At the Cinema - April 2009

When I was growing up in nearby Mississippi, I did not really care for the 4 or 5 old time New Orleans songs that WTIX played (am 690 – for those of you who remember when we listened to music on a.m. radio.) Many of the songs were related to Mardi Gras, and I just didn’t get it. There was one that goes “it’s carnival time” that for 40 years I thought was saying “it’s kind-of-a-time” and I sure didn’t see the point of that statement. To this day, I still don’t get that excited about Mardi Gras, but I understand what it means to the people who attend parades, or participate in parades. Like so much else about this area of the country – well, there’s just nothing like it.

I bring all this up to express that it’s “festival time” in New Orleans and there ought to be a song about it.

It starts with the French Quarter Festival over an early weekend in April. Music stages are set up around the French Quarter and local restaurants set up food booths and you can wander around and be as gluttonous as you care to be, which is pretty much what New Orleans is all about – gluttony at its most decadent. With its perfect weather (usually) and great local music, it’s a wonderful way to spend a weekend.

As much as I like the FQF, it pales in comparison to what follows on the last weekend in April and the first weekend in May – the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Featuring incredible food (each vendor is selected for one or two entries that are considered the best of the best) and great music (80% with Louisiana roots) this is by far the finest event to take place in New Orleans. Basically, if you like music, you’ll see act after act that will blow you away, 5 or 6 per day at the price you’d pay to see 1.

So, this is my favorite time of the year. I’ve been going to the Jazz Fest for 35 of its 40 years (unfortunately, not consecutively) and it gets better and better every year. It’s festival time and if you like food and music (I like one too much) there’s just nothing like it.

I bring all this up so that you understand why I saw only one movie this month:

12 Rounds – 5 out of a possible 10 score. This is the adventure thriller set in New Orleans where the local scenery is the star and the actor is John Cena, whom I understand to be a wrestler of some fame. Well, since wrestling is action acting, he’s right at home in this mindless adventure, which is not nearly as bad as the critic’s reviews say, but not as good as it could have been. It hop scotches around New Orleans neighborhoods (usually ignoring distances) and takes advantage of several local landmarks. Fun, with Aidan Gillen as the truly evil terrorist in one of many over-the-top performances.

Which brings me to my Top Ten underrated movies which I promised last month.
I can sum up what makes these films special in 2 ways – first, I watch them almost every time they’re on, and second, they can generate hours of discussion on what they were really about. And of course, I couldn’t limit it to 10.

11. Big Wednesday – overlooked surfing movie that is more about friendship than surfing.

10. Galaxy Quest. Maybe only a Star Trek fan will get the references, but this is a hilarious movie, period.

9. The American President. Annett Bening lights up the screen in this Aaron Sorkin penned chronicle which unfortunately led to the TV show The West Wing.

8. Anything by Frank Capra. This generation knows Capra only as the director of the Christmas Classic It’s a Wonderful Life. Well, there’s a whole catalog of Capra-corn that shouldn’t be overlooked. It Happened One Night, You Can’t Take It With You, and my favorite – Mr. Smith Goes to Washington to name just a few.

7. Minority Report. Since I didn’t care for Schindler’s List, let me try to make it up to Speilberg. This is an incredible look at one future wrapped in a mystery story. Although praised at the time of release, I think this is an upper echelon classic, with Tom Cruise and Colin Farrell at their best.

6. The Buddy Holly Story. When Rolling Stone picked the 50 greatest rock movies, this wasn’t even on the list, which is crazy. Gary Busey sings live in one of the most overlooked performances ever. A great Biopic.

5. Radio Days/Zelig – Two Woody Allen films that are just below his Annie Hall/Manhattan masterpieces

4. The Conversation – While I didn’t go ape over The Godfather, this Coppola film is one that can generate days of discussion. When Gene Hackman says this was his best film, that’s saying something.

3. L A Confidential – Lost in Titanic mania, this film would have won Best Film in almost any other year. A complex, masterful thriller.

2. Robin and Marian – Totally overlooked Robin Hood movie with Sean Connery and Audrey Hepburn breaking your heart. Realistic romance, realistic action.

1. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore. Hang around me for any length of time and you’ll hear several quips from this movie (and Annie Hall). While Martin Scorsese has gone on to direct many classics, and I like almost all of them, for some reason this one to me is perfection. Ellen Burstyn gives one of the great all time performances. There are few things I’m sure of, but I’m sure that when you see this you won’t like it as much as I do. That’s what makes movies so personal.

Another Top 25

Here it is. My top 25 male vocal performances of all time.

My Generation – Roger Daltry
A Change Gonna Come – Sam Cooke
Sunlight – Jesse Colin Young (Youngbloods)
I Saw Her Standing There – Paul McCartney (Beatles)
Imagine – John Lennon
You’ve Got a Friend – James Taylor
Galveston – Glen Campbell
Losin’ My Religion – Michael Stipe (REM)
Billie Jean – Michael Jackson
Born to Run – Bruce Springsteen
Music of the Night – Michael Crawford
Your Song – Elton John
Moondance – Van Morrison
Stardust – Willie Nelson
A Song For You – Leon Russell
More Today Than Yesterday – Pat Upton (Spiral Staircase)
Walkin’ in Memphis – Marc Cohn
Crossroads – Eric Clapton (Cream)
Suspicious Minds – Elvis Presley
Look to Your Soul – Johnny Rivers
This is It – Kenny Loggins
While My Guitar Gently Weeps – George Harrison (Beatles)
God Only Knows – Carl Wilson (Beach Boys)
Only the Good Die Young – Billy Joel
Cherry Bomb - John Mellencamp
I Left My Heart in San Francisco – Tony Bennett
Superstition - Stevie Wonder

Well, this time I got it done in just 27. Too hard, enough of that. Although, I'm thinking about maybe 10 outstanding duets....

My first top 25

Got a lot of reaction to my Karla Bonoff remarks, mostly “Who’s she?” and “What did she sing?” which led to discussion of many female vocalists. Given the Facebook signature “25 random things about me” which I can’t imagine anyone would be interested in I thought I’d take a run at something that might get your nostalgic juices flowing, if there is such a thing as a nostalgic juice.
So here is my “purely personal "25 favorite female vocalist performances,” in approximate order:

A Song for You by Karen Carpenter
Trouble Again by Karla Bonoff
Me and Bobbie Magee by Janis Joplin
Think of Me by Sarah Brightman
Unbreak My Heart by Toni Braxton
Don’t Cry for Me Argentina by Patti Lupone
Somebody to Love by Grace Slick
Sundown Lady by Lani Hall
Nick of Time by Bonnie Raitt
It’s Too Late by Carole King
First We Take Manhattan by Jennifer Warnes
All I Want to Do is Make Love to You by Ann Wilson
At 17 by Janis Ian
Rhiannon by Stevie Nicks
You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me by Dusty Springfield
Diamonds and Rust by Joan Baez
Seven Year Ache by Roseanne Cash
Desperado by Linda Ronstadt
Up on the Roof by Laura Nyro
The Tender Trap by Stacey Kent
Work to Do by Vanessa Williams
How Will I Know by Whitney Houston
Shame by Evelyn “Champagne” King
Papa Don’t Preach by Madonna
You’re So Vain by Carly Simon
Down at the Twist and Shout by Mary Chapin Carpenter
They Can’t Take That Away from Me by Ella Fitzgerald
Down to The River by Alison Krause
You Only Live Twice by Nancy Sinatra
Be My Baby by Ronnie Spector

Well, as you can see, I couldn’t limit it to 25 – and that was without putting anyone on twice, which I would have done, and stopping at 30 made me leave off My City was Gone by Chrissie Hinds and What’s Love Got to Do with It by Tina Turner, as well as Joni Mitchell, Alanis Morisette, Jewell, etc. but at least I snuck a couple more in. Tonight I’ll jump up and think of one I can’t believe I left off….
Favorite Male Vocalist performances coming soon….
Your favorites?

A Wonderful Concert - April 5, 2009

A list of my favorite albums of all time would start like this:
1 Abbey Road – The Beatles
2 Restless Nights – Karla Bonoff
3 The White Album - The Beatles

I bring this up only to emphasize the thrill I just had. Not only did I get to hear Karla Bonoff in concert at The Barns at Wolf Trap in Virginia tonight, but I actually got to meet her and tell her how much her music had meant to me over the years. Got an autograph too!

This is a concert I had looked forward to for a long time. I’ve watched Karla’s web site for years hoping to see her again, as she doesn’t play often. I first saw her in Memphis over 20 years ago, and still listen to her albums to this day. Every song she ever recorded is on my ipod.

The acoustics in this venue were as good as any place I’ve ever been. And what an incredible voice. Wow.

The good news is I sat dead center in the second row. The bad news is that I had the talking, screaming, drunk couple from hell sitting next to me. I felt like Karla was giving me a personal concert. This couple acted like she was doing it just for them. They talked to her, loudly. The girl sang every song she knew at the top of her lungs. If they didn’t know the song, they made out. I’m not making this up. Fortunately, people started “shusing” her and she calmed down, and I’m happy to say I was able to ignore her.

It was a thrill to hear this music, and I hope it's not the last time I get to hear her in concert.

At the Cinema - March 2009

I Love You, Man – 8 – An enjoyable comedy featuring Paul Rudd and Jason Segel’s continued ascension as comedy stars. They have believable chemistry in this story of Paul’s search for a suitable best man for his upcoming wedding to Rashida Jones as a too good to be true fiancée. There’s actually more charisma and star power than story here. My guess is that we’ll look back at this movie as another stepping stone to stardom for the three leads. I got a kick out of the music scenes, but I won’t give that away. See it – you’ll laugh. And check out Role Models on DVD if you like Paul Rudd.

Knowing – 7 – A good but strange movie. Nicholas Cage, whom I’ve never been a fan of, (Other than his great performance in Leaving Las Vegas – his every-squirrel-finds-an-acorn moment), gives another in a series of bland performances, but the movie is an interesting story that I won’t spoil here. It morphs from suspense to science fiction and has some impressive special effects in the disaster scenes. One of the strangest things to me in the movie is that Cage looks like he’s riding a horse. In several scenes he stands with his feet wide apart like he’s about to do a broad jump. Never quite figured that out.

I just learned that Cage has 2 homes in New Orleans, including Anne Rice’s old house. So, he obviously has good taste, and I’m sure he’s a great guy, although how would you like to know you’d shared a wife with Michael Jackson? (They both were married to Lisa Marie Presley, who has now kept Graceland through several marriages)

Let me explain my distaste for Cage, who’s my Lionel Ritchie of movies. How did he get this career? I think the best way would be to give you my

Top Ten Movies I just didn’t get.

I remember once Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel having a spirited discussion on why Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was considered a classic. Neither of them liked the movie, thought it was way overrated, and just could not grasp its popularity. I, like most, consider it a classic, but was always fascinated by the personal taste factor of movies. So, keeping in mind that this is purely a personal thing, here are the movies that I just never “got.”

10. Caddyshack/Jerry McGuire Two universally acclaimed sports movies I totally fanned on. I found Caddyshack mildly amusing but never the great sports classic that so many others go nuts over. I’ll take Bull Durham or Major League for sports comedy. Caddyshack was just silly to me, but I seem to be alone. As usual. As for Jerry, other than the star-making performance by Renee Zellweger, I found nothing else remotely believable and the first half in particular made me want to turn my head, with Cruise so far over the top he made me cringe. Just didn’t get these 2, and I love sports movies. (#1 – Hoosiers)
9. The Big Lebowski/Rocky Horror Picture Show. Two cult favorites. I finally watched “The Dude” last year and had the mature reaction of “huh?” As for Rocky, I don’t think I’ve ever been able to make it through the whole movie and I’ve tried several times.
8. The English Patient. The endless patient to me. Thought it would never end
7. Two classics: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest and The Godfather. While I appreciate the artistry and acknowledge the depth, I just never went gaga over them the way the rest of the world did. This will undoubtedly remove all my credibility forever, but I’m just being honest. I actually like Godfather II better in which the Pacino/DeNiro acting was phenomenal. Which is why I can forgive Pacino for
6. Scent of a Woman. Any movie with a blind man driving is ridiculous to me and for Al Pacino to have finally gotten his Oscar for this, instead of Serpico or Dog Day Afternoon is like giving an MVP award to Andruw Jones at this point in his career.
5. 2001 A Space Odyssey/Eyes Wide Shut. How can the same iconic director that made Dr. Strangelove, Clockwork Orange, and Full Metal Jacket, have made these? I’m sure 2001 has some mystical meaning that I never got, but I’ll never concede that on Eyes. An idiotic title that means nothing is just the beginning. It’s excruciating from beginning to end and was one of the few movies where I wanted my money back. People have tried to tell me what this was about and I tell them they’re making it up. There’s no “there” there.
4. Anything with Adam Sandler. The Nicholas Cage of comedy. I find him likable, but I just sit there wondering what everyone else is laughing at. Just shows how personal comedy is.
3. Pineapple Express and other Seth Rogen vehicles. This guy’s a star? Really?
2. Schindler’s List. Sorry. I know this is another classic, and it’s politically stupid to say so, but if the US government ever wants to send me to Gitmo and torture me, I’ll take waterboarding over having to sit through this again.
1. Moonstruck. Everyone I know loves this movie and it is “nails on a blackboard” to me. Let’s start with Nicholas Cage. Never believed him for a minute, but at least he’s half Italian. Cher as an Italian? Please. I kept asking myself was this the same woman who sang “Half Breed?” Now that was a believable performance! And the fact that she campaigned her way to an Oscar is a blight on the books. Can we get a recount? I just looked at this as a movie where they threw every Italian cliché up on the screen and called it a soup. I never bought it for a moment. I hate being manipulated and this movie lays it on so thick that by the time they pulled out “That’s Amore” to officially go over the top, I’d had enough. Sometimes I watch it just to see if I just was sick that day or something. Nope. Can’t stand it, and the fact that it launched Cage to stardom makes it that much tougher to take.

Now you know how weird my taste is. Send me some of the movies that you didn’t get. I’m sure you’ll want to tell me how wrong I am, but as I said, purely personal – and never afraid to give a contrarian opinion.

Next Month: My top 10 underrated movies.
Nominees?

I'll Have What He's Having

I just can’t help drawing comparisons between the fantasy world of sports and the real world from which sports distracts us:

One common denominator is Greed

How do you get rich in America? Nowadays, you hope to win the lottery, or you sue someone, or you go for the inflated sports/entertainment dollar. You could work for it. But, as we know, that’s no sure thing, and it can really be time-consuming.

We slam the executives who make the big bonuses (they were promised) and ride in private jets but we can’t really imagine their lives. Sure, a $50 million bonus would be nice, but can we get it without having to make decisions that impact 100,000 employees whose welfare is at stake? Can we get that without being held accountable for maybe a billion dollars per quarter in profit?

So, you wouldn’t have taken steroids to enhance or prolong your earning power?
That of course would be cheating.

You would never do anything illegal, like say smoke pot?
You would never intentionally endanger your health by smoking a cigar.
You would never take an upper to stay up to study for a test.
You wouldn’t drink coffee in the morning to wake up.
You wouldn’t smoke a cigarette for stress relief.
Or have a drink to “relax.”
You wouldn’t take Ambien to go to sleep,
You wouldn’t take Viagra to “enhance performance.”
You wouldn’t take a diet pill to lose weight
So, you wouldn’t have taken steroids to make $25 million a year or prolong your ability to continue a dream job.

Barry, Roger, Alex, Mark, Rafael, Jose, Rafeal, Sammy, plus 100. Do you think it was performance they wanted to enhance, or their bank accounts?

Roger Clemens had so little regard for baseball, his basic deal in recent years was, “Look, I’m not going to spring training, I won’t be there for the start of the season. In fact, I’m not going to travel with the team. I’m not going to be there when I’m not pitching. I’ll show up every fifth day for a start, at about a million dollars per. I’m pitching five years past when most pitchers would retire, and I’m still throwing like I was 25. Why do you care if I look a little heavy and I’ll be broken down by October and unable to help when it really counts? Just write the checks.”

And we’re shocked that he was “cheating.” The steroid era greatly distorts my favorite sport and it’s a shame. But with so much money at stake, how can we really be shocked, when our whole culture revolves around “give me something to make me feel or perform differently?”

I love baseball. Someone once asked me, if I had to pick one activity to do for eternity what would it be? I said “play baseball.” I remember getting up on those summer mornings, throwing my glove on my handlebar, and riding off to look for a pickup game.
Baseball is one sport where size didn’t matter. It was about hand-eye coordination, that most elusive skill. If Joe Morgan could make it, anyone could.

Not today. It’s all power – home runs by bulked up, full-time weight lifters. And it’s not just baseball. Compare the slight physiques of Roberto Clemente, Michael Jordan, and Joe Montana to what their counterparts look like today. If ESPN Classic doesn’t open your eyes, nothing will. The Magic Johnson of today could back down the young Magic Johnson into the post and score at will. He works out now harder than he ever worked out when he was playing. He happens to have a unique motivation right now, but working out has a whole new meaning these days.

Steroids were a shortcut.

The problem with our economy is that the heavily-bonused execs found shortcuts. They bundled and sold and were able to post bonus-justifying numbers to the income statement, for awhile. Greed was the driver. Get-rich quick. No matter that it couldn’t continue, in fact was detrimental. Just get people into those loans, and book the income.

Regulation was the answer, but it can inhibit the greed.
Same with baseball.
How do we solve it?

The way I see it, baseball has two major problems.

First, too much talk about the Hall of Fame. It’s supposed to be about winning, not what happens after you retire.
Baseball blew it when, in an overreaction to Pete Rose, they tied the MLB eligibility list to the Hall of Fame, effectively giving the Commissioner control over HOF eligibility. The Hall of Fame had always been independent of the Commissioner. Too much power for the commissioner. He should be focused on the playing of the game and let the writers and the public do the legacy defining.

The biggest problem with Major League Baseball is the diminishing World Series. After the extended, often pulse-pounding playoffs, which go on for weeks on a ridiculous tv-driven schedule (really, off-days between games in the same city?) the World Series is often anti-climatic, with none of the tension that precedes it. Kind of the way the Super Bowl was until recent years. But the worst thing is that it’s played as winter begins, in weather more conducive to Hockey than Baseball. And even worse, it’s past young fan’s bedtime.

Bill Mazersoski hit his famous home run at 3:30 in the afternoon. Carlton Fisk hit his 12th inning home run late at night. Derek Jeter actually crossed the plate after midnight.

Baseball is scheduling so poorly, that they run the risk of becoming a DVR event. I remember taking a transistor radio to class to sneak a listen to the World Series. Imagine this scene today taking place in a school after the 7th game of the World Series: “Don’t tell me what happened – I’ve got it Tivo’d.”
Is that any way to treat the fans you need to insure your future?

What the NFL does right is The Super Bowl. The NFL season culminates in it’s ultimate event.

If baseball got back to that, it would be on its way to recovery.
I’m not quite as sure how to fix the banks.

At the Cinema - February 2009

The International – 8 – This one really surprised me.
Way better than I expected. The story about a huge bank playing in global arms dealing starts a little complicated, and gets even more so. But the centerpiece of this movie is a heart thumping chase through Manhattan. It features the good guys quietly searching for, then following the bad guy to a showdown at the Guggenheim museum. These scenes are filmed so well, that they pack more punch and tension than any of the wild car chases or Indiana Jones – Bourne – Bond – Die Hard expeditions that border on the ridiculous. Let’s face it. Most adventure movies are just that – ridiculous. We watch while laughing because they are so implausible. Here, the chase culminates in a scene at The Guggenheim museum that is anything but implausible. In fact, it is so good it is nothing short of incredible. I don’t want to give too much away other than to say I have no clue how they shot it. Most movie confrontations feature the bad guys missing and the good guys connecting on every shot and every punch. This isn’t like that. No implausibility here. No blurry action. Just some amazing work that we’ll be watching over and over on DVD for years.

After that, the movie comes down to earth and gets a little confusing, but it’s still well worth your time. What could be more evil than a bank?
The director is Tom Twyker and I thought his “Run Lola Run” 10 years ago was terrific. This makes me want to take another look. Rent it if you missed it before. Clive Owen continues to build his action resume, although in one scene he is inexplicably clean-shaven. Naomi Watts is a little wasted as the Manhattan DA who has to spend too much time justifying her investigation before “they” shut it down. If they gave out supporting actor Oscar’s for action villains, Brian F. O’Bryne as the assassin would be worthy. He’s quiet, deadly, and his shifting alliances add unexpected depth.
If you like thrillers, even when they’re a little muddy, you’ll like this one. The Guggenheim scene is why I go to movies.

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans – 7 – I’ll be the first to admit this isn’t for everyone. I’ll also admit that thanks to Buffy, I never seem to get tired of vampire storylines. I’ve seen all three of these vampire/werewolf movies and I like them. The previous two movies had Kate Bleckinsale shooting and slicing so what more could you want? This prequel actually has a pretty good story. Not for everyone. You already know if you’re a fan.

Stimulate Me

Best that I can determine there are only two things wrong with our government.

Republicans and Democrats.

Other than that everything is going fine.

Imagine where America would be under the following scenario:
In each business enterprise for the last 100 years the employees of every single company were split into two unions. The two unions had vast ideological differences and basically fought tooth and nail over every business decision. How many companies would have prospered under that labor division?
Would America be the capitalist powerhouse it is today?
No.

So, in case you’re keeping score, here’s where we are today, February 22, 2009:
The Republicans, who had no problem ballooning the deficit with President Bush at the helm, have suddenly grown balls and are “going back to their fiscally conservative roots.” Whew, how convenient. Just when they pledged bi-partisan cooperation, there they go, voting unanimously against whatever’s on the agenda. Well, almost unanimously.
Meanwhile the Democrats have presented and passed an economic stimulus plan that just happens to feature every two-bit social program they could dredge up.

The parties have one thing in common. They love spending money they don’t have.

Here’s what we know so far:
President Bush’s tax rebate plan didn’t work. Remember it? Was it good for you?

The first half of the bail out – the one that we just had to do to loosen the credit markets?
Didn’t work. Was it good for you?

The second half of the bail out, the “TARP,” the one we’re about to role out, but with more “oversight” and limited executive compensation? Any evidence that it will work? None.

The stimulus package that just passed – any evidence it will do the trick?
None. Might. Might Not. Just like porn – might stimulate you, might not. Is it good for you?

I used to get very upset about how the government spent my money. I’m over that. They’re not spending my money anymore. They’re several generations ahead now. So, while the woman who had octuplets is being roundly criticized, may I commend her for doing her part to populate the U.S. with the taxpayers of the future. We’re going to need them.
Just gotta job ‘em someday.

So, the way I see it the stimulus bill is a cheesy attempt to slip a high hard one past us. President Obama made it easy on the Republicans who can say they voted against the largest spending bill in history.

The Pelosi’s should have broken the bill up into the debatable parts. Pass a massive infrastructure bill. Let them vote against it. Pass a massive energy bill. Let them vote against it. Pass Health Care reform. Let them vote against it. But they had to do it all at once, tossing in all that “stuff” in a bill that couldn’t have been read by Congress reading at the normal reading rate of a human. Good move in the short run. Bad move in the long run. They’ll pay.

Congressmen have long been re-elected on their ability to bring home the bacon to their home district. Now we just call it pork. One man’s pork is another man’s bacon. Just don’t call it an earmark.

Back to the two parties. Could it be that we’ve outgrown them - that they no longer serve us as well as they should? We have two parties who have strong ideological bases. And maybe that’s the problem. They can’t see past their ideologies. Are the problems of 2009 beyond their grasp? While the pols continue to spit blame, could it be more obvious that they all let us down – that they simply didn’t understand what was ahead? Do you get the feeling that they are on a fishing expedition for solutions and they’re overmatched? Maybe their indecision on our eventual social security shortfall and failure to solve it is just a preview of things to come. We should’ve known.

Could it be time for a third party? Maybe one that doesn’t have its own shill cable network. A party that doesn’t have an ideological base, but a factual, pragmatic one? One that can reason its way through the complex, tough decisions that confront us without being encumbered by the expectations of its donors. An inclusive one where all opinions are respected, valued, and utilized, and consensus decision making is the norm.

Or is it going to be octuplets all around?

U got some splainin to do

The week that was:
Fascinating isn’t it that there’s a whole lot of cheating going on.
First a bunch of the President’s nominees get caught in tax dodges.
Then it gets revealed that A-Rod was using steroids back around 2003.
The question of the week is, “when everyone’s cheating, is it really cheating?” Let’s reflect.

Baseball is largely a contest between a pitcher and the hitter.
If they’re both juiced, what’s it all mean?
It’s 2003 and 67 year old Roger Clemens is out there throwing BB’s. What to do, what to do? Now it turns out 104 players tested positive when it wasn’t against the rules, just against the law. A-Rod’s getting crucified, but forgive me if I want to know the rest of the names. If McGuire was hitting against pitchers who were juiced, who had the advantage? Who goes to the Hall of Fame now? Can we be sure about anyone? Do we just throw out the whole steroid era?

Meanwhile, in DC it appears that a life in public service culminates in a late-in-life paycheck of epic proportions as an influence-peddler. Just don’t get called back to public service because you’ll have some “splaining to do,” especially if your accountant was asleep at the wheel. Now, I’ve had my own IRS adventures, so I know how easily one can slip up. But aren’t the parallels between sports and politics becoming apparent? If everyone’s doing it, is it cheating, or are the rules just changing?

Tom Dashcle bit the dust and we’re worse for it. He was clearly exactly what the doctors ordered and now we have to find someone as qualified. But, it turns out there aren’t two sets of rules. But, it sure is time to change the rules. If you’re going to be a public servant, looks like we’ll have to limit that pot at the end of the rainbow. Do you know any other professions where there is a huge payoff when it’s over? A huge pension and great jobs lined up? Teacher? Preacher? Businessman? (Well, sometimes, if you make it to the very tippy top.) It will make it tough on young ex-Presidents, but while we’re bitching about CEO’s bonus’s might we take a look at what an ex-congressman could possibly be worth.
If we can’t trust A-Rod and Tom D, whom can we trust?

At the Cinema - January 2009

Frost/Nixon - 9 . Frank Langella gives my new favorite performance of 2008, largely because it’s such a deft impersonation of a President that those my age know so well. If you’re under 30, you may not be as impressed. He runs us up and down the sympathy pole and reveals magical insights into the ego of a man who dedicated his life to public service, yet was never appreciated – and in the end was vilified. Director Ron Howard seems to do his best recreating real events by layering on the drama and this recounting of the David Frost interview of Nixon and the back story is no exception. He revs up the action until we just can’t wait for the climax. Well worth seeing.

The Wrestler – 8. Mickey Rourke will probably win a best actor Oscar for his tour de force in which he tours and forces as a wrestler sliding down the rope of his career. This is at times a brutal movie, and the only punches it pulls are in the wrestling ring. Evan Rachel Wood adds to her resume as his alienated daughter. There’s some brute force in their scenes. Marisa Tomei is every bit Rourke’s equal in her best role since My Cousin Vinnie. She won’t win an Oscar for this role like she did for that one, but she’s wonderful as the stripper attracted to the wrestler but trying to keep her distance. I didn’t much care for the ending, which has generated a little controversy, but in fairness it’s the trip that’s fascinating here, not the destination.

Rachel Getting Married – 2. Anne Hathaway’s Oscar-nominated turn as the screwed up sister of the bride can’t save this Jonathan Demme mess of a picture. I give it a two for the few interesting scenes between her and Rosemarie DeWitt (who’s every bit as good), but other than that the movie is as excruciating as attending a real wedding. (Not yours of course.) I don’t know if it was the hand held camera that made me nauseous or the subject matter, but I never believed it for a minute. In fairness, let me point out that almost all other reviews have been raves. I don’t know what movie they were watching. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bigger disparity on one of my favorite web sites, metacritic.com between the critical acclaim and audience reaction. Critics praised it, and the viewers didn’t. I guess I just ain’t as sophisticated. If Demme was out to make us squirm and uncomfortable, he succeeds, but not the way he wanted. I’m a big Anne fan, so let me just say, check out Get Smart and at least have some fun watching her. "Bridal Wars" notwithstanding (which I have no plans to see because it's been panned so badly), I think she's going to be a huge star.

Taken – 8 I’ve never been much of a Liam Neeson fan, but here he brings some great anger to his role as the CIA retiree father of a kidnapped daughter who turns out to be the kidnapper’s worst nightmare – a father who’s both skilled and pissed. The theme here is basically “you fucked with the wrong American” as he chews through the Paris underworld leaving a body count that never seems to catch the attention of the police. Throw in some Bournish chase scenes and fights and you’ve got the picture, but it’s a well done ride that avoids the “blurry action” until the climactic fight scene. You’ve seen it all a million times, why not go see it again? This one is at least crisp and to the point.