Which is why, if they would just pay attention and flush their heads out and confront the unfortunate possibility that The Beast might be re-elected if his opponent is Elizabeth Warren (even though it seems deranged that anyone would vote for Cheeto over Elizabeth), they’d realize that Pete Buttigieg is the most sensible-sounding, practical-minded, forward-looking Democratic contender who isn’t enslaved to the SJW white-guy-hating progressive left. On top of which he’s the only candidate among the top four who’s below retirement age.

Is Droopin’ Biden slippin’ and slidin’ and most likely fated to lose to Warren? That seems to be the general impression. Nobody is expecting him to bounce back, that’s for sure.

My plan, Medicare for All Who Want It, will get you covered and put you back in charge. It won’t raise your taxes or kick you off a plan you want to keep. Because I trust you to make the right health care decisions for yourself and your family. #DemDebate pic.twitter.com/55Yo6f8Xdd

— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg) October 16, 2019

Read more

Have I signed up for Apple TV+, which launches on 11.1? No, I haven’t. At this point in time I’m not regarding it as an essential viewing option. (Ditto Disney+, which launches on 11.12.) My attitude could evolve, of course. I’m presuming many of us probably feel the same way. What I mainly care about are HD remasterings of classic films, which are fairly well covered by Amazon, Netflix, Criterion and Vudu.

Then again I’ve been given an option to watch all the forthcoming original Apple+ programs, including the top 3 — (a) For All Mankind (alternate history science fiction), (b) The Morning Show (relationship dramedy in the vein of Broadcast News) and (c) The Banker (fact-based drama), which will premiere at AFI Fest on 11.21, given a limited theatrical release on on 12.6 with digital streaming to begin on 1.31.20.

John Wayne‘s Temujin to Pedro Armendariz‘s Jamuga: “This Tartar woman is for me…my blood says ‘take her'”

Above and beyond the camp factor, The Conqueror is primarily known as the worst radioactive fallout and subsequent cancer affliction film in Hollywood history.

Exteriors happened in the vicinity of St. George, Utah, which is 137 miles (220 km) downwind of the United States government’s Nevada National Security Site and received the brunt of nuclear fallout from testing active in this period. In 1953, 11 above-ground nuclear weapons tests occurred at the site. By the end of 1980, as ascertained by People magazine, 91 cast and crew members had developed some form of cancer and 46 had died of the disease.

Wikipage excerpt: “Director Dick Powell died of cancer in January 1963, seven years after the film’s release. John Wayne, Susan Hayward and Agnes Moorehead all died of cancer in the 1970s. Pedro Armendáriz was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1960, and killed himself in June 1963 after he learned his condition had become terminal. Several of Wayne and Hayward’s relatives who visited the set also had cancer scares. Michael Wayne developed skin cancer, his brother Patrick had a benign tumor removed from his breast, and Hayward’s son Tim Barker had a benign tumor removed from his mouth.”

The headline quote is a line from Martin Scorsese‘s The King of Comedy (’83).

During yesterday’s Ellen chat Bombshell star-producer Charlize Theron said that one of the motivating factors behind producing the film was “maybe for me to work on [it] as an actor.”

Theron didn’t mean precisely that. She meant to say that her company, Denver and Delilah Films, produced Bombshell in part so she could snag the lead role of Megyn Kelly, the former Fox News anchor, which is undeniably the strongest part in the film. The secondary goal, of course, was to lasso a Best Actress Oscar nomination, which seems fairly likely at this stage given the support of the top-tier Oscar blogaroos (i.e., people like myself and Sasha Stone and the general Gold Derby gang).

Right now the strongest nominees for the 2020 Best Actress Oscar are Theron, Judy’s Renee Zellweger and Marriage Story‘s Scarlett Johansson.

D&D’s Beth Kono and A.J. Dix listed as the film’s top two producers.

Sidenote: Despite my having stated on 9.20 that people need to be gently persuaded not to use the words “amazing,” “awesome” and “incredible”, Theron used all three (and actually said “incredible” twice) during the first 60 seconds of her Ellen chat. I’m not pointing fingers at Theron as much as reminding that these words are a bigger problem than most of us realize, and that a heightened amount of vigilance is required.

Read more

General Patton: “What’s the matter with you?” Shell-shocked soldier: “I just can’t take it, sir. The recruitment officer promised that our battalion would maintain ‘safe spaces’ once we got into combat and they didn’t, and there’s so much harsh language and a historical lack of respect for non-white cultures.” General Patton (bending down on one knee): “What did you say?” Shell-shocked soldier: “I need safe spaces, sir. I just can’t take it if there’s no protection from racism.” General Patton: “‘Safe spaces’? Why, you’re just a goddam snowflake!”

In my experience blazing, stand-up geniuses don’t necessarily softball it when offering opinions or criticizing the work of colleagues or what-have-you. And they do tend to eff-bomb with impugnity for the most part. Which is a roundabout way of saying you probably don’t want to get on Neil Young‘s bad side while creating or rehearsing because he won’t bite your head off — he’ll tear it off with his bare hands and then vomit down your neck.

“If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen”…right? Except Young isn’t kitchen heat — he’s a blast furnace.

Boilerplate: Mountaintop (Aboramarama, 10.26, 86 minutes) is an unfiltered look at the process of Neil Young with Crazy Horse making their first album in seven years. Witness the laughter, tensions, crusty attitudes and love of a rock and roll band that’s been together for 50 years. Directed by Young under the name Bernard Shakey“…as in “shakey cam”?

YouTube Guy #1: “Like a grizzled Captain Bligh leading a loyal crew of ragamuffins through a sonic ocean of electric current.”

YouTube Guy #w2: “All these people complaining that he’s an ass to work with….LMAO. It’s how he makes the records. Look how they sound in this trailer. It fuels the sound of the music. It’s rough, and it’s brilliant.

YouTube Guy #w2: “Hey Neil…my dad and I connect over your music. Thanks for making it. Would really love to see you in concert but the tickets are too darn expensive.”

Read more

Or as the lifers say in the yard during exercise hour, “Poor baby.”

“A Lousy 14 Days?“, posted on 9.13.19

Scotty Bowers, nice-guy provider to Hollywood’s gay and bisexual community (and sometimes even straight guys from time to time) during the sexual suppression heyday of the late 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, has passed at age 96. He co-authored the 2012 book “Full Service: My Adventures in Hollywood and the Secret Sex Lives of the Stars” and was the star of Matt Tyrnauer‘s Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (’17).

A good guy, always candid, quick with the smile, joyful eyes.

The first time I met Scotty was at the salad bar in Fairfax Whole Foods (NE corner of Santa Monica Blvd.), and he couldn’t have been nicer to a stranger. We later conversed a couple of times during the promotion of Tyrnauer’s film.

Read more

And I refuse to abide…sorry. “Myooney” to the death.

I’m naturally presuming that Disney’s half-animated, half-live-action Song of the South (’46) will never be seen again because of antiquated negative racial stereotypes contained in certain portions.

But from a purely cinematic perspective (it was shot by long-celebrated cinematographer Gregg Toland) it would be interesting to at least look at an HD version. The blending of animated and live action was fairly advanced for its time, or so I’ve always understood. It would be interesting to give it a looksee for the technique aspect alone. Ironically, of course.

I don’t know if Disney + management has even considered such a move (highly doubtful — the movie is obviously bad news and bad nostalgia from a present-day perspective) but among the hundreds of titles that will be streamable on the new channel, it would be brave of them to offer it.

Wiki history: “Song of the South was re-released in theaters several times after its initial 1946 premiere, each time through Buena Vista Pictures: in 1956 for the 10th anniversary; in 1972 for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney Productions; in 1973 as the second half of a double bill with The Aristocats; in 1980 for the 100th anniversary of Joel Chandler Harris’ classic stories; and in 1986 for the film’s own 40th anniversary and in promotion of the upcoming Splash Mountain attraction at Disneyland and Disney World.

“The entire uncut film has been broadcast on various European and Asian television channels including by the BBC as recently as 2006. The film (minus the infamous Tar Baby scene which was cut from all American television airings) was also aired on U.S. television as part of the Disney Channel’s ‘Lunch Box’ program in the 1980s and 1990s until December 18, 2001.”

Read more