Some Movies, Books, and Music Are Too Good to Be Forgotten
I’ve been obsessed with movies since I was a teenager in the 1970s, spending three or four nights a week in a darkened movie theater, convinced that Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey was the greatest movie ever made. Not much has changed since then.
Notes From The 10th Row is a newsletter about the movies, music, and books that deserve more attention than they get: the overlooked, the undervalued, and the unjustly forgotten. I’ll also dig into film history, revisit landmark moments in popular culture, and occasionally make the case that the conventional wisdom got it wrong.
My perspective comes from a lifetime of serious engagement with film and culture. I’m a writer and indie filmmaker based in Lincoln, Nebraska, and I’ve spent decades thinking carefully about what makes a great film, a great album, or a great book, and why so many genuinely great ones slip through the cracks.
This newsletter is for people who want to go deeper. If you’ve ever felt that your favorite film never got the audience it deserved, or that a classic album has been unfairly overlooked, or that the wrong movie won the Oscar, you’re in the right place.
New to the 10th Row? Start Here…
These are three posts that define my approach to film, memory, and culture:
Gene Hackman: 5 Great Films – A retrospective on the late, great Gene Hackman. Instead of the usual blockbusters, I look at five performances that define his genius and remind us why he was the ultimate “actor’s actor.”
French Fries, Gravy, and Girls – A personal dive into the intersection of nostalgia, small-town life, and the sensory experiences that shape our aesthetic tastes.
“He-He-Hello:” Party Girl at 30 – A 30th-anniversary celebration of the 90s indie spirit. I explore why this Parker Posey classic remains a masterclass in independent filmmaking.I’ve spent my whole life obsessed with great films, music, and books. I started this newsletter because some things are too good to keep to yourself.
As an indie filmmaker and writer, I believe the best stories are often the ones that take a little effort to find. I’d love to have you along for the search. Will you join me in the 10th row?
Here are the trailers for two of my indie documentaries:
