The week of March 10, 1984, was a great one on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the top spot you had Van Halen’s ‘Jump,’ followed by Cyndi Lauper’s ‘Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.’ Rounding out the top three was Nena’s ’99 Luftballons,’ a rare hit not in the English language.
What a great mix of songs. What a great decade!
Throwing back to the week of March 9, 1974, we find Terry Jacks atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘Seasons in the Sun.’
This song was first written and recorded in 1961 by the Danish artist Jacques Brel as ‘Le Moribond’ (which means ‘The Dying Man’). The lyrics described a man’s final messages to his friends, a priest, and his wife — who was cheating on him with one of his friends. In 1964, the Kingston Trio recorded an English-language version, retitled ‘Seasons in the Sun.’
Concluding my countdown of last year’s best films…
Best Films of 2023
#1. The Holdovers
This year’s top ten was one of the hardest I’ve had to compile. Not only did I have a dozen or so films vying for the final list, but I had a hell of a time figuring out what should go where. I considered at least five different titles for the top spot, never feeling quite right about any of them.
Then I rewatched Alexander Payne’s The Holdovers and realized I had my answer. I loved it already, but the second time through it was funnier, sadder, warmer, and wiser. I realized that not only is it my favorite movie of last year, but it’s a movie I’ll be seeking out repeatedly for years to come.
Continuing my countdown of last year’s best films…
Best Films of 2023
#2. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret.
As a father of two young women, I have long found that coming-of-age films about girls are my cinematic kryptonite. Whether it’s Lady Bird or CODA, The Florida Project or Moana, my year-end best-of lists are littered with movies about daughters.
Writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig is already responsible for one such movie. Her 2016 The Edge of Seventeen is one of the sharpest teen comedies I’ve seen, and a showcase for the great Hailee Steinfeld (who also starred in another of my favorite movies in this genre, True Grit).
Continuing my countdown of last year’s best films…
Best Films of 2023
#3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse
I enjoyed 2018’s Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse but didn’t fall head over heels for it the way so many others did. It took this sequel, five years in the making, to fully indoctrinate me into this incarnation of Miles Morales. But I’m all in now, baby.
To an even larger extent than its ground-breaking predecessor, this movie expands the landscape of animated filmmaking, exuding artistry and unbridled imagination in every frame. The film feels like a comic book come to life in four dimensions — I’ve never experienced anything quite like it.
Meet Me In Montauk 