Christmas Review of the Best Christmas Film.

   As I sit here watching my favorite Christmas movie, The Family Stone, I figured I would write a review for it, as I'm trying to get into this kind of writing.  In full disclosure, I think this film is AMAZING! The cast, the plot, the cinematography, the beautiful set, just about every aspect of this film are sheer perfection. Most of all the acting.

   Diane Keaton brilliantly plays the Stone family matriarch, Sybil. Sybil knows this is probably the last Christmas with her children, and she shares some emotionally wrenching scenes with them throughout the film. Her interactions with each of her children portray what a fun, accepting mother she has been, and the deep love she has for each of them. Keaton's acting is quite believable, and by the end of the movie, you love her as much as they do. Craig T. Nelson was also superb in his role of family patriarch, Kelly. An emotional, caring man, whose only Christmas wish is to give his children and wife a happy last Christmas together. Like Sybil, he loves his children deeply, and defends them sometimes fiercely for such a gentle man. This is one of my favorite roles he has played. 

   This film always makes me cry, as the superb acting and writing make you feel the emotional struggles of the characters, and you can deeply empathize with each situation. Each of the Stone children have a different relationship with their parents, and the way these differences are portrayed will truly pull at your heart strings and your funny bone at the same time. This movie is highly underrated in my opinion, and should be a more regarded Holiday film. It checks every box of emotion, and provides the viewer with a fun, Christmassy feel despite the heavy subplot. 

   As for the bad, my only problem with this film was Sarah Jessica Parker. I will confess to being a Sex and the City fan, but this was not the role for her. Meredith would have been better played by a younger, less typecast actress. Her character is written as uptight and awkward, and I don't believe those traits in Miss SJP. From other reviews I've read of this film, this was a problem for many viewers, and perhaps why it never got the critical acclaim it did deserve.

     If you want a Christmas movie that will make you laugh and cry, often at the same time, The Family Stone is the choice for you. If you can see past SJP at what a beautifully written and acted masterpiece it is, this film will definitely take its place in your Christmas rotation.

***My favorite Stone children are Ben and Amy, for obvious reasons..lol***

Obama Swagger v. The Clown Car

    As we move within 12 days of the most important election ever, things just get crazier and crazier. Between Rudy with a hand down his pants, Trump's continued antics, and the supporters themselves, some like me just feel exhausted. Last night we got a taste of comfort when Barry took that stage. My liberal swagger returned

   First off,  I must say that the concept of Obama's rally was ingenious. Repurposing the parking lot of a sports arena into a drive-in was a marketing win in every way. Not only did it provide social distancing, but it also added a nostalgia vibe to Obama's amazing speech. 

   I still love Barry, and his words last night sang to my shattered heart. Hope has been scarce during the past few months, and his eloquence and swagger was like a hot fudge sundae for my spirit. Contrasting how the GOP reacts to Trump's scandals, to how they would react to him acting as foolish really focused on just how hypocritical the GOP truly are. I also loved how Obama mentioned the pandemic playbook they left, and joked about it being used to level a table. He pulled no punches, and attacked Trump, but in the smooth way only Obama can pull off. This is why he is still my president. Watch for yourself, this is what leadership looks like. 

https://youtu.be/IQnlnk6Y7Kk

   In comparison, Trump was at another super spreader rally, lying and denying his way through as usual. He sang all of his greatest hits, gaslit the audience about Covid some more, and of course the cult cheered loudly through it all. Diaper Don is like the Grateful Dead, touring the country with Donnie's kids, but without the talent, kindness, or sense of any community. These people brag about herd immunity killing millions, there is no empathy for others within the cult. They don't want anyone different to have rights, people to earn living wages, and yearn for their neighbor's healthcare to be cancelled. They have lost their humanity, and are violating the very bible they use to justify their venom. I no longer have patience for them, as can be verified by my numerous bids in Facebook jail..lol

   As for Rudy caught with his hand down his cookie jar. (In more ways than one..lol) I absolutely cannot wait to watch him be humiliated by Sasha Baron Cohen. I'm actually planning to stay up to watch as soon as Amazon drops it. I gleefully anticipate the day his ghoulish ass is thrown in jail. He's the Penguin without the class and warmth. Just another drunk like Bannon, pretending he is in any way relevant. Even his own daughter thinks he's done. 

   The only way out of the reality show/circus we are experiencing is to vote. We need to cone out for Joe and Kamala the way we came out for Obama in 2008. His speech last night only further enhanced why Trump needs to go. Joe has the compassion and empathy we will desperately need in the post Trump era. I'd rather have a beer with Mr Rogers than Caligula, and I voted accordingly. 

   

Vote Mother F***ers

 Now you all knew I would chime in with my humble (LOL) opinion about THAT other Amy at some point. Watching these hearings is like watching the senate scene in Revenge of the Sith on a loop. To quote Padme, "So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause." 

https://youtu.be/DgxZr6LLS34

  I DON'T FUCKING THINK SO!

  Even if that cuckoo Church Lady is pushed through as is expected, I still believe that we can avoid the dystopian nightmare we all fear. To do this we MUST vote in record numbers, make such a blue tsunami that we drown these racist stormtrooper militias, Senator Palpatine McConnell, Darth Trump and the rest of the ghouls and dark side scum in the Imperial GOP. Show them that we aren't taking their shit anymore, and their jobs aren't lifetime appointments. Get these geriatric cavemen out of OUR congress. 

  To do this we need to fight as hard as the Rebel Alliance did in the holy trilogy. If we can win both houses in congress, we can impeach and remove these unfit judges and Supreme Court justices being rammed through. Trump fired federal judges when he was elected, and so can we. Liberals need to stop taking a French tickler to a gun fight, and grow some testicular fortitude. Trump sycophants only know how to play dirty, they're setting the precedent so let's call them on it.

  Many will say that liberals need to keep the moral purity, and to be bigger than the swamp. This will only continue to get us steamrolled, and could even hasten the destruction to our democracy. We can't continue to be the proverbial Charlie Brown having the football pulled away by Lucy Van Pelt. What McConnell has done is abhorrent, and he laughs about it. This should be a slap in the face to every American, especially when this current fiasco has Trumped needed aid to people affected by Covid-19. (Pun intended.) It's nothing more than a gross abuse of power, and it's time for liberals to counter punch.

  Even though The Rise of Skywalker sucked ass, it did depict good people fighting for right and defeating evil. At the end of the saga balance was brought back to The Force, despite the sacrifices made with the losses of Han, Luke, Leia, and even Ben. We may have sustained heavy losses under Orange Vader, but we can overcome just like Rey, Finn, Poe, and the rest of the Rebel Alliance. We just gotta fight, and I've got a burning fire in my belly. (Could be an ulcer...lol)

  On my way out, I'd like to suggest a film about the very issue of voting that is having it's premiere via Facebook this Saturday at 8pm. It's called "Vote, Motherfucker", and you can reach it by using the link below. I'm personally pretty psyched about it, even if I must confess my positive bias of the filmmaker..lol

https://fb.me/e/3E1T8YskE

  

Wake Me Up When the Election Ends...

   What can possibly be said about last night's debate that every pundit hasn't already beaten like a dead horse?

 HOLD MY BEER!

     TRUMPS BEHAVIOR WAS ABHORRENT!

It was a dumpster fire fueled by Trump farts, and then stoked by hatred of anything that isn't stamped with the Trump brand. Refusing to denounce right-wing terror, then doubling down by saying "stand back, and stand by", then tripling down with his rant about Antifa, further prove who he truly serves, and it isn't a good thing in any way.

      ATTACKING HUNTER FOR DRUG USE?

What a pig and hypocrite! Absolutely no class at all. Meanwhile Don Jr is on a cocaine tour of America, spouting his father's venom while appearing higher than Ozzy Osbourne circa 1982. Hunter Biden has worked his 12 steps, made amends, and is in recovery. I applaud him as his father did so bravely last night. 

  All in all there was no winner at last night's debate, as Americans, we all lost. Chris Wallace was impotent as the debate moderator,  and should be embarrased by his inability to properly maintain a hard on for decorum. Biden did his best to debate issues, but without structure or control, his attempts became moot. 

  I apologize for the rant like nature of this blog. I'm pissed off at the way MY COUNTRY looks to the rest of the world, I'm terrified of right-wing domestic terrorism, and fear what the election will bring. I am exhausted by Trump and his merry band of cultists. I try not to see these folks as the enemy, yet the sheer difference in ethics and morals just astonish me. I'm ready to go to sleep and wake up on January 20th 2021. 

The Surreal World

   I grew up as a Generation X kid, born in the 70's and came up in the 80's and early 90's. We were the first generation with CABLE, and since 1981, kid's like me were completely addicted to MTV. We watched it endlessly, it was like our version of the radio. Not only did we hear the music, but we got to actually see the artists in a short film as well. As an 8 year girl, I thought it was fucking AWESOME. Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, and Pat Benatar were my new idols. It was a great time to grow up, as we were also the first kids with computers, video game systems, and rap music. In 1992, MTV introduced us to a "new" kind of television called "Reality". "

   The Real World" premiered on May 21, 1992 to astounding success. The lives of, "Seven strangers, picked to live in a house.." became our new eye candy. We all had favorite characters (Mine was Andre..LOL), and we were there watching every time it aired. Most of my late adolescence and early adulthood can be remembered among seasons of the Real World, from New York, to Los Angeles, to San Francisco, to London, to Miami, to Boston, to Seattle, I watched them all. If I dig in my closet, there is actually a picture of me in front of the Boston house. My generation was hooked. I fully admit to watching the marathons whenever they aired, and harbored a crush on David Burns from the Seattle cast. (That Charlestown accent man...Drool.) Due to the success of The Real World, MTV started making other reality shows, Road Rules, the Challenges between the casts, The Osbourne's, and Jersey Shore; all were tremendous successes that leapt their cast members to often scandalous fame and celebrity. The Real World even produced a US Congressman! (Jackass that he is..LOL)

  Of course everyone now wanted in on the cash MTV was bringing in with their reality television, so all of these reality shows started on other networks. Some good, some bad, some REALLY bad, and some that were quite tastefully done on PBS. Shows like Cops, The Duggars, Dog the Bounty Hunter, and several other "gems" were quite popular, but completely turned me off. I got to a point that I thought it was just really fucking stupid. Then along came Mark Burnett...

   Survivor started with a bang. The self- proclaimed "Fat, Naked, Fag" took the top prize that first season, and America was entranced. Nothing like vapid competition to get the blood pumping here in the US of A. Vapid is why Snooki and Mike the "Situation" are names you recognize. Mark Burnett, the producer of Survivor had a big ole hit on his hands, and couldn't wait for another to make more MONEY. Well... Who knows more about money than (You guessed it!), DONALD TRUMP!

   I grew up in the 80's and pretty much knew that Donald Trump was a fucking piece of shit, thought it was common knowledge. My Tri-State upbringing made things front page news. He always came across as a total bastard. He was rich though, and because of this he was a celebrity in America!! Isn't that great folks? I remember seeing him on an episode of MTV Cribs and laughing my ass off at how vain and ridiculous he was. Not soon after that, The Apprentice aired on January 8, 2004. The premise; 16 young executive wannabes compete for a job with Donald Trump, one being fired weekly, until there is one man, or woman standing. The show was a raging success and made Donald Trump a superstar. Everybody wanted to be down with "The Donald", and I admit to getting sucked in from time to time, especially the celebrity editions. He was a household name, and what should a household name do when he's rich, a toxic narcissist, and married to a suspected escort...That's right kids, he should RUN FOR PRESIDENT!? LOL...And here we are.

   Living in 2020 has been completely surreal, everyday we are barraged by a new level of stupidity. I often feel like I am an unwilling contestant on The Apprentice:White House edition. The cast of yahoos like Stephen Miller, Sarah Huckabee, Mnuchin and his cunty wife, and Bill "Flintstone" Barr entertain us daily, in a never ending news cycle on cable TV. It's the Truman Show, and Donald Trump is the star. Reality TV is now our government, and ratings seem to matter more than the American people. How eerie is it that we can trace a good deal of why Donald Trump is president to the history of reality TV? How did filming, "Seven strangers picked to live in a house" go from being an innocent concept, highlighting the angst of the Post Boomer generations, to a fucking lunatic in our White House? Once I grew up, I thought at some point Reality TV wouldn't be good for our society, and I was right. This  season is getting scarier and scarier, and I would really like to change the channel now. I wanted to see cute boys and steamy storylines, not Springtime for Hitler. 

One Woman's Story of Living In Our "New Normal"

   Over the past several days, I have been unpleasantly aware of the effects our ideological divide is having on us emotionally and socially. Common sense has seemed to go out the window in favor of "personal freedom", and anyone who pushes in favor of common sense is publicly humiliated by their peers. People you consider family saying horrible things to you, making downright threats, and peddling ridiculous accusations. Watching your friends slowly becoming more radicalized on Facebook. Seeing people you've cherished for years consider people like you "the enemy".  I feel truly disheartened by this, and it has MASSIVELY affected both my emotional well being, and my social circle.

   With all of the Covid-19 coverage, Trump and his daily drama, the economic collapse for working folk, and the upcoming election, the impact all of this has on us psychologically seems to get left on the wayside. I can only speak of my personal experiences of course, but the never ending anxiety alone has changed me in many ways. The social impact just this past week has had on me, makes me question a good deal of my life. Emotionally, I am drained, heartbroken, disappointed, feel betrayed by people I love, and am totally grossed out by the behavior of some of my peers. I know that this is completely unsustainable for me, I find myself crying over the sense of loss I'm feeling, the humiliation I feel, the disgust. I find it so hard to wrap my head around almost all of it. I try to distract myself with with the joy that is left, my goddaughter and her babies, the awesome friends I do have, the guy I'm crazy about, but it is always there in the back of my mind. It's like I'm living in fucking Bizarro World.

   I'd like to see any scientific reports made about the psychological impact these times are having on people like me. I am sure that I'm not alone in my feelings, or the toll everything is having on my life and thinking. A few weeks ago, I witnessed a close friend get emotional over how friends of over 40 years post how they want to kill people like him on Facebook. It totally broke my heart. What kind of long term impact will things like this have on us as a society? What kind of psychological devastation will it impose on us? These are things that are potentially more pernicious than Covid-19 further on down the road.

   The only thing we can do as members of the resistance is to do what will keep us safe, try not to let the bastards get us down, and stay strong in our principles. People can bully me all they want, but they will NEVER silence me. I may be crying here and there, but that pain will eventually lead to PASSION. If we come together in that mantra, there is nothing that can stop us.

I may only have one match, but I can make an explosion...

 

Far From Perfect, In Name Only

   So I once again have something that I really want to write about..YIPPEE!! This blog is going to be a litle different than the ususal stuff I write about, instead of writing about politics, I am writing about a film. Now this film isn't just any film, it's a viral exploration into life during the pandemic we are currently surviving, and I think it's exceptional.
   "Far From Perfect: Life Inside a Global Pandemic" is a film written by local Rhode Island playwright and screenwriter, Lenny Schwartz. Schwartz co-directed the film with Nathan Suher, a local independent filmaker he had previously worked with on the films, "Higher Methods", and "Scary Little Fuckers".The entire film was written, filmed, and edited in a period of three weeks, using 115 actors, filming their own sketches on whatever platform available to them, video blog style. The result is an ethos packed roller coaster ride rooted within current events.
   Everyone can find a vignette in this film they can connect with, as it explores such a wide range of emotions and situations. There are humorous clips portraying a crazy cat lady, or a neighbor building a rocketship, dark themes showing the fear of death and suicidal thinking, and also depictions of financial hardship, human regret, hope, love, and loss. Many of these vingettes have interconnected characters and story plots weaved within, blending together to beautifully depict the human conditions happening during this pandemic.
   One of the aspects of this film that caught me the most was the way in which it was filmed. While some may find the different filming formats distracting, I find that it only adds to the narrative. The filmaker's viral approach only makes the material more compelling and realistic. The video blog format feels as if the characters are telling you their deepest, darkest secrets and feelings. After a while you forget that you are watching a scripted film, but rather a voyeuristic confessional into the lives of the characters. It is a concept I find both brilliant and groundbreaking, especially in these crazy times.

   I hope that both Lenny Schwartz and Nathan Suher receive some kind of recognition for this film. It depicts current events during this pandemic better than any mainstream film produced in the future will be able to. It truly is a time capsule of the life we are currently living. I am amazed at how Schwartz created 115 individual characters, each with their own name, story, and life in such a short period of time. Suher's editing brings it all together into the masterpiece that it is. 

   The film is currently available to view on YouTube at the link listed below. It will, at some point, also be available on Amazon Prime in the future. Give it a chance.

https://youtu.be/WhZBv5Du3VE
 

A few musings...

   So I haven't been writing for a while, so pardon me if I am a bit rusty. Trumpism has stolen a good deal of my political mojo, and I don't take any joy in rehashing the actions of a chronic dipshit. Mayor Pete and Elizabeth Warren lit sparks in me, but I was quickly disappointed. I feel that I must give my uncensored take on this whole Covid-19 thing though. I will provide my opinions without focusing on the ultimate golden calf, if you want to hear about him just tune into any news network.

   So ever since our life in a global pandemic aka Bizzarro World started, I have forgotten what day it is a few times, worn the same hoodie for a week, been a bit more lax on personal hygiene, and am currently serving my second bid in Facebook jail since the pandemic started. I have perfected my recipes for both cold brew iced coffee and Scottish shortbread, and I think I have watched more British Baking Show than anyone else on the planet. I often lose myself in an afternoon of music, greatly enjoying the Beats headphones I bought with my bribe stimulus. If I wasn't scared to death of catching this plague, my life would seem peaceful and relaxing right now, but remember, not everything is as it seems.

   You see I am an "Essential" employee, I work at a local supermarket chain, and everyday I get to witness the film Idiocracy live and in person. I see the hoarding of toilet paper and other items, the gloves and masks left in our parking lot, the cavalier attitudes toward the virus, just how entitled we are as a society, and it sickens me. Customers are rude, supplies are limited, and we are ridiculously understaffed. Many grocery employees have taken medical leave due to underlying health problems, so grocery managers are struggling to fill schedules. Wearing a mask while working a shift is no picnic either, you sweat, and the backside of the mask gets moist and uncomfortable. I once again have acne from hours behind that mask. I am one of the lucky ones though.

   You see a few months ago, I was waitressing at a local chain restaurant. Living mainly off tips, and barely making it week to week. My payroll taxes ate up most of my three dollar and change hourly pay, and there was very little wiggle room for saving. This was a big part of the reason I changed jobs, in reality, I dodged a bullet. As of this moment, all of my former coworkers are currently furloughed. Every day I see the Facebook posts of how long the back ups are for unemployment, the waiting patiently for their stimulus payments, and the talk of some people being completely laid off. They are not alone, entire industries of workers have been financially decimated by this pandemic. Many of these employees were barely keeping their heads above water as it was.

   The need of furloughed employees and others affected by this crisis is great right now. Local food pantries are already stretched to the limit, and the pandemic only pours gasoline on that fire . One local food program in my town called Project Hand Up has seen their census skyrocket from about 80 families a day to over 300. The line of cars to form a queue in a parking lot reaching about a half mile long. As of right now many states have put a kibosh on evictions and utility shut offs, but what is going to happen to those who get behind on these bills once this is over? Are there going to be mass evictions? People living without electricity, water, or heat?  What about the employer based health insurance of these furloughed workers? Cobra is ridiculously expensive, and an extra $600 a week in unemployment will not cover the premiums, copays, and deductibles. I fear these people will fall through the cracks into extreme poverty, homelessness, and possible death from treatable disease.

   Make no mistake, I am not calling for society to reopen. We have a long way to go before we are back to what was once normal. I think these douchebags protesting and bitching about haircuts are entitled, self-centered pieces of human shit. When Dr Oz goes on Fox "News" saying that the death of 2-3% of our country's schoolchildren is an "appetizing" option, those justifying these remarks have lost their way as a human being.. Widespread testing and tracing needs to be done before we can even think about putting our children or anyone else in harm's way. There needs to be better options.

   While I think the stimulus payments and the extra $600 a month in unemployment for furloughed workers is a good first step, more needs to be done to help people through this crisis. Expedited SNAP benefits, more stimulus payments, and Medicaid coverage should be extended to affected workers. Small business desperately needs those promised loans as well, we can't keep throwing billions at big corporate while Main Street becomes a ghost town. Pass a bill specifically for Mom and Pop operations without loopholes. We will never satiate the robber barons in this country, and the Republicans will do their best to block anything that helps the average Joe. 

   In the end, I hope the loss of life, economic hardships, loneliness, isolation, and chaos will not be in vain. I hope we can rise from this stronger as a country, and more aware of how important every worker is. I hope we can build a future where we are better prepared for the next wacky virus that comes our way. Where our children and elderly aren't sacrificial pawns for a political pundit. Where a couple weeks without a paycheck won't financially, medically, and socially destroy the American service worker. We all need to come together and vote like our lives depend on it, because this pandemic has proven that it does.

    

The Rainbow Connection

   So I had an epiphany today as I was watching my morning dose of MSNBC. The Iowa caucus results were trickling in, and it looked like Mayor Pete was in the lead. A guest on the show, the prolific Bill Clinton advisor, James Carville was stressing the importance of the Democrats finding their relevance in a speedy fashion. It suddenly hit me like a brick, the answer is with the LGBTQ vote, the answer is Mayor Pete.
   Many people know that I have been a lifetime supporter of the LGBTQ community, so my opinions might sway in their favor. With that being said, I have obviously been supportive of an openly gay man running for POTUS. My reasons for supporting him however are not only because of that; Mayor Pete also has both the military experience and educational pedigree needed to be a great leader in modern times. He is a calm and reserved man who speaks well, and can be seen in high regard for his accomplishments. What a contrast compared to our current international embarrassment!
   The answer to Mayor Pete beating Trump lies within two areas. The first is an aggressive voter registration push within the LGBTQ community. These people also have the right to vote, and many do not. They are often under-represented by their elected officials as well. Pride parades and events are the perfect medium for voter registration drives, campaigning, canvassing, and outreach. Almost every major city in the United States has a Pride parade and events, often on different days to boot. Like Obama and the black community in 2008, if there is someone like them on the top of the ticket, they will vote in record numbers. If you build it, they will come...So to speak.
   The second area needed for Mayor Pete to defeat Trump is a marketing campaign to make gay less scary again. In video from the Iowa Caucus, a participant actually wanted to change her vote after discovering that Mayor Pete was a gay man. An informative re branding of "gay" would make Mayor Pete more attractive to voters like this. America loves Ellen DeGeneres, George Takei, Neil Patrick Harris, Lily Tomlin, and Nathan Lane. Guess what? They are all Democrats who would be more than willing to hit the campaign trail in support of an LGBTQ candidate. Dust the keif off old Barney Frank up in Ogunquit and get him out there too. Remind people that Mayor Pete is also a practicing Christian, and that faith and homosexuality can exist within the same person.
   I know I will get flack for this from my Bernie Sanders loving friends. While I absolutely LOVE Bernie and his policies, he unfortunately wears the label of "Socialist" on his forehead like the Scarlet Letter. Socialist is a scary word in Trump's America, many people truly do not know what consists of a social democracy. They envision communism like the Soviet Union during the Cold War or the failures in Venezuela. Extreme leftism is not going to win an election in 2020, regardless of how right many of the policies are for the greater good. I will admit that Mayor Pete does give me some pause when it comes to corporatism, but a centrist Democrat is our best bet against Trump. Right now Biden is too mixed up with the Ukraine debacle, Klobachar isn't doing well in the polls, and Bloomberg isn't viable in my opinion. There is momentum for Mayor Pete, and it needs to be utilized.
   At the end of the day, our goal is to defeat Donald Trump PERIOD. We may have to put some of our ideologies on a back burner for now to get there, but we desperately need to get there. Infighting is only going to give us 4 more years of chaos and tweets. Mayor Pete is a veteran, a Rhodes scholar, a Christian, has the eloquence of a diplomat, and is our best choice. His sexual preference could actually be used as a positive, if delivered in the right packaging. No one thought the black guy with the funny name could win either, but he did.
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