One my favorite spots to watch sunsets is at the E. 90th St. entrance to Central Park, overlooking the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir. I have a strong affinity for the last pic- it always makes me think of the Impressionists' wheat field paintings, specifically those of Monet and Van Gogh.
Although most film sequels are mad dash attempts to cash in even more on a successful first film and to build uber profitable franchises, and therefore, by definition crap, there are a few exceptions to the sequel=crap rule, the most famous example being The Godfather II. One of my favorite sequels is Richard Linklater's Before Sunset. Nine years after Ethan Hawke's Jesse and Julie Delpy's Celine spend a romantic evening together in Vienna, they meet again for a day in Paris. But nine years later, they are no longer wide-eyed idealistic kids with a world of possibility before them. Adult life has brought failures, regrets, and disappointments, resulting in a more cynical world view. Though both characters are fighting being taken over by cynicism. Hawke and Delpy wrote the script themselves, adding an even more personal touch. They know the characters so well. Linklater shoots incredibly long takes which capture every subtlety and awkward moment, and which add a quality of realism. And the ending is perfect; it is one of my favorite closing scenes in film.
Your turn: Name a sequel that was superior to the first film.
"I just wanna say/ Don't ever change now baby/ I'd thank you/ I don't think we will meet again/ And you must leave now/ Before the sun rises/ Over the skyscrapers/ And the city landscape comes into view/ Sweat on my skin/ This mess we're in/ The city sunset over me/ The city sunset over me" --PJ Harvey (with Thom Yorke), This Mess We're In
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