My Life So Far (The Original Motion Picture Motion Pictures)

When I said I wouldn't be posting here on a near daily basis anymore ... well, today is an anomaly.  I think.

Like the songs, these aren't necessarily my favorite films, though certainly a good chunk of them qualify as such.  Some of them are pretty bad, in retrospect.  In the end, these are movies that remind me strongly of a particular year in my life (whether personal or in a historical context).

1962. Days of Wine and Roses
1963. Irma la Douce
1964. Dr. Strangelove (Or How I Stopped Worrying And Learned To Love The Bomb)
1965. A Patch of Blue
1966. Batman 
1967. The Graduate
1968. The Producers
1969. Midnight Cowboy
1970. M.A.S.H.
1971. Klute
1972. The Godfather
1973. American Graffiti
1974. The Godfather Part II
1975. Dog Day Afternoon
1976. Rocky
1977. Star Wars
1978. Grease
1979. Apocalypse Now
1980. Raging Bull
1981. Reds
1982. Fast Times at Ridgemont High
1983. Local Hero
1984. Splash
1985. St. Elmo's Fire
1986. Platoon
1987. Barfly
1988. The Last Temptation of Christ
1989. Heathers
1990. Goodfellas
1991. The Silence of the Lambs
1992. Glengarry Glen Ross
1993. True Romance
1994. Pulp Fiction
1995. Leaving Las Vegas
1996. Beautiful Girls
1997. Boogie Nights
1998. The Big Lebowski
1999. Being John Malkovich
2000. Almost Famous
2001. Vanilla Sky
2002. Minority Report
2003. Lost In Translation
2004. Garden State
2005. Sin City
2006. United 93
2007. Gone Baby Gone
2008. The Dark Knight

2009. District 9

A Whole New Meaning To "How 'bout them Cowboys?"

"Go Long!"

That's Jimmy Johnson's tag line as the new spokesman for ExtenZe, the "male enhancement" product.  That's not a joke.  I saw it myself early this morning on TV, his jovial fat face stuffed under that silver pompadour of his, yakking away about how everyone loves "bigger and better."

And  Johnson, the longtime college and pro football head coach and current Fox Sports NFL analyst, is no cynical paid celebrity stooge, just in it for the buck.  No, he's apparently a long-time enthusiastic customer.  He might have a few Super Bowl rings on his fingers to boost his ego but they did no good I guess in boosting the length of his disco stick.  And thus, "go long!"

My Life So Far (The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

These aren't necessarily my favorite songs (if that were the case, songs from 1965 and 1977 and 79 would consume almost every slot).  No, rather these are songs that remind me of a particular year in my life.  I might have been obsessed with the song, or heard it a lot on the radio.  For the songs prior to 1972, they remind me of a year in a historical rather than personal context, since I didn't really pay attention to music as such prior to my 10th birthday.  I've added more than one song per year only when I felt that one alone could not convey those 12 months for me (the mid-60's and late-70's, mostly).

I'm not sure why I felt the urge to list these here, but the compulsion was strong nonetheless.  I'm sure books, films and TV shows are soon to follow, I must warn you.  Or not.  You were warned.

1962. The Wanderer by Dion
1963. Please Mr. Postman by The Beatles (ironic that my favorite Beatles recording is a cover?)
1964. Don't Worry Baby by The Beach Boys
1965. Desolation Row, Ballad of a Thin Man and Positively 4th Street by Bob Dylan followed with You've Got To Hide Your Love Away by The Beatles
1966. California Dreamin' by the Mamas and the Papas followed with Rain by The Beatles
1967. Heroin by The Velvet Underground followed with Suzanne by Leonard Cohen
1968. Ball and Chain by Janis Joplin/Big Brother and Holding Co.
1969. Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley followed with Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones
1970. God by John Lennon followed with Dress Rehearsal Rag by Leonard Cohen followed with I Think I Love You by The Partridge Family (which one is my favorite now?)
1971. Moonlight Mile by The Rolling Stones followed with Yo-Yo by the Osmonds (which one was my favorite at the time?)
1972. Layla by Derek and the Dominos
1973. Captain Jack by Billy Joel
1974. Seasons in the Sun by Terry Jacks followed with Kung Fu Fighting by Karl Douglas (we could play records on Friday in math class at George Washington Carver Middle School 7th Grade)
1975. Backstreets by Bruce Springsteen
1976. Dancing Queen by ABBA followed with Blitzkrieg Bop and Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue by the Ramones followed with I've Loved These Days by Billy Joel followed with Night Moves by Bob Seger
1977. Alison by Elvis Costello followed with Career Opportunities by The Clash followed with Anarchy in the UK by Sex Pistols followed with Sheena Is A Punk Rocker by the Ramones
1978. Badlands and Racing In The Street by Bruce Springsteen followed with Big Shot by Billy Joel followed with (I Don't Want To Go To) Chelsea by Elvis Costello followed with I Wanna Be Sedated by the Ramones
1979. Dance This Mess Around by the B-52s followed with Oliver's Army by Elvis Costello followed with Discovering Japan by Graham Parker followed with Alternative Ulster by Stiff Little Fingers
1980. London Calling by The Clash followed with Los Angeles by X
1981. Shot With His Own Gun by Elvis Costello followed with Seven Year Ache by Roseanne Cash
1982. Mexican Radio by Wall of Voodoo followed with Add It Up by Violent Femmes
1983. Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2 followed with An Innocent Man by Billy Joel
1984. Country Death Song by Violent Femmes followed with Don't Go Back To Rockville by REM
1985. Just Like Honey by Jesus and the Mary Chain
1986. Dear God by XTC
1987. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For by U2
1988. Everybody Knows by Leonard Cohen
1989. Fight the Power by Public Enemy followed with Tramp The Dirt Down by Elvis Costello
1990. Last Day of Our Acquaintance by Sinead O'Connor
1991. Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana
1992. Runaway Train by Soul Asylum
1993. Flower by Liz Phair
1994. Doll Parts by Hole 
1995. Sinaloa Cowboys by Bruce Springsteen
1996. Criminal by Fiona Apple
1997. Tubthumping by Chumbawamba
1998. Intergalactic by Beastie Boys
1999. Sleep Now In The Fire by Rage Against The Machine
2000. Stan by Eminem
2001. The Blower's Daughter by Damien Rice
2002. Complicated by Avril Lavigne
2003. Knockin' On Heaven's Door by Warren Zevon
2004. American Idiot by Green Day
2005. Reno by Bruce Springsteen
2006. Black Cadillac by Roseanne Cash followed with Dancing Shoes by Arctic Monkeys
2007. Sweet Jane by Cowboy Junkies
2008. The Bright Lights of America and The Modern Rome Burning by Anti-Flag

2009. Sulfur To Sugarcane by Elvis Costello followed with Lust For Life by Girls followed with Bad Romance by Lady Gaga