Mat has the day off. Not because it’s a holiday, but because he and his family have been without power since Saturday due to the storms that hit Oklahoma and surrounding states. He is one of the lucky ones because at least 18 died in those storms as of the last report I saw. Thoughts go out to all those adversely affected by those severe weather conditions.
Speaking of luck, news broke today that a man who considered himself “The Luckiest Guy in the World,” Bill Walton died of cancer at the age 71. Walton was lucky enough to have two legendary careers, as a basketball player and as a broadcaster. His skills at basketball during his college tenure at UCLA, under famed coach John Wooden where he won two NCAA championships, and in the NBA, where he became a two-time champion for two different teams, led him to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in spite of the many injuries and surgeries he dealt with that cut that career short. As a broadcaster, Walton’s color commentary was both insightful and outlandish. His love of basketball was matched by his love for all things in life, which is why his commentary about the beauty of a team’s fast break could segue to its parallels to Grateful Dead jam or the tributaries of the Columbia River. His stream-of-consciousness style wasn’t for everyone, but if you got it, you got it. I recommend finding The Luckiest Guy in the World, the four-part 30 for 30 about him.
One movie I was lucky to see last year was Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall, a fascinating French legal drama that keeps the viewer guessing as details about the characters are revealed. At a mountain chalet, a visually impaired young boy discovers his father’s body, dead from a fall, after returning from a walk with his dog. But was it an accident, suicide, or could it have been murder by his wife (Sandra Hüller, whose performance was one of the best of 2023) as the authorities wonder when differing accounts don’t match. The less known about the story the better, so I’ll say no more other than this release by the Criterion Collection is worth investigating.
Buy Anatomy of a Fall (Criterion Collection) Blu-rayOther titles that look interesting:
Bob Marley: One Love: Kingsley Ben-Adir stars in this biopic about the reggae superstar. As a fan of Marley’s music and one who owns more of his music than the Legend greatest-hits album, am curious to see him brought to life and how the concert performances are executed.
Knox Goes Away: Michael Keaton stars and directs this crime drama about an assassin trying to redeem himself before his dementia sets in.
Belladonna of Sadness 4K UHD: This fascinating animated film by Eiichi Yamamoto tells the story of a woman raped on her wedding night by a baron when her husband can’t afford the marriage tax. Her grief leads her to giving herself to the Devil in exchange for supernatural powers.
Shinobi: A set includes a trio of films (Band of Assassins / Revenge / Resurrection) starring Raizô Ichikawa as Goemon Ishikawa, a Japanese version of Robin Hood.
