Over the weekend was a big bash of movie watching. We were feeling a little under the weather, so we had a bit of time to get through the NetFlix delivery that had been sitting around since early December.

Really, is NetFlix helping if we sit on the movies for a month? Heck, I even forgot to grab them to get the next batch...

So, the movie, if you haven't heard, is the only (then) X-rated film to ever win an Academy award. Best Picture and Director, I think, but don't quote me on it. The movie was probably rated X for the rape scenes and plenty of nudity. By today's standards it's pretty tame, and the rating has since been dropped to R.

The movie touched on weird. As a classic, I'd recommend it just to help have a foundation of what people think classics are. As a regular movie, it's brutal and a little hard to follow (much of it seeming like I've always thought acid trips were like), so I'd only recommend it to hearty movie fans. It certainly isn't one to watch with the kiddies.

John Voight plays Joe Buck, a self-proclaimed stud (he points out often that despite his get-up, he is not a real cowboy) who leaves his dishwashing job to move to New York where he plans to become a hustler, and live off the rich, lonely New York women.

He doesn't do so well, actually giving his first trick cash when they're done. He soon runs into Dustin Hoffman, who plays Ratzo (I mean Rizzo, as he asks to be called often), a bit of a troublemaker we can tell from the beginning. Rizzo first tries to scam Joe, then befriends him as they work through some issues of homelessness.

Throughout the movie, we're given insights and flashes into Joe's background. Through the flashbacks we learn of his general abuse, apparent rape, abandonment by his grandmother, and love for Annie. Joe's plenty messed up.

We're also given, by the same method of flashes, some of Joe's inner turmoil. We see his fears of being gay, although he does turn some homosexual tricks. We also see some fear and loathing of Rizzo from time to time. The same devices are used to see a little inside Rizzo, although the movie is truly about Joe, Rizzo actually has a more uplifting, hopeful interior; when they seemingly scam their way into getting Joe a good, high-paying gig, Rizzo sees them frolicking in Florida, all clean and respectable, and respected.

Rizzo is ill. Flu, cancer, pneumonia, whatever. We never find out. He's afraid of the cops and doctors, so they don't visit or see anyone. He dies as they make it to Florida, leaving Joe, who has abandoned his cowboy look for a much more relaxed tropical look, to his own devices.

The movie ends there. That's it. The bus driver checks Rizzo, sure enough, he's dead, says we'll continue on, nothing more we can do, and there we have it. They continue driving, roll credits.