273 of 1001 Movies: Dersu Uzala (1975)

 Now I can see the appeal of this movie that is based on the works of a Russian man who met a man, Dersu Uzala, and wrote about the time he spent with him. For me this wasn't the most interesting of movies to watch though, but for men they may like the whole explorer and friendship aspect. I felt there were a lot of opportunities to explore the history of the time, and a lot else, but instead it's limited to a whole bunch of interactions. It's a movie filled with dialogue.

Summary: Arsenev is a Russian explorer who is sent into the wilderness with his team into Siberia on an expedition. When he gets there though he finds that it's more than he can really handle, but when he meets a local hunter, Dersu Uzala, he begins to learn survival skills that will help them survive and complete their expedition. They depart only to meet again years in the future, but since Dersu Uzala has aged so has the map of the world and what he is able to help with.

269 of 1001 Movies: Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

I was trying to place where else I had seen Sidney Lumet's name as director, and then it hit me, he directed 12 Angry Men, which was his directorial debut. He would continue on with his movies that not only took a look at the wrong side of crime, but also gave us characters and twist that we couldn't help but be compelled by. This story though is based on the real life robbery that took place in the 70's, and it has to be one of the most bizarre and interesting piece of true events to see in a movie.

Summary: Sonny and Sal are out to rob a bank, but as soon as they get there it's obvious things aren't going to go right as soon as one of their accomplices bail on them in the middle of the robbery. Now Sonny and Sal are left to do it on their own, but when they draw attention to themselves the hype quickly grows from something they planned to be over in ten minutes to lasting twelve hours. With the police surrounding the place and the media airing it everywhere Sonny and Sal believe their only way to freedom are their hostages.

Bookshelf: Stephen King's Salem's Lot

Stephen King is a master of writing horror, and his second novel is strong for a new writer. Carrie was a little of a rough novella for me, so I was a little concerned that his second novel wouldn't be that much stronger. It has everything I loved about King's novels though. The content is very dark, the characters can be scary and ones you care for and the novel is lively.

Summary: Ben Mears is returning to Salem's Lot to face his dark past. After witnessing a man hanging in the house where a rumored murder happened he has felt troubled since a boy. Now he wants to write a novel about the town. After arriving there strange things begin happening, and bodies are disappearing. Many of these bodies are turning up at night being sighted. Ben is also growing closer to a woman he has met, Susan, and has made friends with a teacher, Matt. They also have become aware of the situation, but the reality of what is happening may be enough to send them into denial.

176 of 1001 Movies: Jaws (1975)

Jaws is a movie that has honestly aged well. Steven Spielberg is the master at special effects, and the shark in this movie looks real and frightening despite he's only a mechanical type thing. This was also still in the days when we didn't always have to see the monster to know that something scary was lurking. Glimpses of the fins, and just seeing blood in the water is enough to build the thrills. You also have one person that the director focuses in on, and shows his tight knit family and kids that adds some sort of reason for the lead character to get serious.

Summary:  When a mysterious death occurs on the beach, Brody, the police chief, investigates the incident. A second death occurs, leaving him to call in an expert in sharks. The expert, Hooper, concludes he has a huge Great White on his hands, and it has claimed the beach in their town of Amity as it's own territory.  Before it can claim anymore more live, Brody, Hooper and a fisherman, Quint, set out to catch the shark, but it's going to more difficult than they expected.

342 of 1001 Albums: Tim Buckley's Greetings From L.A.

Tim Buckley is back with his seventh album, and he's matured over time along with his voice, but he still has something very unique about even though his music has more of distinct vibe to it now. Buckley's voice always stood out, and there are certain songs that reflect that distinctness well. Buckley sounds like he has come along way from his first few albums, and instead of the lightness that accompanied many of the songs in them this one has more of a darker feel that could be sung by a guy who hasn't had the easiest of lives.

While the album is a critical success it never was a good seller. For some reason Buckley hits this list a lot, but people never picked up on Buckley's music. On this album though he still strives to at least please himself by making music. "Move With Me" sort of reflects a Buckley that is more care free who has a blues vibe in his music, and more so even in his voice. Most of the music sounds like music about companionship.