The Children's Hour (1961) ****

Superbly directed, acted and photographed. A stage adaptation that works. Needs to be studied by contemporary directors so they can learn how to keep more than one actor in focus in the same shot.

Pociag (1959) **

Euro-noir aboard a night train to the Polish seaside is atmospheric and minimal but marred by an inferior print.

A Kind of Murder (2016) ***

Very well made Highsmith adaptation. Superbly cast with a sharp script, well paced and shot.

2022 In Review: Music

**** Katy J Pearson - Sound of the Morning
**** Starcrawler - She Said

*** Alvvays - Blue Rev
*** April March - In Cinerama
*** Asteroid No. 4, The - Tones Of The Sparrow
*** Barrie - Barbara
*** Berries, The - High Flying Man
*** Beths, The - Expert in a Dying Field
*** Blushing - Possessions
*** Cate Le Bon - Pompeii
*** Color Green - Color Green
*** Diane Coffee - With People
*** Dream Syndicate, The - Ultraviolet Battle Hymns And True Confessions
*** Elvis Costello - The Boy Named If
*** Flasher - Love Is Yours
*** Frontperson - Parade
*** I Was A King - Follow Me Home
*** Inflorescence, The - Remember What I Look Like
*** KT Tunstall - NUT
*** Liam Gallagher - C'mon You Know
*** Linda Lindas, The - Growing Up
*** Momma - Household Name
*** Oceanator - Nothing's Ever Fine
*** Paranoyds, The -Talk Talk Talk
*** Phoenix - Alpha Zulu
*** Sadies, The - Colder Streams
*** Say Sue Me - The Last Thing Left
*** St. Lucia - Utopia
*** Stella Donnelly - Flood
*** VA - Under The Bridge
*** Wilco - Cruel Country
*** Yumi Zouma - Present Tense

** Aldous Harding - Warm Chris
** Dentist - Making A Scene
** EELS - Extreme Witchcraft
** Eddie Vedder - Earthling
** Fancey - Star Dreams
** First Aid Kit - Palomino
** Hatchie - Giving the World Away
** Jordana - Face The Wall
** Kiwi Jr. - Chopper
** Lauren Balthrop - Things Will Be Different
** Paranoid Style, The - For Executive Meeting
** Party Battleship - Sweet Thing
** Rusty - The Resurrection Of Rust
** Sun's Signature
** Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Cool It Down

Noises Off... (1992) **

Funny but ultimately exhausting this is about the best you can do in adapting a theatrical farce into film. Some things are better left to the stage.

American Gigolo (1980) **

This time the "hooker with a heart of gold" is a dude but that doesn't help and the flick hasn't aged well. Not particularly insightful nor relatable, it is nevertheless well cast and well made except for the nagging problem of the script.

Game 6 (2005) **

Mike Keaton is terrific in an ultimately unsatisfying flick that nevertheless has entertaining aspects.

Bullet Train (2022) *

Unoriginal action flick that's not funny, not exciting, not even particularly well made. Not sure where the $90 million went. Tiresome.

Dune (1984) ***

Stunningly art directed, designed and shot, this ultimately silly space opera is a wild ride.

The ‘Twitter Files’ Is What It Claims to Expose (NY Magazine)

In sum: The New York Post published a story based on data that was apparently — but, at the time, unverifiably — Hunter Biden’s. That story falsely purported to offer “smoking gun” evidence of Joe Biden’s corruption, when it actually provided no such thing. Faced with warnings from federal law enforcement about impending foreign hacks, and a story based on apparently stolen emails sourced from Rudy Giuliani, Twitter’s content moderation team chose to suppress the Post article. That decision was internally controversial, and even those who supported it said that they wished they had more information about the source of the emails. Within 24 hours, Twitter reversed course. It is possible that this reduced the ultimate reach of the Post’s story, which, given that story’s mendacious content, probably would have been beneficial to public understanding of the Trump-Biden race (after all, there was exponentially more evidence that Donald Trump had used public power to advance his family’s private business interests than evidence that Biden had done so, yet the Post’s story conveyed the opposite impression). But it’s also possible that Twitter’s decision actually increased the story’s prominence by endowing it with an aura of forbidden knowledge. Separately, when the Biden campaign flagged tweets that featured pornographic images, Twitter responded by enforcing its own rules.

The Looking Glass War (1970) ***

Slick spy procedural stays true to the le Carré spirit if not the letter. Interesting Tony Hopkins performance; nice 70's snapshot.

The Menu (2022) **

Begins well and you think you're in for a delicious absurdist dramedy but it doesn't stick to it and becomes a slasher flick that doesn't resonate.

Remember My Name (1978) **

Altman-esque LA-noir is an actor's showcase with many fine supporting performances and a great femme fatale lead. Tony Perkins tries hard but just can't convince as a construction worker.

Johnny in the Clouds (1945) **

Doug Montgomery's performance is the main interest in this Brit WWII soaper.

Lawmakers Set to Propose Record $847B for Defense, $45B Over Biden’s Request

Indeed, the Pentagon is the only federal agency that has never passed an audit. Critics point out that over half of the defense budget goes toward private contractors like Lockheed Martin and Raytheon, resulting in huge profits for these companies; in the first three quarters of 2022, while the public has been suffering due to inflation, Lockheed Martin made over $4.2 billion in profit, while Raytheon reported an operating profit of over $3.9 billion.

The Long Good Friday (1980) **

Mob trying to go legit UK style. Likes to go for the gory visuals even if they don't make a lot of sense.

Night Tide (1961) *

Starts promisingly but you soon realize this "thriller" has no thrills and not much else.

Great Expectations (1974) ***

Stellar cast rises to the occasion and makes you forget about the simplistic direction. Well produced and a literate, witty script.

Jabberwocky (1977) **

Uneven, too long and too soon after Holy Grail. Still, the production is well done and foretells great things for Gilliam.

Bell Book and Candle (1958) ***

Lots of subtext to consider in this colorful, witchy rom-com featuring a lovely Ms. Novak(a bit too much with the eyebrows though) and the miscast but very good Jimmy Stewart. Stellar supporting cast.

The Pied Piper (1972) **

Impressive art direction, costuming and a number of fine British character actors in a children's film that hammers home its anti-authority message bluntly.

The Sign of Four (1983) **

Slightly better support for Ian Richardson's second effort as Holmes. More coherent if nothing else.

The Fourth Victim (1971) *

Poor attempt at a Hitchcockian thriller. Mike Craig is ok but he doesn't have a lot to work with here.

The Kiss of the Vampire (1963) **

Featuring an original oddball take on vampirism and the typical lush Hammer photography, it's enjoyable if a bit silly.

The Music of Chance (1993) ****

Terrific mind bender subtly directed with a transformative James Spader and a restrained Mandy Patinkin.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983) *

Ian Richardson and Denholm Elliott are let down by shoddy directing in this confusing Holmes adaptation. Disappointing.

Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971) **

Hammer Films sure knew how to light and photograph a motion picture. This one is no exception which makes it enjoyable along with the lovely Ms.Beswick, even though the story is a bit silly and needlessly graphic.

American Friends (1991) **

Handsomely mounted period piece about an Oxford don who gives it all up for love doesn't quite hit the heights for which it aims.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1966) **

Dick Lester relies too heavily on extreme closeups and compensates with frenetic cutting, but the material and performances are enough to make the entire production enjoyable.

Couple mistakenly given $10.5m from Crypto.com thought they had won contest, court hears | Cryptocurrencies | The Guardian

In May 2021, Crypto.com intended to refund Manivel $100 but she was erroneously transferred $10.47m. The company did not notice the mistake until an audit was conducted in December.

A worker in Bulgaria, who processed the refund, had entered the wrong numbers into an Excel spreadsheet, Michi Chan Fores, a Crypto.com compliance officer, told the court.

Not only should Crypto.com be forced to honor the payment, they should also be assessed treble damages for using Excel to process anything to do with actual cash.

Fascination (1979) *

Poorly executed would be horror flick is still better lit and photographed than most current movies.

The Cry of the Owl (2009) **

This condensed Highsmith adaptation probably doesn't make a lot of sense if you haven't read the novel, but it's a watchable noir at face value.

The Hidden (1987) ***

Prime example of a "B" picture transcending its genre and budgetary limitations with imagination and skill.

Persuasion (1995) ****

One of the finest Austen adaptations and an exceptionally well made film from top to bottom despite the television origins.

Hotel du Nord (1938) **

Stagey melodrama has its moments but not enough of them.

Endless Night (1972) **

Faithful Christie adaptation could have used a more assured hand at the controls.

Mr. & Mrs. Bridge (1990) **

Paul and Joanne playing against type, she overcomes it superbly, he cannot. The picture is well made and enjoyable but the ending, while artistically successful, makes the film fall flat on its face.

Summer with Monika (1953) ***

Young love turns sour when reality bites. Some iconic scenes from Bergman and a blazing performance by Ms. Andersson.

Doctor Faustus (1967) **

Nicely shot and produced, with a fine performance by Dick Burton, this faithful adaptation of the Marlowe play comes across as an academic exercise rather than an involving film. Still, it's colorful, watchable and Liz looks great.

Caught on a Train (1980) ***

Dame Ashcroft is superb in this two-hander that captures the horrors of overnight transport in Europe at the time.

Castle in the Air (1952) **

The lead is just not up to the task as the marvelous Ms. Rutherford steals the show yet again. More watchable than other Brit-coms of the time.

The Swimmer (1968) ****

Supremely atypical Hollywood flick is an engrossing character study and an example of how far humans go with delusions when reality hurts. The only other actor besides Burt who could have possibly pulled this off is Chuck.

Ministry of Fear (1944) **

Entertaining spy thriller with a smidgen of Greene left intact. Carried well by a top notch cast.

Toys in the Attic (1963) ***

Well made southern gothic tragedy, this time NOT by Tennessee. Ms. Hiller is superb and Dino acquits himself well.

Journey Into Fear (1975) *

Inept direction sinks a stellar cast.

Radio Days (1987) ***

Woody strolls down memory lane with funny dramatizations of his family life growing up in Rockaway.

The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939) **

Sturdy version of the famous whodunnit with an energetic Basil Rathbone as Holmes.

Shock (1946) **

The most shocking thing about the picture is what passed for state of the art psychiatric care in 1946. Nevertheless, as usual, Vinnie keeps it interesting.

Thank You, Jeeves! (1936) *

The only link to Wodehouse are the character names "Jeeves" and "Wooster".

Arabesque (1966) **

Sophia in her prime can make any movie watchable, but this one gets tiresome halfway through, wasting a game Greg Peck.

The Missionary (1982) ***

Funny satire of Victorian manners and mores with a terrific cast of British character actors. Trev Howard is a hoot.

The Dressmaker (2015) **

It tries too hard to be quirky without finding the humanity underneath it all. Fine Aussie cast, well photographed.

84 Charing Cross Road (1987) **

Fine cast giving fine performaces let down by ham fisted direction that cops out at the end.

Ten Little Indians (1989) *

Ill conceived and ill executed.

There's a Girl in My Soup (1970) **

Swingin' 60's style romcom (an obvious inspiration for Austin Powers) shows a lot of hair (Sellers') and some skin (Hawn's). Nice to look at and a few choice moments.

Paris Blues (1961) **

Appealing leads and Parisian locales enliven a fairly standard romantic melodrama.

7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964) **

Squanders a fine Tony Randall and a luscious Barbara Eden by going broad for the 10 year old set.

Buffet Froid (1979) ***

Abstract absurdism that is actually an entertaining film thanks to terrific performances and a script that sticks to its premises and is not afraid of humor.

Gregory's Girl (1980) **

The Scottish setting and a winning cast provides the charm and interest in this coming-of-age flick that's not in the Hollywood mold.

Mona Lisa (1986) ***

Brit noir character study, well played and directed.

Secret of the Incas (1954) *

Chuck does a good job playing a cad in an Indiana Jones outfit but the rest of the picture is deadly dull.

Countess Dracula (1971) *

It's well photographed and mounted and has the lovely Ms. Pitt in her prime, but it's rather dull. Disappointing.

Appointment with Death (1988) **

Disappointing whodunnit despite the semi-star cast. Nice location shots.

The Clouded Yellow (1950) **

Well done chase flick with a lovely Ms. Simmons in her prime.

Marnie (1964) **

Possibly the goofiest film in Hitchcock's repertoire. Colorful, and some interesting sequences but the last third really drags as the "odeur" of Freud becomes unbearable.

Foreign Intrigue (1956) **

Colorful, globe trotting whodunnit leans heavily on Bob Mitchum's star power and Ms. Thulin's looks. A bit convoluted.

The Set-Up (1949) **

Goes a bit overboard with the cutesy, but delivers in the ring. Nice to see Bob Ryan in a lead for a change.

The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) ***

Upon repeated viewings this thriller becomes more of a portrait of an unhappy marriage near collapse. Hitch relies a little too much on the obvious rear projection shots, but still some masterful sequences of near silent cinema.

Rachel and the Stranger (1948) **

Pleasant enough Hollywood western features a couple of stars having fun and a brisk pace.

Easy Rider (1969) ***

Despite some laughable "experimental" editing and a rare awful Nicholson performance, this is a thoughtful, well made road movie with some meat to it. Superlative cinematography by the great Lazlo Kovacs, and an unflinching script.

Michael Clayton (2007) ***

Excellent cast in a well written Mamet-esque legal whodunnit. Clooney was never better.

Why John Waters, the Pope of Trash, keeps returning to the Bay Area

SFGATE: Anything else you think our readers should know about?

Waters: Other than, “Come to the Mosswood thing!” that’s the best I can do. I do Camp John Waters [a summer camp for adults], which is sold out. That’s in Kent, Connecticut. About 500 people come and live as my characters and live their lives for four days. We have guest counselors every year — this year it’s Deborah Harry and Colleen Fitzpatrick, who played her daughter in “Hairspray” and went on to be Vitamin C, the pop star. It’s really amazing. People have contests, we speak, we have dinners. Then I do a 20-city Christmas tour, so I’ll be back with a musical. I’m writing that. I’m writing new shows. I’m so busy, I think I’m overexposed. Maybe you shouldn’t hear about me for a while.

Casablanca (1942) **

Ms. Bergman lights up the screen and there's some nifty one liners in the dialogue but it's too long and the acting quality varies wildly.

La Notte (1961) **

A day in the life of a couple breaking up. Ms. Vitti and Ms. Moreau make it watchable.

Hustle (2022) **

Leans heavily on the sturdy Hollywood sports flick structure but keeps it interesting with real NBA stars as actors.

The Big Picture (1989) **

A gentle cautionary tale for aspiring filmmakers features some terrific performances, tons of big star cameos and a witty, humane script. The only drawback (and it's a big one since he's the lead) is Mr. Six Degrees Of Separation.

People Will Talk (1951) *

Not even Cary can rescue this bizarre attempt at depicting human behavior which fails miserably. Not one character in this film would ever be confused with an actual human being.

Licorice Pizza (2021) ***

Visual tone poem to being 15 in the 70's in general and in the San Fernando Valley in particular, is thoroughly enjoyable for viewers d'un certain age. Captures the vibe and the look to a certain extent with a terrific soundtrack. Game cast is excellent.

Five Graves to Cairo (1943) **

Well made play adaptation (unusual for a WWII spy story) marred by the unnecessary and overlong epilogue.

Interceptor (2022) *

Ms. Pataky looks great in a wife-beater.

Bell' Antonio (1960) **

Thoughtful exploration on how we handle love and sex. Poor quality cut obscures the well composed scenes.

Jeffrey Sachs Lays Out Possible Lab Origin of Covid

Still, both the overlap in the amino acid sequence and the fact that experts in the furin cleavage site of the ENaC-alpha and insertion of genetic material into bat coronaviruses work at the same university could be coincidental, as Harrison and Sachs acknowledge. Some virologists, though, say that the coincidence strains credulity.

“Could be,” Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University, wrote in an email to The Intercept when asked about the possibility that these things are both chance occurrences. “But the list of coincidences is getting verrrrrrrrrrry long.”

Ebright, a proponent of investigating the origin of SARS-CoV-2 and of investigating both natural-spillover and research-related-spillover, whom Harrison and Sachs thank “for helpful commentary on the manuscript,” spelled out some of the other Covid coincidences that he considers questionable, including its initial outbreak in a city that, well before 2019, had already been pegged as a biosafety risk. Ebright also noted Wuhan’s 1,000-mile distance from the nearest wild bats that carry the type of SARS-related coronaviruses that caused the pandemic. And he pointed to the particular coding of the amino acids in the furin cleavage site of SARS-CoV2.

“The sequence encoding the FCS of the pandemic virus contained two consecutive CGG arginine codons,” Ebright explained in his email. (A codon, or a combination of three nucleotides, supplies the genetic code for a single amino acid, though most amino acids can be represented by multiple different codons. Each nucleotide is represented by a letter — for RNA, either A, C, U, or G.) “This codon usage is unusual for a natural bat SARS-related coronaviruses (for which fewer than 1 in 30 arginine codons are CGG) but is optimal for humans (for which most arginine codons are CGG codons).”

Still, Ebright said that at first he didn’t see the identical amino acid sequences as particularly suspicious. “I had known for more than a year that there was a perfect match to an eight-amino acid sequence present in human ENaC. What I had not known was that the sequence was known to be a functional furin cleavage site and that it was a sequence extensively studied at UNC,” he said. “The crucial point that the ENaC sequence was a known functional site, not just that there happens to be a match to a protein that happens to be in humans. … That suddenly turned it from what I thought to be largely irrelevant to being a logical and obvious choice to proceed.”

Vangelis, Oscar-Winning Composer, Dies at 79 | Pitchfork

In 1973, Vangelis started his solo career with his debut album Fais que ton rêve soit plus long que la nuit (Make Your Dream Last Longer Than the Night). During the ’70s, he was widely rumored to join the prog-rock band Yes, following the departure of keyboardist Rick Wakeman. After rehearsing with them for months, Vangelis declined to join the group. He and Yes lead vocalist Jon Anderson reunited later in the ’80s, and they went on to release several albums together as Jon and Vangelis.

Personally, extremely influential musician.

The Sea Wolf (1941) **

Sturdy, old Hollywood adaptation plays it too safe to be memorable.

The Last Picture Show (1971) ****

Bogdanovich has a terrific script and nails the casting, design and direction. Powerful performances from nearly entire cast. Stark, beautiful images of an ugly, dying world.

A Place of One's Own (1945) **

Nicely done Victorian era ghost story with a surprisingly good performance by almost always supporting actress Barbara Mullen and a spooky appearance by Dr. Pretorius himself.

Mr. Klein (1976) ***

Chilling look at occupied France and a question of identity. M. Delon in fine form.

Daughters of Darkness (1971) *

Seems the casting director went for looks instead of ability.

Dirty Work (1998) *

Stand-up humor doesn't always translate to movies. Certainly not here.

All the Old Knives (2022) **

Clever whodunnit in the spy game benefits from good casting.

New COVID-19 nasal spray outperforms current antibody treatments in mice - Northwestern Now

In addition to losing effectiveness, current antibody therapies also come with several problems: They are difficult to develop, expensive and require a healthcare professional to administer. They also require complicated supply chains and extreme refrigeration, which is often unavailable in low-resource settings.

The new antiviral solves all these problems. As opposed to monoclonal antibodies, which are made by cloning and culturing living mammalian cells, the new antiviral treatment is produced large-scale in microorganisms like E. coli, making them more cost-effective to manufacture. Not only is the new therapy stable in high heat, which could further streamline manufacturing and decrease the cost of goods for clinical development, it also holds promise for being self-administered as a one-time nasal spray, bypassing the need for medical professionals.

The researchers imagine that it could be available at the pharmacy and used as a preventative measure to treat infections.

Rancho Deluxe (1975) **

Seems to be going for a "Butch and Sundance" or "Hawkeye and Trapper" vibe but ends up coming across as kind of sleazy. Slim Pickens is the only highlight.

The Power of the Dog (2021) ***

Stylishly directed neo-western, a character study of a beligerent jerk who can't see beyond himself. Well acted, well shot.

Idiocracy (2006) ***

Frequently hilarious satire of contemporary popular culture run amok. Unfortunately turned out to be fairly prescient.

Swamp Water (1941) **

Southern gothic melodrama, Hollywood style. Loads of great character actors and a fine lead.

10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) ***

Well done thriller plays with the genre-inherent clichés and keeps you on your toes. Fine cast, pacing.

Redbelt (2008) ****

Mamet's version of Rocky. Typical, which means sharp, witty, intense.

The Cocoanuts (1929) **

It's terrific when the Marx's are on screen. Execrable when they are not.

Francis Ford Coppola Shares His Oscar Memories - Deadline

What’s really going on with CNN and Fox and this addiction to daily news? To me, it’s very simple. They give you four minutes of bad news that there’s nothing you can do about. I mean, you look at the kids in Afghanistan and you cry about these babies. I want to help. You look at what’s happening in Ukraine and you say, oh my God. But there’s nothing you can do about it, and they give you that. Then they show you six minutes of commercials, options you can do something about it. You can give yourself a treat and buy a bad unhealthy hamburger, or you can…but everything they suggest that you can do involves you spending money. So that’s what’s going on.

DEADLINE: I never thought of that.

COPPOLA: Commercials are basically subliminally telling you that you’re not okay the way you are. And you’d be better off if you could have a Mercedes, because then you can have a pretty girlfriend. In other words, it’s not telling you you’re okay. It’s telling you you’re not okay, repeatedly. Some poor guy is working in an office and he’s working as hard as he can, and he can’t get any more money. So he can’t have a Mercedes and he can’t get a nice girlfriend that looks like Cheryl Tiegs. And so he just goes berserk and he shoots five people, or some 17-year-old kid commits suicide because he’s being bullied. That stuff is not all necessary. I finally figured it after I looked very carefully at what the news was saying, and I realized everything that I feel bad about is because the news is telling me I can’t do anything about it. It’s very frustrating because I want to help the Ukrainians. I want to help, but I can’t. It’s beyond my ability. But then the next commercials are things I can do. And some of them will give me a little shot of dopamine. I could get that pizza. I can act. I can just do it.

Rifkin's Festival (2020) **

Nice to look at and enough chuckles to make it fairly enjoyable, but the glaring, miscast lead cannot carry the picture.

The Bank Dick (1940) ****

Hilarious, top notch Fields.

The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) **

Strikingly art directed, beautifully filmed and sharply adapted script, undermined by miscast leads. Nice to look at and enjoy the words and images.

Design for Living (1933) *

Unconvincing rom-com with a twist is miscast and not very funny. It's a long 90 minutes.

Shiva Baby (2020) **

Pedestrian direction undermines a witty script and fine lead.

Benedetta (2021) ***

Beautifully produced look at cynicism, faith and madness in desperate times. Deftly directed.

Morocco (1930) **

A couple of iconic scenes but mostly a lackluster, strangely paced melodrama.

5 Fingers (1952) ***

Goofy title notwithstanding, this is a terrific spy procedural.

Million Dollar Legs (1932) *

Not at all funny and a major waste of WC.

Dragonwyck (1946) **

Typical old Hollywood melodrama elevated a bit by Joe Mank's dialog and a sturdy Mr. Price.

The Lost Daughter (2021) **

Unsettling character study leaves a bit too much unsaid, but that's preferable to the alternative. Excellent cast.

The Fugitive Kind (1960) **

Typical Tennessee southern gothic melodrama made watchable by the lovely Ms. Woodward.

Francis Ford Coppola’s $100 Million Bet (GQ)

Okay, I said. The Godfather started off as a studio project that had nothing to do with you. Did it become personal to you in the end?

“Well, I believe that. I believe… I'm going to have to say this fast. I once read a Balzac article—I wish I could find it, but it's not published, and I don't know where the book is.” (I think this was Coppola's way of telling me he owns, or once owned, an unpublished work by Balzac.) “But people said, ‘Oh, these young people are stealing your stuff.’ To Balzac. And Balzac said, ‘That's why I wrote it. I want them to take everything, whatever I have, they're welcome, these young authors. Take all you want. One, because it can't really come out like me because each one of them is an individual and it's going to come out like them, so they can't steal it. They can appropriate it, but it's going to come out through them. And number two, it gives me immortality, so whatever I do, if young people take it, are influenced by it, and so and so, it's great. Because that then makes me part of their work. And I go on.’ So what was your question?”

Homicide (1991) ***

Terrific cop procedural that really isn't. The kind of film that cannot get financed any more.

Suddenly, Last Summer (1959) **

Extremely talky Williams potboiler relys on psycho-babble, an emaciated, rickety Monty Clift, another regal turn by Kate and the lovely Liz. The actors make it watchable.

Spencer (2021) **

Stewart carries the picture as it attempts to use real historical people as characters in an imagined scenario. Multiple viewings might make this attempt more successful since we're still a little too close in time for our knowledge of those people to be re-imagined.

All About Eve (1950) ***

Opulently written, stylishly cynical look at the world of "The Theater" and its inhabitants. Lots of elegant speeches and performances.

Early ‘lab-grown’ Covid virus found in sample lends weight to Wuhan theory (telegraph.co.uk)

An early version of Covid-19 that appears to have been grown in a laboratory has been discovered in samples from a Chinese biotechnology firm. The finding lends weight to claims that the virus may have started life as a lab experiment that accidentally leaked out. Bioinformatics experts from the University of Veterinary Medicine and Lorand University in Budapest, Hungary, made the discovery by accident while examining genetic data from soil samples collected from Antarctica in late 2018 and early 2019.

The samples were sent to Sangon Biotech in Shanghai for sequencing in Dec 2019, where they became contaminated with a previously unknown variant of Covid-19. The variant has mutations that bridge the gap between bat coronavirus and the earliest Wuhan strain, so it may be an ancestral version of the virus. The samples also contain DNA from hamsters and monkeys, suggesting that the early virus may have been grown in animal cell lines. Viscount Ridley, author of Viral: The Search for the Origin of Covid-19, said: “The unique mutations hint at it being an ancestral variant. So if it was sequenced in say mid-December, before anybody had identified the virus in people and started trying to grow it in labs, then it points to secret samples in labs in 2019.”

Written on the Wind (1956) **

Sumptuously produced and magnificently photographed, yet basically a bonkers melodrama that has no relation to how human beings actually live their lives. (Not that that's always necessary in a film.) Malone and Stack are a hoot.

Deconstructing Harry (1997) ***

Funny if jarringly crude at times, and once the experimental editing style calms down this is almost up to Stardust Memories level in quality.

Elvis Costello is a more perceptive, skilled and thoughtful writer than ever

And I did write another record that was just a literal representation of a transition in my life that took place about 17 years ago. People were deeply shocked by how plain-spoken it was and didn’t like it. A lot of people didn’t like it because it wasn’t tricky and ironic and all these things that I had become supposedly known for. The couple of times that I spoke directly to people, they kind of stepped back, not cause the songs were bad, but because they don’t like truth. I’m that guy that’s got the smart-arse line you know but that’s not really me, that’s them, that’s what they’re hearing. You know I have no control about the way people listen to my songs, I have to write what I honestly think is the right story.

17 years ago was 2004/2005. EC released "The Delivery Man" in 2004, but that was well received. "North" was released in 2003 and wasn't as successful but it was a piano ballad album and I doubt folks were turned off by the lyrical content. I wonder if he's referring to 2002's "When I Was Cruel"?

Washing the Dishes and Clothes by Thich Nhat Hanh | Spirituality & Practice

Wash the dishes relaxingly, as though each bowl is an object of contemplation. Consider each bowl as sacred. Follow your breath to prevent your mind from straying. Do not try to hurry to get the job over with. Consider washing the dishes the most important thing in life. Washing the dishes is meditation. If you cannot wash the dishes in mindfulness, neither can you meditate while sitting in silence.

Thank you Thây for all you have given me.

The Quiet American (1958) **

Not sure why this film was made since it completely upends the source novel, but Mike Redgrave is good and the script is sharp.

Peter Bogdanovich Dead: Last Picture Show, Paper Moon Director Dies

Recalling a conversation he had with Welles shortly before the Citizen Kane director died in 1985, Bogdanovich seemed to be looking back on his own life: “I said, ‘Jesus, Orson, I feel like I made so many mistakes.’ And he said, ‘Well, it does seem difficult to go through life without making a great many of them,’ which was our way of rekindling our friendship. That was the last time we spoke.”