Continuing the 25 Things I Love About… series is a list of things that I love about Vincent Gallo’s charming little indie comedy Buffalo ’66.
1: I’m used to luxury cars. Have you ever heard of a luxury car? You know what luxury means, you ever heard of Cadillac? Cadillac El Dorado? That’s what I drive. I drive cars that shift themselves. My cars shift themselves. The luxury cars, they shift themselves.
2: Don’t you say thanks? / What? / Don’t you say thank you? / What?
3: The essentially indie score by Gallo himself…
4: … and the amazing use of Yes‘s brilliant track ‘Heart of the Sunrise’ near the end.
5: Didn’t you say tripe was your favorite food?
6: Ben Gazzara’s stirring lip-synching of Gallo’s father’s rendition of “Fools Rush In.”
7: Christina Ricci’s outfit.
8: The extreme close-ups in the bowling scene.
9: The impromptu tap dancing routine in the bowling alley.
10: We’re taking pictures like we’re a couple. Like we like each other. Like we’re husband and wife, and we span time together. We span time together as a couple, cos we’re a loving couple, spanning time. These photos are us, in love, spanning time.
11: The look of utter embarrassment and frustration on Ben Gazzara’s face as Anjelica Huston tries to cover up for the fact she can’t remember her own son’s childhood.
12: Gallo’s breakdown in the bathroom of a Denny’s.
13: You know why people call you Goon? Because you’re retarded. And ugly. You’re an ugly retard. And they call you Goon because you’re ugly and retarded. And you’ll always be Goon. Goon Goon Goon. And that’s what I’m gonna call you for the rest of your life, is Goon. Goon Goon Goon Goon Goon. Okay? So fuck you.
14: Mickey Rourke’s cameo as an angry bookie.
15: Rosanna Arquette’s cameo as the old object of Gallo’s futile affection.
16: Christina Ricci’s pathetic story about Gallo being a CIA agent.
17: Gallo’s triumphant return to a bowling alley; the one place where he is truly recognized.
18: Gazzara’s paranoia that Gallo’s knife is being pointed at him.
19: Honey, where’s the Billy picture?
20: See how nice it is when the car is clean?
21: We’re the couple that loves each other, but don’t touch each other.
22: The trademark Gallo image of him being cradled in the arms of a woman as he cries, an image that would reappear in Gallo’s subsequent film The Brown Bunny.
23: Gallo’s brilliant revenge sequence at the end of the film.
24: If you go anywhere near my locker, I swear to God, I’ll give you a karate chop right in the head.
25: The delightfully upbeat open ending to the film.
That concludes the list. Keep an eye out for more of these lists, I’m trying to do one each week but they can be difficult to write. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this one. If you’ve seen the film, what did you think of it and what were some of your favorite moments? If you haven’t seen it… what are you waiting for? Go see it. Now!
