I don’t get the alleged “Disney presents Clockwork Orange slash Hunger Games” aesthetic in this just-released White House Christmas video. But it’s fairly clear what the Bidens are saying in posting this.

The last time I checked the U.S. of A. was still a vast melting pot — 95% straight, 59% European descended, 18% Latino, 13.5% African American, 12% Hispanic, 6% Asian, etc. But you’d never know it from this Biden Christmas video, which basically thumbs its nose at mainstream American culture outside the blue urban pockets.

Joe and Jill Biden to rubes: “Our base is mostly, or at least politically speaking, a partly straight but generally Black gay lesbian tutti-fruity tap dancing Glee club…clackety-clack at the White House…none of that Hugh Jackman or Gene Kelly or Fred Astaire-type stuff…this is how we see happy America.”

Translation: We believe in the non-white, non-straight urban vote. White schlubbo bumblefucks can do what they want or vote how they want, but this is who we are.

First came the Bell’s Palsy episode, which has thankfully receded. Now it’s the damn bronchial hacking cough. And this isn’t my style, man. I don’t do “under the weather” as a rule. I bound up the IRT stairs two at a time.

…and am fully expecting, in fact, that the Oscar preferences of those with very little soul, depth or reflection will prevail early next year…the nearly empty Coke bottles, the shallowest minds, the supermarket hors d’oeuvres mentality of SAG-AFTRA…

But at least, thank God, we’re not looking at another end-of-the-world Best Picture debacle like EEAAO.

HE faves…well, who knows? But I know which ‘23 films stand at the top of the staircase, and Past Lives is not among them

How many times has Universal drawn from this well? It’s embarassing.

Pickleball, I mean. I hate it (shudder), and if anyone ever suggests a friendly game of pickleball I’ll almost certainly say “thanks but no thanks.” It’s not the activity but the sound of it. I think I can safely say I’ll never, ever play this game. And I don’t want anything to do with pickles either. I’m serious. It’s a very strong feeling.

…and you’re basically Jeft with a pinker, smirkier, glossier, sexually averse Poor Things. Don’t get me wrong —Barbie is fine but but compared to the sumptuous banquet of Poor Things it’s fast food.

Thank you, God, for pulling cosmic levers and bringing about changes that are helping to restore our shared cinematic soul. Tears streaming down my cheeks.

…except for the riffs about Poor Things (#2) and Fallen Leaves (#5). Putting Past Lives in the #1 position represents a break from reality that is almost surreal. Nobody feels this way….stop it.

In May ‘22 “Paramount Presents” released a 4K Bluray of John Ford’s The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (‘62) that didn’t pass muster. Restoration guru Robert Harris called it technically flawed (de-grained with an overlay of fake amoeba swirls). Three months hence (3.5.24) a remastered 4K disc (sans amoeba) will go on sale.

HE reminder: The last name of John Ireland’s “Cherry Valance” in Red River (‘48) is pronounced Val-ANCE while the surname of Lee Marvin’s arch-villain in TMWSLV is pronounced VAL-unce. Exact same spelling.

Bad 4K Valance:

Good 4K Valance (3.5.24):

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Snaps of last night’s post-Holdovers screening soirée at Hollywood hills home of director-screenwriter Sacha Gervasi (Anvil!) and producer Jessica de Rothschild — hosted by Colleen Camp and attended by Best Actor frontrunner Paul Giamatti, helmer Alexander Payne, costar Dominic Sessa, Dustin Hoffman (Megalopolis), producer Mark Johnson, director Phillip Noyce (Fast Charlie), Orlando Bloom and other industry lah-lahs.

My first thought was “oh, poor Dean Baquet” in She Said (‘22). Tough break. Too young. Startling and quite sad.