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trumpetnista · 9 months ago

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An early birthday present to me! I'm 31 on the 25th and I'm damned happy to be here. Also, this is yet another stride forward in my ongoing deprogramming journey! The bison on my right side is a BI-SON because I love bison and puns plus now that I'm Free and Out, I want everyone to know what I'm about. The Hello Kitty Gingerbread Cookie is a Memorial tat for my Daddy and for my Sara. When I was born, Daddy said I looked just like a gingerbread cookie which led to the nickname that was just for him: Cookie. Sara Elizabeth was stolen from us by an evil and rare brain tumor (DIPG) and she adored Hello Kitty. The icing and bow are their favorite colors: purple and pink, respectively.

The Cult I escaped from is the Jehovah's Witnesses and two of the main Rules they had was no Ink and no celebrating your birthday.

I SAY FUCK THAT AND FUCK THEM. I have reclaimed my time and my life from them and I'm never going back. I've always wanted tattoos and since my sheet music orchid healed beautifully, I returned to the same parlor and got the same excellent service and fair price.

They also helped me plan my next tattoos after my Caged Bird Free on my right tricep.

My right thigh is going to have a mural of an owl holding Medusa's head because Medusa got fucked over and I always felt bad for her. That and I'm a huge Mythology nerd. After tigers, bison, and cows, the owl is my favorite animal and it's a long time symbol of wisdom. I plan on returning to the artist who did my Orchid, although everyone in the parlor is very good.

My left tricep is going to have Venusaur with its flower in the bisexual flag colors. Bulbasaur has been my favorite Pokemon since I was a kid back in the day when there were only 150 and all its evolutions are awesome. The reason I came up with the idea is because my tattoo parlor is a station for Pokemon GO, adding bonus points to how much I love it. Plus, it's literally down the street from my house. Support your local businesses, folks!

I have some transparent waterproof bandages on the way and I have plenty of Shea butter to tend to them as I heal. I have to go out and get a travel size for when I'm at the gym and I'll probably do that while I get some more extra strength Tylenol and Gatorade for the gym.

My Fibromyalgia has been kicking my ass for the last 2 months but I'm already putting my doctors on the case and 2 new pain management docs are on standby if they can't help me. I have an appointment with my surgeon to talk about more nerve ablations and to get my weight loss supplement refilled or replaced because since I haven't been able to get refills, I gained everything I lost back and then some. Thankfully, I have a consistent gym routine and I've adjusted my diet so I know the weight gain is because of that because before I ran out, I was dropping weight slowly but steadily.

I am LIVING for The Ones Who Live. It's literally a Richonne fanfic novel come to life and it's doing 2016, Pre Negan numbers so hopefully, we'll get a Season 2 and/or a movie. It's literally leaving money on the table if they don't! Plus, Andy and Danai are in the writer's room and it shows on and off camera. They understand and love their characters as much as we do and it's just refreshing! The Walking Dead is exciting AND sensible again, LMAO!

ALSO, I saw that The Admiral has joined the original Law and Order as Jack McCoy's successor. The only actor I love more than Andrew Lincoln is Tony Goldwyn so I might pull up. My main Law and Order has always been SVU and now Organized Crime since their Leads are just as entwined as the shows buuttt, I love Tony. He's a sweetheart and can you guys imagine if they put Kerry on as a guest star linked to him??? I know she's got her own projects going on but an Olitz reunion would be so cool, especially since Elliot and Olivia ARE STILL NOT TOGETHER! Jeez, just let them fuck and love each other fully! God-DAMN!

Anyway, that's what I've been doing. I'm still working on my fanfics, I promise but I gotta take care of IRL business before I can really get back in action. I AM live tweeting The Ones Who Live (my handle is Trumpetnista) so if you wanna hang out and get more updates regularly, that's where I am.

Peace and Chicken Grease, ~*Trump*~

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eccles4il6by · 6 years ago

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shea transparent Trace Lysette actor actress photo TV Actress

shea transparent

About shea transparent:

About

Getting through as an on-screen character subsequent to finding a repetitive job in Amazon’s Transparent. She is a transgender lady remarkable as one of the first trans individuals to show up as a non-trans individual on a noteworthy TV appear with a talking job.

Prior to Fame

She was a track star. She executed as a drag ruler at bars and filled in…

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#shea transparent #shea transparent actor #shea transparent tv shows #shea transparent who

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artificialqueens · 5 years ago

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Undone, Chapter 19 (Bitney) - Stephanie/Veronica

A/N: Welcome to Chapter 19 of UNDONE, our slow burn Bitney lesbian AU. Here’s a link to the previous chapters.

Summary: You never know what the final straw will be…

Thank you so much to @missdandee for her incredible beta help. XO

TW: Emotional abuse, intimidation, gaslighting, PTSD

***

Courtney chuckles to herself as a familiar hook starts blasting from her car speakers. She merges onto Washington Boulevard towards the studio, automatically thinking about how much shit Bianca gave her for having the song on her playlist. ‘What kind of lesbian are you, anyway?’

The kind of lesbian who fucking loves ABBA. And not ashamed of it.

Half past twelve Watchin' the late show in my flat all alone How I hate to spend the evening on my own...

The song is speaking to her today more than ever. If it was a month ago, she’d be so delighted to tell Bianca about it coming on that she might have pulled over to text her. Or else, she’d race into the wardrobe trailer breathlessly the second she arrived on set.

Autumn winds blowin' outside the window As I look around the room And it makes me so depressed to see the gloom

There’s won’t be any giggling about the song (or Courtney’s cheesy taste) in the wardrobe trailer today. Courtney takes a deep breath and sings along.

“There's not a soul out there...No one to hear my praaaaaaayer!”

It’s been getting more and more difficult for Courtney to hold onto her anger. Ever since she broke down at Sasha and Shea’s, she’s had to acknowledge that the worst part of this whole ordeal wasn’t losing the romantic fantasy. It was losing her friend. Someone she relied on, someone she trusted.

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight Won't somebody help me Chase the shadows away Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight Take me through the darkness To the break of the day

Courtney leans her head back, gripping the steering wheel tightly. She still feels like she’s been used and toyed with and lied to. But in spite of everything, she misses Bianca. Maybe that makes the whole thing even worse.

It’s easy for Courtney to shrug and move on. Aloofness comes naturally to her--it’s just not coming this time.

***

Bianca had been successful at minimizing her interactions with Courtney. She’d been getting all of her alterations done ahead of time, letting Jamie handle the fittings and pictures. Today, though, something is wrong. Jamie sends her to see Bianca, who frowns when she sees her. The dress gaps at her waist, like it hasn’t been tailored at all.

Avoiding eye contact, Bianca wraps a measuring tape around her waist.

“Did you lose weight?” she asks, her tone almost accusatory.

“Umm...maybe? I did a juice cleanse,” Courtney says. She chews on her lip, feeling like she’s being scolded, as Bianca writes down the new numbers and starts to pin her dress. Unsure why she’s feeling so defensive, she adds, “It can’t be that much.”

“Mmhmm.”

Bianca’s face is solemn as she works, and Courtney feels a rush of emotion. Only it’s not anger, like it’s been for weeks--or sadness, like she wallowed in last weekend. It’s more like pity.

Courtney’s gone through many ups and downs in her life, but one thing that’s always stayed pretty consistent is her honestly with herself. She can’t imagine what Bianca is going through right now, keeping all of her feelings bottled up inside. It must be exhausting.

So she tries to lighten the mood, saying, “You should really be telling me that I didn’t need to lose any weight. That I was just perfect before.”

Bianca doesn’t crack a smile, and Courtney deflates a little.

“You know, when someone fishes for compliments, it’s polite to humor them.”

Bianca looks up at her. Her beautiful eyes are dull, joyless, and it breaks Courtney’s heart all over again.

“You didn’t need to lose weight,” she intones robotically.

Something is going on. Courtney is sure of it. Something beyond the two of them. Bianca just doesn’t seem like the confident, sarcastic, tough bitch that Courtney knows she is.

“Well…” Courtney falters a bit.

Everything she wants to say is too much, or not enough. Talk to me. Please.

“Thanks.”

Bianca nods and goes back to work.

***

Why does this keep happening to her?

For the third day in a row, Bianca sits in the garage in her parked car, unable to force herself to head upstairs.

Things with Jared haven’t even been that bad, if she’s honest. They’re mostly avoiding each other these days. They talk about what to eat for dinner. Their work schedules. The fucking weather. It’s as if there’s been a very tentative truce, a fragile agreement not to get too deep.

Bianca knows that he takes her depression personally. That he sees any unhappiness as an attack. He’s made that clear a million times over the years - if she’s not happy, then he has Failed and therefore she Better Be Happy.

But lately, for whatever reason, he seems to have backed off. He’s giving her space, and for that she’s grateful--even if her gratitude is accompanied by a constant, nagging fear. This respite won’t last forever. When’s he going to snap? What’s gonna make him snap? Bianca feels sick with worry, just thinking about it.

And then of course, there’s the guilt. The ever-present guilt, the feeling that she’s not enough - as a woman, as a wife, as a partner. Now compounded by the fact that he hasn’t told him about her pregnancy. The doctor confirmed it this week, and for some reason, she can’t bring herself to share the news.

She hasn’t told anyone. Not even Latrice. Not even her sisters.

Why hasn’t she told them? Why can’t she tell him?

She sniffles, realizing that tears have been leaking from her eyes. She pulls down the visor and wipes her face, carefully fixing her eye makeup, taking a few more minutes to gather herself together.

Before she heads inside, she stares at herself in the mirror, plastering a smile across her face. Yikes. She sighs and snaps the visor shut.

***

With Jamie gone for the morning, Bianca is forced to do all the check-ins. She’s clearly trying to avoid more interaction with Courtney by calling her in along with three other actors. But after everyone else is gone, Courtney returns to the trailer. With the transparent excuse of having a loose thread hanging from her sleeve.

Bianca clips it quickly, immediately going back to her sketchbook.

Courtney walks slowly to the door, reaching for the handle, then turns around.

“Hey, B?” Her voice is soft, almost a plea.

“Yeah?”

Bianca doesn’t look up, and Courtney hesitates. She probably should have figured out what she was gonna say ahead of time, but as usual, she’s flying by the seat of her pants. Fuck.

After violently flipping to a new page in her sketchbook, Bianca asks, “What?”

“I just...I just want you to know that I’m still here, if you ever need anything.” Courtney swallows and continues. “I know you might not, and that’s okay, obviously, but if you do...I’m here. That-that’s all.” She takes a deep breath, as if trying to decide if that is, in fact, all she has to say.

For once, Bianca doesn’t have a smartass comment. Instead, she gives one brief nod, and a simple, “Thanks.”

Courtney nods back, giving her a look that’s almost a smile, and leaves.

***

“Latrice?”

It’s late. Too late to be calling on a weekday, especially given the time difference. Nonetheless, when Bianca calls her friend while taking the dogs out, she answers immediately.

“What’s wrong, honey?”

“How do you know something’s wrong?” Bianca tries desperately to sound lighthearted. She fails.

“Well, it’s almost 3 am. Something better be wrong.”

Bianca laughs, and that’s what it takes to break the dam wide open. Tears are falling now and she doesn’t know why, doesn’t even remember why she called.

“Talk to me, B.”

“I don’t know what to do,” Bianca admits, sitting down on the curb, sniffling, wiping frantically at her eyes. “Tell me what to do. Please.”

There’s a very brief pause, and then Latrice answers her in a somber voice.

“Pack a bag. Just...pack a bag. Enough for a week. Keep it in your car.”

Bianca takes a shaky breath.

“You don’t have to make any decisions right now, okay? Just pack the bag.”

Bianca nods, which she realizes is stupid. Latrice can’t see her.

“Are you still there, baby?”

“Yeah,” she managed to choke out.

“I love you.”

“I love you too. I’m sorry for waking you.”

“It’s okay.”

For a few moments, they sit on the phone in silence, as Bianca’s breathing returns to normal, tears slowing to a manageable trickle.

“Thank you.”

“Anytime.”

***

Three more hours, Bianca tells herself. Just three more hours.

She’s been carefully packing a suitcase for Jared to take on his business trip, counting down the minutes. She can’t help but feel guilty about the utter relief coursing through her veins, knowing that he’s going to be out of town for the next week and a half. Nonetheless, that’s the reality of the situation. She’d already steamed and pressed three suits for the garment bag, while he met the boys for lunch to finalize their presentation.

Bianca hears the front door open and continues to fill little travel bottles for his toiletries bag.

“B! Where are you?!”

He bursts into the bathroom, staggering up to her. As he wraps his arms around her from behind, Bianca can instantly smell the booze on his breath.

“Hey. I’ve almost got your suitcase together. Why don’t you go check it out?”

“I’d rather check you out,” he growls into her ear, hands inching up under her top. She tries to wriggle away, but his grip is solid.

“I’m serious! I don’t want to forget anything. I packed enough for over a week, but is that-”

“I’m sure it’s perfect, baby. Fuck, you smell so good.” He bites at her neck, yanking down the cups of her bra.

“You should really check, because I wasn’t sure if you-

“Bianca, Bianca...I don’t care.” He spins her around, pinning her to the counter. “I’m gonna be gone for almost two weeks. So...come on, let’s just...have a good time, before I have to leave…”

“Jared, stop!” Bianca pushes him off, heart racing.

He glares at her, eyes cold and eerily still.

Bianca swallows, picking up the toiletries bag and clutching it to her chest.

“I just think I should finish…”

“Why do you always make me feel like goddamn monster?”

“I’m sorry, I-” Bianca flinches as he reaches a hand up to touch her face, and he grits his teeth, slamming a fist down on the counter.

“Do think I’m going to fucking hit you?!” he shouts.

The bag slips from her hands and she covers her face, fear and humiliation flooding through her whole body.

“Do you know what it fucking does to me when you act like this?!” Jared screams, inches from her face, cheeks red with rage.

The room is too small, his voice is too loud, the air is too thick for Bianca to get a breath. Her skin is hot and itchy all over as she tries not to break, treacherous tears collecting in her eyes.

“Don’t you dare, don’t you dare fucking cry!” he continues, grabbing her by the shoulders. “You better fucking stop, stop acting like a goddamn victim--because this is your fault, you are the one doing this to me!”

Bianca opens up her mouth, trying to force out an apology, but the words won’t come out.

“Fuck!” Jared screams, and with that, he storms from the room, slamming the door behind him. Bianca takes a few gasping breaths, leaning forward against the sink, unable to face her reflection in the mirror.

You’re okay, you’re okay...

She rinses her face with cold water and then goes back to methodically packing Jared’s things, keeping herself calm by going over the checklist in her mind. Shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, razors...

Soon, her mind is comfortably numb, reviewing what she’s packed already. She can hear Jared banging around the kitchen.

Ties, underwear, socks, T-Shirts…

The TV turns on, volume turned up all the way, some garbage reality show about fishing or hunting or living in the woods.

Jeans, shorts, sweatshirt, extra charger, power adapter...

The dogs can sense her anxiety. They paw at her legs, whining slightly, and she stops what she’s doing, sitting and lifting them onto the bed. She’s broken out of her trance now, as tears begin to fall once again. Sammy licks at her face while Dede curls in her lap.

Bianca tries to breathe, but she can’t seem to get it together. She takes the phone out of her pocket to check the time. Two more hours. Her heart is racing again. Fuck.

I just want you to know that I’m still here, if you ever need anything.

She opens her contacts, finger hovering over her name. She shouldn’t message her. What would she even say? Right now everything feels uncertain, vision blurry with tears and the room tilting off its axis. But one thing is definitely certain, and that’s that she doesn’t deserve any kindness from Courtney.

“Okay. I’m fine now.”

Bianca’s head snaps up, startled, phone slipping from her fingers and skidding across the floor. Jared is standing in the doorway, swaying slightly, a glass of what looks like whiskey in his hand. His lids droop and he’s got a placid smile on his face.

“Who were you calling, B?” he asks, taking a sip from the tumbler.

Her mind races, but not fast enough, and by the time she gets a message from her brain to her limbs to go pick up the phone, he’s already scooping it lazily off the ground.

“Jared, please give it back…” Heat creeps into her face and ears, stomach feeling like it’s being twisted in a thousand little knots.

“Oh, your little girlfriend, huh?”

“Jared-”

“No, it’s cool. It’s not a bad idea, actually.” Jared grins devilishly and presses a button on the phone, holding it up to his ear.

Bianca chokes back a sob. “What are you doing, please-”

“Shh, it’s ringing…”

Courtney slides the groceries into her car as the phone begins to buzz in her pocket. She rolls her eyes. Probably a telemarketer or something, but she gives the screen a quick glance as she shuts the back door. Her heart leaps when she sees the name on the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Hey sexy. What are you up to?”

It takes Courtney a few seconds to recognize Jared’s voice. Her heart begins to beat faster. She can hear the slur. Why the fuck does he have Bianca’s phone?

“Where’s Bianca?” she asks, then adds, “It’s a little early to be this drunk.”

Courtney can hear him chuckle, and then Bianca’s voice in the background, barely, saying, “Please, stop.”

“Well, you know, I was just thinking, you should come over. Because you’re fucking hot, and fun, unlike the frigid bitch standing next to me-”

“Put Bianca on the phone, now,” Courtney demands.

“Whatever.”

Courtney hears shuffling, but she doesn’t wait for Bianca’s voice before asking, “B? Are you there? Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m...I’m sorry. I’m sorry for bothering you. I-”

She’s clearly been crying. Or, she’s still crying. Courtney’s chest constricts. She grips her car key in her hand, leaning on the door for support, trying to breathe evenly.

“It’s okay. Um.” What can she say? What can she do? How can she save her from this god-awful nightmare?

“Okay, well. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“WAIT!” Courtney’s mind is racing, a million miles a minute. She can’t let her get off the phone, not now, not when her voice sounds like that. Not when his voice sounded like that. “Don’t...don’t hang up, please. I need to ask you...”

Courtney can hear a shaky breath, then her voice, small and tired. “Yeah?”

“Um…I...I have this gift certificate. For a spa in Koreatown. Um. I was about to go, and...you’re on the way, so, I could...they supposedly do really amazing facials.”

“Facials.”

“Yeah, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about skin care. You know, you’re obviously really negligent about exfoliation and you’re not getting any younger. So, you should come with me.” Courtney is babbling, desperate. “Apparently they have some kind of miracle treatment that-”

“Courtney, that sounds…like the last thing I-”

“Bianca, you’re not listening to me!” Courtney’s voice is starting to get shrill. “I’m saying, that if, for whatever reason, you want to get out tonight, I can pick you up, and we can go to the spa. You know, because, you obviously really need a facial and I’m just trying to be a good friend here.”

Courtney presses a hand over her eyes. Why did she think this would work? She’s such a fucking moron.

There’s a long pause. “Facials.”Her voice is a hoarse whisper.

Courtney’s breath hitches as she says, “Yeah.”

“Okay. Yeah. You’re right, that’s...a good idea.”

“I’ll be there in 20 minutes,” Courtney tells her, relief filling her lungs with oxygen.

***

Bianca stands on the curb, a purse over one shoulder, duffel bag from her trunk over the other, dog carrier clutched in her hands. Dark sunglasses obscure most of her face. Her heart pounds as she prays for Courtney to come quickly, before Jared puts the pieces together and comes downstairs to find her.

Convincing him that this was a normal outing had required epic levels of patience and self-control. She’d promised, she swore. Promised Courtney that she’d check out this spa with her. She was so sorry to run out like this, right before he has to leave, but his suitcase and garment bag were ready to go.

Oh, the dogs? Well, don’t worry about them. The spa is next door to a doggy daycare. Yeah! It’s so convenient! And they love getting to play with the other little dogs.

Have a safe flight...I’m sorry too.

Yes, text me when you land. Of course I love you.

When Courtney’s Prius pulls up, Bianca races to the door, flinging her duffel bag into the backseat and getting in as fast as possible.

“Are you alrigh-”

“Yeah. We’re not really going to Koreatown, right?”

She can’t bear to look into Courtney’s eyes, so she stares straight ahead, buckling her seatbelt. Courtney pauses for a moment, considering her response.

“We can go wherever you want,” she finally says, softly.

Bianca glances in the mirror, uneasiness growing as she catches her building looming in the background. She presses two fingers to her temple, swallowing hard.

“Just drive.”

#rpdr fanfiction #bianca del rio #courtney act #bitney #latrice royale #oc #lesbian au #fluff #angst #undone #stephanie #veronica #tw emotional abuse #concrit welcome

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khalilhumam · 4 years ago

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The populist paradox

New Post has been published on http://khalilhumam.com/the-populist-paradox/

The populist paradox

By Lica Porcile, Norman Eisen The past four years have seen a global rise in populist right-wing leaders with distinctly authoritarian tendencies. The paradoxical tendency of populist leaders to win on anti-corruption platforms only to then themselves engage in alleged corruption has been widely noted. But there remains much more to say about the underlying causes of this conundrum. Three leaders whose rise and rule illustrate the underlying vulnerabilities of anti-corruption systems which populists exploit are Donald Trump in the United States, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, and Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines. All used existing popular distrust of government and high perceived levels of corruption to their rhetorical advantage on the campaign trail. Once elected, they then used their offices to further weaken institutional venues for combating corruption by bypassing them, co-opting them with political appointees, and ousting critics. The results of this strategy are evident in the American, Brazilian, and Philippine judicial systems, and in the perceived increase in corruption in all three nations. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has exacerbated the corruption challenges in all three countries, while also providing Trump, Duterte, and Bolsonaro with an opportunity to expand personal power through emergency measures.

Campaigning against corruption

An initial similarity among these three populists emerged on the campaign trail. Trump, Bolsonaro, and Duterte each deployed anti-corruption rhetoric in their campaigns. Yet they explicitly rejected traditional, institutional mechanisms to fight corruption, offering instead to fight corruption as individuals or through close allies. Trump’s campaign characterized liberal politicians as “elites” and repeatedly portrayed the political establishment as irredeemably corrupt, famously adopting the slogan “drain the swamp.” He coupled these claims with blatant attacks on established institutions that effectively combat corruption, particularly the FBI. Referring to the FBI’s decision not to prosecute Hillary Clinton over her use of a private email server, Trump called the system “rigged,” saying that the “FBI knows” that Clinton was “guilty.” Duterte’s campaign rhetoric closely resembled Trump’s. He famously promised to punish “friends, close friends, closest friends” if he caught even a “’whiff” of corruption. Duterte here equates governmental probity with personal probity. His promise implied not only that he would not tolerate corruption, but also suggested that his personal oversight was the only oversight needed. Bolsonaro paralleled Trump’s and Duterte’s personalized approaches, saying that he would “fight corruption with radicalism.” However, Bolsonaro also relied on the personal appeal of his close ally, the popular “Lava Jato” judge, Sergio Moro. Lava Jato (Operation Car Wash, in English) was an anti-corruption investigation that led to the arrest and conviction of former President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Bolsonaro’s most formidable political rival, but recent leaks suggest that the investigators had strong biases against Lula and his party, the Partido Trabalhador. Bolsonaro praised the Lava Jato investigation repeatedly and approached Judge Moro prior to the election, offering him the position of justice minister. It is not coincidental that Bolsonaro, Trump, and Duterte, on three different continents and in three different years, took office with similar rhetoric. These leaders rose to power at a time when trust in institutions and traditional anti-corruption mechanisms was very low. Prior to the elections of Bolsonaro and Duterte, Brazil and the Philippines both elected progressive presidents who promised to strengthen anti-corruption institutions, only to see those presidents tainted by corruption scandals themselves. In Brazil, former President Lula was convicted of money laundering in 2017 and 2019, and his successor Dilma Rousseff was impeached in 2016. In the Philippines, President Benigno Aquino won on a traditional anti-corruption platform but his administration was tainted by scandals, and the Philippine anti-graft agency recommended he be charged with corruption. Following the failure of these previous governments, levels of perceived corruption in Brazil and the Philippines had generally increased in the years prior to Bolsonaro’s and Duterte’s elections. In the United States, while Americans believed government corruption was endemic, this number was stable prior to Trump’s election. Income and wealth inequality, however, were not. High levels of inequality, coupled with high levels of distrust, apparently strengthened resentment towards economic and political elites, providing the right environment for Trump’s “drain the swamp” rhetoric. A perception of corrupt political or economic elites strengthens the appeal of the populist narrative, and Trump, Duterte, and Bolsonaro expertly exploited this perception.

Personal corruption allegations

Despite their anti-corruption platforms, all three administrations have been plagued by corruption accusations. Bolsonaro’s son, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, is currently under investigation for allegedly giving jobs in his cabinet to the family members of his political allies. These employees were reportedly paid with taxpayer money, did no actual work, and received only a fraction of their nominal salary, the rest of which Flavio Bolsonaro allegedly laundered and funneled to a militia being investigated for the murders of Brazilian left-wing activists and politicians. President Bolsonaro not only defended this militia, but his wife also received 89 million reals (over $16 thousand) from a political staffer accused of laundering money through the militia, whom Bolsonaro described as his friend and “soldier.” Trump’s corruption issues have been constant since his inauguration. He has openly accepted alleged “emoluments,” foreign and domestic government payments and benefits forbidden by the U.S. Constitution. He is only the third American president ever to be impeached, and he may face criminal prosecution if he loses the 2020 election. (Disclosure: One of the authors served as impeachment co-counsel and as counsel in civil litigation over the emoluments.) Trump is being investigated for, among other things, his alleged “tax dodges, illegal campaign contributions, and improper foreign contributions to his inaugural committee.” Trump could also potentially face charges on at least some of the 10 possible instances of obstruction outlined by Special Counsel Robert Mueller. Seven of his former aides have been prosecuted, pled guilty, or been convicted for various offenses, and a wide array of corruption allegations have been levied against his family members and associates. Duterte’s administration has been similarly mired in scandal. Duterte’s close ally Oscar Albayalde, previously a leading police officer in his drug war, was charged with corruption and allegedly covered for police enmeshed in narcotics trafficking. Albayalde is not alone. In August, the chief executive officer of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Ricardo Morales, resigned as he and several other important members of the state corporation are facing graft charges. While Duterte announced that Morales would face charges, it was Duterte who had named him to head the public insurance corporation in the first place. Corruption allegations run even closer to home for Duterte. His daughter’s law firm, Carpio and Duterte Lawyers, “is not registered with the Security & Exchange Commission (SEC),” according to media reports, calling into question how the firm has been paying taxes over the past decade.

Institutional corruption concerns

While these specific corruption allegations offer examples of the failure of these populist leaders to live up to their rhetoric, they also reflect a broader institutional backsliding. Duterte, Bolsonaro, and Trump have sought to consolidate their personal power at the expense of existing institutions, and this has had severe negative impacts on the justice system, hindering anti-corruption efforts. All three presidents have been accused of “politicizing” the courts and leveraging friends and political allies in law enforcement to protect them and their inner circles. The erosion of the rule of law and transparency during the Trump administration has been far-ranging. Trump’s myriad outrages, such as attacking judges, prosecutors, and even the forewoman of a jury that issued a verdict against a well-known associate, Roger Stone, are detrimental to an independent legal system. His appointment of William Barr as his attorney general has had deeper long-term consequences. To take only one of the many examples, the Stone case demonstrates Barr’s meddling to protect the president. According to Aaron Zelinsky, a prosecutor in the Stone case, his Department of Justice supervisor “pressured” prosecutors to “minimize Stone’s conduct” and recommend a “substantially lower sentence.” Further, “days before the intervention” Barr also replaced the previous U.S attorney for the District of Columbia with his aide Timothy Shea, who according to Zelinsky was “afraid of the president.” Other examples abound. In Brazil, the justice system has been similarly destabilized. Earlier this year, Bolsonaro accused the Supreme Court of “committing abuses” after it authorized probes into allegations that Bolsonaro had personal motives for federal police appointments. Like in the United States, key rule-of-law actors have pushed back. The Supreme Court has also been investigating “anti-democratic rallies,” arrested militant Bolsonaro supporters, raided the offices “of alleged organizers,” and issued subpoenas “for communication records of federal lawmakers close to Bolsonaro.” The confrontation between Bolsonaro and the Supreme Court escalated when the president said the armed forces “won’t accept a politicized trial to destroy a democratically elected president.” Duterte too has meddled with the Philippines’ justice system. In 2018, the Supreme Court voted in favor of a government petition to remove a chief justice whom Duterte had labeled an “enemy.” She had vigorously opposed Duterte’s declaration of martial law in 2017 and questioned Duterte’s labeling of several public officials as drug suspects in 2016. Duterte’s ouster of Maria Lourdes Sereno was a serious blow to the judicial independence of the Philippines, leaving behind “a puppet Supreme Court.”

Coronavirus corruption

These tensions have been brought to a head by the current coronavirus crisis. The pandemic has provided these three populists a unique opportunity to increase and consolidate their personal power at the expense of checks and balances in their countries. This has also resulted in increased misconduct, bringing the cycle of institutional weakness and corruption to a new extreme. In the Philippines, Duterte claimed emergency powers, which he then used to arrest, as of early April, “almost as many people for violating Covid-19 curfews and lockdowns as it [the Philippines] had tested for the virus,” according to media reports. Duterte even announced that the military would “shoot dead” coronavirus “troublemakers.” Meanwhile, officials from the Philippines Public Health Insurance Agency were accused of stealing $300 million last year and are currently under investigation. Trump displayed a similarly troubling pattern of behavior. He claimed that the question of when to lift coronavirus restrictions in different states was his decision, rather than that of states’ governors. He then attempted to dictate how public schools and universities handled the crisis by threatening to withhold education funding and withdrawing tax exemptions. While Trump threatened schools, his friends, political donors, and allies have seemingly been enriched with Paycheck Protection Program loans designated for small businesses. Oversight remains hobbled, including by the president’s interference. Like Trump, Bolsonaro has found himself embroiled in fights against 24 of Brazil’s 27 governors, who sought to implement stricter measures in their states to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. When asked whether he would use the pandemic to “mount a coup,” Bolsonaro replied: “If I was I wouldn’t say so.” The country has likewise failed to prevent funds designated for medical equipment from being diverted, and contracts worth nearly 1.5 billion reals (nearly $280 million) are being investigated for fraud.

Conclusion

The co-optation of anti-corruption rhetoric is a continued danger to democracy and anti-corruption efforts globally. The effect of populist leaders on key institutions is evident in Brazil, the Philippines, and the United States. The coronavirus crisis has made the dangers of these weakened institutions plainly apparent: As millions struggle financially during the pandemic, government responses have been hindered by nepotism and graft. The question for Brazil, the Philippines, and the United States remains how to rebuild. Future governments must restore and strengthen traditional anti-corruption mechanisms that have been weakened in recent years, as well as the public trust. Both are fundamental to preventing a similar cycle of institutional destruction from occurring in the future.

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techcrunchappcom · 4 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/james-comey-ex-trump-adviser-steve-bannon-in-a-world-oftrouble-the-guardian/

James Comey: ex-Trump adviser Steve Bannon 'in a world of trouble' - The Guardian

The former FBI director James Comey has said Steve Bannon is “in a world of trouble”, after the former Trump campaign manager and White House adviser was arrested on a charge of skimming donations from a fundraising campaign for a wall on the border with Mexico.

“It’s another reminder of the kind of people this president surrounds himself with,” Comey told CBS’s Face the Nation on Sunday.

Bannon is the latest figure with close ties to the president to have found himself in trouble with the law. Others include former campaign chair Paul Manafort, former lawyer Michael Cohen and former national security adviser Michael Flynn.

Comey is also a former US attorney for Southern District of New York, where Bannon was indicted last week.

“At this point they could almost start their own crime family,” Comey told CBS, echoing the passage in his book A Higher Loyalty, released in April 2018, in which he famously likened Trump, who fired him in May 2017, to mafia chiefs including Sammy “the Bull” Gravano.

“It’s a very serious case. The southern district of New York has laid it out in a very detailed indictment called a speaking indictment, and he’s in a world of trouble.”

Bannon has pleaded not guilty and faces up to 20 years in jail if convicted.

“It’s a very serious fraud case with a huge amount of money stolen from innocent victims,” Comey said. “That’ll drive up potential punishments.”

Bannon was released on a $5m bond, backed by $1.75m in cash or real estate. He has until 3 September to find the collateral. Three other men, Brian Kolfage, Andrew Badolato and Timothy Shea, were also arrested in the alleged scheme to defraud the We Build the Wall campaign, which authorities said raised more than $25m.

Kolfage, Badolato and Shea have not yet entered pleas. In a statement on his Facebook page on Saturday, Kolfage said he had “obtained one of the best super lawyers around who isn’t afraid to fight back at the politically motivated assaults against me”.

Bannon, Comey said, was “in trouble because the indictment lays it out in such detail, including excerpts from texts. If you’re Steve Bannon [or] you’re his lawyers, you’re reading this saying, ‘I’m going down here.’

“I don’t know what the next steps are for him and his co-defendants, but that’s what I meant by ‘world of trouble.’”

Comey has proved a troublesome adversary for Trump, who sought unsuccessfully, and infamously, to secure a pledge of personal loyalty before deciding to fire him as FBI director.

Comey recently announced a new book, Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency, and Trust, due for release in January. Also in January, after the presidential election, Showtime will release The Comey Rule, a two-part adaptation of A Higher Loyalty.

Comey is played by Jeff Daniels, Trump by the Irish actor Brendan Gleeson. In published cast lists, Bannon does not appear.

#comey #james #Politics

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davidmann95 · 7 years ago

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May I please ask how you would rank the various Live Action Lex Luthors? (also, if you were assembling a "Luthorstein" out of these performers then which bits of them would you stitch in before applying the vivifying shock?).

As usual with these I have to recuse myself from a couple of the takes in question since I’m not familiar with say, Lyle Talbot. But I do have to give the most honorable of mentions to Superboy’s Luthor actors, Scott Wells:

youtube

…and Sherman Howard:

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Shine on, you beautiful loons.

5. Jessie Eisenberg

For the first two acts of Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice, Eisenberg is actually a really good Lex Luthor. A radical new take, no question, but that whole bit where he’s slowly turning up the intensity on a politician to get control of Kryptonian tech, culminating in literally shoving a jolly rancher in his mouth as a low-grade but unmistakable show of utter dominance? That is Lex Luthor as all get-out, and while not every choice Eisenberg, Snyder and company made with him totally hit the mark, it all at least made some kind of sense in the context of revamping him as a Zuckerberg-y 21st century Evil Businessman (not knowing just how much the 80′s corporate tycoon was about to come back into fashion as a horror story for America), with just enough darkness peeking out from underneath to stoke the appetite for seeing him laid bare.

The problem is when the mask comes off, and it turns out his true nature is being very possibly the worst big-screen supervillain of all time; a tittering, spasmodic caricature of mental illness, squeaking and barking about circles and Alice In Wonderland in heartbreakingly pathetic attempts at faux-profundity between half-explanations for hating Superman because of his daddy proving God doesn’t exist. There’s a lot about the DCEU that gets ragged on that at least doesn’t deserve the intensity of the criticism, even some of the truly awful bits I can at least kind of conceive of someone getting stimulation or satisfaction out of, but the Luthor we’re presented with here is genuinely, inarguably unforgivable by any but the most pathologically dedicated of contrarians. Not that he’s necessarily unsalvageable - Eisenberg himself remains an inspired choice, and the worst bits could be written off in the future as a product of Darkseid’s influence - but given the establishment of a Lex Luthor Sr. to potentially return from the dead and take his son’s place, I suspect the creators themselves at least suspected this could turn out as horribly as it did.

4. Gene Hackman

His low ranking here isn’t meant as a knock on Hackman’s performance - if nothing else, “We all have our little faults. Mine’s in California” is stone-cold one of the best supervillain lines of all time. But while he’s fantastic as an enemy for Reeve’s Superman, unapologetically blown up on his own intellect and ambition, he’s only Luthor in the most technical sense as a selfish follically-challenged genius who needs Superman out of the way and has the narcissism to think he can get the job done. He works spectacularly in his context, but it’s ultimately a different character.

3. Kevin Spacey

If it weren’t for Eisenberg, Spacey would be the definition of wrong place, wrong time when it comes to Lex Luthor. He brings so much that works to the table - the quiet confidence, the callous disdain for humanity, the raw genius, and the venomous hate just waiting for a chance to claw its way to the surface - but Superman Returns was trying to have its cake and eat it too, playing up some more traditional Luthor attributes while keeping him in the mold of Hackman’s version with more wigs, goofy stage-left exits and another genocidal real-estate scheme, and while it doesn’t quite tear him apart, it critically undercuts what could have been a classic take on the character.

2. John Shea

Not many seem to hold any particular fondness for Shea’s performance on Lois and Clark, but I’ve always thought of his take on Lex as inspired. Certainly he was the smoothest Lex Luthor, the take on the character from any medium I could most easily believe conning Metropolis into seeing him as their savior, while just as plausibly cackling as he tortures Superman in a basement on his wedding day. But it was his overall air of amused but only vaguely self-aware superiority that won me over, quoting Shakespeare at the drop of a hat in a transparent attempt at proving his intellectual boda-fides even as he genuinely manipulates and destroys everything in his way, articulating the pettiness and ego that drives Luthor in a fashion unlike anyone else. And most importantly, we see in the first episode that he has his servant occasionally try to kill him to keep him on his toes - ala Cato in The Pink Panther - and when he sets a cobra on his master, Lex just stares at it with all the intensity he can muster until it backs off and slithers away, at which point Luthor sheds a single, perfect tear. It is the most metal moment of all time.

1. Michael Rosenbaum

His performance would have been iconic in any context, but on Smallville his every scene was the living embodiment of “listen up 5s, a 10 is speaking”. I’ve discussed his work as Lex before, and while certain aspects of this take only really suit the character in the show’s particular soap opera context - the focus on his business acumen over his genius, his relationship with his father (John Glover being the 11 in the previous metaphor), precisely how his rivalry with the man who would be Superman is born - Rosenbaum brought a scale of intensity, cold intellect, charisma, desperation and vulnerability to the role that defined Lex Luthor in the eyes of a generation and saw him easily bypass any competition as the greatest live-action Lex Luthor to date, likely for decades to come.

As for the Frankenstein, Rosenbaum as the base (or at least his passion and vulnerability), Shea’s charm, Hackman’s wit, Spacey’s cold cruelty, and Eisenberg’s attempt at delving into the more philosophical underpinings of his war with Superman, if hopefully dragged upwards by the residual quality of the others.

#Lex Luthor #Superman #Smallville #Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman #DCEU #Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice #Superman Returns #Michael Rosenbaum #John Shea #Kevin Spacey #Gene Hackman #Jesse Eisenberg #Scott Wells #Sherman Howard #Opinion

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princessoftheflowers-blog · 7 years ago

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Jeffrey Tambor Accused of Sexual Harassment by Fellow 'Transparent' Actor Trace Lysette

Jeffrey Tambor is once again facing allegations of sexual harassment ... and once again by a person who happens to be transgender. Fellow "Transparent" actor Trace Lysette -- who plays Shea on the Amazon TV series -- claims Tambor made lewd,…

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wiremagazine · 7 years ago

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THE 2018 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL: BOLD, INDEPENDENT STORYTELLING

By Rafa Carvajal

The 2018 Sundance Film Festival is right around the corner. If you love independent films, you may want to attend this year's festival or watch some of the Festival's films when they become available. The Sundance Institute will showcase bold, independent storytelling at this year's Film Festival, and screenings will be held in Park City, Salt Lake City and at Sundance Mountain Resort January 18-28.

This year, the Festival will screen 110 independent films from 29 countries and include 47 first-time filmmakers. The films for 2018 were selected from 13,468 submissions – 3,901 feature-length films and 8,740 short films. Of the feature films submitted, 1,799 were from the U.S. and 2,102 were international. Also, 100 feature films at the 2018 Festival will be world premieres. In this week's cover story we spotlight a selection of 15 films to give you a preview of some of the cinematic works that will be screening at Sundance.

The Sundance Film Festival is the crown jewel of the Sundance Institute's diverse public programs, which also include festivals in London, Hong Kong and other film screenings throughout the year. The Institute supports independent filmmakers and artists with year-round programs, grants over $2.5 million in funding and convenes 25 global residency labs that focus on theatre, film, New Frontier and episodic content.

Robert Redford, president and founder of the Sundance Institute, highlights the importance of supporting the work of independent filmmakers, by explaining that "The work of independent storytellers can challenge and possibly change culture, illuminating our world's imperfections and possibilities. This year's Festival is full of artfully-told stories that provoke thought, drive empathy and allow the audience to connect, in deeply personal ways, to the universal human experience." We highlighted some of these stories in the films and documentaries we spotlighted for you.

The Sundance Film Festival is also well-known for its focus on diversity in their screening selections. Keri Putnam, executive director of Sundance Institute, points out that "We're proud of the diversity of this year's lineup; emboldening broader, more inclusive independent voices is a crucial part of our work at the Festival and throughout the year. These stories might inspire or move us, even occasionally make us uncomfortable – but they can shift our perspectives, spark conversation and create change." I have no doubt that some of these year's films will certainly provide viewers with a different perspective on a range of topics, and may also change the way many of us view our world. Enjoy the spotlight films!

Spotlight Films

Photos provided by Sundance Institute

A Kid Like Jake 2018, U.S. Director: Silas Howard Starring: Claire Danes, Jim Parsons, Octavia Spencer, Priyanka Chopra, Ann Dowd, Amy Landecker

Sundance Summary Loving parents Alex (Claire Danes) and Greg (Jim Parsons) are faced with the daunting task of applying to prestigious kindergartens in NYC for their 4-year-old, Jake. Competing in this cutthroat environment means focusing on what is most unique about a child, forcing Alex and Greg to consider Jake's love of dresses, fairy tales, and princesses. These qualities never seemed unusual before, but when Jake begins to act out in preschool, Alex and Greg – suddenly at odds – must find a way to support Jake's identity without losing each other in the process.

Exciting filmmaker Silas Howard returns to the Sundance Film Festival – after years of directing boundary-pushing TV series like Transparent and This Is Us – with a sharply observed feature expanding the vital conversation around gender identity today. Pitch-perfect performances from Danes and Parsons balance the relentless competitive drive of New Yorkers with the brutal honesty needed to keep a family together. Stellar supporting actors Amy Landecker, Ann Dowd, Priyanka Chopra, and Octavia Spencer bring humor and energy to the film, along with unexpected revelations about the characters and the world they inhabit.

American Animals 2017, U.S. Director: Bart Layton Starring: Evan Peters, Barry Keoghan, Blake Jenner, Jared Abrahamson, Ann Dowd, Udo Kier

Sundance Summary Lexington, Kentucky, 2004: Spencer and Warren dream of remarkable lives beyond their middle-class suburban existence. They head off to colleges in the same town, haunted by the fear they may never be special in any way. Spencer is given a tour of his school's incredibly valuable rare book collection and describes it all to Warren. Suddenly, it hits them – they could pull off one of the most audacious art thefts in recent history, from the university's special collections library. Convinced they can get away with it, they recruit two other friends. Suddenly, the dance of knowing what happens if they cross the line becomes all-consuming.

Buoyed by an exceptional cast, BAFTA Award–winning documentary director Bart Layton (The Imposter, 2012 Sundance Film Festival) makes a brilliant leap into the world of fiction, cleverly utilizing elements of nonfiction to propel the narrative. A true story, American Animals is both a thrilling heist film and an existential journey of four misguided young men searching in all the wrong places for identity, meaning, adventure, and the kind of life that movies are made about.

Beirut 2017, U.S. Director: Brad Anderson Starring: Jon Hamm, Rosamund Pike, Dean Norris, Larry Pine, Shea Whigham

Sundance Summary Mason Skiles (Jon Hamm), a top U.S. diplomat, left Lebanon in the 1970s after a tragic incident. Ten years later, the CIA calls him back to a war-torn Beirut with a mission only he can accomplish. Meanwhile, a CIA field agent who is working undercover at the American embassy is tasked with keeping Skiles alive and ensuring that the mission is a success. Without knowing who is on his side and with lives on the line, Skiles must outmaneuver everyone to expose the truth.

From acclaimed screenwriter Tony Gilroy (Michael Clayton, the Bourne series), Beirut is an intelligent and gripping political thriller exploring the question "whom can you trust in a time of war?" Director Brad Anderson (The Machinist), returning with his sixth feature at the Sundance Film Festival, tells a taut, strikingly entertaining story and gets thrilling performances from Hamm and Rosamund Pike. Though the plot has many layers, Anderson deftly weaves everything together with a controlled style that makes Beirut a riveting film packed with intrigue and suspense.

Burden 2017, U.S. Director: Andrew Heckler Starring: Garrett Hedlund, Forest Whitaker, Andrea Riseborough, Tom Wilkinson, Usher Raymond

Sundance Summary Mike Burden (Garrett Hedlund) is a taciturn repo man rising through the ranks of the Ku Klux Klan in small-town South Carolina, 1996. Orphaned as a child, he is fiercely loyal to local Klan leader and toxic father figure Tom Griffin (a terrifying Tom Wilkinson). But Burden has a change of heart when he falls for Judy (Andrea Riseborough), a single mother who stirs his social conscience. His violent break from the Klan sends him into the open arms of Reverend Kennedy (Forest Whitaker), an idealistic African American preacher, who offers him safety and a shot at redemption.

Based on a true story, writer/director Andrew Heckler's debut drama is an unflinching examination of the neo-Confederate heritage of hatred and a moving character study about the hard work of undoing racism. Through Hedlund's nuanced performance and Heckler's sensitive exploration of class, race, and family – both genetic and adopted – this cautiously optimistic vision of social progress is at once a reflection on the stubborn roots of American racism and an urgent window into contemporary conflicts in the age of the alt-right.

Colette 2017, U.K. Director: Wash Westmoreland Starring: Keira Knightley, Dominic West, Fiona Shaw, Denise Gough, Eleanor Tomlinson, Aiysha Hart

Sundance Summary Colette is arguably one of France's most important and groundbreaking twentieth-century writers, and her dozens of volumes of provocative fiction, memoirs, journalism, and drama jubilantly bucked the societal constraints that were placed on women. Writer/director Wash Westmoreland's mesmerizing film tells the story of this iridescent artist's creative awakening in turn-of-the-century Paris – a place as dynamic and modern as she was.

Colette (played with sumptuous feistiness by Keira Knightley) arrives from the countryside as a young bride to Willy – an older, notorious literary entrepreneur – and she is immediately swept into flamboyant, libertine society. At Willy's prompt, she takes pen to paper and invents the loosely autobiographical Claudine novels, which take Paris by storm. The character Claudine becomes a veritable pop-culture icon, but Colette does not, since Willy takes authorial credit. To reclaim her literary voice, Colette must set out for new transgressive adventures, sans Willy.

To bring Colette's environment alive, Westmoreland creates stunning, luminous tableaus evoking contemporaneous painters who depicted a lush, fin-de-siecle vision of locomotives, urban streets, and verdant gardens – an electric world on the brink of change, just like Colette.

Robin Williams: Come Inside My Mind 2018, U.S. Director: Marina Zenovich Starring: Nick Higgins, Jenna Rosher, Thorsten Thielow, Wolfgang Held

Sundance Summary When David Letterman saw a young Robin Williams perform stand-up, Letterman quipped, "It was like he could fly." Williams's boundless energy, lightning wit, and knack for comedic characters sparked a career on stage and screen unlike any other, making him one of the most beloved stars in modern entertainment. Marina Zenovich carefully collects a trove of intimate archival material and new interviews with Williams's confidants (including Pam Dawber and Billy Crystal) to summon an intricate portrait of a man who needed an audience just as much as audiences needed someone like him.

Hilarious outtakes from Mork & Mindy and Williams's films illustrate his legendary spontaneity and seemingly effortless humor, but also that his line between stage and life looked, at times, to be perilously thin. Outlandish and unpredictable, Williams gave his all to famously energetic performances that seemed to defy physics. The source of Williams's comedy was everyday life, and this documentary highlights both his ability to touch so many people and how he earned his place as one of the funniest actors of his generation.

Seeing Allred 2018, U.S. Directors: Sophie Sartain, Roberta Grossman

Sundance Summary To some, Gloria Allred is a money-grubbing, shrill feminist prone to tawdry theatrics; to others she's the most effective and fearless women's rights attorney in America. In this intimate, warts-and-all documentary, one thing is certain: Allred's 40-year devotion to asserting, protecting, and expanding the rights of women is unwavering and her influence unassailable.

Whether fighting gender discrimination in toy stores, spousal abuse in the O.J. trial, or sexual harassment by Donald Trump, every case is personal and an opportunity to amplify the cause. Her special brand of advocacy often calls for creative solutions. When the statute of limitations prevented her clients from pressing charges against Bill Cosby, she led them in a battle to eliminate the statute for the benefit of future victims. At 75, like an unstoppable superhero with a rolling suitcase and no time to lose, she crisscrosses the country arguing cases, marching for justice, and delivering impromptu speeches on the Lincoln Memorial steps. And as the #MeToo movement gathers steam and powerful men fall, Allred knowingly, stoically declares, "The fight has only just begun."

The Catcher Was a Spy 2017, U.S. Director: Ben Lewin Starring: Paul Rudd, Mark Strong, Sienna Miller, Jeff Daniels, Guy Pearce, Paul Giamatti

Sundance Summary In the midst of World War II, major league catcher Moe Berg (Paul Rudd) is drafted to join a new team: the Office of Security Services (the precursor to the CIA). No ordinary ballplayer, the erudite, Jewish Ivy League graduate speaks nine languages and is a regular guest on a popular TV quiz show. Despite his celebrity, Berg is an enigma – a closeted gay man with a knack for keeping secrets. The novice spy is quickly trained and sent into the field to stop German scientist Werner Heisenberg before he can build an atomic bomb for the Nazis.

Director Ben Lewin's (The Sessions) fascinating political thriller follows Berg from the bullpen to behind enemy lines. Rudd's sly performance brings the charming, chameleonic catcher to life with the support of a crackerjack cast, including Jeff Daniels and Guy Pearce as seasoned spies and Paul Giamatti as a Dutch physicist. Adapted by Robert Rodat (Saving Private Ryan) from Nicholas Dawidoff's 1994 biography, The Catcher Was a Spy tells one of the great unsung tales of American espionage.

The Death of Stalin 2017, France/U.K./Belgium Director: Armando Iannucci Starring: Steve Buscemi, Jeffrey Tambor, Andrea Riseborough, Rupert Friend, Olga Kurylenko, Jason Isaacs

Sundance Summary Armando Iannucci, the creator of HBO's Veep, received an Academy Award nomination for writing 2009's In the Loop. His long-awaited follow-up, The Death of Stalin, premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival, where its black humor delighted audiences and critics alike.

Russia, 1953: The mood under Stalin's despotic regime is one of rampant paranoia. Spouses inform on one another, the secret police are always listening, and death squads roam the streets executing "traitors." One morning, the dictator is found comatose after a massive stroke, triggering an absurd, hysterical, and deadly power grab among his closest sycophants and confidants.

Writer/director Iannucci brings his singularly hilarious misanthropy to this decidedly bleak setting, tackling real-world figures for the first time in his career. A murderer's row of great British and American actors, including Steve Buscemi, Andrea Riseborough, and a never-better Jason Isaacs, bring Stalin's inner circle of cronies and backstabbers to uproarious life. The Death of Stalin is a painfully relevant, pitch-black morality tale that shows what happens when too much power is concentrated in the hands of too few.

The Happy Prince 2017, Germany/Belgium/Italy Director: Rupert Everett Starring: Colin Firth, Emily Watson, Colin Morgan, Edwin Thomas, Rupert Everett

Sundance Summary Rupert Everett writes, directs, and stars in his moving debut feature, detailing the final three years (1897–1900) in the life of Oscar Wilde. Rich in period detail and eschewing the familiar narrative of the writer's notorious trial and imprisonment on charges of indecency, this seldom-told story recounts Wilde's life following his release from incarceration – a period encompassing some of his most profound writing and most intimate experiences.

Sequestered at a remote seaside hotel in France by faithful friends (played by Edwin Thomas and Colin Firth), a buoyant Wilde is soon restlessly traversing Europe under assumed names, beset by familiar, warring impulses: to reunite with his estranged wife (a radiant Emily Watson) or his former lover Sir Alfred "Bosie" Douglas (Colin Morgan), whose former provocations brought Wilde to ruin. Fading health, dwindling funds, and still more betrayals await Wilde, who relentlessly seeks love and creative outlets in whatever taverns and alleyways still welcome him. It's here that Everett particularly shines, evoking the spirit of the once-celebrated fallen genius who finds divine light even in the darkest corners of life.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post 2017, U.S. Director: Desiree Akhavan Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Sasha Lane, Forrest Goodluck, John Gallagher Jr., Jennifer Ehle

Sundance Summary Cameron Post (Chloë Grace Moretz) looks the part of a perfect high school girl. But after she's caught with another girl in the backseat of a car on prom night, Cameron is quickly shipped off to a conversion therapy center that treats teens "struggling with same-sex attraction." At the facility, Cameron is subjected to outlandish discipline, dubious "de-gaying" methods, and earnest Christian rock songs – but this unusual setting also provides her with an unlikely gay community. For the first time, Cameron connects with peers, and she's able to find her place among fellow outcasts.

Writer/director Desiree Akhavan (Appropriate Behavior) and co-writer Cecilia Frugiuele sensitively adapt Emily Danforth's acclaimed eponymous coming-of-age novel and create a refreshingly original teen movie. Balancing out inherent drama with understated humor, The Miseducation of Cameron Post looks at a teenage girl grappling with pain and loss, but at the same time, she is creating a family on her own terms and learning what it means to empower herself by having confidence in her own identity.

The Tale 2017, U.S. Director: Jennifer Fox Starring: Laura Dern, Isabelle Nélisse, Jason Ritter, Elizabeth Debicki, Ellen Burstyn, Common

Sundance Summary Jennifer, a globetrotting journalist and professor, lives an enviable life with her boyfriend in New York City. That is, until her mother finds a story Jennifer wrote at age 13 depicting a "special" relationship with two adult coaches. Reading the yellowed pages of "The Tale," Jennifer discovers the coded details she composed 40 years earlier are quite unlike her recollection. Deeply shaken yet determined to square her version of events with the truth, Jennifer sets out to find her two coaches. Returning to the Carolina horse farm where so much transpired, Jennifer's gangly yet tenacious seventh-grade self reawakens, and the loving stories she told herself for decades begin to unravel.

Seamlessly toggling between past and present, writer/director Jennifer Fox forges a fresh and uncompromising cinematic language to penetrate the heightened internal worlds of her character at two pivotal stages. Shocking, emotionally raw, and destabilizing, this investigative thriller punctures the insidious workings of unchecked power and lays bare the mechanisms of memory – refashioned over time by a growing girl in order to not only survive, but to prevail.

Three Identical Strangers 2017, U.S. Director: Tim Wardle

Sundance Summary New York, 1980: Three complete strangers – Bobby Shafran, Eddy Galland, and David Kellman – make the astounding discovery that they are identical triplets. Separated at birth, adopted, and raised by three different families, the 19-year-olds are reunited by chance. Their story sets the tabloids on fire, and the triplets suddenly become famous around the world.

The brothers forge a relationship and become fast friends. They move in together in a swinging bachelor pad and open a restaurant that skyrockets to success. The toast of Manhattan, the triplets are living the high life. But their fairy-tale reunion sets off a chain of events that ultimately unearths an extraordinary and sinister secret that could answer controversial questions at the heart of human behavior.

Director Tim Wardle, teaming with production company Raw as well as CNN and Channel 4, has crafted a gripping, juicy conspiracy thriller that becomes so much more complex. Three Identical Strangers evolves from pulp nonfiction into a multi-layered deliberation on nature versus nurture and the existential dilemma of what makes us who we are.

Un Traductor 2017, Canada/Cuba Directors: Rodrigo Barriuso, Sebastián Barriuso Starring: Rodrigo Santoro, Maricel Álvarez, Yoandra Suárez

Sundance Summary In 1989 Havana, Russian literature professor Malin gets a mysterious note at the university with orders from the government sending him to a local hospital, where he learns he is expected to act as translator between the Cuban doctors and the families of young patients from the Chernobyl disaster. Initially raging against his new role, Malin is forced to stay on, and he eventually becomes deeply devoted to his patients. But while he becomes "king of the kids" at the hospital, his relationships with his pregnant wife and young son suffer. Meanwhile, life around all of them shifts as the "Special Period" – the economic crisis in Cuba that followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union – begins.

Rooted in the little-known true story of how twenty thousand Chernobyl victims were eventually treated in Cuba, Un Traductor immerses an emotional drama in crisply shot, beautifully realized period detail of Havana in 1989. Veteran actor Rodrigo Santoro brings dignity and charm to his performance as a good-hearted man in turmoil, and directors Rodrigo and Sebastián Barriuso, in their elegant feature debut, depict a tale at once historical and personal, all while demonstrating a truly impressive adeptness at their visual craft.

Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist 2017, U.K. Director: Lorna Tucker

Sundance Summary Punk. Icon. Activist. The undisputed queen of fashion Dame Vivienne Westwood is known for her subversive and original take on British fashion. Told in her own words, Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist is a sharp-witted look into Westwood's creative process and her life's journey from 1970s punk protests to fierce independent global figure. Westwood sits alongside Gucci, Dior, and McQueen – but only Westwood still owns and runs her empire. Today she fights to maintain her brand's integrity and legacy as it expands to open flagship stores in fashion capitals Paris and New York in the face of global consumerism.

Richly textured with spunk and charm, Lorna Tucker crafts a candid portrait including interviews from Westwood's inner circle of family and collaborators. At age 76, Westwood is still a controversial figure; in addition to confronting the establishment in fashion, she is fighting to save the environment with no signs of stopping.

This was originally published in Wire Magazine Issue 02.2018

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