The intoxicating chemistry and repartee between the oft-teamed William Powell and Myrna Loy as Nick and Nora Charles--America's favorite soused detectives--is fully 100-proof in the marvelously witty Thin Man movie. You simply won't find more delightful movie company than Nick and Nora. The title, of course, refers not to Nicky the dick, but to the mysteriously missing scientist he and his lovely partner set out to find. Powell and Loy deliver their sparkling dialog with giddy enthusiasm (and occasionally slurred speech) in this rapid-fire, three-martini suspense comedy directed by famously speedy W.S. Van Dyke and adapted from the novel by Dashiell Hammett.”

In this film the wit is as dry as the martinis. Both Powell and Loy exhibit some of the greatest on-screen chemistry ever and pepper the film with some of the greatest dialogue ever and a great appreciation for God’s gift of alcohol.

[Editor’s Note: The author and editor of Panis Circenses is not currently imbibing adult beverages and doesn’t plan to while he is still attending seminary, which is why he has to watch The Thin Man to vicariously enjoy this particular gift of God.]

In other words, this film is a treat for all.

And this morning, after I finished my devotions, drank my cup of coffee and proceeded to write out this post, I listened to Led Zeppelin’s live album, How The West Was Won. Really great!



This is by far the best live Led Zeppelin album. It is better than the BBC sessions and it makes The Song Remains the Same sound like The Dave Clark Five. I would recommend this album for all classic rock fans.

So this was my weekend. I would mention my visit to the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History but why spoil and otherwise pleasant post. I would mention my weekly watch of Britcoms but that is a constant. The only thing that I will mention is that I am going to see Barry Manilow this weekend. Don’t laugh. I’ll let you know how that goes.