In this climactic scene from The Ugly American (’63), director George Englund‘s decision to cut to an overhead shot at the 4:05 mark — a shot that emphasizes the internal collapse of Marlon Brando‘s Harrison MacWhite character, the U.S. ambassador to the ficional Sarkhan, a stand-in for Vietnam — is the finest moment in an otherwise decent but dramatically plodding film.

Nonetheless The Ugly American, adapted by Stewart Stern and released seven months before JFK’s murder, when U.S. military assistance to Vietnam was relatively modest and restrained…here was a mainstream Universal release unambiguously stating that this country’s anti-Communist policy in Vietnam was largely based on ignorance and military bluster and doomed to fail.

Mostly shot on Universal sound stages, The Ugly American received mixed reviews and no Oscar nominations, and went belly-up at the box office. But it foretold the greatest Anerican foreign policy tragedy of the 20th Century.

Apologies to HE contrarian commenter Bobby Peru, but this is an excellent, grade-A trailer.

…when Albert began to repeatedly raise the go-away bribe figure in five-thousand-dollar increments.

His conservative Minnesota banker in Elaine May‘s The Heartbreak Kid was Albert‘s finest feature-film role ever. He was 65 when it was filmed. It resulted in his being nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar. Albert passed 20 years ago — 5.26.05.

Was this also Charles Grodin‘s finest role? He was 35 or 36 when Elaine May‘s The Heartbreak Kid was shot in ’71. A Wilton resident during his final 20 years or eo, Grodin passed in 2021 at age 86.

ChatGPT: “While in Wilton, Grodin was an involved member of the community. He supported the Wilton Library and its writing awards. He also appeared at the Ridgefield Playhouse multiple times, sharing stories and even performing a one-man show based on his experiences.”

Danny Boyle opens up about the shocking ending to 28 Years Later pic.twitter.com/WR31ZFNagD

— BAFTA (@BAFTA) June 20, 2025

how it felt watching the final scene in 28 years later pic.twitter.com/ooaNw942ij

— zoë rose bryant (@zoerosebryant) June 21, 2025

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Would that other independent-minded employees of woke-minded orgs exhibit the same plain-spoken character and clarity of mind that the BBC’s Martine Croxall showed yesterday.

Instead of saying “pregnant people”, Croxall corrected the copy on the fly by simply saying “women.”

Recent specific example: Imagine if N.Y. Times reporters Luke Smith and Madeline Coleman, authors of “Fast, Loud, Very Hollywood — But Will Race Fans Love It or Hate It?”, had written in paragraph #36 that “around 40 percent of the F1 fanbase are, for the most part, biofemales” rather than “around 40 percent of the F1 fanbase identify as women”.

BBC presenter reads “pregnant people” from the teleprompter and then corrects it to “women”.

Takes a brave, brave lady to do this at the BBC. pic.twitter.com/TXsmO6RHbW

— Hazel Appleyard (@HazelAppleyard_) June 22, 2025

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Alfred Hitchcock‘s Strangers on a Train (’51) is an adaptation of Patricia Highsmith‘s 1950 novel. But until this evening I had never read Highsmith’s original story, which is markedly different from the screenplay by Raymond Chandler and Czenzi Ormonde:

Highsmith: “Architect Guy Haines wants to divorce his unfaithful wife, Miriam, to marry the woman he loves, Anne Faulkner. While on a train to see his wife, he meets Charles Anthony Bruno, a psychopathic playboy who proposes an idea to “exchange murders”: Bruno will kill Miriam if Guy kills Bruno’s father. Neither of them will have a motive, and the police will have no reason to suspect either of them.

“Guy does not take Bruno seriously, but Bruno kills Guy’s wife while Guy is away in Mexico.

“Bruno informs Guy of his crime, but Guy hesitates to turn him in to the police. He realizes that Bruno could claim Guy’s complicity in the planned exchange murders; however, the longer he remains silent, the more he implicates himself.

“This implicit guilt becomes stronger as in the coming months Bruno makes appearances demanding that Guy honor his part of the bargain. After Bruno starts writing anonymous letters to Guy’s friends and colleagues, the pressure becomes too great, and Guy murders Bruno’s father.

“Subsequently, Guy is consumed by guilt, whereas Bruno seeks Guy’s company as if nothing had happened. He makes an uninvited appearance at Guy’s wedding, causing a scene. At the same time, a private detective who had worked for Bruno’s father and who suspects Bruno of having arranged the murder of his father, establishes the connection between Bruno and Guy that began with the train ride, and suspects Bruno of Miriam’s murder. Guy also becomes implicated due to his contradictions about the acquaintance with Bruno.

“When Bruno falls overboard during a sailing cruise, Guy identifies so strongly with Bruno that he tries to rescue him under threat to his own life. Nevertheless, Bruno drowns, and the murder investigation is closed.

“Guy, however, is plagued by guilt, and confesses the double murder to Miriam’s former lover. This man, however, does not condemn Guy, and instead dismisses Miriam, as well as women in general, while enjoying Guy’s liquor. The detective who had been investigating the murders overhears Guy’s confession, however, and confronts him. Guy turns himself over to the detective immediately.”

On HE’s list of the best 25 films of 2007, Charlie Wilson’s War ranks 22nd. There’s a reason for that, and it has nothing to do with Aaron Sorkin’s whip- smart screenplay or Mike Nichols’ directorial finesse or Philip Seymour Hoffman’s fine performance as that cynical, cigarette-smoking CIA guy (he’s actually magnificent).

The (admittedly slight) problem is Tom Hanks’ casting as the droll titular character. The real-life Wilson, a cunning, well-liked Texas Congressman in his day, was a libertine (fucked women, slurped booze, snorted coke), and as smooth and charming as Hanks is overall, there’s just no believing his Wilson is a party animal with a hard-on. He can’t sell it. There’s no erasing that Hanksian modesty, decency, reserve.

Nor am I a huge fan of Julia Roberts’ performance as real-life Texas socialite Joanne Herring…too poised and brittle, overly conspicuous acting…she won’t stop saying lines.

As all banks are closed on Sunday, nobody cares if you park in their lots on this gentle day of rest. I can’t remember how many times I’ve left my car in suburban bank parking lots** on Sundays over the last few decades, but it’s happened a lot. Because nobody gives a shit.

Except for the flaming asshole psychopath who booted my car after I parked in a Chase lot this morning at 9:15 am. I was there to share breakfast with Jett, Cait and Sutton at Libelula (5 North Fullerton, Montclair).

Did I read the sign? Physiologically, yes, but psychologically my mind immediately rejected the idea of anyone giving me a ticket on a holy Sunday, much less booting me, for parking in an all-but-vacant Chase bank lot.

I glanced at the “enforced: Mon-Sun” but my mind somehow processed it as “enforced: Mon-Sat” because the indecency factor was so far beyond the pale.

This is the kind of reprehensible thing that Vincent Mad Dog Coll would’ve tried if he was in the parking lot business.

It would have been outrageous enough if they’d demanded, say, $75 or $100 to remove the boot, but $250?? If these monsters had done this to Tony Soprano 20 years ago, their lives would be in serious jeopardy, and deservedly so.

After listening to my profane tirade for five minutes or so, the criminal behind this venal racket let me slide to the tune of $50. May he develop pancreatic cancer within the next couple of years.

** I’m actually including bank lots in West Hollywood, WeHo, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Burbank. I recognize that you can’t park anywhere in Manhattan without paying — Manhattan is its own environment.

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Three days ago World of Reel‘s Jordan Ruimy spitballed several titles for the 2025 Venice Film Festival…some semi-assured, some likely-ish, some up in the air.

Here’s my take on 37 hopeful or potential inclusions: HE LEGEND: ++ = extra-positive HE expectations. + = mostly positive expectations. X = meh or negative. XX = dread.

1. After the Hunt (d: Luca Guadagnino) Julia Roberts, Ayo Edebiri, Andrew Garfield, Michael Stuhlbarg, Chloë Sevigny. / ++
2. One Battle After Another (Warner Bros.). (d: Paul Thomas Anderson) Leonardo DiCaprio, Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Alana Haim, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, Benicio del Toro. / Neutral
3. A House of Dynamite (d: Kathryn Bigelow) / ++
4. Jay Kelly (d: Noah Baumbach) George Clooney, Adam Sandler, Billy Crudup, Laura Dern, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Riley Keough. Emily Mortimer. / ++
5. The Way of the Wind (d: Terrence Malick) / X
6. Bugonia (d: Yorgos Lanthimos) / Neutral
9. The Smashing Machine (d: Benny Safdie) / +
10. No Other Choice (Park Chan-wook) XX / XX

11. Orphan (d: Laszlo Nemes) / ++
12. The Wizard of the Kremlin (d: Olivier Assayas) / ++
13. Father Mother Brother Sister (d: Jim Jarmusch) / Neutral
14. The Ballad of a Small Player (d:Edward Berger) Synopsis: When his past and debts start to catch up, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might hold the key to his salvation.” Colin Farrell, Tilda Swinton, Fala Chen. / ++
15. Couture (d: Alice Winocour) +. Angelina Jolie, Louis Garrel, Ella Rumpf, Garance Marillier, Anyier Anei, Finnegan Oldfield. / Neutral.

16. The Cry of the Guards (d: Claire Denis)
17. Chocobar (d: Lucrecia Martel)
18. Sacrifice (d: Romain Gavras)
19. In the Hands of Dante (d: Julian Schnabel) Synopsis of Nick Tosches‘ same-titled 2002 book: “An interweaving of two separate stories, one set in the 14th century in Italy and Sicily and featuring Dante Alighieri, and another set in the autumn of 2001 and featuring a fictionalized version of Tosches as the protagonist. The historical and modern stories alternate as Dante tries to finish writing his magnum opus and goes on a journey for mystical knowledge in Sicily.” Oscar Isaac as Nick Tosches / Dante Alighieri, w/ Jason Momoa, Gerard Butler, Gal Gadot, Sabrina Impacciatore, Franco Nero, Martin Scorsese. ++
20. Ann Lee (d: Mona Fastvold). Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Christopher Abbott, Tim Blake Nelson, Stacy Martin. / +

21. Bucking Fastard (d: Werner Herzog)
22. La Grazia (d: Paolo Sorrentino)
23. An Affair (d: Arnaud Desplechin)
24. Franz (d: Agnieszka Holland)
25. Below the Clouds (d: Gianfranco Rosi)
26. Duse (d: Pietro Marcello)
27. Frankenstein (d: Guillermo del Toro) / X

To the preceding I would add “what’s wrong with the following?” and “why not?”

28. Scott Cooper‘s Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (20th Century, sometime in the fall). Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in another boomer nostalgia pic, focusing on the recording of Nebraska (’82). Costarring Stephen Graham, Odessa Young, Paul Walter Hauser, Gaby Hoffmann, Johnny Cannizzaro, Harrison Gilbertson, Marc Maron.

29. Edward Berger‘s The Ballad of a Small Player (Netflix). Synopsis: When his past and debts start to catch up, a high-stakes gambler laying low in Macau encounters a kindred spirit who might hold the key to his salvation,” blah blah. Colin Farrell, Tilda Swinton, Fala Chen

30. Josh Safdie‘s Marty Supreme (A24, 12.25). Timothée Chalamet, Gwyneth Paltrow, Tyler the Creator, Odessa A’zion, Penn Jillette, Kevin O’Leary, Abel Ferrara, Fran Drescher, Sandra Bernhard.

31. Jonah Hill‘s Outcome (Apple TV+). Black comic satire about social-media harpooning of big movie star (Keanu Reeves). Costarring Jonah Hill, Cameron Diaz, Matt Bomer, Susan Lucci, David Spade, Laverne Cox.

32. Roofman (do: Derek Cianfrance).

33. A Big Bold Beautiful Journey (Sony) appears to be a serving of guaranteed agony. The words “American romantic fantasy” are death to me. Directed by Kogonada from a screenplay by Seth Reiss. Starring Margot Robbie and Colin Farrell, w/ Lily Rabe, Jodie Turner-Smith, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Billy Magnussen, Sarah Gadon.

34. Paul Greengrass‘s The Lost Bus (Apple TV+). “A bus driver has to navigate a bus carrying children and their teacher to safety through the 2018 Camp Fire, which became the deadliest fire in California history,” etc. Matthew McConaughey, America Ferrera, Yul Vazquez, Ashlie Atkinson, Spencer Watson, Danny McCarthy.

35. Chloe Zhao‘s Hamnet (Focus Features, no date) — Fictional tale about Mr. and Mrs. William Shakespeare coping with the death of their son. Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal (!), Joe Alwyn, Emily Watson.

36. Switzerland (d: Anton Corbijn)

37. Fuze (d: David Mackenzie)

As all semi-intelligent people know, the natural, all-encompassing current of unity and cosmic splendor known in some quarters as “God” doesn’t project or deal in earthly, garden-variety emotions. It is of zero consequence whether you love or fear or feign indifference to “the force”. It’s been the primary thing since forever and will continue to rock out a billion years hence so…whatever.

I don’t know how wise or decisive today’s bombing of Iranian nuclear sites will prove to be when all is said and done, but no one can accuse Trump of chickening out — I’ll give him that much. The TACO thing has been diminished. Who knows where this will be going? What kind of anti-U.S. retaliation is in the offing? Stay tuned.

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I’m paying attention, in part, to the obvious fact that, Jared Leto‘s rancid behavior aside, this early 20something lass is very quietly beautiful. I know I’m supposed to follow the story about Leto icking or creeping her out but she’s distracting…sorry.

HE jackals: How dare you respond to anything other than her plain-spoken account of Leto’s odious attentions?

She’s obviously model-level attractive, and she’s not unaware of this. I was thinking “Yes, Leto was a slime, but — sorry but I have this astonishing ability to juggle two thoughts in my head at the same time — she won’t be an actress because she doesn’t speak up (a notch or two louder than a whisper but that’s all) and is therefore too passive or recessive in manner. But she’s got it.

I’m disturbed but not shocked that someone like Leto made a move. I don’t mean to alarm the HE commentariat but has anyone ever heard stories about (sorry, is everyone sitting down?) teenage groupies and the dog-like behavior of rock stars in the ’70s? Has anyone ever read about the “Riot House” on Sunset back in the day? Has anyone ever heard of the nocturnal adventures of Led Zeppelin or seen Almost Famous? Sorry but I don’t have smelling salts handy.

@user539627 ♬ original sound – user539627