Monday's New York Times crossword puzzle solved: November 19, 2018

My time: 5:05.

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Jim Hilger defines a few films for us in this Monday puzzle.  It's a good idea, but the execution is poor.

The first one is "Green 1986 film?" and the answer is THE COLOR OF MONEY.  I think it would be more clever and enjoyable if the clue had just read "green, in film" or the like.  "Fluid 2017 film" is THE SHAPE OF WATER.

And then there's "Noted 1965 film?" which is THE SOUND OF MUSIC.  But... but that doesn't fit the theme at all.  The sound of music isn't "noted."  It's melodic or melodious or euphonious or rhythmic.  It isn't "noted."  That's a completely different kind of pun, and it ruins the joke of the puzzle.  Poor job, Hilger.

This could have been a real treat, but instead I found it kind of disappointing.

For some bizarre reason, when I read "percussion in pagoda" my mind focused on gondola instead and I was baffled.  Yes, a GONG is often seen in a pagoda.  Rarely in a gondola.

NOVAK Djokovic is a Serbian tennis player who is, as of this writing, currently ranked number one in men's singles.  He is also the all-time leader in prize money won at over 120 million.

I know that Carl ORFF composed Carmina Burana, but what is it?  It is a scenic cantata (a vocal composition, with instruments), based on a medieval Latin text on various subjects, including the fickleness of fortune, gluttony, the ephemeral nature of life, and the return of spring.  The most famous part is "O Fortuna," which sounds like the crescendo in a high art horror movie about a satanic cult.

"Engulf, old-style" is WHELM.

That's the end of this Monday!  I did not think it was BOFFO.  I think Will Shortz should have SAT ON this one until the themed clues were all made parallel.  And now, ADIEU.