goatdogblog: Back at the Ranch

About Me

I write reviews for Goatdog's Movies; edit and/or proofread circuit court decisions, advertising copy, and the occasional book; run the projector at and help program films for a revival house in Chicago; help make documentaries at an indie film studio; and, recently, make artistamps.

Recent Reviews

There Will Be Blood (2007) 4.5 goats
Juno (2007) 3.5 goats
The Golden Compass (2007) 2 goats

Recent Music

The Soft Boys, 1976-1981. While punk was exploding messily (not that there's anything wrong with that), the Soft Boys were quietly and quirkily inventing "alternative" music.

What I'm listening to now

Recent Books

The USA Trilogy by John Dos Passos. I'm on volume 2, 1919. Parts of it are the best thing I've ever read, and parts of it make my eyes glaze over.

Movies on Trial: The Legal System on the Silver Screen by Anthony Chase. A really well-crafted film history that necessarily delves into the history of the legal system. Pretty enlightening stuff.

Archives

July 2008, June 2008, May 2008, April 2008, March 2008, February 2008, January 2008, November 2007, October 2007, September 2007, July 2007, June 2007, May 2007, April 2007, March 2007, February 2007, January 2007, December 2006, November 2006, October 2006, September 2006, August 2006, July 2006, June 2006, May 2006, April 2006, March 2006, February 2006, January 2006, December 2005, November 2005, October 2005, September 2005, August 2005, July 2005, June 2005, May 2005, April 2005, March 2005, February 2005, January 2005, December 2004, November 2004, October 2004, September 2004, August 2004, July 2004, June 2004, May 2004, April 2004, March 2004, February 2004, January 2004, December 2003, November 2003, October 2003, September 2003,

March 29, 2007

Back at the Ranch

Now that the blog-a-thon is done, I've returned to writing reviews. I really need to go see a new film, though; it's been too long.

Michael Curtiz's Mandalay has one of the best coded shots in film history (by coded, I mean that it was designed to reveal something about a character without coming right out and saying it), in addition to a likeable performance from the odd-looking Kay Francis.

Busby Berkeley's They Made Me a Criminal wastes a lot of talent, from director Berkeley to John Garfield to Claude Rains, in what could have been a good film about a boxer framed for murder.

Posted by mike, March 29, 2007 11:20 AM

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