Hey curt:

I haven't been quite that honest with you.  I will try to change that now.

When I read your original post on KANE, I was really upset that it was the first Welles film you saw.  The truth of the matter is, whenever someone comes into my video store and says something like, "I've heard I should check out Orson Welles' films...What do you suggest?",  I never suggest KANE.  I always suggest TOUCH OF EVIL, THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI or even THE STRANGER first.  Not because I think they are "better" films, but because they are solid "entertainments" that don't quite have the reputation KANE does.  If these "newbies" like those films, then I'll suggest KANE and MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS.  If they don't like them...well...the truth is.. I tried...But, I won't lose any sleep.

I have also been less than forthcoming regarding why I think KANE is the greatest.  The real reason is that I think the film is perfect!  What I mean is...for the life of me...I've tried to find something wrong with the film.  Questions of whether it is "boring" or not don't enter into my evaluation on this point.  Some of my favourite films of all time are deeply flawed.  BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY'S is a great, fun film, but I cringe every time Mickey Rooney's racist streotype comes on the screen.  THE GODFATHER is a lot of fun, but there are scenes in the movie that I don't necessarily think are important to telling the story.  I get a kick out of the scene where Jimmy Caan is bangin' the wedding guset against the door, but if it was gone, it wouldn't LOWER my appreciation of the film (and they do usually cut THAT scene out on regular t.v. broadcasts).  I can't say that about KANE.  I've tried my damnedest to find ONE thing in it that isn't needed to tell the story.  I used to think it was the cockatiel.  I don't know if you remember it, but when the film goes into the butler's flashback, all of a sudden, a bird squawks very loudly!  I thought, "What the hell was that all about?".  Is that the flaw I've been looking for?  Then I read an interview with Welles where he said the reason he did it was, I'm paraphrasing, "The movie is two hours long!  I realised that some people may have fallen asleep.  I put that there to wake them up so they will see the ending!"...I have yet to find anything to replace that damn cockatiel and I have studied the film to death!  Maybe next time you check it out you can spot something.

I didn't get a chance to watch FIGHT CLUB again last night.  My roommate, who hates violent movies was watching a women's hockey game (it's her t.v. so I have to sometimes put up with that kind of stuff).  For the record, women's hockey is becoming just as violent as men's.  I'm going to the premiere of a short film one of my staff made called, "THE BUSINESS OF SUICIDE" tonight and I plan to get very drunk (I have a suspicion I'll need to), so I think I'll wait until Thursday to give Fincher's flick another go (I'll need the time to recover from tonight, I'm sure!). 

Respectfully yours, 
DEREK

P.S.  You mentioned SE7EN.  I'm allowed one DVD (to add to my collection) as a bonus each week for managing my store (the owner barely pays me enough to survive!).  SE7EN sits on my DVD shelf at home alongside SINGIN' IN THE RAIN and THE SEVEN SAMURAI.  They're all great films and a hell of a lot of fun! 