Monday, July 29, 2013

My Lunches with Orson: Conversations between Henry Jaglom and Orson Welles - Peter Biskind - Google Books

"My theory is that everything went to hell with Prohibition, because it was a law nobody could obey. So the whole concept of the rule of law was corrupted at that moment. Then came Vietnam, and marijuana, which clearly shouldn't be illegal, but is. If you go to jail for ten years in Texas when you light up a joint, who are you? You're a lawbreaker. It's just like Prohibition was. When people accept breaking the law as normal, something happens to the whole society. You see?"

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Is it Legal Malpractice to Fail to Get Holder to Promise not to Torture your Client? | New Economic Perspectives

"The idea that the Attorney General of the United States of America would send such a letter to the representative of a foreign government, particularly Russia under the leadership of a former KGB official, was so preposterous that I thought the first news report I read about Attorney General Holder’s letter concerning Edward Snowden was satire. The joke, however, was on me. The Obama and Bush administrations have so disgraced the reputation of the United States’ criminal justice system that we are forced to promise KGB alums that we will not torture our own citizens if Russia extradites them for prosecution."

Friday, July 26, 2013

Cardinal Burke labels social justice Catholics communists | National Catholic Reporter

"So the person whose heart is filled with charity wants to do good works will, like Mother Teresa, give his first intention to the worship of God so that when he goes to offer charity to a poor person or someone in need, it would be at the level of God Himself, and not some human level."

Um, not TOO full of ourselves are we Ray? Jeez, dial it down a notch would ya!

Monday, July 22, 2013

Goldman Sachs Took $5 Billion From Consumers By Moving Metal Around

"Regulators are busy trying to catch up to the manipulation of commodities that banks like Goldman Sachs is making a fortune off of, but the banks always seem one step ahead. Now Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, and BlackRock have bought over 80% of the world's copper on behalf of their investors and will begin moving it to warehouses much like Goldman did with aluminum. Companies are now fearful that the prices of copper will soar, and consumers will carry even more of the burden."

So much for supply and demand. "If only government would get out of the way so the markets can work their magic" right? EVERY commodity market is being manipulated by these people. ENRON was just the tip of the iceberg.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

The Vitamin Myth: Why We Think We Need Supplements - Paul Offit - The Atlantic

"Although study after study showed that he was wrong, Pauling refused to believe it, continuing to promote vitamin C in speeches, popular articles, and books. When he occasionally appeared before the media with obvious cold symptoms, he said he was suffering from allergies.

"Then Linus Pauling upped the ante. He claimed that vitamin C not only prevented colds; it cured cancer."

via @robotwisdom

Friday, July 19, 2013

The Lone Ranger (2013) **

Typical modern action flick based upon a production design rather than a story. Violent, illogical, inconsistent, and way, WAY too long.

Monday, July 15, 2013

How Comedy Central Stole Louis C.K.'s Routine | TheWrap TV

"And even being ripped off by fans can have an upside: Kevin Hart has said he owes his success in part to bootlegged copies of "Soul Plane." He is now one of the top-selling comics in the country, and his new concert film, "Let Me Explain," has grossed more than $26 million since its premiere earlier this month."

Why are people still surprised by this? If they would just drop the whole "ripped off by fans" terminology and call it what it is, ADVERTISING, it might start to make sense to these idiotic corporate hacks.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002) **

Less than the sum of its parts, enjoyable in portions but ultimately much like its protagonist: shallow, self-absorbed and unbelievable.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Frances Ha (2012) ****

Refreshing and delightful character study of aimless 20-somethings in NYC. Smart, restrained, confident direction from Noah Baumbach and a breakout performance by Greta Gerwig.

Tuesday, July 09, 2013

Some Came Running (1958) **

Late '50's lurid melodrama made much bigger than necessary. But Shirley and Dean give you a reason to keep watching until the boffo finale.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012) ***

Pretty good coming of age flick comes right to the edge of maudlin sentimentality several times but somehow manages to avoid it. Ezra Miller helps a lot.

Monday, July 08, 2013

Monsters University (2013) ***

The animation capabilities of Pixar continue to expand even as the stories start to peter out. Enjoyable for the technique alone.

Croupier (1998) ***

Stylish, noirish tale of a writer who takes a job as a croupier at a London casino. Or does he? It gets a little too vague for its own good but maintains interest.

Kiss Me Deadly (1955) ****

Watch this and try to believe this film was made and released in 1955. Goes places with style and panache that modern films can't touch. Robert Aldrich pulls out all the stops in a tour de force directing job that elevates the material instead of overwhelming it.

Pi (1998) ***

Taut, stylish examination of obsession, madness and the possibility that there is a pattern to it all.

Wednesday, July 03, 2013

Lured (1947)**

A top notch cast are not enough to push this run-of-the-mill serial killer on the loose thriller into the upper tier. You'll be able to spot the murderer easily.

The Wages of Fear (1953)**

A few striking scenes, original for its time, but weak performances and a completely ridiculous ending are too much to overcome.