Thanks for the book recommendation – that sounds really interesting, and yeah, I’d say the same about 1967 being the watershed year. That list of Best Picture nominees is actually a really good cross-section of that year, isn’t it? You gotta think Doctor Doolittle? Really? But that was indicative of the kind of overblown comedies the studios were doing in the ’60s.

Another worthy book to set you up is Mark Harris’ Pictures at a Revolution: Five Movies and the Birth of the New Hollywood. He looks at the five nominees for Best Picture at the 1967 Oscars (Bonnie and Clyde, The Graduate, Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?, In the Heat of the Night, and Doctor Doolittle. His thesis is that this year was the faultline that divided Old from New Hollywood, and it’s a great read.

Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Supporting Actress, screenplay, score, editing.

It didn’t win evertything, but still, not bad for a 4 character play transplanted to the screen.

It is a good movie, and I know you are a fan of Nicols’ CLOSER, which along with CARNAL KNOWLEDGE and WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOLF? form a gender-politics trilogy of sorts which spans the 60s, 70s, and 00s. I actually wish that Nicols had made one of these for the 80s and the 90s as well. But nevertheless, watching all three back to back (which I’ve done) is quite interesting.

Some great stuff in there. Network, Nashville, The Last Waltz, Close Encounters and The Shining would probably be my favourites of the entire list above.

Thanks. And yeah Woodstock is crazily long but amazing, especially Hendrix. They’re bringing out a new album of unreleased material if any Jimi fans out there haven’t heard – can’t wait.

Andrew, I think I’ve tried to watch Five Easy Pieces before and just couldn’t get into it. I’m hoping something will click this time – I don’t think I even finished it that time. Being There just sounded like an interesting idea. And I watched Woodstock over the weekend. Can I just say, Hendrix? OMG. I was impressed with how well-paced the film was – didn’t feel overlong, but still captured the beats of a gargantuan three-day festival and the mood of the time.

Didn’t care a whole lot for Being There, but Peter Sellers is fun to watch in that one. Woodstock though = awesome piece of American history told in a way that mimics the event; kind of dreamy and surreal, yet warm and friendly. I want to go back there.

Have fun!