The site for ranting and reporting by John Masters
I would classify things in this category that were related to arts, literature, cinema, performance. Things that make us and the world better.
To foster hope, we must remember the countless individuals working tirelessly for justice, unity, and compassion. These voices may seem drowned out by anger and division, but they are there—teaching our children better ways, forging connections across divides, and laying the groundwork for the future we long for. Change starts small, often unnoticed, but it accumulates and eventually becomes unstoppable.
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On Friday, September 6, 2024, former Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren gave a compelling speech at Café Con Tampa, recounting the case of Robert DuBoise, a man wrongfully convicted of murder. Warren’s speech highlighted the importance of justice, the flaws in the criminal justice system, and how his office worked tirelessly to correct an egregious mistake.
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There was a brief restaurant review posted earlier this year. The last post before that was a movie review (The Whale). A lot has transpired in my world over the past few months, and I think I am ready to get back to trying to post more or less regularly. The highlight reel looks a bit like this:
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Lay was dying to see this. I admit to feeling a bit less enthusiastic and a little uncomfortable. There’s a part of this movie that I was apprehensive about even before going in. Is it exploitative? More than probably, yes. Is it phobic in a certain way? It isn’t impossible to think that. It was a hard film to watch. Not because of any exploitation but because of the deep emotional impact and intensity of the story and the actors. It was stunning in nearly every way, and to a one, the actors were outstanding.
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The story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos has inspired quite a bit of content, including a NYT Best Seller, an ABC podcast, a movie starring Jennifer Lawrence, and now an HBO documentary directed by “Going Clear” director, Alex Gibney. If you want a great overview of the story that concentrates on Holmes, this is an excellent two-hours you can spend. I’m going to give it a 7, what say you?
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April 1917, the Western Front. Two British soldiers are sent to deliver an urgent message to an isolated regiment. If the message is not received in time the regiment of 1,600 men will walk into a trap and be massacred. To get to the regiment they will need to cross through enemy territory. Time is of the essence and the journey will be fraught with danger, and Sam Mendes will make you feel like you’re running every mile with them.
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Joker centers around an origin of the iconic arch nemesis and is an original, standalone story not seen before on the big screen. Todd Phillips’ exploration of Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man disregarded by society is not only a gritty character study but also a broader cautionary tale.
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Based on a true story, Richard Jewell tells the story of security guard Richard Jewell who likely saved many lives from an exploding bomb at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, but is vilified by journalists and the press who falsely reported that he was a terrorist. Me and Lay watched this at AMC Westshore Plaza Saturday, January 4, 2019, and here’s my review.
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No spoilers from me other than anybody who saw the trailer knows the entire movie centers around a Royal visit to Downton Abbey. All the usual performances are as good as in the Television production but I really enjoyed the addition of Geraldine James as Queen Mary and Imelda Staunton as Lady Bagshaw cousin to the Dowager Countess Violet Crawley played beautifully as usual by Maggie Smith. And the Dowager Countess was as sharp-tongued as ever and made me chuckle out-loud more than once.
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A Brief Exposition on Bullying — As a noun, a bully is defined as, “a person who habitually seeks to harm or intimidate those whom they perceive as vulnerable,” and as a verb it means, “seek to harm, intimidate, or coerce (someone perceived as vulnerable).” Bullying has an aspect of real or perceived vulnerability on the part of the victim.
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Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer from Colorado Springs, CO, successfully manages to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan branch with the help of a Jewish surrogate who eventually becomes its leader. Based on actual events. We watched this movie last night on Amazon. We both thought it started slow but built nicely, and we enjoyed it. I’m giving it a six and Lay rates it about the same. Let us know below what you think.
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