Movies in 2026 223

 

Ride in the Whirlwind (Monte Hellman, 1966)

Obviously, not every film that I watch on the Criterion Channel ends up being one that I love, or even like for that matter. Last night I watched Monte Hellman's 1966 Ride in the Whirlwind, which is featured in this month's Harry Dean Stanton collection. I suppose now it's mainly known for co-starring a young Jack Nicholson, who also wrote the screenplay and co-produced it. The film is a western that is sort of about mis-placed justice/vengeance, but it's also pretty muddled. If you're a Jack Nicholson or Harry Dean Stanton - or Millie Perkins or Cameron Mitchell - completist, you might check it out. Otherwise, you would be better off watching William Wellman's 1943 The Ox-Bow Incident (starring Henry Fonda and Dana Andrews), which is a much better exploration of vigilate justice.

Movies in 2026 222

 

Theory of Achievement (Hal Hartley, 1991)

The other short on the Surviving Desire DVD was Hartley's 1991 Theory of Achievement, which definitely felt like a Hal Hartley movie, with the quick banter, seemingly random conversation loops, and beloved actors who appear throughout his films: Bill Sage, Elina Lowensohn, and Mark Chandler Bailey. It's a reflection on art and wealth and class, all through a very Hartley lens. You should check it out.

Movies in 2026 221

 

Ambition (Hal Hartley, 1991)

I also took the opportunity to watch a couple early Hal Hartley shorts, which were included on the Surviving Desire DVD. In a previous post I raised the question of why I don't watch more short films, including from directors I already love, and so I'm trying to explore more of them. Ambition, which stars George Feaster, Hannah Sullivan, and Rick Groel) tells the story of a young artist who aims for success but mainly ends up in random (appropriately comical, this is Hartley after all) fights. It's interesting to see Hartley working through themes that he would revisit much more successfully later in his career.

Movies in 2026 220

 

Surviving Desire (Hal Hartley, 1992)

As I've discussed, one of my challenges is determining what books and movies I bring with me to Sicily, especially on these early days (made more pressing because we're, apparently, going to be stuck in a tiny one bedroom for at least the first six months, but that's an aggravation for another day). Eventually, I'd love to have most of my books and movies, but I don't see that happening for a long time (probably more than I actually have left). Anyway, I definitely want to bring a few of my Hal Hartley DVDs, because he tends to not show up on the Criterion Channel very often, and, more importantly, because his films simply give me a lot of joy. The other night I watched one of my all-time favorites, Hartley's 1992 film Surviving Desire. It was released in the middle of his Long Island Trilogy (The Unbelievable Truth, Trust, Simple Men), and shares many of the same themes - and actors - as those classic films. It also features an impromptu dance number, clearly an homage to Godard's Band of Outsiders, which sets the stage for the Hartley unexpected dance number in Simple Men. Martin Donovan plays a disinterested college professor (Jude) who falls for one of his students (Mary B. Ward as Sofie, clearly a play on the Sophia, the Greek word for wisdom), but, because it's Hartley, it transcends this well worn trope and ends up as a funny and thoughtful rumination on the folly of love and desire. As his friend Henry (Matt Malloy) warns him, "You won't survive her," to which Jude responds, "I don't think I want to." It was great to see Rebecca Nelson, who was so good in Trust, in a memorable role as a woman stopping people on the street to ask them to marry her (she may be the only sane person in the film). Surviving Desire includes one of my favorite opening scenes, where Jude keeps re-reading a paragraph of Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov. They spend weeks on it, leading to the students losing their minds throwing things at him, which results in him throwing things back at them (any student who ever had me in class would appreciate that). The last scene, with Sofie, working in a bookstore, quietly asking people obliviously moving around her if she can help them, is brilliant. Absolutely essential viewing.

Joining the Club

 There's the Circle of Excellence - that is, people I've dragged to CFL games, and that is 20 right-thinking individuals - and then there is the Inner Circle of Excellence - that is, people that I've dragged to multiple Canadian cities for CFL games, and that, until this summer, included only three people: Kevin (after this month, eight of nine possible sites), Sanford (two, almost three), and Andy (three). Now, however, the Inner Circle is expanding. Cyndi travelled with us on the first leg of the Manitoba/Saskatchewan Doubleheader of Excellence, and now she can claim two CFL cities (Montreal and Winnipeg). She'll be joined at the end of the month by Erik with two (Montreal and Ottawa).

Cyndi, of course, added her own energy to the trip, expanding Kevin and my usual routine of exploring every diner in the new city. Here she is dragging us to the Winnipeg Zoo, a brilliant idea on a 95 degree day, right before the Blue Bombers game (obviously, not concerned with her aged friend's failing legs). Sadly, she escaped from the dinosaur.

Movies in 2026 219

 

High Art (Lisa Cholodenko, 1998)

Last night I re-watched a movie I hadn't seen in around twenty-five years, which I guess I could say about a lot of movies since I'm an old man, but this one hit me because I can't believe it was made that long ago. It's Lisa Cholodenko's High Art, which, inexplicably, came out in 1998. It's Cholodenko's first film, and it launched an impressive career. It's sometimes reduced to "that movie that former Brat Packer Ally Sheedy did lesbian scenes," which is a crime because it's quite a good film. It's as much a critique of our relationship with high culture as it is a lesbian love story. Radha Mitchell (as Syd) is quite good as the aspiring editor who gets dragged into the circle of Sheedy (as Lucy Berliner), a damaged but talented photographer. Patricia Clarkson plays Greta, Lucy's girlfriend, is typically great, this time as a drugged out German actress (as I've often opined, nobody has better sense of a good script than Clarkson). The damages of drug use - and of failed aspirations - are huge parts of the story. Highly recommended.

Movies in 2026 218

 

Niagara (Henry Hathaway, 1953)

Henry Hathaway's Niagara showed up this month on the Criterion Channel, and since I don't have a DVD of it to fret over packing in my suitcase, I decided to take the opportunity and watch it again. I think it's clearly Marilyn Monroe's best movie. I know I'm supposed to say The Seven Year Itch or Some Like It Hot, but she aces the smoldering sexuality bit here brilliantly and provides a great femme fatale in this melodrama/film noir. Joseph Cotten is very good as a damaged war veteran, who gets pushed to murder by his cheating wife. Jean Peters is also pretty good as the bright wife (married to a dolt of a salesman) who is drawn into the adventure. I think the script must have been co-written with the Niagara tourist agency. Recommended.