Title Comment Comment Date Comment Link
100 favorite films

Thank you. You're right about Lynch, this list could use more of him. Blue Velvet and Eraserhead both would probably be in my top 150, maybe even Lost Highway. I might consider bumping up Blue Velvet to the top 100, actually.
I've never really been a huge fan of Chaplin, simply because I don't think he's that funny. To me, Keaton's acting and style of film-making is more relevant to this day and age. Although I actually did think of adding one of his later movies, like The Great Dictator or Monsieur Verdoux.
I really need to see L'Atalante again. I saw it when I was around 13 or 14 and was kinda bored by it (1930s French films weren't really my thing back then). Hopefully my tastes have matured since then...

 7/21/2009 View
100 favorite films

Pierrot Le Fou, I'll have to check that out. For the longest time that was on my to-see list, but I never got around to it for some reason. I've not even heard of Passion, but I'll try to track that down too. Thanks for the recommendations.

 7/20/2009 View
100 favorite films

Thanks! Colonel Blimp is a pretty underrated film; I've always liked how it maintains a carefree, almost campy surface while at the same time delving into profound themes of aging, memory, regret and friendship.
I've seen a few Godard movies from the 60s and haven't been that impressed by them. I can appreciate the influence they've had on future film-makers, but to me they're a little too sloppily directed and self-absorbed. I liked "Breathless" and "My Life to Live" pretty well, though. Would you recommend any of his films? It's been a while since I've seen any of them, so I should probably catch some out to see if my tastes have changed.

 7/18/2009 View
Most Important Thinkers of All Time

Where would Einstein place on your list?

 2/24/2009 View
Best Composers (All Genres) Of All Time

Great list. For the classical section, what do you think of Brahms, Debussy, or Ives?
For jazz, there's Duke Ellington to consider. A newer composer I'd recommend would be Anthony Davis, if you can track down his stuff.

 2/13/2009 View
Reading Log 2008

I thought it was an interesting document of the Spanish Civil War (probably not the best source of historical information, though), but as a whole it wasn't the best thing by Orwell I've read. I enjoyed the droll style and down in the trenches POV, but like you said, it's a little inconsistent. The chapters detailing the war's political history seemed a little out of place.
I'd recommend reading The Secret Agent. Not Conrad's best (it probably would've been better as a short story), but relevant to today.

 12/15/2008 View
25 favorite novels

Patrick White is sadly overlooked here in the US. I haven't tried looking for A Fringe of Leaves yet, but I've had trouble finding his stuff in the past at book stores. A shame, considering how much utter garbage can be found at your local Barnes and Noble, or wherever.
Actually, a quick glance at amazon.com shows that they have some used copies of A Fringe of Leaves for a decent price.

 12/15/2008 View
Reading Log 2008

Getting through some of Kant's stuff wasn't one of my favorite activities. I did enjoy the Russell book, and wouldn't mind delving into some of his longer works (probably not Principia Mathematic, though)

 12/4/2008 View
50 favorite classical works

I like your list a lot too. I really appreciate the links provided for all the songs. That's something I should do for my list.

There's a lot of baroque, and earlier, music I need to catch up on, including Marin Marais. I'll add him to my to-listen list. Same with the Poulenc piece too, actually. There's too much music out there! Thanks for the suggestions.

 7/12/2008 View
50 favorite classical works

Thanks! I've been planning on adding to this list for a while, and right now I'm listening/re-listening to a bunch of pieces to see where they'd fit. It'll probably be up pretty soon.

 7/9/2008 View
Recommended Order When Tackling My List of Classical Masterpieces (in progress)

I'd recommend Symphony of Psalms. It's not nearly as intense as Rite of Spring, but then again, few works are. Petrushka, the ballet written immediately before, would be a close second.

 7/1/2008 View
25 favorite novels

No, not yet. So far I've only read Voss and The Tree of Man. Based on those two, I've been impressed by White's prose style and his metaphysical depictions of the Australian outback. Looking at reviews on amazon.com, the premise of A Fringe of Leaves sounds interesting. I'll have to add it to my to-read list.

 7/1/2008 View
Top 10 Albums of the Week (2008)

Wow, I definitely need to revisit Mahler's Ninth now after such a description. Haven't heard it for a while, but I remember really liking the last movement.
Btw, high five for giving Tabula Rasa such a high rating. Probably my favorite recording of the past 50 years.

 6/6/2008 View
which is the worst of scaruffi's top picks of "rock" albums?

I don't really hate any of these, but I think the Morphine album is the most boring. Runner up would probably be the Gun Club one. Neither are bad, but I can't see them as among the 40 greatest albums ever.

 6/6/2008 View
Best Albums of the 00's

Have you heard the Spring Heel Jack albums Disappeared and Amassed, or Low Kick and Hard Bop by Solex? Those three would be near the top of my 00s list. Somnium by Robert Rich is also impressive, if you can stand 7 hours of ambient minimalism.

 1/9/2008 View