I’ve said before that I’m not especially interested in Disney’s live-action, Robert Zemeckis-directed, Tom Hanks-starring musical Pinocchio (Disney, 9.8), and that my real interest is in Guillermo del Toro‘s fascist-Italy version, which Netflix will premiere on 12.9.22. I don’t think I even want to see the Disney version, to be honest. But what a trouncing by Rotten Tomatoes and Metacritic.

Bernard Shaw was a first-rate TV news journalist who peaked during his time at CNN (1980-2001).

Shaw’s second most memorable moment with CNN was reporting from Baghdad on the 1991 Gulf War (“This feels like we’re in the center of hell“).

But there’s no question that Shaw’s most consequential moment happened when he drilled Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis with a highly emotional question that by normal human standards demanded some kind of emotional response. Dukakis’s refusal to answer with his heart did a lot to kill his chances of being elected.

Shaw had asked if Dukakis would support an “irrevocable death penalty” for a man who had hypothetically raped and murdered Dukakis’s wife. Dukakis’s reply was logical, measured and legalistic, and so doing he defined himself as a chilly technocrat.

This debate answer plus Willie Horton plus Rocky the Squirrel on a military tank did the job. Dukakais is still with us at age 88.

In the wake of his mother’s passing at age 96, the 73-year-old Charles, Prince of Wakes, has unofficially become the King of England, to be ceremoniously crowned in due time. It was only two days ago when Queen Elizabeth received the new Prime Minister, Liz Truss, in Balmoral Castle. The moment has happened; no one is gut-punched; tradition soldiers on. Ten days of pomp and cirumstance to follow.

HE congratulates New York Film Festival chief Eugene Hernandez on being named the new director of the Sundance Film Festival and head of public programming, following the departure of Tabitha Jackson three months ago.

Hernandez has piloted the New York Film Festival for the past three years, and of course was the co-founder and editor-in-chief of IndieWire, the indie-focused news-and-opinion trade that has become synonymous with ardent. dug-in woke-itude.

Eugene certainly has his work cut out for him. Sundance has been stalling for four or five years now, but HE is hoping that he can turn things around. The Sundance glory era ran from the early ’90s until 2016 or ’17, but nothing is forever and all things must pass.

Here’s how I put on 12.27.21:

The Fabelmans (Universal, 11.11) is about the emotionally formative, occasionally traumatic upbringing of one Steven Spielberg (i.e., “Sammy Fabelman”) from age 7 to 19, or something in that region. And I really wish I could see it this Saturday in Toronto.

A Best Actress nom for Michelle Williams‘ performance as Leah, Sammy’s mom, seems pretty much assured. Along with a presumed Best Picture nom, and perhaps a nom for what may be composer John Williams‘ final score.

A few weeks ago I was told that Judd Hirsch‘s turn as an elderly uncle on Leah’s side of the family might generate Best Supporting Actor talk. Mostly prompted, I was told, by the tender nature of a scene between Hirsch and young Sammy, which “hits home.”

Witness: “Anyone who grew up watching movies will be a sure bet to love this. It’s a film-critic-friendly movie. It’s made for people of the film faith. I enjoyed it tremendously, and this is so rare.

“It’s set in New Jersey, Arizona, Northern California and finally, at the very end, in Los Angeles.

“A significant portion of the drama in the Arizona section of the film is Leah and “Uncle” Benny (Seth Rogen) having an affair.

“Prior to Sammy’s final year in high school the family moves to Northern California, and that’s where most of the anti-Semitism is shown. Sammy is called ‘kike’ and ‘bagelman’ and gets punched in the face. Jocks leave a bagel in his locker and the words ‘Jew hole’ are scrawled on his locker door.”

What will Telluride’s “whoa whoa” guy say when he watches this portion of the film?

I won’t discuss the allegedly tasty David Lynch-as-John Ford finale, but it sounds like a great wrap-up.