First, quizzes! We can settle this “who do you identify with the most” question with a truly ungodly number of internet quizzes!!! (WARNING: some of these are ridiculously bad and/or horribly spelled.)
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
You can even comment with all 15 of your results! Really, you can ;)
Come on, you know you want to… especially you, Dr. Campbell.

I first read Little Women when I was seven. (Given to me, surprisingly, by my dad. But he’s a feminist. So that makes sense.) I was so fond of it at the time that my parents bought me the book on tape (with a full cast!) for my eighth birthday. I spent a whole summer listening to it over and over and over.
I’d forgotten most of it until I picked up the book again yesterday. Suddenly, I was remembering exact passages and dialogue. Apparently I still have huge chunks of …

Because I just couldn’t stay away from Hammett…
Length of sentences in the first paragraph of each chapter:
The Body in China Street: 14, 12, 21
The Hat Trick: 33, 27, 19
The Cyclone Shot: 20, 11, 8, 6, 40
The Dog House: 20 (dialogue)
The Hospital: 9 (dialogue)
The Observer: 12, 14 (dialogue)
The Henchmen: 11, 9, 14, 49, 19
The Kiss-Off: 49, 32
The Heels: 35 (dialogue)
The Shattered Key: 4, 13, 12, 6, 6
I also decided to look at Hammett’s initial descriptions of each character. (Do whatever you like with this data. It’s too early in the morning …

I have decided, possibly foolishly, to analyze text patterns found in The Glass Key. The idea was raised that a pattern should be explored not only in a single paragraph of text, but across the whole novel. I chose to do this because:
1. I have no life.
2. I’m sick, and therefore have no desire for a life, despite it being Friday night.
3. Hammett is my substitute for a life.
4. I feel a little guilty about being so far behind on blog posts last week.
5. This numbered list is ending now.
I …

Oh, how fun typing is when you’re sniffling every other word. Bah.
In a way, I felt like Miller’s Crossing was somewhere in between The Glass Key and Yojimbo. It didn’t hold as true to Ned’s personality in the book as Sanjuro in Yojimbo, but it wasn’t quite as far away as “Ed” in The Glass Key. Certain plot points were more identifiable as parallels to those in the book, while others were obviously constructed for the film alone. Miller’s Crossing has the same themes and character personalities as the book, …

-opening shot: ice in glass, starts with just noise first (loud)

-similar lines, occasionally: “How far has she got her hooks into you?”
-conversations have same themes as Glass Key, different subjects
-beautiful shot sequence: dog –> boy –> dead man (reaction shot in reverse–drawn out eyeline match)

-”You and I have faced worse odds.” “Never without reason. It helps to have one.”
-powder room conflict between Tom and Verna–background music: “Runnin’ Wild” (This song also featured in Some Like It Hot)
“Running wild, lost control.
Running wild, mighty bold.
Feeling gay, reckless too,
carefree mind …

I finally managed to watch Yojimbo on Friday afternoon, which means that I’m about three class sessions behind with blog posts. Argh.
Aesthetically, this film is nearly perfect. Lots of attention was obviously given to shot composition and lighting. (As should be the case in any movie, but–sadly–isn’t always.) The music was also an element that immediately caught my attention. It was an interesting mix of dramatic movie soundtrack-type music and traditional Japanese musical elements and instruments.
The comical aspects of this film seemed much more intentional than those in The Glass Key. …

-opening shot: head framed by mountains
-music: combination of western/traditional
-shot of feet
-howling wind (used several times)…emphasizes isolation
-fork in the road; represents indecision, lack of ties/commitments
-fast-paced conflict of the men contracts with the woman’s slow, steady weaving and speech
-wipe transition (total wipes in film: 7)
-isolation again…camera focused on Sanjuro rather than background, which is slightly out of focus
-dog with hand, cut to reaction shot
-”Business is booming. Can’t make coffins fast enough.”
-corrupt lawmen (just like traditional westerns!)
-leaves blowing, other characters at a distance (isolation again)
-”I’ve broken every law.”
-”Cooper, two coffins.        No, maybe three.”
-”There …

I found our class discussion very surprising. I think the most interesting thing I learned was about lighting cigarettes as a sign of sexual entanglement and/or desire. Wasn’t aware that the meaning of the gesture was quite as overt as that. I’m not surprised about the sexual subtext in an old film–often, older movies have a greater amount of sexual suggestion than newer ones. Sure, they actually SHOW sex in new movies, but they’re not nearly as suggestive nowadays. I’m constantly shocked when I go back to old films I …

-as we expected, many more invented lines
-”Ed” (to Janet): “I don’t want you around because I’m liable to start making passes at you.” Oh my.
-hospital nurses: (1) are good at detective work, and (2) fall for their patients in a highly unprofessional way on a regular basis, especially if the film’s producers think it will appeal to audiences.
-It doesn’t matter that the protagonist flirts shamelessly with anything female that moves…he’s still a good person because that’s what the filmmakers tell us.
-Never too much eye sex.
-Just in case we didn’t …