Why Do I Like the Chicago Bears This Week?
I.
Always.
Like.
THE.
Chicago.
Bears.
An 18-Week Sidney Lumet Syllabus
This season, I’m trying something different. Instead of using this space to randomly comment on culture, there will be a recurring theme: the work of Sidney Lumet. Lumet is one of America’s most prolific cinematic artists, and yet is dramatically underrepresented by the critical and academic communities. My long-term mission is to remedy that injustice, and I’ll be using this space to work through concepts, notes, etc.
There’s a poetry to this decision, as well. Lumet was born in 1924, making this his centennial. As my book on Lumet is still years from reaching the desk of a publisher, I’m thrilled to celebrate his 100th birthday right here on this little old blog Noah and I started two decades ago.
Below you’ll find the syllabus. Why am I publishing this? Because if you’re interested in taking a “class” on Lumet, this is your opportunity. There are fourteen films listed and each of them is rentable on one platform or another for a few bucks. If you want a thorough appreciation of a great filmmaker, and also to understand what we do in the Cinema Studies world, I welcome you to watch the films each week and follow along. And any questions you might have along the way, simply email me: jeff@dabearsblog.com.
Week 2: Lumet and The Group Theater
Week 3: Early Television Aesthetics and 12 Angry Men
Week 4: Stage Adaptations
Week 5: The Pawnbroker and Post-War Memory
Week 6: Fail Safe and the Cold War
Week 7: The Sean Connery Collaborations, or Lumet Abroad
Week 8: Serpico, Prince of the City, and the Police
Week 9: Dog Day Afternoon
Week 10: Network and Auteur Theory
Week 11: New York City in The Wiz
Week 12: The Verdict
Week 13: Garbo Talks in the Middle of Ronald Reagan
Week 14: Sins of the Father: Daniel, Running on Empty, and Family Business
Week 15: Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead and Post-9/11 New York
Week 16: The Legacy of Lumet’s Seminal Book, Making Movies
Week 17: Final Thoughts and Bibliography
Three Thoughts on the Titans
- Tennessee had arguably the strangest offseason is the NFL. They fired their well-respected coach and looked poised to enter a rebuilding period. They did not. Instead, they were one of the most active teams in free agency, bringing in a collection of expensive veterans and role players. After all of those moves, the Titans still find themselves, according to DraftKings Sportsbook, with the longest odds to win the NFC South at 10-1. (For comparison, the Colts are the third favorite at about 3.5-1.)
