Movies: Of course, A Thousand Clowns is probably my all-time favorite. But there are movies that are right behind it for me. Casablanca, a trite choice at this point, but it remains “permantly” on my DVR, despite the fact that I own a copy. I suppose that my homage to whim and whimsey. Maltese Falcon sits there as well. Also way up there is Goddard’s Breathless. Yes, if you didn’t know it, the ridiculous Richard Gere remake was just that, a ridiculous remake. And Annie Hall, without a doubt.
I watch Blazing Saddles at least a couple of times a years, and will often put on anything by the Marx Brothers. A sucker for romantic comedies, old Cary Grant movies do it for me, as well as modern comedies, especially Grosse Point Blank. I’ll watch almost anything with John Cusack and Mel Brooks. M*A*S*H runs high on my list along with North By Northwest. And, I just watched Animal House the other day, which kept me laughing after all these years.
Books are a different story, no pun intended. I’ve read most of the classics and at this point have grown tired of re-reading them, though I did just finishing Madam Bovary again on my Kindle, thanks to Gutenberg. I’ve taken now to mysteries and thrillers by modern authors. I’ll read almost anything by Lawrence Block, though I do miss his Matt Scudder character, a fallen and redeemed former police detective who has gotten a bit long in the tooth, probably in his 60s by now. Mr. Block doesn’t seem to be using him any longer. I’ll also read anything by Michael Connolly, and his Harry Bosch character is also one of my favorites.
Because I’ve read about everything those two have written, I’m not on a John Sanford kick.
Pissarro is my favorite painter, by the way.
