Dave-El's Spinner Rack: Superman Lost

So I finally go to the conclusion of Superman Lost  and I'm not exactly sure what I got from the conclusion of the series is what I sought out at the start.  

Superman Lost started off with a solid and intriguing premise. Superman flies off with the Justice League on a mission. Less than a day later, Clark returns to Lois in their apartment except...

He's not been gone a day.

He's been gone for 20 years. 

During the mission, Superman gets sucked into a space time wormhole thingy and gets deposited on the farthest reaches of deep space. 

Important science lesson: space is big. 

Back in the silver age, Superman would just pop off to other planets with no more bother than getting in the car for a Target run. 

What writer Christopher Priest does with this story is apply some hard science. It ain't easy getting back home from outer space, not even for Superman because....

Remember our important science lesson: space is big. 

From the outset, Superman Lost focused on 2 plot lines: 

Clark's PTSD from whatever the hell happened to him over those 20 years lost in space.

What the hell happened to him those 20 years in space? 

For the latter, Superman winds up on an Earth like planet that he calls "Kansas".  The planet is spiraling towards self destruction which has somehow become a politically charged partisan issue.

Half the population thinks their world is just fine and any weird shit going with the sun or the ground shaking or whatever is just hysteria and a hoax to promote the agenda of the "other side". (Yes, you can call them MAGA Hats if it helps you relax.) 

Stuck so far from home and unable to navigate to Earth or any other world without help because...

Space is big.

Thanks!

Superman takes it upon himself to trying save "Kansas" even if half the planet doesn't want to be saved because they think everything is fine, just fine. 

Superman gets some some hope in a woman named "Hope" who shows up with a Green Lantern ring. Now those bad boys can take you anywhere in the universe. 

Except... 

Hope was bequeathed her ring by a dying alien Green Lantern and she hasn't learned to use it yet. Including that pesky business of space navigation.  

So Clark, Hope and Clark's alien friend Szhemi (like "Jimmy") form a quasi family unit that Hope doesn't want to lose even as Clark keeps pining for Lois. 

Speaking of Lois...

In the present, Lois is struggling to help Clark through his PTSD funk and nothing is working. 

She actually turns to Lex Luthor for help.

And this is where Superman Lost goes off the rails. 

Lex's plan to snap Superman out of his depression is to give Lois stage four cancer. 

 And Lois doesn't tell Clark which undermines Lex's whole point of giving her cancer. 

Lois masks her cancer symptoms by letting Clark think she's pregnant.  

And it turns out Lex Luthor didn't give Lois cancer, he just gave her cancer symptoms.

And does ANY of this seem like good idea to you?

Not to me, it doesn't.  

Given the grace and sensitivity that Superman & Lois handled Lois's battle with cancer in season 3, I did not think having Lois in the comics getting zapped with cancer (or pretend cancer) by Lex Luthor as particularly appropriate. 

Besides the tone dead "Lex gives Lois cancer" thing, there's some issue with a corrupt senator Lois is investigating and an out of nowhere sub plot involving a civil war in some Eastern European country that may be an allegory to what happened on the "Kansas" planet.  

And Hope the Green Lantern shows up on Earth. She's pregnant. With Clark's child?

Nope, Hope procreates via parthenogenesis and her baby is a clone of Szhemi (Jimmy) clone.

Which makes up for Hope killing Szhemi, maybe? 

Hope leads Superman and the Justice League back to the "Kansas" planet to help save everyone. 

Then in some really convoluted time travel shenanigans I don't understand...

(It involves the Gandalf Superman we met in issue #7.) 

Clark returns from the mission WITHOUT 20 years of trauma.

All that shit that was messing with his head is now gone.

Which sucks for Lois who spent weeks trying to help her husband cope with his PTSD to the point that she endured the debilitating symptoms of Lex Luthor's pseudo cancer! 

Clark's lost 20 years just never happened? 

Really?!?!

I'm not really sure what the hell happened but it's not just me. I've read a bunch of reviews online and it seems NO ONE has any idea what the hell happened at the end.  

If this storyline had happened in a mainline Superman title, I would understand some impulse to restore Clark back to some form of status quo. 

But this series was a stand alone series from the regular titles and also, that twist is vastly unfair to Lois and to the readers. 

For the first half of this series, writer Christopher Priest had something going that was interesting, exciting and yes a bit challenging but in a good way.

The back half of this series is undone by sub plots and contrivances that add nothing to the primary narrative that Priest began with and undermines what could have been a powerful and influential chapter in the life of the Man of Steel. 

Speaking of the back half of the series, the otherwise beautiful artwork of Carlos Pagulayan is under cut by several pages drawn by other artists. These artists (Lee Weeks, Dan Jurgens, Jose Luis and others) are all very good at what they do but it does affect the consistency of the visuals of the book.   

The central premise of Superman Lost, that Clark could suffer from PTSD and what could cause such a trauma in one so powerful, was an intriguing concept and could've been regarded as a Superman tale for the ages. 

It seems there was a lack of trust or commitment to the concept with a flurry of concepts and twists thrown at the wall to see what would stick.  

Superman Lost could've been great.  

Instead it has to settle for merely being good and to be honest, the twist of Clark not actually living through those 20 years, the series is undermined in that fairly modest goal.  

Tuesday TV Touchbase: Celebrity Jeopardy and Julia

Let's  kick off this week's Touchbase with a hearty kudos and a job well done to Lisa Ann Walter (Abbott Elementary) for her big win as the final champion of Celebrity Jeopardy Season 2. The final with Walter, Mo Rocca and Katie Nolan was a well fought and entertaining match. 

Even if ABC did spoil the ending. 

There was a pop ad at the start of the episode promoting that night's episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live including guest Lisa Ann Walter. 

Well, it could be nothing. Abbott Elementary is returning in a few weeks so Lisa could be there to promote that and it's all just a coinkydink. 

Or...

It's NOT a coinkydink and she's there to talk up her Celebrity Jeopardy win. 

Answer: it was not a coinkydink! 

Anyway, the win was a surprise to Lisa Ann Walter who didn't realize until Ken Jennings pointed it out that Lisa (and only Lisa) got the final clue right.  

It was an emotionally moving moment and made for compelling TV. 

I know Celebrity Jeopardy catches a lot of flack for being an easy version of the regular show and the celebrities are clueless about how the show works. 

And that can be true. (And I'm looking at you, Emily Hampshire!)

But there were celebrities who know their shit and took their stint at their podiums seriously.  

And Ken Jennings as host did a commendable job of corralling these celebrities. Ken said in an interview he had to on occasion channel his inner grade school children's teacher to admonish the class to behave.  

Celebrity Jeopardy varies in quality based on the celebrities but when they are truly knowledgeable about stuff and take the game seriously, it can be a lot of fun.

_______________________________

 A couple of weeks ago, Andrea and I brought our time with the series Julia to an end.

Reluctantly I might add.

It seems Max opted to forego production of a 3rd season.  

Which is a damn shame because Andrea and I felt we weren't quite done with Julia Child and her extended family.

Sarah Lancashire as Julia Child portrayed a woman who did not have the body or the voice for television stardom but made her endearing and charismatic. 

The story of this odd cookbook author who saved public television with her cooking show "The French Chef" was at turns funny and sad, heart breaking and thought provoking.  

Beyond Julia herself, the show had an outstanding supporting cast and nowhere is that more apparent than with David Hyde Pierce as Paul Child, Julia's husband, an artist and retired diplomat.  Pierce also appears as Charles, Paul's twin brother in a tour de force episode where the brash and pushy Charles clashes with the quiet diplomatic Paul.  

Although Julia I think had more life in the series, the 2nd season does end on a positive note and if we do have to say farewell to our found family at WGBH, well, it's a good note to go out on. 

 And that is that for this week's Tuesday TV Touchbase.

Coming up on the Touchbase:

• Abbott Elementary 
• Ghosts
• Young Sheldon
• Gravity Falls
• Quantum Leap
• The Orville
• Wheel Of Fortune 
• Community 

And more! 

And look for a Doctor Who Is Classic post this week! 

Until next time, remember to be good to one another and try to keep it down in there, would ya? I'm trying to watch TV over here. 

Defying Gravity

Caution: I will say "What the unholy FUCK, people?" a LOT!

______________________

It's been awhile so let's catch up on Trump Shit!

Which calls for the return of my favorite graphic:

Ah those innocent halcyon days of 2015 when the idea of Donald Trump actually (giggle!) running for President (snort!) let alone (gaffaw!) actually being President was so (Ha!) utterly (Ha! Ha!) ridiculous and... 

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! 

(SLAP!) 

SNAP OUT OF IT!!!

It wasn't funny! 

It's still not funny! 

This goddamn fucking moron has won the first two contests of the 2024 Presidential primaries and really! 

What the unholy FUCK, people? 

Everything that should totally fuck over a political campaign just makes him stronger! 

Take Iowa for example. At the same time the Republican caucuses were being held, Iowa was in the grip of a deep freeze that could kill people. 

Trump said don't let a little thing like death stop you. He said if you come out to vote and then pass away, it will be worth it.

Trump was telling his supporters to be prepared to die for his cause. Shouldn't that be a deal breaker, a uncaring candidate who holds his voters with so little regard that he tells them to risk death to vote for him? 

Of course it worked and Trump won Iowa. 

What the unholy FUCK, people? 

Ron DeSantis came in second and then dropped out. 

Remember when DeSantis was actually polling higher than Donald Trump? 

Then people actually met Ron DeSantis and it was "What? THIS guy? Oh hell no!" 

Nikki Haley decided to hang in there and carried on to New Hampshire.

Where Trump won again.

But he didn't enjoy it.  

Li'l Donnie spent most of his victory speech bitchin' 'n' complain' that mean ol' Nikki won't go home. 

Let's break down the New Hampshire results a bit.  The Republican primary in that state is open to Republicans and Independents (and Democrats cannot vote in the Republican primary as Trump repeatedly lied they could). 

• Among Republican voters, Trump beat Haley BUT he didn't shut her out. Her margin among Republicans was small but Trump does not have a 100% lock on Republicans. 
• Meanwhile among Independents, the script is flipped and Haley handily won among that group.

Which points to Trump facing significant disadvantages in a general election and that's what Haley is hanging her hat on.

For the moment, Nikki Haley is still in the race and she has eyes on the primary in her home state of South Carolina where the beloved and popular former governor of that state is currently....

Polling BEHIND Donald Trump?  

What the unholy FUCK, people? 

Meanwhile, Li'l Donnie lost in court AGAIN! And to use one of Li'l Donnie's words, he lost "bigly". 

In the 2nd (yes, SECOND!) defamation case brought by E. Jean Carroll, a jury found in her favor and ordered Trump to pay $83 million. 

In the first case, a jury found Trump guilty of not only defamation but also of sexually assaulting Carroll.  

So this goddamn fucking moron who has been convicted TWICE of talking shit about a woman he sexually assaulted is leading in the polls to be the next Republican nominee for President?

What the unholy FUCK, people? Seriously????????

Oh and let's not forget his company has been found guilty of fraud and this week will see the verdict of how much will need to be paid in penalties for that financial malfeasance.  

AND...

There are 4 indictments and 91 felony charges relating to stealing classified documents, election interference and fucking insurrection and.... 

ARRRRRRRGGGGHHHHHH!!!!! 

Why do the laws of gravity not apply to this goddamn fucking moron?

What the unholy FUCK, people? 

Cinema Sunday: Pillow Talk

Yesterday's Cinema Saturday post was about a porn movie with all the sex scenes cut out. Today's Cinema Sunday is about a movie where everyone is obsessed with sex... but no one actually has any. 

From 1959, today's movie is Pillow Talk, a romantic comedy starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson with Tony Randall.  

Jan Morrow (Day) is a successful, self-reliant interior decorator in New York City. She's professes to be happy with her life save for one significant irritant, the party line that she shares with Brad Allen (Hudson), Broadway composer who lives in a nearby apartment building. Brad is also a playboy, seducing a nearly endless series of women and keeping the party line busy as he woos each woman with a song he wrote just for her. (Yeah, it's the same song.)  

So Jan is pissed at Brad for hogging the party line all damn day to  seduce women.

Brad is pissed at Jan for not shutting up about the damn party line. Doesn't she have anything better to do? 

So how is this movie gonna get these two crazy kids to fall in love? 

Well, that's where Jonathan Forbes (Randall) comes in. Jonathan is a millionaire who frequently employs Jan for various interior decorating jobs because he's crazy mad in love with her but he's not her type. He even buys her a new car but NOPE! Yep, he's a millionaire who can buy a girl a car like it's nothing and he still can't get laid? 

Meanwhile in a very useful contrivance of the plot, Jonathan is also Brad's friend and Broadway benefactor, laying out dough for Brad's next show.  

So it comes to pass that Brad sees Jan at a night club. He hears her voice and knows it's that crazy woman on the phone. So Brad approaches Jan with a Texas accent and introduces himself as "Rex Stetson", wealthy Texas rancher in town for a little while on business.  

Believe it or not...

This works.

Jan is just totally smitten with sweet dear "Rex" as they go on several dates where "Rex" is the perfect gentleman. 

Maybe too perfect a gentleman? Jan wonders why "Rex" hasn't made a pass at her. During one of their party line chats, Brad suggests to Jan that "Rex" might be gay.  

Jonathan discovers about Brad's masquerade as "Rex" gives Brad an ultimatum: "Rex" needs to go back to Texas and Brad needs to finish writing the damn musical Jonathan is paying for. Jonathan has a cabin in Connecticut and orders Brad to go there and finish his songs. 

But "Rex" tells Jan he has a friend who has a cabin in Connecticut and invites Jan to spend the weekend with him.

Jan's happy! She's surely gonna get laid now! 

Brad is happy! "Rex" is gonna get laid! 

Except....

Once at the cabin, Jan discovers a sheet of paper in "Rex's" coat pocket. It's sheet music and when she plunks out the chords on a piano, she's horrified to realize...

It's that damn song that jerk Brad Allen seduces all those women with and...

"Rex Stetson" is Brad Allen?!?!

Son of a bitch!!!

Jonathan comes to Jan's rescue from the cabin to drive her back to New York City!

Jan is super pissed off at Brad!  Damned straight she is and she has every right to be! 

Meanwhile, Brad is a depressed sad sack. Whatever game he was playing at as "Rex" backfired. 

Brad loves Jan. Awww! 

Long story made short, Jan gets back at Brad, then falls for the big lug anyway and a time jump at the end of movie has Brad excited that he's going to be a father! 

Ka-Ching!  Legally sanctioned hetero-normative missionary intercourse has been achieved! 

By the mid to late 1950's, American cinephiles had discovered a new kind of movie experience with European films where attitudes towards sex were a lot more relaxed. Human sensuality was something to be admired, enjoyed, freely expressed. 

Gee, wondered American movie fans wondered, why can't we have more of that? 

Well, the Motion Picture Production Code (AKA the Hays Code) was still the moral arbiter of what was and was not allowed in American films. But American studios, desperate to lure people away from the nascent medium of television, understood that sex sells.  The quandry was how to have a movie about sex without any actual sex?

The answer is Pillow Talk.   

Pillow Talk is one of a series of movies that followed a certain template as the 1950's gave way to the 1960's. You start with a young woman, beautiful (of course) and self supporting in some kind of high end profession who is perfectly happy without a man.  Introduce her to a smooth talking guy who has had a lot of success with women... except this one!  She loathes him! He's gotta have her!! Let the game of secrets, deception and seduction begin which leads to love! Awww!   

It's a movie about sex without sex. 

Well, that is that for this weekend. 

The weekend comes around again with twin movie posts for Cinema Saturday and Cinema Sunday.  

Cinema Saturday: Cruella's Castle

My cinema themed posts have dealt with various styles and genres of film.  Science fiction, romantic comedies, film noir crime dramas and more.

Today I'm going to post about a porn film.

Except I'm not.

Welcome to the cruel joke that is Cruella's Castle.

Back in December, I loaded up the free streaming service TUBI in order to watch some classic Doctor Who. As I was surfing around the various other offerings of TUBI, I noticed a lot of shlocky titles with sexual themes in the plot summaries. 

Among those titles was Cruella's Castle. I was intrigued mostly by the length of this... movie?  It was 40 minutes! Wait, is this an actual porno on TUBI?

Well, let's find out! 

Dr. Bikini Jones has just retrieved an idol from Evilla Cruella but uh oh! She's been cornered by a smoking hot blonde security guard. In the spirit of James Bond, Dr. Bikini Jones is going to seduce and fuck her way out of danger. The two women embrace, lost in a deep passionate kiss as Dr. Jones' hand makes it way up the guard's thigh towards her panties when..

JUMP CUT! 

Dr. Jones is in an office with her boss and says "And THAT is how I got the idol!" 

WHAT?!?!?

I mean....

Where's the sexy saxophone music?

Where's the blue mood lighting?? 

Where's the close up on sweat glistening on heaving cleavage??? 

Where's the gasps and moans???? 

What the unholy fuck happened to the sex scene!!!!!!

Later, a woman named Carol shows up at the residence of Dr. Bikini Jones. Carol's got a sexy librarian thing going on and bemoans her lack of success with men. But she does pretty well with women. And it is...

NOT ON?!?!

Carol is a distraction while some dude sneaks in to steal the idol back and what we're watching is that dude and NOT the distraction?!?! 

What kind of porno is this?

It is the kind of porno with all the actual sex scenes cut out. 

The actual movie is Bikini Jones and the Temple of Eros which according to IMDb clocks in at 1 hour and 22 minutes which comes to 82 minutes. 

At 40 minutes Cruella's Castle is the soft core porn movie with all the sex stuff cut out.

That's 42 minutes of hot girl on girl action just... gone! 

Who care about the plot in a soft core porn movie? Well, since Cruella's Castle cuts out all the soft core porn, you might as well get the plot: 

Archaeologist Dr. Bikini Jones steals the Golden Idol which happens to be the key to a mysterious place called the Temple of Eros which is where one will find the Tiara of Ayesha and whoever possesses the tiara will rule the mythical land of Moronica. 

Seriously. The place is called Moronica. 

Jones is in a race against time with her adversary Evilla Cruella to get to the tiara. Who will come (HA!) first to the temple? 

Oh, there's a scene where our principal characters have to flee from a dinosaur. For a soft core porn movie, having a scene with a dinosaur is pretty cool.

For a soft core porn movie with all the soft core porn cut out, having a scene with a dinosaur is fucking stupid.

So that is today's Cinema Saturday post about the porn film that wasn't. 

I suffer so you don't have to. 

Your Friday Video Link: Directions From Kermit

 

Your Friday Video Link this week is short

Only 11 seconds.

Kermit the Frog provides directions to Fozzie Bear.

Batman Vs. the Mummy

OK, it's blog break time! 

Maybe even a blog snack break time? 

How about a delicious Hostess Fruit Pie?

And how about a classic 1970's Hostess Fruit Pie ad from the comics.

Batman vs the Mummy! 

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Today's post is about live theater.

But not quite live.

I regret that Andrea and I do not get many chances to go see live performances as much as we would like. 

I think the last musical we saw live was Rent in 2022 and the last time music performance was the John Pizzarelli and Caatherine Russell show in 2023.  

So today's post about live theater is stretching things a bit.

It is a live performance of a Broadway born hit.  

That was recorded over 40 years ago.  

On on Saturday, October 28, 2023, Andrea and I watched TCM's presentation of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, a live performance filmed in Los Angeles in 1981.  

Some background:  

Sweeney Todd is a 1979 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and a book by Hugh Wheeler. 

It is based on the 1970 play Sweeney Todd by Christopher Bond. 

The character of Sweeney Todd first appeared in a Victorian penny dreadful titled The String of Pearls.

Sondheim's Sweeney Todd debuted on March 1, 1979 at the Uris Theatre in New York City. It would go on to win the Tony Award for Best Musical.  

A national tour started on October 24, 1980 in Washington, D.C. and ended in August 1981 in Los Angeles, CA. It's from the run in Los Angeles that the performance was filmed and first aired on television on September 12, 1982.  This television special was nominated for and won several Primetime Emmy Awards.  

Enough of all that.

What pray tell is Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street?  

Sweeney Todd runs a barber shop in the space above a meat pie shop on Fleet Street owned and operated by the widow Mrs. Lovett. 

Sweeney slits the throats of his customers in the barber chair.

Mrs. Lovett grinds the bodies up for meat in her meat pies. 

Fun for the whole family, I must say! 

Sweeney's not just slicing throats for the fun of it. He's on a long quest for revenge against the unscrupulous Judge Turpin and his servant Beadle.  Sweeney was sent away to prison on false charges so Turpin could satisfy his lust for Sweeney's wife, Lucy. The judge raped Lucy who later took her own life. 

Sweeney and Lucy's infant daughter Johanna becomes Judge Turpin's ward and now that she has grown to womanhood, the judge demands complete control of her life and has some rather uncomfortable intentions for his young ward. 

Like mother, like daughter and just...  Ewwww!   

Hey, kids! Are we enjoying this so far? 

Before Sweeney Todd can get to Turpin and Beadle, a litany of other men fall victim to his blade to their throats and they all make their way into Mrs. Lovett's meat pies.  

Scrumdiddlydelicious! 

Andrea: I can't believe we're watching this! 

Me: Yeah, it's fun ain't it?

Andrea: What is wrong with you? 

Despite all the dark themes and, of course, the murdering and oh yeah also the cannibalism, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is almost fun. The malicious plotting and scheming and the murders are so frickin' over the top, it plays as a very dark comedy.  

But this is freakin' Stephen Sondheim we're dealing with here and as anyone who has seen Into the Woods can attest, whatever state you're in with Act 1, things will get much worse in Act 2.

Comedy will evolve into tragedy.   

People who are suppose to be dead will not be dead.

People who are miraculously alive after all will not stay that way.

People who are otherwise normal and well adjusted will be driven mad by the end. 

People who were already crazy in Act 1 will be crazier by Act 2. 

Revenge is a terrible folly and nothing good ever comes of it. 

The big deal for this particular production of  Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street is the appearance of Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett who originated the role on Broadway. Yep, the dear lovely woman who gave voice to Mrs. Potts in the animated Beauty and the Beast  is the dastardly woman who grinds up human bodies into meat pies.  Lansbury steals the show in every scene she's in, a fount of positive energy as she bounces into her role in support of Sweeney's murders.  

The end of the play is virtually apocalyptic. Sweeney Todd's quest for revenge fulfilled with the deaths of his enemies but a final curse upon him as he has the blood of those he loved on his hands as well. 

Revenge is indeed a most terrible folly and nothing good comes of it for ol' Sweeney Todd.  

Andrea and I sat on our sofa for awhile, somewhat traumatized by what we just saw, a performance of live theater that reached across space and time to gob smack us in our living room. 

By the way, there is a movie version of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter.  I've actually seen parts of it. It might be awhile before I can bring myself to watch all of it. 

And that is that for this post about live theater. Maybe with some luck, Andrea and I will soon abscond from the Fortress of Ineptitude to see something actually live somewhere. 

Hopefully something fun and with fewer murders.  

Tuesday TV Touchbase: Deadloch

Our long nightmare is over at the Fortress of Ineptitude. Media giant Tegna resolved it's dispute with AT&T and our local affiliate that carries Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy is back on as of last week. 

Until then we've been catching up on these shows via postings on You Tube of questionable video and sound quality.   

Now I get to watch Vanna White stride across the stage in crisp clear high def! 

"Hello, Vanna!"

Now on with the touchbase! 

About a week or so back, I finished up the Australian murder mystery series Deadloch.  

Everyone in the hamlet of Deadloch was on edge enough with a serial killer on the loose. When six more victims floated up in the lake, the town loses it's collective shit. 

Or more to the point, all the white men in town as all the victims have been white men. He-man woman hater Phil McGangus stages a "Take Back the Night" march to protest the failure of the lesbian police chief and the lesbian mayor of protecting the men of Deadloch.  They had lesbian chef Skye O'Dwyer in jail for the murders then let her go (little matter of insufficient evidence and a viable alibi...) so no telling when she will strike again at the good men of Deadloch. 

Then he loads the men on a bus to take them to a secret but secure location to protect them.  

That is a mistake. 

While all of this is going on, I'm thinking that Deadloch better not "Broadchurch" me.  

Side note: In Broadchurch, local detective Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) and new from out of town detective Alec Hardy (David Tennant) are on the hunt for a murderer.

SPOILER: the murderer is Ellie's husband! 

What?  Really?!?! 

Anyway, back to Deadloch....

Local detective Dulcie Collins has had enough on her plate with a serial killer and an escalating body count without her wife Cath being  a whiny, clingy narcissist who tries to make everything about her.  But surely the murderer wouldn't be the very same person who is complaining how the murders are keeping Dulcie away from home?

You better not "Broadchurch" me, Deadloch!

Well, they do! 

But it's not Cath. 

Good! Because that would've made ZERO sense. 

No, the killer is someone close to new from out of town detective Eddie Redcliffe.  

And he's on the bus.  

Where the men are supposed to be safe.  

Let's take a moment with Eddie. Boy she came a long way since her less than stellar introduction to the Deadloch police. Eddie was erratic, brash, unfocused and clearly not in her right mind. Plucked from the middle of a bender in the aftermath of her police partner's death, Eddie has no business being in charge of anything, let alone a murder investigation. 

Eddie's evolution over the season is remarkable. Yeah, she's still brash and blunt but it's in service to Dulcie's more measured approach, a one two good cop/bad cop punch.  Eddie begins to respect Dulcie's skills as an investigator and begin to work as a partnership.  

There's a point near the end of the season where Eddie is having a breakdown, the death of her old partner still haunting her and she thinks of herself as a pariah. Eddie warns off Dulcie that she perhaps she should keep her distance before "someone else I care about gets killed".  

Cath does NOT need to be jealous. Eddie may care about Dulcie but our out of town detective really likes dick.

Which leads us to how Deadloch manages to "Broadchurch" me. 

SPOILER ALERT! 

The serial killer is a man who used to kill women in Sydney but moved to Deadloch and underwent a change of heart about his relationship with women. 

He is now a feminist ally who targets men who are total bastards towards women.  

And that man is Eddie's fuck buddy.  

Which is a shame because Eddie was really starting to like the guy outside of the mere utility that he came attached to a penis. 

...

...

The comparisons of Deadloch to Broadchurch are not a coincidence.  Creators Kate McCartney and Kate McLennan original pitch for the show was "Funny Broadchurch".  

And it's the shows morbid dark humor at elevates Deadloch above a mere police procedural. It lags in places in the middle but the show mostly works, especially when focusing on the dynamic between Dulcie and Eddie which kind of reminds me of  The Andy Griffith Show where Andy Taylor is being calm, methodical and thinks a lot of problems can be solved if you just talk to people and Barney Fife wants to go in gun blazing with the might of the long arm of the law.   

I don't know what the future holds for these characters. Cath and Dulce have left Deadloch and Dulce is working alongside Eddie in Darwin to solve the murder of her old partner. 

But the 8 episodes we got of Deadloch tell a pretty complete story.  

And that is that for this week's Tuesday TV Touchbase.

Next week: Julia.  

Until next time, remember to be good to one another and try to keep it down in there, would ya? I'm trying to watch TV over here. 

What's Cookin', Joe?

Last week, President Joe Biden and I had lunch at Cook Out! 

...

...

OK, NOT at the same time.

Or the same location.   

Here in Greensboro, I had Wednesday off from work and I treated Andrea and I to lunch from Cook-Out. While Cook Out makes a really great hamburger, I am partial to their hot dogs.  

Meanwhile over in Raleigh, President Biden was enjoying a lunch time repast with Governor Roy Cooper at Cook Out.

You might say I treated Biden and Cooper to lunch from Cook-Out. I don't know who picked up the check but as a U.S. federal tax payer AND a North Carolina state tax payer, one or another, that check was on me.

I'm OK with that use of my tax dollars. Cook Out is good eatin'! 

President Biden took time out to pose for some selfies and generally seemed to be having a good time. 

There was some video of the excursion to Cook Out (Biden's, not mine) on Tik Tok and most of the comments were positive, complimenting Biden on getting lunch at Cook Out and his interactions with people there. 

And then there were the trolls, all posting the same comment: "Does he even know where he is?" 

A lot has been made over on right wing media over Biden's alleged cognitive decline.  

At 80 years old, Joe Biden may not be as sharp or energetic as he used to be.  So he talks a little slower but when he talks, it's usually in the form of sentences that have subjects, verbs and meaning. 

Does Joe drop the occasional malapropism or get a detail wrong? Yeah but then good ol' Joe used to do that when he was a younger man.  

The very people who are trying to making hay with the idea that Joe Biden is old and in cognitive decline are the same people with their lips firmly affixed to ample backside of the orange sweaty protoplasmic blob with a propensity for word salads that make absolutely no fucking sense. 

You know what? I do not want to talk about that god-forsaken son of a bitch. Let's keep this post positive.

<Deep breath>

<Deep breath>

"Damn straight, Joe Biden knows where he is, asshole!"

Whoops! Sorry.  Let me try again.  

<Deep breath>

<Deep breath>

President Joe Biden was in North Carolina where he had lunch at Cook Out. Kudos, sir, on your choice for lunch.

Cook Out is good eatin'! 

Cinema Sunday: The Princess Comes Across

Last week's Cinema Sunday was about a romantic screwball comedy starring Carole Lombard, a much beloved and admired actress whose life was cut tragically short in 1942 in a plane crash but her legacy lives as an icon of American Cinema.  

Carole had a deft comedic touch, a lightness and freedom of spirit. And that is most definitely on display in today's movie. 

The Princess Comes Across (1936) is a combination of murder mystery and romantic comedy. 

On the ocean liner Mammoth bound for New York City is Wanda Nash (Carole Lombard), an actress from Brooklyn masquerading as "Princess Olga" from Sweden in order to land a film contract with a big Hollywood studio.  

Also on board is King Mantell (Fred MacMurray), a concertina-playing band leader with a criminal record in his past. 

Both are blackmailed by Robert M. Darcy. 

Then Darcy is killed and the eye of suspicion falls on "Princess Olga" and King Mantell.  Or I should say "eyes of suspicion" as there are five (FIVE?!) police detectives travelling on the ship and the Captain of the ship is looking to get his horrible business wrapped up quickly.  

The investigation gets complicated as Wanda Nash isn't the only one on board pretending to be someone they are not. 

There appears to be a spy lurking about, up to no good.  

Lombard occasionally lapses into her character's real identity, Brooklyn-born wannabe Wanda Nash, but spends most of the picture masquerading as Princess Olga, giving her the chance to do a wickedly smart impression of  Hollywood's famous Swedish born film star, Greta Garbo. 

Lombard has some pretty solid chemistry with Fred McMurray with whom she made 3 other movies.  Originally the role of King Mantell was going to go George Raft.  Raft made such a rep for himself on turning things down, studios were reluctant to even approach the actor. Lombard had gone to bat for Raft to help him out of his self imposed career slump.  BUT the notoriously prickly and picky Rath turned this role down as well. 

Besides being beautiful and charming in front of the camera, Lombard had a beloved reputation off camera for looking after people who were in need of help, including members of the technical crew. She was known for preferring to hang with the production crew over other actors. 

The Princess Comes Across is an adequate little movie with mystery and romance elevated by the charms of Carole Lombard. 

Next week, our weekend movies are about sex.

Or the lack thereof. 

Cinema Saturday: Ocean's Eleven

One of my favorite kind of stories is the crime caper plot, a group of people coming together to pull of a robbery. Yeah, robbery is a crime but the gang pulling it off is a likeable bunch and the son of a bitch they're robbing is an asshole who deserves it. 

The caper is complex and depends on split second timing. There are moments of comedy interspersed with scenes of nail biting tension. What if one thing goes wrong? Hell, what if everything goes wrong? 

Today's Cinema Saturday post takes a look at one such movie, Ocean's Eleven from 2001, directed by Steven Soderbergh and featuring an ensemble cast of George Clooney, Matt Damon, Andy García, Brad Pitt, Julia Roberts, Casey Affleck, Scott Caan, Elliott Gould, Bernie Mac, and Carl Reiner. 

Following his release from prison, Danny Ocean (Clooney) violates his parole (he must stay in New Jersey) by traveling west to meet up with Rusty Ryan (Pitt) to propose a heist. The two go to Las Vegas to pitch the plan to wealthy friend and former casino owner Reuben Tishkoff.

The plan is NOT to rob A casino.

The plan is to rob THREE casinos: the Bellagio, the Mirage, and the MGM Grand, all owned by Terry Benedict.  

Reuben's not on board at first. Robbing ONE casino is damn near impossible but THREE? But  Terry Benedict fucked Reuben over but hard and here's a chance to get even with that son of a bitch. Reuben agrees to bankroll the operation. (It takes money to steal money.)  

Danny and Rusty recruit eight former colleagues and criminal specialists: 

• con men Frank Catton and Saul Bloom
• auto specialists Virgil and Turk Malloy
• explosives expert Basher Tarr
• electronic surveillance technician Livingston Dell
• acrobat "The Amazing" Yen
• pickpocket Linus Caldwell

There is a lot of work to be done.

• Reconnaissance to learn about the security, the routines, the behaviors of the casino staff, and the building itself. 
• Building a replica of the vault to practice maneuvering through it's security systems.

The plan is to pull off the heist on the night of a major boxing match at the triple casino where Terry Benedict's super duper vault will be flushed with even more cash than usual.  

It turns out it's not just Reuben who has beef with Terry Benedict.  Danny's ex-wife, Tess (Julia Roberts), is Benedict's girlfriend. Rusty worried that Danny's judgement might be compromised where Tess is concerned but Danny insists he has no problem following the plan no matter what. 

On the night of the fight, the plan is put into motion. 

Rusty calls Benedict on a cell phone Danny dropped in Tess's coat earlier and tells him that unless he lets them have half of the money in the vault, they will blow up the vault and Benedict loses ALL the money.

Benedict sees video footage confirming Rusty's claim. Benedict complies, having his bodyguards take loaded duffel bags to a waiting van. 

Benedict has called in a SWAT team that leads to a shootout that sets off the explosives and incinerates the remaining cash. 

Afterwards, the SWAT team collects their gear and departs.

As Benedict's men stop the van, finding it was driven by remote control and the bags were only loaded with flyers for prostitutes.

Benedict the realizes the the video footage he saw was not HIS vault but...

Well, you can guess what he was looking at.  

I don't want to blow all the details but basically by the time Terry Benedict knew there was a robbery taking place, he had already been robbed.  

And Tess leaves Terry to return to Danny.

Except not quite right away.

Every one in the operation gets away except for Danny Ocean who is arrested for violating his parole by leaving New Jersey.  

When Danny is released after serving time for his parole violation, he is met by Rusty and Tess. They drive off, closely followed by Benedict's bodyguards.

We've reached the end of the movie but this ain't over yet. 

The "It's That Person Who Was In That Thing" Department 

• Elliott Gould (Reuben Tishkoff) was Ross and Monica's dad on Friends.  
• Don Cheadle (Basher Tarr) is Rhodey, Tony Stark's friend and "War Machine" in the MCU.  

Side Note:  Oceans's Eleven is a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film and let me take a moment about that. You will not see one of my movie posts about that one. I have tried to watch it and I just can't get past the racist jokes at Sammy Davis Jr's expense and the outright misogynistic comments about women. I try to put the original Ocean's Eleven in the context of the times but I can't help think that even in 1960, some of the comments relating to race and sex were woefully outdated and just not funny.  

Meanwhile....

The Ocean's Eleven from 2001 is fast-paced, witty and funny. Is there any doubt our gang will succeed? Not really but watching how the con comes together and marveling at all the moving parts is all part of the charm.   

Coming up over the next 3 months, I will post about the subsequent sequels.

Tomorrow on Cinema Sunday, the con is on as we welcome back Carole Lombard to the blog for a classic caper film from 1936. 

Next week on Cinema Saturday, we're gonna post about a porn movie... kind of.