Camelot. This is the 60s musical that I thought I had to acquaint myself with in my attempts to be a good medievalist. It seems to be based not so much on "traditional" sources but on T.H. White's Once and Future King (which contains interesting ideas about Arthur's youth, Merlin's mentoring and the political conception of the Round Table). Like most extravagant productions from the period, this was bloated and slow moving (like Lerner and Lowe's other hit, The King and I). I didn't make it to the end.
BTW, look who's playing Arthur in a Camelot revival that's actually going to make it's way to East Lansing. Yup, Lou Diamond Phillips. I really liked him in La Bamba and wasn't he in Young Guns as well? Perhaps he will make subjecting myself to 3 hours of slow-moving singing worthwhile.
Gerry. I learnt about this film while reading an NYT article that assessed Matt Damon's career thus far. It's a strange plotless adventure of two pals (Matt Damon and Casey Affleck) who decide to trek the desert wilderness in Utah, and end up getting lost. The film showcases the rugged and unforgiving landscape but really tests one's patience with long shots (five minutes and more) of just the two of them walking the barren landscape. Thank God for the tracking function on DVD players.
Capote. I enjoyed this much more than the other two!
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