Jeff and Jane get all the attention on that show (and with good reason,) but I loved Sally so much. Her mix of determination and insecurity was both hilarious and intensely human.

"Yet, when they brag amongst themselves, the cats and
snakes and sheets of lightning use one ultimate comparison, albeit
sparingly. Fast as a warpsmith."

I'm not a dePalma aficionado, so there's definitely room for debate here. Even if you end up still not liking it, "Scarface" is worth another chance. One of the reasons I think it registers high on the dePalma scale (a scale that, to be absolutely clear, has no basis in the film's actual quality) is that it feels very…

Really, "impersonally directed?" Sir (or madam, as the case may be), I believe you are mistaken. While I agree that Stone's presence is heavily felt (sometimes a little too heavily… especially if you're not an Oliver Stone fan), I'd say "Scarface" may be the second most dePalma-y movie ever (just shy of "Femme…

True, though as a Nic Cage fan/apologist, I do enjoy the 2006 "Wicker Man" in all its wrongheaded awfulness.

Heck yes. That whole episode felt like things were about to turn on a dime. It had the vibe of those 60s-70s suspense films where the tension came from the inevitability of doom ("Rosemary's Baby," "The Wicker Man," etc.) By the end of the episode, when he picked up the phone and said, "It's Dick Whitman," I…

Since it's Halloween season, I've had several conversations lately about dePalma, and have been reminded in each of them that I really need to see more of his earlier stuff, especially "Sisters." I think you're the first person to recommend "Phantom of the Paradise" tho.

God I love that bit. Season 5 was "The Simpsons" at its absolute craziest, and it's easy to see how creators like Seth McFarlane (or the "Simpsons" expatriates who created "The Critic") would want to imitate its style.

I can argue in favor of "Blow Out" being DePalma's best film, but I can't argue that "Scarface" isn't. (hopefully that makes sense)

Got to see the original "Wicker Man" at the Music Box on Saturday. Then we all got completely shitfaced (a rarity for me these days) and I spent all day Sunday nursing a well-deserved hangover while watching the BBC's "Coupling."

I'm not sure if "Blow Out" is DePalma's best film ("Carrie" and "Scarface" are strong contenders), but it's definitely the film where his penchant for homage/ripoff works best in the context of the story. The scene of Travolta (in his best role) recreates the accident in his editing room is as fascinating as the…

Ah, "Cape Feare," the absolute apex of the Sideshow Bob story.

YOU CAN NEVER SEE GOODFELLAS TOO MANY TIMES!

I really did, too. I wasn't that excited for it, but damn did it turn out well. The original is a fine murder mystery, but those two films side-by-side are a great example of how a strong director can really take a movie to the next level.

The aftermath of that scene, as the camera pans from one cop to the other, both of them clearly thinking "jesus fucking christ, what the hell is happening?"

I can see Fincher in the editing room:

I thought the diner scene in "Mulholland Dr" was going to be the scariest thing I'd see in a movie ever.

Remember, we're newlyweds on our way to Earth Capital.

"We've got Kang in a soundproof booth so he can't hear us."

Oh god. "Citizen Kang" is my single favorite example of America's political apathy in the 90s. It has some of the sharpest digs at national politics that I've ever seen (many of which were mentioned in the capsule above,) culminating with "Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos!", a line that resonates to this day.