My Name is Pauli Murray. Someone who definitely should be better known. Black civil rights attorney, writer, poet, teacher. Assigned female and referred to as a woman but was actually non-binary in an era when there was no such term. (I will use "she" as that was used during movie.) Murray grew up in an era when learned experts explained it was pointless to educate Black people because their brains were not constituted for learning, just manual tasks and obedience. And women's brains could not handle too much education. She became a close friend of Eleanor Roosevelt despite vastly different backgrounds, and was a major influence on Thurgood Marshall and Ruth Bader Ginsburg, crusading in courts for racial and gender justice. She was a board member of American Civil Liberties Union and founder of National Organization for Women. After her longtime partner died, when she was over 60, she entered seminary and became one of the first women, and first Black woman, ordained an Episcopal priest. With states banning teaching about Black people's struggles and civil rights, she could become even more invisible.
Watched "South Park: Post Covid" last night and thought it was pretty funny. Not as good as their other movies but still funny.
The new Ghostbusters film, very very very enjoyable. A solid 8.5/10 if you saw the original movie as a kid.
Just watched Josh Brolin and John Malkovich in Jonah Hex the graphic novel character...... it was entertaining ...hadn't seen Aidan Quinn in a movie in ages...he plays President Grant...
Bridge on the River Kwai. Okay it's pure fantasy and survivors hated it because it did not tell anything like the real story but I enjoyed it never-the-less. While we're at it The Great Escape staring Steve McQueen in his greatest role.
Othello, streaming on Apple TV+, with Denzel Washington in title role. Filmed in black and white, with cinematography giving castle a nightmarish appearance. Dialogue and plot follow original.
"Don't Look Up" ... the Adam McKay/Leo movie about an astroid coming to destroy earth that was really just an indictment on our society and really Trump. Wasn't bad but glad we skipped the theater and watched it at home on Netflix. Give it a 7/10. The wife fired up Encanto on Sunday night the new Disney cartoon and it was good as well ... not quite on the Pixar level but still enjoyable with some heavier adult themes .... give it a 7.5
Critters 3 ... Romeo and Juliet ... The Beach ... J Edgar ... TITANIC ... all bad movies that Leo has been in, granted they can't all be hits and his batting average is very high.
I only saw Titanic and liked it very much. Every movie I've seen him in, and there must be at least five, have been very good. He's one of our greatest actors today.
Licorice Pizza, the latest by Paul Thomas Anderson, is great. And for any of you who grew up in L.A. in the 70s like I did, it is especially delicious.
I have never understood the fascination with PTA and his movies. Boogie Nights and Punch Drunk Love were alright, There Will be Blood I thought was wildly overrated and Magnolia was bad. Granted I haven't watched any of his latest stuff but feels like a guy people are 'supposed' to like.
His work is definitely hit or miss. I thought Boogie Nights and Magnolia were incredible. But I didn't like several of the ones you mentioned. The new one is more like the older stuff.
That's cool ... maybe I'll give the pod a listen and it will help me enjoy his movies some more, I've just found his work boring and pretentious but maybe that's the expectations I'm carrying into watching them.
