Sight & Sound magazine’s most recent poll of the greatest films ever made was won by Chantal Akerman’s 1975 movie Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, an arty film with very little dialogue or plot and a long runtime. As a hardcore movie fan, I appreciated this movie when I saw it. But 99% of viewers who turn it on are going to be bored and turn it off. It’s the kind of avant garde work that will only appeal to people who are so deep into the medium that they appreciate the weirdness and craft for its own sake, and who are willing to look beyond considerations like “is this entertaining?” By the same token, I am reliably told that serious musicians and music critics genuinely enjoy Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band’s 1969 album Trout Mask Replica and regard it as a masterpiece.