“The N.Y. Times’ problem has metastasized from liberal bias to illiberal bias, from an inclination to favor one side of the national debate to an impulse to shut debate down altogether. All the empathy and humility in the world will not mean much against the pressures of intolerance and tribalism without an invaluable quality that Sulzberger did not emphasise: courage.” — from James Bennet‘s “When the New York Times Lost Its Way.” posted on 12.14.23 in 1843 magazine.

Bennet’s article is a rehash of what happened during the woke Times upheaval of mid July of 2020 (“Weiss Exits Over Woke Torquemada Brutality“), or roughly two months after the George Floyd riots that began in late May of 2020.

Imagine being honestly, sincerely persuaded that May December is 2023’s finest film…imagine.

It is HE’s solemn opinion that anyone arriving at this conclusion is in the grip of a serious aesthetic fetish or an obsessive imbalance of some kind.

HE is earnestly supportive of Fallen Leaves (#4) and half-heartedly supportive of Showing Up (#2), Killers of The Flower Moon (#3) as far as it goes, Pacifiction, Anatomy of a Fall, Afire and The Zone of Interest (#5 through #8).

Back in the days of reserved–seat roadshow engagements of big-budget, prestige-level films during the ‘40s, 50s and 60s, theatres would sell glossy, cardboard-fortified booklets that had lots of high-end images and smelled of fresh publisher’s ink.

This is the Spartacus program they sold at the DeMille theatere (B’way at 47th) when it opened on 10.6.60 — a month before JFK’s election.

They charged at least 75 cents if not a buck for these souvenir programs -— in 2023 terms they were charging $7.50 to $10 a pop.

Last night I watched a little more than half of Sam Esmail’s Leave The World Behind (Netflix, now streaming).

As quietly creepy apocalyptic dramas go, I decided right away this is a lot better than M. Night Shyamalan’s Knock at the Cabin.

There’s no story tension to speak of, but all the spooky happenings (including the deer, the flamingoes, the smashing cars and the big tanker crashing into a beach) feel spacey and illogical and disconnected from any sort of scheme, rational or otherwise.

It’s more impressionistic (Bunuelian) than plotty, which is fine.

Mahershala Ali: “No one is in control…no one is pulling the strings…there is no going back to normal.”

I’d never seen Julia .Roberts in any sort of horror film…noteworthy.

The critics are mostly positive but Joe and Jane aren’t goin’ for it.

Barack and Michelle Obama exec produced, and my understanding is that Rumaan Alam’s 2020 source novel was inspired by Trump dystopia so you have to consider the political criticism angle.

12:45 am update: I’ve watched it to the end. Definitely a decent film.

Posted a day or two ago by “TC Rice“: