News from the Boston Becks

Jonathan Demme

Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster in the film that deserved all 5 of its Academy Awards: Silence of the Lambs (1991)

• Born: 1944
• Rank: 74
• Score: 529.35
• Awards: Oscar / DGA / BAFTA / NYFC / BSFC / NBR / CFC
• Nominations: Oscar / DGA / BAFTA / GG
• Feature Films: 15
• Best: Silence of the Lambs
• Worst: Crazy Mama

Top 5 Films:

1. Silence of the Lambs – 1991
2. Rachel Getting Married – 2008
3. Something Wild – 1986
4. Married to the Mob – 1988
5. The Manchurian Candidate – 2004

Top 10 Best Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1986 – 8th – Something Wild
• 1991 – 1st – Silence of the Lambs
• 2008 – 5th – Rachel Getting Married

(more…)

Louis Malle

Louis Malle's overlooked gem, May Fools (1990)

• Born:  1932
• Died:  1995
• Rank:  75
• Score:  529.25
• Awards:  2 BAFTAs / NSFC / LAFC  (for Foreign Film)
• Nominations:  Oscar / DGA / 3 BAFTAs / GG
• Feature Films:  19
• Best:  Au Revoir, Les Enfants
• Worst:  Black Moon

Top 5 Feature Films:

1. Au Revoir, Les Enfants – 1987
2. Atlantic City – 1980
3. Elevator to the Gallows – 1958
4. May Fools – 1990
5. Murmur of the Heart – 1971

Top 10 Best Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1961 – 5th – Elevator to the Gallows
• 1978 – 7th – Pretty Baby
• 1981 – 5th – Atlantic City
• 1987 – 5th – Au Revoir, Les Enfants

(more…)

Sam Peckinpah

The Wild Bunch (1969) - Peckinpah's bloody masterpiece

• Born:  1925
• Died:  1984
• Rank:  76
• Score:  526.25
• Nominations:  DGA
• Feature Films:  13
• Best: The Wild Bunch
• Worst:  Convoy

Top 5 Films:

1. The Wild Bunch – 1969
2. Ride the High Country – 1962
3. Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid – 1973
4. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia – 1974
5. Straw Dogs – 1971

Top 10 Best Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1962 – 5th – Ride the High Country
• 1969 – 1st – The Wild Bunch
• 1970 – 7th – The Ballad of Cable Hogue
• 1971 – 10th – Straw Dogs
• 1973 – 7th – Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid
• 1974 – 10th – Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia
• 1977 – 10th – Cross of Iron

(more…)

Tom Tykwer

Rachel Hurd-Wood as the vision of olfactory bliss in Perfume (2006)

• Born: 1965
• Rank: 77
• Score: 526.20
• Feature Films: 7
• Best: The Princess and the Warrior
• Worst: Winter Sleepers

Films (in rank order):

1. The Princess and the Warrior – 2000
2. Run Lola Run – 1998
3. Heaven – 2002
4. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer – 2006
5. Winter Sleepers – 1997

(have not been able to see Deadly Maria and have not yet seen The International)

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Thomas has had a school vacation all this week and it’s a good thing since he’s been sick for the entirety of it. On Monday both he and I had a stomach bug. It seemed to have passed for both of us by Tuesday, but on Wednesday he started coughing terribly. We took him in to the doctor on Thursday and he was diagnosed with pneumonia. He was prescribed the cure-all pink liquid ammoxicilin and seems to be doing better. He did sleep until 9:30 this morning, and I think it’s going to be a long time before he falls asleep tonight. My hope is that he sleeps in again tomorrow since I have developed a head cold in the last 24 hours as well. I’m hoping that Thomas illness passes quickly since he is supposed to start gymnastics on Monday after school. We finally found a class specialized for autistic kids.

Michael Powell

Kim Hunter and David Niven in A Matter of Life and Death (Stairway to Heaven) - 1946

• Born:  1905
• Died:  1990
• Rank:  78
• Score:  525.60
• Feature Films:  38
• Best:  A Matter of Life and Death
• Worst:  Black Narcissus

Top 5 Films:

1. A Matter of Life and Death – 1946
2. A Canterbury Tale – 1944
3. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp – 1943
4. Peeping Tom – 1960
5. I Know Where I’m Going – 1945

Top 10 Best Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1945 – 4th – The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
• 1947 – 3rd – A Matter of Life and Death
• 1949 – 2nd – A Canterbury Tale
• 1962 – 9th – Peeping Tom

(more…)

Jean-Pierre Jeunet

Audrey Tatou as the vibrant, beautiful, wonderful Amelie (2001)

• Born:  1953
• Rank:  79
• Score:  525.00
• Nominations:  BAFTA (won the BAFTA and Oscar nominated for Screenplay)
• Feature Films:  5
• Best:  A Very Long Engagement
• Worst:  Alien: Resurrection

Films (in rank order):

1. A Very Long Engagement – 2004
2. Amelie – 2001
3. City of Lost Children – 1995
4. Delicatessen – 1991
5. Alien: Resurrection – 1997

Top 10 Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• 2001 – 3rd – Amelie
• 2004 – 2nd – A Very Long Engagement

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Satyajit Ray

The Apu Trilogy (1955, 1957, 1959). How Criterion has not released this as a box set yet is beyond me.

• Born:  1921
• Died:  1992
• Rank:  80
• Score:  524.90
• Feature Films:  31
• Best:  The World of Apu
• Worst:  N/A  (only seen 7 of the 31 films)

Top 5 Films (that I have seen):

1. The World of Apu – 1959
2. Pather Panchali – 1955
3. Aparajito – 1957
4. The Chess Players - 1977
5. The Music Room – 1958

Top 10 Director Finishes (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1958 – 6th – Pather Panchali
• 1960 – 8th – The World of Apu
• 1978 – 6th – The Chess Players

(more…)

Joseph L. Mankiewicz makes the list in spite of directing Cleopatra (1963).

Joseph L. Mankiewicz

• Born:  1909
• Died:  1993
• Rank:  81
• Score:  523.75
• Awards:  2 Oscars / 2 DGA / NYFC  (also won 2 Oscars and 2 WGA for screenplays)
• Nominations:  4 Oscars / 3 DGA / 2 Golden Globes
• Feature Films:  20
• Best:  All About Eve
• Worst:  Cleopatra

Top 5 Films:

1. All About Eve – 1950
2. Sleuth – 1972
3. A Letter to Three Wives – 1949
4. No Way Out – 1950
5. House of Strangers – 1949

Top 10 Director Finishes  (Nighthawk Awards):

• 1949 – 3rd – A Letter to Three Wives
• 1950 – 3rd – All About Eve
• 1972 – 3rd – Sleuth

(more…)

So, Veronica promised that I had exciting news.  Well, here it is.

I have passed the MTEL (the Massachusetts Teachers Educators License).

What does that mean?  It means as soon as I get my license (which I have already applied for), I am legally certified to teach High School English in the state of Massachusetts.  And hopefully by the fall, I will have a job teaching and I will be forever out of the retail world.