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Donāt think I could give a higher recommendation than Les Blank. Greatest American Film maker in my opinion. Doesnāt miss. Every film represents the simplicities in life through different American communities and traditions. The intimate way he films makes it seem like heās just shooting without a plan. Heās just filming the environment. Itās all natural. Theres so much innocence and I donāt think this could exist anymore. Itās right before everyday people developed a āperformativeā identity when being filmed so thereās still that honesty and vulnerability. -Jack Tobias
Mar 13, 2025
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My love for this manās filmmaking is so profound it could bring me to tears.
Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers (1980) gave me more validation than I knew a film could. So much so I made my family sit down and watch it recently. My brother promptly ordered me the books mentioned in the doc. Feeling seen is never overrated.
Special mention to Innocents Abroad (1991) and Always for Pleasure (1978).
Jan 30, 2024
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Anything he does itās amazing, a whole career devoted to documentaries of many different things, truly recommend!
May 21, 2024
If you're a man and you're not very good at it, check out the wonderful stories directed by John Cassavetes. He was a brilliant independent film maker and sort of spearheaded the idea of independent film in America. His movies tend to revolve around the themes of the dark sides of masculinity ā aka guys being dudes (derogatory). His films were also his own various insecurities, both personal and professional, made naked on screen.
Please check out Husbands, The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, and A Woman Under the Influence. These aren't typical independent films (i.e., they're not black and white and 4 hours long). They're profoundly unpretentious yet are deeply thoughtful all the same.
John Cassavetes ā truly a brilliant and underappreciated director.
May 12, 2024
Top Recs from @yhwh-nailgun
Underrated state. No joy like eating a green chile breakfast at Frontier Cafe (Albuquerque) or El Jacalito (Las Cruces). White Sands is a wild place (the sand stays cool and feels different than most sands) and the drive coming down from Colorado is very dangerous but itās worth seeing those dwarf pines covered in snow - Iāve never seen anything like it. I like the people there too, everyoneās friendly and hospitable and most of them speak my language. -Saguiv RosenstockĀ
Mar 13, 2025
I like this video of Leigh Bowery. I love the crazy enthusiasm in his eyes and the clothes make me laugh out loud and are so beautiful. Something about how clear his voice is when he speaks is unsettling and hilarious to me. Never seen clothes express so much pain and joy at the same time. Would have liked to meet him, RIP -Zack BorzoneĀ
Mar 13, 2025
I like to read a lot of religious stuff, and probably the best part of the history of religion is the last 2500 years of Hindus and Buddhists roasting each other in long philosophical screeds. They love calling each other morons and implying that the other school of thought is just malicious lies. There's all these legends about specific monks and mystics "defeating" one another.Ā These debates are still thriving on social media and its become most of my youtube algorithm. -Sam Pickard
Mar 13, 2025