After seeing this again (and in a theater for the first time), I regretfully have to concede to the editors of Boring Opinions Quarterly that this isn't actually the best Indiana Jones movie, that the Pankot Palace banquet (and some of the rest of the movie) is pretty racist/lame, and that Kate Capshaw's character is a drag (was there ever any point in our cultural history when "I broke a nail" was a funny joke?).

But as usual, the BOQ guys miss a bunch of way more important stuff when they discuss Temple of Doom; like the opening sequence, starting with a pitch-perfect Busby Berkeley homage and ending with Indy and co escaping a doomed airplane in an inflatable raft, which is probably the best sequence of any Indiana Jones movie. Or the gorgeous matte work and miniature/stop-motion effects. But best of all is the exciting change of pace from the first Indiana Jones movie - it's cool to see a sequel that skips so far away from the formula set by the massively popular first installment, especially when most action-adventure blockbusters have gotten as calcified as they have now. It makes me imagine further Indiana Jones sequels that continue to break formation - a whodunit, maybe, or a Rio Bravo-esque raid defense movie. Wasn't to be, though.

Anyway, I still think I'm going to cancel my Boring Opinions Quarterly subscription, but after next month - I hear there's a huge feature on David Lynch's Dune coming up and I don't want to miss it.