Nashville man's girlfriend warned he was building bombs

Throckmorton [attorney] told The Tennessean that Perry [girlfriend] had fears about her safety, and thought Warner [bomber] may harm her. The attorney was also at the scene that day, and told officers Warner “frequently talks about the military and bomb making,” the police report said. Warner “knows what he is doing and is capable of making a bomb,” Throckmorton said to responding officers.
Police then went to Warner’s home, located about 1.5 miles (2.4 kilometers) from Perry's home, but he didn’t answer the door when they knocked several times. They saw the RV in the backyard, the report said, but the yard was fenced off and officers couldn’t see inside the vehicle.
The report said there also were “several security cameras and wires attached to an alarm sign on the front door” of the home. Officers then notified supervisors and detectives.
“They saw no evidence of a crime and had no authority to enter his home or fenced property,” the police statement said.

So remember kids, don't answer the door and the police will just walk away from your house.

The Uninvited (1944) **

Mild, and mildly amusing, gothic ghost story. Gail Russell shines.

2020 In Review: Music

*** A Girl Called Eddy - Been Around
*** Corner Laughers, The - Temescal Telegraph
*** Country Westerns - Country Westerns
*** Cults - Host
*** Game Theory - Across The Barrier Of Sound Postscript
*** Haim - Women In Music Pt. III
*** Katie Von Schleicher - Consummation
*** Lavender Diamond - Now Is The Time
*** Lemon Twigs, The - Songs for the General Public
*** Nada Surf - Never Not Together
*** Nick Lowe - Lay It On Me
*** Nicole Atkins - Italian Ice
*** OHMME - Fantasize Your Ghost
*** Penny Diving - Big Inhale
*** Phantom Planet - Devastator
*** Pretenders - Hate For Sale
*** Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever - Sideways to New Italy
*** Sad13 - Haunted Painting
*** Surfer Blood - Carefree Theatre
*** Thao & the Get Down Stay Down - Temple
*** The Asteroid #4 - Northern Songs
*** Tim Heidecker - Fear Of Death
*** Varsity - Fine Forever
*** Waxahatchee - Saint Cloud
*** Woods - Strange to Explain
** Beths, The - Jump Rope Gazers
** Big Believe, The - Juggernaut
** Bob Dylan - Rough and Rowdy Ways
** Bombay Bicycle Club - Everything Else Has Gone Wrong
** Bye Bye Blackbirds, The - Boxer At Rest
** Deep Sea Diver - Impossible Weight
** Elvis Costello - Hey Clockface
** Everything Everything - Re-Animator
** Gretchen's Wheel - Such Open Sky
** Hinds - The Prettiest Curse
** Jason Isbell - Reunions
** Jenny O. - New Truth
** Laura Veirs - My Echo
** Lisa Loeb - A Simple Trick To Happiness
** Matt Berry - Phantom Birds
** Of Montreal - UR FUN
** Psychedelic Furs, The - Made Of Rain
** Strokes, The - The New Abnormal
** Torres - Silver Tongue
** Yumi Zouma - Truth Or Consequences
** Nation of Language - Introduction, Presence
** Sufjan Stevens - The Ascension

Note: As befitting this awful year, this is the first time I did not rate a film or music release with 4 stars.

2020 In Review: Movies

*** Borat Subsequent Moviefilm
*** Horse Girl
*** I'm Thinking Of Ending Things
*** Palm Springs
** Downhill
** Soul
** The Call Of The Wild
** The Wrong Missy
* Mank
* Onward

Soul (2020) **

A few funny scenes in this blend of genres which goes a long way to basically say "enjoy every sandwich".

John le Carré, author of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, dies aged 89 | The Guardian

Having spent four decades living in Cornwall, married twice and raising a son, Nicholas, who would write novels himself under the name Nick Harkaway, Le Carré conceeded: “I have been neither a model husband nor a model father, and am not interested in appearing that way.” The consistent love of his life was writing, “scribbling away like a man in hiding at a poky desk”. “Out of the secret world I once knew I have tried to make a theatre for the larger worlds we inhabit,” he wrote. “First comes the imagining, then the search for reality. Then back to the imagining, and to the desk where I’m sitting now.”

The Grass Is Greener (1960) **

Beautifully composed wide screen shots and a quartet of stars in a stagy play adaptation. Watchable.

Mank (2020) *

Aside from being a hatchet job on Orson, this dull flick features fine cinematography and lead performance but little else.

The Silent Partner (1978) ****

Superbly directed noir/heist hybrid with a startling Chris Plummer performance.

The Jigsaw Man (1983) **

If you don't pay too much attention to the plot this is an enjoyable foray into spy v. spy territory. Sir Larry is fun to watch as well as the surprisingly good cast.

Before the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007) ***

Riveting noir from the great Sidney Lumet.

Horse Girl (2020) ***

Ms. Brie shines in a well made look at losing a grip on reality.

The Servant (1963) ***

Beautifully filmed in crisp black and white, perhaps this psychodrama says something about changing British class structures? Dirk is terrific at any rate.

Alice in Wonderland (1933) **

Well written, anarchic version of both Alices with an all star cast who are unrecognizable in their costumes. Pleasant.

The Charge of the Light Brigade (1968) **

Nicely filmed, acted, well-paced recounting of the follies of war but the animation sequences blunt the impact and mess with the tone.

Evil Under the Sun (1982) **

Well made Poirot flick is a tad too long but pretty to look at.

The Whales of August (1987) ***

Beautiful location and set design in this subtle look at ageing. Nice to watch old pros at work.

Revolver (1973) ***

Well produced and directed poliziottesco featuring some eye-popping fur coats (for men!), swingin' early 70's vibes and a solid Ollie Reed.

Mortdecai (2015) **

The principals are terrific and well cast but it feels like it goes on way too long despite its 90 minute length.

Opinion: The election shows the United States is a broken country - The Globe and Mail

The current American crisis is in part due to those officials who refused to curb Mr. Trump’s worst behaviour. When organized crime hijacks government, officials must act aggressively, transparently, and immediately. They cannot waste time like Robert Mueller did with his plodding, placating probe. They cannot “impeach at the ballot box,” which Nancy Pelosi – a staunch opponent of impeachment until she buckled to pressure from her colleagues and the public – suggested throughout 2019. They cannot go by the book when the book is burning.

What We Do in the Shadows (2014) **

Amusing blend of genres.

The Beguiled (1971) ***

Well made southern Gothic thriller.

Elvis Costello on New 'Hey Clockface' Album, 'Armed Forces' Boxed Set - Variety

“I think there was a little irony in the way Nick recorded it originally,” Costello says, recalling that Lowe first had the idea of gently satirizing hippie sentiments with “Peace, Love and Understanding.” “But if you’ve ever heard him perform it in recent years, he sings it very much like the lament that it deserves to be. I think both approaches to the song are really appropriate. I like all the versions of the song that I’ve heard. Sometimes it takes you a moment to hear it again in a different way, but I’ve had reason to sing it as a ballad, as a rocker and somewhere in between. I’ve heard Bruce Springsteen sing it and Chris Cornell sing it, and Josh Homme sang it with Sharon Van Etten. I mean, there’s some really good versions. Nick’s version with a choir earlier this year was beautiful. You know, it shouldn’t be needed now, but we still have to sing it. How long, how long must we sing this song — as Bono said, you know?”

The Hoax (2006) ***

Another good Dick Gere performance anchors this well directed tale that reminds us the biggest lies are perhaps the ones we tell ourselves.

The Witches (1967) **

Nice showcase for Ms. Mangano and swingin' 60's styles but otherwise forgettable, dated comedy.

Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020) ***

Some hilarious moments thanks to the terrific Ms. Bakalova.

Grace of My Heart (1996) **

Biopic of Carole King-esque songwriter never rings true and the songs are not very good. Good cast struggles.

Slaughterhouse-Five (1972) ****

One of the best adaptations of Vonnegut. Ron Leibman is hilarious as the unhinged GI with the long enemies list.

Dancing Lady (1933) *

Blatant studio concocted drivel only worth seeing to be convinced of its awfulness. Lots of great stars completely wasted.

Come and See (1985) ***

Harrowing depiction of Nazi genocide in this case with Belarusians. Lots of POV and actors directly facing the camera shots which works because the actors are phenomenal especially 16yo Aleksey Kravchenko.

A Passage to India (1984) ***

Perfectly paced and nicely produced, the only flaw being a somewhat exaggerated performance from Banerjee.

Lost Highway (1997) **

Mysterious and moody but it plays more like a greatest hits album of Lynch tropes.

Agatha (1979) **

Disappointingly sabotaged by ill-advised casting of and the acting of Mr. Hoffman. Beautifully shot and produced period piece but a waste of a lovely Ms. Redgrave.

Posthumous (2014) *

Supposedly showcases Berlin but this is not a pretty picture by any means. Forgettable.

The Unknown (1927) **

Weird little silent melodrama featuring some amazing footwork by Lon Chaney beating Dan Day-Lewis to the punch by 62 years.

Congress Gets Ready to Smash Big Tech Monopolies - BIG by Matt Stoller

What makes these platforms unusually dangerous is that they are gatekeepers with surveillance power, and they can thus wield “near-perfect market intelligence” to copy or undermine would-be rivals. For Apple the dominant facility is the App store, for Google it’s the search engine, Maps, adtech, etc, for Facebook it’s social media, and for Amazon it’s the marketplace, AWS, Alexa, Fulfillment, and so forth. They exploit their gatekeeping and surveillance power to extract revenue, fortify their competitive barriers, and subsidize entry into new markets.

Over and over, the report just lays into the Federal Trade Commission and Antitrust Division for refusing to enforce monopolization laws and failing to stop mergers, even when they had evidence that such mergers were anti-competitive. The four companies bought more than 500 companies since 1998. However, "for most, if not all, of the acquisitions discussed in this Report,” it says, “the FTC had advance notice of the deals, but did not attempt to block any of them." What were the priorities of the agencies? "Both agencies have targeted their enforcement efforts on relatively small players—including ice skating teachers and organists—raising questions about their enforcement priorities." Ouch.

Romance (1999) **

It's a very frank and obviously exaggerated look at relationships from a woman's perspective. Director Breillat definitely has her own style and point of view to say the least.

Nights in Rodanthe (2008) **

Preposterous weepie is well played by Mr. Gere and Ms. Lane.

Former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson dies at 84 | FOX 2

Gibson’s first contract out of college was with the Harlem Globetrotters, not the St. Louis Cardinals. His roommate during the 1957-58 season, the late Meadowlark Lemon, told the Omaha World-Herald “I thought Bob was a better basketball player than a baseball player,” Lemon said. “I think Bob could have played with any NBA team. He was that good.” Gibson told the paper that basketball had been his number 1 sport, and that if the Minneapolis Lakers had signed him, he never would have played pro baseball.

Color Out of Space (2019) **

Good adaptation of Lovecraft with a good cast and appropriately gross images as in other films. Tries too hard to explain things.

Ashes and Diamonds (1958) **

A handful of arresting sequences bookend a rather talky, esoteric and uninvolving look at Poland as it transitioned from Nazi rule to communist rule after the war.

The Farewell (2019) ***

Poignant slice of life examination of inter-familial relationships as old world ways conflict with new world attitudes. Well cast, acted.

Hamlet (1948) ***

Style and substance in this mostly terrific adaptation. First half is riveting, lags badly in the second half but finishes well.

Elevator to the Gallows (1958) **

Might have been better if we just watched Ms. Moreau walking around Paris at night. There is a lot of that but also a convoluted and drawn out series of events to prove that crime doesn't pay. Feels too long even at 90 minutes.

The Killers (1964) **

Beautifully shot with interesting actors but the cheesy soundtrack and matte work diminish the impact.

California Split (1974) ***

Well made character study of life amidst the sleazy world of low rent gamblers and prostitutes. Definitely not a "Hollywood" picture.

The Female Brain (2017) **

Beanie and some hilarious title sequences make for an enjoyable take on the rom-com.

Seberg (2019) **

Ms. Stewart is spectacular but the flick is simplistic and exploitive.

Throne of Blood (1957) **

Boffo ending saves this so-so Japanese version of The Scottish Play. Without the poetry and nuance it's just an action flick.

I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020) ***

Some issues with the casting and the finale but mostly a marvelous adaptation of a difficult novel to film.

Blood on the Moon (1948) **

Quirky western noir with Mitchum's screen persona in full flower. Ends a little too neatly.

Safety Not Guaranteed (2012) ***

Well done sci-fi/rom-com that manages to avoid most of both genre's cliches. Very entertaining.

Seven Samurai (1954) **

Again too long and repetitive for my tastes but some nice sequences.

A Private Function (1984) ***

A cast of nearly every top British comedic actor available at the time elevates this droll Ealing-esque comedy about the severe food rationing in Britain after WWII. Witty script.

Drunken Angel (1948) **

Early Kurosawa is a Japanese noir featuring some nifty sequences. Could have been trimmed a bit.

Phantom Lady (1944) ***

Never mind the plot holes just enjoy this well paced, well shot hyper-noir.

The Rise of Catherine the Great (1934) **

Flora Robson, expectedly, steals the picture but she's only in the first half. Bergner is fine as Catherine but her look calls to mind Harpo Marx to a distracting degree. Fairbanks is just awful.

One Wonderful Sunday (1947) *

Not so wonderful. Repetitive, ploddingly paced tale of two lost souls drifting towards insanity.

Sullivan's Travels (1941) **

Preston Sturges was a very influential filmmaker (this one in particular) but his films just don't seem to gel for me. This one is no different.

La veuve Couderc (1971) **

Slight look at French country life as it slides into semi-Fascism in the mid 1930's. The two leads make it worth the while.

Terry Gilliam Developed a Movie From a Lost Stanley Kubrick Idea – /Film

According to Cinergie, that abandoned Kubrick project was a film adaptation of Lunatic at Large, a 70-page treatment based on a Kubrick idea that Kubrick’s then-producing partner James B. Harris commissioned from acclaimed crime writer Jim Thompson in the 1950s. Thompson, who is probably best known for writing The Killer Inside Me, had teamed up with Kubrick to write the script for the 1956 Sterling Hayden movie The Killing, but Harris hoped Thompson’s fleshing out of Lunatic at Large might also catch Kubrick’s eye and result in his next movie. The project fell by the wayside and was never made, but the treatment was re-discovered in 1999; in 2010, Sam Rockwell and Scarlett Johansson were attached to star in a movie version, but that never happened...

This wouldn’t be the first time that Gilliam entered into Kubrick’s orbit. In 2013, Gilliam explained that he learned Kubrick had once wanted him to direct a sequel to Dr. Strangelove called Son of Strangelove, but Kubrick died before that that could come to fruition.

Palm Springs (2020) ***

Nice blend of genres is perfectly paced, well written and cast.

Wuthering Heights (1939) ***

Despite the overbearing soundtrack and a hokey final scene an entertaining rendition of the oft filmed gothic romance.

The Hidden Fortress (1958) **

Too long and repetitive, but some masterful scenes and images.

An Autumn Afternoon (1962) **

Beautifully shot and composed and the glimpse into Japanese life in 1962 is interesting but it fails to engage.

The Human Factor (1979) **

Otto's films always have some interesting quirks and this one is well scripted with a top cast but the overall effect seems flat.

Day of the Outlaw (1959) **

Western noir has enough weirdness to recommend even though it falters in the third act.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965) ****

Anti-Bond spy thriller with a stellar script and top performances all around.

My Blueberry Nights (2007) **

Well made though hardly credible road-trip-to-find-myself flick features a good A-list cast.

The Happy Ending (1969) ****

Sharp, realistic look at what happened when post-war America started to wake up from its dream. Beautiful time capsule of 1969.

The Sacrament (2013) *

Found footage flick never convinces.

The Winslow Boy (1999) ***

Well crafted courtroom drama that doesn't have one scene in a courtroom. Terrific adaptation by Mamet, well acted by all.

A Serious Man (2009) ****

One of The Coens best and that's saying something. Hilarious, odd, truthful, thoughtful.

Bright Days Ahead (2013) **

Typical (good thing) French character study is a showcase for the wonderful Ms. Ardant.

The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962) **

Early counter culture Brit flick but the utter stupidity of the lead character undermines its message.

Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx (1970) **

Amusing character study thanks to the talent and charm of Mr. Wilder.

Pépé le Moko (1937) **

Influential French noir is long on characters and short on story. Jean Gabin has some terrific scenes.

The Vast of Night (2019) **

A little too darkly lit for my tastes, and goes overboard on the long tracking shots, but impressively constructed Twilight Zone episode.

Panique (1946) **

Nicely done Simenon story, early French noir.

Market should have seen a US jobs gain coming - Asia Times

It shouldn’t have been a surprise. Google publishes daily data for workplace mobility –the number of smartphones whose GPS signal shows up at workplaces – and a slight improvement is clear from mid-April to mid-May. The second half of May, though, showed no further gains.

The Comfort of Strangers (1990) **

Beautifully designed and shot, it's a shame it is so poorly constructed. A waste of its beautiful stars.

The Wrong Missy (2020) **

Raunchy rom-com has quite a few laughs thanks to Lauren Lapkus. Formulaic but fun.

Frosty (1965) **

Soviet era Russian mish-mash of nearly every fairy tale trope you can think of has a certain Kroft-ian lo-fi charm. It's quick and colorful and clearly for 10yo and under.

Gate of Hell (1953) **

Sumptuously designed and photographed, this fable of imperial Japan doesn't quite reach the emotional heights it aspires to.

The Call of the Wild (1972) **

Better than it should be given the dubbed cast and threadbare budget. Heston does the best he can with the flimsy script and it kind of works.

In the Mood for Love (2000) **

A visual feast but the stylistic approach leads to confusion and unresolved questions.

Irma Vep (1996) **

A pleasant enough time with Ms. Cheung even if the flick is slight.

Fat City (1972) ***

Searing look at small time boxers and their struggles. Well cast and directed by Mr. Huston.

The Go-Between (1971) **

Lovingly mounted period drama let down by a less than satisfying ending.

The Promoter (1952) *

The sort of English comedy that was hilarious in 1952 but is just bewildering now. Watchable as a document of its time.

The Browning Version (1951) ***

Lovely production of the oft-filmed play featuring a terrific Michael Redgrave.

Aniara (2018) **

Hard sci-fi look at human nature and how lost we are without Earth.

The Passionate Friends (1949) **

Romantic melodrama with a fine trio of leads and some interesting shots by Mr. Lean.

Green for Danger (1946) ***

Sharply written whodunit with some interesting blitz-era English touches, nicely produced.

Screwed (2000) **

Decent dumbbell comedy with plenty of laughs if you don't try to think it through.

Hobson's Choice (1954) **

John Mills steals the show in this period romcom.

Madeleine (1950) ***

Fascinating look at social dynamics in Victorian Scotland and one determined woman. The casting seems a bit off but well directed by Mr. Lean.

Golden Salamander (1950) **

Nifty noir, sort of a poor man's Casablanca. Early lead for the lovely Anouk.

This Happy Breed (1944) **

Well cast and acted look at an English family between the wars. A little too idealized.

Lovely & Amazing (2001) ***

I enjoy Ms. Holofcener's films because they give their characters space to be human and if they change it is very subtle.

Separate Tables (1958) ***

Solid drama with an all star cast marred by an overbearing score.

Blithe Spirit (1945) *

This sort of thing is better on the stage. A waste of Ms. Rutherford.

Bad Education (2019) **

Hugh Jackman is terrific in this so-so Scorsese ripoff.

Brief Encounter (1945) ***

Very British and very of its time, still its charms are plenty thanks to Celia Johnson and Mr. Lean of course.

Le Plaisir (1952) **

Dazzling camera work, but a cold clinical look at different aspects of "l'amour".

The Whole Town's Talking (1935) **

Edward G. does double duty in this so-so screwball dramedy. Kind of shocked this wasn't re-made by this guy.

Blind Alley (1939) **

Well acted, though heavy handed, melo-noir about a killer holed up in a shrink's lake house. Comical to note how Hollywood bought the Freudian mythos hook line and sinker. Psychiatrist as super hero.

The Death of Stalin (2017) **

Well made take on the maneuverings in the USSR once Stalin was out. Nice to see Michael Palin and Steve Buscemi get well deserved choice roles.

Winter Light (1963) *

Bergman talkfest is completely un-engrossing.

Topkapi (1964) *

The actual heist is superbly done but the rest of the film is surprisingly sloppy. Disappointing overall.

Ben-Hur (1959) **

It's actually pretty good for the first two thirds (except for Hugh Griffith) and of course the chariot race sequence is unparalleled, but that last third really drags. Terrific use of the wide screen by Wyler.

Hour of Glory (1949) **

Lesser Archers production, still has some imaginative sequences, is lovingly photographed in black and white and has the compelling Kathleen Byron.

Kinetta (2005) *

Nothing to see here. Just check out Lanthimos' other better films.

Anne-Marie (1936) **

Enjoyable if you view it as a proto Wes Anderson flick. Otherwise it's not very compelling.

From Bats to Human Lungs, the Evolution of a Coronavirus | The New Yorker

Analyses of the sars-CoV-2 genome indicate a single spillover event, meaning the virus jumped only once from an animal to a person, which makes it likely that the virus was circulating among people before December. Unless more information about the animals at the Wuhan market is released, the transmission chain may never be clear. There are, however, numerous possibilities. A bat hunter or a wildlife trafficker might have brought the virus to the market. Pangolins happen to carry a coronavirus, which they might have picked up from bats years ago, and which is, in one crucial part of its genome, virtually identical to sars-CoV-2. But no one has yet found evidence that pangolins were at the Wuhan market, or even that venders there trafficked pangolins. “We’ve created circumstances in our world somehow that allows for these viruses, which would otherwise not be known to cause any problems, to get into human populations,” Mark Denison, the director of pediatric infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Institute for Infection, Immunology, and Inflammation, told me. “And this one happened to say, ‘I really like it here.’”

Woody Allen Memoir Apropos of Nothing Is Hilarious & Endearing | National Review

Looking ahead to the future (at 84, he says, “My life is almost half over”), Allen figures to continue vexing his many haters. He had difficulty assembling a cast for his latest movie, but it’s now in the can, and even if he couldn’t make movies, he’d write plays. If no one would produce his plays, he’d write books. If no one would publish the books now, he’d write them for later. The image comes to mind of Allen’s Bananas hero Fielding Mellish, representing himself in a treason trial, getting bound and gagged by the judge, but continuing to speak (and reduce a witness to tears). Sorry, you there with the pitchforks and the torches, despite putting him through (Bananas again) a travesty of a mockery of a sham of a mockery of a travesty of two mockeries of a sham, Allen still doesn’t care what you think of him, and he’s going to keep creating till he drops. “If I died right now I couldn’t complain,” he says. “And neither would a lot of other people.”

The Lady from Shanghai (1947) ****

Despite the studio "corrections" there's enough Welles-ian oddities and eccentricities to make this a perrenial favorite.

A Dandy in Aspic (1968) ***

Stylish cold-war spy thriller with a terrific Laurence Harvey as the cold, cold spy. More Le Carré than Fleming.

Earthquake Bird (2019) **

Nicely produced but meandering script. Less would have been more here.

The Jesus Rolls (2019) **

Much better than its source material just don't expect another Lebowski. There is bowling however. Amiable romp with a top cast.

Onward (2020) *

Pixar finally lays an egg and it's on the Disney-in-the-60's level. Contrived and insulting.

The Wicker Man (1973) **

Shirley Jackson would approve and the cast is good and game but it's a little too loose to be great. Still its images and integrity to the story (not to mention the lovely Ms. Ekland) keep it relevant.

The Call of the Wild (2020) **

Apparently the filmmakers intended to show the film to 10 year olds only. Even so it does have impressive CGI and Harrison Ford is pretty good.

Cause for Alarm! (1951) **

Loretta Young keeps the picture together despite the crazy noir-ish contrivances.

Force Majeure (2014) **

Extremely subtle performances as well as extremely long scenes undermines the impact the film intends. Beautifully shot and well constructed.

Downhill (2020) **

Thankfully avoids Hollywood-izing the source material but the casting leads viewers to expect a laugh riot which it is certainly not.

Three on a Match (1932) **

Breakneck pacing helps this sordid melodrama of 3 grammar school chums and their varying paths in later life.

Red Desert (1964) ***

The lovely Ms. Vitti can't cope with reality after a brush with death. Welcome to the club. Beautifully shot.

Hardcore (1979) **

George C. is always an interesting actor and he's the best thing about the flick, another exploration of the Calvinist upbringing of Schrader as it clashes with modernity.

The Draughtsman's Contract (1982) *

Period snoozer is pretty to look at. Might have been better with the sound off?

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) ***

Beautifully shot period romance, not played as a weepie but as a melancholic remembrance.

Clear History (TV Movie 2013) **

An all star cast and excellent use of some great Chicago tunes help this enjoyable Curb-esque comedy.

Day for Night (1973) **

Enjoyable movie about movie making from a French perspective with a lovely Ms. Bisset.

The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) **

Despite Damon being very wrong for Ripley and some significant deviations from the source novel, this is a well made, enjoyable romp through some lovely Mediterranean locales.

Dark Victory (1939) **

Intermittently successful weepie with a nonsense ending. The times when it hits are due to Ms. Davis.

Where the Money Is (2000) **

Under-produced and under-written heist flick proves that even at 75 Paul Newman could carry a picture.

Realism Is False | Edge.org

I'm not denying that there is an objective reality. There is some objective reality that exists independent of whether or not I perceive it, but that objective reality is not space and time or anything inside space and time. Those are just human forms of perception. That's what quantum theory is telling us. It's telling us local realism is false, non-contextual realism is false, and realism is false, at least what we call realism of objects in space and time. They don't exist, except when they're perceived. They don't have their properties, except when they're perceived because spacetime is not fundamental. That's what the physicists are now telling us, like Nima Arkani-Hamed. Spacetime is doomed. There is an objective reality, but it's not space and time. It's a deeper reality outside of space and time. Spacetime is emergent and is not fundamental.

In This Our Life (1942) ***

Entertaining melodrama, paced like the Indy 500, with Ms. Davis in a risky wild performance. A little heavy with the music but well composed scenes, few single closeups.

Blue Chips (1994) **

Well made look at college sports exploitation of athletes. Good use of actual athletes as actors.

The Cabin in the Cotton (1932) **

Pre-code Hollywood melodrama "picturizing" Great Depression era inequality and potential remedies. Nice to see Bette in the vamp role.

Beyond Fracking: Oil-and-Gas Industry's Toxic Waste Is Radioactive - Rolling Stone

The levels of radium in Louisiana oil pipes had registered as much as 20,000 times the limits set by the EPA for topsoil at uranium-mill waste sites. Templet found that workers who were cleaning oil-field piping were being coated in radioactive dust and breathing it in. One man they tested had radioactivity all over his clothes, his car, his front steps, and even on his newborn baby. The industry was also spewing waste into coastal waterways, and radioactivity was shown to accumulate in oysters. Pipes still laden with radioactivity were donated by the industry and reused to build community playgrounds. Templet sent inspectors with Geiger counters across southern Louisiana. One witnessed a kid sitting on a fence made from piping so radioactive they were set to receive a full year’s radiation dose in an hour. “People thought getting these pipes for free from the oil industry was such a great deal,” says Templet, “but essentially the oil companies were just getting rid of their waste.”

Parasite (2019) ***

Satire is tough to do and this flick almost hits its ambitions, keeps it real while making its points.

Now, Voyager (1942) ***

Archetypical Hollywood melodrama is done so well you ignore the preposterous story, sit back and enjoy the ride.

Loophole (1981) **

A fine cast and an intriguing heist plot, but directed so earnestly the life gets sucked out of it.

Bad Genius (2017) **

Seldom seen Thai culture adds freshness to an otherwise formulaic but well done heist flick.

Berlin, I Love You (2019) *

Berlin just doesn't hold a cinematic candle to Paris.

Of Human Bondage (1934) *

The idea of having the actors speak directly to the camera instead of each other nearly all the time does NOT work. Only saving grace is Bette's big scene near the end where she nails it and you forget all about her terrible Cockney accent.

Westworld (1973) **

Like many of Crichton's flicks it's an interesting, provocative 1 hr sci-fi TV episode padded out to feature film length. Yul Brynner is perfect.

The Donald’s Assassination Of General Soleimani—As Stupid As It Gets, by David Stockman - The Unz Review

But that’s just colossal nonsense and imperialistic arrogance. The Assad government in Syria, the largest political party in Lebanon (Hezbollah), the dominant population of northern Yemen (Houthis) and a significant portion of the Iraqi armed forces represented by the Shiite militias (the PMF or Popular Mobilization Forces) are no less civilized and no more prone to sectarian violence than anybody else in this woebegone region. And the real head-choppers of ISIS and its imitators and rivals have all been Sunni jihadist insurrectionists, not Shiite-based governments and political parties.

The truth is, America has no dog in the Shiite versus Sunni hunt, which has been going on for 1300 years in the region. And when it comes to spillover of those benighted forces into Europe or America, recent history is absolutely clear: 100% of all Islamic terrorist incidents in the US since they began in the 1990s were perpetrated or inspired by Sunni jihadists, not Iran or its Shiite allies and proxies in the region.

The Terminal Man (1974) **

Thoughtful, earnest sci-fi flick would have been much better as a 1 hour episode of Twilight Zone. Still it has a number of stylishly shot scenes and that great '70's vibe.

2019 In Review: Movies

**** Apollo 11
**** The Irishman

*** Joker
*** Little Women
*** Marriage Story
*** Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story By Martin Scorsese
*** The Lighthouse

** The Aeronauts
** Dolemite Is My Name
** High Flying Bird
** Once Upon A Time...In Hollywood
** The Good Liar
** The Laundromat
** The Lion King
** Toy Story 4
** Velvet Buzzsaw
** Where'd You Go, Bernadette
** Wine Country

* Annabelle Comes Home
* Cats
* Late Night
* Ready Or Not

Little Women (2019) ***

Greta confirms that Lady Bird was no fluke in this personal and topical adaptation of well-worn material.