The 1.6 Bumblefuck insurrection was “provoked” by Trump, Mitch McConnell has stated, and was “fed lies” and so on. I think most of us understand this. Perhaps not Lauren Boebert, Marjorie Taylor Green and other House lunatics, but most legislators of sound mind.

Hollywood Elsewhere respectfully regards Mike Kaplan‘s “2001: A Garden of Personal Mirrors,” a long-buried song composed for Stanley Kubrick‘s 2001: A Space Odyssey, as the aural equivalent of dandelion fuzz.

Talk about a composition that not only doesn’t complement the 1968 classic but strenuously argues with everything it is, was and ever could be…it’s just stunning that Kaplan could have hoped that Kubrick might find it to his liking. I just gave it a listen and I couldn’t even make it to the end.

Excerpt from Vanessa Thorpe‘s “Space Oddity: Song Rejected by Kubrick for 2001 released after 52 Years“, posted yesterday (1.17) in the Guardian.

“’I know it doesn’t sound like anything else, and I am not sure how I managed to work it out,’ said Kaplan, 77. ‘I could never do it again. But it is great to hear it being played.’

“The publicist was challenged to write the song, ‘2001: A Garden of Personal Mirrors’, during a meeting with Kubrick and MGM records after they had all listened to the demo tape of another song that had been intended to help promote the film. Declining to use the downbeat tune, Kubrick turned to Kaplan, who he knew wrote music and who he felt understood his film: ‘I hear you write music. Why don’t you write something?’ he said, according to Kaplan.”

Country music legend Garth Brooks, 57, will sing a song at Joe Biden‘s 1.20 inauguration, as part of the swearing-in ceremony. “This is not a political statement, [but a] statement of unity,” Brooks said in a press conference. “This is kind of how I get to serve this country. I’ve played for every president there since Carter, with the exception of Reagan. This is an honor for me to get to serve…no matter who the president-elect is, it’s an honor to be asked.”

Garth Brooks supports Bernie Sanders?? IM DONE WITH HIM pic.twitter.com/E5szlKBCGV

— Brent Terhune (@BrentTerhune) February 28, 2020

Shameless, clueless…words fail. In the wake of the 1.6 insurrection and the mass bumblefuck armed-militia insanity that her husband ignited and fanned the flames of over the last four or five years, not to mention the racial animus, this morning Melania Trump actually had the nerve to urge Americans “to focus on what unites us, to rise above what divides us…to always choose love over hatred, peace over violence and others before yourself. Together, as one national family, we can continue to the light of hope for future generations.”

Whoa, wait, hold on…maybe it’s me, maybe I’m a little fucked up or something but did she just say “as one national family“?

If Melania had any class or character or backbone at all she would have given a different speech. She would have somehow managed to say, in at least a roundabout manner if not in so many words, “I’m truly sorry…I married this monster for the money, but I never thought he would cause so much damage to this country…I’m very sorry…please forgive me.”

Yes, she also said “violence is never the answer and will never be justified” but she isn’t in a position to preach that. She’s arm in arm with The Beast, and has no moral authority whatsoever.

A Farewell Message from First Lady Melania Trump pic.twitter.com/WfG1zg2mt4

— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) January 18, 2021

People‘s Ale Russian is reporting that Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas have concluded that their relationship (aka “Benana”) was “a trip to the moon on gossamer wings.” That’s Cole Porter-ese for splitsville.

Their affair kicked in while costarring in Adrian Lyne‘s Deep Water, an erotic thriller that began shooting in New Orleans on 11.4.19. So it lasted roughly a year, perhaps a little more.

“Source” to Russian: “Ben is no longer dating Ana. She broke it off. Their relationship was complicated.” HE translation: They were fighting tooth and nail. Kicker: “Ana doesn’t want to be Los Angeles-based and Ben obviously has to since his kids live in Los Angeles.”

Ben Affleck, Ana de Armas.

HE completely and wholeheartedly guarantees that “Ana doesn’t want to settle in Los Angeles” was not a big factor in the breakup. At most it was an “also” factor. I’m guessing it had something to do with Ben’s demons (“Ben continues to want to work on himself”), and a little something to do with Ana’s Cuban blood, which can run suddenly hot and then cold. You know that expression “crazy Cubans”?

The People story reports that de Armas moved into Affleck’s Los Angeles home last August, or roughly five months ago. Plus “a source previously confirmed to People she [had] placed her Venice, California, home on the market.”

Ana wouldn’t have done that if she wasn’t totally sold on Benana. Most prudent people in a newish relationsbip would take things one step at a time and keep the Venice home in case things don’t work out, But she’s Cuban so she went in whole hog.

I adore you, you’re perfect, we’re soulmates, daily orgasms, life is heavenly, I’ll move in and we’ll be together for years…nope! Changed my mind after four or five months of cohabitation.

How will the bust-up affect Affleck’s Best Actor campaign for his performance in The Way Back? Not to sound crass or cynical but I think people will now feel sorry for the guy to some extent. Sympathy votes! The reverse would be true if he had dumped Ana, but she gave him his walking papers. Or at least, that’s what they’re saying.

Hollywood Elsewhere respectfully disagrees with the Philadelphia Film Critics Circle for having given their Best Film of 2020 prize to George C. Wolfe‘s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. A sturdy adaptation of August Wilson‘s play, lively performances, social realism, authentic 1920s milieu, etc. But it doesn’t transcend its theatrical origin.

I would have gone with Nomadland, The Trial of the Chicago 7 or Sound of Metal. Philly crickets also chose Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods as their Best Picture runner-up.

Last year the PFCC handed its Best Picture trophy to Knives Out, so they’re obviously into wearing eccentricity on their sleeve. They went for Roma in 2018 (fine) and the absurdly over-praised Get Out in 2017.

I approve of Nomadland‘s Chloe Zhao winning for Best Director, and definitely Mank‘s Amanda Seyfried winning for Best Supporting Actress. Here are some of the other winners:

Best Actress: Viola Davis, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom. Runners-up: Aubrey Plaza, Black Bear, Carey Mulligan, Promising Young Woman (tie.)

Best Actor: Delroy Lindo, Da 5 Bloods. Runner-up: Chadwick Boseman, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.

Best Supporting Actor: Chadwick Boseman, Da 5 Bloods. Runner-up: Leslie Odom, Jr., One Night in Miami.

Best Animated Film: Soul, directed by Pete Doctor and Kemp Powers. Runner-up: Wolfwalkers, directed by Tom Moore and Ross Stewart.

Best Documentary: Time, directed by Garrett Bradley. Runner-up: Dick Johnson is Dead, directed by Kirsten Johnson.

Best Cinematography: Nomadland (Joshua James Richards) Runner-up: First Cow (Chris Blauvelt).

Best Breakthrough Performance: Sidney Flanigan, Never Rarely Sometimes Always. Runner-up: Maria Bakalova, Borat Subsequent Moviefilm: Delivery of Prodigious Bribe to American Regime for Make Benefit Once Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan.

Industry Friendo: What do you think about Promising Young Woman, Carey Mulligan and her chances? To me her Promising turn is easily the performance of the year. Much more interesting than the others, including Frances McDormand‘s in Nomadland, Pieces of a Woman‘s Vanessa Kirby and Ma Rainey‘s Viola Davis.

HE: Mulligan is one of our greatest actresses, of course. But as I said on 12.24.20, she was much better in Sarah Gavron‘s Suffragette than she is in Emerald Fennell‘s revenge film. (Revenge as in “a dish best served cold.”) Promising Young Woman is a stiletto between the ribs of all the insensitive slobbering assholes out there. It isn’t saying that most of the young horndog clubbers out there are animals — it says ALL of them are. Except for the older guys (Alfred Molina) who can’t shake their middle-aged guilt. But the young ones are impossible. That’s what it’s saying, and it’s a very ballsy film because it doesn’t back off from that viewpoint. I respect that.

Industry Friendo: Are you betting on Frances then?

HE: No, I think the general tide is drifting in Mulligan’s favor now. I’ve been thinking all along it’s going to be McDormand but nobody votes just for expert acting chops or believability…they also vote for the character and who he/she seems to convey or represent in a cultural political sense. There’s obviously something resigned and opaque and oddly obstinate about FM’s Nomadland character, and I don’t think people are in the mood for that.

Mulligan is much more of a stand-out character — a character and an attitude that cuts like a blade. She’s not delivering my idea of a world-class, heart-and-soul performance, but Promising Young Woman has begun to connect like Joker did a year ago, I think. So politically, she’s got the wind at her back. So yeah, she might win.

I can’t for the life of me understand why anyone thinks Ma Rainey‘s Viola Davis performance, which is basically about bluster and sardonicism, is a top contender. It’s between Carey, Pieces of a Woman‘s Vanessa Kirby and Frances. People need to disassociate Kirby from the Shia Labeouf thing — her performance is her performance, and that’s all.

McDormand’s lead with critics awards has been shrinking as Mulligan gains momentum.

At first McDormand had 7 wins to Mulligan’s one. A week ago it was 9-4. Now it’s 11-7.

Could Mulligan ride this wave to an Oscar win? pic.twitter.com/xNJgmmWuPJ

— The Oscar Expert (@expert_oscar) January 18, 2021

Friendo: I just finished Glenn Kenny’s “Made Men“. Despite some issues here and there, it was solid.

HE: I agree. It delivers everything you could possibly want to know about the making of Martin Scorsese‘s 1990 classic. Fully researched, well ordered, cleanly written.

Friendo: This led to me to Melissa Maerz‘s “Alright Alright Alright,” the new oral history of the making of Dazed and Confused. Great book. Everyone interviewed is well used. The dead producer sounds like a Harvey in the making.

HE: What dead producer? Thoughts and prayers.

Friendo: This led me to others. Sam Wasson’s recent book about Chinatown. Books about The Wizard of Oz and Casablanca. Julie Salamon‘s “The Devil’s Candy,” about the making of The Bonfire of the Vanities. I recall reading one about Rebel Without A Cause. The Eleanor Coppola Apocalypse Now diaries. What other great books about the making of a single film are there?

HE: I’d love to read about the making of David Fincher‘s Se7en. And about the whole saga about the developing, making and releasing of Zero Dark Thirty, including the idiotic liberal takedown of that film over alleged endorsing of CIA torture policies during Oscar season. But let’s ask the HE commentariat…

From Luke Mogelson‘s “A Reporter’s Footage from Inside the Capitol Siege,” posted in The New Yorker on 1.17.21. Here’s Mogelson’s “Among the Insurrectionists“, a 1.15 essay with the following subhead: “The Capitol was breached by Trump supporters who had been declaring, at rally after rally, that they would go to violent lengths to keep the President in power. A chronicle of an attack foretold.”

Observation #1: Watch these psychos as they invade the Senate chamber (including the “QAnon Shaman”) and listen to them…they’re really and truly children, idiots, submental sociopaths.

Observation #2: When the QAnon Shaman takes his bison horn helmet off and then his green skullcap, we can see that he’s a baldy.

From “The Inevitable,” a Michelle Goldberg column in the N.Y. Times, 1.17.21: “The far right took heart from the president’s winks and nods, retweets and outright displays of support.

“Donald Trump, ever since his campaign, throughout his four years in office, has done nothing but pander to these people,” Daryl Johnson, a former senior intelligence analyst at the Department of Homeland Security, told me.

“Now a private security consultant, Johnson was caught in a political tempest during the Obama administration, when, at D.H.S., he wrote a report warning of a ‘resurgence in right-wing extremist recruitment and radicalization activity,’ including efforts to recruit veterans. Republicans were apoplectic, seeing the report as an effort to brand conservatives as potential terrorists. Johnson’s unit was disbanded and he left government.

“Under Trump, political pressure on federal law enforcement to ignore the far right would only grow. After a white supremacist killed 23 people in a Walmart in El Paso in 2019, Dave Gomez, a former F.B.I. supervisor overseeing terrorism cases, told The Washington Post that the agency was ‘hamstrung’ in trying to investigate white nationalists. ‘There’s some reluctance among agents to bring forth an investigation that targets what the president perceives as his base,’ said Gomez.

This is Matthew Cooke on Instagram here’s the link in case you want to share it on Instagram https://t.co/nfoWRkh17I https://t.co/PoolMnUSXx

— LilEsBella 💅🏽 (@LilEsBella) January 17, 2021