When I was growing up in nearby Mississippi, I did not really care for the 4 or 5 old time New Orleans songs that WTIX played (am 690 – for those of you who remember when we listened to music on a.m. radio.) Many of the songs were related to Mardi Gras, and I just didn’t get it. There was one that goes “it’s carnival time” that for 40 years I thought was saying “it’s kind-of-a-time” and I sure didn’t see the point of that statement. To this day, I still don’t get that excited about Mardi Gras, but I understand what it means to the people who attend parades, or participate in parades. Like so much else about this area of the country – well, there’s just nothing like it.
I bring all this up to express that it’s “festival time” in New Orleans and there ought to be a song about it.
It starts with the French Quarter Festival over an early weekend in April. Music stages are set up around the French Quarter and local restaurants set up food booths and you can wander around and be as gluttonous as you care to be, which is pretty much what New Orleans is all about – gluttony at its most decadent. With its perfect weather (usually) and great local music, it’s a wonderful way to spend a weekend.
As much as I like the FQF, it pales in comparison to what follows on the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May – the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Featuring incredible food (each vendor is selected for one or two entries that are considered the best of the best) and great music (80% with Louisiana roots) this is by far the finest event to take place in New Orleans. Basically, if you like music, you’ll see act after act that will blow you away, 5 or 6 per day at the price you’d pay to see 1.
So, this is my favorite time of the year. I’ve been going to the Jazz Fest for 35 of its 40 years (unfortunately, not consecutively) and it gets better and better every year. It’s festival time and if you like food and music (I like one too much) there’s just nothing like it.
I bring all this up so that you understand why I saw only one movie this month:
12 Rounds – 5 out of a possible 10 score. This is the adventure thriller set in New Orleans where the local scenery is the star and the actor is John Cena, whom I understand to be a wrestler of some fame. Well, since wrestling is action acting, he’s right at home in this mindless adventure, which is not nearly as bad as the critic’s reviews say, but not as good as it could have been. It hop scotches around New Orleans neighborhoods (usually ignoring distances) and takes advantage of several local landmarks. Fun, with Aidan Gillen as the truly evil terrorist in one of many over-the-top performances.
Which brings me to my Top Ten underrated movies which I promised last month.
I can sum up what makes these films special in 2 ways – first, I watch them almost every time they’re on, and second, they can generate hours of discussion on what they were really about. And of course, I couldn’t limit it to 10.
11. Big Wednesday – overlooked surfing movie that is more about friendship than surfing.
10. Galaxy Quest. Maybe only a Star Trek fan will get the references, but this is a hilarious movie, period.
9. The American President. Annett Bening lights up the screen in this Aaron Sorkin penned chronicle which unfortunately led to the TV show The West Wing.
8. Anything by Frank Capra. This generation knows Capra only as the director of the Christmas Classic It’s a Wonderful Life. Well, there’s a whole catalog of Capra-corn that shouldn’t be overlooked. It Happened One Night, You Can’t Take It With You, and my favorite – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to name just a few.
7. Minority Report. Since I didn’t care for Schindler’s List, let me try to make it up to Speilberg. This is an incredible look at one future wrapped in a mystery story. Although praised at the time of release, I think this is an upper echelon classic, with Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell at their best.
6. The Buddy Holly Story. When Rolling Stone picked the 50 greatest rock movies, this wasn’t even on the list, which is crazy. Gary Busey sings live in one of the most overlooked performances ever. A great Biopic.
5. Radio Days/Zelig – Two Woody Allen films that are just below his Annie Hall/Manhattan masterpieces
4. The Conversation – While I didn’t go ape over The Godfather, this Coppola film is one that can generate days of discussion. When Gene Hackman says this was his best film, that’s saying something.
3. L A Confidential – Lost in Titanic mania, this film would have won Best Film in almost any other year. A complex, masterful thriller.
2. Robin and Marian – Totally overlooked Robin Hood movie with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn breaking your heart. Realistic romance, realistic action.
1. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Hang around me for any length of time and you’ll hear several quips from this movie (and Annie Hall). While Martin Scorsese has gone on to direct many classics, and I like almost all of them, for some reason this one to me is perfection. Ellen Burstyn gives one of the great all time performances. There are few things I’m sure of, but I’m sure that when you see this you won’t like it as much as I do. That’s what makes movies so personal.
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