The Cheese Stands Alone

Su 3/31/19 Up 645am; sunny and cold; temps barely to 40. Watched 'HEAT' (Netflix- streaming ends tomorrow)  Three hours of Heist-Cop Thriller perfection; dir. Michael Mann/ Robert De Niro/ Al Pacino/ Val Kilmer/ John Sizemore/ Ashley Judd/ and Kevin Gage as 'Waingro'/ even small parts for Henry Rollins and Danny Trejo. Then 'THE ADDICTION' (Xfinity) Christopher Walken/ Lili Taylor.    Abel Ferrara directs a film which offers a weird blend of blood addiction, classical philosophy, and vampirism as existential angst. Lili Taylor plays a NYC graduate philosophy student who is bitten by a vampire. She employs her philosophy training and knowledge to justify the horrifying changes to her new life as a member of the 'undead'. Christopher Walken appears as the baddest and most refined vampire of them all, and blows the doors off the film. This short (82"), black and white film is a slightly less than serious, yet intensely macabre examination of the ...

Sa 3/30/19 Up 7am; rain and clouds most of the day; temps to low 40's. Watched Netflix disc, 'THE WIFE' Glenn Close/ Jonathan Pryce     If a woman stays with a narcissist and cad for forty years and benefits greatly from the relationship, how much pity is justified? I loved the film and Jonathan Pryce was every bit her equal. The younger Joan Castleman was played by Glenn Close's real daughter, Annie Starke. Close has been nominated for 102 Academy Awards and has won 62. I Changed the cat box and cleaned the area. I think ditching the top to the litter box has solved the problem....I hope. Then watched 'OPERATOR' (Netflix) Another fantastic surprise that kind of continued the theme of 'THE WIFE'. A software programmer is involved in a project to devise a call center 'voice'. He decides that because his wife has such a perfect phone demeanor, she should be the model for the app. Set in Chicago with a couple of the cast of 'GOOD GIRLS...

Fr 3/29/19 Up 730am; gray with periods of rain in the forecast through tomorrow- chilly 50's. Watched 'SWEET VIRGINIA' (Xfinity- Showtime)  Another pleasant surprise- This was a 'B-Plus' neo-noir thriller that even featured a song by Roky Erickson and The Butthole Surfers. Set in a small Alaskan town (although two of the main characters are from Virginia) a woman has contracted a psychotic hitman to take out her philandering husband, and this unleashes a wave of murder and mayhem; written by The China Brothers. Then the last part of 'DEAD ON ARRIVAL'....again from last night. The ending is unclear, did the vaccine salesman's wife have something to do with his murder? A nice location (Louisiana) and lots of quirky characters do not necessarily make a good movie. Then an hour documentary called 'FORGOTTEN IN CALIFORNIA' (Amazon Prime)    Merely a collection of interviews with homeless people and people who are at a demonstration for the hom...

Th 3/28/19 Up 740am; blasted after the movie last night. Awoke on the couch in the living room. Partly cloudy and very warm- temps almost to 70, yet rain on the way for the next couple of days. Watched Netflix disc, 'STAN & OLLIE' (Steve Coogan/ John C. Reilly/ Shirley Henderson/ Nina Arianda)      Comedic superstars a generation ago, Laurel and Hardy take one last tour of Great Britain, and the party's just about over; a heartwarming film and Googan and Reilly were superb. Then the last half hour of 'ROB THE MOB' As if I had never seen the ending last night...probably didn't. But, I did remember that Michael Pitt and Nina Arianda were phenomenal. And, what synchronicity that Nina Arianda was in this morning's film playing Stan Laurel's wife. Then watched a documentary on Amazon Prime called, 'WASTED TALENT'. Lillo Brancato was the young actor who was picked to co-star in the 1993 film, 'A BRONX TALE'. This film was Robert De ...

We 3/27/19- Book Club at Six Up 7am; sunny, bright- temps to low fifties. Watched 'DRIVE' (Xfinity- Sony Crackle) Ryan Gosling/ Bryan Cranston/ Carey Mulligan/ Ron Perlman/ and Albert Brooks; Dir. Nicolas Winding Refn ('PUSHER' Series)       Icy cool, taciturn, and violently menacing, Ryan Gosling is a professional stunt driver who falls in love with a married neighbor, and this leads to an involvement in a mob ripoff that turns deadly. Slow pacing, great Los Angeles locations, a moody soundtrack, and a tightly written script make this a Noir Thriller of the highest order. I'd seen this one before when it first came out, and it's even better the second time around. 1045am; prepping 'THE SILENT COMPANIONS'; Lawn guy due at 1145am. Mitch texted that he was running late and I said I'd be here.  He showed up at 1215pm and we took the tour and he said three hundred- this includes blowing out the gutters (He thought I wanted him to remove the scree...

Tu 3/26/19 Up 710am; bright and sunny- to 50. Wrote a 'Movie Wrap' and emailed it off. The neighbors across the street are having their windows replaced by an outfit from Peoria. Checked the Internet and it looks like a real high price outfit. Watched Netflix disc, 'MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS'  Fantastic film about the relationship between Elizabeth I, Queen of England, and Mary, Queen of Scotland. Not historically accurate, but even if the meeting between these two important historical characters never really happened, this gives a very plausible illustration of how it might have been. Absolutely beautiful set design, costumes, and locations- it's a real feast for the eyes. While waiting for the lawn guy: Then, 'ZIPPER' (Netflix)  A states attorney aspires for higher public office, but is caught up in an addiction to sexual escorts- hence the title; with Patrick Wilson/ Lena Headey/ Ray Winstone. Not bad- filmed in Baton Rouge, LA. Mitch texted that ...

Mo 3/25/19 Up 710am; overcast early to partly cloudy- 40's. Wrote up some notes for 'THE SILENT COMPANIONS'. Watched 'ALOHA' (Xfinity- Sony Crackle) A kind of uneven mix of dopey romanticism and clever dialogue, yet still a very pleasant romantic comedy set in Hawaii; with Bradley Cooper/ Emma Stone/ Rachel McAdams/ Danny McBride/ and Bill Murray. Bill Murray plays a billionaire who tries to 'capture the skies', and Bradley Cooper is a private contractor who regains his soul. Then, 'THE SENTENCE' (Xfinity- HBO)  A mind blowing expose on the 'mandatory sentencing laws'. Because Cindy Shank was the girlfriend of a drug dealer and knew of his illegal activities, she was tried and sentenced under conspiracy statutes. She wasn't arrested for conspiracy until six years after the initial arrest, and she got a fifteen year sentence. She received  clemency from the Obama administration after nine years. "Prison is the place for peop...

Su 3/24/19 Up 7am; threatening, some rain last night and more predicted today- to mid fifties. Downloaded 'CHRIS CORNELL' from Hoopla. Watched 'RED ROCK WEST' (Xfinity) Nicolas Cage/ Dennis Hopper/ Lara Flynn Boyle   A classy Western Noir: Cage arrives broke and tired looking for work, and a man mistakenly believes he's the hitman he commissioned to kill his wife. Cage is basically a good guy, but gets caught up in some very bad things, and Dennis Hopper seems to delight in his weirdly menacing persona...."Adios to Red Rock". Then, 'GOODLAND' (Xfinity)  More Noir, and this one was a really pleasant surprise. In Goodland, KS a photographer arrives and a drunk is found dead, mangled in a corn field by a combine. Of course, the two incidents are connected. The photog is working with a bank robbery crew (dead guy was a member), but he's really some kind of a federal agent. The Feds cut him loose, and he is shot after the robbery. Very well ...

Sa 3/23/19- Brandenburgs at 11am Up 715am; sunny and fifties. Rain predicted for late tonight. Watched Netflix disc, 'BEN IS BACK' Lucas Hedges/ Julia Roberts    A little melodramatic, but some of Julia Roberts best work ever. A mom and son go on a dark odyssey one Christmas Eve. The last scene is a real show stopper. Ben takes a breath, but his mom realizes that they are all back where they started. "3 VISITORS TODAY" 11am- a lawn crew from two years ago and give me a $350 bid to do a Spring Clean Up. 1115am- The Brandenburgs until almost 2pm. Still no idea when the payouts will begin, but it was decided that we'll distribute and divide the money as each of the accounts clears instead of waiting for the final tally of all accounts. 145- Rianne For City Clerk knocks on the door. Watched most of 'LOS ANGELES OVERNIGHT' again and I think I liked it and understand it a little bit more. A waitress and her mechanic boyfriend steal a stash from a f...

Fr 3/22/19 Up 640 am; sunny and breezy to low 50's. Watched 'DEAD MAN DOWN' (Xfinity) Colin Farrell/ Noomi Rapace(Noo-me Raa-paas)/ F. Murray Abrams/ Isabelle Huppert    Set in Philadelphia and concerns a man who infiltrates a violent gang to seek revenge for the killing of his wife and daughter. He murders them one by one and sends clues to the boss, but never lets on that he is the killer. Interesting idea and a star-studded cast, but loses out to too much violence and over-the-top foolishness. Then, 'AILEEN: LIFE AND DEATH OF THE SERIAL KILLER (IMDB FreeDive)  It seems that Florida executed a mad woman. Who benefits? A stark and raw documentary about a wasted life. An ancient employee of FedEx delivered my '2-Step' and it works great (a few problems understanding how it folds and unfolds). He left it in the breezeway behind the mailbox. 115pm- to the 'Y'. 45" Walk (Reality TV all workout). 45" Recumbent Bike. 45" Cross. 30...

Th 3/21/19- Taxes 230pm Up 645am; partly sunny, breezy to upper 40's. Wrote up 'THE DOGS OF RIGA' for the blog. Watched Netflix disc, 'THE SISTERS BROTHERS' John C. Reilly/ Joaquin Phoenix/ Jake Gyllenhaal    An absurdist Western that works admirably as a heart-felt expression of brotherly love. Set in the American West of the 1850's, two brothers who are hit men track another operative who has teamed up with a chemist who knows a formula that makes panning for gold a snap. John C. Reilly deserves an Oscar for his performance. Then, 'ALL GOVERNMENTS LIE; TRUTH, DECEPTION, AND THE SPIRIT OF I.F. STONE' (Xfinity)  Matt Taibbi might be the next I.F. Stone. Things will not change unless there is a general acceptance of the fact that there was a silent coup in this country that allowed corporate wealth to subsume the influence and power of democracy. 130pm: marking time until the tax meeting and will leave at 215pm. Then I plan to hit the Wabash P...

We 3/20/19 Up 645am; overcast, some storms last night, yet no real rain throughout the day- to about fifty. 'PAPILLON' (Amazon Prime) In 1931 a French thief is framed by the mob for a murder he didn't commit and is sentenced to life at a prison colony in French Guiana. He escapes after decades in confinement with the help of a diminutive Parisian forger. Charlie Hunnam plays 'Papillon' ('Ironhead' in 'TRIPLE FRONTIER') and Rami Malek (MR. ROBOT) co-stars as the forger, Louis Dega. A fantastic remake of the 1973 film starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman. The, 'DEAD IN A WEEK (OR YOUR MONEY BACK) (Netflix) Tom Wilkinson plays a 'soon to retire' assassin who is contracted by a young man to finalize his plans to commit suicide, but he changes his mind, but a deal is a deal. It's an excellent Black Comedy with witty and dry dialogue. Just as I was sending the notes for the blog, I received an email from Janny saying they want ...

Tu 3/19/19 Up 6am; mostly sunny and to low fifties. Listened to 'Armchair Expert'- Dax Sheppard and Kristen Bell Watched Netflix disc, 'BOY ERASED'  One of the best films I've seen in a long while, and that's saying something! 36 states still allow 'conversion therapy' and they have 'treated' over 700,000 people; with Lucas Hedges/ Russell Crowe/ Nicole Kidman/ dir. and lead actor- Joel Edgerton/ and, of all people, FLEA!! Then, 'BLACK NOVEMBER' (Amazon Prime) Mickey Rourke/ Kim Basinger/ Anne Heche    Nigeria is one of the world's largest oil producing countries, yet the average citizen lives on only two dollars a day. The film (based on actual events) concerns the struggle between the corrupt government, a greedy oil company, and the people of the Niger Delta community. 1pm- to Wabash PO and Planet Fitness. After workout I'll visit County Market at Fairhills. 45" Walk (UNSOLVED- Biggie/ Tupac). 45" Recumben...

"The difference between truth and fiction is that fiction must make sense". Mo 3/18/19 Up 630am; bright and sunny with temps to the upper forties. Wrote 'Weekly Update'; neighbors gone/ Boozer gone/ step ladder/ Sony Crackle-IMDB FreeDive Watched 'THE INTERNATIONAL'   Clive Owen and Naomi Watts battle crooked international banking. The ICCB BAnk is buying up the lion's share of Chinese small arms capability. They do this not to control the world's wars, but to capture the warring factions' debt after the conflict. Except for the interesting premise, the storyline is wildly implausible, but very engaging nonetheless; dir. Tom Tykwer- 'RUN LOLA RUN'. Watched a 30" YouTube review of 'THE TRUMP PROPHECY'. Then spent far too long on a post on the review. Then, 'WILDLING' (Xfinity) Bel Powley/ Brad Dourif/ Liv Tyler    It begins with a young girl raised in isolation by a creepy 'Dad', then she escapes, an...

Su 3/17/19 Up 710am; partly sunny to mid 40's. Watched 'A MOST WANTED MAN' (Amazon Prime) Philip Seymour Hoffman   "When a half-Chechen, half-Russian, brutally tortured immigrant turns up in Hamburg's Islamic community, laying claim to his father's ill gotten fortune, both German and US security agencies take a close interest"; based on a John Le Carre novel and one of the last films by Seymour. I had seen this before and well worth a second look; with Robin Wright/ Rachel McAdams/ Willem Dafoe. Then, 'FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS' (Xfinity- Sony Crackle) Justin Timberlake and Mila Tunis star in a very formulaic rom-com. Absolutely predictable, but it's got Richard Jenkins, Woody Harrelson, and Patricia Clarkson to spark things up a bit. 115pm- Getting an early start with the workout at FitClub West. 45" Octane (RID OF ME). 45" Walk (Reality TV all workout). 45" Cross. (The 'Coach' was kidding me about getting a new car...

Sa 3/16/19 Up 810am; read some background on the phone about Joan Jett around 3am- slept in. Bright and sunny- 40's Tried to get BUILT TO SPILL on Google Play but only half the songs would upload. I hope it's just a damaged CD, and I was able to get three of their albums on Amazon Music. Wrote up 'A TAN AND SANDY SILENCE' for the blog. Watched 'TRIPLE FRONTIER' (Netflix)  A crew of ex-US military friends take out 'the bank' of a huge drug operation in the jungle on the border of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. They get several hundred million, but they must get it out by pack mule and muscle when their helicopter goes down. It's a fight to get the booty to the sea and their waiting boat. A very well-done Action Flick; with Ben Affleck. Then, first time with Sony Crackle (Full screen F11)   ''YEAR ONE'' with Jack Black/ Michael Cera/ Oliver Platt/ David Cross/ dir. Harold Ramis. Cavemen romp with figures from the bible; Cain...

Fr 3/15/19 Up 650am; Drizzle early, then breezy and partly cloudy- to low 40's. Watched '3000 MILES TO GRACELAND' (Xfinity) Kevin Costner/ Kurt Russell/ Courteney Cox/ Christian Slater A crew of Elvis impersonators rip-off a Vegas casino in a blazing, well-orchestrated gun battle, but then the perfect heist implodes when the crooks turn on each other. But all plausibility is soon lost and buried under far too much blood and violence. Because Tarantino crafted such a far superior film, you actually miss 'RESERVOIR DOGS' while watching this film. Changed the dental checkup to 1115am on We 4/3/, and scheduled the taxes for 230pm- Th 3/21. The, 'ALWAYS AT THE CARLYLE'  A 90" documentary about the classically famous hotel, including the Bemelmans Bar and Cafe Carlyle, at the corner of Madison and 76th St. in NYC. Ordered a 2-step ladder from Amazon for thirty bucks. 2pm- to LA Fitness; dragged more pine branches to the curb. 45" Walk (NO...

Th 3/14/19 Big Update on the living room PC yesterday. Everything fine this morning. Up 710am; gray early, then partly sunny, very windy with gusts to 40-50 mph- to low 60's. Watched Netflix disc, 'THE BROKEN CIRCLE BREAKDOWN' An exquisite film from Belgium about a bluegrass banjo player and a young female tattoo artist who bond over American country music, fall in love, and have a daughter. The little girl dies of cancer at the age of six, and the film is about how this tragedy effects their relationship; based on a play. I had seen this film several years ago and it was very well worth a second look. Paid the card Then, 'BAD MATCH' (Netflix)  An online playboy hooks up with a woman who won't let him go. He thinks that to get revenge, she hacks his accounts and downloads gigabytes of child porn to him. But, she didn't do it- somebody else can't stand him. Very obvious if even I knew where it was going. Computer Noir? 1pm- reading and either ...

We 3/13/19 Up n7am; overcast, some rain last night and to begin again later tonight; temps to low 60's.  Uploaded a double album of Live 'Guns & Roses' to Google Play and added a bunch of 'favorites' to Xfinity. Watched 'THE SNOWMAN' (Xfinity) Set in beautiful Norway in winter, yet the film is only a 'B- Minus' police/ serial killer/ thriller; with Michael Fassbender/ Charlotte Gainsbourg/ Chloe Sevigny/ J.K. Simmons/ and Val Kilmer so puffy and bloated that he's almost unrecognizable. I ordered the novel from Amazon right after I watched the film. Reviewers panned the film, but praised the Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbo. Then, the final episode of 'FEARLESS'  A truly superior series, and I hope they do a second season. 1pm- to FitClub West 45" Octane (Guns & Roses Live). 45" Walk (Reality TV all workout). 45" Cross. 30" Walk. 30" Old Style Cross. Home to pick up the pine branches in the backya...

Tu 3/12/19 Up 610am; partly cloudy, breezy with temps to around fifty. Wrote up 'THE BOY MADE OF BLOCKS' by Keith stuart for the blog. Watched Netflix disc, 'THE PADRE' Luis Guzman and Nick Nolte are chasing Tim Roth (The Padre) through rural Mexico. Nolte is a retired US Marshal (Guzman is a local cop) and wants Roth because he believes that he's responsible for his daughter's death. A young Mexican actress, 'Lena', steals the show as a teenager who hooks up with con-man Roth to try to make him help her connect with her baby sister in Minnesota. Some nice rural Mexican scenery and villages are featured, but not much else. Watched an hour YouTube video of Keith Stuart talking about his novel and the impact of video games on modern life; Video gaming is worth more than the music and movie industries COMBINED! And, The Guardian is the only large newspaper that has a gaming editor. Games are being designed for people with autism. SIMS seems to be ...

Mo 3/11/19 Up 7am; cloudy early, but clearing to bright blue skies and temps to upper 40's. Wrote a long 'Weekly Wrap' email. Then, 'THE BRAWL IN CELL BLOCK 99' (Amazon Prime)  A Grindhouse sensation with so much over-the-top violence it's positively surreal. Vince Vaughn is 'Bradley Thomas' (Not, Brad!) and basically just an uncompromisingly principled southern gentleman who refuses to be crossed. He tries to live the straight and narrow, but winds up in prison and must sacrifice it all for his wife and unborn child; with Udo Kier and Don Johnson. Then, another 'FEARLESS' (Amazon Prime) Ema has managed to drag 'the yellow cake uranium' tale into her murder investigation. I hope there is a Season 2 of 'FEARLESS'. 130pm- to FitClub West 45" Octane (Lou Reed). 45" Walk (Reality TV all workout). 45" Cross. 30" Walk. 30" Cross. I ran into Larry Pemberton on the way out. I ask him if he remembered t...

Su 3/10/19 Up 7am (Daylight Saving Time!)- Partly sunny, breezy, to low 40's. Dumped 'THE CHEESE STANDS ALONE' to Dropbox; Th 1/17/19 thru Sa 3/9/19. Downloaded a DESCENDENTS album,'Hypercaffium Spazzinate' from Hoopla. Watched 'NEW JERSEY DRIVE' (Xfinity)  A believable film of young black men on the mean streets of Newark, NJ. There is absolutely no future for almost all of them, and they're harassed not only by the police, but each other. Stealing cars, joy riding and selling the cars to chop shops for pennies on the dollar is most certainly a no win situation that can only lead to prison or death. Then, 'ELENA' (Amazon Prime) The film is somewhat a quasi-documentary, but more of an emotional portrait of family and sisterhood. In the late 1980's the director's older sister travelled to NYC from Brazil to become an actress, and after achieving no success she commits suicide. Years later the young sister that was left behind fol...

Sa 3/9/19 Up 630am; overcast with rain to begin around 8am and continue through the afternoon- Windy and temps warming to around 50. Watched Netflix disc, 'THE EQUALIZER 2'   The next adventure of Robert McCall (Denzel Washington), an ex-government agent and a very principled man with the deadly skills to enforce justice for the powerless; with Melisa Leo; a top-of-the-line Action/ Adventure film. Canker sore is still an issue, but getting better all the time. Reset all the clocks...Christ, I hate that! My wristwatch always requires a visit to YouTube- 'IRONMAN TRIATHLON'. FUN FACT: 'WORDEN' is a verb in Dutch that means 'to become'. Watched the next episode of 'FEARLESS' (Amazon Prime). The evil American agent in the series looked familiar. She's Robin Weigert, the actress on 'DEADWOOD' who plays Calamity Jane. Raining hard enough to worry about basement leakage. 1130am (old time) reading. No water in the downstairs are...

Fr 3/8/19- Canker Sores For the past several days the left side of my mouth under the tongue is a problem. I'm using Anbesol frequently- especially at night. Up 635am; overcast with temps to forty. Watched 'THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN' (Netflix) Directorial debut for Judd Apatow; with Steve Carell/ Catherine Keener/ Paul Rudd/ Seth Rogan/ and a very young Jonah Hill as a guy trying to buy sequined platform boots with goldfish in the soles/ Leslie Mann (Apatow's wife) who plays the drunk who throws up on Carell's face after a madcap car ride. Although I'm sure that I've seen this one, I didn't remember it. The script was truly not like anything that was around at the time. Now, Apatow has created his own comedy genre. Then, 'AFTERMATH' (Amazon Prime) Arnold Schwarzenegger in an odd, slightly hokey, and plodding 'revenge picture'. Arnold's wife and daughter are killed in a plane crash due to an error/accident by a traffic controlle...

Th 3/7/19 Up 640 am; overcast and about 2" of new snow by 130pm. Wintry Mix is in the forecast until tomorrow morning- 30's. Watched Netflix disc, 'MANDY'  Nicholas Cage is off the chain in a revenge picture about a couple who is attacked by a hippie drug cult/ biker gang. It's a spooky, overheated, blood-drenched  melodrama, but nobody does it better than Cage. Then, 'A WOMAN, A PART' with Maggie Siff.     A successful television series actress is disillusioned by the role that made her famous and she flees Los Angeles for NYC to reunite with the acting friends that helped her learn the craft of acting. Ordered a cardigan sweater from Amazon- 2X and I hope it fits. 2pm; to Wabash PO to mail the disc and then to Planet Fitness 45" Walk (MR. ROBOT). 45" Recumbent Bike (THE BONE TREE/ 'Scary Monsters'- Bowie). 45" Cross (MR. ROBOT). 30" Walk (Sam Jones podcast). 30" Cross (Sam Jones- OFF CAMERA). Home to soak and ...

We 3/6/19 Up 7am; mostly sunny with single digits early and later temps to around freezing, but no melting. Watched 'THE PHOTOGRAPHER OF MAUTHAUSEN' (Netflix)   After the defeat of the anti-fascists in the Spanish Civil War of the late 1930's, Spanish prisoners were sent to Mauthausen concentration camp and stripped of citizenship. The Nazis could do anything they wanted with them and the film is about the Spanish prisoners who worked at the prison and secretly kept negatives that verified Nazi atrocities. The, 'THE GRACE OF JAKE' (Xfinity)    Jake La Botz is the non-star of this surprisingly good Independent film. It concerns a tattooed, guitar playing drifter who lands in Palestine, Arkansas to reacquaint with the father he hasn't known. He might even have been contracted to kill this man, but this possibility is never explained, but Jake is befriended by the local black community and they bond over gospel music and small-time life. Although the film boa...

Tu 3/5/19 Up 650am; partly sunny and frigid weather- temps to mid twenties. Watched Netflix disc, 'A MONSTER CALLS'  A twelve year old boy's mother is dying of cancer, and he must learn some important life lessons from 'The Monster'; A beautiful mix of animation and detailed sets with Felicity Jones/ Sigourney Weaver/ and Liam Neeson as 'the voice of The Monster'. Then, 'THE BALLAD OF LEFTY BROWN'  (Amazon Prime) It's a terrific western, and a fantastic performance by Bill Pullman. A senator (played by Peter Fonda) is murdered and the killing is pinned on Lefty, but their mutual friend, the governor, is behind it all. *****While on Internet Explorer I got a message that my computer had been taken over by viruses and I had to call their site to have them removed. I managed to get out of IE and ran Malwarebytes, and it was nothing. I'm getting to old for these types of shenanigans. 145pm- to County Market/ Fairhills for the weekly sho...

Mo 3/4/19 Up 650am; bright and below zero with the highs only to mid teens. Watched 'Superfly' (Xfinity) Quality remake of the 1971 blaxploitation class, except the 2018 version is set in Atlanta and showcases hip hop and rap. Wrote a 'wrap' email to Janny Then, episode two of 'FEARLESS'. This is shaping up to be as good as the series 'The KILLING' with Mireille Enos on Netflix. 150pm- to the 'Y'. 45" Walk (Reality TV all workout). 42" Bike (The fucking 'nurse' in the elderly area told me that the bikes could only be used for thirty minutes during 'busy times'. I told her that I didn't know that anyone was waiting, and I'd be happy to get off if there was. I left, and no one got on the bike for the next hour....fucking idiot!). 47" Cross. 30" Walk. 30" Cross. Home to read more 'THE BONE TREE' and listened to a cassette of THE BLAKE BABIES and part of a CD of LUNA). Then, in t...

Su 3/3/2019 Up 7am; Cloudy, 30's; no snow yet, but it should begin about 8am and last to about noon- according to the weather map. Just learned on Hollywood Roundtable that Arthur C. Clarke go 'HAL' from 'IBM'. 'HAL' are the first three letters before 'IBM' in the alphabet. 'BEAUTIFUL BOY' (Amazon Prime- The title is from John Lennon's song)  After watching I was surprised to learn that this was taken from the memoir, 'TWEAK' by Nic Sheff. Steve Carell tries to save his son, but the message of the film seems to be that you can't do this, but he does.....at least for the past eight years. One question pulsates throughout the film...If you must hit rock bottom in order to turn your life around, how would this be possible in such a lavish environment? Snow began just after 8am and it's still going strong with two to three inches of blowing and drifting snow. Then, 'BURN MOTHER...KER, BURN!' (Xfinity) A Showt...

Sa 3/2/19- The Brandenburgs at 11am. Up 7am; cloudy, 30's. Snow to begin late tonight and we are to get two to three inches. 'NEVER HERE' (Xfinity) Mireille Enos (Meer-ay Eee-nos)/ Sam Shepard.  A Brooklyn conceptual artist stalks a man to create an impressionistic art piece for exhibition, and she 'kind of' witnesses a crime and then she becomes the person stalked. Very suspenseful, but I'm not sure what really happened; 'What's Real' and 'What's Not' is very much blurred....in a good, cinematic way. The Brandenburgs arrived at 11am. Joe explained the inheritance, and also installed the smoke detector and got the drill operational. And we noticed that my neighbors next door seem to be moving out. I wonder what's up? Watched the first episode of 'FEARLESS' (Amazon Prime)  A female British attorney gets a man convicted of the murder of a young girl a new trial. He had been serving fourteen years, but he didn't get...

Fr 3/1/19 Up 645am; partly sunny to upper 30's. Added Green on Red- 'The Time Around' to Google Play Watched Netflix disc, '71'  Based on the 1969 Northern Ireland Riot; the beginning of 'the Troubles'. After intense mob violence, a young British soldier is left behind enemy lines, wounded, and captured- how can he survive the night? A well shot and expertly written tale of survival. Then, the worst movie I've seen in ages....'LOL' with Miley Cyrus, Demi Moore, and the ever radiant,  Ashley Hinshaw (the only saving grace of the film!)  A coming of age tale set in Chicago and about fifteen minutes set in Paris. Teens drink, drug, and have sex while their moms fret and pretty much do the same. Also, the film features a battle of the bands held in Chicago's Metro. One film reviewer said that this band made The Archies look like The Sex Pistols- Tru Dat! To FitClub West by 220pm. 45" Octane (GREEN ON RED). 45" Walk (Reality TV...