What would their kid look like?

Remember that bit that Conan would do on his late show? Will do, I guess, since I'm sure he'll revive it for the new gig. Anyway, that's what I thought of when I saw "Killer of Sheep" recently: this is what the film-baby of Vittorio de Sica and Isaiah Curry would look like. And it was great. Very quiet, very simple, completely haunting.



Makes Boyz n the Hood look goofily melodramatic by comparison. Not that melodrama is all bad, mind you: to be an adolescent is to feel like every moment can only be properly experienced as melodrama, so it sort of fits. But Killer of Sheep is about being an adult or being a child, not the in-betweenness of teenagers. It's about being around violence but not being a part of it, and more importantly, about the infinite tiny failures of every normal life. Watch it.

Shot for ten grand in 1977, although when it was being prepped for a theater run in 2007, they had to shell out $150,000 to clear the music. Supposedly Sodebergh chipped in 75 grand all by himself. Good on ya, Stevie.