December 3

Another birthday dedication for a friend, but they're not much for answering e-mails. But here's a Christmas tip: if you can't give somebody a present that you know they really want, you can give them something they really need. So, today's birthday celebrant is French film director Jean-Luc Godard, the guy who showed everybody the right way to break the rules.
I can try to do what books and books have been doing convince the world what a genius Godard is, or I can just show you two movies:
Here's Roger Corman's 1960 opus, The Wasp Woman, and indicative of what people expected in the drive-thrus and matinees of 1960.

This year, it was 'celebrated' by the cast of Cinematic Titanic.

In 1960, construction worker and film critic Jean-Luc Godard presented his first feature-length film, Breathless. This film is considered the global announcement of the French New Wave's arrival.


That's how much things changed when Godard got behind the camera. He's approaching 80, and what is he doing with his time? A new movie: