'Dead Man'

I told my friend Rajesh that I was going to watch Jim Jarmusch's Dead Man over the weekend. He told me to be sure to not watch it tired because it's a long, slow film.

I couldn't disagree more. I was thoroughly entertained. A really cool modern western: Something I've watched a lot of lately.

It was released in 1995, long before Johnny Depp would start emoting needlessly into the camera and taking the opportunity to completely overact in every scene of every movie.

And shouldn't Depp go by "John." He's not 14 anymore. Johnny, Jimmy, Joey and names of that ilk do not work after, like, 22. Hank is the only exception.

I thought the film had a wonderful pace and I couldn't believe it was two hours long. Gary Farmer is fantastic as the Native American, Nobody. Loved Crispin Glover's little cameo at the beginning. Robert Mitchum, Gabriel Byrne and Alfred Molina are great in their little roles.

It's dark and violent, much the way I view the old west. I don't think modern film could ever recreate what it was like to live in a lawless and rough part of a country that was as new as you could get.

How they captured and figured out crimes is a complete mystery. Depp's character could've killed anyone and pretty much gotten away with it by going into Canada or Mexico. But he couldn't quite get far enough away.

The modern western is the only era that at least captured what 70 percent of the desperation of the old west. Still, it's not enough.