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CANCELLED

Today's NYTimes Best 1176 film was supposed to be Sam Peckinpah's

Straw Dogs (1971)

I didn't watch it.

I knew from Ebert's two star review that I would hate it or, perhaps more to the point, that I might actually like it in which case I wouldn't much like myself.

This is the kind of gratuitous violence that I have no time or stomach for.

I read that it began with kids torturing a dog. No thanks. I can handle some humans getting their shit tortured and ruined but not animals. I have come to that pass.

Peckinpah was a phenom of sorts. He was the kind of big balled macho guy that, for awhile, had Hollywood in his thrall. Against type. Not a sissy, arty guy.

So I will miss this one.

I have to fess up that I have skipped a few other films in the 'best list' as well. I have written about this before.

This is the first in a long while though. Well, since Shrek which I had seen in a theater and regard as the most boring cartoon I have ever seen.

So this one gets a little circle with a cross over it at the Netflix site.

Did I mention it has Dustin Hoffman in it? One of his carreer embarrassments I understand.

Labels: best films