tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750035.post117012149605838569..comments2023-10-28T06:59:04.980-07:00Comments on Ed Coletti's P3: Scorsese Rules/Ezra Pound/LogsEd Colettihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05337856316631860342noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750035.post-1170473220341416932007-02-02T19:27:00.000-08:002007-02-02T19:27:00.000-08:00Ed,I can't go with you regrding Scorsese on this o...Ed,<BR/><BR/>I can't go with you regrding Scorsese on this one. I felt that THE DEPARTED portrayed men (all men in the film) as blinded by urges to revenge, and self-righteous about rooting out "rats," where in fact every man in the film (maybe excepting the Alex Baldwin character) was a betrayer of someone else, and so all were rats.<BR/><BR/>And the violence had no substance...no lasting impact, so the story was therefore shallow, unlike UNFORGIVEN, where, in Eastwood's great speech, where he plumbs his regret about being a killer, he says, "when you kill a man you take away everything he has and ever will have," and where the young killer-in-traning cowboy is shown to be a coward.<BR/><BR/>This is a moral awareness, simIlar to the one beautifull captured in LETTERS FROM IWO JIMA. For me, Scorsese doesn't have that awaness, and so is a technician of film, not an artist.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750035.post-1170398446698754752007-02-01T22:40:00.000-08:002007-02-01T22:40:00.000-08:00I believe President Eisenhower said that.Reagrds, ...I believe President Eisenhower said that.<BR/><BR/>Reagrds, <BR/><BR/>Paul S.<BR/><BR/>P.S. Nope, I'm not that smart... I googled the quote!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750035.post-1170351891128547462007-02-01T09:44:00.000-08:002007-02-01T09:44:00.000-08:00Denial====== "Denial" is a term used in psychology...Denial<BR/>======<BR/> <BR/>"Denial" is a term used in psychology meaning "to refuse to accept the obvious." Today we want to extend that term to a group of people, notably the American public, call it "mass denial." What triggers this is the fact that fully 80% of the public viewed Bush's recent State-of-the-Union speech as at least somewhat favorable.<BR/> <BR/>So, what's wrong with that? After all, the Monster in Charge did send some rhetorical flowers to the Democrats...now that they are in the majority. He also made some...feeble...gestures in favor of some enormously important subjects, like global warming and...indirectly by favoring an increase in the minimum wage...to the subject of the increasing gap between rich and poor.<BR/> <BR/>Yet, the main thrust of the speech was to support his new "plan" for "saving" Iraq, the "surge" of new cannon-fodder to that sad country. This is enormously unpopular with the American people. Almost no one believes that it will work. Young men and women will die before they have had a chance to really live their lives. But, the "decider" has decided and that, my fellow Americans, is that.<BR/> <BR/>On the other hand, the "opposition" refuses to oppose...except, of course, rhetorically. Instead of actually using their power...as one of three "coequal" branches of government...to bring this fiasco to an end, they offer words of discouragement to the administration. As if THAT will have any effect!<BR/> <BR/>But what about the rest of us? Why aren't we marching in the streets demanding an end to the really quite obvious collapse of morality, decency and common sense on the part of our elected officials?<BR/> <BR/>We believe the answer is denial. Republicans have no trouble noting and complaining about the faults of the Democrats. Democrats are equally sage in recognizing the faults of the Republicans. The rest of us...independents and non-voters...a large majority, by the way...more or less see that there is a disease affecting both major parties, but we don't know what to do about it.<BR/> <BR/>More importantly, ALL Americans...including the authors...desperately want to believe that our system is not broken, that the promises of democracy and freedom made by our founders is still intact and even growing. But, it is not. We want to believe that our leaders are not "crooks," not sold out to special interests...whoever puts the most money in their pockets...for elections and "incidentals." But they are. All of them.<BR/> <BR/>Some of us...mainly bloggers who are not beholden to one or the other of the majors...try regularly to relight the flames of reason...our own as well as yours. We point out that the...now regular...arrests and convictions of various functionaries and corporate biggies is just the tip of the iceberg. Scooter Libby? A definite fall guy, a hapless victim of scapegoating. Enron? A bunch of bigger and richer fall guys, but just a distraction to keep us from noticing Halliburton and others suckling on the teats of "wartime funding."<BR/> <BR/>The bitter truth is that one can not succeed in conventional politics without selling out big time. That is the main reason we are supporting a citizen...albeit a rich and famous citizen...Oprah Winfrey...as president of the United States. Since our quest is so quixotic, we are often accused of being merely bewitched fans, oblivious to the "obvious" that she "can not win." Far from being starry eyed fans...we don't even like her show!...we are merely trying to advance an alternative to JACWM (Just Another Corrupt White Man).<BR/> <BR/>But what about Obama? Or Hillary? He ain't white and she ain't a man. Somehow, we don't see that replacing corrupt white men with equally corrupt black men or white women is any improvement, even an apprentice "criminal" like Barack. So, who's in denial?<BR/> <BR/>ALL OF US! Time for a change...a REAL change.<BR/> <BR/>Talk to you later...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750035.post-1170260690537996002007-01-31T08:24:00.000-08:002007-01-31T08:24:00.000-08:00I remember Whittaker best as the prisoner in "The ...I remember Whittaker best as the prisoner in "The Crying Game."<BR/><BR/>Nope, not Carter or Clinton.Ed Colettihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05337856316631860342noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750035.post-1170249896165767012007-01-31T05:24:00.000-08:002007-01-31T05:24:00.000-08:00Re Scorsese & the Oscars:Bravo, Eddie! Marty deli...Re Scorsese & the Oscars:<BR/>Bravo, Eddie! Marty delivered a terrific film and should get it at last! This can also be a tribute to the fantastic work he has done in the area of film preservation! He is indeed a Man of the Film World! <BR/><BR/>Two last comments on the Oscars:<BR/>As much as I loved "The Departed," I think "Pans Labrynth" will stand the time as a masterpiece (all that grisly violence notwithstanding!) I say this despite the fact that while it is absolutely a gorgeous piece of cinema, it does feel a bit artsy fartsy as well. But the power of the human experience transcends it all!<BR/><BR/>Of Oscars past due, can anyone ever correct the egregious error of overlooking Peter O'Toole as Lawrence of Arabia? Talk about a cinema classic. Granted, he lost out to Gregory Peck's Atticus Finch in "Mockingbird," and they probably should have delivered two Oscars that year. I share all of this without having seen the O'Toole film "Venus" (not opened in the North Bay yet) AND still recognizing Forest Whittaker's brilliant stint as Idi Amin. Forest is one of our most underrated character actors. Did anyone besides me see his wonderful work as Charley Parker in "Bird?" Another Eastwood marvel!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14750035.post-1170248990199415102007-01-31T05:09:00.000-08:002007-01-31T05:09:00.000-08:00Sounds like either Jimmy Carter or possibly Bill C...Sounds like either Jimmy Carter or possibly Bill Clinton. But I'm guessing it may go back many years earlier. HmmmmmAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com