Too Much
Kids cool off in Old Jerusalem, photo from Reuters.com:
Friday night’s movie fix came not from Netflix by mail but from the cache of DVDs my Super gave me recently. Gangster Squad (2013) is a stylish, violent baloney story based on L.A. kingpin Mickey Cohen, who owned the town post WWII, portrayed completely differently than the voice of reason he was in Bugsy (1991). Nick Nolte plays the police commissioner who empowers a combat veteran, played by Josh Brolin, to create a group to work outside the law, to use any means necessary to bring the villain down. I’ve always loved that theme, the moral question. Here it takes a back seat to action, mayhem. There are many familiar faces in the cast: Sean Penn as the thug, Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Robert Patrick, Anthony Mackie, Michael Pena, Jon Polito, Austin Highsmith Garces, Giovanni Ribisi. I thought the latter’s turn as a nerdish cop the best performance in the film. I ran a search on the most cliches ever in one flick and came up empty. Gangster Squad is rife with them. That is not necessarily bad. Recall the classic Shane (1953). The best thing I can say about Gangster Squad is that it’s not boring. Just shy of two hours, its pace is brisk. Shot in film noir style, the darkness negates a lot of the blood flow. The profanity is not overdone. Ruben Fleischer directed. He is in the midst of an impressive career, 35 credits as a director, 26 as a producer. I have not seen any of his other work. I’d neglected Ganster Squad because the reviews weren’t kind. Will Beall and Paul Lieberman wrote the screenplay. The former is doing well, the latter’s career seems to have stalled with that lone credit. The movie did well at the box office, returning $105+ million worldwide on a budget estimated at $60 million. 219,000+ users at IMDb have rated Gangster Squad, forging to a consensus of 6.2 on a scale of ten. I’ll go with 5.5. Those squeamish about violence should pass. Here’s a publicity still, photo from Google Images:
Thinking about a change of career? Headline from nypost.com out of Mumbai: “World’s richest beggar is worth nearly $1M.” “Nice work if you can get it, and if you get it, won’t you tell me how…” (George Gershwin / Ira Gershwin)
From NYP: “Woke Hollywood cuts the nation a break — and cancels itself.” Unfortunately, the nonsense will return once a settlement is reached. Here’s a thought: why don’t all the writers, actors, directors, producers who have made it big contribute to a medical fund for those who are struggling?
I’ve waited until seeing my latest bank statement before commenting on my change from Optimum to T-Mobile internet, wanting to make sure there were no additional charges. True to the ad, the price is $50. The connection isn’t as reliable as cable, possibly because my computer is seven years old. It’s fine in the AM, at times frustrating PM.
I overdid it today, dragging two bags of books and a 35-inch TV out of the old house and to the car. I was sweating so profusely I did something I hate to do at this stage of my life — take off my shirt, not a pretty sight no matter the condition of the 73-year-old man. My apologies to the neighbors. When I was done I wiped down with paper towels. Of course I did the book shop as well. Maybe I have a death wish — a massive heart attack to end all the futility. Anyway, my thanks to the Latinos who combined to buy five DVDs, and to the elderly woman who bought two paperbacks by Danielle Steel and one by Debbie Macomber; and to the young woman who took home Barry Manilow’s One Voice LP on vinyl; and to the gentleman who selected The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter: A Treasury of Myths, Legends, and Fascinating Facts by David Colbert; and to the Latina who chose four books on spirituality and a change purse. Of course when I got home there were no spots available on the block, so I had to park on the next and lug the set to the apartment. It’s now wrapped in plastic, ready should my huge screen Samsung go belly up.
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