The Horse's Head

The Plot: Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s Superman (Christopher Reeve)! Born on the planet Krypton as Kal-El, Superman is sent to Earth during Krypton’s destruction by his father Jor-El (Marlon Brando). Landing on Earth and raised in Smallville by the Kents (Glenn Ford and Phyllis Thaxter), Kal-El —now known as Clark Kent — becomes aware of his Kryptonian superpowers, which his adopted father insists be used for good. Clark grows up to become a mild-mannered newspaper reporter for the Daily Planet in Metropolis, which he uses as a front while he continues to save Metropolis as Superman. Along the way he woos fellow reporter Lois Lane (Margot Kidder), matches wits with supervillain Lex Luthor (Gene Hackman), and fights a never-ending battle for truth, justice, and the American way.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film “[b]eautiful in its sweep, score and special effects”, and declares Reeve “the definitive Man of Steel”. An essay by film critic Chuck Koplinski is a thorough appreciation of the film and its behind-the-scenes struggles.

But Does It Really?: As a movie, “Superman” is slowly paced to the point of frustration, but as a cultural touchstone it can’t be beat. What the film lacks in focus it more than makes up for with Reeve’s central performance (and his chemistry with Kidder), aided by John Williams’ unforgettable score and the film’s overall epic scope and occasionally impressive special effects. “Superman” is not one of the great movies on the Registry, but its iconography has had a lasting impact on pop culture, and its NFR standing as an important American film is undeniable.

Shout Outs: No direct references to other NFR films within “Superman”, but Christopher Reeve stated that he based his performance of Clark Kent on Cary Grant’s work in “Bringing Up Baby”. Also, if “Rock Around the Clock” is playing and Glenn Ford is nearby, does that count as a “Blackboard Jungle” reference?

Everybody Gets One: Born in New York and raised in New Jersey, Christopher Reeve caught the acting bug at a young age, ultimately becoming one of only two students picked for Juilliard’s Advanced Program in 1973 (the other was Robin Williams). Reeve had to drop out of Juilliard after less than two years to fulfill a contractual obligation with the soap opera “Love of Life”, but he always returned to the theater when he could. Reeve was initially not considered to play Superman because the producers wanted an established name such as Burt Reynolds, Paul Newman, or Al Pacino (my favorite potential contender is Muhammad Ali!). Once Brando and Hackman were cast, unknown actors were tested, and Reeve finally won the part after being campaigned for by the film’s casting director Lynn Stalmaster, who had seen his stage work. Reeve’s performance has been repeatedly singled out over the years as the reason “Superman” was so successful.

Wow, That’s Dated: Among the pieces of the Superman mythos that were starting to show their age in the ‘70s: print media and phone booths (though the movie gets a good visual gag out of the latter).

Seriously, Oscars?: One of the biggest hits of 1978, “Superman” received three Oscar nominations for its Score, Sound, and Editing. While it lost these awards to “Midnight Express” and “The Deer Hunter”, the film did receive a Special Achievement Oscar for its Visual Effects.

And now for An Oversimplified History of Superman. Based on the short story “The Reign of the Superman” by Jerry Siegel (with illustrations by Joe Shuster), Superman made his official debut in DC Comics’ Action Comics Issue #1 in April 1938. Superman was an instant success, getting his own comic book series in June 1939, which has continued on and off over the last nine decades. Adaptations of Superman in other media began almost immediately, starting with a radio series starring Bud Collyer, and later a TV show starring George Reeves. Superman’s first film appearance was in a series of animated shorts produced by Fleischer Studios (where he was again voiced by Collyer), followed by two live-action serials with Kirk Alyn. Although Superman prevailed in comics and on TV throughout the 20th century, he would not get another live-action film adaptation until producers Ilya & Alexander Salkind acquired the film rights from DC Comics in 1974. It was agreed that both “Superman” and “Superman II” would be filmed simultaneously, leading to a nineteen month shoot with a budget of $55 million, the most expensive film(s) ever made up to that point.

• Oh right, this movie was made in the ‘70s, therefore its pacing is slower than the glaciers at the Fortress of Solitude. Because “Superman” and its sequel were filmed simultaneously, they were conceived as two parts of a larger story, which explains why a majority of this movie feels like set-up, because it is. This also explains Terence Stamp’s brief appearance as General Zod, which is just there to set him up as the villain in “II”. That’s all well and good, but I ain’t kneeling before Zod anytime soon.
• Even Superman’s adopted hometown of Smallville has an epic scope to it, thanks to some choice on-location shots across rural Canada and gorgeous Rockwell-esque cinematography from Geoffrey Unsworth. We also get Glenn Ford as Pa Kent, in what is probably his second-best NFR performance in my opinion.

• It takes almost an hour for Superman to grow up and become Christopher Reeve, but it’s worth it. The filmmakers really struck gold with Reeve; he is instantly endearing as both Superman and Clark Kent, and matched by Margot Kidder’s Lois Lane. Such actors as Stockard Channing and Anne Archer were in serious contention to play Lois, but Kidder adds an appropriate amount of toughness and playfulness to the character. The natural chemistry between Reeve and Kidder is easily the best part of the movie (the interview scene in particular is fantastic).
• If you thought it took a long time for Christopher Reeve to show up, it takes even longer for Gene Hackman to finally put in an appearance. I thoroughly enjoyed Hackman’s performance as Lex Luthor, primarily because he’s basically doing his own thing, as if he’s starring in a completely different movie, which I found refreshing this far into the proceedings. He also plays well off of Ned Beatty and the recently departed Valerie Perrine as Lex’s less-than-helpful accomplices. 

• This movie has several faults, but the flying scenes aren’t one of them. The special effects team used every trick in the book to make Superman fly, and the results speak for themselves. Just as the poster predicted, I believed a man could fly.

• It amuses me that the filmmakers felt the need to sneak a song into the movie. A collaboration between John Williams and Leslie Bricusse, “Can You Read My Mind” is another in the proud tradition of inner monologue songs on the NFR. However, as far as “falling in love while flying” songs are concerned, it’s no “A Whole New World”.

• Brando is just one of multiple actors with brief turns in this movie that made me wonder “What are you doing here?”. Among them: former “Our Gang” star Jackie Cooper as Perry White, British stalwarts Trevor Howard and Susannah York as Kryptonians, film critic Rex Reed as himself, and Larry Hagman as one horned-up Army major. But the most random to me was the combination of John Ratzenberger and Phil Brown observing the hijacked missile launches. Cliff Clavin and Uncle Owen: together at last.
• Speaking of “What are you doing here?”, yes that is “Godfather” author Mario Puzo credited here as one of the writers. Although the producers gave him a proposal he couldn’t decline ($600,000), Puzo’s drafts were too campy and veered too far from the Superman mythos for the producers’ tastes. Very little of Puzo’s script made the final cut, hence the “Story by” credit.
• The California fault line finale adds a hint of the ‘70s disaster genre to the proceedings. In all fairness, “Superman” is a better earthquake movie than “Earthquake”.

• Someone please explain this movie’s time travel aspect to me. Did the earthquake still happen? Are there two Supermen out there now? Just how wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey does this all get? Whatever, I’m ready for this thing to be over.

• The very end of the movie features text declaring “Next Year ‘Superman II’”: The cinematic equivalent of Babe Ruth’s called shot.

• Superman has endured over the decades in practically every type of media, including multiple TV series (“Lois & Clark”, “Superman: The Animated Series”, “Smallville”, etc.). As of this writing, there have been three attempts to bring Superman back to the big screen, and while they each met with varying degrees of success, all of them have stayed in the shadow of the 1978 movie.

• As soon as “Superman” wrapped, Christopher Reeve spent the remainder of his career playing roles on stage and screen as far removed from The Man of Steel as possible (I love his performance in “Noises Off”). A horse-riding accident in 1995 left Reeve paralyzed from the neck down, but he continued to act and direct, as well as advocate for a number of causes, including disability rights and stem cell research. Christopher Reeve died in 2004 at age 52, his on-screen legacy as Superman matched by his off-screen advocacy and generosity. Reeve was living proof that not all superheroes wear capes.

When I started this blog nine years, I thought there was an outside chance I’d make it to 700 movies, but definitely didn’t believe 800 movies was possible. Thanks for flying along with me all these years. More to come. 

The Plot: Truman Burbank (Jim Carrey) leads a seemingly perfect life in the idyllic town of Seahaven with his loving wife Meryl (Laura Linney) and devoted best friend Marlon (Noah Emmerich), but as he approaches his 30^th birthday, something seems off. Little by little Truman starts piecing the truth together: He has been the star of a 24/7 reality TV program called “The Truman Show” since his birth: everything he has ever experienced has been staged, and everyone he has ever known is a hired actor. As Truman starts to figure things out, the show’s creator Christof (Ed Harris) does everything in his power to stop Truman from leaving Seahaven. There’s a lot more to unpack in this intricate character study ahead of its time. 

Why It Matters: The NFR notes the film’s presage of reality TV and social media and calls the film “a study in sociology, philosophy, and psychology”.

But Does It Really?: Full disclosure, “The Truman Show” is one of my all-time favorite movies, so we have another gush-fest on our hands. “Truman Show” is what I call a Swiss Watch Movie: a finely detailed machine that produces a true piece of art. It takes a great science-fiction concept and runs with it, filling in every detail perfectly, ensuring a rich viewing experience that gets better every time. Peter Weir gamely directs an airtight script with a pitch-perfect cast, including Jim Carrey finally proving to the world he’s so much more than a rubber-faced clown. Not since “Network” has one movie so accurately predicted where the media landscape was headed, and “The Truman Show” has more than earned its spot on the Registry.

Everybody Gets One: New Zealander Andrew Niccol had been directing TV commercials in London when Hollywood producer Scott Rudin bought his spec script “The Malcolm Show”, a gritty sci-fi thriller set in New York. Niccol was originally set to direct his own script, but Paramount wanted an experienced director, ultimately going with Peter Weir, who at that point had already helmed “Picnic at Hanging Rock”, “Witness”, and “Dead Poets Society”, among many others. Weir helped shape the script into something lighter, transplanting the action to a fake seaside town and coming up with elaborate backstories for the characters. Robin Williams was Paramount’s pick for the lead role (now renamed Truman), but Weir’s first and only choice was Jim Carrey, fresh off his success with “Ace Ventura: Pet Detective”, a performance that reminded Weir of Charlie Chaplin! Weir was so determined to cast Carrey he delayed production for over a year so that Carrey could fulfill his commitments with “The Cable Guy” and “Liar Liar”.

Seriously, Oscars?: A hit upon release, “The Truman Show” received three major Oscar nominations: Director, Original Screenplay, and Supporting Actor for Ed Harris. The film lost these categories to, respectively, “Saving Private Ryan”, “Shakespeare in Love”, and James Coburn in “Affliction”, but the biggest outcry was reserved for Jim Carrey going un-nominated for Lead Actor, despite winning the Golden Globe. Carrey attended the ceremony to present Best Editing, but he didn’t seem to be taking things well.

• The first episode we see of the show-within-the-movie takes place on Day 10,909 of Truman’s life. Let me just pretend to do the math here…that would make Truman TWENTY-NINE YEARS OLD? He’s only 29!? Carrey turned 35 during filming, so this is all more a sign of how much adulthood has changed in 30 years than anything else.
• Among the many things I love about this movie is that it hits the ground running. The movie resists the temptation to explain everything upfront, just the bare minimum exposition with Christof and off we go. The main points get explained throughout, but many of the details are left up to viewer interpretation, as it should be.
• Because I’ve seen this movie so many times, I focused on more of the background details this time, like figuring out where the cameras are hidden within Seahaven (check out Truman’s wedding ring). I also zeroed in on Laura Linney’s performance this time. In her breakout film role, Linney delivers a lot of subtleties underneath Meryl’s faux-Donna Reed exterior. There’s also a lot of good work being done by Noah Emmerich; Marlon is easy-going and chummy around Truman, yet simultaneously in pain for having to constantly lie to his best friend.

• Shout out to Holland Taylor for doing what she does best: playing the main character’s strongly opinionated mother.
• I was under the impression that Philip Glass was the sole composer of the “Truman” score. Turns out a majority of it was composed by Germany’s Burkhard Dallwitz. Glass contributed a few selections to the score, primarily pieces he had written for previous films. Glass also makes a cameo within the film as the show’s live composer, hence my confusion.
• I love the audience cutaways throughout the movie, a Greek chorus of devoted “Truman Show” viewers supplying insight into just what makes the show so watchable. Side note: one of the garage attendants is played by Joel McKinnon Miller, who would go on to play Scully (or possibly Hitchcock) on “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”.

• I’ve always loved Natascha McElhone’s performance as Sylvia, Truman’s classmate who was banned from the show after she tried to tell Truman he’s on television. McElhone says so much with her eyes it’s no wonder Truman has spent the last decade secretly pining for Sylvia. This subplot also features the interesting-in-hindsight line “They got rid of her, but they couldn’t erase the memory”, which now works as a nice little bit of “Eternal Sunshine” foreshadowing.

• Perhaps the film’s most famous bit of casting lore, Dennis Hopper was originally cast as Christof, but left shortly after filming began (or was possibly fired. Either way, “creative differences” were involved). Ed Harris filled in at the eleventh hour, and while he’s great in the part, he’s also just a tad too young. Harris was 46 during filming, 14 years Hopper’s junior. Assuming Christof is the same age as Harris, he would have been around 16 when “The Truman Show” started. In Harris’ defense, he’s so good in this I didn’t pick up on any of this age stuff until after seeing the film multiple times.

• While we’re on the subject: His name is Christof? Christof? Why not name him God G. Goderson? Then again, what should I have expected from a movie where the only character unaware he’s on TV is essentially named “true man”?
• For those of you keeping score, this is the second NFR movie where Ed Harris commands an entire control room. This is also the third NFR movie that has made me say, “Oh yeah, I forgot Paul Giamatti’s in this.”
• My favorite callback in the movie is the bus driver being recast as the ferry captain when the town is searching for Truman, and his inability to drive either vehicle. It got a good laugh out of me, as did the Production Assistant’s line: “Bottom line is they can’t drive the boat. They’re actors!”
• [Spoilers] Oh that ending. Flammarion scholars everywhere got a kick out of Truman sailing directly into the backdrop, and like everything else in this movie, I find the ending totally flawless. In fact, my favorite shot in the entire movie is when all of the viewers celebrate Truman’s exit, and the bartender at the Truman bar runs across the bar high-fiving everyone. I don’t know why but that shot makes me tear up every time. Something about the actions of one isolated individual inspiring community between strangers.

• Peter Weir directed two more films after “Truman Show”: “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World” and “The Way Back”. Weir retired from filmmaking in the early 2010s, and in 2022 received an honorary Academy Award for being “a fearless and consummate filmmaker”.

• I think it would be easier to list the media not influenced by “The Truman Show”. In the last thirty years, “Truman” has become more and more prescient in its take on our media landscape. Everything from reality competitions to social media live streams to movies and TV about surveillance/meta-entertainment can trace their lineage back to “The Truman Show”. The most recent example I can think of is the TV show “Jury Duty”, in which an entire trial was staged to capture the reactions of one (non-actor) juror. It’s also the show that jump-started James Marsden’s career, and we’re all grateful for that.

• “Mike, do you suppose there’s any chance a biblical rain’ll come and wipe out Jim Carrey?”

• And finally, “Truman Show” has achieved the rare “Gaslight” distinction of becoming synonymous with a medical condition. First coined circa 2008, the Truman Show delusion is a type of disorder in which people believe they are the unwilling star of a hidden-camera reality show. Although the name has taken off in the last two decades, Truman Show delusion is not officially recognized by the American Psychiatric Association.

Further Viewing: “EdTV”, Ron Howard’s 1999 movie about a regular Joe who willingly becomes the star of his own 24/7 reality series. It was criticized at the time for being a “Truman Show” knock-off, but I’m willing to chalk it up to parallel thinking (it’s a remake of a French-Canadian film that predates “Truman Show”). “EdTV” has a stacked ensemble, including Matthew McConaughey, Woody Harrelson, and…Dennis Hopper! Glad he wasn’t too creatively different for this one.

The Plot: Jack Tower (Gordon Morrison) is the captain of the track team at St. Louis’ Washington University and pines for the lovely Myrtle Maroon (Dean Marion McDaris). Although Jack has his heart set on winning the big track meet and earning his letterman W, he is easily beat during training by “hick” Aloisius Higgins (Philip Bryan). There’s not much else plot-wise, but “Maid” was filmed at Washington University and produced by the campus Drama Club, making it, according to the opening credits, “the first college movie ever produced”.

Why It Matters: The NFR calls the film a “whimsical romance”, states its status as “the first student film on record”, and devotes a whole paragraph to its rediscovery and restoration.

But Does It Really?: Well, the NFR loves their student films, so of course they would include the first one ever. On its own, “Maid of McMillan” is a fun, cute little film; clearly made by a group of young theater students not taking things too seriously and just trying to entertain their classmates. “Maid” holds up well enough that a modern viewing can still elicit a few chuckles (it did for me), though it makes the NFR primarily due to its status as the first student film (as well as a time capsule of 1916 campus life). While I’m not enthusiastically supportive of the NFR decision to induct “Maid”, I’m not mad about it either.

Everybody Gets One: Both George D. Bartlett and Donald Stewart were law students at Washington University, as well as members of the school’s Thyrsus Drama Club, which in the spring of 1916 decided to try its hand at filmmaking. The cast is comprised almost entirely of Thyrsus Drama Club members, and Bartlett and Stewart make cameos near the end as the highwaymen. Stewart would go on to marry the film’s leading lady Dean Marion McDaris a few years after graduation. Side note: In Greek mythology, the Thyrsus is the scepter held by Dionysus, the god of – among other things – theatre.

Title Track: McMillan Hall was the all-female dorm at Washington University, and is still standing today, though as best I can tell it is now gender-inclusive housing.

Further Viewing: After bashing countless student films on this blog, it’s only fair that I show the one that I’m in: 2008’s “Floater” by Chad Janusch. I got involved through my mutual friendship with my co-lead Clay Newman and the film’s director of photography Mark Sandhoff. And no, we definitely did not have permission to film on Red Rock Island.

The Plot: In its fleeting runtime, this cinematic offering addresses an agglomeration of contemporary issues: the unhoused situation, the famine crisis within urban metropolitan areas, societal ambivalence regarding free-ranging canines, and our human proclivity for…oh wait, never mind. It’s an 80 second short about a tramp who tries to steal a pie but then a dog bites him on the butt. That’s it.

Why It Matters: The NFR gives some historical context (this was apparently “the first commercial film made in Chicago”), and makes special mention of the film’s 2021 rediscovery.

But Does It Really?: When the Class of 2025 was announced, I was chatting with some of my fellow NFR enthusiasts about the selections, and the consensus was that while there were many fine choices, ultimately this was a safe list of movies. Nothing too controversial, nothing that’ll ruffle any feathers, just 25 movies we can all agree are good, or at the very least worthy of preservation. And that’s how I feel about “The Tramp and the Dog”. It’s not groundbreaking or entertaining, but it’s an early piece of film being rediscovered over 125 years after its creation, and that’s good enough for me. “Tramp” is the first film of the Class of 2025 for which I bestow the slightest of passes for its NFR inclusion.

Title Track: I’m confused, I thought the Tramp was the Dog. And when do they share a plate of spaghetti?

The Plot: As told as a flashback within a flashback within a novel, Zero Moustafa (Tony Revolori) is hired as a lobby boy at Zubrowka’s elegant Grand Budapest Hotel. He is taken under the wing of Monsieur Gustave H. (Ralph Fiennes), the meticulous concierge who has had a number of dalliances with the hotel’s elderly dowager patrons. When his longtime conquest Madame D. (Tilda Swinton) passes away, she bequeaths Gustave the valuable painting Boy with Apple, much to the disdain of her adult son Dmitri (Adrien Brody), who plots to steal it. But you’re not watching a Wes Anderson movie for the plot; you’re here for his trademark vintage aesthetic and ever-expanding roster of A List ensemble members.

Why It Matters: The NFR praises the film’s “visually striking and emotionally resonant story” and hails Wes Anderson as “one of the most stylistically distinctive American filmmakers of the last half-century.” There’s also an extended quote from Anderson describing the major influence the Library of Congress Photochrom Prints collection had on the final film.

But Does It Really?: As with many a recent NFR inductee, it’s a bit odd watching a movie for this blog that I feel I just saw when it came out (and by “just” I mean 12 years ago). I recall enjoying “The Grand Budapest Hotel” at the time, even if it did feel like Wes Anderson had finally fully escaped reality into Wes Anderson Bingo Land. Looking back on the film with some historical context, “Grand Budapest” is the Wes Anderson movie where it all comes together. With this film, not only did Anderson achieve the full aesthetic we associate with “a Wes Anderson movie”, but he achieved success with audiences, critics, and the awards circuit, a hat trick that none of his subsequent films have surpassed. While I’m still on the fence about whether “Grand Budapest Hotel” is a worthy NFR inductee, Wes Anderson is an iconic and canonized director who should have more than one film on the Registry, and “Grand Budapest” will do in a pinch.

Everybody Gets One: As the most recent NFR entry (as of this writing), “The Grand Budapest Hotel” serves as the NFR debut for a number of major actors, including Adrien Brody, Jude Law, Edward Norton (along with his performance in “Frida”), Saoirse Ronan, Léa Seydoux, Tilda Swinton, and Tom Wilkinson. This is also the only NFR credit for Hugo Guinness, artist and New York Times illustrator who contributed paintings to previous Anderson films (though somewhat ironically he didn’t paint Boy with Apple).“Grand Budapest” is Guinness’ first writing credit.

Seriously, Oscars?: A rare Oscar contender from the first half of a calendar year, “The Grand Budapest Hotel” tied “Birdman” for the most nominations at the 2015 Oscars (nine) and most wins of the night (four). Although “Birdman” prevailed as the Best Picture winner, “Grand Budapest” won for its Production Design, Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design, and Music (Original Score). While Wes Anderson went home empty-handed that night, he would finally win his first Oscar in 2024 for his animated short “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar”.

• Of the ensemble, Tilda Swinton was the only actor who wasn’t Wes Anderson’s first choice. He had originally courted Angela Lansbury to play Madame D., but Lansbury had to back out due to her commitment touring with “Driving Miss Daisy” in Australia. Swinton’s good, and that’s a very impressive makeup job, but why not go for another elderly British actress? Were Rosemary Harris and Vanessa Redgrave unavailable?

• Zero’s encounter with the Nazi-adjacent immigration officers is unfortunately timely these days, though it does set up one of the best lines in the movie: Gustave’s “Take your hands off my lobby boy!”

• Between this and “Birdman”, 2014 was a good year for Edward Norton. This is Norton’s second Wes Anderson film following “Moonrise Kingdom”, and the beginning of his return to mainstream Hollywood following his “difficult” reputation and showbiz exile. We also get Adrien Brody between Oscar wins, seen here as…Salvador Dalí’s evil brother?
• As Zero’s beloved Agatha, Irish actor Saoirse Ronan plays something she has never gotten to play before: Irish. After trying out various accents for Agatha (including American and German), Ronan and Anderson agreed that her natural Irish lilt worked best for the character. And while we’re here, Ms. Ronan’s first name is pronounced “sir-sha”, like it rhymes with inertia. Stop asking her.
• Willem Dafoe stroking Jeff Goldblum’s Persian cat and then throwing it out a window: great movie moment or the greatest movie moment?
• Shoutout to Tony Revolori as Zero, successfully navigating a character who spends most of his screentime observing in the background, but can still step up and influence the story when he needs to. I was curious what Revolori has been up to in the last 12 years: turns out he’s in those new Spider-Man movies that I’ve never gotten around to watching. Glad he’s getting that Marvel money. Bonus shoutout to F. Murray Abraham as older Zero, making this the second NFR movie that Abraham narrates in flashback (with no old age makeup required this time).
• I liked the “Society of Crossed Keys” sequence, particularly Bill Murray’s extensive mustache and the amusing “take over” runner. Also, one of the society’s members is played by Wally Wolodarsky, Wes Anderson go-to and longtime “Simpsons” writer who co-wrote, among other episodes, the one where Homer falls down the Springfield Gorge. 

• At a time when CG effects were under fire for being too prevalent in Hollywood movies, Anderson comes to the rescue with practical effects and a stop-motion ski chase sequence. That being said, there’s a handful of green screen shots throughout the movie, though they’re minimal and nonintrusive.

• Oh wow, Owen Wilson’s in this. This is Wilson’s first NFR appearance as an actor; he was previously represented as the co-writer of “Rushmore”.
• The credits give special billing to pretty much the entire production team before the traditional roll-up credits. Also keep watching for a Special Thanks to the Library of Congress, and animation of a dancing Russian man!

Bonus Clip: Way back in the day I co-hosted a radio show with stand-up comic Clay Newman where we talked about TV and movies and stuff. For our 2015 Bullshit Oscar Special we did an opening sketch where we pulled a Billy Crystal and inserted ourselves into all eight of that year’s Best Picture nominees, including “The Grand Budapest Hotel”. Clay ad-libbed most of his lines, and his “Grand Budapest” tag still makes me laugh. Now if only I had sprung for an actual microphone.