Picks of the Week

Movie: The Sting (1973)

Cue the Entertainer. The Sting looks and sounds like a musical comedy without songs, leaving in their place old-fashioned, toe-tapping, head-shakin’, beat-makin’ piano rags that easily evoke an aura of 1930s America. The comedy unites the team of Paul Newman and Robert Redford with director George Roy Hill for the second time since Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, and tells the story of a couple of confident men swindling those of the great city of Chicago in 1936. Henry Gondoroff (Newman) mentors Johnny Hooker (Redman) in his ways of the world in order to make Mr. Hooker’s dream of pulling off the “Big Con” a reality. An undeniably charming film, The Sting thrusts charisma at its viewers from beginning to end because it is so obviously aware of what it’s up to: a good-natured, almost con-game of a movie experience—keeping you curious even after its conclusion.

Album:
The Last Waltz
by The Band

Held on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 25, 1978, The Last Waltz has made its mark in history. Although seemingly just a concert performed to mark the end of The Band’s memorable touring career, The Last Waltz became so much more. It brought in over a dozen special guests, the likes of which included Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, and Bob Dylan, but the unique aspect of the entire affair was that it was filmed live by Martin Scorsese. As we all know, anything filmed by Scorsese is going to be gold, which is exactly how I would categorize The Last Waltz: solid gold. The film is widely considered to be the best concert film ever made. Look out for the song “Stagefright,” which is my favorite on the album.

Book:
The Catcher in the Rye
by J.D. Salinger

Due to the fact that The Catcher in the Rye is my favorite book, and its famously reclusive author just died, I felt that the PC public should once again be reminded of the prose that poured out of Salinger’s pen, and how much it meant to everyone. Rye chronicles the classic story of teenage rebellion through the mouth of its protagonist, Holden Caulfield. Holden, known for his foul language and point-blank statements, easily captured the hearts of America as the fighter of the phonies and king of the liars. In this tale of redemption, Holden reminds us that “People always think something’s all true,” and most of the time there are shades of gray to every seemingly black and white situation—except for the statement that The Catcher in the Rye is certainly a classic to keep on your bedside table. That, my friends, is certainly all true.