That's why I amended it to "most tragic," although "closest thing to a tragic figure" is probably the best way to say it. Like you said, he doesn't "really" try to change, but he comes the closest. (Also like I said: the only other candidate is Adriana.)

I have not but wow that does sound fascinating. I have read American Vampire and collaborated on a series of conversations about it—it's more Lovecraftian horror than noir and has a great pulp energy to it.

Also They Live by Night (that's the only one I got)

Orlando.

Ah, The Joe Carroll Good-Time Stabby Hour, featuring Vodka-Soaked Bacon. That really brought all of us together.

The Man in the High Castle season 2 review, and a temporary break from writing.

psst. . .don't forget to flip your most recent "New on DVD and Blu-ray" article from "Uncategorized" to "News."

Tomorrow, in Jim Jarmusch throws a table at Matt Singer. . .

We'll be hearing from that kid. And I don't mean a postcard. (Seriously, I hope he remembers us when he's hosting Cinematographers' Roundtable on SundanceTV.)

World War Z kept about one thing from the novel (the Israeli intelligence officer's speech); Die Hard kept a lot more: setting, basic outline of plot, hostage-taking as cover for robbery, gun taped to the back, jump off the roof wrapped in firehose, the foot injury, Karl, beat cop and Asshole Superior on ground. So,…

For Our Consideration: the Major Characters of Collateral Beauty and Passengers Are Actually Irredeemable Assholes and No One Making These Movies Seemed to Realize That

Him among me followers; recently him read and enjoy me article on Force Wakey-Wakey.

Him understand principles of storytelling. Also cookies.

Goddammit, people, commit to your premise. You want to have a movie about a lone guy trying to fix a ship so he can survive? Do that. You want to have a movie that's The Collector in space? Do that. Don't think you can be the second movie and then charmingly flip back to the first.

< spoiler > and < / spoiler >, no spaces.

You nailed the problem, especially at the end. It's not that dramatic conflicts have some kind of inherent superiority in storytelling (although we're both drawn to them). It's that for The Americans to not have dramatic conflicts betrays the characters. Elizabeth keeps flipping between acceptance and outrage;…

Mentioning James Garner always reminds me of The Great Escape, one of the most sheerly entertaining and big-hearted films ever made. It's like The Big Lebowski in that it's just a great place to spend a few hours, and it has what may be the best cast of men ever assembled: Garner, Donald Pleasance, Steve McQueen,…

Hm, no. I have heard many good things about it.

A few more British entries: the miniseries (six hours each, I think) of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and Smiley's People are both available, possibly on a website that rhymes with BlueCube, and they're classics of espionage fiction and have what may be Alec Guinness' best performance as George Smiley. Smiley's People…

I'm not sure how available it is, but The Rockford Files is a classic I've been meaning to get back into, with James Garner as a middle-aged laid-back L. A. private eye. It's a very 1970s classic (and David Chase did his first writing for it!), scruffy and charming and again, a great place to hang out every week. …