Spitball Army

At the start of this year, I began compiling a list of films and other entertainments that I viewed either in the theater or via disc and cable. My Mom does this and, while I can’t say that she necessarily inspired me to take up the habit, I’ve enjoyed going back to the list and reviewing it on occasion. What caused me to begin this list was an article in The New York Times, dated April 29, 2003, that alphabetizes “The Best 1,000 Movies Ever Made.” I printed it out, went through it – checking the ones I’d seen – and decided to subsequently start watching the ones I hadn’t. That, and a bit of a clean-sweep through some boxes of DVDs that I had piled in the corner of a closet to eventually view and pass on, propelled me to this geekiest of list-making endeavors.

Here are the films that made the top tier (9.0 to 10.0) on my 10-point rating scale, organized in ascending order by rank and the alphabet. Incidentally, it was the first time I had seen any of these fifteen films, ever.

9.0
America, America (1963)
Little Fugitive (1953)
My Mother’s Castle (Le Château de ma Mère) (1990)
Wit (2001)

9.1
Buck (2011)

9.2
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
The Wave (Die Welle) (2008)

9.3
The Descendants (2011)
The King’s Speech (2010)
Margin Call (2011)

9.4
East of Eden (1955)
Incendies (2010)

9.7
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
The Quiet Man (1952)

9.8
The Tree of Life (2011)

Of films released in 2011 (with some carry-overs from 2010 that didn’t make it to me until this year) – besides the four listed above – I also really enjoyed And Everything Is Going Fine (8.2), A Better Life (8.3), Biutiful (8.3), Captain America: The First Avenger (8.9), Certified Copy (8.0), 50/50 (8.2), The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (8.4), Hugo (8.4), The Ides of March (8.3), In a Better World (8.2), Midnight in Paris (8.2; second viewing 9.1), Moneyball (8.0), Pearl Jam Twenty (8.2), Poetry (8.6), Rabbit Hole (8.4), Rango (8.8), The Way (8.5) and Winnie the Pooh (8.0).

Oh, and this: I have a part-time job as a film projectionist at a local multi-plex. I might have previously thought that might afford me an opportunity to watch more current films, but that’s the Grand Misconception. Such opportunities never arise. Thus, the relative imbalance between new and older films on this list – not a bad thing, in my opinion.

Card is titled: “600 – Skyline Drive from Stony Man Mountain, Virginia. 45509″

Text of written message:

7/5/42
Sunday

Dear Mom, Paul & Julia

Received your letter saying you got the $20.00. I’ll be writing for some of it – by the end of the wee. Also received swimming suit and sewing kid – Got suit yesterday and went swimming last night 20c to swim with suit – other wise 55c – took and hour to get out of camp – bus so crowd and not many cars leaving camp they have 10 buses here and they are always packed. Big 4th of July here – you would know it was the 4th – Town was crowded with soldiers. May go swimming again this afternoon. Still working in office and was it hot there yesterday afternoon but I’d rather be there then outside working.

Regards, CKarsen

Publishing information:

Published by Asheville Post Card Co., Asheville, N.C.

Exhibit 9: Slint.

Card is untitled on the front.

Printed on back of post card:

GC-4 THE BATTLESHIP FROM EL TOVAR

Walking along the Rim of the Canyon from El Tovar to Bright Angel Lodge you look down upon the Battleship, which seems so near one can scarcely realize its great size and distance unless you should by chance see a group of riders on the trail below.

Card is addressed to Miss Lydia Craft, Urbana, Ohio, R.D. #3.

Text of written message:

Stayed at Bright Angel Lodge Tues night – The canyon is beautiful. Anna & Clarence O.K.

Ethel

Publishing information:

Distributed by J.R. Willis, Box 6665, Albuquerque, N.M.  Genuine Curteich-Chicago “C.T. Art-Colortone” Post Card (Reg. U.S. Pat. Off.).

Exhibit 8: Robert Palmer (via Pat Marren).

[V-mail addressed to Ralph N., Richmond, California.  Return addressed to E.R.G., C.M. 3/C, 55th Battalion, Company D, Platoon 4, c/o FPO San Francisco, California. Envelope postmarked 25 December 1944 at 9 p.m.]

Dec. 15, 1944.

Dear Ralph –

I have 2 V-mails of yours to answer, so here goes.  Don’t know how we got overlapping.  In answer to some of your questions, I’m afraid I won’t be of much help.  In the Merchant Marine your pay varies.  Increases by leaps and bounds the closer you get to the front.  Over here they make right around $300 a month.  A good deal if there ever was one.  I don’t know much about the A.T.S., guess it runs along the same lines.  No, I’ve never stopped at Tahiti, nor anywhere near there, so I have no idea what it’s like.  No doubt it’s a very nice place though.  We’re still here on the same spot and don’t seem to have definite intentions of leaving too soon.  I do sorta expect to see you in at least three months anyway.  Hope so at least!  It seems this darned war will last a couple more years so I really expect to be coming out this way again soon after we have our leave in the States.  Oh well, I’d like to see some more of this world as long as Uncle Sam pays for the tickets.  Providing of course, that it’s round trip!  Say “Hello!” to your mother and don’t celebrate too much over the holidays.

So long -
Bud.

Card is titled: “U.S. Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C.”

Text of written message:

Dear Mom, Paul & Julia

Received your letters I will answer them later. Worked today – in mail dept. Tryed to find Fredrick Phillips and think I have located him the first place I went to was his Headquarters which is about 2 miles away. Will try some other time maybe tonight. Sure is getting colded tonight maybe we will have your cold weather. Your right Paul sure glad I am not out at Fort Warren. Let me know what outfit Gene gets in.

Regards, CKarsen

[V-mail addressed to Ralph N., Richmond, California.  Return addressed to E.R.G., C.M. 3/C, 55th Battalion, Company D, Platoon 4, c/o FPO San Francisco, California. Envelope postmarked 14 December 1944 at 8 p.m.]

Wish you were here!
Bud.

Exhibit 7: Mick Jagger.

[V-mail addressed to Ralph N., Richmond, California.  Return addressed to E.R.G., C.M. 3/C, 55th Battalion, Company D, Platoon 4, c/o FPO San Francisco, California. Envelope postmarked 27 November 1944 at 3:30 p.m.]

Nov. 13 – 44.

Dear Ralph –

Just finished reading a book from the local library so now with nothing to do I’ll answer your letter of the 27th.  I usually see our free movie every night (that is, when a good picture is on), tonight it was Red Skelton so I just stayed away.  This afternoon I helped dock a ship just three weeks out of Pedro.  Small world, isn’t it?  Yet we can’t seem to make connections getting across that way.  Still hoping though!  Yesterday was an anniversary for us fellows from the Bay district.  Two years of active service!  It seems like ten years since that train started east from Oakland.  For the past six months I’ve been hoping for another rating but it seems to be no soap.  They say the battalion is over-rated now so the new rates are coming out few and far-between.  If we do go home I probably won’t make it until we ship out again.  Oh well, that discharge paper is what I want the worst.  Hope everything is O.K. with you and your mother.

So long now.
Bud.