Brazil (1985) ****

At the time the film was made, it was a stunning, scathing fantasy-satire. As time goes on it has become a stunning, scathing documentary. Brilliant direction. Loaded with perfect supporting performances.

Despicable Me 2 (2013) **

Tykes will love it (and obviously did given the box office) and there are a few chuckles and some inventive animation for adults to enjoy.

Ukraine: The Haze of Propaganda by Timothy Snyder | NYRblog | The New York Review of Books

"Whatever course the Russian intervention may take, it is not an attempt to stop a fascist coup, since nothing of the kind has taken place. What has taken place is a popular revolution, with all of the messiness, confusion, and opposition that entails. The young leaders of the Maidan, some of them radical leftists, have risked their lives to oppose a regime that represented, at an extreme, the inequalities that we criticize at home. They have an experience of revolution that we do not. Part of that experience, unfortunately, is that Westerners are provincial, gullible, and reactionary."

Concise attempt at keeping the facts straight.

Uganda’s Anti-Gay Law: The Missing Science by Helen Epstein | NYRblog | The New York Review of Books

"Sexual preference may be analogous to the immune system. In the 1950s and 60s, Peter Medawar, Gerald Edelman, and others discovered that everyone’s immune system is unique. The complex collection of genes that determine how each one of us will respond to a particular germ are incredibly diverse and no two of us have exactly the same set of such genes—not even identical twins. That’s because the building blocks of our immune systems are created partly upon conception when sperm and egg meet, partly during embryonic development, and partly after birth in response to real-world germs."

Computer Chess (2013) ***

A trip down memory lane for computer nerds d'un certain âge with amazingly detailed performances, art direction and cinematography, even at the risk of rendering the film un-watchable for all but the devoted. The script is variable with several head-scratching moments and it doesn't quite gel into a whole, but if you can get into it, it's a hoot.

Priest of Love (1981) **

Poorly made biopic of D. H. Lawrence is confusing and seemingly disjointed throughout. Good actors doing good work, but doesn't add up to much. Nice to see Ava back on the screen in a too brief role.

Homeland Security Wants to Scan Every Single License Plate - The Wire

"To immediately damper any comparisons to the NSA, Gillian Christensen, a spokeswoman for the DHS's Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) stressed that the private company the agency chooses to use will store the data, not the government. Because that makes it so much better.

"The data gathered could also 'only be accessed in conjunction with ongoing criminal investigations or to locate wanted individuals,' and suspects that pose a threat to public safety. Gathering data from license plates would also reduce the time needed to perform surveillance, Christensen said."

Sadly, not from The Onion.

Emma Watson: Noah left me exhausted, delirious and ill - Telegraph

“'Because the film has a pro-environmental message, Darren didn’t want anyone drinking from plastic water bottles on set… so that made things slightly harder,'” she told Wonderland magazine.
'Everything we used had to be recycled or recyclable. Having no water bottles on set at five in the morning, when you’re exhausted and delirious, wasn’t ideal.'"

Um, Emma darling, there ARE a few alternatives to plastic water bottles that might have helped. Perhaps a few persons on "the bus" could have got one for you?

Nothing Lasts Forever (1984) **

Given a bit more polish and/or a respectable budget, this may have been a great film. As it is, it seems to be a heartfelt homage to 30's era "B" film fantasies that is in over its head. Lots of star cameos and interesting, clever quirks keep things watchable.