Did you know that the creator of the comic book Wonder Woman was a feminist man? Or that he had a sexual relationship with two women? How about the fact that he also created the first lie detector machine? Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is the fascinating film about this man Professor William Marston and his two loves, Elizabeth Marston and Olive Byrne.
We meet Professor William Moulton Marston (The Hobbit's Luke Evans) about the year 1946 as he is being interrogated by Josette Frank (Connie Britton) of the Child Study Association for his controversial creation, Wonder Woman. She's upset with the comic book's sexual and bondage themes. Marston defends his work. This interrogation becomes a framing device similar to Cervantes defending his story in Man of La Mancha. The movie flashes back to a time where Marston is teaching psychology and his DISC theory regarding human behavior. (DISC stands for Dominance, Inducement, Submission, Compliance) Watching his class is his wife, Elizabeth. (Rebecca Hall) Also attending is a student, Olive Byrne. (Bella Heathcote)
Marston finds himself enraptured with Byrne. He wants her as a research assistant. Elizabeth immediately sees the sexual attraction that Marston has for her but agrees to allowing Byrne work for him. Their initial work is the development of the lie detector. During the testing of the device all three discover that they have feelings for each other. This leads to a polymorphous relationship.
After losing his job, and with Byrne having given birth to a child, Marston finds the need to support this growing family, But first, he's got to stop by a local lingerie store which is also a front for a bondage group. Well , maybe he doesn't need to shop for lingerie and um... ropes but it turns him on. This leads him to introduce his wife and lover, Olive to some light bondage. Add that with his feminist views, the feminist inspiration from the women in his life and voila, Wonder Woman. He takes the idea to DC Comics and they agree to produce a comic. So, you know where the Lasso of Truth comes from. Don't tell the kids.
The performances of Luke Evans, Rebecca Hall and Bella Heathcote are superb. They all have chemistry with each other, sexual and emotional. Evan's Marston is an idealist. He wants to use the comic book of Wonder Woman to indoctrinate the youth of America to feminism. His passion for feminism is matched by his love for his women. Hall's Elizabeth is a woman who's been educated as a lawyer by must endure sexual discrimination. She's tough but there's also pain in her performance. Heathcote's Olive has a lineage to feminism and liberal ideas. In real life, Olive Byrne was the niece of feminist Margaret Sanger. Bella Heathcote shows a devotion to those ideas. But more importantly, she exudes a telepathic performance. It may seem that Olive is the submissive of the three but she radiates a sexual aura which dominates Elizabeth and Marston.
Writer and director Angela Robinson has created a film that may accurately depict the three and if it doesn't I applaud the ideas of the movie. Granddaughter Christie Marston argues that Elizabeth and Olive were not in a sexual relationship but were more like sisters. (Hollywood Reporter) The relationship of the three was certainly radical for the time and it would be frowned upon now. But this unconventional family is actually conventional in its goals. If Wonder Woman was going to defeat evil by love (Boston University article) then why can't love exist in a family of two women, a man and children? Why can't that love defeat fear and bigotry? Robinson's scenes of the Marston family with evening dinners and playing with children are loving, happy and beautiful. You root for this family.
As for the sex between the three, Robinson projects some of her ideas. First, she physically depicts the lovemaking with hand-held camera shots. There's a slight shake to the picture. This depicts the emotional, nervous and sexual energy between the three. But what about the bondage? Isn't it the objectification of women that radical feminists decry about? No. It's consensual. Robinson seems to show that it is the women who are in charge here. It's a sexual power that motivates men and women.
Professor Marston and the Wonder Women is a warm, loving and yes, family movie that just happens to have a polymorphous relationship with some bondage thrown in. Radical feminists, feminists, comic book fans and movie lovers should see this film. The grade is A.
Friday, October 27, 2017
Tuesday, October 24, 2017
Columbus review
Columbus, Indiana is a small town that is the birthplace of Vice President Mike Pence. And I'm guessing that most Americans didn't know this. It is also a place where the late J. Irwin Miller of the Cummins Company led a private-public effort to construct buildings of modern architecture and art. The film Columbus uses this fascinating city as a backdrop.
Jin (Star Trek's John Cho) is a Korean-American who must stop in Columbus, Indiana after his professor father becomes ill and falls into a coma. Cho's performance has empathy and sadness as he is confronting the mortality of his father. Casey (Haley Lu Richardson) is a young woman who is taking care of her addict-mother, Maria played by Michelle Forbes. (Star Trek: The Next Generation) She gives an honest performance as a working class single mother. Unfortunately, Casey is putting her dreams of going to Yale in order to stay with her. Richardson turns in a realistic performance of a woman who is dedicated to her sacrifice but also has a yearning for something more. The two meet and develop a friendship among the art and architecture.
Writer and director Kogonada obviously has a love for this city of art. He uses it as a plot device while also getting Casey to talk about all the buildings and sculptures. It might be contrived except that Kogonada weaves his characters with the art, which obviously includes the architecture. They interact with it.
The look of this film is itself a work of art. Kogonada carefully frames each shot the way Kurosawa did with his movies. It's twenty first century Hopper. Hallways, buildings, furniture, rooms, sculptures even a chain link fence are shot in creative ways. He uses shadow to cover some characters. There are scenes shot with natural light. A mirror is used to reflect an intimate conversation. And in these photographic paintings are moving characters, people.
But among all of this art, this need for perfection are the imperfect lives of people. Jin is also estranged from his father. His dilemma is how long does he stay with him. Casey's dreams may disappear. These are two lonely people with paths that intersect like a work of modern architecture. My only problem with this film is that Kogonada could have used some subtle music as background for the conversations between Jin and Casey. It was a little too quiet.
Columbus is a film that conveys many things. Loneliness. Sadness. Warmth. Love. Beauty. It deserves multiple viewings. The grade is A Minus.
Jin (Star Trek's John Cho) is a Korean-American who must stop in Columbus, Indiana after his professor father becomes ill and falls into a coma. Cho's performance has empathy and sadness as he is confronting the mortality of his father. Casey (Haley Lu Richardson) is a young woman who is taking care of her addict-mother, Maria played by Michelle Forbes. (Star Trek: The Next Generation) She gives an honest performance as a working class single mother. Unfortunately, Casey is putting her dreams of going to Yale in order to stay with her. Richardson turns in a realistic performance of a woman who is dedicated to her sacrifice but also has a yearning for something more. The two meet and develop a friendship among the art and architecture.
Writer and director Kogonada obviously has a love for this city of art. He uses it as a plot device while also getting Casey to talk about all the buildings and sculptures. It might be contrived except that Kogonada weaves his characters with the art, which obviously includes the architecture. They interact with it.
The look of this film is itself a work of art. Kogonada carefully frames each shot the way Kurosawa did with his movies. It's twenty first century Hopper. Hallways, buildings, furniture, rooms, sculptures even a chain link fence are shot in creative ways. He uses shadow to cover some characters. There are scenes shot with natural light. A mirror is used to reflect an intimate conversation. And in these photographic paintings are moving characters, people.
But among all of this art, this need for perfection are the imperfect lives of people. Jin is also estranged from his father. His dilemma is how long does he stay with him. Casey's dreams may disappear. These are two lonely people with paths that intersect like a work of modern architecture. My only problem with this film is that Kogonada could have used some subtle music as background for the conversations between Jin and Casey. It was a little too quiet.
Columbus is a film that conveys many things. Loneliness. Sadness. Warmth. Love. Beauty. It deserves multiple viewings. The grade is A Minus.
Geostorm review
The film, Geostorm, wants you to know that the international space station has a self-destruct system. Okay, I know that this movie is supposed to take place in the future. But "Why?" The movie says it's to stop the station from crashing into the earth. But seriously, we know when things in orbit enter the atmosphere, they break up anyway and are burned up. And by the way, the self-destruct system can't be turned off once it's been turned on. What? I say again, "WHAT?!" It does make sense if you're trying to make a contrived, suspenseful plot point. But even then, it's got to make sense. This is one of the problems of Geostorm, the lack of logic.
The movie takes place in the near future. It's a time when the world is working together to control climate change. And in this day of Trump, it's a fantasy. The world has used technology to control the extreme weather through satellites and they are controlled by the International Climate Space Station. The creator of the life saving system, Jake Lawson (Gerard Butler) is testifying to Congress about turning over control from America to the world when he yells, "This is Sparta!" Okay, that's from 300. He shows disrespect which angers his brother, Max (Jim Sturges) who's some type of government official.
One of the satellites malfunctions and flash freezes some poor villagers in Afghanistan. President Palma (Andy Garcia) sends Jake to the space station to fix it before more people are turned into popsicles. But he finds out that somebody is sabotaging the system. Hold on. Maybe this is not a fantasy in this day of Trump sabotaging Obamacare. Anyway, Jake's got to stop anymore malfunctioning satellites or else there's going to be something called a "geostorm" which is a cool sounding term for worldwide storms that will destroy life on the planet.
I usually comment on performances but what's the point? The characters are given ridiculous things to say and do. Abbie Cornish plays Secret Service agent Sarah Wilson. She's dating Max though the script says that's illegal. Huh? Really? I laughed when she pulls out her gun and did some other action things because it was so over the top. Ed Harris is Secretary of State Dekkom. He probably wishes he was back in Westworld. Richard Sheehan is Taylor, a British crew member of the space station. He's cocky, annoying and basically a jerk. You just wish somebody would flush him out of an airlock or kick him down a well. Calling Gerard Butler. Speaking of Butler, he's okay but it's the writing and the direction that hurts this film.
Writer and director Dean Devlin (Independence Day) is competent as a director. Action scenes and special effects all work. But it's the writing. Characters spit out exposition unnaturally. Jake's daughter literally tells Max that he's not been in her life instead of subtly implying it. That's telling not showing. Bad guys are shot with menacing closing shots. I get it. He's a bad guy. The film wants to be some type of political thriller. But there's not enough of this plot thread. It spends too much time on the personal lives of the main characters. I don't care about Jake's daughter. Okay? Then there's the lack of logic and silliness. Jake goes on a space walk to retrieve a panel. Something goes wrong and he's hurtling through space and literally bouncing off the space station. And get this? He suffers no breach in his space suit. Really? And I forgot this hilarious scene. A gigantic tidal wave hits the beaches of Brazil. A bikini clad woman runs from the wave. As she is running down the street, a jet plane crashes and is about to crush her. Yet, she is able to outrun it and survive. Yeah, it's a little overkill.
Geostorm is not bad enough to laugh at. At best, it's not boring. It's just a big budget SyFy television movie without flying sharks. The grade is C Plus.
The movie takes place in the near future. It's a time when the world is working together to control climate change. And in this day of Trump, it's a fantasy. The world has used technology to control the extreme weather through satellites and they are controlled by the International Climate Space Station. The creator of the life saving system, Jake Lawson (Gerard Butler) is testifying to Congress about turning over control from America to the world when he yells, "This is Sparta!" Okay, that's from 300. He shows disrespect which angers his brother, Max (Jim Sturges) who's some type of government official.
One of the satellites malfunctions and flash freezes some poor villagers in Afghanistan. President Palma (Andy Garcia) sends Jake to the space station to fix it before more people are turned into popsicles. But he finds out that somebody is sabotaging the system. Hold on. Maybe this is not a fantasy in this day of Trump sabotaging Obamacare. Anyway, Jake's got to stop anymore malfunctioning satellites or else there's going to be something called a "geostorm" which is a cool sounding term for worldwide storms that will destroy life on the planet.
I usually comment on performances but what's the point? The characters are given ridiculous things to say and do. Abbie Cornish plays Secret Service agent Sarah Wilson. She's dating Max though the script says that's illegal. Huh? Really? I laughed when she pulls out her gun and did some other action things because it was so over the top. Ed Harris is Secretary of State Dekkom. He probably wishes he was back in Westworld. Richard Sheehan is Taylor, a British crew member of the space station. He's cocky, annoying and basically a jerk. You just wish somebody would flush him out of an airlock or kick him down a well. Calling Gerard Butler. Speaking of Butler, he's okay but it's the writing and the direction that hurts this film.
Writer and director Dean Devlin (Independence Day) is competent as a director. Action scenes and special effects all work. But it's the writing. Characters spit out exposition unnaturally. Jake's daughter literally tells Max that he's not been in her life instead of subtly implying it. That's telling not showing. Bad guys are shot with menacing closing shots. I get it. He's a bad guy. The film wants to be some type of political thriller. But there's not enough of this plot thread. It spends too much time on the personal lives of the main characters. I don't care about Jake's daughter. Okay? Then there's the lack of logic and silliness. Jake goes on a space walk to retrieve a panel. Something goes wrong and he's hurtling through space and literally bouncing off the space station. And get this? He suffers no breach in his space suit. Really? And I forgot this hilarious scene. A gigantic tidal wave hits the beaches of Brazil. A bikini clad woman runs from the wave. As she is running down the street, a jet plane crashes and is about to crush her. Yet, she is able to outrun it and survive. Yeah, it's a little overkill.
Geostorm is not bad enough to laugh at. At best, it's not boring. It's just a big budget SyFy television movie without flying sharks. The grade is C Plus.
Monday, October 23, 2017
General Kelly has become a four star idiot
Lost in the President Trump-Rep. Frederica Wilson controversy is the fact that Chief of Staff, General Kelly has made idiotic statements in the past in the defense of conservative Republican Trump. Last May, he defended trump's son-in-law for trying to establish a back channel through the Russian embassy that would defeat the CIA and FBI.
“I don’t see a big deal. I think any channel of communication, back or otherwise, with a country like Russia is a good thing.” DHS Secretary John Kelly From Fox News Sunday; Politico.
Yep. That was a four star general defending son-in-law, Jared Kushner, for attempting to set up a secret back channel that would run out of the Russian embassy to defeat the FBI and the CIA. An idiot would not wonder "Why do this?" A smart person would be suspicious because there's one major reason you would do this. To do something illegal with the Russians. You see this is not something to keep out of the press. The press don't have the ability to surveil the Russians that the FBI does. And if you're doing something legal, the FBI wouldn't do anything.
So, again General Kelly made an idiot of himself. When conservative President Trump made a "condolence" call to the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson and said Sgt. Johnson "knew what he was getting himself into" or "knew what he signed up for", Kelly defended him. (Video below) The phrase "he knew what he was getting himself into" is not a statement of empathy or respect. It means that a person is at fault for his situation. For example, if you go to a baseball game and get hit with a foul ball, you knew what you were getting into. It's similar to the legal defense, assumption of the risk. It is not a phrase of empathy or nobility.
And by the way, General Kelly. Rep. Wilson did not eavesdrop on Trump's "condolence" call. The widow, Myeshia Johnson put it on speakerphone. She was a close friend of the Johnson family. (Huffington Post with ABC video.)
Lawrence O' Donnell's excellent video essay on why General Kelly made racist comments by referring Rep. Wilson as an "empty barrel."
“I don’t see a big deal. I think any channel of communication, back or otherwise, with a country like Russia is a good thing.” DHS Secretary John Kelly From Fox News Sunday; Politico.
Yep. That was a four star general defending son-in-law, Jared Kushner, for attempting to set up a secret back channel that would run out of the Russian embassy to defeat the FBI and the CIA. An idiot would not wonder "Why do this?" A smart person would be suspicious because there's one major reason you would do this. To do something illegal with the Russians. You see this is not something to keep out of the press. The press don't have the ability to surveil the Russians that the FBI does. And if you're doing something legal, the FBI wouldn't do anything.
So, again General Kelly made an idiot of himself. When conservative President Trump made a "condolence" call to the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson and said Sgt. Johnson "knew what he was getting himself into" or "knew what he signed up for", Kelly defended him. (Video below) The phrase "he knew what he was getting himself into" is not a statement of empathy or respect. It means that a person is at fault for his situation. For example, if you go to a baseball game and get hit with a foul ball, you knew what you were getting into. It's similar to the legal defense, assumption of the risk. It is not a phrase of empathy or nobility.
And by the way, General Kelly. Rep. Wilson did not eavesdrop on Trump's "condolence" call. The widow, Myeshia Johnson put it on speakerphone. She was a close friend of the Johnson family. (Huffington Post with ABC video.)
Lawrence O' Donnell's excellent video essay on why General Kelly made racist comments by referring Rep. Wilson as an "empty barrel."
Friday, October 13, 2017
Stephen Colbert on the unraveling Donald Trump
Well, President Donald Trump is unraveling according to Vanity Fair. . And just remember he has the nuclear codes. Sigh. We need a laugh before we all die. Here's Stephen Colbert. Enjoy.
Hey, Bubba. Trump looks to hurt you and millions of Americans
Yo, Bubba. Yes , you the white working class male that voted for Trump because he would make America great again. Trump really hates you because he's going to make your health insurance go up. By now you should know he lies a lot and so when his administration says they're going to get you great health care. Don't believe it. Time for a little ole education Bubba. Let's look at yesterday's two mean actions he took yesterday to kill Obamacare or The Affordable Care Act. Source: Huffington Post
1. Allow Insurers to sell product-without pre-existing coverage and bare bone insurance plans.
Okay, Bubba. I know this sounds good. But it ain't. Here's how insurance works. Private insurance companies make money off your premiums and not paying claims. I repeat they profit by not paying claims. So the more customers they have, the more premiums they get. Now they're going to have to pay for Aunt Billie Jo's operation but if they get enough premiums, they can keep the costs to you and your Aunt down. Remember all those premium s per month where they don't pay a claim. Now if you offer something to healthy people that is cheaper and not as good, some people are going to go there. BUT AUNT BILLIE JO'S PREMIUMS'S GO UP BECAUSE THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL HAVE LESS IN PREMIUMS. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL MAKE IT UP BY CHARGING AUNT BILLIE JO MORE. And if she can't pay? No healthcare. She could die. You don't want that.
2. Trump is going to refuse to pay cost sharing reduction payments. These subsidies are payed to insurance companies to lower your cost in deductibles, and co-payments. And if you're sayin' "How's that going to help me?" It doesn't. That rich, blonde haired, orange skinned president ain't on your side.
Now where is all dat money they are going save in Trump's refusal to pay those subsidies. Tax cuts for the rich. So, what to do? Contact your congressman and senator. Tell them to save Obamacare. VOTE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT IF YOU WANT TO LIVE.
1. Allow Insurers to sell product-without pre-existing coverage and bare bone insurance plans.
Okay, Bubba. I know this sounds good. But it ain't. Here's how insurance works. Private insurance companies make money off your premiums and not paying claims. I repeat they profit by not paying claims. So the more customers they have, the more premiums they get. Now they're going to have to pay for Aunt Billie Jo's operation but if they get enough premiums, they can keep the costs to you and your Aunt down. Remember all those premium s per month where they don't pay a claim. Now if you offer something to healthy people that is cheaper and not as good, some people are going to go there. BUT AUNT BILLIE JO'S PREMIUMS'S GO UP BECAUSE THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL HAVE LESS IN PREMIUMS. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL MAKE IT UP BY CHARGING AUNT BILLIE JO MORE. And if she can't pay? No healthcare. She could die. You don't want that.
2. Trump is going to refuse to pay cost sharing reduction payments. These subsidies are payed to insurance companies to lower your cost in deductibles, and co-payments. And if you're sayin' "How's that going to help me?" It doesn't. That rich, blonde haired, orange skinned president ain't on your side.
Now where is all dat money they are going save in Trump's refusal to pay those subsidies. Tax cuts for the rich. So, what to do? Contact your congressman and senator. Tell them to save Obamacare. VOTE LIBERAL DEMOCRAT IF YOU WANT TO LIVE.
Wednesday, October 11, 2017
Colbert and Stewart give Trump equal time
The moron aka President Donald Trump (conservative Republican) has demanded equal time because he's getting hammered by late night comics. Well, Donald you are an easy target because the Secretary of State says you are a "moron." Well last night, Stephen Colbert with the help of Jon Stewart have given you equal time. Enjoy this hilarious bit. And vote liberal Democrat if you want to live.
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