(1345) Afternoon all. (1430)
18. You a speaka da English?
17. Wondered when this idea would rear its ugly head
16. Interesting intrusion by Ivanka
15. What does NOT make a good film/movie?
Let us count the criteria … I can only list those special to li’l ole me.. This is one:
It’s not just overt sex for sex’s sake, demanded these days … look, if you want the full-on thing, there are these sites ya know. To my mind, a movie is different and using cheap gimmicks such as sex or violence or in In Bruges, gross pottymouthing the entire time … that’s not a great movie.
Pushing political views, even our own in wartime, say … nah, it detracts from the standing of the film. For sure have a credible villain, maybe working for a dastardly group … fine … but not too easy to define, ok?
Certain actors/actresses … if they’re in it, I’m not in the theatre … and it’s quite different for you, for me … my list might seem bizarre .. no-nos include Brando, deNiro, Grace Kelly, Stanwyk, Dustin Hoffman, Dreyfus, Michael Caine half and half, Al Pacino, Jason Statham, Bette Davis, Joan Collins, Burton or Taylor, John Wayne … essentially those up themselves, e.g. Sting … or too associated with causes. There are many. Not Jack Lord but yes to Robert Stack, Robert Mitchum.
Needs the works … great opening, range of settings, some SFX, some action, romance, comedy, mystery, plausible plot with no gaping holes, sex and violence just hinted at, using the imagination … not overly American nor overly British, not overly ethnic in any way … different ethnicities in context all right.
The ladies might need a great leading man and support … I need a great leading lady and her support gals.
Nothing nauseating, e.g. in Casino Royale when the baddy gets testicular with Bond … no sick sex of any rainbow flavour. In real life, I can handle some female on female but not in a film please.
They need to take the tale seriously, not be hamming it up, “interpreting” in their own idiosyncratic way.
In short … there are few movies I’d sit with anyone to watch.
14. Kristi Noem
South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem will appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today as part of the confirmation process for her nomination to Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary. This nomination hearing will likely be combative and filled with opposition.
The original hearing for Noem was postponed due to “paperwork issues.” Democrats now will advance against Noem because the DHS role is critical to border insecurity. However, with President Trump appointing Border Czar Tom Homan to the border and illegal alien crisis, Noem has a point of support but not direct action in her responses. Noem has previously held a very strong pro-immigration perspective given her deep connection to Big Ag.
The Democrats will likely shift to issues of ‘national security’ in their pointed questions. However, these are also the types of national security issues that Noem has a tendency to frame around constitutional freedoms, liberties, and restrictions against the rights of Americans. Points that are directly in her wheelhouse. The Democrat Senators would also like to weaponize the controversial parts of Noem’s recent book.