Movies in 2026 90

 

Kiss of the Spider Woman, (Hector Babenco, 1985)

I don't remember the last time I saw Hector Babenco's 1985 film Kiss of the Spider Woman, but it was probably shortly about it came out. We were living in Cincinnati then, and it was before my son was born, so it's not out of the question that we actually saw it in a theater, but I don't remember that. So, it might have been an old school visit to a video store. I have this vague memory of their being a little video store up in the neighborhood around the University of Cincinnati, but who knows (and why I even remember that, having thought about it in decades, is already entering into the realm of the supernatural). Maybe I'll ask my friend Dave if he remembers said video store. Anyway, the movie is awfully good, although in some ways the performances of William Hurt (who won his Oscar for his role as Molina), Raul Julia, and Sonia Braga outshine the movie itself. It seems that I am watching too many films set in authoritarian states at the moment, which is probably telling of the state of America right now. Definitely recommended.

Movies in 2026 89

 

A Report on the Party and the Guests, (Jan Nemec, 1966)

I suspect I was grousing about my students earlier because of my students criminal inability to understand Jan Nemec's brilliant 1966 film A Report on the Party and the Guests the other night. Not surprisingly, this is another film that the Criterion Channel was kind enough to introduce to me. It's also a great fit for my Images of Fascism class. A Report on the Party and the Guests is a surreal allegory on how Communism spread in Czechoslovakia, both both from the perspective of the Party and also from those who who complied, some by force but also way too many much more casually or easily. My students inability to see parallels to today's nightmare American political scene was very discouraging, and also very telling. I will be showing it again on Thursday night, so the generation has one more chance to redeem itself. Highly recommended, the film, not my students.

Movies in 2026 88

 

Archer, (Adam Reed, 2009-2023)

When Janet and I got together, I suppose I brought many things to her life, hopefully some of them were good and made it worth her while to take me in off the street. Of course, for every thoughtful discussion of Proust or Pessoa or Mann, there's also CFL games and Cincinnati chili and Archer. Actually, Archer may be my best contribution to our relationship, and it remains our go-to choice on those nights when you're not quite ready to go to bed to read and a bit too tired to jump into a foreign film. And, of course, how do you even manage to get through the day without the strategic use of "Phrasing!"

11

 My spring break, my final spring break, has come and gone, and now I'm entering the final six weeks of the semester, the final six weeks of my teaching career. I still don't feel too sad or bittersweet about my impending retirement, although Chuck's gift of the Alan Page jersey yesterday was a reminder of how much I'll miss some of my friends and colleagues. There are several factors which seem to tamping down my sad feelings, some of which I've already discussed, but I also have to admit that if my students were better at this point in Champlain's history I'm sure I'd feel more remorse. 

Thanks to CFL Hall of Famer Ken Ploen for loaning me his number 11 for the countdown. Ploen was born in Lost Nation, Iowa, before starring at the University of Iowa, and leading them to a Rose Bowl win. After graduating, he was drafted in the 19th round (back when the NFL draft had many more round than it does now) by the Cleveland Browns. The Browns wanted him to play defensive back instead of quarterback (he played both at Iowa), so he took up on an offer from new Winnipeg Blue Bombers coach Bud Grant to head north of the border. Grant told him that Ploen was free to play QB for the Blue Bombers. It turned out to be a good decision, as Ploen led Winnipeg to six Grey Cups, winning four of them. A road near the stadium is named after him, which I'll check out this summer on July's trip.

Movies in 2026 87

 

Neighboring Sounds, (Kleber Mendonca Filho, 2012)

And now I've gone down a Kleber Mendonca Filho rabbit hole (thanks, as always, to the Criterion Channel for introducing me to new directors). The other night I watched Neighboring Sounds. It probably wasn't fair to watch this film after watching Bacurau, not because Neighboring Sounds isn't a good movie, because it certainly is, but mainly because Bacurau is so outsized in its scope, and general weirdness. Neighboring Sounds shares Bacurau's sense of quiet, although quieter, existential dread. It's set in a quiet residential neighborhood, run by a patriarch who is not who he seems, and featuring a brand new security company, who are also not who they seem to be. Definitely recommended.   

88

 Don't worry, I haven't decided to stay at Champlain, and in the process push the countdown back up to 88 days (although, oddly, I think some of my friends - and even a few students - would push for that decision). Instead, this is an unexpected - and remarkably thoughtful - retirement from my friend Chuck. We have a similar schedule on Mondays and Thursdays in the morning, so we often take the opportunity to gab. He met me yesterday with a wrapped present, and inside was this absolutely amazing Alan Page jersey. As Chuck has known forever - although I don't know how it ever became part of the discussion - Alan Page is my all-time favorite football player. Page is the first defensive player to win MVP honors, and that was in an age before sacks were an official stat, so you can just imagine how dominant he had to be without a counting stat to justify his case. He's also a member of the NFL Hall of Fame. Maybe more impressively, he also graduated from Notre Dame, and eventually law school, and served on the Minnesota Supreme Court for years. It's amazing how few people know his story - and it's shameful that the NFL doesn't promote him more when talking about the game.

And it's even autographed, so this is over the top nice of Chuck. Of course, as my friend MK pointed out, this also means I can never wash it. I guess this also means that I have to start rooting for the Vikings again (although misery lays in that path).

Movies in 2026 86

 

perfectly a strangeness, (Alison McAlpine, 2024)

In the same collection the introduced me to Kleber Mendonca Filho, I found  Alison McAlpine's wonderful fifteen-minute film, perfectly a strangeness. It's an Oscar nominated documentary that follows three donkeys as the walk around an observatory hidden away in the Chilean desert. Absolutely delightful. And I love this screen during the final credits: "starring Palomo and Ruperto and Palaye." It reminds you how insignificant humans are in the big picture.