Saturday's Links and Random Thoughts

I haven't written anything in reaction to the Eagles loss to the Saints last weekend. It was one of those games that was just so frustrating to watch. In the end I knew that the Eagles would lose, somehow. But the fact they had it close for so long and really could have, and maybe should have, won the game is what's so disheartning about the whole thing. And then, just when I feel like I want to watch some football again, In Bill Simmons article on ESPN.com I am reminded of this....

• I can't believe nobody mentioned the Saints were called for only three penalties last weekend. The conspiracy theory that the NFL wants the Saints to be in Miami for Super Bowl XLI -- starting with the NFL's forcing Houston to take Williams over Bush, forcing the Dolphins to sign Culpepper over Brees and forcing 31 other teams to repeatedly pass on Marques Colston -- just keeps getting stronger and stronger. Now it's just "completely asinine" instead of "criminally far-fetched and absurd."

You know what. Screw the Saints. Go Bears.

Let's start with two links from the always outstanding The House Next Door.

First, I watched Double Indemnity a few weeks back, and of course loved it. There's little not to love about that noir. And Barbara Stanwyck is near the top of the list of what to love about the film. She's a perfect femme fatale. Over at The House Next Door you will find a fiver of her more memorable performances. An excerpt, Stanwyck played roles where you had to believe that no man, even the most devout, upstanding citizen, could resist doing her bidding. She had to be smart enough to get you to surrender body and soul. Once you slept with Monroe, you could carve that notch into your bedpost and move on; Stanwyck was a mindfuck that stayed with you long after the post-coital cigarette. Indeed.

Also, since I just saw Volver, I was happy to read Ryland Walker Knight's review of a film that for some reason is still sticking with me days afterwards.

There is more excellent writing on David Bordwell's site as well. This time a plea to be shot-concious with many excellent screen grabs to illustrate his points.

At Quiet Bubble, a call for a Kieslowski blog-a-thon which should be fantastic reading come March.

Other interesting blog-a-thon's coming up, A contrarian blog-a-thon at Jim Emerson's Scanners February 16-18. And just in time for Valentine's Day, Lovesick blog-a-thon at 100 films

One final late afternoon edit...

Over at Greencine Sara Scheiron interviews Mark Becker. Becker is the director of the documentary, Romantico. Romantico will be playing at Key Cinemas staring February 2, and that interview definitely makes it look like something worth seeing.