#nixon cole

[justyeghost]

New/Different/Same Strangerville (Sims 4)

Changing some things up in a Sims 4 Strangerville playthrough with a new Sim, Nixon Cole, a hard boiled copper from the Willow Creek PD. Can he survive his haunted home and a mildly different Strangerville?

Catch it on my Twitch Channel or below the fold (cut).

[oldshowbiz]

1962.

Nat King Cole Week in Los Angeles.

[forensicated]

Lots of articles and props and the like are being posted to the Sierra-Oscar community if you haven't seen them yet (one of the low points of communities on Tumblr is that they're not overly visible, nor do the posts show up when tagged in the searches).

If you'd like to see, come on over here!

Unfortunately, another limitation of Tumblr communities is that you have to be invited to join them and can't just join at the moment. If you want to join, please like or comment on this post and we will send you an invite ASAP.

Whilst I'm at the reminders, here is a link to lots of The Bill reference information. Here you can find:

Detailed episode guides (Currently up to 04x02),

Smithy/Gina important episode guides,

Gina/Jonathan important episode guides

Detailed episode guides for the Witness, Gun Runner, Conviction episodes and also Gina's last two episodes.

Station information (so far mostly focused on the first 2 incarnations of Sun Hill)

Show info (call signs, vehicle call signs, address, caution, streets and locations used in the show and more!)

Family/Friend connections for each regular cast member from start to finish including important information (under construction!)

If there's anything you want to query or add to anything, please feel free to reply or message me and I'll get back ASAP!

[evidenceof]

From Harry Welsh's file: Presenting Dick Winters turning to Lewis Nixon in breakneck speed

One of the things that never fails to make my stomach do goddamn backflips are instances post-war when people remember Dick and Nix as a pair, whether consciously or unconsciously. Like a verbal/written representation of Dick saying, "He [Nix] always walked on my left side, one or two steps behind me." Many such cases:

Second Lieutenant Thomas Gibson in a letter to Harry Welsh (Feb 1980) after mentioning Dick he asks, "Oh by the way how's that Nixon guy?"

I do remember Dick Winters quite well. I almost hope he doesn't remember me. About the last time we met eyeball to eyeball was when we were in Germany or Austria toward the end of the war. [...] I do hope you give him my best wishes when you can. By the way, whatever became of Lewis Nixon? As I remember it Cap. Lewis J. Nixon III got letters from his father whose return address was Lewis J. Nixon II. Nixon Nitrate 00., Nixon, New Jersey. Is that right or do I just remember it that way? Tom L. Gibson in a letter to Harry Welsh dated 6 Feb. 1980

When Cole Kingseed's daughter, who spoke a lot to Dick when her father was writing out the two memoirs, hears about Dick's passing she says immediately,

“He was such a good friend to you, to us. I hope Major Winters is reuniting with his good buddy Nixon up in heaven right now, sharing their old glory stories.” - Conversations with Major Dick Winters, Cole C. Kingseed

Don Malarkey goes into a Nixon tangent in a 2007 panel when asked by an audience member, "Why did you guys respect Winters so much?"

He was a guy you admired for his personal habits... He didn't drink. He didn't smoke. I don't think he cussed. And there was a question on whether he went out with girls or not. So I think Winters' personal habits reflected on a feeling of a mentor. His best friend was a severe alcoholic—Nixon. How do you figure that out? Nixon, uh, Winters went to work for Nixon at Nixon Nitrate Company in New Jersey. [...] Band of Brothers Panel, American Veterans Center Conference 2007

[pfctipper]

Kind of fascinated by this little section in one of Dick’s books:

Our OCS class graduated on July 2, 1942 […] Following lunch at the officers club, we were free to go our own way, though few of us had actual assignments. Nixon was assigned duty at Fort Ord, California, and attached to the military police unit on post. With no immediate openings in the paratroopers, I returned to Camp Croft to train another contingent that had recently arrived. As an officer I didn’t last long at Croft: about five weeks to be exact, before receiving orders to report to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, at Camp Toombs, Georgia […] Following a brief leave, I arrived in Toccoa in mid-August. Disembarking from the Southern Railway train adjacent to the Toccoa Coffin Factory, Lewis Nixon and I were directed to board an army truck for “Camp Toombs” - Richard Winters and Cole C. Kingseed, Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters (2006)

Camp Croft is in South Carolina and Fort Ord is in California. I don’t know much about the USA rail system, or how involved the army would have been in coordinating their travel, but regardless of whether Dick was travelling from South Carolina or wherever he was on leave - how likely is it that they’d end up on the exact same train into Toccoa? Maybe something they’d either planned themselves, or they’d departed from the same place (maybe Nix had leave too?)- or a coincidental train/station reunion after five weeks apart? Who knows, but very sweet that he makes a point of highlighting that the two of them (and only the two of them?) arrived together anyway.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Mark Sumner at Daily Kos:

The large red fingerprints of the Heritage Foundation seem to be everywhere in the news. The group authored Project 2025, which would empty the federal government, populate it with MAGA loyalists, and, in its own words, “deconstruct the administrative state.” As The New Republic puts it, Project 2025 is “a remarkably detailed guide to turning the United States into a fascist’s paradise.” They’re thrilled by the Supreme Court’s recent immunity ruling, deeply involved in attacks on diversity and equity initiatives, and obsessed over strange things like Prince Harry’s visa.  And they promise not to kill all leftists—as long as we sit quietly and acquiesce to their dominion over the nation.

The Heritage Foundation so kindly offering to let us have our lives in exchange for our freedom is a malignancy that has festered in the group for decades. Though it benefits from a name and a network of donors stretching back five decades, today’s Heritage Foundation is a much more dangerous beast.  It has wealth. It has connections. And it has democracy in its sights. The Heritage Foundation was founded in 1973 by the founder of Coors Brewing and conservative strategists Paul Weyrich and Ed Feulner. They thought that President Richard Nixon had moved too far to the left and that other Republican organizations were too timid. They promoted a strong anti-communist message and a social conservatism that didn’t recognize a wall between church and state, and pushed for a smaller government.  The group quickly gained power under President Ronald Reagan, who embraced its “Mandate for Leadership”—a 1,100-page document of policies—and distributed it among his staff. Much of what came to be known as “the Reagan doctrine,” both domestically and internationally, was a repackaging of this product from the Heritage Foundation.

[...] Like many organizations, Heritage has seen turnovers in leadership, staff purges, shifts in philosophy, and difficulties in maintaining its place in a changing political environment. But the Heritage Foundation that exists today is practically a toddler. With a razor blade. This iteration of the Heritage Foundation dates to the pandemic, when the group's previous leader, Kay Coles James, made the mistake of trying to follow safety guidelines, including closing the group’s offices for an extended period and putting up signs that encouraged masking. That led to her replacement by conspiracy theorist Kevin Roberts, who had been on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's COVID-19 task force and immediately pushed Heritage into suing to stop any vaccine mandate.

The architect of the radical right-wing policy guide Project 2025 is The Heritage Foundation. The organization’s hard MAGA turn began under the leadership of Kevin Roberts.

[shelyue99]

I came across BoB only last year (thanks Netflix the best thing you have done to me) hence 22 years late. I wish I had done it earlier (I definitely heard about the title, maybe in the 2000s, but I was too young at the time to take interests in it and I forgot about it), but because of it there are already a lot of resources and materials (and numerous fanfics) to dig into. I love research and meta and here are something I found interesting and relevant to BoB (with a focus on Winters and Nixon) :

Documentary:

Ron Livingston's Band of Brothers Video Diary

We Stand Alone Together: The Men of Easy Company

He Has Seen War

Book:

Band of Brothers, by Stephen E. Ambrose

Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoir of Major Dick Winters, by Dick Winters, Cole C. Kingseed

Biggest Brother: The Life of Major Dick Winters, The Man Who Led the Band of Brothers, by Larry Alexander

Conversation with Major Dick Winters: Life Lessons from the Commander of the Band of Brothers, by Cole C. Kingseed

Hang Tough: The WWII Letters and Artifacts of Major Dick Winters, by Erik Dorr, Jared Frederick

Parachute Infantry: An American Paratrooper's Memoir of D-Day and the Fall of the Third Reich, by David Kenyon Webster

Tinderbox: HBO's Ruthless Pursuit of New Frontiers, By James Andrew Miller

Podcast:

HBO's official Band of Brothers 20th Anniversary Podcast

The Ross Owen Show, this blog has all the BoB cast interview recordings.

Dead Eyes

Other Materials:

"Band of Brothers" 20th Anniversary Symposium, the video can be found here.

Re the symposium, I love some of the trivia stories the cast shared, like when some replacement guy (I remembered it's Rene Moreno who played Ramirez but my memory could be fuzzy) were having dinner with the OG Easy men at this posh restaurant after shooting. Someone asked Moreno what he did today and he said he cut his hair and got to shoot the gun something like that, and Neal McDonough (Compton) asked him to drop and gave him 20, Moreno looked at Ron Livingston for help, who he thought was the only normal person at the table, but Ron was like yeah you had to do it, and so he dropped and did 20 push-ups and startled the waitress and other customers.

The other interesting episode is that when they were shooting for the river crossing scene in Ep 8, a replacement guy (Ramirez or Hashey?) who wasn't in the bootcamp and wasn't that immersed, jokingly told Dexter Fletcher (Martin) to fuck off, everyone went quiet like how dare you say to that to the officer, and Ross McCall (Liebgott) asked, "Permission to throw him off the boat, sir," Fletcher said let him think about it. They didn't throw him off the boat but I find the comparison between those who went to the bootcamp vs. those didn't and thus didn't have a clue is so interesting. Oh, and Matthew Settle still scared the other cast and staff because Speirs is so scary lol.

[bikinibottomdayz]

OCTOBER 25, 2024 RELEASE

All my videos can be found here, full release under the read more! I am also offering the two Great Gatsby videos as a bundle for 30 USD! If interested, please contact me at bikinibottomtrading@gmail.com!

This release includes: Maybe Happy Ending, Moulin Rouge! (John/Solea), The Roommate, Empire Records, Great Gatsby (Alex Prakken)

EMPIRE RECORDS September 25, 2024 | McCarter Theatre | 4K MP4 (8.32GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Lorna Courtney (Corey), Samantha Williams (Gina), Liam Pearce (AJ), Analise Scarpaci (Debra), Tyler McCall (Lucas), Eric Wiegand (Mark), Michael Luwoye (Joe), Damon Daunno (Rex Manning), Taylor Iman Jones (Max), Alex Lugo (Ensemble), Hoke Faser (Ensemble), Sam Poon (Ensemble), Leah Read (Ensemble), Maximilian Sangerman (Ensemble) Notes: Great 4K capture of this world premiere musical! One head obstruction that blocks the center-right, mostly when characters sit / lay on the floor, worked around fairly well but still some missed action. Some moments of wandering / readjustment and unfocusing throughout. Includes curtain call, audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBJWDh | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL APRIL 17, 2025

MOULIN ROUGE! October 15, 2024 | Broadway | 4K MP4 (10.4GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: John Cardoza (Christian), Solea Pfeiffer (Satine), Frank Viveros (u/s Harold Zidler), David Harris (The Duke of Monroth), André Ward (Toulouse Laurtrec), Pepe Muñoz (Santiago), Sophie Carmen Jones (Nini), Jacqueline B. Arnold (La Chocolat), Nicci Claspell (Arabia), Jeigh Markus (Baby Doll), Cameron Burke (s/w), Olivia Cece (s/w), Aaron C. Finley, Bahiyah Hibah, Kamal Lado, Heather Makalani, Nick Martinez (Pierre), Dylan Paul (s/w), Brandon Stonestreet (s/w), Brooke Taylor, Alec Varcas, Cole Joseph Wachman, Shaun-Avery Williams, Jordan Wynn, Jenn Stafford Yip Notes: Excellent 4K capture of John, Solea, and Pepe’s (scheduled) first performances on Broadway! Roughly one minute total of blackouts due to people walking in the aisles. Action on the far left and on the walkway is obstructed. Some washout on the wider shots. Some wandering and unfocusing throughout. Includes curtain call and encore, audio is fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBNmyU | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL APRIL 17, 2025

MAYBE HAPPY ENDING October 16, 2024 | Broadway (Previews) | 4K MP4 (8.96GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Darren Criss (Oliver), Helen J. Shen (Claire), Dez Duron (Gil Brentley), Marcus Choi (James & others) Notes: Great 4K capture of this show’s first preview! There is a tech hold an hour in, it is edited out and the video resumes after the show starts up again. A few brief black outs due to late seating, people leaving etc. Video starts about two minutes into the first song. Some wandering / readjustment and unfocusing throughout. Includes audio of pre-show speech by Michael Arden and curtain call, audio is fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBNwwK | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL APRIL 17, 2025

THE GREAT GATSBY June 2, 2024 (M) | Broadway | 4K MP4 (10.28GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Jeremy Jordan (Jay Gatsby), Eva Noblezada (Daisy Buchanan), Alex Prakken (u/s Nick Carraway), Samantha Pauly (Jordan Baker), John Zdrojeski (Tom Buchanan), Eric Anderson (Meyer Wolfsheim), Ryah Nixon (u/s Myrtle Wilson), Paul Witty (George Wilson) Notes: Excellent 4K capture of Alex’s debut as Nick! Minor head obstruction on the bottom, no action is missed. Some moments of wandering and unfocusing. Includes curtain call, audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBtnQs | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL APRIL 17, 2025

THE GREAT GATSBY August 28, 2024 | Broadway | 4K MP4 (10.37GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Alex Prakken (u/s Jay Gatsby), Eva Noblezada (Daisy Buchanan), Noah J. Ricketts (Nick Carraway), Samantha Pauly (Jordan Baker), John Zdrojeski (Tom Buchanan), Eric Anderson (Meyer Wolfsheim), Chilina Kennedy (t/r Myrtle Wilson), Paul Witty (George Wilson). Samantha Pollino (s/w Gilda Grey) Notes: Excellent 4K capture of Alex as Gatsby (on his birthday)! Act One is a bit more wideshot, and in general the filming is slightly worse, but still a very good capture! Includes curtain call, audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBFdB9 | ASKING $20 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL APRIL 17, 2025

THE ROOMMATE August 29, 2024 | Broadway (Previews) | 4K MP4 (7.89GB) | bikinibottomday’s master Cast: Mia Farrow (Sharon), Patti LuPone (Robyn) Notes: Good 4K capture of this show’s first preview. The first half is wideshot and doesn't have any zooms, but all action is visible. Second half is filmed like normal. Some moments of wandering and unfocusing. Includes curtain call, audio fed from external source. https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBFqxr | ASKING $16 USD NOT FOR SHARING EXCEPT THROUGH ME UNTIL APRIL 17, 2025

I am also offering the two Great Gatsby videos as a bundle for 30 USD! If interested, please contact me at bikinibottomtrading@gmail.com!

[claygoestothemovies]

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Greg Berlanti’s FLY ME TO THE MOON had my theater cackling, myself included. Unfortunately, the rom part of this rom-com crashes on take off. Thankfully, this screenwriter (Rose Gilroy, based on a story by Keenan Flynn and Bill Kirstein) at least appears to know how a cat acts in real life, unlike another recent film.

The razor sharp caper follows Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson playing Don Draper if he was fast on his feet and had a sense of humor), a marketing genius who’s “encouraged” by a man working for Nixon (Woody Harrelson) to take on a job in Florida. What will she be marketing? Why, the moon, of course! America is deep in the Space Race, and NASA needs a social facelift if it’s any chance of succeeding. On the more technical side of making Apollo 11 happen is launch director Cole Davis (Channing Tatum), and the last thing he needs is a smart and attractive woman making distractions, or something like that.

The big hook of the film is that in order to ensure that the moon landing goes off without a hitch to the American People and the world, they have to take measures to fake it. The comedy of all of this is hysterical. I haven’t laughed so much at a con since DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS. The jokes consistently land, and make fantastic use of Tricky Dick being in office. Scarlett Johansson is at the top of her game here, more films should let her be funny! Give us a ScarJo/Rachel McAdams buddy comedy, someone! Rose Byrne can come, too! Tatum is fine, and he handles the comedic elements satisfactorily. Harrelson and the rest of the supporting cast seem to be having a marvelous time, especially Jim Rash as the high strung director brought in to make the top secret film. Ray Romano also gives a warm turn as Henry Smalls, a fatherly figure working at NASA. A delightful black kitty is also featured. What a year for cats in cinema!

If this had just been a comedy, I would mostly give it top marks. Although I would definitely deduct points for that inexcusable runtime, no comedy - romantic or otherwise - needs to be 132 minutes long. But it’s not just a comedy. It’s a romantic comedy, and in that department, it somehow fails entirely. Everything about the romance, except for maybe the meet cute, feels so utterly forced I never bought in for a second. It’s the Sixties, I should be feeling Doris Day and Rock Hudson levels of sexual tension between these actors! Johansson could have chemistry with a napkin, yet Tatum seems like he could be her character’s brother; romantic sparks are not the vibe they give while sparring.

While overlong, and that could have been fixed by Nix(on)ing (sorry) the romantic plot, and my issues with the romantic aspects aside, I still had a great time with this one! I laughed a lot of that runtime, enjoyed some possibly revisionist history, and got to see ScarJo rocking period costumes and hair while making all the men around her look dumb. It’s not rocket science, but as far as popcorn entertainment goes, you could do a lot worse.

3.5/5

[multiverseofseries]

Fly Me to the Moon: Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum o di come vendere l'idea dell'America

Tra verità e finzione, Fly Me to the Moon - Le due facce della luna ci porta in un periodo sociale molto simile a quello contemporaneo. Con la differenza che oggi non c'è nessun sogno da raggiungere.

Citando fin dal titolo una famigerata canzone resa celebre da Frank Sinatra (il primo a cantarla fu Kaye Ballard nel 1954), e scelta da Buzz Aldrin come brano ufficiale del volo Apollo 11, quello di Greg Berlanti è un piacevole divertissment sugli eventi che hanno preceduto l'allunaggio. Come se stesse attraversando l'altro lato della Luna, Fly Me to the Moon - Le due facce della luna è cinema che mischia la commedia all'epica, la farsa alla realtà, confondendo (volutamente) i fatti, tra verità e smaccata finzione.

Scarlett Johannson è Kelly Jones, versione al femminile di Don Draper

Con un avviso ai naviganti: se quello di Berlanti, poi, è un enorme giocattolo, bisogna allora affrontarlo con una propedeutica leggerezza, senza cercare la veridicità o la precisione. Dall'altra parte, tra il fascino degli Anni Sessanta e l'attitudine alla romanticizzazione storica (e con i 60s è facile), Fly Me to the Moon, a tratti, sveste la maschera della commedia facendosi disamina sulle attitudini americane: il profitto, l'apparenza, il sogno che diventa competizione, per un archetipo narrativo dall'animo pop, che convince molto di più della traccia divertita, a volte poco centrata, ma comunque coerente con la brillante sceneggiatura firmata da Keenan Flynn e Bill Kirstein.

Fly Me to the Moon, l'altro lato della Luna con Scarlett Johansson e Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum al memoriale per le vittime dell'Apollo 1

Il gancio di Fly Me to the Moon, essenzialmente, si allunga fino ad un parallelo contemporaneo, mettendo in correlazione (tramite un'attenta visione), sia gli States dell'epoca che quelli odierni. Prima del 21 luglio del 1969 gli Stati Uniti d'America stavano vivendo il peggior momento della loro storia. Se la rabbia e l'indignazione aumentavano, complice il dislivello sociale, la lotta di classe e l'assurda violenza perpetrata in Vietnam, la corsa allo spazio (contro i cattivi per eccellenza dell'URSS) poteva essere il diversivo perfetto, la distrazione di massa che avrebbe risollevato l'immagine del Paese. Per certi versi, oggi gli USA vivono una situazione simile, con un calo della popolarità enfatizzato da improbabili dibattiti televisivi (ed ogni riferimento alla campagna elettorale 2024 è assolutamente voluto) e da candidati oggettivamente impresentabili.

Nella stazione di controllo di Cape Canaveral, il Kennedy Space Center

Per risollevare le sorti della missione, e in un certo senso "vendere l'idea stessa dell'America", l'amministrazione Nixon chiama Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson), pubblicitaria di Madison Avenue che tanto ricorda il Don Draper di un capolavoro intitolato Mad Men. La sfida per Kelly è complicata: far credere agli americani che la corsa allo spazio sia fondamentale per il States. Grazie alla sua esperienze nel marketing, escogiterà una campagna di comunicazione ad hoc, creando quello che adesso definiremmo come hype (scusate, ho dovuto). Insomma, giustificare la spesa come se fosse una questione di identità nazionale. Nel farlo, si scontra (almeno all'inizio) con Cole Davis (Channing Tatum), il responsabile della missione NASA ancora scosso dal drammatico incidente dell'Apollo 1, in cui persero la vita tre astronauti.

Verità, menzogna e un passato in cui rifugiarsi

Ancora Scarlett Johannson in una scena dal film

Dunque, se la menzogna in Fly Me to the Moon è palesemente al centro del film, la traccia reale mantiene coesa la sceneggiatura: in effetti, la NASA, nei mesi immediatamente precedenti allo sbarco sulla Luna, mise in piedi un'agguerrita campagna di comunicazione, a cui ammicca l'opera di Greg Berlanti. Il tono, come detto, è di quelli divertiti, quasi dilettevoli, e si affida quasi totalmente all'alchimia tra Channing Tatum e Scarlett Johansson; un'alchimia che ricalca il modus operandi tipico di una commedia romantica, e per questo universale. Un bilanciamento umorale comunque complesso da gestire, tanto che a tratti la struttura del film sembra cedere, seguendo tracce non totalmente congrue.

Alchimia e talento: Scarlett Johannson e Channig Tatum

Resta però l'ottimo livello produttivo, avallato da una calorosa atmosfera che riesce a coinvolgere, sebbene il contesto di per sé sia già marcatamente galvanizzante e cinematografico. Ed è curiosa la strada (più o meno inventata) che segue l'allunaggio fake, organizzato preventivamente dalla NASA negli hangar di Cape Canaveral, qualora Neil Armstrong incappasse in qualche problema (la menzione va alla scenografia di Shane Valentino, che ha ricreato il set). Ma ciò che convince di più (e meglio) di Fly Me to the Moon - Le due facce della Luna è proprio il panorama legato alla conformità sociale degli Stati Uniti, come se fosse un paese basato sullo slogan e sulla pubblicità, re-immaginando un sogno (e la luna è il sogno per eccellenza) come persuasione e paradigma politico.

Stesso concetto, applicabile al 2024: una crisi di valori sovrapponibile a quella del 1969, se non più drammatica (basti considerare la spaccatura ideologica, cavalcato tanto da Biden quanto da Trump) e, a ragion veduta, teoricamente insanabile. Con una dolorosa differenza: se il sogno, all'epoca, era tangibile, oggi non c'è più nessuna Luna da raggiungere. Ancora una volta, il passato al cinema (vero o finto che sia) è una tana in cui rifugiarsi.

Conclusioni

In conclusione Greg Berlanti rivede l'allunaggio partendo da una verità che poi diventa finzione, miscelando la narrazione al meglio delle possibilità. Il resto, la fa la coppia composta da Channing Tatum e Scarlett Johansson, oltre al grande fascino di un'epoca storica decisamente cinematografica. Se i toni umoristici a volte esagerano, la cosa migliore di Fly me to the Moon è il sommesso parallelo tra passato e presente, incentrato sul profilo in crisi degli Stati Uniti d'America. Oggi come ieri, il Paese è in crisi d'immagine: se nel 1969 la Luna era il sogno, adesso non c'è sogno che regga sotto il peso di una società e di una politica che ha perso le loro rispettive identità.

👍🏻

La chimica tra Tatum e Johansson.

Il fascino dei 60s.

Il tema, sempre molto cinematografico.

Il sapiente mix tra verità e finzione.

👎🏻

L'umorismo spesso punta all'esagerazione.

L'approccio farsesco, a volte, non ha il giusto tono.

[popentertainment-moviereviews]

FLY ME TO THE MOON (2024)

Starring Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum, Jim Rash, Anna Garcia, Donald Elise Watkins, Noah Robbins, Colin Woodell, Christian Zuber, Nick Dillenburg, Ray Romano, Woody Harrelson, Bill Barrett, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Joe Chrest, Colin Jost, Greg Kriek, Art Newkirk, Peter Jacobson, Ashley Kings, Jonathan Orea Lopez, Christian Clemenson and Eva Pilar.

Screenplay by Rose Gilroy.

Directed by Greg Berlanti.

Distributed by Columbia Pictures. 132 minutes. Rated PG-13.

“Fly me to the moon / Let me play among the stars / And let me see what spring is like / On Jupiter and Mars / In other words, hold my hand / In other words, baby, kiss me.”

It would be nice if the romantic comedy Fly Me To the Moon were as simple, frisky and romantic as the song from which it took its title. Honestly, sometimes it does reach those heights, but it has too much going on plot-wise and not enough romance and comedy to keep its story airborne.

That’s a shame, because this is one of very few rom coms which will be widely released this summer. I was hoping that this film would ignite, but that only happens periodically.

Fly Me To the Moon captures a particular place and time in American history – Cape Kennedy, Florida on the eve of the 1969 Apollo 11 launch and man’s first walk on the moon. It has an interesting cast of characters – scientists, astronauts, marketing specialists, shady government agents, far right-wing politicians and egomaniacal Hollywood directors. It’s old-fashioned, and yet it has things to say about modern society as well.  

So why does Fly Me To the Moon only sometimes reach lift-off?

Simply put, because they were trying to do too much. Added into the dish like an unnecessary spice is a whole section based on the old conspiracy theory that the moon landing was a fake made on a soundstage – quite possibly by Stanley Kubrick. (I will give Fly Me To the Moon props for a clever Kubrick gag in the middle of the action.)

This not-so-little subplot does not appear in the story until about an hour into the film, and honestly, it’s an unwelcome addition. Not only has the fakes space mission storyline been done way too often on film already – from the mostly forgotten but surprisingly good 1970s thriller Capricorn One to more recent films like Moonwalkers, Dark Side of the Moon and others. Hell, it was even a quick sight gag in Minions, which may be proof positive that this story is overdone.

To be quite honest, I think Fly Me To the Moon would have worked better had they simply jettisoned that storyline and had done a straight romance around the NASA launch of Apollo 11. The faking story makes more than one of the main characters look bad on a regular basis. Sure, it does give more ammunition to Woody Harrelson playing the shadowy Nixon operative behind the scheme – and Woody is very funny here – but he was very funny well before this plot thread was introduced. They could have found more for him to do in the original narrative.

Because what Fly Me To the Moon is really about – or at least it was until the storyline took that hard right turn – was the timid romance between two very different types of people who meet working on the leadup to the launch.

The woman is Kelly Jones (Scarlett Johansson), a smart, flirty and somewhat cynical public relations professional who has a sketchy past and some questionable methods. She has been hired by the government to start a buzz on the space program, which is still reeling from the tragic explosion of Apollo 1 a couple of years earlier. She has the hair of an astronaut’s wife, blood red lips and the va-va-voom pants suits and capris of a pin-up girl – all of which she uses to disarm the sexist guys she always has to deal with in business.

The guy is Cole Davis (Channing Tatum), the rather humorless former-aspiring-astronaut and scientist in charge of the mission. You can tell how button-down Cole is because throughout the length of the film he wears the exact same style of shirt – just in different colors. (He also has an odd-modern looking short-but layered haircut which is far from the crew cut which someone in his position would have worn.) You can also tell that he is repressed because the first time he meets Kelly – in a local diner – he acknowledges she is the most attractive woman he has ever seen. Still, he cock-blocks himself, telling her that he can’t get involved with anyone because of bad timing and the importance of his job.

I guess we should look at the elephant in the room here. While Johansson and Tatum are both undoubtedly gorgeous, they have very little chemistry together. This is mostly on Tatum’s side – and it may not even be the actor’s fault, it may just be the role as written. Still, it is a little hard to root for a happy-ever-after for these two.

However, taking a look at the space program at the height of its importance is endlessly fascinating. Had they maintained the view at the actual space landing rather than showing the less interesting attempts to recreate it, Fly Me To the Moon may have been something special. Instead it is a fairly good movie which had the potential to be very good.

Jay S. Jacobs

Copyright ©2024 PopEntertainment.com. All rights reserved. Posted: July 12, 2024.

[justyeghost]

Investigating Things That Go Bump In The Night (a Sims 4 Nixon Cole stream)

Now that the Strangerville Mystery has been solved, it is time to move on to a new case... and maybe solve some of the issues surrounding the old fire station...

Catch the haunts on my Twitch Channel or below the fold

[richardnixonlibrary]

#Nixon50 #OTD 3/4/1974 President Nixon met to discuss the Better Communities Act and the Tandem Plan with James T. Lynn, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Kenneth R. Cole, Jr., Executive Director of the Domestic Council, and Dr. Dana G. Mead, Associate Director of the Domestic Council. (Image: WHPO-E2319-15)

[forensicated]

Smiffina Episodes: Assault On Sun Hill - Part 1 and 2

Part 1 has the very lovely Christopher Fox arrive as Max Carter, the stations new DS. Sam's nose is put out of joint because she knew nothing of Max until she overheard a new DS was arriving! Max's arrival has somewhat of a question over it because he's transferred from CO19 to Divisional CID. Max eventually explains that it's because he shot two people, cleared two investigations, two lawful killings... but the higher ups were concerned about bad press so made him up to Sgt and moved him out.

Max and Terry worked a case where a trusted longterm snout of Terry's gave information about an armed robbery involving a very dangerous criminal. Then suddenly he told him it was the next week... Max and Terry worked out the change of heart was because his son was taken in as the getaway driver and his snout wanted to protect him. Sadly Jimmy Duncan found out and shout the snout in the stomach which lead to Terry finding the man bleeding to death. Terry couldn't deal and disappeared as soon as his snout died, found by uniform in a pub. He told them he didn't want to go back to his family in the state he was in so they took him to the station with a discreet word to Nikki who allowed him to have a nap in the cells as it was quiet, Nikki looking after Terry's warrant card for him under the desk.

Whilst this was happening, uniform also dealt with the case of two girls arrested for refusing to pay for their taxi after their holiday. They were taken to the station where they proved pains in the arse. The taxi driver was found unconscious at home and it turned out that the girls had smuggled back a poisonous snake that had gotten free and was slithering around the mans house. Thankfully it was quickly found and safely captured by the RSPCA, but the damage was done and the girls boyfriends were getting fed up of waiting for the girls. After several hours, they appeared to have given up and were leaving... though they marched back inside with guns and covers over their faces (despite having been sat in the front office all day!!!) and an irritating friend for a get away driver, demanding to see their girls who they wanted releasing, taking Tony and Sally hostage.

Part 2 opens with Sally and Tony held hostage. CO19 turn up as part of a routine statement drop off and 2 of the armed men see this and panic and end up shooting one of the officers. One, Damo, gets shot but it's just a graze. Tony ends up letting them further into the station

Will and Callum are outside at the front and can see what's going on through the doors. Callum radios to Gina who is in the station to inform her. Gina puts out an 'evacuate the station' message and tells those who are out of the station to remain out until further notice.

The hostage takers have made it to the cells and have now taken Ben and Nikki hostage too. They make Nikki open the doors until they find the girls. (You'd think that knowing that she has Jimmy Duncan and Terry in the cells that she'd ask who they're after and tell them they'd be in the female cells so as not to open every cell?) In doing so, all prisoners are released - other than a singing drunk who doesn't seem to realise and Terry who initially sleeps through it all. The girls immediately know that the mask wearing idiots are their boyfriends. The fiesty one, Paula, moans at her boyfriend, Michael that she's not going to leave without her belongings - including her phone and purse. Michael is visibly irritated, pointing out that they're in a police station with officers everywhere and really need to be leaving! Again she refuses and he orders Nikki to get her her stuff to pacify her so they can leave

Vinnie tells Michael that there are armed police outside. Sally tells them that it's a routine statement drop off (surely you'd let them think one of them had informed on the others and turn them against each other or use it to try end it quicker and more peacefully?) Damo, the irritating friend they brought with them, then spots his girlfriend is obviously not well, curled up in pain with a high temperature. Paula shouts at Michael again for bringing in guns and causing more problems as they were about to be released anyway!

Tony is asked if there's a backway out and he just glares at them, Nikki tells them all exits lead to the front so they cannot avoid C019 and they should give themselves up before anyone else gets hurt. Jimmy stands in the doorway to the men's cells and tells them they don't have enough firepower to shoot their way out so they need to take their hostages to a central location where they can't be taken by surprise by CO19 and that he should remove their utility belts too. Jimmy won't shut up despite the officers telling him to. "Where's central and secure?" Michael demands of Tony. "...Milton Keynes?" Tony suggests, getting a gun thrust in his face for his trouble. They proceed as a group to IBO.

Gina is doing a sweep of the station, she manages to get outside with some of the other staff and meets Callum, Will and the CO19 officers. The officer shot will be fine but has broken ribs, saved by his vest. Gina tasks Callum to try work out who is inside and who is outside and they start to lock the street and surrounding buildings down.

Michael tries to keep control of the officers and Jimmy, but Jimmy keeps mouthing off. Paula tells him that Tiffany needs to go to hospital and blames him for not meeting them at the airport. "Listen, why are you always trying to undermine me in front of people?!" he scowls at her, asking her to look after Tiffany. Tony almost chuckles, telling the other officers that they're not hardened criminals or murderers. Nikki doesn't let that calm her considering they're loose canons, worked up and have already shot one officer!

Max, Mickey and Sam are in the pub having a Christmas drink. There's tinsel, lights, Slade playing in the background... and then Gina walks in and takes over the pub and the carpark as the rendezvous point with only a "Sorry Bob, we need your pub!"

Damo is worrying about Tiff and begs Michael to get them out. Jimmy rolls his eyes and says if they bring the toys [guns], they have to play. He suggests if it was him he'd search the rest of the building, make a list of demands and start to plan a way out. Damo is sent to do exactly that. Ben realises Tiff is more 'out of it' than just drink. As a first aider he jumps into action to help and questions Paula if they are drugs mules. She denies it first before having to admit it. Tiff has already been to the toilet and passed the drugs but Paula hasn't and is worried the same could happen to her. Michael sends her to the toilet with Sally and Vinnie, they run into Damo and some hostages. Paula shouts that Tiffany is OD'ing on coke and he is clearly terrified, telling Michael if anything happens to her, they are finished.

Gina has paramedics and the fire brigade on standby and is trying to get power, gas and water cut off to the building. She's also got Barton St to set up cameras for the outside of the station so they can view what's happening live. Sam wonders if it's an elaborate attempt to spring Jimmy from the cells. So soon after the Moving Target trilogy they suspect it could be a terrorist but Heaton says it doesn't feel political to him. CO19 set up shop in the buildings around and opposite the station and the cameras are now switched on.

Nikki tries to get them to give themselves up. Jimmy winds Michael up and tells him what to do. He claims he's on his side and just wants to get out of there. Tony tells him not to listen to him as he'll only benefit himself. Jimmy works the Vinnie angle after he tells him that he doesn't think he could shoot anyone. Michael makes Nikki answer the telephone call from Gina that through the IBO system. Gina and Nikki pretend not to know each other, but Nikki is unable to tell her much because Michael is preventing her. Gina says the station is surrounded and secured and they should end it now before anyone else is hurt. Jimmy stirs the pot further causing Tony to snap at him and Ben to drag him back down before Tony gets shot. Michael is starting to listen to Jimmy and take his opinion and tells Nikki to order a bus for the hostages. Gina replies it takes time and she doesn't have the authority so Michael snaps 'Get the authority or someone's going to get hurt, starting with your lot.' He gives a time limit of 1 hour. Heaton and the others discuss it and Heaton suggests ringing back in half an hour, hoping they'd be calmer.

A hungover Terry wakes to a serenade from the drunk. He leaves his cell, horrified to find the door to Jimmy's - and all other - cell open. He enters custody and finds the utility belts. He can hear raised voices so pauses to listen, he creeps through and can see into IBO where Michael is waving a gun over Ben and Tony and then sees Vinnie waiting outside the girls toilets whilst Sally tries to help Paula go. He hurries back to Custody and finds his phone, ringing Sam.

Paula flushes before leaving the cubicle claiming no evidence, no case. Clearly she's forgotten where she is... Sally asks her why she'd done what she had and she shrugs, claiming it to be 'their way out'. She tells Paula to tell Michael to end it sooner rather than later or it could be too late for Tiff. Nikki, Paula and Jimmy talk Michael into letting Tiff go to receive medical help as she's near collapse. Jimmy tells him they know he's tough and this will prove to him that he's not a psycho and stop them from sending in CO19 to blast them all out.

Terry updates Sam on what he's seen from inside the situation, he also tells them that Jimmy Duncan appears to be working with the hostage takers. Nikki rings back through to Gina before Sam can finish updating the officers in the pub to tell them that Tiff will be coming out. Paula tries to get him to give himself up but Michael insists only Tiff. He wants Damo and Ben to take her to the front office - and for Damo to hand over his gun first. He hands it to Vinnie and asks him to 'try not to shoot anyone'. Terry is trying to leave the station but before he can get out the doors, Tiff is brought through, handed over, and Ben, Michael and Damo return into the station.

Vinnie is not the brightest of souls and Jimmy quickly outsmarts him. He gets him to hand a gun over... and then shoots him dead. He now has two guns. Not a great thing for an armed robber with no conscience to have in the middle of a police station... especially when he takes Nikki hostage. Everyone in IBO is now terrified - including the officers. Having heard the gunshot, Terry abandons plans to leave and turns back.

Ben, Michael and Damo return to find chaos where Tony is trying to save Vinnie's life and PC Extra trying to calm down the two non-English speaking cleaners. Paula clings to Michael, sobbing - Damo isn't far behind her! Michael realises what a mistake he's made...

Terry updates Sam and tells her that one of the idiots has been shot and that he suspects Nikki has been taken hostage by Jimmy. She tells him to get out immediately. He refuses, telling her it's about him and Jimmy Duncan after Jimmy murdered his snout and he hangs up before she can stop him.

Tony and Ben try to get Michael to let them all get out but Michael insists he's going to go and kill Jimmy. Ben says if he gets hold of his gun too, he'll kill them all. Michael says they're waiting for the bus but Ben insists there won't BE a bus. Before they can continue, the power to the station gets cut off and all lights go out. Jimmy gets Nikki to open the cell of his accomplice and he hands him a gun. He then takes his phone and makes a call to 'Craigy', telling him to be ready to collect them from a warehouse off Sun Hill Road. He rings Sam and manages to tell her that Duncan has a gun and he's freed his accomplice who also has a gun now and that they're about to escape but his phone cuts off before he can finish as his battery has run out. He goes back into Custody when Duncan and his accomplice part ways for a few seconds and knocks him out cold. He tries to get his gun but Jimmy returns and holds his gun at his head.

Terry tries to blag that he's a criminal just like him and wants to get out hence going for the gun. He claims to be Gary Jones in for ABH.Jimmy tells him to grab some blankets with Nikki and carry them to the canteen after he'd removed a lighter from someone's property. In IBO Michael and Jimmy hold a gun at each other until Michael is intimidated enough to hand it over. (Just shoot him mate, you had nothing to lose - the way he is you wouldn't have gotten out if he'd been able to complete it!) Terry knees Ben in the stomach as a way of telling the gathered officers that Jimmy doesn't know he's an officer "It's alright, he's the git who nicked me." He covers to Jimmy. Jimmy tells him to get the officers locker keys and remove anything that is flammable like aerosols. He tells him to take Tony with him.

You've got to love Terry for snark! Jimmy tells him to cuff him first. "Come on, big boy!" In the locker room Terry lets Tony in on what has happened and that Jimmy thinks he's a prisoner. He tells him that he's going to start a fire and all he wants is just one guns so he can take control of the situation. He asks Jimmy what happens after the fire breaks out and he tells him that it'll then be every man for himself. He gets everyone out into the corridor and orders them to lie down, telling Terry to start a fire in the canteen. Terry grabs a metal bin, towels and cooking oil and starts the fire, standing over it whilst looking rather sinister.

CID trace the Craig that Jimmy called and speed round to his flat. Gina reports to Sam and Heaton that a fire has started in the canteen. Sam suggests waiting for him to leave and then take him out - but Heaton points out there's their colleagues lives in danger as well as a risk to the station going up. He's going to send in CO19 now - whilst Jimmy is still planning. Terry gets hold of a gun and immediately hold Jimmy at gunpoint. Unfortunately the guns not loaded... Jimmy knew who he was all along after he'd seen his warrant card in the property drawer in custody Terry is then knocked out cold. Max reports back to Sam there's no sign of Craig or the money at the flat they were traced to.

Duncan grabs one of the non-English speaking cleaners and drags her along with him towards the exit. C019 are given the permission to go in. As soon as they all run out under the cover of smoke, Jimmy takes Terry's warrant card and claims he's police and has to get the cleaner to a paramedic. CO19 buy it and let him pass with Terry still unconscious inside until he comes to and manages to stumble outside. Gina, Sam and Heaton hurry over, identifying the officers, including Terry, so they're not arrested.

In the confusion, Paula is shrieking at the officers to 'get off him!' about Michael and Jimmy appears to have gotten away. He gets Will to take him to the meet up point that he'd overheard. He makes Will do a silent approach and pull in away from the meet up point. As he gets out, Will calls in for back up. Terry takes Jimmy by surprise and knocks him out cold after beating him up, holding him at gunpoint. He cocks the gun and has to be shouted down to not shoot him by Sam. He gets to arrest him for two murders and CO19 move in to remove him from the scene.

[evidenceof]

just letting you know that your tags abt yearning Winters made me burst into tears at work and no one was more surprised than me. Never have I ever lost it like this lmao. Are those quotes from his book?

OMG. I am holding your hand, my friend because I Felt That Right Here. Yes, they're from several books/collections actually (I am screaming with you) and they're all burned into my prefrontal cortex. :') Presenting co-dependency as told by Dick Winters, as inflicted by one Lewis Nixon III.

To address said tags and their corresponding quotes: 1. #dick “didnt want to see anyone but the moment nix called he answered” winters

“Winters was not only separating from DeEtta, but people in general. When friends came to visit, he refused to see them. This included the wife of fellow F&M graduate Rick Burgess, the army friend Winters loaned $125 while at Camp Croft so he could get married. The new Mrs. Burgess stopped at the house to welcome him home, but he would not go downstairs to greet her. “Naturally I hurt her feelings, but I didn’t want to see her,” he said. “I didn’t want to see anybody.” But the offer from Nixon was still in Winters’ mind. At about the same time the man from New Holland Supply made his offer, Nixon again called his army buddy. “Job’s still open, Dick,” he said. “Let’s get together and talk about it.” Winters liked the idea of seeing Nixon again, and agreed.” From "Biggest Brother" by Larry Alexander

2. #dick “Capt. Nixon left this week...im as lonesome as a lovesick swab” winters (One of my personal favorites. Makes me chew on my arm)

September 16, 1945, Letter to DeEtta (on Lew's departure from Europe) "Capt. Nixon left this week, which makes everything just dandy. I am about as lonesome as a lovesick swab who married a Wave on an eight hour pass." From Hang Tough: The WWII Letters and Artifacts of Major Dick Winters

3. #richard “Dick's eyes shone as he recalled his old friend” winters

"You seem to have been polar opposites. You didn't drink, nor did you swear. Nixon did both and in huge quantities. He would have been the last man whom I think you would have befriended. What was the foundation of your friendship with Nixon?” Dick's eyes shone as he recalled his old friend. "It is hard to explain. I had first met Nix when we were at Fort Benning, Georgia, in officer candidate school. Later we served as platoon leaders under Sobel's command. A special bond always exists among the platoon commanders in any military com-pany, particularly when they perceive their own commander as 'the enemy.

There is no question in my mind that Nixon was the best combat soldier in 2nd Battalion. By the time we jumped into Holland, I was so lonely that I needed someone in whom I could confide my inner thoughts. That someone was Nix. Whenever the bullets began to fly, I could turn and there stood Nix. From “Conversations with Major Dick Winters.” by Colonel Cole Kingseed

Once again, I am holding your hand so we can both scream together and marinate in this Winnix brainrot. I'm so sorry to have caused you distress in the WORKPLACE!!

[suugrbunz]

꒰ Band of Brother Characters Taste in Music ꒱

Dick Winters— Jazz music is his jam... I could see him enjoying Laufey or Nat King Cole

Lewis Nixon— Either has a similar taste to Winters or he's listening to alternative. Might listen to Lana Del Rey.

Ronald Speirs— Folk Rock... Think of Sedona by Houndmouth or maybe Not Dead Yet by Lord Huron.

Harry Welsh— Probably loves music from the 70s... You could catch him singing to Fleetwood mac or Carly Simon.

Carwood Lipton— he listens to all kinds of music... Old, new, um classical. if he likes it, he will listen to it.

Edward Shames— Klezmer or nigun; He's a mensch.

John Martin—Whatever the radio plays, he isn't picky. He just doesn't enjoy hard rock or certain country music(that's about beer & girls).

Floyd Talbert— It's giving Mac Demarco, TV Girl, Backseat Lovers, maybe Gorillaz.. I don't know if he's a red flag or not.

Bill Guarnere— Alternative Rock; I'm leaning towards Punk by Gorillaz. Though, if he were to have a guilty pleasure song it'd be Mamma Mia by Abba.

Joe Toye— I'm thinking Metal or heavier rock in general though he definitely has guilty pleasure songs. His favourite metal song is Dragula by Rob Zombie. The guilty pleasure song is definitely Brutal by Olivia Rodrigo. He also listens to Lana del Rey, Marina, and Paramore.

Don Malarkey— His favourite band is the strokes, trust me. He also enjoys The Libertines and Franz Ferdinand. Just trust me on this, okay?

Lynn Compton— Wasn't he kind of athletic? If so he definitely has a workout playlist that's full of either really hyper-feminine music or 90s rock.

Ralph Spina— He loves music from the 60s-70s... Southern Nights by Glen Campbell is one of his favourite songs.

Eugene Roe— @chaosklutz helped with this one; Jazz. I could imagine him listening to Let's call the whole thing off by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.

Babe Heffron—Indie pop or Indie rock... Hes an avid listener of lovejoy. He also listens to Hozier from time to time.

Shifty Powers— Folk... He's from Virginia but if I remember correctly it's a rural area. He definitely likes John Denver and The Oh Hellos.

Joseph Liebgott— Klezmer the folk music of Ashki Jews!! Example; Dona Dona by Nikitov. On the other hand, I could see him listening to alternative/indie like Blur or haim.

George Luz— Classic Rock or Indie Pop— Think talking heads or wallows. However, he definitely loves some cher songs and donna summers.

Bull Randleman— It's giving rock but not heavy... He's not like Toye or Guarnere. I'm thinking of Cheaptrick or maybe Aerosmith.

Skinny Sisk—Probably listens to a playlist that's a mixture of pop, rock, and rap. It's giving red flag.

Frank Perconte— He definitely listens to the fratellis and the maccabees... I mean they have a song called Toothpaste Kisses...

Warren Muck— he listens to anything but he tends to favour the 80s. He loves Come On Eileen but also 500 miles? He'd play that whilst in the car with Penkala and Malarkey.

Alex Penkala— Don't ask me why but I think he'd listen to new wave. Think Duran Duran, Blondie, or B-52s. He might listen to the ramones from time to time.

David Webster— Whilst studying Webster has definitely chosen classical as his go to. He's a big fan of Saint-Saens and Tchaikovsky. However, when listening to music on the radio he prefers something a bit more quiet... His taste clashes with Toye and Guarnere. Though, I could see him trying to act as if listening to the smiths is really underrated. As if they're some underground band.

Edward Tipper— I think he likes 60s pink Floyd... Like See Emily Play Pink Floyd. He might also enjoy The Beatles or The Stone Roses. Like Rock that borders being pop.