Hey Look Everybody! It's Time Again For....Films I've Watched Lately Some of Which I Loved Greatly

Paul Robeson in Show Boat (1936)

Show Boat (1936) Whale. I liked this movie a lot. I would have loved it a lot had it not been for one thing: Alan Jones. Yes, the blandest most uninteresting actor/singer of his or any other generation. He did similar damage to the great Marx’s Brother film, A Night at the Opera. Fortunately the cast also includes the great Paul Robeson, though if we could have switched Jones and Robeson’s screen time, well what a picture. It’s actually Charlies Winninger who steals every scene he’s in. Winninger was a fantastic performer who came up in vaudeville (boy does it show) and was in the original production of Show Boat. Directed by James Whale, better known for some classics of the horror genre, particularly Bride of Frankenstein as well as The Old Dark House, Invisible Man and the original Frankenstein. The insipid Jones aside (and oh yes, and that awful blackface scene with Irene Dunne) this is a terrific film. 

Tony (2026) Johnson. In theaters now. The story of the nineteen-year old Anthony Bourdain and how he got his start in the culinary world. It stars Dominic Sessa who made such a memorable debut a few years ago in The Holdovers. Sessa again shines along with his veteran co-star, Antonio Banderas. It’s a fun film about a lying, cheating (albeit talented) young man learning lessons at the school of hard knocks. I related to a lot of it — I was young and arrogant in 1975 too. But it’s not a film with staying power. Perfectly entertaining and worth the price of admission but nothing that you will be pondering for long after.

Hamnet (2025) Zhao. I decided to watch this for the second time in twelve months because I had recently bought the novel upon which it is based. (Have since started reading the book by Maggie O’Farrell and it’s bloody brilliant.) I was amazed after the film to see that I had given the movie a six on IMDb last year. I changed that to an eight. Who was the version of me that couldn’t appreciate this amazing film? I was particularly enamored of the last part of the picture in which Shakespeare’s wife, Agnes (an Oscar winning role for Jessie Buckley) goes to see Hamlet performed. No, I wasn’t enamored, I was mesmerized. That’s cinema right there. 

Radio Days (1987) Allen. I believe it impossible for me to overstate my love for this film. It's amazing how much Allen packed into under ninety minutes. I love everything about the film. It's masterful at telling you so much about a group of people, a time and a place, much of it through or supplemented by music. Meet an extended Brooklyn family during the early 1940s, their lives touched by a foreign war. Meet the world of radio back when it reigned supreme. Meet radio personalities and hear some of their unique stories. In particular meet a kid growing up amid the wonders of family and radio. Among Woody Allen’s greatest works. I could watch it again tonight.

No Down Payment (1957) Ritt. God love ‘em they were making an effort to develop a social conscience in Hollywood back in the fifties and early sixties. There were brave attempts at social message films. Pictures like Separate Tables, The Defiant Ones, Days of Wine and Roses. Important issues of the day honestly examined in cinema. Today these efforts seem quaint and though well-intended are terribly dated. To their credit you can draw a direct line from these films to the stronger offerings of the late Sixties and the Seventies. One such film — which I watched for the first time — was No Down Payment. Look here folks, we got your racism, alcoholism, infidelity, the dark side of the American dream and right smack in the middle of suburbia. This is not a terribly good film but it’s an honest effort and a mirror into how Hollywood was changing. Interesting here is seeing the great comic actor Tony Randall in a serious role. Does he pull it off? Of course. Comedy is easier.

The Long Goodbye (1973) Altman. I’ve seen this a bunch of times (technical term) and always go in wide-eyed thinking, “goodness me, Robert Altman putting Phillip Marlowe into the Seventies with Elliot Gould as the great detective. Can it really work?” It does — every time. Gould is as different a Marlow as you can get considering he’d previously been played by Humphrey Bogart, Dick Powell and Robert Mitchum. Former baseball player and author Jim Bouton was an odd choice to play Terry Lennox. Fact is, the man couldn’t act but he pulled off his small, but vital, role all the same. Sterling Hayden as Roger Wade certainly can act but here he chews the scenery. He and the constantly barking dog (why?) are the only blights on the film. The director Mark Rydell — who only recently died — plays gangster Marty Augustine and is excellent. But it is Gould as a mumbling Marlowe who stars and makes this one of the best cinematic versions of a Raymond Chandler novel.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) Gondry. A film that deserves an A+++ for originality alone. But more than that it is one of cinema’s greatest love stories. You heard me right (or should I say, read me right?). It is at heart a love story, a really honest one that portrays love as something that is inherently flawed and difficult. It also shows that romances turn into long-term marriage when couples manage to outlast finding out about each other's imperfections and what a struggle it can be to really mesh with another human being. The best thing I can say about the film is that it makes me appreciate the love I share with my own wife. Most romantic movies seem foreign to the real experience of being in love with someone for decades. This film gets it.

She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (1949) Ford. Okay the portrayal of the Native Americans (hostiles) is problematic to say the least, but my god what a gorgeous picture to look at. Monument Valley’s variously reddish brown or burnt orange soil, the mountains, the buttes, the sunsets all rendered in loving technicolor. John Wayne gives one of his few really strong performances as the retiring cavalry officer. Many more of director John Ford’s regular actors are on board, highlighted by a wonderful turn from Victor McLaglen. There are about eight Ford films that are absolute classics. This is in the tier just below them. One more complaint: There is one line that Wayne’s character repeats that is beyond stupid: “don’t apologize, it’s a sign of weakness.” Bullshit, for a grown up to offer a sincere apology after doing wrong is a sign of strength. Anyway, SWAYR is a fun watch — assuming you can get past the stereotypes.

My Favorite Television Dramas of All Time (In Order!)

Breaking Bad. The gold standard of TV dramas. Nothing on TV had been as good or has been as good since. Yes Bryan Cranston was a huge part of the success but the brilliance of the cast ran deep and the writing was unparalleled. All hail Vince Gilligan. So many unforgettable moment and scenes.

Barry. Labeled a comedy but if you watched it, particularly the last few seasons, you know that’s a misnomer. It stablished that Bill Hader is a genius.

Mad Men. Novelistic in scope and how deeply it explores characters. Captured an era and our imaginations. I finally watched it this year and over the four months there was nary a yawn induced.

The Wire. So often I felt like I was watching a documentary. Each season was different, each was excellent.

Ozark. Like Breaking Bad it provided a lot of “wow!” Moments. Highlighted by brilliant performances from Jason Bateman and Laura Linney.

Succession. Best TV theme song ever. An absolutely delicious cast of really rotten people.

The Americans. For years I resisted the idea of show about Russian spies embedded in the US. Big mistake. Great stuff from first episode to last.

Northern Exposure. Would have been much higher were it not for the fact that CBS ruined the last season-and-a-half. The words quirky and off-beat were made for this show. Also charming.

The Sopranos. The trend setter for the modern TV dramas. Outside of The Godfather and Goodfellas, the best fictional look at mobsters.

The Pitt. Another show I resisted. Utterly compelling despite the fact that you don’t know half the medical jargon they’re using.

Better Call Saul. It was a long meandering trip to get where it was going but my goodness it was worth the ride.

The Twilight Zone. Rod Serling was a genius and while there were many imitators nothing like it that was any good has come along since. It was the only great non comedy on TV for decades.

Orange is the New Black. It started out as the true story of a privileged white girl going to the slammer and morphed into so much more with a fascinating array of characters.

Foyle’s War. Quite different than the rest on this list. An excellent “cop show” set in England during World War II. Engaging characters in engaging stories in an engaging setting.

What's In A Name? A Move Character, Here's Four For Sixteen Different Actors

Fred C Dobbs from Treasure of the Sierra Madre

This is a fairly well-organized though poorly thought out blog post. However if you’re already here you should definitely read it. It’s fun and easy. What I’ve done is taken sixteen (see, I don’t even know why it’s sixteen) famous male actors and listed four of their — I was going to say iconic, but I’m not sure that they really are — film roles. I think it’s safe to call them notable ones. Their best? No. Well, in some cases, yes. But in some cases I subtracted a better film for a better character name. Like for Woody Allen. Instead of Isaac Davis in Manhattan I went with Fielding Melish from Bananas. The latter being a far more interesting character name. So my criteria was a little inconsistent, plus I wasn’t too meticulous, so might have left out a good character or good character name. Anyway, what I like about it is that each name evokes an image, not just a character but an entire movie. It was fun to put together and for all I know it’ll be fun to read. It won’t take long. Don’t get ticked off because I omitted a character you really like or particularly associate with an actor. Just enjoy what’s here. You can do that easily enough.

Humphrey Bogart 

Philip Marlowe- The Big Sleep

Richard Blaine - Casablanca

Fred C Dobbs - Treasure of the Sierra Madre

Sam Spade - The Maltese Falcon

Woody Allen

Danny Rose - Broadway Danny Rose

Alvy Singer - Annie Hall

Fielding Mellish - Bananas

Leonard Zelig - Zelig

Groucho Marx

Rufus T Firefly - Duck Soup

Captain Geoffrey T. Spaulding - Animal Crackers

Professor Quincy Adams Wagstaff - Horse Feathers

Otis B. Driftwood - A Night at the Opera

Cary Grant

Walter Burns - His Girl Friday

CK Dexter Haven - The Philadelphia Story

Leopold Dilg - Talk of the Town

Johnny Case - Holiday

Robert DeNiro

Travis Bickle - Taxi Driver

Jake LaMotta - Raging Bull

Jimmy Conway- Goodfellas

Rupert Pupkin - The King of Comedy

Henry Fonda

Tom Joad - Grapes of Wrath

Wyatt Earp - My Darling Clementine

Charles Pike - The Lady Eve

Abraham Lincoln - The Young Mr. Lincoln

Burt Lancaster

JJ Hunsecker — The Sweet Smell of Success

Sgt. Milton Warden - From Here to Eternity

Ole “Swede” Anderson - The Killers

Felix Happer - Local Hero

Max Von Sydow

Antonius Block - The Seventh Seal

Father Merrin - The Exorcist

Jonas Persson - Winter Light

Albert Emanuel Vogler - The Magician

Steve McQueen

Det. Lt. Frank Bullit - Bullit

Virgil Hilts - The Great Escape

Doc McCoy - The Getaway

Jake Holman - The Sand Pebbles

Warren Beatty

Clyde Barrow — Bonne and Clyde

John Reed - Reds

Joe Frady - The Parallax View

Jay Bulworth - Bulworth

Jack Nicholson

Signalman 1st Class Billy L. Buddusky — The Last Detail

Jake Gittes — Chinatown

Jack Torrance - The Shining

Warren Schmidt — About Schmidt

Denzel Washington

Private Tripp — Glory

Joe Miller — Philadelphia

Easy Rawlins - Devil in a Blue Dress

Malcolm X - Malcolm X

Jeff Bridges

Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski - The Big Lebowski

Duane Jackson - The Last Picture Show

Richard Bone - Cutter’s Way

Rooster Cogburn - True Grit

Al Pacino

Michael Corleone - The Godfather

Frank Serpico - Serpico

Sonny Wortzik - Dog Day Afternoon

Lowell Bergman - The Insider

Jimmy Stewart

Jefferson Smith - Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

George Bailey - It’s A Wonderful Life

Ransom Stoddard - The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance

Alfred Kralik - The Shop Around the Corner

Leonardo DiCaprio

Rick Dalton - Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

Howard Hughes - The Aviator

Amsterdam Vallon - Gangs of New York

Bob Ferguson - One Battle After Another

It Would Be More Better If You Didn't All The Time Make That Mistake: The Author Looks Back on the Most Common Errors He Saw As An EFL Teacher

It’s been a week since I retired from teaching after forty years. For the last sixteen years I taught EFL (English as a foreign language) which meant that, for the most part, my students were visiting the U.S. primarily to take intensive English classes. I thought it might be interesting to share the most common mistakes I encountered. Mind you, most of the classes I had were at the intermediate level, more of my students were upper-intermediate than lower-intermediate. One interesting thing about a lot of these mistakes is that they were just as likely to come from a Japanese student as a French one. However there were particular kinds of mistakes that came from particular kinds of speakers. For example Spanish speakers often used the word “history” for “story” and they were constantly saying things like “in this moment” rather than “now.” They grossly overused the word moment. Germans would often use the continuous tense when the present simple was called for. They would say: “I am eating lunch every day at noon” instead of “I eat lunch everyday at noon.” 

The biggest problem for students from anywhere else in the world was prepositions. This is understandable given the capricious nature of prepositions and the lack of rules governing their use. For example why do we get “on” busses, trains and — most frighteningly of all — airplanes. Seems more logical to get “in” them. More examples will become evident below.

Mistake: “He lives near to the store.” “Near to” was a universally made mistake and it was hard for students to shed it. We have “next to” and “close to” so why not “near to?”

Mistake: “We are going to go to shopping.” Same with going to swimming, dancing or any other activity. That damn word “to” was a constant. Students either used it too often or substituted an incorrect preposition for it as in, “I’m going for the store.”

Mistake: “He has been married with her for four years.” This would rank among the top ten most common mistakes and again that damn word “to” is involved. It’s understandable, being married with another person does make sense.

Double mistake: “It is the birthday of Betty, she has twenty-four years.” The second mistake “having” your years is the more common. I think the French led the way in making this mistake but Spanish speakers made it as well. The house of Ed rather than Ed’s house was mostly a lower level problem, most common among Italians.

Mistake: “Baseball is very famous in the United States.” No it is popular, not famous. This one sounded silly, especially when I’d be asked something like: “Are burritos famous in California?”

Mistake: “I saw one dog running in the store.” No, you saw “a” dog running in the store. In English when there’s just one of something we almost always go with “a” or “an.” Not so in other languages.

Mistake: “My friends and I will make a party this weekend.” Nope. We “have” parties, barbecues and picnics, we don’t make them. Students sometimes also wanted to “make a test” rather than take one.

Mistake: “Do you all the time go to that cafe?” I had to familiarize hundreds of students with the word “always” and its regular use.

Mistake: “We went to a movie yesterday night.” How many times did I tell a class: it’s yesterday morning, yesterday afternoon but last night. (Please note, that was a rhetorical question.)

Mistake: “Do you practice basketball?” This could go for any sport, including skiing. Students had trouble understanding that while you can “practice” a sport when you’re working on your skills, we don’t use the word to mean participating in the sport. You don’t practice basketball every Saturday, you play basketball. You don’t practice skiing, you go skiing.

Mistake: “We had a great weekend, it was so funny.” This one slipped by me a few times in my early days. I assumed that there were a lot of laughs. But it soon become evident that students thought that fun and funny were related words with the latter being an extension of the former.

Mistake: “It would be more better if you came with us.” Students loved to put a “more” before a comparative. Imagine their confusion when I said that you could say: much better.

Mistake: “All the people like going to the beach.” “As with ‘always,’ I was constantly introducing students to the word “everybody.” 

Mistake: “I was in New York during two weeks.” How about “for” two weeks? Another preposition problem.

Mistake: “How can I spell this word?” This is another one that would crack the top ten. It was also a difficult one to explain. “How do you spell this word?” just didn’t make sense to them.

Mistake: “I must go now.” Technically not a mistake, however I was forever pointing out that ninety-five per cent of the time we would say “I have to go now.” The word “must” in this sense is rarely used and then only in serious situations.

Mistake: “When do you come back to your country?” Folks, you come here, you go there.

Mistake: “We were twelve people on the trip.” There were twelve of us on the trip.

Those are far and away the leaders among common mistakes. In addition to all the other grammar we did, the reading, the listening, the writing, the talking, the activities, I would often give them error correction papers. The assignment was to find the mistakes in each sentence and correct them. Invariably a few minutes into working on the paper someone would ask: “does every sentence have a mistake?” When I assured them they all did, I’d see faces sag and people look bewildered. But students who stuck around figured it out. Most important of all was the fact that in understanding these mistakes they were also learning about other aspects of the language. The point was not just to remember to say “last night” but understand other aspects of the language.

I’ll miss watching students figure things out. That was fun.