An anthology of Downland characters and what they do between their epic adventures. Mostly written as birthday gifts to the players, these ...
I would prefer a bit more creativity in Trump's naming. Gulf of America vs. Gulf of Mexico made sense. Lake America? We weren't calling it Lake Canada. Ontario is a province. May Lake New York? If he does manage to acquire Greenland, will it get renamed to Americaland?
On X, someone noted that 127 children had died from the measles vaccine while only 2 have died from contracting measles. Proof that the vaccine is more dangerous than the disease! No, sorry, it does not prove any such thing.
The measles vaccine was introduced in 1963. Prior to vaccination, the annual death toll was 300 to 400 per year. The population was considerably lower then, but let's stick with that number and just compare. With the vaccine, we can have 2 measles deaths and 127 vaccine deaths, but without the vaccine with can have 300 to 400 measles deaths and no vaccine deaths. I'll let you choose.
As Thomas Sowell explained, there are no solutions, only tradeoffs. By only examining one side of the equation, it can appear that the status quo is obviously wrong. However, once you look at both sides, the tradeoff is apparent and the cost/benefit can be answered.
Though I have been writing this blog for 15 years, it is not a popular or widely read blog. However, there have been the occasional bursts of activity. In October 2018, I had over 5,000 views! Prior to that, I only saw a few hundred in a month. It flattened out to the regular few hundred until June 2019 when I broke 3,000. Cool. It then dipped to the usual few hundred for the next several years. In December 2023, I had over 4,000. In May 2024, there were more than 6,000. Wow! That was the high-water mark until July 2025 when I broke 42,000. What? How is that possible? It was so out of the blue. In the last few months, the real craziness occurred.
The last 4 months have seen 273,000 views, which constitutes more than 60% of all the views I've had since starting this blog. What could possible account for such skyrocketing views? Artificial Intelligence. Yes, the AI bots must be grabbing everything that can be found. I suspect all bloggers have seen a huge increase in views. How long will this last? In a few months, will I look back on this as the slow times?
For the rare human reader, thanks for stopping by.
In addition to changing both domestic and foreign policy, the DSA has idea on reforming how the government governs. Let's go back to the DSA website.
Working-Class Democracy
Democracy for All: Extend full voting rights to all permanent U.S. residents and restore the right to vote for incarcerated people and people with criminal convictions. Establish statehood for Washington D.C. and recognize the right to self-determination for all U.S. territories and colonies. Expand and protect voting rights and end voter suppression.
Death row inmates get to vote. Criminals are a reliable voting block for Democrats because Democrats are the soft-on-crime party. Of course, the DSA would seek to benefit its voters. Beyond criminals, what sort of expansion of voting rights are being considered? Recognizing a right to self-determination is just an invitation for secession and disintegration of the country. When combined with the instant amnesty proposed in the abolition of ICE, a lot of newly-minted permanent residents will join the voter rolls and they will mostly vote for the party offering the most freebies (psst, that would be the DSA).
A Real Democracy: For the working class to govern, we need a new political system. End political corruption and legalized bribery: get rid of lobbyists, dark money, and Citizens United, and publicly finance all elections. Abolish the Electoral College. Replace the President and Supreme Court with an executive and judiciary chosen by and subordinate to Congress.
Repeal the Constitution. This requires a constitutional convention or several new amendments to the Constitution. By eliminating the president, the Congress would become more like the British Parliament where the Prime Minister is just one of the members of parliament who happens to exercise the executive. If we have eliminated the presidency, the Electoral College is irrelevant. However, if the Electoral College was eliminated before the presidency was folded into the Congress, it would greatly diminish the representation of smaller states. This is a call for the destruction of the US Republic.
A Democratic Congress: Replace the two-party system with a multi-party democracy. Expand the House of Representatives, implement proportional representation and ranked choice voting in all elections, and abolish the Senate.
By abolishing the Senate, the DSA would abolish the states. Wyoming would have one representative in the new unicameral legislature and would be pillaged by neighboring states with more say. Proportional representation means that parties have slates of candidates who are elected based on the proportion of the vote that the party gets. You aren't voting for your congressman but merely a party who will get so many seats in government. Furthermore, a multiparty system can lead to empowering minority parties, such as the DSA. A coalition party is likely to be both less stable and more extreme, allowing for wide swings in governing. Again, this is a repeal of the Constitution and a destruction of the Republic.
Economic Democracy: Establish public ownership of the largest corporations and essential industries to ensure democratic control and accountability to the people. Enact aggressive wealth taxes on the richest individuals and corporations to spend on public goods and infrastructure.
Communism. Yeah, we finally got there. There is public ownership of the means of production. There is from each according to his means (i.e., the rich) to each according to his needs (i.e., the public). The DSA has adopted communist policies, but made them sound like democracy and fairness. How long will the rich remain rich under such a system? This will lead to an equality of poverty though the governing elites will be a bit more equal than everyone else. Sounds familiar.
Democracy at Work: Empower workers to come together and fight the boss. Protect, expand, and enforce the rights of all workers to form, join, and strike with their unions, regardless of industry. Support union members who organize reform caucuses, democratize their unions, and take political action.
For those industries that have not been nationalized, the workers are to view the boss as an adversary. Rather than being unified in providing a good or service to the public, the boss-employee dynamic should be one of constant contention where the workers chip away at the boss and inevitably make the business less productive and profitable. This is sure to encourage more entrepreneurship and expand the economy, right? No, quite the opposite. There is a reason that Detroit has fallen so far as car manufacturing fled to less hostile locations.
It should be noted that the DSA does not need to achieve all of its policies to crash the US. Just defunding the military could end the US. Opening the borders like the Biden Administration for a more extended period with the amnesty policy could destroy the US. The only reason Europe has been able to enact so many of these policies is because the US has footed the bill for defense. The US has no one to cover that bill.
Vote against the communists in November!
Where Thriving Communities concerned itself with domestic policy, the DSA also has plans on how to handle international relations. Let's return to the DSA website.
Working-Class Foreign Policy
End the U.S. War Machine: Defund the Department of War. End all foreign wars and close overseas military bases. Support and fully employ veterans. End immunity for U.S. war criminals and support the International Criminal Court's mandate to prosecute war crimes.
This is a prescription for national suicide. How does the US defend itself without a military? Who will fill the vacuum left by a US withdrawal from all overseas bases and a dismantling of the US Navy? Who will determine which Americans are war criminals that need to be prosecuted in the ICC? A call for unilateral disarmament is an invitation for hostile nations to invade.
Free Palestine: Recognize the rights of the Palestinian people, including the right of return, the right to resist military occupation, and the right to self determination in a free Palestine with Jerusalem as its capital. End all military and economic aid to Israel. Prosecute U.S. and Israeli leaders responsible for the genocide in Gaza.
Why doesn't anyone call for Free Tibet? Or how about Free Kurdistan? Free East Oregon? No, it is always about the Palestinians. Where Tibet is under the thumb of China, Kurdistan is dominated by Turkey, Iraq, and Iran, and East Oregon is oppressed by Salem, it is the Jews who are blamed for Palestine. Yes, those rascally Israelis are uniquely evil and require a statement in DSA foreign policy. Nevermind that the Palestinians always start the wars which result in the Israelis implementing defensive measures that further restrict the Palestinians. Basically, until Israel is eliminated, Palestine is not free. Understand that and you understand the whole Israel-Palestine conflict. DSA wants the destruction of Israel.
End Blockades, Embargoes, and Sanctions: People around the world deserve to live their lives without U.S. interference. End economic warfare against countries whose governments act independently of the United States, such as Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran.
Stop making life difficult for those who hate us and wish our destruction. Yes, what an obvious plan. Let's make nice with communist Cuba (clearly, DSA is sympathetic to communists), ease up on narco-state Venezuela, and let the Mullahs of Iran resume their title of leading state sponsor of terrorism. We've gotten rid of the military, so let's also get rid of our economic tools for fighting hostile powers. Can't wait for those Iranian missiles to get installed in Cuba. This time, there will be no missile crisis because we have ended blockading and defunded the navy that would implement the blockade. I'm sure it will be fine.
Abolish ICE: End ICE detention and deportations and punish federal agents' brutality. Legalize migration, grant amnesty for all immigrants regardless of status, provide a path to citizenship for all permanent residents, and end visa caps and quotas.
Throw open the borders! Let everyone in and grant them amnesty. A country without borders soon ceases to be a country. Combined with the policies outlined in Thriving Communities, the US - which is already under heavy financial strain - will be bankrupt in months. If it survives that long. With the borders open and the military defunded, what is to stop a flood of hostiles from sweeping into the country?
Are there people who are stupid enough to believe this? Apparently there are. This proposed DSA Utopia would quickly devolve into a hellscape. It must be remembered that Lenin spoke of useful idiots, people who believed the Utopian pap he spouted and supported his overthrow of Russia. After their usefulness was at an end, firing squads can eliminate them. The DSA playbook is an old one.
In much the same way that the Republican Party has suffered a hostile takeover by the MAGA crowd, the Democratic Party has been invaded by the Democratic Socialist of America (DSA). President Trump and others have accused the DSA of being communists. Is that the case? Let's check out the party's proposed policies on the DSA website.
Thriving Work Class Communities
Freedom to Flourish: Expand public resources to support recreation, learning, and social spaces accessible to all. Establish paid family leave for all workers, a 32 hour work week with full pay and benefits, and a living minimum wage. Provide free, quality public education from pre-K to college and cancel all student debt.
Here the DSA proposes increasing social service costs, diminishing work hours while increasing pay and benefits, and eliminating all educations costs. Where will they get the money to pay for this? Clearly, the pay and benefits will be assessed to the employer, who will have to make do with 20% less productivity (i.e., 32 hours instead of 40). Education and social services are funded by the state via taxation; the necessary tax increase is not mentioned here.
Healthcare for All: Guarantee universal healthcare at no cost to individuals, including complete access to reproductive and gender-affirming care. Expand healthcare access and quality by investing in new public hospitals and clinics. Make all medical education and training public and free.
Quality healthcare access to everyone, with a special note that both abortion and transgender care are included. Moreover, medical education will also be free. Last I checked, healthcare costs accounted for a sixth of the US economy. If it is free, the government will assume control of that part of the economy. There are models for how this works (e.g., Canada, the United Kingdom, etc.), which does not bode well for a government takeover here. Like the expanded services in Freedom to Flourish, this will expand government costs and thus require increased taxation.
Housing for All: Housing is a human right. Build new, publicly-owned social housing, strictly regulate investment properties, establish universal rent control, and guarantee right to counsel for all tenants.
Everyone gets free housing? Not exactly. There is talk of rent control and regulating investment properties, so some housing will still cost money. However, there will be an increase in publicly-owned housing. In any case, landlords are going to find it even less profitable to provide housing under these new rules. That is likely to drive many property owners out of the housing business and thus reduce the supply. Moreover, with housing as a right, the government will have to step in to cover costs or provide shelter. The UK is currently trying this and is paying a fortune to house immigrants in hotels.
Finish Reconstruction: End the legacies of slavery and colonialism. Reinforce anti-discrimination laws. Honor all treaties and tribal sovereignty. Enact reparations and massively invest in good jobs, quality housing and infrastructure in neglected minority communities.
Though it has been 60 years since the civil rights movement and more than 160 years since slavery was abolished, there is still more to do? Yes, the government needs to invest in good jobs (what are good jobs?) and enact reparations (what does that mean?). What is meant by tribal sovereignty? Do the various reservations become independent countries within the US? These actions will serve to further divide the country, which is the point.
End Mass Incarceration and Police Immunity: Demilitarize police departments, disempower police unions, and redirect funding to public services as steps towards fully abolishing the police and prison system which protects the rich and jails the poor. Treat drug addiction and mental illness as health issues, not crimes. End qualified immunity and empower civilian oversight bodies with real authority over the police.
How much incarceration are we allowed to have? What do you mean by 'fully abolishing the police and prison system?' The catch & release system is already being tested in many jurisdictions and has proved to be detrimental to the public. Repeat violent offenders have been released and offended again. These policies will lead to increased violence, which we've seen again and again through the decades. The infamous Willie Horton ad touched on this back in the 1988 presidential campaign. Irina Zarutska would be alive today if only a violent offender had been kept in prison. This is a recipe for chaos, which is likewise not accidental.
Feminism for All: Socialist feminism fights for queer liberation and the freedoms of all working class women. Stop gender violence and end policies that oppress bodily autonomy and intimate life, including patriarchal restrictions on abortion, childbirth and childraising, gender expression and transition, marriage, and divorce. Ban sex discrimination and ensure fair compensation and support for all forms of labor, including care work.
Just in case the message wasn't received under Healthcare for All, let's reiterate that DSA is pro-abortion. What is meant by 'including care work?' Is the government going to cut a check for stay at home moms? Why is marriage and divorce listed under Feminism for All? Don't men participate in these as well? Do the courts not favor women enough in these areas? Let's further divide the sexes.
Green New Deal: Workers must lead our democratic transition to a green future. Pass a federal jobs guarantee. Implement massive investment in sustainable, publicly owned energy and transit infrastructure. Phase out the use of fossil fuels. Reclaim and repair our earth's resources for all.
Bankrupt the country. As if all the other policies that will dramatically increase the federal budget were not enough, here is a plan to crush the economy. Unless the DSA plans to transition to nuclear power, phasing out fossil fuels will result in manufacturing fleeing the country, probably to China. What is a federal jobs guarantee? I would suppose that the government would employ the unemployed, which is going to be costly.
The policy prescriptions that propose to create thriving working class communities will not work. Anyone with a basic understanding of economics or human nature will see that the incentives are counter-productive and harmful. This is a way to destroy the country, not make it thrive. However, once it is destroyed, there will be an opportunity for new management, which is the actual end goal.
Milo Yiannopoulos, the British subject who once dominated right-wing punditry, has been arrested by ICE and is now in detention until he can be deported. The man who adoringly called Donald Trump "Daddy" overstayed his visa. It is amazing that Milo allowed his visa to lapse. It is even more amazing that he didn't immediately self-deport. However, this is a good object lesson. Trump supporter deported by the policies of Trump. Does he still support Trump? I haven't heard from Milo in years and things may have changed. Nope. I should have looked that up before I started. Turns out that Milo worked on Kanye West's presidential campaign as he felt Trump betrayed his loyal supporters.
In any case, deport him. Let's have no exceptions. Keep deporting until everyone still in the country is a citizen or has a valid visa. That's how the system is supposed to work.
Darlene Graham, sister of the recently deceased Lindsey Graham, debated Ralph Norman. During the debate, she was asked a question about Taiwan and the South China Sea. She was clueless and had no idea how to answer the question. Most embarrassing. The pundits had a field day. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton declared her answer to make her unqualified to be a senator. Of course, she is the sitting senator, having been appointed in her brother's place. Moreover, she has been endorsed by President Trump. Sean Hannity defended her, saying her brother just died. Oh, so that excuses it?
If I were a South Carolina voter, I would probably switch to Ralph Norman; this is a primary election, so he is a Republican too. However, if she secures the nomination, I can guarantee that Clay and Buck will change their tune on her qualifications. An 'unqualified' Republican will suddenly be vastly preferable to a highly-qualified Democrat. Do you want a reliable Republican vote or a reliable Democrat vote in the Senate? That is all this is about. If the general election were between a candidate with Henry Kissinger level knowledge of world affairs and a chihuahua, you vote for the one who will reliably toe the party line. That goes for both parties. Recall that Pennsylvania Democrats selected a recovering stroke victim over a medical doctor. Tragically, that is where we are.
Prior to the 17th Amendment, it is unlikely that a sibling would be chosen to fill a vacant senate seat. Name recognition is important for popular elections, but no so much in being selected by the state legislature. The legislature would seek someone who could effectively argue on the state's behalf, not someone who was broadly known and could get votes. Repeal the 17th and the qualifications of senators will rise.
Chance Buckman (John Wayne) was known internationally as the best oil rig firefighter in the business. When the call came in that his services were required, he turned his jet around and summoned his crew. There was Greg Parker (Jim Hutton), a playboy with a different woman in every city. There there was Joe Horn (Bruce Cabot), a reliable and able man. Lastly, he had George Harris (Edward Faulkner), who mostly served in an administrative capacity, but was eager to get in the thick of the action. The crew convened at the fire, which was being actively covered by NBC News. In fact, the news crew became a nuisance that resulted in a serious injury to Chance.
Chance's injury was serious enough that Greg contacted his estranged daughter, Tish (Katharine Ross). Of course, Greg is drawn to her and vice versa. By the time Chance awakens, Greg has become his son-in-law! What will his ex-wife, Madelyn (Vera Miles), think of this?
The story covers several fires, with particular interest on the anxiety of Madelyn and Tish. Madelyn had divorced Chance because she could not endure his dangerous profession. She was worried that Tish would have the same issue with Greg. Unsurprisingly, he nearly dies in every fire. Will he survive the movie?
The original script didn't have enough action for John Wayne's tastes, so he insisted more was added. Thus we have a barroom brawl in Southeast Asia, rebels attacking a series of wells in Venezuela, and even a strafing run by rebel planes that is countered by military anti-aircraft guns. Oil well fires just aren't sufficiently exciting. Intermingled with all this action are the love stories of Greg & Tish and Chance & Madelyn. These are very much by the numbers romances that feel tacked on.
The character of Chance Buckman was based on Red Adair, a famous oil rig firefighter. He was still active when Saddam Hussein ignited the oil wells in Kuwait during the Gulf War (1991).
Mediocre. John Wayne needed to stick to the Western or the World War II epic.
Konstantin Kisin of Triggernometry hosted a debate between Kellie-Jay Keen (aka Posie Parker) and Dr Helen Webberley on the topic of transgender. The sparks flew from the very start as it was clear that neither guest respected the views of the other. Keen has been one of the most visible anti-transgender personalities for nearly a decade. She holds that transgender is a mental disorder and that it is medical malpractice to treat them with hormone blockers or surgery. She is particularly opposed to such treatment being given to minors. By contrast, Webberley holds that transgender youth are able to decide their gender and that Keen was causing harm with her statements.
A good portion of the debate was Keen attempting to elicit exactly what age was appropriate for a child to decide on gender, how many encounters with a medical professional should be required before hormone blockers could be considered, whether gender dysphoria was a mental illness associated with other conditions (e.g., homosexuality, autism), and whether treatment resulted in permanent sexual disfunction. Webberley refused to pick a specific age for treatment, though she offered 15 as a reasonable age, but would not categorically rule out 11. She dismissed the idea of contributing conditions, even suggesting that the autism diagnosis might be in error. Gender dysphoria is not a mental disorder and saying that it was is hate speech, which is illegal under British law. Both ended the debate by declaring the other should be in jail, Keen for hate speech and Webberley for child abuse. Lively!
Keen's big weakness was that she would refer to studies and then not cite them. Which study? She mentioned a few examples, but that is all anecdotal. However, she was specific and clear in what her views were. There was nothing vague or gray in her answers. Webberley was hopelessly ambiguous and offered nothing specific except that the law stood on her side. At one point she said that sex cannot be changed and at another point, she said that a trans-woman is indeed a woman. Okay, which is it? She would then explain the issue in such a way that it was entirely confusing. She had a strategy of filibustering, denouncing interruptions and going on tangents. She denounced Kisin for platforming Keen.
Keen's argument was far superior. Webberley spent much of her time being offended and giving answers as clear as mud. Comments on the debate massively favored Keen. That said, it was not an hour well spent. Much of this was the same old stuff gone over again, with Keen offering the standard litany and Webberley mostly offering non-answers with accusations of bigotry on the side.
In response to the sudden influx of 'immigrants' into the Spanish town of Ceuta, the Spanish government has determined that the fault lies with... Israel! And the United States! Even Iran agrees with this assessment. Gee, it must be true.
No, it isn't a logical response to the incentives of recent Spanish laws and court rulings. Spain just legalized hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants and the Spanish courts have ruled that deporting those who arrive by water is near impossible. Look at those incentives. Spanish citizenship - with its sweet, sweet welfare checks - is just a short swim away. But no, that can't possibly explain the hordes of invaders.
Clearly, Israel is furious about Spain's stance on the Gaza issue. And the US is peeved that Spain barred US access to Spanish airbases during the dustup with Iran. Obviously, Israel and the US engineered this border breach to punish Spain.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez needed to shift blame from his disastrous policies that have set a reversal of the Reconquista into motion. He's a socialist so he isn't going to take responsibility for this. Better to blame those who are already unpopular with the Spanish people. Maybe they will buy it.
As for Iran, they have jumped on Sanchez's bandwagon since it drives a wedge between Western nations.
During the night of the great flood, Lord Asriel (James McAvoy) placed an infant girl in the protection of the master of Jordan College (Clarke Peters). Twelve years later, Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen) eagerly awaits a visit from her Uncle Asriel. During his brief visit, Lyra learns about something called dust, which attached to adults but not children, whatever that meant. Moreover, the talk of dust is treated as the gravest sin, a topic that should never be discussed. Though she wanted to travel north with him on his further research, she was left behind. However, Marissa Coulter (Ruth Wilson) arrived at Jordan College soon after and enlisted Lyra as an assistant.
In this world, humans have an external soul that is called a daemon (pronounced demon). Though the daemon of a child can change shapes, it settles into one form after puberty. Lyra's daemon is named Pan. The religion of the world is an oppressive form of Christianity that is maintained by the Magisterium, a militant order that deploys armed airships and ground troops in the later episodes of the series. The world also has an underclass of folk called Gyptians, a gypsy-folk whose children have been targeted for abduction for unknown purposes. The abductors are called Gobblers. Then there are the armored bears, polar bears who live in the cold north, wear suits of armor, and maintain a kingdom. They look like normal polar bears who just happen to have the power of speech. Not particularly dexterous paws and yet they have buildings and skilled craftsmanship items. Interesting. Lastly, there are witches. Witches are long-lived - the only one who appears claims to be 300 years old - can fly without a broom and move like the Flash.
Before Lyra left Jordan College with Miss Coulter, she was given an alethiometer. It is a peculiar device that can answer any question, but few can deduce the meaning of the answers. Where most must spend years to learn how to decipher an alethiometer, Lyra has a natural ability. She is thus an unmatched augur, able to know the unknowable if only she can craft the right question.
The story follows Lyra as she traveled north, having different allies along the way. Initially, she is with the Gyptians, then she teamed with Iorek Byrnison (Joe Tandberg) the Armored Bear and Lee Scoresby (Lin-Manual Miranda) the Aeronaut.
Meanwhile, in our world, Will Parry (Amir Wilson) is the son of an explorer who went missing 13 years ago. He is a highschooler who boxes after school. His mother, Elaine, suffers from anxiety and Will is more her caretaker than vice versa. As it happens, Carlo Boreal (Ariyon Bakare) of the Magisterium has a doorway between worlds. He believes that Will's missing father, who was exploring in Alaska, may have found another path between worlds.
With how central dust is to the plot, it is not well explained. Is it the physical manifestation of sin, thus it sticks to adults but not children? Is it a byproduct of the clash of worlds, most easily investigated at the northern lights where cities in the sky can be viewed with the right lens? Why is the Magisterium ramping up to Def Con 1 over a couple of scientists investigating the northern lights? Even after 8 episodes, it is unclear why there is panic. Perhaps this adaptation missed something.
Dafne Keen is good as Lyra. In the previous adaptation, The Golden Compass, I developed an almost instant dislike of Lyra (Dakota Blue Richards) because she lied with glee from the moment we met her. This Lyra likewise proves to be a talented liar, but it is a tool rather than a personality trait. Lin-Manuel Miranda is a downgrade from Sam Elliot as Lee Scoresby. He's okay, but he doesn't pass as a Texan. As for the armored bears, there is no matching Ian McKellan and Ian McShane from the 2007 version, but the new actors are adequate.
Overall, pretty good. The longer format provides for more explanation of some characters and development of the world. The character development of Lyra, Lord Asriel, and Miss Coulter greatly benefit from a miniseries format. Good popcorn fun.
Ceuta is a Spanish enclave on the coast of Africa. It has been a Spanish enclave since 1415. The population is somewhere around 80,000 people. This week, tens of thousands of Moroccans flooded into the area, overwhelming border enforcement and leaving residents in panic. Thanks to the new law passed by the Spanish government, these folks can claim asylum. If that happens, the flood will continue until Spain is destitute and no longer Spanish. The seriousness of the situation is clear in that fellow Schengen Zone members are closing their borders to Spain.
Where some European countries (e.g., Denmark, Sweden, Italy) have begun to push back against the continuing waves of non-assimilating immigrants, others have left the borders open (e.g., U.K., Spain, Ireland). Unlike the United States, which is not a country based on an ethnicity, most Europeans are. Thus, though a person from Japan could become an American, he could not become English, French, or Swedish. Rudyard Kipling may have been born and raised in India, but he was always an English. On the current path, Europe is doomed. The immigrants are having far more kids. Without remigration in the very near future, much of Europe will suffer a similar fate to Ceuta.
No, not the movie. However, I did read the book because the movie is currently in theaters. When I was in college, I read The Iliad and enjoyed it immensely. The book included The Odyssey and I started reading it next. Amazingly, I lost interest about halfway through. That was in 1993. I picked it up last week.
The story opens with an argument among the gods. Athena wants Odysseus to be allow to return to Ithaca after 20 long years. Zeus ascents and Poseidon is not around to veto. While Athena ushered Telemachus - Odysseus's son - to travel abroad in search of news about his father, Hermes informed Calypso that she was the release Odysseus; she had him sequestered on her island for the last 7 years. Odysseus sailed toward home but was once again shipwrecked. He found himself on an idyllic island of Scherie where the residents treated him with the greatest of honor and eagerly heard his tale of woe. Interestingly, virtually all of his adventures from departing Troy until arriving on Calypso's island are detailed here as he narrates them to the credulous folk. There are sirens, a cyclops, giants, divine bags of wind, a sorceress who transformed his men to pigs, a journey to the underworld, the wreck that killed the last of his men, and so on. Here is all the crazy adventures and it is all told by Odysseus.
The folk of the island sailed Odysseus back to Ithaca and bequeath him with tremendous wealth, far more than he had - and lost - from Troy. No sooner has he set foot on Ithaca than he met a young man - Athena in disguise - and he spun a tale of being from Crete. Athena brushed away his needless deception and sent him to Eumaeus the Swineherd. Disguised as a beggar, Odysseus told a tale of being a prince from Crete who had fallen on bad times in Egypt and was now reduced to begging. When he went to his palace and mingled with the suitors who sought to marry his wife, Penelope, he again spun a tale. Penelope asked to meet this stranger and Odysseus lied through his teeth, testing his wife. Soon thereafter, he dispatched the suitors, though he was aware his vengeance would not be appreciated by the families of the suitors. Next he went to his father's farm. Laertes was an old man who looked more like a laborer than a former king of Ithaca. Of course, Odysseus went up to him and... spun a tale of being someone who had met Odysseus some years before. When the suitors' families arrived at the farm to kill Odysseus, he and his coterie of loyal men slew several before Athena intervened. She said, effectively, 'knock it off.' They did and peace returned to Ithaca.
Odysseus is a larger than life type of fellow who demonstrates impressive combat prowess and great feats of strength. However, he and honesty have a tentative relationship. It is peculiar that the only folk with whom he does not assume an alias was on the island of Scherie. Were the adventures he told true or just another fantastical tale? It all depends on whether Odysseus is a reliable narrator.
Odysseus is not a particularly likable fellow. He spoke with pride about sacking a random town on his way home from Troy. He's just a roving pirate, a band of coastal raiders. Then there are the suitors. Penelope led them on, giving the indication that she might marry one of them, using a strange stratagem to hold off when she would make a decision. And regarding that, why are these men trying to marry a woman who has a 20-year-old son? It appears that the estate should be Telemachus' and that Penelope would move to the home of the winning suitor. It felt like she was a tease who wanted the attention. Then again, it has been 20 years!
The translation was done by Samuel Butler in 1900. In his preface and throughout the endnotes, he refers to his previous book, The Authoress of the Odyssey (1897), where he posited that the poem was written by a young woman on Sicily. Initially, that sounded preposterous, but the more I read the more I thought he might have a point. The frequent weeping and moping of Odysseus and several other male characters struck me as odd. Penelope has spent the majority of the last 20 years weeping. Maybe that is just a Mediterranean thing.
There is a lot more to the book than any movie could ever cover. It tells all sorts of tangential stories from Helen, Agamemnon, Achilles, Hercules, and more. It was a good read and recommended.
Before the will can be read, Emily Boynton (Piper Laurie) blackmailed the family lawyer, Jefferson Cope (David Soul) into using an older will that gave her complete control over the estate. She was the 2nd Mrs. Boynton and step-mother to all but one of the Boynton children, all of whom were adults. They mostly knew there had been a new will but could not prove it. Soon afterwards, the family went on a world tour and everyone pondered how to kill Emily Boynton. On a cruise from Trieste to the Levant, the family revealed all unwittingly in earshot of the eminent Hercule Poirot (Peter Ustinov).
While on a day trip to an archeological site in Palestine, Mrs. Boynton was discovered to be dead! Poirot quickly deduced that it was murder! But who could it be?
Was it Lennox Boynton (Nicholas Guest), the oldest of the Boynton children who was forced to live with his step-mother despite being married?
Could it be Nadine Boynton (Carrie Fisher), Lennox's wife? She was Mrs. Boynton's nurse and had met Lennox by way of that occupation. She was tired of her oppressive mother-in-law.
Maybe it was Jefferson Cope the lawyer who was having an affair with Nadine.
Perhaps Raymond Boynton (John Terlesky) killed her so he could run off with Dr. Sarah King (Jenny Seagrove). Speaking of Dr. King, maybe she killed the old bat to clear the way to marrying Raymond.
Then there is Carol Boynton (Valerie Richards), who had plotted with Raymond while on the cruise ship.
Of course, there is no reason at all to suspect Lady Westholme (Lauren Bacall) who just happened to be on the same trip and has an alarming amount of screen time for a character with no link to the plot. Really, it is a complete mystery why she is even included. What possible motive could she have?
The story is half-baked but the scenery is great and the acting passable. The cast is impressive. In addition to the above, John Gielgud played the local military commander, Colonel Carbury, Hayley Mills appeared as an archeologist.
Just okay. Fun to see Ustinov in his final appearance as Poirot.
It has been some months since Perry (Matthew Rhys) won the Emily Dodson case. Well, it was a hung jury, but the DA declined to try the case again, so essentially a win. Despite that, Perry has avoided criminal law. He and Della (Juliet Rylance) have acquired a litigious grocer (Sean Astin) as a client who allows them to pay the bills and even hire a receptionist. Though his legal career was on an even keel, his emotional state was a wreck. His farm was sold, so he lived in an apartment and was reduced to riding a motorcycle. Emily Dodson had since drowned herself. Yes, time for more drinking and feeling sorrowful.
Then a big case arrived. Two Latino brothers were arrested for the murder of Brooks McCutcheon, the son of the wealthy wheeler-dealer Lydell McCutcheon. Though Perry was approached by the family of the brothers, he initially declined the case. However, Della pushed and he investigated just enough to think they might be innocent. And so began his latest case.
Much of the cast from last season is back. Detective Holcomb (Eric Lanuge), who killed his partner in the last season, has returned as a shady business partner to the murdered Brooks McCutcheon. Pete Strickland (Shea Whigham) had split from Perry at the end of last season and now works for the DA's office, a fact which Perry proves oblivious despite hearing about it repeatedly. Assistant DA Hamilton Burger (Justin Kirk) has been elevated to DA, but he is being blackmailed for being gay. Paul Drake (Chris Chalk) was the prime investigator for Perry, but also had outside jobs, including one for the DA's office. Then there is Perry's ex-wife and son, who move back to Los Angeles. His son is enrolled in a private school where Perry soon finds himself involved with his son's teacher, Miss Ginny Aimes (Katherine Waterston). Della Street's love life also changed, where she abandoned Hazel (Molly Ephraim) for the more exciting & wealthy Anita St. Pierre (Jen Tullock).
In order to fill 8 episodes, it had to be a more complicated case than expected. Of course, that also means that all the introduced characters are probably linked to the crime. Yes, that proved to be the case. Brooks' antics were small time but, if investigated, could reveal much bigger crimes related to his father and his father's business partners. The murder was strategic, to prevent something worse. Are the Latino brothers just scapegoats or assassins for hire?
Perry proved to be mostly an idiot. In an early episode, he took measurements about the murder scene and of the two brothers. This convinced him that they were not the shooters and that he should take the case. He never brought this up in court and it proved to be bogus. So, he was an idiot then, but you should have forgotten that from episode 2 by the time we reveal evidence in episode 5. Right. Later, the DA somehow learned of critical evidence in the defense's hands. How could that possibly be? Well, the obvious solution is that Pete Strickland - who had been in the office many times before and was now working for the DA - might have done some snooping. This is even more likely when you consider how Pete and Perry have had a falling out. What does the brilliant Perry Mason deduce? It must have been his son's teacher, Ginny Aimes! He confronted her immediately. Ugh. When Pete later admitted to it, Perry was dumbfounded. What? The DA's investigator investigated my office? Duh!
By contrast, Della was on the ball. She gets to have the final confrontation with the main villain and she gets to do much of the strategizing. She's not some depressed drunk, but a mostly well-adjusted lesbian whose life and career are looking good. And just to battle those rumors, she and Hamilton start attending events together and hint at marriage.
The season ends with Perry Mason in jail! Yeah, his withholding of key evidence - accessory after the fact - put him in the klink. Is it any surprise that the series was cancelled after this?
Skip
Bernadette Flynn (Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio) and her friend, Alison Hawkins (Faye Grant), headed home after a New Year's Eve Party. They shared a cab to Alison's apartment building. Drunk and happy, Alison stumbled into her apartment and said hello to her fish. Then, a figure appeared behind her and strangled her to death with a blue ribbon. This was the 11th murder in the last 11 months with the same M. O.
Mayor Flynn (Rod Steiger) was furious and vented his anger to Police Commissioner Frank Starkey (Harvey Keitel). Bernadette is his daughter, so this struck alarmingly close to home. The mayor demanded that Nick Starkey (Kevin Kline), who happened to be the commissioner's brother, get reinstated as a police detective to solve the case. Frank was less than keen, but obeyed orders. Nick had been with the fire department since his scandalous departure from the police. Nick's methods were unorthodox and his choice for an assistant - an artist named Ed (Alan Rickman) - raised eyebrows. Captain Alcoa (Danny Aiello) was apoplectic that Nick was reinstated and that he was required to provide whatever the crackpot needed.
Despite the setup, the murder mystery is almost secondary as far as the plot is concerned. A great deal of time focused on Nick's obsession with his brother's wife, Christine (Susan Sarandon). Indeed, it would seem that they were an item before his exit from the police. He even accuses her of marrying the wrong brother. Oddly, Nick's one requirement for returning to the police was that he could have dinner alone with Christine. Bizarre.
Later, Nick clumsily followed Bernadette, only to be spotted by her. Okay, so he's not that good at tailing someone. Then, rather than talk to her about the case, he convinced her to go to a hotel and hop in the sack. She agreed! Um, is this a murder mystery or a romance? Bernadette moved in with Nick and became his Girl Friday for the remainder of the film, with relatively little pushback from her father, the mayor!
The movie has no idea what it wants to be. None of the relationships are sufficiently developed. The brothers more or less hate one another and it was Frank who was guilty of the crime that got Nick kicked off the force. Christine rejected Nick at the dinner but later returned to find Bernadette at his apartment; now she was jealously incarnate and couldn't wait to leave Frank. Huh? Ed is an artist and computer whiz with a Maynard Krebs view on life; kind of a wasted use of Alan Rickman. Rod Steiger is just a blowhard with a bad perm. So, is this a romantic comedy, a murder mystery, a thriller, a whodunit, or what? All of the above in a hodge podge fashion.
With such a great cast, this is an astonishingly mediocre film. Skip.
In the post-apocalyptic world, two young girls were picking fruit in a garden-like oasis in the middle of a vast Australian desert when they spotted a band of bikers. Furiosa (Alyla Browne) sneaked through the brush to investigate but was grabbed by a biker. She fled and blew her whistle but was soon slung across the bike - bound hand and foot - which raced into the desert. Her mother (Charlee Fraser) gave chase, picking off members of the band, but the last one successfully returned to the camp of Dementus (Chris Hemsworth). Furiosa became the faux-daughter of Dementus and never spoke.
Dementus was an ambitious man, eager to secure more power in the Wasteland. When he came upon the citadel of Immortan Joe, he immediately sought to capture it. That didn't go well. However, he was a crafty fellow and soon had an 'understanding' with Joe. The understanding cost - among other considerations - Furiosa. For the next decade, Furiosa (Anya Taylor-Joy) quietly - almost entirely mute and posing as a boy - earned a spot for herself among the mechanics. Praetorian Jack (Tom Burke) - a noted road warrior - recognized her talents during a mission and apprenticed her as a road warrior.
A prequel to Fury Road (2015), this movie gives the story of Furiosa's rise. I preferred the vague backstory from Fury Road rather than this detailed chronology. Initially, she was brought into Joe's harem to eventually be one of his brides, but she ran off before she was of age. Where did she go? Down to the garage. Clearly, Joe's efforts to find her failed. Rather than explore this transition, the story just jumps forward a year or two with her already established among the laborers. By the time she is Praetorian Jack's apprentice, it is clear she is a woman and no one seems to care.
The movie has some great road combat, very like those of Fury Road. However, it was harder to be invested in the characters. Praetorian Jack gets a lot of screen time but not so much character development. Throughout his time with Furiosa, he's the leader but at the same time he plays like her sidekick. Yeah, it didn't quite work. Imagine a Batman movie where Robin was the main character. Furiosa's mission is to get revenge against Dementus and then return home. This movie tells her revenge story - mostly - while the next one is her return home story. Early on, Dementus is an impressive villain and it is hard to believe that dainty Furiosa could overcome him. By the last act, he's easy to kill, a mouse to her cat. He's no threat to her at all, having destroyed himself and his gang in a futile war against Immortan Joe.
As far as the acting, the only stand out is Chris Hemsworth. His Dementus dominates any scene he's in, being a loud-mouthed braggart who is supremely confident in his abilities. He's clever and daring. If not for his cruel villainy, he might be a fun fellow to have over for dinner. By contrast, Anya Taylor-Joy is stuck being mute for most of the movie, offering the occasional glare to mar her otherwise expressionless face.
Just okay.
Rubber Duck (Kris Kristofferson) was a trucker when the speed limit was changed to 55 miles per hour. Between the new speed limit and the regulations on how many hours per day could be spent driving, some truckers were having trouble staying solvent. This was made all the worse by sheriffs like Dirty Lyle Wallace (Ernest Borgnine). Dirty Lyle used CB chatter to set up speed traps where he would let the truckers go for a bribe; that way their insurance premiums wouldn't increase.
Rubber Duck was at an Arizona truck stop when Dirty Lyle started rousting Spider Mike (Franklyn Ajaye) and threatening to arrest him. The Duck moved to intervene and a fight broke out. Soon, all the truckers joined into a brawl against three police officers. The truckers skedaddled, disabling the police cars on the way out of the lot. Soon, a line of trucks drove east across Arizona and into New Mexico and Texas. Many others got word and soon more trucks joined. It was a convoy!
The movie doesn't make a lick of sense. Somehow, the states are powerless to stop the convoy and the governor of New Mexico (Seymour Cassel) wanted to negotiate with Rubber Duck. Negotiate about what? When Spider Mike heads home - leaving the convoy - he got arrested and jailed. Well, he did participate in that brawl. In response, many of the truckers went to the town where he was jailed and flattened buildings, destroyed a police car, and crashed through the jail. Um, okay.
Now they knew they were in big trouble. Duck suggested crossing into Mexico. So, he led the way but all the other trucks were cutoff by an ice cream man accident. Alone, Duck approached the dinky bridge that crossed a river - presumably the Rio Grande - but Dirty Lyle was waiting on the other side with an armored vehicle. In Mexico? Huh? Nonetheless, Duck raced across the bridge and the machineguns opened fire. The wreckage plunged into the river. So much for Rubber Duck?
Melissa (Ali MacGraw) was a traveling photographer who had a run-in with Rubber Duck in the opening and then encountered him again at the Arizona truck stop. She needed a ride. Despite the brawl, she climbed into Duck's truck and became part of the convoy, often nagging Duck about the ongoing events. She repeatedly declined offers to get out. Like most of the other characters, she also acts like some great injustice is occurring and Duck should make demands. Huh?
Amazingly, this was Sam Pekinpah's most financially successful movie. Of course, trucker movies were all the rage in the mid to late 70s (e.g., Smokey and the Bandit) and CB culture was everywhere for a time. However, the movie has not aged well. It's thin on plot and often inexplicable. Why are the police so stymied by the convoy? It feels like a chunk of the movie that explained the grievances of the truckers ended up on the cutting room floor.
Mediocre. Skip.
Milton (Nicolas Cage) escaped hell because he was on a mission. He needed to find his newborn granddaughter and save her from a Satanic cult that intended to use her as a sacrifice. Shortly after returning to the land of the living, Milton encountered Piper (Amber Heard). What is particularly interesting about Piper, from Milton's point of view, is that she drives a 1969 Dodge Charger. He hitched a ride. Of course, hell was not keen on Milton's escape and dispatched the accountant (William Fichtner) to collect him. Can Milton find Jonah King (Billy Burke) the cult leader who murdered his daughter and planned to also murder his granddaughter while keeping ahead of the accountant?
The movie is just shoot 'em up fun with lots of gun battles, car chases, and gory deaths. One particular fight scene had Milton actively engaging a prostitute during a gunfight. Since Milton is already dead, he can't be killed. All his injuries heal, given time, even the bullet through his eye. The revenant has come for the satanic cult members.
William Fitchner steals any scene he is in. He is quite entertaining as an officious bureaucrat from hell. Amber Heard is unremarkable. Yeah, she's beautiful, but her character is tacked onto the story because the writers needed a pretty woman along for the ride. There is nothing between Milton and Piper, just a chance encounter. Nick Cage is Nick Cage. He hits all the usual beats and proves to be a serviceable, run-of-the-mill hero.
Mindless popcorn fun.
Hunter Biden has recently been on a tear on X, accusing the media of ignoring the financial shenanigans of the Trump children where they had blasted the previous president's son for the same; that would be him, by the way. Yes, he had that sweet no-show gig on the board of directors for Burisma Holdings in Ukraine, which looked a bit fishy. It looked even shadier when Vice President Joe Biden threatened to withhold $1 billion in loan guarantees from Ukraine unless Viktor Shokin - a prosecutor investigating Burisma - was fired. Sure, there may be a lot of nuance in here, but that looks bad. Also, the nuance, if there was any, was not reported. Then there was his art career while Joe Biden was president. It was amazing how valuable his paintings were during Joe Biden's presidency and then the bottom fell out when he was not. What exactly were the buyers buying? Then there is the laptop, but there is no similar scandal with any of the Trump children, so let's skip that.
Hunter's Accusations:
1. Vulcan Elements, a defense startup backed by Donald Trump Jr., secured a $620 million loan from the Pentagon. Ha! Where is the outrage? Why is this not plastered across every newspaper and news program like Hunter's crackpipe? Let's look a little deeper. Donald Trump Jr. has a stake in 1789 Capital, a venture capital firm. No, he is not the CEO or on the board of directors. Nor does he have a controlling share in the company. 1789 Capital has invested in Vulcan Elements. 1789 Capital does not own Vulcan Elements or have a majority shareholder position, but merely owns a part of the company. So, a company that Don Jr. has shares in bought shares of another company that got a loan from the Pentagon. Oh, what a scandal.
2. Israeli Drone Manufacture (XTEND) is going public through a merger. Both Eric and Don Jr. are attached to the $1.5 billion deal. War profiteering! As with the Vulcan Elements case, the link is not so direct. American Ventures, another venture capital firm, put $150 million into the merger, thus being 10% of the whole. American Ventures is a branch of Dominari Holdings Inc. Don Jr. and Eric have a combined ownership of 12% of Dominari. Moreover, Don Jr. has a stake in Unusual Machines - another drone manufacture - that is also invested in the merger. Again, the Trumps are attached not because they are driving this merger but because they have investments in the companies responsible.
3. Jared Kurshner and Ivanka Trump have acquired a wildlife sanctuary in Albania where they plan to build a luxury hotel. That's a scandal? In the western world today, BANANA is the rule. What is BANANA? Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone. Recall, there was the long-running debate about drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) because nature and stuff. The refuge is the size of South Carolina, but a few hundred acres to drill for oil would spoil the region. Good grief. The same is true of the Albanian coast. Sazan Island has plenty of room and the suggested coastal region is mostly dotted with orchards. This same story could be told of ANY builder anywhere in the western world; the environmentalists always oppose developers.
The Trump children are just pursuing the same sort of business dealing that their father did prior to his presidency. They are investors, builders, and deal makers. Are their efforts benefited by the fact that their father is president? Almost certainly! However, Hunter Biden's efforts benefited ONLY because his father was vice president and then president.
In any case, the reason the press isn't delving into these stories is because they don't stand scrutiny. The one sentence accusation may sound damning, but the deep dive reveals them to be no big deal. The very idea that the press is covering for Trump where it savaged Biden is ludicrous.
Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) has received intel that Circe - a sorceress from Wonder Woman's home island of Themyscira - has traveled to Pokolistan to assassinate Princess Ilana. Waller decided to dispatch General Rick Flag Sr. (Frank Grillo) with a band of 'creatures' to protect the princess. Why creatures? Congress has shutdown the Suicide Squad program, forbidding Waller from sending humans on such high casualty missions. The creatures - none of whom are quite human - are a work around. There are 5 creatures:
The Bride (Indira Varma) is the Bride of Frankenstein. She has 'lived' for 200 years and spent much of her time fleeing the monster, Eric Frankenstein (David Harbour). She is strong, tough, and anti-social. She is also the leader of the creatures when Flag is absent.
G. I. Robot (Sean Gunn) is, as the name states, a robot. He was deployed during World War II where he killed Nazis. He is obsessed with killing Nazis. His arms conceal machineguns with which he kills those his teammates identify as Nazis.
Weasel (Sean Gunn) is a human-sized weasel-like creature. He's basically an animal.
Doctor Phosphorus (Alan Tudyk) is a walking radioactive man whose skeleton is always visible through his translucent body. He can burn through anything with his touch, often graphically killing opponents by melting their faces. Yikes.
Nina (Zoe Chao) is a female creature from the black lagoon. She had a rare lung defect that her scientist father 'fixed' by screwing with her DNA. Now she's aquatic with green skin and gills.
Most episodes have the story of the present as well as an origin story for one of the creatures. Though all of them are in prison and thus available for Waller to dispatch, some of the origin stories indicate that they were wrongly incarcerated.
The dull-witted and lovestruck Frankenstein was frequently funny, but often quite dark. He was only too happy to murder anyone in his way. There is a montage of the Bride and Frankenstein encountering each other throughout the years, her always running and him always chasing. The guy won't take a hint after 2 centuries.
Overall, it is entertaining. Not exactly superhero stuff and quite similar to the Suicide Squads and Peacemaker.
Yet again, the Democratic Party has ejected the party's chosen nominee. Graham Platner, whose Nazi tattoo did not discourage Maine voters from voting for him, has become even more toxic since the primary. Or has he? No, this, like the 2024 Presidential Election, is a reaction to polls. When it was clear that Joe Biden was going to get creamed in the general election, the Democrats 'convinced' him to withdraw and then selected an equally flawed candidate to replace him. Now Platner, the second notably Democrat candidate this year to be brought down by sexual assault accusations (i.e., Eric Swalwell), has been jettisoned by his party and the party will select a new candidate. You know, democracy.
Bill Clinton had a lot of baggage in 1992, including serial infidelity and a rape accusation (i.e., Juanita Broaddrick), but the polls said he was a winner, which he was. Bill Clinton's sex life was less of a threat than his smoking marijuana. "I didn't inhale," is a more memorable line, perhaps because Billy Crystal riffed on it during the Oscars. But then there was Barack Obama, who documented his membership in the weed-smoking Choom Gang in one of his biographies, and it was hardly a blip. He had an America-hating pastor, ties to a Weather Underground terrorist, and questions about his citizenship. Not a problem. He polled well.
Democrats will toss losers over the side in a heartbeat but stick with seriously flawed candidates if the polls look good. If Platner was still polling well, the excuses for his behavior would be flowing.
In 1852, Franklin Pierce was nominated for the presidency by the Democratic Party. As the Whigs had nominated General Winfield Scott, attacks on Pierce's military service became a popular topic. Democrat newspapers soon responded to the attacks by publishing the accounts of fellow soldiers who held Pierce in the highest regard for his military service during the Mexican War. Fellow veterans Major Isaac Stevens, Colonel Noah Smith, Colonel J F H Claiborne, Major General James Shields, Major Oscar Winship, General Gideon Pillow, Colonel Francis Wynkoop, Lt. Richard Drum, Lt. George Bowers, and Lt. Col. Benjamin Roberts each provided an account of Pierce's gallantry and meritorious service in Mexico.
Though Pierce had not been a soldier beyond serving in the New Hampshire state militia, he volunteered for the Mexican War even though it was unpopular in New England. He was briefly the commanding Colonel of the 9th Infantry Regiment, but President Polk elevated him to Brigadier General. He arrived in Vera Cruz in June 1847 and, in July, he led 2500 soldiers to meet General Scott at Puebla. He handily overcame the guerrillas that sought to impede his column's progress, even having his hat shot off his head during an engagement at the National Bridge. Upon reaching Puebla, he proved popular among his fellow officers and worked well with General Scott. In August, the army moved into the Valley of Mexico.
During the Battle of Contreras, Pierce led his men through a rocky and uneven area - a lava field - when his horse startled from Mexican artillery. The horse fell on him, injuring his leg and knocking him unconscious. General Scott suggested that he refrain from leading his men the following day and instead recover. Pierce refused. Believing that it might be the last battle of the war, he needed to be present to offset his embarrassing horse fall.
During the Battle of Churubusco, he had himself tied to his horse and set out to cut off the Mexican retreat. His horse was soon stuck in a ditch. Getting free of the horse, Pierce hobbled toward the objective but, overcome by pain, he feinted again. That he was not laid low from gunfire, shrapnel, lance, or sword but rather his own inadequate horsemanship led to the nickname of 'Fainting Frank.' He did not partake in later battles of the war.
There is no questioning Pierce's bravery. He had demonstrated his willingness to expose himself to enemy fire and ride into combat. His great misfortune was how he was injured. Would the Whigs be able to convince the nation that Pierce was a coward? Not by a longshot. In the 1852 election, Pierce crushed General Scott, winning 27 states to Scott's 4. Sadly, Franklin Pierce proved to be a better general than president.
US Marine Gunnery Sergeant Tom Highway (Clint Eastwood) had been in the Corps since the 1950s and was nearing mandatory retirement. Reassigned to Recon Marines, he found an undisciplined collection of dissolute Marines; Gunny Highway set to work forging them into an elite fighting force. However, he had to contend with Major Powers (Everett McGill), a professional paper-pusher who disliked Highway's checkered past. Then there was the issue of Tom's ex-wife, Aggie (Marsha Mason), who was dating a man who hated Marines. Tom was reading women's magazines for relationship advice with a notion of getting back together. At length, the invasion of Grenada in October 1983 tested his Marines and provided Highway with a final taste of combat before his retirement.
There are points when the movie shines and others when it drags. There are some great bits. One memorable one was that t-shirt matching during PT. That the goal post seemed to move each time was fun. Improvise, adapt, overcome. Heck, I remember hearing that from friends in the Marines. The battle in Grenada was surprisingly bland and included goofball A-Team silliness, such as driving a bulldozer (wow, handy that it is on the side of the road and available to the Marines) at an enemy machinegun position where the bullets ping against the raised blade. Yeah. But it wasn't raised high enough to cover the driver. Lucky the Cubans didn't aim a little higher. Well, this isn't a war movie, it's a dramedy?
Though the movie is set in 1983, the title refers to a battle fought during the Korean War (1950-53) by the US Army, not the Marines. It is revealed that Highway won the Congressional Medal of Honor during the battle and that he had been in the Army at the time. A thumbnail sketch of the battle is offered by Sergeant Major Choozoo (Arlen Dean Snyder), who was also a veteran of the battle. Well, that's good to know. Are there flashbacks? No. This is just to establish Highway's bona fides.
Just okay.
Asia Reeves (Zazie Beetz) spent more than a decade in prison after shooting her father in a parking lot while trying to escape his abuse with her younger sister, Maria. The intervening years have toughened her and provided time for a guilty conscience to grow. Her father had survived and her sister was once again in his custody. Now she wanted to reconnect with her sister, but she had vanished into a mysterious building - The Virgil - that hosted the wealthy. Stealing the identity of a new employee, she infiltrated the building. Then the creepy residents attacked! Luckily, she was prepared; she had brought a shotgun and a machete.
Very like Ready or Not, Asia must survive the night against a host of residents while also locating her sister, Maria (Myha'la). Among the homicidal tenants were Sharon (Heather Graham), Kevin (Tom Felton), and Lily Woodhouse (Patricia Arquette). I did not initially recognize any of them. Tom Felton is best remembered as Draco Malfoy from Harry Potter. Heather Graham's career peak was probably in the late 90's as Rollerskate Girl in Boogie Nights or Felicity Shagwell in Austin Powers II. As for Patricia Arquette, she was most famous in the 90's, but I recall her from her role in Boyhood.
The movie is one long action-packed rollercoaster ride and one must suspend disbelief to the extreme. Yes, the story is ludicrous but fun. Despite the blood and gore, this is quite comedic, sort of like the Evil Dead movies & series.
Good popcorn fun!
