I’m pretty unrelenting in my affection and respect for pop-cultural relics that the rest of society long ago dismissed as hopelessly cheez-ball (e.g., the 1978 version of Battlestar Galactica, pretty much the entire career of William Shatner), but even I would be daunted by the current blog-project of a guy named Larry Aydlette. In honor of the impending 72nd birthday of Burt Reynolds, the man whose mustache epitomized the late 1970s, Larry has decided to “honor [Burt’s] work ethic and use his birth month for 29 straight days of Burt Reynolds coverage.” Or, as his blog’s tagline puts it, he’s going “All Burt. All month.”

Larry continues:

This isn’t a love-a-thon. In rewatching a lot of his movies, I’ve come to the conclusion that he didn’t necessarily deserve to win the Oscar for the films that he and many critics thought he should have won them for. And he was never nominated for what seems to me to be his one indisputable masterpiece (although I doubt many critics will agree with me). But there are quite a few of his films that are very, very good, and deserve reconsideration.

 

I do think the breadth of his career is certainly worthy of an honorary Oscar. Let’s not forget that he ruled America’s box office from the late ’70s to the early ’80s. He is the self-proclaimed “Picasso of car pictures.” He was a big, big star.

No argument from me on any of that. At one time, I probably would’ve classed Burt among my heroes. Hell, he was The Bandit, man. I still envy that character’s way with the ladies, and of course that kick-ass black Trans Am.

Anyway, Larry is doing some genuinely interesting film criticism and cultural history over there. I found his re-appraisal of Semi-Tough and Boogie Nights especially interesting. Go have a look…