Welcome to WeeklyWilson.com, where author/film critic Connie (Corcoran) Wilson avoids totally losing her marbles in semi-retirement by writing about film (see the Chicago Film Festival reviews and SXSW), politics and books----her own books and those of other people. You'll also find her diverging frequently to share humorous (or not-so-humorous) anecdotes and concerns. Try it! You'll like it!
Connie has been reviewing film uninterruptedly since 1970 (47 years) and routinely covers the Chicago International Film Festival (14 years), SXSW, the Austin Film Festival, and others, sharing detailed looks in advance at upcoming entertainment. She has taught a class on film and is the author of the book “Training the Teacher As A Champion; From The Godfather to Apocalypse Now, published by the Merry Blacksmith Press of Rhode Island.
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.
“Twisters,” the sequel to the 1996 film “Twister” opened today, yet another featuring Austin, Texas native Glen Powell in a film that opened at around $32 million after spending $200 million (budgeted at $150 million) on the follow-up to that iconic film. It was an enjoyable example of escapist entertainment for summer, 2024, opening not long after the second sequel to “A Quiet Place: Day One”, which also falls into that category. This will become a big summer crowd favorite.
The second “Twister” inspired me to revisit the original Bill Paxton/Helen Hunt vehicle to compare them. Both films give credit to Michael Crichton, who created the characters, although the “story” this time is said to be from Joseph Kosinski who scripted “Top Gun: Maverick” working with Mark L. Smith. Steven Spielberg executive-produced the new “Twisters” and “Minari” director Lee Isaac Chang directed.
For those who have been living under a rock since 1996 when the original “Twister” premiered in May, it starred Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt, ably assisted by Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cary Elwes (“Princess Bride”), Alan Ruck (“Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Succession”), Jami Gertz and Lois Smith.
So, how are the two movies about chasing tornadoes and trying to “tame” them alike—or different?
THE OPENING SCENES
The original film opens with the devastating death of Helen Hunt’s father, who is sucked from their cellar by an EF5 tornado while trying to hold the door to the cellar shut against the storm. She is just a small child. We had a storm cellar door just like the one in the original “Twister.” I could relate—especially since I, too, lived through a tornado in my small Iowa hometown (Independence, Iowa) when only 2 years old. If you’re a regular blog follower, you will notice that my last post was about an EF1 tornado that we just lived through on Monday, July 16th, which left us without power for 4 days. In the tornado that I lived through at age 2, the roof of nearby St. John’s Church was ripped off and deposited in our back yard, where my dad built a playhouse for me from the lumber (which we called “the Hooky,” for reasons Icannot explain.) The EF5 tornado in the original “Twister”was filmed near Ames, Iowa. Because her father dies in the first film’s tornado, Helen Hunt’s character of Dr. Jo Harding spends her life trying to find a way to neutralize tornadoes. The film shares that the designations EF1 through EF5 are categorized not on wind speeds, but on the extent of the devastation that occurs as a result.
The new sequel “Twisters” also opens with the harrowing death of those close to Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Where the Crawdads Sing,” “Normal People”), including her boyfriend and other members of the storm chaser team. Kate is testing her latest theory for taming tornadoes in an attempt to win grant money. It’s a project which she seems to have been working on since a science fair in Middle School.
DAISY EDGAR-JONES
I did not know much about Ms. Edgar-Jones. I have learned that she is actually British, which is at least a testament to her ability to adopt a believable American accent. However, she didn’t have the grit of Helen Hunt; this part calls for grit. It is also difficult to believe that the very slight girl wouldn’t have been one of the first storm chasers to have been sucked up by the tornado while running for cover, but nevermind about that. She’s okay, but it’s Glen Powell I came to see.
GLEN POWELL
Starring opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones (Kate Cooper) as rowdy storm chaser Tyler Owens is the ubiquitous Glen Powell, who was also recently the lead in Richard Linklater’s “Hit Man,” which the New York Times named the Best Movie of the Year (so far) back when I attended its premiere in Austin, Texas in May. Powell is this generation’s answer to Tom Cruise, but taller. His scruffy group of storm chasers are described as “Hillbillies with a YouTube channel” and he dubs himself a “tornado wrangler.” He sells shirts with his picture on them that say, “This is not my first tornado.” (Mine, either.)
Powell is a handsome young man who played one of the volleyball crew on the beach in Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun: Maverick.” He has a mega-watt smile and a muscled torso that Tom Cruise would have killed for back when he was a mere 36 years old, (Powell’s age now). Cruise might also have liked some of Powell’s six foot height, since he’s only five feet seven inches. I am a Glen Powell fan. (I know: join the club).
I was present for his induction into the Texas Hall of Fame, where he thanked his first grade teacher, his fifth grade teacher and his high school counselor and gathered many family members (who tend to turn up in his movies). They all assembled for a group photo onstage at the end of the ceremony at Austin’s Paramount Theater. This young man is going to be a big star—if he isn’t one already. He’s been working towards films like this since the age of 13 or 14 and was first cast by Robert Rodriguez, who introduced him on the night of the induction. Even before that, young Glen was learning to write scripts in high school from Austin experts and, in fact, co-wrote the script for “Hit Man.” Although he acknowledged that one of his tornado stories made it into the script, this script by others is generally “meh.” I will say that the prophetic words “I’ve got you” during a race to safety were uttered just as everyone dies, which seemed apropos.
DISAPPOINTING
Glen Powell onstage at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas, at the screening of his new film “Hit Man” on May 15th, 2024.
One of the obvious storylines in each “Twister” iteration is the romance between the leads. In fact, in the original “Twister,” Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt are actually a married couple on the verge of divorce. Paxton’s stint in therapy has led him to a romance with Jamie Gertz, who is portrayed as a scaredy-cat. Gertz is not a good fit for the adventurous Bill Harding of “Twister” and Bill must, somehow, find his way back to Helen Hunt. (Spoiler alert: Paxton and Hunt reconcile and share a kiss at film’s end. Unfortunately for the audience, in the new “Twisters” there is not even a hug or a kiss at any point in the new film. Was this bad decision made because the studio envisioned audiences filled with small children? It makes no sense. You take two handsome people like Glen Powell and Daisy Ridley-Jones and build a romantic scenario, yet they never get to lock lips. Big disappointment. I would recommend “Hit Man” if you’d like to see a Glen Powell movie with a much better romance.)
Also disappointing, the MIA flying cow. Doesn’t everyone love the flying cow of the original film? Not present or accounted for in this one.
Also disappointing was the failure to make a statement about global warming and climate change, which is causing us to have more storms of every kind. If a film with the title “Twisters” is not an opportunity to decry our lack of progress on curbing the horrible weather that global weather is causing, what film would be better?
There were 10 tornadoes sighted here in the Iowa/Illinois Quad Cities this past Monday. One of them left us without power for four days, and that was just an EF1. Everyone preparing to vote for a president should make themselves aware that one side wants to “Drill, baby, drill,” which means more pollution from gas-burning vehicles and more damage to the atmosphere, and the other side has vowed to try to do something about global warming—although it appears every day that we’ve gone too far to turn back and restore normal temperatures and return to the days of relatively storm-free devastation. The best we might be able to do is stop where we are now, which was 105 heat index last Monday in East Moline, Illinois, which is normally about 80 degrees this time of year.
We’re seeing more storms and they are more severe, and that extends to tornadoes, hurricanes, cyclones, floods and all other devastating acts of nature. Wouldn’t it have been a good idea to at least give a nod to this problem that is destroying our planet? Apparently Hollywood didn’t think so, probably because we have a party that has no intention of trying to change the trajectory of climate damage. Right now, that party is not in the lead. Wouldn’t do to tick off the Republicans, the PTB may have reasoned. After all, the MAGA hordes go to the movies, too, and—while you’re at it—take out any of that smoochy stuff so it’s good clean fun for the whole family.
Big oil wants to keep drilling and keep turning out plastic products that are polluting our rivers and our bodies; that seems just hunky dory with the GOP. Wise up and think about whether you’d like to live through the devastation pictured onscreen, which recently killed 5 people and injured 35 others in Greenfield, Iowa. So, disappointingly, there was not a single nod to one of the largest crises of our time—climate change—which the Republican party seems oblivious to and has no plans to counteract.
It’s nice that the fictional heroines of each film find ways to prevent tornadoes from succeeding in killing us all, but that is fiction, at the moment. The rest of climate damage—like warming seas that are killing our coral—is ignored to focus on things that blow up and trucks driven by crazed stormchasers. And don’t get me started on forest fires and Paradise, California.
MUSIC
The music in both the original film and the remake was outstanding. In the original, we were given artists like Shania Twain and Stevie Nicks, plus the original Broadway ballad “Oklahoma.” In this remake it’s much heavier in to country music, with Miranda Lambert singing “Ain’t in Kansas Any More” and Luke Combs singing “Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma,” among many others.
CINEMATOGRAPHY
I have to give the edge to cinematographer Dan Mindel. There are some perfectly beautiful scenes involving Daisy and fields. The opening shot was beautiful. The city model where Kate has been researching her technique for disarming storms is a step up from the barn in the original film, which the duo exit just in time to observe it being totally destroyed. The storms and explosions are very cinematic.
However, the unpleasant to watch jerkiness of the camerawork causes me to say that it’s a draw between new and old films. I especially enjoyed the destruction of a lot of International Harvester red equipment in the 1996 original “Twister” because my husband worked for Deere for many years. A Deere tractor is highlighted in an early scene and, since IH is gone, no red farm equipment is destroyed in this one.
THEATER SCENES
In the original film a drive-in is blown away by a tornado. The film that is showing is “The Shining.”
In the sequel the small town of (Fort) El Reno, Oklahoma is being destroyed by a tornado when the do-gooders Kate and Tyler, joined by the newly converted Javi (who has a massive crush on Kate) rushes into town to save the townsfolk by herding them into a theater that is showing “Frankenstein.” I have to say that the use of “Frankenstein” was a better choice than “The Shining,” given the pyrotechnics going on onscreen when the entire wall is blown away.
There is also a noteworthy scene where Kate herds the potential victims into an empty swimming pool to save them from the storm’s fury.
FORT EL RENO
A bit of drama was provided, for me, by the use of Fort El Reno, Oklahoma as one of the cities that is struck by the storm. When I drove from Chicago to Santa Monica on Route 66 gathering “Ghostly Tales of Route 66,” Fort El Reno was a major stop, with its fort and its stories of hauntings. Rommel’s men from WWII were taken back to Fort El Reno and imprisoned there. It’s a very small town with a lot of history and seeing its water tower fall and pin our hero was cinematically riveting. It took me back to my evening joining the Ghost Tour that was put on especially for me. Every year the Fort El Reno bookstore ordered multiple copies of that particular volume of “Ghostly Tales of Route 66,” published by Quixote Press and still available on Amazon in both paperback and e-book versions. (Get the e-book version; it’s is a better bang for your buck).
BIG SUMMER PICTURE
This is going to be a big summer picture. The tornado visual effects are fantastic, but the special effects in the 1996 “Twister” weren’t too shabby, either. Watching things either combust or blow up and be reduced to rubble can get repetitive, but it’s well done.
I’ll be watching Glenn Powell’s career as it skyrockets, as it surely will. After experiencing what he and Richard Linklater wrote in collaboration for “Hit Man,” I hope he writes a lot more of his scripts, as this one was somewhat pedantic with lines like “You don’t face your fears. You ride ‘em.” I’m a fan of Powell’s script (with Linklater) as superior to this one, but Powell will be offered a lot of good material going forward, and I hope to see him knock it out of the park.
Do yourself a favor, however. Re-visit the original “Twister” so you can see the parallels, where they exist, and how well the original film with its top-notch cast still holds up. Too bad that Bill Paxton, who tried for years to create a sequel, didn’t get the job done before he was taken from us at the age of 61 on February 26, 2017.
In the spirit of this blog’s name (Weekly Wilson) I have a stream-of-consciousness review of tonight’s film, “Fly Me to the Moon,” which opened tonight at the newly-revamped VIP14 theater (previously Regal 8) in Moline, Illinois. It’s 6 days since my last post.
Readers will remember that I was mourning the loss of the only theater on the Illinois side of the Quad Cities and memorializing the closing of the Icon Theater in the South Loop of Chicago.
Fly me to the Moon
Scarlett Johansson’s executive-produced outing as the P.R. woman tasked with filming a “fake” moon launch is an Apple project, which was filmed on locations in Georgia and Savannah, as well as in Florida at Cape Canaveral. The production was actually able to capture a real launch when filming at the Kennedy Space Center.
THE GOOD
VIP14 in Moline, Illinois.
Director Greg Berlanti, working from a script by Rose Gilroy (and Keenan Flynn and Bill Kirstein), has concocted a rom-com with comedic elements. Jim Rash, portraying the fictional director Lance Vespertine, is terrific. Woody Harrelson is the White House operative who enlists Johansson to make the Apollo 11 mission to the moon popular, Moe Berkus. Ray Romano portrays Henry Smalls, who is working with Channing Tatum portraying Launch Director Cole Davis.
Moe Berkus lays out the task to Scarlett Johansson’s character of Kelly Jones (who later says her real name is Winnie): she must film a fake landing on the moon, which will be broadcast as the real deal. When she shows up at NASA, she tells Channing Tatum’s character of Cole Davis: “Americans are long over their expensive love affair with space and I’m here to remind them why they fell in love in the first place.” We are reminded that during its first 29 missions, NASA had only a 48% success rate. The efforts to convince key Senators to support the space program financially is well portrayed, since the battle for funding is never-ending.
Channing Tatum, who portrays Cole Davis, is not happy about lying to the American public. Woody shuts him down quickly, saying, “She’s made you (NASA) the Belle of the Ball. Just slip on your tutu and do some dancing.” The film recaps some of the clever ways that public relations tie-ins are utilized, such as the use of Omega watches or Tang tie-ins. As is the case right now with our upcoming presidential race, “This isn’t just a race for the moon. It’s a race to see which ideology governs.”
THE BAD
VIP14 in Moline, Illinois.
As another critic has expressed, he became less interested in the actual moon launch and more interested in the budding romance between the main characters.
The other flaw, which may not matter if you’re streaming it at home, is that, at 2 hours and 12 minutes (plus previews) this seemed like an overly long movie. At the point where we are landing on the moon, I was ready to be done. It was opening night for this theater’s new management and I did not pace my pop-drinking as I would have done for “Barbie” or “Oppenheimer.” (My bad).
This one should be a hit when it streams. It was fun to see Johansson’s real-life husband, Colin Jost (of SNL), portraying Senator Cook of South Carolina, articulating the line about a Killer Lunar Laser Eliminator.
Since we were in Chicago for the Rolling Stones on June 27 (Thursday), and went to the Sundance showing of the Luther Vandross documentary on Friday (June 28), today (Saturday, June 29th) we went to the Icon Theater located near us at 1011 Delano Court in the South Loop.
We bought our tickets on Fandango and there was no mention of the sale of the Icon to AMC. In fact, there were still tickets being sold, despite the fact that the staff—(very few of them)—working tonight said that the theater as the Icon was closing the next day at 6 p.m. Later, I read that Fandango would simply say that a future booking was “sold out” and another patron who had bought tickets for July 27th had his money refunded with no explanation.
One patron wrote: “I had tickets for a July 27th showing of Deadpool, and I can’t make it so I went to the box office to get a refund. Lady at the register tells me, ‘Good thing you came because theater was just sold and Sunday, June 30, is the last day we’re open.’ I am devastated as I love going to the movies there. She did say that AMC had bought them, but she was unsure when they’ll open back up. If you have tickets go get your refunds.” AMC bought the Kerasotes Theaters in 2010; Kerasotes were the owners of the ShowPlace Theaters. AMC bought all but 4 Kerasotes Theaters and it was rumored that the Icon was one of the four that they did NOT buy.
So, what’s going on Icon Theater in Chicago? And why don’t they let their customers know? No confirmation that they have been bought by AMC or anyone else, but here’s something that came to my attention as I researched this:
“A movie theater in St. Louis Park (Minneapolis) is seeing a change of operations beginning of next month. Marcus Theatres announced Thursday that it will take over the Showplace ICON Theatre & Kitchen after the doors close on Sunday. The theatre will reopen to customers on July 8 as the Marcus West End Cinema.”
It was clear that things were not “right” at the Icon Theater in Chicago. We had planned to order food in the VIP section. Although we haven’t been here since wintering from Thanksgiving 2023 on in Texas, there used to be a variety of dine-in food options that were delivered to your seat. I seem to remember dining in for the last Tom Cruise outing of “Maverick.”
My spouse had been snacking throughout the afternoon and announced that he wasn’t really that hungry, so he was going to forgo ordering an entrée and just have popcorn. I had also picked up a box of Milk Duds at the grocery store, with the intention of sharing them at the movies. It’s a good thing, because—although I got my steak tacos and a Diet Coke ($24), he never did get any popcorn or any soft drink. And he tried so long that he missed the first 5 minutes of the movie.
We went upstairs and learned that the ONLY food items available for order were tacos or nachos. I asked why and got a mumbled excuse about “inventory” that made no sense. I ordered the tacos. My husband went back downstairs in search of popcorn and a soft drink.
There were two kiosks that you had to use to get popcorn. One was broken. No popcorn. No soft drink, either, when he returned to me in the VIP lounge, where I had ordered the tacos, but did not know the seats that the staff would bring them to, because that information was on my husband’s phone and he was downstairs trying to get popcorn, unsuccessfully.
The women’s bathroom on the VIP level has two rest room stalls. One was inoperative in a way that screamed “CALL A PLUMBER!”
Underground parking at the Icon Theater in Chicago. 1011 South Delano Court.
This is a huge theater with a massive amount of parking (we were charged $11, despite the fact that it says you get 2 free hours of parking if you are at a movie. We arrived at 5 minutes of 8 and left at 5 minutes of 10, but it still cost $11 to park, which, in Chicago, is cheap—except that means that we got NO “2 hours free parking.”
Chicago’s parking situation has been deplorable ever since Mayor Richard Daley sold all of the parking in the city of Chicago. Fourteen years ago the City Council, at the urging of then-Mayor Richard M. Daley, sold the city’s street parking meter system to the private company Chicago Parking Meters LLC for $1.15 billion. I may have mentioned paying $67.50 to park my car (overnight) when I went to see the play “Six.”
The upper level of the theater was almost totally deserted. I counted fewer than 10 people.
Others have said that they were told that they were closing the very next day (Sunday, June 30th). I asked one of the waitresses in the VIP area whether she still had a job with the theater. She said, “They haven’t told us, but they said we can apply for unemployment. I’m worried because that runs out after a while.” The entire “closed without warning” idea reminded of what happened with the Signature restaurant on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building, which closed so quickly and without 30 days notice that the employees are currently suing.
So, is it true that the AMC bought the ICON chain? Unlikely since they were struggling when the pandemic hit, because they had just invested a large amount in upgrading their theaters, which was a bad coincidence.
If anyone knows, tell the rest of the Chicago neighborhood, because some of us would have liked to know in advance. (This is now the second theater I have attended on its last day of operation, the first one being the Regal Theater in Moline, Illinois, where we saw Russell Crowe’s movie “Unhinged.”
Icon Theater at 1011 South Delano Ct. in Chicago’s South Loop. (Closed on June 30th and becoming what?)
“Unhinged,” about a truck driver with road rage, was the first movie to enter wide theatrical release in the USA after the closure of most theaters due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Between the March 13th, 2020 releases of Bloodshot (2020), The Hunt (2020), and I Still Believe (2020) and the August 21st expansion of this film into 1,823 North American theaters, there was a gap of over five months with no new wide theatrical releases at all. No wonder that it killed the Moline Regal Theater.
I wonder about the cause of the Icon’s demise in Chicago? On previous visits it appeared that management was trying hard to automate everything from ticket sales to the concession stand. It wasn’t a good theater-going experience for the customer. It appeared that they were trying to scale back to a skeleton crew, much like the Steak ‘N Shake chain seems to be trying to throw the entire weight of ordering, serving and paying onto machines.
It’s a Brave New World. Tonight’s Icon experience explains why so many people are opting to watch their movies at home via streaming.
Logan Center for the Arts on the campus of the University of Chicago co-hosted the first event with Sundance to be hosted at a city other than Park City, Utah on Friday, June 28, 2024. It began with the showing of the Sundance documentary “Luther: Never Too Much” at the Logan Center for the Arts. No less a celebrity than the Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, was present. Also in attendance was Eugene Hernandez, the Director of the Sundance Film Festival since 2022 and the Director of “Luther: Never Too Much,” Dawn Porter.
The City of Chicago and the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) and Choose Chicago, in partnership with the nonprofit Sundance Institute kicked off the highly anticipated Sundance Institute X Chicago 2024 – the first of its kind event in the United States – with a welcome reception with City officials, Sundance creatives, and the greater Chicago film community.
Mayor Brandon Johnson at the Logan Center for the Arts on Friday, June 28, 2024.
The landmark three day event, June 28 – 30, showcases Midwest premiere screenings of four films drawn from the Sundance Film Festival’s lineup in January, along with a robust series of panel discussions, master classes, and community programming.
Sundance, originally the brainchild of Robert Redford, began in Salt Lake City, Utah in 1978. In 1981, the festival moved to Park City, Utah, and changed the dates from September to January. The move from late summer to midwinter was done by the executive director Susan Barrell with the cooperation of Hollywood director Sydney Pollack, who suggested that running a film festival in a ski resort during winter would draw more attention from Hollywood. It was called the US Film and Video Festival. [Pollack is now deceased and perhaps visiting snowy Utah in the middle of winter is, too.]
The 44th Sundance Film Festival went virtual for the first time in 2021. In 2020, the year the pandemic struck, the estimated value of Sundance to Utah was said to be $167 million. The festival returned to in-person showings in 2023. I covered 8 films streamed to me from Sundance in 2024.
Currently, Sundance is considering moving to another city in 2027. (Perhaps someone should have mentioned to Sydney Pollack that more people might want to go to a warm weather locale in the middle of winter, perhaps, than those who might want to ski. The growth of SXSW in Austin, Texas, held in March, which I have reviewed since 2017, is further evidence of the popularity of a less wintery climate in winter-time.
The Logan Center pre-screening celebration from 6:30 to 7:30 PM on June 28, featured music, art, cocktails, and photo opportunities. Chicago artist Obi “Obisoulstar” Uwakwe showcased his art installation, Electriqsoul Hideout Satellite Studio, celebrating Black and Indigenous artists from Chicago and beyond. Enjoy a special performance by D-Composed, a Chicago-based Black chamber music collective highlighting the creativity of Black composers. The celebration was free for all ticket holders
Then came the enjoyable documentary about the life and career achievements of Luther Vandross. (Review to follow).
Photo is of me during the Opening Night reception, with photo opportunities on the Red Carpet.
Luther: Never Too Much chronicles the story of a vocal virtuoso. Using a wealth of rarely seen archives, Vandross tells his own story with assistance from his closest friends and musical collaborators including Mariah Carey, Dionne Warwick, Valerie Simpson and Roberta Flack. The film relives the many stunning moments of Vandross’ Grammy® award-winning musical career, while exploring his personal life, health struggles, and a lifelong battle to earn the respect his music deserved. (Review to follow).
“The Bikeriders” screened as the closing film of the 59th Chicago International Film Festival on October 22, 2024, at the Music Box Theater with a presentation of the Artistic Career Achievement Award to Writer/Director Jeff Nichols. The film was inspired by the 1967 iconic photographs and tape recordings of photographer Danny Lyon. Writer/Director Nichols gave great praise and credit to Lyon, saying, “He really was supportive, but without being prescriptive.”
PLOT
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 17: (L-R) Jodie Comer, Austin Butler, writer/director Jeff Nichols and Norman Reedus 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)
“The Bikeriders” recounts the evolution of a Midwestern motorcycle club, called the Vandals in the film. (The Outlaws, originally). The photos drove the film. The interior of one bar was actually reconstructed from Danny Lyon’s photo.
The cast is top-notch, featuring Austin Butler, Oscar-nominated for “Elvis” as Benny and Jodie Comer (“Killing Eve,” “The Last Duel”) as Kathy. Tom Hardy(“Mad Max: Fury Road,” “The Revenant”) is Johnny, the leader of the motorcycle club, which originally existed for the members to race their choppers.
Jeff Nichols at the screening of “The Bikeriders” on October 22, 2023 in Chicago. (Photo by Connie Wilson).
As Nichols (“Take Shelter,” 2011; “Mud,” 2012; “Loving,” 2016) told Jack Giroux 5 years ago, “And what I’m talking about making a movie about is its transition from this golden age of where it was less criminal and it was more just a place for outsiders to gather, but then how that kind of morphed and turned into somewhat more of a criminal organization.” He described the film as “A complete portrait of a subculture; maybe none of these guys needed to feel like outsiders, but they did.”
The cast is stellar, also featuring Michael Shannon—a close friend of Director Nichols who has made five films with him—Bas Zipco. The breakout star of the “West Side Story” remake Mike Faist appeared as the photographer Danny Lyon. Of Faist, Nichols said, “We were lucky to have him. I think he’s gonna’ have a great career.” Norman Reedus, from “The Walking Dead,” portrays Funny Sonny, and Boyd Holbrook (“Logan”) is Cal.
BACKGROUND
Nichols shared that the projectionist at the Music Box Theater in Chicago where the film screened was Danny Lyon’s daughter Rebecca. He also told the audience that he had only learned last week that the characters Benny and Kathy, in real life, had a son who was present for this screening.
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)
Jodie Comer’s character of Kathy is the central character telling the story of the rise and fall of the motorcycle group from 1965 to 1973. Saying “I used to be respectable” she details how the club went from a place where motorcycle enthusiasts could get together and talk about their choppers to something more sinister.
Comer has been mentioned for a potential Oscar nod; the struggle between Kathy and Johnny for Benny’s allegiance is a central conflict in the film. Describing some of the crazy things that Austin Butler’s character of Benny does, she says, “It can’t be love. It must just be stupidity.” Describing her time riding with Benny, she says of the Vandals, “The whole point of these guys is they can’t follow the rules, but as soon as they formed, they started making up rules.”
Jeff Nichols in Chicago at the closing night of the 59th Chicago International Film Festival on October 22, 2023. (Photo by Connie Wilson).
Jeff Nichols has a way of exploring the inner rage of a character, as with Michael Shannon’s star turn in “Take Shelter.” (Shannon told me in 2017, when I asked him on the Red Carpet for “The Shape of Water,” that “Take Shelter” was his favorite role.) In the case of Austin Butler’s character, Benny, we are told “That kid’s f**ing crazy.”
He is also extremely handsome (Nichols says even more so, in person) and comes across as iconic in the book. Nichols said, “I didn’t know Austin Butler even existed when I wrote this. ‘Elvis’ hadn’t come out yet. There is calculus beyond me just thinking he’s pretty.” (laughter from the crowd). Nichols secured Norman Reedus (“The Walking Dead”) after meeting him while serving on a jury at Cannes and is friends with Tom Hardy’s manager, Jack Whigham, who is the younger brother of actor Shea Whigham (“Take Shelter,” “Waco,” “Boardwalk Empire”).
At the beginning of the evening, commenting on his nervousness, he remarked, “I know this is Mike’s town,” referencing his close friendship with Chicago native Michael Shannon (to audience approval.)
MICHAEL SHANNON
Michael Shannon on October 13, 2023 at the 59th Chicago International Film Festival.
Shannon, who heard Nichols talk about making a movie from “The Bikeriders” for years, once said, “You’ve been talking about that damn idea for so long. You’re never gonna make that s***.”
Nichols acknowledged that he had, indeed, been trying to make this film for a long time and described it as his “most ambitious” project. Five years ago he told interviewer Jack Giroux (Oct. 19, 2018), “There are just a lot of things that intimidate me about it, but I truly hope one day I’ll get my s*** together and do it.”
VERDICT
Well, he has, and “The Bikeriders” is very good. References to 1953’s Marlon Brando picture “The Wild One” to 1969’s “Easy Rider” to television’s “Sons of Anarchy” aside, this is an-depth look at the characters in a Midwestern motorcycle club. It is a 116-minute study of the outsiders who started the club.
Although Chicago is prominently featured, the actual shoot took place in Cincinnati, Ohio, in October of 2022, completing filming in December of 2022. It premiered at the 50th Telluride Film Festival on August 23rd.
It’s a totally compelling character study from Jeff Nichols, who has given us such great films as “Take Shelter,” “Mud,” “Loving,” and “Midnight Special.” A great addition to the motorcycle films that have gone before, fictionalized somewhat, but founded on real-life research, which makes it even more relevant and enjoyable.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 17: Cher 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)
The Bikeriders
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 17: Jodie Comer 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)
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)
Glen Powell onstage at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas, at the screening of his new film “Hit Man” on Mau 15th, 2024.
Hollywood heartthrob and Austin (Texas) native Glen Powell was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame at the Paramount Theater in downtown Austin (Texas) on Wednesday, May 15, 2024. Powell’s newest film, directed by Austin director Richard Linklater, “Hit Man” screened after his remarks to the assembled audience.
The Netflix extravaganza was by random drawing from those who were members of the Austin Film Society and there were assigned seats throughout the venue. While I would normally have attempted to apply for Press Credentials, our original plans were to leave town on Monday, but things changed for us and, when I learned I would be in town after all, I applied and was selected for the screening.
Lots of directions were sent to us, including where to park for free parking. I, of course, could not find the right parking area, and ended up paying $51 for parking. But the movie (and the free popcorn and pop that was provided) were well worth that price of admission. Much like tickets to movies in Chicago for members of the corresponding Chicago film society, you have to show up early to claim them, and that meant 5:45 p.m. I thought I’d dine at the nearby Roaring Fork restaurant in downtown Austin, my favorite restaurant in the city, but that was not to be, as we were herded in and basically spent the time waiting around for the induction of Powell, which was to precede the showing of his new film at 7:30 p.m.
Hit Man Ticket.
I was given a seat quite near the front of the stage, which was great. My only problem was that all the photographers working kept standing in front of me, but I still managed to get the shots you’ll see here.
Powell was introduced by local Austin director Robert Rodriguez, who shared that he had been the first to cast Powell in a film when he was 14 years old. (Powell is now 35). The film was “Spy Kids 3D: Game Over” and young Powell worked alongside Antonio Banderas, Carla Gugino, Holland Taylor, Ricardo Montalban, Sylvester Stallone, Salma Hayek, Mike Judge, Cheech Marin, Salma Hayek and Alan Cumming. Rodriguez wrote and directed the film and it started Powell on a film career that has included such films as “Top Gun: Maverick (2022), “Anyone But You,” “The Dark Night Rises” (2012), “Hidden Figures,” “Devotion” and—coming soon—“Twisters.”
When we entered the theater, there were white cowboy hats on some seats, which were assigned to Powell family members. At the end of the entire evening, many of the friends and family that Powell called out during his brief speech joined him onstage for photos.
Powell family members gather at the end of the evening for photos.
Richard Linklater and Glen Powell on May 15, 2024, at the screening of his new Netflix film “Hit Man.”
Powell seems to be a genuinely good guy, who thanked four of his teachers, present for the film and the ceremony. Peggy Langford, Powell’s kindergarten teacher earned a shout-out. Fifth grade teacher Julia Allen earned kudos, with the additional comment that she taught him about working for what you want and delayed gratification. “Thank you for that lesson,” he said. “It’s really paid off. Coach Wood instilled in Powell the importance of “showing up” and a counselor (whose surname I will probably butcher), Michelle Caterez helped young Powell “work the system” when he continued to try to continue acting. “Thank you for continuing to game the system” he said, with a smile. Tenth grade Creative Writing teacher Dr. Shack let Powell attempt to learn screenwriting while still in high school, and introduced him to Director Richard Linklater, as well as Linklater’s long-time editor, Sandra Adair, who was the editor for this night’s film. It’s pretty impressive when someone famous hands out kudos to the teachers who helped them along the way, (says the teacher who taught from 1969 until 2005).
The most touching moment came when Powell thanked his always-supportive parents, who were always there for him. “It’s incredible to have wonderful parents,” he said, “truly incredible.” (Brief pause) He described how his parents were present for every one of his 26 performances in “The Sound of Music” as a young boy. He also said that his kindergarten teacher had told his parents to encourage his interest in performing.
Writer Director Richard Linklater in Austin on March 15th.
He threw in mentions of Aunts Honey and Taffy, sisters Lauren and Leslie, and his father, the original Glen Powell.
I’ve attended other inductions into the Texas Hall of Fame (and photographed same). This one was more personal and more meaningful, as it highlighted a rising star who has already achieved his goal but will undoubtedly continue on an upward trajectory.
Powell with Robert Rodriguez, his first director.
Retta at the Paramount.
Enjoying the evening. which was truly memorable. My new found friend (in line) was in the Mezzanine.
Glen Powell
Adria Arjona, co-star of “Hit Man” onstage at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas on May 15, 2024.
Austin’s own Richard Linklater and Netflix showed his latest film, “Hit Man,” to a packed audience on Wednesday, May 15th at the Paramount Theater in downtown Austin. Prior to the showing of the comedy/film noir, its lead and co-writer, Glen Powell, was inducted into the Texas Hall of Fame, established in 2001 by Linklater to honor those Texans who excel in the film world.
The film was a delight and will start streaming on Netflix in the very near future. It will also be showing at the Alamo Drafthouse Chain in Austin (release date June 7, 2024). The 1 hour 55 minute film is well worth your time. It is based on a true story, as is often the case with Linklater’s films, but poetic license has been taken with the plot. There really was a Gary Johnson, however, who was profiled by Skip Hollandsworth in “Texas Monthly” magazine. Gary Johnson was a college professor and tech guy turned mole for the New Orleans police department (70 arrests). Linklater, who knew the man and had access to records of Johnson’s police work, described him as “the chillest dude ever.”
Richard Linklater and Glen Powell on May 15, 2024, at the screening of his new Netflix film “Hit Man.”
The synopsis on IMDB describes the plot this way: “A professor moonlighting as a hit man of sorts for his city police department, descends into dangerous, dubious territory when he finds himself attracted to a woman who enlists his services.” I was reminded of “BlacKkKlansman,” where the real-life exploits of Ron Stallworth as a Black man joining the Ku Klux Klan were explored. The difference in tone between the two films, however, is vast. That’s good news for the audience.
This “Hit Man” (not to be confused with the Michael Fassbender recent release) is a screwball comedy/film noir with an original plot and excellent acting by Powell, co-star Adria Arjona (“Father of the Bride”) and Retta (“Good Girls”). The screenplay, co-written by Linklater and Powell, was hammered out during phone calls during Covid (“we were never in the same room”), and the film premiered at the Italian film festival in September, during the writers’ strike, causing Linklater to appear pretty much solo to his expressed chagrin.
Since the title character, Gary Johnson, is a college professor, moonlighting as a pretend hit-man, we get some uncharacteristic depth of thought about life and “the eternal mystery of human consciousness and behavior.” Powell’s character says, “I had a knack for being the person they needed me to be” of his hit man persona and adds, “I had somehow found my stage.”
Glen Powell onstage at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas, at the screening of his new film “Hit Man” on Mau 15th, 2024.
The talented (and good-looking) Powell, seen in the comedy “Anyone But You” as well as “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022), has been aiming at a Hollywood career since age 14, when he appeared in “Spy Kids 3D: Game Over.” His remarks prior to the film reveal an Austin native who loves Texas and loves making movies. (“The most fun job on the planet.”)
More about his touching remarks about family (he choked up at one point) and significant teachers (he called out four of them in theaudience by name) after discussing this truly interesting look at the life of a bogus hit man. Powell says “All pie is good pie” a lot, in the encounters that we see onscreen, and I’ll add, “All plot twists here are good twists” building on that.
THE SCRIPT
The screenwriting duo (Linklater and Powell) apparently had a great time writing the script during Covid and the cast contributed by improvising some of the best lines that remain in the film. Co-star Sanjay Rao (Phil) said his favorite line (of Retta’s) that made it into the final film was her remark that she would “rip out my IUD for Ron,” the cool guy persona that Gary Johnson adopted for his encounters with would-be customers. (That line brought a big laugh from the crowd).
It is not often that we get a philosophical discussion of the difference between cat people and dog people in an otherwise comic film. “Dogs are too needy. They’re like people. We beg for more…embarrass ourselves for the scraps of others.” Another line that amused was the remark that if a man is sitting alone, reading “Catcher in the Rye,” “historically speaking, that is never a good sign.”
The depth of the discussion(s) of change and role playing, the Id versus the Ego, and morality, as such, is unusual for a comedy that we might call “lightweight.” It IS lightweight, in the sense that this expert ensemble has turned a complex plot with loads of frothy humor into an exploration of so many deeper issues., one being change.
A few lines to illustrate:
“Your reality will change over time in ways that you cannot even imagine.”
“Seize the identity you want for yourself. Life is short. You gotta’ live on your own terms.”
And, in a line reminiscent of Tom Cruise in Risky Business, “Sometimes, you just gotta’ make a move.” (Sidelight: Cruise, who headlined “Top Gun: Maverick” (2022), where we see Powell playing beach volleyball, paid for Powell to take flying lessons, so Powell is now a registered pilot.)
THE SEX SCENES
Editor Sandra Adair (who visited Powell’s classroom when he was in high school), after editing one of the film’s truly hot sex scenes said, “I thought the screen was going to melt in the editing room!” (Side note: the film’s 35-year-old leading man supposedly broke up with his model girlfriend in 2023.)
Adria Arjona, co-star of “Hit Man” onstage at the Paramount Theater in Austin, Texas on May 15, 2024.
There are so many good sex scenes that it’s hard to point to which ones are the best. There’s the dancing sene in a nightclub called Virgo. There’s the tub scene. There’s the role play when Aria’s character, Madison “Maddy” Figueros, dresses up as a flight attendant to play seductress. The chemistry onscreen is hot, hot, hot. After the movie, during the Q&A, Adria Arjana said, “You have seen a lot of me tonight.”
The IMDB website gives the release date as June 7th. It’s a very good movie. It’s original, and you’ll enjoy it on so many levels. The cell phone scene alone is worth the price of admission.
Don’t miss this Hit Man. And remember when discussing the plot’s resolution: “There are no absolutes, oral or epistemological, in life.”
(*Induction into the Texas Hall of Fame remarks to follow; stay tuned).
The main characters in “Civil War” are four journalists. The film introduces the journalists as they cover a clash in New York City between what appear to be police forces from the official government and violent members of the opposition. The alliance in the civil war has paired Texas and California. This group is either known as WA or WF. (I, initially, thought WF referred to the Western Front, and it was only in reading about the film that I saw the initials as WA, so you’re on your own there.)
There are references to other military groups, including the Florida Alliance and the Portland Maoists. As writer/director Alex Garland scripts it, “There is no communication between the secessionists.”
When the film opens, Joel (Wagner Moura) predicts, “D.C. is falling and the President is dead within a month.” This sets us up for the journey to follow, the journalists determined to get the shot or film the fall in D.C. It’s an overland drive with the miles ticked off as they drive…508 miles to D.C…289 miles to D.C…176 miles to D.C…. They are joined by a new-comer, a young wannabe journalist named Jessie, played by Cailee Spaeney (Priscilla Presley in the bio-pic “Priscilla”).
Kirsten Dunst plays Lee, a legendary white female photojournalist in the tradition of her namesake Lee Miller. The film this instantly made me think of was 2018’s “A Private War” with Rosamund Pike playing Marie Colvin alongside Jamie Dornan as her photographer. Prior to that was Juliette Binoche as a war-time journalist in “1000 Times Good Night” (2013).
In this film, Dunst is partnered with a South American-born reporter named Joel (Wagner Moura). It’s unclear whether Joel ever actually writes anything or is primarily there as a chauffeur and bodyguard for Lee.
The third member of the troupe is the elderly Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), a seasoned Black journalist who doesn’t want to give up reporting but is past his prime. Having both Sammy and Jessie in the back seat of the car causes Lee to say, “The back seat is both kindergarten and an old folks’ home.” Lee has reservations about taking the inexperienced Jessie with them, but Joe prevails. Lee also isn’t keen on having a relatively immobile old Black guy along for the trip, even though he “writes for what’s left of the New York Times.”
Lee Miller (Kirsten Dunst), portrays a journalist who has won various accolades during her storied career. She reminded me of three movies about such real-life veteran journalists, including “The Year of Living Dangerously”(Sigourney Weaver), “A Private War” (Rosamund Pike) and Juliette Binoche in “1,000 Times Good Night” (2013).
As an active voting member of the Illinois chapter of the Illinois Women’s Press Association and the official photographer at the National Women’s Press Association in Baton Rouge, I drew on my days as a journalism major in college (I attended on a journalism scholarship) and my coverage of four presidential campaigns to empathize with the much more dangerous mission this quartet has embarked upon. The movie really does paint a picture of modern-day journalism and journalistic ethics.
I’m an “Old School” journalist. In “the olden days” we were taught that we were to remain neutral and objective, not endorse one side of an issue over the other. I appreciated the film as a piece about contemporary journalism, as much as a film about a possible Civil War in the United States. My focus was covering the presidential races of 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016, with two books on 2008 (“Obama’s Odyssey: The 2008 Race for the White House”) and an award as the Yahoo Content Producer for Politics in 2008.
I will say that the total brutality of the images, coupled with multiple fight scenes, seemed like the way it really would be after the lowering of civil standards brought on by the Trump years. Even the campus protests taking place nationwide now lack the slightest civility that used to prevail. In the days of refusing to adhere to the peaceful transfer of power after an election the total brutality of the civil war participants seemed sadly likely.
Alex Garland is known as mainly a science fiction storyteller. He wrote “28 Days Later,” “Sunshine” and “Dredd,” adapted “Never Let Me Go” from Kazuo Ishiguro’s novel, and wrote and directed “Ex Machina” and “Annihilation.” I thoroughly enjoyed those films and am particularly fond of “Never Let Me Go.”
This is a great, well-paced, engrossing movie that tells it like it is in a world where half of the residents embrace any lie that their chosen leader decides to tell them. It has echoes of dozens of other films and novels, and I’m old enough to remember when “Z” was groundbreaking in its hand-held cinematography.
Face it. Things are just going to get worse as we move into the world of AI and the heat of the 2024 presidential race. Let’s just hope things don’t disintegrate to the levels depicted in “Civil War.”
Liz Carpenter was a force of nature who, throughout her 89 years (1920-2010), was often front and center where history was unfolding. leaving her own indelible mark on events. She was a journalist, White House official, Women’s Rights activist, best-selling author, and humorist. Directors Christy Carpenter, Liz’s daughter, and Abby Ginzberg weave candid modern-day interviews with Dan Rather, Bill Moyers, Gloria Steinem, Luci Johnson and others into an entertaining and informative 77-minute World Premiere that took place at the Zach Theatre on March 10th at SXSW 2024.
Liz Carpenter in action.
Born in Salado, Texas, five days after the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution granted women the right to vote in 1920, Liz’s family moved to Austin, the state capitol, when she was 7 years old. She earned a journalism degree from the University of Texas in 1942 and headed straight to Washington, DC, intent on starting her journalism career in the midst of WWII. .
At 22 years of age, she was attending press conferences held by both President Franklin and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt despite barriers against allowing women reporters to be present.
SUPPORTING LBJ
She began covering the political rise of Congressman Lyndon Johnson for the Austin American-Statesman. This developed into a lifelong friendship with LBJ and his wife Lady Bird.
Liz’s reputation as a dogged reporter quickly spread and, by the late 1940s, she and husband Leslie Carpenter established the Carpenter News Bureau. They covered Capitol Hill and the White House for more than a dozen newspapers. She was also known as “the funniest woman in Washington, D.C.,” which made her an in-demand speaker.
In 1954, she was elected president of the Women’s National Press Club, a platform she used to attack barriers to participation in the males-only National Press Club, the foremost journalistic organization in Washington D.C..
LIZ AND JFK’S ASSASSINATION
Christy Carpenter, daughter of Liz Carpenter and co-director of “Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter” at SXSW.
In 1960, Senate Majority Leader Lyndon Johnson and Lady Bird persuaded Liz to join his campaign for vice president. Once elected, LBJ convinced Liz to join his staff as the highest-ranking woman ever to work for a vice president. Liz Carpenter was one of a small number of his staff traveling with him to Dallas on November 22, 1963. She was riding in the motorcade, in a car behind JFK’s, when President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated.
Carpenter realized she was the only writer on LBJ’s staff aboard Air Force One. On the return trip to Washington she crafted the newly sworn-in President’s first public remarks to a shocked world. LBJ delivered these 58 words, written by Liz while on the plane, upon landing and that footage is included in the documentary:
“This is a sad time for all people. We have suffered a loss that cannot be weighed. For me, it is a deep personal tragedy. I know that the world shares the sorrow that Mrs. Kennedy and her family bear. I will do my best. That is all I can do. I ask for your help and God’s.”
The archival footage of the delivery of these remarks is historic.
BEAUTIFY AMERICA
Liz was appointed st aff director and press secretary to the new First Lady.
Although Lady Bird and Liz had very different personal styles, they were both women of action and vision, and together, over the next five years, they pursued an aggressive agenda including, “the most ambitious national environmental effort since Theodore Roosevelt,” according to Lady Bird biographer Julia Sweig. (I can still do a pretty fair imitation of Lady Bird Johnson saying, “Plant a tree, ashrub, or a bush,” with the Texas twang on ‘bush,'”—fodder for comediennes of the era.) The ubiquitous campaign to remove blighted highway billboards and beautify America by planting vegetation became a trademark of Lady Bird’s. A lake and park in Austin in her name perpetuate her legacy.
WAR ON POVERTY
Liz enabled Lady Bird to put a human face on LBJ’s War on Poverty by organizing strategic press tours of Head Start and Job Corps programs across the nation. My mother was then a kindergarten teacher in a small Iowa town. She fought tirelessly for the Head Start program, which, gave disadvantaged youngsters from minority and poorer homes an equal starting point with other 5-year-olds entering the system.
Liz was sometimes dubbed the “P.T. Barnum of the White House,” and was the key mastermind of Lady Bird’s historic and unprecedented Whistlestop campaign tour through the South during the 1964 presidential campaign. In the immediate aftermath of the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Southern states were often far from welcoming to the wife of the man who had given Black citizens in the South the right to vote and a leg up on equal rights under the laws of the land.
AFTER THE WHITE HOUSE
Abby Ginzberg, co-director of “Shaking It Up: The Life and Times of Liz Carpenter” at SXSW on March 10, 2024.
After Johnson’s presidency ended in 1969, (with a populist anti-war backlash against Vietnam that saw my generation in the streets chanting “Hey! Hey! LBJ! How many kids did you kill today?”), Liz wrote a best-selling book about her White House years, entitled Ruffles & Flourishes. She would write other best-sellers, utilizing her storied wit and her historic experiences in government.
WOMEN’S MOVEMENT
Liz Carpenter got heavily involved in the growing Women’s Movement – a cause that would consume much of her time and energy until the end of her life at the age of 90 in 2010. Bill Clinton appointed her to serve on the White House Council on Aging.
In 1971, she joined feminist leaders such as Betty Friedan, Gloria Steinem, Congresswomen Bella Abzug, and Shirley Chisholm, to co-found a new organization, the National Women’s Political Caucus. This was a nationwide effort to elect more women to public office, eliminate discrimination, and to push forward legislation to improve the lives of women. Soon Liz was campaigning across the nation, stirring up voters to elect women candidates.
THE ERA
Some fifty years after its introduction, the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) finally sailed through Congress in 1972 with huge bipartisan majorities, says the documentary. (*I still have my ERA bracelet in a drawer somewhere, along with the POW bracelet of a U.S. soldier MIA in action from that era.) Sadly, however, after many early successes on the state level, the momentum for ratification began to hit speed bumps. That is putting it mildly.
PHYLLIS SCHLAFLY & EAGLE FORUM
Activist Phyllis Schlafly wearing a “Stop ERA” badge, demonstrating with other women against the Equal Rights Amendment in front of the White House, Washington, D.C.
The film doesn’t dwell much on Phyllis Schlafly and her Eagle Forum organization, but it should. That is my one criticism of this documentary. It was Phyllis Schlafly and her anti-equal-rights work compiling lists of ultra-Conservative prominent women and men who were against the ERA that defeated it. Schlafly—who had her own political agenda—smeared the entire equal rights movement as a ploy for lesbians and women libbers and an anti-family movement. That was, at best, an over-generalization, a technique often used by the GOP to gloss over the realities of issues and, at worst, a hypocritical smear job. (*See “the border issue” in 2024). Although I realize that Phyllis Schlafly’s anti-ERA work merits an entire documentary of its own, I think she should at least have been mentioned in this one, as that opponent of the ERA kept it from passing nationwide and has left it mired in oblivion.
Donald Trump’s early organizational work involved getting those lists from the Schlafly organization, which had painted a biased picture of the efforts to achieve equality for women as being “a bunch of women’s libbers bent on destroying the family,” an untrue characterization.Liz Carpenter was called on to co-chair a new organization in 1976 – ERAmerica –focused on ratification by the last hold-out states. She spent several years lobbying states’ legislators, and governors, and galvanizing grassroots support. (It didn’t work.)
LIZ’s HUMOR
One important key to Liz’s success was her dynamic, magnetic personality, including her well-developed sense of humor — reflecting her pioneer roots and Texas-sized, can-do moxie. Humor was always integral to her identity and effectiveness. Like other recognizable Texas women such as Governor Ann Richards and journalist Molly Ivins, Liz was high-energy and innately funny, with a knack for shaking things up. Her life was spent trying to create a more just, democratic, beautiful and humane world.
CONCLUSION:
The archival clips, alone, are worth seeing this well-done documentary. It is a slice of 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s life and history. It details efforts— some successful, some futile— to advance equality for women world-wide, battles that Liz Carpenter helped lead.
While I have a few reservations about soft-pedaling the tactics of the opposition faced in the seemingly never-ending struggle for equality that women in the United States and the world face, this fine film goes a long way to showing how it can be done, if enough courageous, influential women remember Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s line, “And yet she persists.” See this one if, like me, you lived through it. If you didn’t, you need the history lesson,
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.
e pictures tell the story:
Logan Center for the Arts on the campus of the University of Chicago co-hosted the first event with Sundance to be hosted at a city other than Park City, Utah on Friday, June 28, 2024. It began with the showing of the Sundance documentary “Luther: Never Too Much” at the Logan Center for the Arts. No less a celebrity than the Mayor of Chicago, Brandon Johnson, was present. Also in attendance was Eugene Hernandez, the Director of the Sundance Film Festival since 2022 and the Director of “Luther: Never Too Much,” Dawn Porter.
Cities that have expressed interest in hosting Sundance if it moves include 
