Category: Local Page 1 of 35

Columns on local goings on could mean the Quad Cities of IA/IL (Moline, IL or Davenport, IA); Chicago; or Austin, Tx, since Connie spends parts of each year in those towns where she has homes. ‘Of local interest” could mean politics, opinion pieces, or business or entertainment-related subjects.

“The Studio” Screens at SXSW 2025 on Opening Night

By Connie Wilson

On March 9, 2025

In Local, Movies, Reviews, Television

Seth Rogen and friends came to downtown Austin in golf carts for the Premiere of their new television series “The Studio.” Accompanied by Evan Goldberg, Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn and Executive Producer Peter Huyck, the first two episodes of the new series gave me the most laughs since Bob Odenkirk in “Lucky Hank” in 2023 (or last year’s first look at the season of “Hacks” with Jean Smart in attendance.) This one is a winner. There are even appearances within the first episode by Paul Dano (“Wildfire”), Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”),Charlize Theron (“Monster”), Steve Buscemi (“The Sopranos”), Directors Peter Berg and Nick Stoller and a hilarious bit featuring Director Martin Scorsese. It begins streaming on Apple Plus on March 26, 2025.

Writer/Director Seth Rogen on the Red Carpet at SXSW on March 7, 2025. (Photo by Connie Wilson).

The Apple TV Plus offering would have had me signing up for the service if I didn’t already have it. The first two episodes are to be released March 26, 2025.

As the synopsis describes the series about making movies: “Seth Rogen stars as Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of embattled Continental Studios. As movies struggle to stay alive and relevant, Matt and his core team of infighting executives battle their own insecurities as they wrangle narcissistic artists and craven corporate overlords in the ever-elusive pursuit of making great films. With their power suits masking their never-ending sense of panic, every party, set visit, casting decision, marketing meeting, and award show presents them with an opportunity for glittering success or career-ending catastrophe. As someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes movies, it’s the job Matt’s been pursuing his whole life, and it may very well destroy him.”

EPISODE ONE

In Episode One—which opens with Paul Dano (“Let There Be Blood”) acting in a gory scene—we meet Matt, played by the schlubbish Everyman whom Rogen personifies. You get the feeling that Matt would like to make really fine cinematic masterpieces, but then there are “the suits” at the studio. They want movies that make money. And, as Bryan Cranston’s studio uber boss makes clear, the mext big thing after Greta Gerwig’s fantastic success with “Barbie” are more films focusing on the next Barbie, which, he says, is going to be (drum roll here) Kool Ade.(Cranston: “Two billion off the plastic tits of a fucking doll!”)

Kathryn Hahn of “The Studio” on the Red Carpet at SXSW on March 7, 2025. (Photo by Connie Wilson,)

The female studio head (Patty, played by Catherine O’Hara) has put in 22 years at the studio (think Sherry Lansing). But Patty is being forced out and Matt is in, disappointing best buddy Ike Barinholtz, who thought he had a shot. Patty isn’t taking Matt’s calls, at first, but when they finally meet, she presents as a formidable adversary who knows the business inside-out and sweet-talks and bullies Matt into giving her work as a producer. Matt owes her.

Matt tries to stand firm on some of Patty’s outrageous financial demands, but she counters, “I killed one of Warren’s movies in 1988 and he never slept with me again.” Part of the plot of the first episode is right out of the playbook that Sondra Locke experienced during her tumultuous break-up with Clint Eastwood. (She sued and won; look it up). “We’ll own the project, but nobody will ever be able to make it.”

The writing is truly spot-on. As the credits rolled, in addition to Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck is listed as Writer, not just Executive Producer, which he is along with James Weaver, Alex Gregory, Alex McAtee, Josh Fagen and Frida Perez, all of whom are also credited with helping write the truly hilarious dialogue. Editor for the series was Eric Kissack and Production Designer is Julie Berghoff. (I want to know whose Hollywood homes are featured as sets? Are they still standing? Did any of them burn down? They were gorgeous.)

EPISODE TWO

Ike Barinholtz on the Red Carpet for "The Studio" on March 7 at SXSW

Ike Barinholtz, co-star of “The Studio” on the Red Carpet at SXSW on March 7, 2025. (Photo by Connie Wilson).

In Episode #2, Matt decides to make a visit to a project that Patty is producing. It’s not a good idea, but he can’t be dissuaded.

There are many funny lines that center on the idea that “We have to keep Baby Huey (Matt) in his playpen.
“The days of Robert Evans stopping by with a Magnum of champagne and an 8-ball are gone,” goes one line and, ultimately, after a series of comedic clashes, the Director of the film shouts, “I want Mr. Magoo gone!”

CONCLUSION

If you love the movies and you have a sense of humor, don’t miss this one. Fans of “Hacks” will love this series, too. It’s my favorite SXSW viewing experience of 2025, so far.

Justin Trudeau Addresses Tariffs on Canada on March 4, 2025

By Connie Wilson

On March 4, 2025

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Local, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Pop Culture, Television

Canadian Primer Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unleashed a historic speech scorching Donald Trump’s idiocy over his disastrous new tariffs: “This is a very dumb thing to do.”

“The United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they’re talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying murderous dictator,” began Trudeau.

“Make that make sense.”

Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico took effect today and the markets are in free fall. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has already plummeted 662 points after plunging 650 points on Monday. The S&P 500 lost 1.3% and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.9%

The gullible fools who thought that Trump would be “good for the economy” have had the rug pulled out from under them in record time.

“Canadians are reasonable and we are polite,” Trudeau continued. “But we will not back down from a fight, not when our country and the well-being of everyone in it is at stake. At the moment, the U.S. tariffs came into effect in the early hours of this morning and so did the Canadian response.”

“Canada will be implementing 25% tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods starting with tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods immediately and tariffs on the remaining $125 billion of American products in twenty-one days time,” said Trudeau. “Our tariffs will remain in place until the U.S. tariffs are withdrawn and not a moment sooner.”

“And should these tariffs not cease, we are in active and ongoing discussions with provinces and territories to pursue several non-tariff measures, measures which will demonstrate that there are no winners in a trade war,” he threatened.

“Now just like I did a month ago, I want to speak first directly to the American people. We don’t want this,” said Trudeau. “We want to work with you as a friend and ally and we don’t want to see you hurt either.”

BEE GONE

“But your government has chosen to do this to you,” he stated bluntly. “As of this morning, markets are down and inflation is set to rise dramatically all across your country.”

“Your government has chosen to put American jobs at risk at the thousands of workplaces that succeed because of materials from Canada or because of consumers in Canada or both,” he went on.

“They’ve chosen to raise costs for American consumers on everyday essential items like groceries and gas, on major purchases like cars and homes, and everything in between,” he continued.

“They’ve chosen to harm American national security, impeding access to the abundant critical minerals, energy, building materials, and fertilizers that we have and that the United States needs to grow and prosper,” he explained.

“They’ve chosen to launch a trade war that will first and foremost harm American families. They’ve chosen to sabotage their own agenda that was supposed to usher in a new ‘Golden Age’ for the United States,” said Trudeau, taking a direct shot at MAGA’s latest inane rhetoric.

“And they’ve chosen to undermine the incredible work that we’ve done together to tackle the scourge that is fentanyl, a drug that must be wiped from the face of the Earth,” he added. “So on that point, let me be crystal clear. There is absolutely no justification or need whatsoever for these tariffs today.”

Trudeau then shifted gears to go after Donald Trump directly, the clueless mastermind behind this entire disaster—

“Now I want to speak directly to one specific American: Donald. In the over eight years you and I have worked together, we’ve done big things,” said Trudeau, appealing to Trump’s ego.

“We signed a historic deal that has created record jobs and growth in both of our countries. We’ve done big things together on the world stage as Canada and the U.S. have done together for decades, for generations,” he continued. “And now we should be working together to ensure even greater prosperity for North Americans in a very uncertain and challenging world.”

“Now, it’s not in my habit to agree with The Wall Street Journal but Donald, they point out that even though you’re a very smart guy this is a very dumb thing to do. We two friends fighting is exactly what our opponents around the world want to see,” said Trudeau.

“And now to my fellow Canadians: I won’t sugarcoat it. This is going to be tough even though we’re all going to pull together because that’s what we do,” he added. “We will use every tool at our disposal so Canadian workers and businesses can weather this storm.”

(*A last-minute exchange on Trump’s Truth Social Network suggests that Trump might now use this 25% tariff, scheduled to go into effect on March 5th, as a bullying tactic against Canada, much as he used the threat of discontinuing Ukrainian military aid to extract a promise from that war-torn country to hand over precious minerals to the U.S.

CNN called Trump’s threats “a game of economic chicken.”

Trump sees everything in terms of money and power and will use any means to seize and hold both, even if it means abandoning moral principles our country has espoused for many

generations, such as USAID. To put it in simpler terms, DJT finds the far-right groups easier to manipulate, since they will blindly follow a figurehead without thinking through that Talking Head’s positions to determine if they are really advantageous to them, personally. DJT and Elon Musk are overthrowing the traditional values of free speech (and, soon, free elections) because a “free” election might throw them out of power. And, as mentioned, DJT is all about seizing and maintaining their power and wealth. There is no morality to thinking this way, but, then, we’re talking about a man not known for his morality or his compassion or his concern for anyone but Donald J. Trump.

We are talking about a man who is squandering our (former) position as the Leader of the Free World. The message to the world is that the U.S. cannot be counted on. This is not about DJT. This is about the American people and DJT is not keeping the American people (and America) safe on any level.)

We’re In the Middle of A Hostile Government Take-Over

By Connie Wilson

On February 17, 2025

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Local, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics

“Motherland” Is 2025 Oscar-Eligible Short from Jasmin Mozzafari

By Connie Wilson

On December 2, 2024

In Local, Movies, News, Pop Culture, Reviews

"Motherland," a 2025 Oscar-eligible short.

“Motherland,” an Oscar eligible short.

“Motherland” – This 24 minute 21 second short dealt with a couple–an Iranian man and a girl from Iowa— who are meeting the girl’s in-laws for the first time. The Jasmin Mozaffari film is set against the backdrop of the Iranian hostage crisis, which took place in 1979 and lasted for 444 days during the Carter administration. It was inspired by Jasmin’s father who married a woman from Alberta, Canada.

WRITER/DIRECTOR

“Motherland” was named as the Best Canadian Short Film at the Toronto International Film Festival. Mozzafari was named Best Director at the Aspen Shortsfest and her debut film “Firecracker” debuted in 2018 at the Toronto International Film Festival. Her short YASAMIN, based on her mother’s story of immigration, was a Grand Jury Prize Nominee at the 2018 AFI Film Festival. In 2022, she associate produced the short documentary “Longline of Ladies” which world premiered at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival and won the grand jury prize at SXSW.

Jasmine’s father, in real life, married a woman from Alberta, Canada. The New York Times compared Mozaffari’s directing style to “a young Andrea Arnold.” For those not familiar with Andrea Arnold, she directed “American Honey” in 2017, which won a BAFTA as Outstanding British Film of the Year. In 2022, Arnold was a nominee for the Best Documentary of the Year for “Cow,” a chilling look at the life (and death) of a cow on a dairy farm in England, with no dialogue and an absolutely chilling end for the cow of the title. Andrea Arnold was named “Most Promising Newcomer” in 2007 for her film “Red Road” and shared a 2010 Bafta for “Fish Tank” for Best British Film. Arnold directed “American Honey” in 2017 with Shia LaBoeuf and Riley Keough. It was a big winner at Cannes and in London at BAFTA, but the film was overlong and meandered.

If Jasmine Mozaffari is being compared to Andrea Arnold, she is in very good company.

PLOT

Babak, an Iranian medical student in school in Iowa, portrayed by Behtash Fazlali, is in love with Katie and they are on their way (in a car, like 3 out of 5 of these shorts) to meet Katie’s parents for Thanksgiving, 1979. As the film opens Babak—who resembles Al Pacino in “Serpico” with the full beard as the film opens—is being harassed by the locals in a confrontation with Americans who are incensed at the invasion of the embassy in Tehran. One of the Americans holds a poster that says: “Nuke ‘em until they glow. It worked in Japan. It’ll work in Iran.”

The couple meets up with, initially, just Katie’s mother at a dance hall type building that would be more at home in Texas or Oklahoma than in Iowa. I grew up in Iowa. Neither the landscape around the dance hall nor the dance hall itself seemed authentically “Iowan.” The surrounding landscape looked much more like Texas, from where I am while writing this.

CAST

"Motherland" is a 2025 Oscar-eligible short from Jasmin Mozaffari.

“Motherland,” a short from Jasmin Mozaffari.

Katie’s mother, Ruth, played by Birgitte Solem, is polite but cool to the young man escorting her daughter. Katie’s (Oriana Leman) father doesn’t show up at all, at first. Later, her father, Werner Summer—extremely well-played by John Ralston—makes it clear to Bobak that “My daughter will not be your effing green card.” Bobak—who has even begun calling himself “Bob”—has, by this point, shaved his beard and is trying very hard to make a good impression. However, much like immigrants from other countries who are demonized, tensions were running high and much of the animosity was not based on reality, but on hearsay or propaganda. Originally, the Iranian students protesting the Shah who took over the Embassy had no intention of occupying it for long periods of time. It is interesting that many of those in positions of power that day went on to become highly-placed governmental figures.

I don’t doubt that there was hostility towards Iranians in the United States during this tense time in history. I lived through it as a teacher; it probably happened more in the cities, whereas I was in a relatively rural area in Illinois. I was teaching 7^th and 8^th grade students and had known one of the Iranian hostages from Jesup, Iowa. My students and I were very aware of the crisis and very concerned for the safety of the hostages.

CONCLUSION

Fourteen months later, on January 20, 1981, the Iranian hostages were released. This was announced by Reagan, although it was negotiated by Jimmy Carter. The protesters were angered that the United States allowed the Shah to enter the U.S. for medical treatment for cancer and that they would not return him for trial. $7.9billion in Iranian assets that had been seized was released to facilitate the release of the 52 hostages, not counting those who escaped posing as a film crew, as depicted in the film “Argo.” Nov. 4, 1979 was the beginning of the Iranian hostage situation; the end was January 20, 1981.

In “Motherland” I could not tell if the romance between Babak and Katie was going to go forward or if her parents’ hostility had killed it. They are (once again) in a car and the Thanksgiving, 1979 meeting with Katie’s parents did not go well. I can only assume that, since Jasmine’s father, IRL, did marry a Canadian woman, they work further on their relationship and rise above her parents’ opposition to it.

“His Mother” Is 2025 Oscar-eligible Short

By Connie Wilson

On December 1, 2024

In Local, Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, Reviews

Bethany Anne Lind in “His Mother.”

“His Mother,” a 13 minute and 39 second short film that is Oscar eligible, stars Jennifer Lawrence look-alike Bethany Anne Lind as the mother of a young man who is threatening violence at his college, Southern Tech. Young Harrison Miller, age 19, 5’ 10”, has left a variety of clues that he is about to explode, saying things like “The end has come” and “None of you ever gave me a chance.”

Maia Scalia wrote and directed this high tension race to save lives, She is a graduate of New York University’s Tisch School of Art and has worked on 2022’s “Call Jane” with Director Phyllis Nagy and star Elizabeth Banks and Sigourney Weaver in 2022, a film about the fight for abortion rights in pre-Roe days, which would be just as timely right about now. Ms. Scalia’s choice of Bethany Anne Lind to play “His Mother” is fortunate, because she does a believable job as a half-hysterical mother on her way to try to save her son from committing murder

Bethany Anne Lind played Grace Young in “Ozark” and Sandra in “Stranger Things.” It is a tribute to Bethany Anne’s emoting while behind the wheel of her car and racing to the scene of the potential crime that this short works at all. It was the third (of five) that had significant—or all, as in this case—portions shot inside a vehicle. Having written a few screenplays, I understand how tempting it is to use a car or a truck for the setting, as it certainly helps keep expenses down and frees up the set decorator and art decorator and lots of other sorts (not much need for unique costumes, either) and, consequently, helps keep the cost(s) of a production down.

We never actually see her son, Harrison, or his preoccupied father, Jason Miller, whom Bethany Anne talks to on the phone. The voice of father Jason is D.W. Moffett, a Chicago native who has played roles in “Traffic,” “Falling Down,” and “Friday Night Lights.” The voice of Harrison, her son, is Ben Irving, who played Bobby Freeze in Ben Affleck’s 2020 film “The Way Back.” Officer Davis (Evan Hall of “Orange is the New Black”) and the emergency dispatcher (Aleah Guinones; Keisha in 2023’s “Shrinking”) are the only other voices in the piece, and we never see them.

“His Mother” Oscar eligible short.

Sound effects (bullets and sirens, for example) become important in this short piece. The music by Eli Keszler is crucial and the cinematography by Matt Clegg is mostly close-ups of Bethany Anne Lind’s face. I found myself wondering how his mother telling the authorities to look for her son in a blue Accura was viewed by Ms. Miller when the authorities caught up to her son, who had posted videos that led to him being sought as an “active shooter at large.” Phrases like “This is his only choice” are countered by his frazzled mother’s plea “Please help me understand.”

This one was tense and dramatic and takes place completely inside a car. I saw five in one sitting; this was my favorite.

Key Considerations When Shipping Motorcycles Across the U.S.

By Connie Wilson

On November 22, 2024

In Local, Movies, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, travel

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 17: Austin Butler at the Los Angeles Premiere of Focus Features’ “The Bikeriders” at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 17, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Focus Features)

Key Considerations When Shipping Motorcycles Across the U.S.

Shipping a motorcycle across the United States can be a convenient and efficient way to transport your bike, whether you’re relocating, selling a motorcycle to a buyer in another state, or heading to a rally. However, it’s not as simple as loading your bike onto a truck. Proper planning, preparation, and choosing the right shipping method are essential to ensuring your motorcycle arrives safely and without any issues. Here are key considerations to keep in mind when shipping a motorcycle across the U.S.

Choose a Reputable Shipping Company

Selecting the right shipping company is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when shipping a motorcycle. Not all transport companies specialize in motorcycles, and you’ll want one with experience handling bikes. Consider moving your motorcycles with Shiply, a platform that connects you with transport providers. Research companies by reading customer reviews, checking their safety records, and verifying that they have the necessary licenses and insurance. Ensure that the company provides specific motorcycle shipping services and understands how to handle and secure bikes during transit.

Open vs. Enclosed Shipping

When shipping a motorcycle, you typically have two options: open or enclosed transport. Open transport involves shipping your motorcycle on an open trailer, which is more affordable but exposes the bike to weather conditions, road debris, and potential damage. This option might be suitable for shorter distances or if you’re shipping a bike that’s not particularly valuable or vulnerable.

Enclosed transport, on the other hand, involves placing your motorcycle inside a fully enclosed trailer, protecting it from the elements and external hazards. While enclosed shipping tends to be more expensive, it’s the better option for high-value motorcycles, classic bikes, or long-distance trips across the U.S. For those who want peace of mind, especially during cross-country transport, enclosed shipping is often worth the extra cost.

HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 17: Jodie Comer (L) and Austin Butler at the Los Angeles Premiere of Focus Features’ “The Bikeriders” at TCL Chinese Theatre on June 17, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Getty Images for Focus Features)

Understand the Costs

Shipping costs are influenced by distance sending, the size and weight of your motorcycle, and the choice between open or enclosed transport. Other elements, like the time of year, can also affect the price. For instance, shipping during winter or holidays may be more expensive due to higher demand or more difficult weather conditions.

Make sure to get a detailed quote that outlines all fees. Some companies may offer lower initial quotes but add hidden charges later. Understanding the total cost upfront will help you avoid unexpected expenses. Consider additional insurance costs as well, especially if your motorcycle is particularly valuable.

Insurance Coverage

While most motorcycle shipping companies offer basic insurance as part of their service, it may not be enough to cover the full value of your bike, particularly if it’s a custom or high-end model. Before shipping, review the shipping company’s insurance policy to understand what’s covered in case of damage, loss, or theft during transport.

If the coverage is insufficient, you may want to purchase additional insurance for peace of mind. Also, document the condition of your motorcycle before shipping by taking detailed photos from multiple angles. This evidence can help you file a claim in the event of damage.

Prepare Your Motorcycle for Shipping

Properly preparing your motorcycle before it’s picked up for transport is crucial to ensure it arrives in the best possible condition. Start by cleaning your bike thoroughly so that it’s easier to spot any pre-existing damage. Take detailed photos, as mentioned earlier, to document its condition.

Next, remove any loose items or accessories, such as saddlebags or custom mirrors, that could get damaged during transport. You should also check for fluid leaks and ensure that the gas tank is no more than a quarter full. Lowering the fuel level helps reduce the weight of the motorcycle and mitigates the risk of leaks. Finally, check tire pressure and ensure the battery is fully charged.

Conclusion

Shipping a motorcycle across the U.S. can be a seamless process if you take the time to plan carefully and choose the right service. By considering factors such as the type of transport, cost, insurance, and preparation, you can ensure your motorcycle arrives safely at its destination. Ultimately, working with a reputable shipping company such as Shiply and preparing your bike correctly will give you peace of mind throughout the journey.

“Blitz” is Steve McQueen Film Screened at CIFF 2024

By Connie Wilson

On October 25, 2024

In Education, Local, Movies, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Reviews

“Blitz,” from British director Steve McQueen, depicts Londoners during the Blitz of World War II in 1940. The harrowing drama focuses on a young bi-racial boy (Elliott Heffernan) sent to the countryside by his mother (Saoirse Ronan) for safekeeping. Approximately 500,000 young children were sent to the countryside from London to protect them from the blitz. Young George Hanway, age 9, jumps off the train taking him to safety, and tries to return to his home in Stepney, Clifford Lane, and his piano-playing grandfather (Paul Weller) and his Mom. The blitz (short for “blitzkrieg”) took place from September of 1940 through May of 1941. Forty-three thousand civilians, primarily in London, were killed; that number represented half of Britain’s wartime civilian casualties.

GENESIS

I began wondering what caused Writer/Director Steve McQueen to go back in time, historically, and create such an accurate depiction of what it must have been like to live through the war-time bombing of London. Perhaps the germ of an idea came out of McQueen’s expressed wish to do with the city of London something similar to what Martin Scorsese has done with New York City? McQueen has a highly developed artistic background; it serves him well in “Blitz.” When asked about the inspiration for the film, he mentioned a picture he had seen of a small boy of the time being sent off to the countryside on July 5, 1940. It was this picture that guided much of the search for a young boy to play the lead role, as McQueen envisioned the blitz being seen through a child’s eyes.

Young boy being sent to the countryside during the Blitz in 1940.

July 5, 1940 British child being sent to the countryside for safety during the Blitz.

CAST

Elliott Heffernan was cast as that small child, the daughter of Rita Hanway (Saiorse Ronan), a white worker in the factory making bombs for Britain, and the son of an absent father from Grenada, who is deported, leaving nothing behind for his wife and child but a St. Christopher Medal given him by his own mother. McQueen has said, in other interviews, “To some extent he (Elliott Heffernan) carries this movie.” Elliott was 9 when filming began. “He was 8 when he auditioned,” says McQueen. “So he was a little boy, and he auditioned because he’d never done acting before. As soon as I saw him, I thought, ‘Oh, he is the truth!’ He wasn’t going to pretend to be a child. He was a child.” (“Deadline” interview).

Also carrying the movie and singing in it, as well, is Saiorse Ronan (“The Lovely Bones,” “Brooklyn,” “Atonement”). McQueen’s lead actress has two strong films out this year with “The Outrun” receiving Oscar buzz. Says McQueen of Saoirse Ronan, “She’s like Bette Davis. She’s that good.” He called her “interesting” and “fascinating. “She makes the ordinary extraordinary, the arbitrary fascinating.” The eyelash scene, where Rita asks George to “make a wish” on an eyelash plucked from his cheek was actually something that occurred naturally between Saiorse and Elliott while they were bonding between scenes. McQueen chose to take the normal gesture and use it prominently in the film.

MUSIC

For composer Hans Zimmer, this is a deeply personal movie. His mother was evacuated from Germany and spent the war years in London. He remembered her stories about living in Mayfair, with bombs dropping all around. Zimmer reflected on his childhood when composing the score. He constructed it from a child’s perspective of terror and chaos, opening with an orchestra of children’s recorders. Zimmer’s score for this film is mentioned as a probable Oscar nominee. There are also many period songs utilized in the film and much (too much?) singing.

Back in 2016, when McQueen received the Artistic Vision Award here in Chicago, he said, “Sound is so important in film. People need to lean in to listen. It gives them something to do”.

CAST BASED ON REAL PEOPLE

Leigh Gill (“Joker,” “Game of Thrones”) portrayed “Mickey the Midget,” a Jewish East ender, Mickey Davies, a local optician and community organizer who stepped up to help make the time spent underground in the subway more humane. (Buckets for rest rooms, for openers.) There was a movement to memorialize Mickey IRL, but it died when Boris Johnson was Mayor of London.

Benjamin Clementine (“Dune: Part One”) portrays Ife, who was based on the real-life E.I. EKpenyon, who was a law student from Nigeria who became an air warden in Marleybone. Ife (translated as “love” in Nigeria) teaches George to sing “Alleluia” as George accompanies him on his route, telling the locals to honor the blackout during the blitz. [Like all the horror movies where you know it’s a bad sign when someone is going to go to the attic or the basement, the well-meaning promises that Ife makes to George about returning him to his home the next day seem based on shifting sand.]

Paul Weller (“Grosse Pointe Blank”), a true musician, plays Gerald, or Grand-dad, as he is called. McQueen said seeing a picture of Paul McCartney with his father and a piano in Paul McCartney’s original house triggered the selection and one of the more haunting images (spoiler alert) is of Grand-dad’s dead body after he becomes one of the victims of the blitz. The camera lingers on his face in the rubble.

There were two Black clubs in London at the time. One was the Shim-Sham and, on the Piccadilly side, there was the Café de Paris, which the locals frequented because it was below ground and, therefore, considered safer. Onscreen, the local bandleader, Ken “Snakehips” Johnson is well-played by a young Black man in a white tux and tails who introduces a stunning Black singer in a white dress who sings “Oh, Johnny.” (Both were impressive.) Sadly, two bombs entered the ventilation shaft to the underground club and a scene is set in the remains of the club that involves young George, which seemed to be reaching a bit in depicting the adventures of the 9-year-old.

PICARESQUE HERO

Young George, with his mother and grand-dad, as he is leaving for the countryside.

Filmed at 13 locations around England and London, McQueen has said of “Blitz,” “It’s a very dark fairy tale. It’s the Brothers Grimm. And that’s the journey George goes on.” In the English-speaking world, the term “picaresque” is used loosely to refer to novels that contain some elements of this genre; e.g. an episodic recounting of adventures on the road. An English Literature major, I recognized enough picaresque elements of “Blitz” to recognize that the term applies to the adventures that young George has while trying to return home. While some of the adventures held your interest—especially the accurate re-creations of such things as the flooding of the tube (which actually occurred and killed 34 people)—having them ALL happen to George on his journey seemed a bit much. (Mid-film I wrote, “Film needs a bit more to sustain it when it’s simply George being taken advantage of.”)

CONCLUSION

Saiorse Ronan and co-star Elliott Heffernan in Blitz.

In some ways, the comparisons to “Belfast,” which opened the 58^th Chicago International Film Festival, are valid. Both turn the clock back on time, although “Blitz” does so in a much more arresting style, visually. The opening scene alone, where an old-style leaky canvas firehose is proving almost impossible to control while fighting the fires in the streets of London, is riveting. Others along the way, especially the scenes of how life went down in the tube (subway) are equally mesmerizing.

The attempts to recognize real heroes like Mickey Davies and to preach a bit in one subway scene (“We are all equal members of this country, willing or not…Treat each other with compassion and respect.”), while laudable, come off a bit obvious to everything going down around us in the world today. We can applaud the message and hope that it is internalized by everyone, but, in this country, at least, we are about to go to the polls to vote for a new President, and one of the candidates has made a mockery of that message. One critic used an expression “muffled by good intentions,” which applies, but even more than that, there was something so old-fashioned about the film that it surprised me it was a Steve McQueen film.

The movie opens in theaters on November 1^st and will be streaming on Apple by November 22^nd. There is also an Apple special that is a “behind-the-scenes” look at the making of “Blitz” that should be truly entertaining, just as researching some of the real-life background for the film proved to be.

It’s a powerful film. It will resonate with anyone who hopes we learn from the mistakes of our past and forge better paths to peace.

The Moose Is Loose on Friday the 13th (2024)

By Connie Wilson

On September 14, 2024

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Humor and Weird Wilson-isms, Local, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Pop Culture

Amanda and I were mightily amused by the Moose. (It doesn’t take much to entertain us).

Harking back to my post-debate piece on the Harris/Trump September 10^th debate, faithful readers—all 3 of you—will remember that I asked the question “IS LUCY SAFE?” regarding a pet cat that we were forced to re-home because of our wintering in Texas. Lucy—like the pet cats and dogs that Donald J. Trump claimed during the September 10^th debate are being kidnapped and eaten in Springfield, Ohio—was an indoor/outdoor cat, as she had come to us from the ravine behind our house. Could she have become a statistic in Trump’s always unreliable statistics?

The newspapers on the day after the debate, were filled with memes and comments on that unlikely topic of the debate, i.e., the kidnapping of cats and dogs in Springfield, Ohio and their alleged use as an entrée by Haitian immigrants. In Springfield (a town that Bart Simpson calls home) it has apparently gotten so bad that the city fathers have asked for understanding. They have acknowledged that their city’s sudden fame and prominence has become a real problem, complete with bomb threats.

Taylor Swift and cats

The dog/cat debate came on the heels of the RFK, Jr. revelation ( made to Roseanne Barr while on television) that he once picked up a dead bear that was road kill and took the animal with him to clean it and eat it. While this may be normal behavior for the Kennedy clan, most of us would not stop and scavenge a dead animal, taking it along to clean and eat later.

In the version I read, RFK, Jr.. then remembered that he had reservations at Peter Luger’s Steakhouse—an establishment I have actually eaten at once—and, therefore, decided to forgo cutting his own steaks from the dead bear. Instead, the young RFK, Jr., dumped the dead bear in Central Park, along with a bicycle. This may have been imeant to make others think the bear bicycled there and expired. (I’m not sure I understand the part where one stops and picks up road kill, saving it “for later,” but I definitely found the bear/bicycle story to be even more unbelievable than the Springfield cats & dogs story.) Also, I wondered if the Moosehead was much smaller than the whale head that RFK, Jr., is said to have cut off with an electric saw after the animal washed up on a beach.

Does this moosehead rival the whale head that RFK, Jr., also is said to have removed with a chain saw?

So, with the two paragraphs above as preamble, imagine my surprise when, upon leaving a restaurant known as the Treehouse, there was a $1,795 dollar moose head sitting outside the door in a flimsy wooden cage. Wow. This was random even on a Friday the 13^th! And WHY was the moose head—worth nearly $2 grand—sitting there with no security and no obvious owner? Was Brian Rashid planning on mounting it somewhere within the restaurant? Did it have anything to do with the Bull Moose Party? (That’s the last time a very questionable assassination attempt went awry when the bullet struck a copy of Teddy Roosevelt’s speech, as I understand it.)

THE TREEHOUSE

Brian Rashid, owner of “The Treehouse”

The Treehouse (Bettendorf, Iowa) is owned (or co-owned) by Brian Rashid, who is a big Donald J. Trump admirer. On September 20, 2023, DJT stopped by the Treehouse restaurant in Bettendorf, Iowa, after campaign stops in Maquoketa and Dubuque. Articles online suggest Rashid has had 12 or 13 DUI arrests and may have been illegally triggering alarms to see if law enforcement responded promptly enough to suit him. It is somewhat remarkable that the GOP party in Scott County was not aware of all this about the owner of the Treehouse, since it isn’t what most campaigns would want associated with their candidate…unless the candidate is Donald J. Trump. Trump handed out pizza to random patrons; he signed autographs for some of the lovelies assembled in the restaurant.

DJT at the Treehouse in Bettendorf, Iowa

Trump at work charming Iowans and signing…uh…autographs?

THE MOOSEHEAD

The moose is loose.

As we were exiting the restaurant on September 13^th (FRIDAY, the 13^th), there was a large moose head immediately outside the door, with a price tag commensurate with the going rate on large moose heads: $1,795. (The moose is loose!). I couldn’t help but wonder if RJK, Jr., had a hand in this random moosehead situation right outside the door of one of the area’s most vocal Trump supporters.

DINING AT THE TREEHOUSE ON FRIDAY THE 13th

I cannot fault the food, (although the Scott County Health examiners have done so after inspections), but on Friday the 13^th the women’s bathroom was tied up the entire night. No idea what, exactly, was going on in there, but there is only one rest room for the men (a one-holer) and one rest room for the women (also a one-holer). I stopped and tried to enter the women’s rest room on our way into the restaurant, as I had consumed two Diet Dr. Peppers prior to our trek across I-74 to dine. A full 40 minutes later it was still impossible to gain entrance. Then our friends (a couple with two children, one a third-grade girl) arrived.

Isla wanted to wash her hands. I accompanied her to the rest room that had been “busy” when we entered.

It was still busy. At least 40 minutes had passed since my first futile attempt to use the rest room.

If you want a Moose head, be prepared to shell out Big Bucks. (But money well spent—right?)

I encouraged my small companion to give the door handle a good try. She certainly did.

Later, she announced her intention of standing by the door until the occupant emerged. (That was way more than I was willing to do.)

Soon, Isla returned to our table and shared the news that the toilet in the women’s rest room was “all backed up” and that she heard a woman “throwing up” behind the door. (She gave a very good imitation of the noise she heard. Bravo, Isla!). She advised that any of us wanting to use the bathroom should try the men’s rest room. (Nothing like a smart third-grader to cut to the root of the problem and figure out what is going on behind a locked door.)

The food and service was satisfactory, but the rest room situation was not great. I told our server that the women’s rest room had been continuously occupied for at least an hour and he acknowledged that it was “probably a staff member.” (Ewwww)

So ends my tale of the Treehouse Restaurant in Bettendorf, Iowa, (which offers the Plantation Salad, well-known in the area if you are 50 or older). And a story of cats, whales, moose, RFK, Jr., DJT and Friday the 13th, 2024.

Pillars of Community—Church, Schools—In Decline

By Connie Wilson

On August 28, 2024

In Editorial, Education, Local, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture

Madison, Tennessee

Alec McGillis in “The New Yorker” reported on the closing of eleven of Rochester, New York’s forty-five schools this way:

SCHOOLS IN CRISIS

“Four years ago, as the school year started with remote learning in many districts around the country, particularly in Democratic-leaning cities, I reported a piece for ProPublica and “The New Yorker” looking at what Zoom school was really like for disadvantaged students. The piece focused on Shemar, a seventh grader in Baltimore who had grown deeply isolated since schools had closed the previous March, and who only occasionally logged on to his online classes. “That homeschooling is not going to get it,” his grandmother said.

Shemar would not return to in-person schooling until the following year, the end of an almost-eighteen-month hiatus. His struggles to engage since then have been unsurprising, and have been shared by countless other students. I have written several more pieces for The New Yorker and ProPublica on the lingering consequences of the closures, including learning loss and chronic absenteeism.

DEC:LINING SCHOOL ENROLLMENT

Earlier this year, McGillis decided to report on another aftershock: declining enrollment that is forcing districts to close underpopulated schools on an unprecedented scale. Nationwide, public-school rolls have diminished by more than a million students, as many families have opted to leave for private schools or homeschooling. The declines are particularly stark in places where schools stayed closed the longest during the pandemic. (There is also the declining birth rate, which is plaguing many civilized countries. It is only because of the United States’ robust immigration numbers that our population numbers are not declining like those of nearly every other civilized nation in the world.

McGillis focused his reporting on one such city: Rochester, New York, where the district just decided to close eleven of its forty-five schools, a wrenching process that has caused disarray for families and left many neighborhoods without the hubs that sustained them for generations. “It’s like you’re watching institutions decline in real time,” one county legislator told me. “

Anchors of the community are disappearing.” This statement is very true. Placing unqualified people in positions of power, as happened in the first Trump administration, with Betsy DeVos as Secretary of Education and others with no expertise in their field(s) put in charge of those fields is another reason why institutions show decline. Placing the vaccine-denier Robert Kennedy, Jr., in a position in the Department of Health would be another such miscarriage of justice, but has been rumored to be the deal that RFK, Jr., sought in order to endorse Donald Trump.

The piece raises the crucial question: Can American public education survive its downsizing intact, or is there a tipping point beyond which the system starts to unravel?”

DECLINING CHURCH ATTENDANCE

church

At the same time that public schools, nationwide, are under attack, the Catholic Church has been consolidating parishes and cutting way, way back.

In St. Louis, Missouri, where my cousin has been active as an organist in a large parish for many decades, she described losing her position when her church was closed. She went on to talk about how difficult it has become for some of the older members of her original parish to make it to the church that remains open but is not nearby,. There was no gold watch or gesture of appreciation for her large and well-regarded choir that had as many as 40 members who participated. People came from other churches just to hear the excellent choir. The priest who made the call to tell the 85-year-old organist that the Diocese had decided it was going to be better to dump the choir and the organ music and have a guitar mass with him playing solo.

Kind of rips at the community fabric that church is supposed to represent, don’t you think?

In East Moline, Illinois, St. Anne’s School closed after many years, following on the heels of St. Mary’s Catholic School just across town that closed 40 years ago. St. Anne’s was my husband’s childhood school. He went to school there from 1950 through 1958. Now, it is yet another empty building in an area full of empty buildings.

So, why are so many schools and churches closing?

On any given weekend only 3 in 10 U.S. adults attend religious services. This is down from 42% twenty years ago. Church attendance has declined across all U.S. religious groups and will almost certainly decline further in the future, given the fact that younger Americans have a weaker attachment to religion. The percentage of adults who say they never attend church has more than doubled over the past 22 years, going from 13% in 2000 to about 33% in 2023. The percent of those who attended weekly has declined from 32% to 20% in 2022.

Between 2000 and 2015, the Presbyterian Church USA, the Episcopal Church, and the United Church of Christ lost 40% of their members. An elderly friend of mine who lived in Chicago at the time became an Episcopalian minister and returned to our mutual home town to take over the church that sits just one house from my childhood home. When she returned to take over these duties, the flock had dwindled to only 7 members and the church was in danger of being closed, but the strenuous efforts of my friend saved it from the chopping block. She remains its pastor at age 85 and has had some success in recruiting new members by instituting a weekly humanitarian effort they dub “Hot Dog Friday,” where free hot dogs are distributed to all takers. She once jumped out of an airplane on her 80^th birthday to raise funds to put a new roof on the very old church and St. James Episcopalian Church is much the better for her Herculean efforts to preserve it, even to the point that she was approached to run for Mayor of the town.

MILLENNIALS

“Many Millennials never had strong ties to religion in the first place. They were not brought up in the church in the same numbers as generations prior. This has left them without much connection to the church as they entered adulthood. Millennials are also reportedly turned off by the high-profile church leadership scandals and the increasing political polarization in many American congregations, causing many to lose trust in churches and religious institutions altogether.” When the Supreme Court appears to have been stacked by a former president and the peaceful transfer of power is in danger of disappearing, distrust of many American institutions is rampant.

Hopeful Signs of Millennial Church Attendance

However, there are some hopeful signs. Thirty-nine percent of Millennials report attending church weekly, up from 21% in 2019. (Barna), Millennials make up the largest surge in returns to church as the pandemic has ended. We are entering crucial life stages that make us open to church as a way to connect and find guidance.

When Catholics are asked about their failure to faithfully attend church services, they have mentioned the Catholic Church’s many scandals. Some of the Catholic Church and school closings nave been tied to the pay-outs the church is making to victims of abuse. Closing a church or a school may be linked as much to money as to declining attendance.

CONCLUSION

Donald Trump on January 6th

In a country where the schools, the post office, the Supreme Court and churches are under attack, the GOP candidate for the presidency is the least religious candidate in decades. Trump has no moral center. It is largely because of DJT that the United States Post Office under DeJoy (who owns stock in the private mail delivery services) is on life support. He would cause irreparable harm to our country by appointing even more unqualified people to his administration.

We need to elect the alternative to Donald J. Trump, because DJT is an agent of chaos and we can expect these pillars of our communities to decline further if he is ever anywhere near power again.

James Bond Exhibit at Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry

By Connie Wilson

On July 24, 2024

In Editorial, Education, Local, Movies, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Pop Culture, travel

We moseyed over to the Museum of Science & Industry to see the James Bond exhibit, showing us many of the gadgets used in the Bond movies.

Also present were many cars used in the Bond films, most of them Aston Martins (although there was one white car that was different.) There were motorcycles, waterskiing machines, and an assortment of smaller gadgets. I’ve taken quite a few pictures, which will not contain information on who, what, when, where or why because you will probably know these films as well as I do.

After we toured the 2 rooms that contain the James Bond memorabilia, we went through the room that has information about DNA and genetics and heredity. There were also small chicks hatching from eggs in that room.

The pictures tell the story:

I have to admit this made me think of DJT’s gold sneakers and gold toilet.

Aston Martin.