Entertainment
People like to be entertained. And we are so bombarded with entertainment today that we don't know where to turn half the time. But back in the 1880s they didn't have recorded music, movies, TV, smart cell phones, telephones, facebook, youtube, netflix, hulu, or amazon prime.
I'm reading a book about Theodore Roosevelt and William Taft. I learned that Taft's future wife used to hold things called salons once a week. They would announce a topic each week that would be discussed next week and everyone would go to the library and learn as much about the topic as they could to be able discuss it intelligently at the next salon. Can you imagine that as your only source of entertainment? Topics were broad, varied and interesting. So people not only entertained themselves, they got smarter.
Their alternative was card games and other games. Or picnics or nature walks. And of course this was the perfect atmosphere for PT Barnum to create his circus. The most loved pastime was reading. Can you imagine? People getting smarter for entertainment?
I guess what I'm trying to observe is that I feel like everybody staring at their phones and Facebook all day are getting dumber. God help us all.
Sunday, July 7, 2019
Yesterday
FLICK!
I was able to see the film Yesterday today and as a die hard Beatles fan I was dying to see it.
The premise was fun. There is a power outage all over the world and after that, no one remembers The Beatles. No one except musician Jack Malik. So after he recovers from an accident his manager gives him a beautiful guitar to replace the one that was wrecked in the accident. So he plays her Yesterday. She says something like when did you write that? And he answers, "I didn't write it, Paul McCartney wrote it. The Beatles." And everyone says, "Who?"
So after he investigates he realizes there is no history of The Beatles ever. So he decides to go for it. And he starts cranking out Beatles tunes and getting all the credit. He'a becoming a mega-star. But it always gnaws at his conscious that this wasn't his stuff.
So who doesn't love the music? And it's performed very well. Even Eleanor Rigby on the acoustic guitar when in fact there was only a string quartet playing on that track.
But here are my problems with it. It was cut a bit fat. I keep thinking "get on with it." It dragged a lot. A lot.
Also the whole romantic thing took way too long to materialize. And the first performance of "Let It Be" with the parents and their constant interruptions was funny for a little bit but it dragged on too long. And along his meteoric rise there were a lot of memorable moments, although too many. There are a lot of other problems with this.
Finally there is a roof top concert and he [*spoiler*] he comes clean.
The ending was great but it took too long to get there.
Grade: B+ [mostly for the John scene]
I was able to see the film Yesterday today and as a die hard Beatles fan I was dying to see it.
The premise was fun. There is a power outage all over the world and after that, no one remembers The Beatles. No one except musician Jack Malik. So after he recovers from an accident his manager gives him a beautiful guitar to replace the one that was wrecked in the accident. So he plays her Yesterday. She says something like when did you write that? And he answers, "I didn't write it, Paul McCartney wrote it. The Beatles." And everyone says, "Who?"
So after he investigates he realizes there is no history of The Beatles ever. So he decides to go for it. And he starts cranking out Beatles tunes and getting all the credit. He'a becoming a mega-star. But it always gnaws at his conscious that this wasn't his stuff.
So who doesn't love the music? And it's performed very well. Even Eleanor Rigby on the acoustic guitar when in fact there was only a string quartet playing on that track.
But here are my problems with it. It was cut a bit fat. I keep thinking "get on with it." It dragged a lot. A lot.
Also the whole romantic thing took way too long to materialize. And the first performance of "Let It Be" with the parents and their constant interruptions was funny for a little bit but it dragged on too long. And along his meteoric rise there were a lot of memorable moments, although too many. There are a lot of other problems with this.
Finally there is a roof top concert and he [*spoiler*] he comes clean.
The ending was great but it took too long to get there.
Grade: B+ [mostly for the John scene]
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
Speculation
TUBE
amazon prime
I haven't posted in quite a while, and as I've gone through all of the drafts I meant to post about TV, I haven't posted much at all. But let me just say one of the things I have been most excited about in the last couple years is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The end of the second fantastic season left us with a lot of interesting ideas.
Midge is going on an extensive tour of Europe with Shy Baldwin. He is the Johnny Mathis character. So this is a big deal. Suzie is excited but is carrying a big secret.
Susie has agreed to manage Sophie Lennon and she will pull Sophie out of comedy and get her in some dramatic spot on Broadway, eventually making a big splash in Long Days Journey Into Night or some such thing.
Learning that Suzie is managing Sophie will undoubtedly create tension between Midge and Susie.
Joel has been given an unusual sum of money and instead of buying a house, will realize that his real place in comedy isn't the stage, but rather owning a comedy club.
The Doctor fiancé will ultimately get screwed over in this deal because Midge isn't smart enough to realize where her true best interests lie. She has a messed up opinion that Joel is her anchor. This will ultimately be her downfall down the road.
Midge's Parents will assume parental opportunities for Midge's children as Midge tours Europe. Papa will deal with the fact others where he teaches hate him, and he agrees to take an early Sabbatical. Midge's Mama will still be trying to relocate to Paris and they very well might.
Midge will persuade Lenny Bruce to appear in Joel's club a lot, and she will, and between the two of them, they'll make the place a hit. And then Lenny gets unfunny ranting abut his legal struggles on stage, and dies.
These are my guesses, and if I'm remotely in the ballpark, what a season that will be.
amazon prime
I haven't posted in quite a while, and as I've gone through all of the drafts I meant to post about TV, I haven't posted much at all. But let me just say one of the things I have been most excited about in the last couple years is The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. The end of the second fantastic season left us with a lot of interesting ideas.
Midge is going on an extensive tour of Europe with Shy Baldwin. He is the Johnny Mathis character. So this is a big deal. Suzie is excited but is carrying a big secret.
Susie has agreed to manage Sophie Lennon and she will pull Sophie out of comedy and get her in some dramatic spot on Broadway, eventually making a big splash in Long Days Journey Into Night or some such thing.
Learning that Suzie is managing Sophie will undoubtedly create tension between Midge and Susie.
Joel has been given an unusual sum of money and instead of buying a house, will realize that his real place in comedy isn't the stage, but rather owning a comedy club.
The Doctor fiancé will ultimately get screwed over in this deal because Midge isn't smart enough to realize where her true best interests lie. She has a messed up opinion that Joel is her anchor. This will ultimately be her downfall down the road.
Midge's Parents will assume parental opportunities for Midge's children as Midge tours Europe. Papa will deal with the fact others where he teaches hate him, and he agrees to take an early Sabbatical. Midge's Mama will still be trying to relocate to Paris and they very well might.
Midge will persuade Lenny Bruce to appear in Joel's club a lot, and she will, and between the two of them, they'll make the place a hit. And then Lenny gets unfunny ranting abut his legal struggles on stage, and dies.
These are my guesses, and if I'm remotely in the ballpark, what a season that will be.
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