I think movies have lost a really special person and director with the passing of Jules Dassin. Nobody compares to him. Sure, he was no Bergman or Antonioni, but I doubt he ever wanted to be. He did so many interesting films in genres from heist to noir to indefinables like "10:30 PM Summer." Even his flops (such as that last one) are more interesting than most hit films. His legacy will live on (and on). Wasn't it his son Joe's song that Wes Anderson used--and so well, too--in the recent "Darjeeling Limited"? I went to drama school with his daughter Julie, so I suppose I'm a bit prejudiced here. But, fuck it all, Dassin in his way was simply great. He used his social conscience about as well as any director I can think of. I wish I'd gotten to meet him, but at least we have those great little "interview" extras on a number of his DVD releases. Go, Jules!

As I seem to always say under these circumstances, I didn't know he hadn't died years ago. 96 is a damn good innings, and he had an evidently interesting time on Earth during that near-century.