Robert Altman: The Middle Years

Movie Review: The Long Goodbye (1973)

Elliott Gould takes over the iconic role of Philip Marlowe in this Raymond Chandler story. Unlike Bogart's version, Gould plays Marlowe as more of a wisecracker not afraid to insult a gang of goons right to their faces. Marlowe is pulled into a mystery surrounding his friend's wife's murder. Marlowe is convinced he didn't do it but the mob and the police think otherwise. Also contains Schwarzenegger's first film role as a mob enforcer. 7/10

Movie Review: Nashville (1975)

One of Altman's best. A huge ensemble cast portrays country stars, music fans, political organizers and everyone in between. The music is great and all the actors sing their songs themselves. Kung-Fu's David Carradine is especially impressive on the stage. Lily Tomlin is equally impressive just sitting in the audience and watching. In fact, I think it's more difficult for an actor to perform by doing absolutely nothing and she just nails it. Her face and eyes tell more than any spoken lines could. It's amazing how Altman was able to weave all these different stories and characters together as he did. He'd use this formula again in films like Short Cuts, Gosford Park, and A Prairie Home Companion. 9/10

Movie Review: 3 Women (1977)

This is a movie I definitely need to watch again. There is a lot going on here and I didn't realize how many layers there were until it was nearly over. A fantastic movie about two women (Shelley Duvall & Sissy Spacek) who share jobs, an apartment, and sometimes seem to switch personalities too. A little bit like Altman's previous film Images, this one also considers the issue of personal identity. 8/10

Book Review: What to Expect the First Year - Murkoff, Eisenberg and Hathaway

Required reading for new parents. Great month-by-month information and tips.

Book Review: The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year - Armin A. Brott

Another valuable read, this is basically a slimmed down version of What to Expect, just for new fathers.