…and consider the parallels between, on one hand, the current perceptions and disputes about how Joe Biden has mortally wounded himself while many are sanguine about the state of his campaign, and, on the other hand, the initial reactions to the RMS Titanic‘s collision with that iceberg on the evening of 4.15.12…how a relative few were aware that the ship was doomed and how most of the passengers were relatively calm as they lined up to get into the lifeboats.

Biden’s iceberg collision happened last Thursday night, but a lot of people are in denial about it.

Schmidt: “Time matters in situations like this…”

…if you’re in the process of squashing the little bugger? That’s why the joke isn’t funny. It makes no sense.

I’ll be okay with Ridley Scott‘s Gladiator II as long as it avoids gay or trans characters, and of course sidesteps any depictions or suggestions of homoeroticism or, God forbid, full-on sodomy. No ancient hard-ons of any kind, in or out of the arena, and no ejaculations. As long as that’s understood, we’re good. Or I am, at least.

I’m mentioning this because Scott is known for being receptive to story suggestions from his cast members, and because there’s a fair amount of pressure these days to include LGBTQ material or at least references to same in films, and because this sequel to Scott’s 24-year-old Gladiator costars Paul Mescal and Pedro Pascal, both of whom played gay characters last year in Andrew Haigh‘s All Of Us Strangers and Pedro Almodovar‘s Strange Way of Life, respectively.

I’m sorry but when I think of these guys I think…I don’t know what to think. But I can’t forget the cum droplets scene in All Of Us Strangers. Or Pedro angrily speaking to Ethan Hawke about “the smell of cum.”

Mescal plays Lucius Verus Diabetes, son of Russell Crowe‘s Maximus. We initially encounter Lucius in the North African coastal town of Numibia, living there with a wife and child. (What kind of toilet facilities did they have in ancient Numibia?) Pascal plays Marcus Ainus Acacius, a former Roman general forced to fight as a gladiator in punishment for insubordination. Denzel Washington is Macrinus Hepatitis, “a former slave-turned-wealthy merchant with a grudge against the emperors,” etc.

Oh, and Connie Nielsen plays Lucilla, the mother of Lucius. And 85 year-old Derek Jacobi is Senator Gracchus, a member of the Roman Senate who opposes the growing corruption of the Imperial court.

Note: I’m partly kidding about the names of Mescal, Pascal and Washington’s characters. I was influenced by characters in Woody Allen‘s “God.”

Vanity Fair synopsis: “Throughout Gladiator II, the reluctant hero encounters a number of other colorful and dubious characters.” Which means…whatever.

This side by side of Biden’s decline over the last 5 years is devastating.

Shame on everyone who covered this up and left our country in such a terrible position. pic.twitter.com/qacTgorqfx

— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) June 30, 2024

The six Supreme Court righties — John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett —- aren’t behaving like totally slavish Donald Trump facilitators, but they’re mostly doing what they can to allow him to sidestep moves by special prosecutor Jack Smith,

They’re certainly setting the stage for endless delays in the Jan. 6th case and a complete cancellation of all federal prosecutions if Trump wins — and how can he not win after last Thursday night’s debate?

Alito and Thomas are nothing short of fiendish in their opinions, and the Trump-appointed Kavanaugh and Gorsuch are especially odious.

No Venice, no Telluride, no Toronto, no New York…a London Film Festival premiere is the kiss of death in an award-season context. Finito. Sidelined. Dead herring in the moonlight.

A few weeks ago a trusted friendo said he’d been told that Blitz is ”great”. The source of this viewpoint is either a gladhander or a denialist or a fucking liar.

London Film Festival premieres NEVER score in an award-season sense.

I’m not saying Steve McQueen has made a bad or seriously problematic film. He’s too good of a filmmaker. But there’s obviously something wrong with it. If it was all hunky-dory it would be premiering at Venice or Telluride or at the New York Film Festival.

We all understand the hometown sentiment aspect of debuting Blitz in London, and that’s fine. But it’s no Best Picture contender —- you can take that to the bank.

Well, not “instant”. A mere four days ago (i.e., last Thursday afternoon) Jill Biden wasn’t a demonic figure. But she sure as hell is now. She’s become the head cheerleader of our national doom spiral.

“For those who love the President, starting with his wife, it’s time to tell him: for God’s sake, and the country’s, and his own —- don’t run.” — from Bret Stephens’ “The ‘Bad Debate’ Nonsense’, posted on 6.30.24.