mswrite
Chicago Public Library
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EnoughEnough, Book
by Hutchinson, CassidyBook - 2023 | First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.Book, 2023. First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition.
mswrite's rating:
Added Feb 01, 2024
Our Own Worst EnemyOur Own Worst Enemy, BookThe Assault From Within on Modern Democracy
by Nichols, TomBook - 2021Book, 2021
mswrite's rating:
Added Jan 18, 2024
RomneyRomney, BookA Reckoning
by Coppins, McKayBook - 2023 | First Scribner hardcover edition.Book, 2023. First Scribner hardcover edition.
mswrite's rating:
Added Dec 27, 2023
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible ThingFriends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, BookA Memoir
by Perry, MatthewBook - 2022 | First U.S. edition.Book, 2022. First U.S. edition.
mswrite's rating:
Added Sep 20, 2023
The Dick Van Dyke ShowThe Dick Van Dyke Show, DVDCarl Reiner's Favorites
DVD - 2012DVD, 2012
mswrite's rating:
Added Jul 04, 2023
Why We Did ItWhy We Did It, BookA Travelogue From the Republican Road to Hell
by Miller, TimBook - 2022 | First edition.Book, 2022. First edition.
Added Jan 13, 2023
Thank You for your ServitudeThank You for your Servitude, BookDonald Trump's Washington and the Price of Submission
by Leibovich, MarkBook - 2022Book, 2022
mswrite's rating:
Added Jan 13, 2023
Comment:
A darkly funny, infuriating--and ultimately deeply depressing read. Author Leibovich neatly skewers all the GOP enablers (Special mentions: Lindsey Graham and Kevin McCarthy) who helped make the Trump presidency and the unholy mess that has come in its wake so damaging. Highly recommended.A darkly funny, infuriating--and ultimately deeply depressing read. Author Leibovich neatly skewers all the GOP enablers (Special mentions: Lindsey Graham and Kevin McCarthy) who helped make the Trump presidency and the unholy mess that has come in…
mswrite's rating:
Added Nov 02, 2021
Comment:
A slow start but things get interesting when Rafael suddenly enters and then re-enters the picture. Author Roan Parrish presents to us the challenge of making Colin, a closed-off, self-deluded jerk with daddy issues, somehow likeable in spite of himself. Through Rafe's curiosity, compassion, and growing affection Parrish more or less succeeds. For me Rafe is the heart of the story, and his dedication to his work with at-risk LGBTQ youth and gentle yet clear-eyed insistence that Colin face himself, gives "Out of Nowhere" its compelling edge.
Recommended.A slow start but things get interesting when Rafael suddenly enters and then re-enters the picture. Author Roan Parrish presents to us the challenge of making Colin, a closed-off, self-deluded jerk with daddy issues, somehow likeable in spite of…
Paint your WagonPaint your Wagon, DVD
DVD - 2001 | Widescreen.DVD, 2001. Widescreen.
mswrite's rating:
Added Sep 25, 2021
Comment:
Well... okay. Yeah. As movie musicals go, this one is pretty bad.
There is however one truly memorable moment, "They Call The Wind Mariah," sung by a chorus of lonely miners with a standout performance by the great Harve Presnell as the bearded, black-haired Rotten Luck Willie. Presnell's Willie looks to the heavens, and his rich baritone carries such poignance and fervor that it breaks your heart and nearly redeems the picture. Clint Eastwood's forgettable "I Talk To The Trees" and Lee Marvin's droning "Wandrin' Star" don't come close, much as I've always liked both actors.
Unless you've never seen the film and you're that curious, you will not want to have to sit through the dross to get to that golden moment. Instead, look for a YouTube clip of "They Call The Wind Mariah" and enjoy what might have been if only the rest of the film had lived up to that performance.
I'm giving it three stars, all of them for Harve Presnell's definitive rendition of that touching ballad.Well... okay. Yeah. As movie musicals go, this one is pretty bad.
There is however one truly memorable moment, "They Call The Wind Mariah," sung by a chorus of lonely miners with a standout performance by the great Harve Presnell as the bearded,…
WinningWinning, DVD
DVD - 1999DVD, 1999
Added Sep 25, 2021
Comment:
Good movie featuring a great cast.
Just want to mention however that the "About" section of this web page makes absolutely no sense given that "Winning" is a 1969 feature film, not a book written by co-star Robert Wagner.
A Kiss Before Dying / Screenplay by Lawrence Roman ; Produced by Robert L. Jacks ; Directed by Gerd OswaldA Kiss Before Dying / Screenplay by Lawrence Roman ; Produced by Robert L. Jacks ; Directed by Gerd Oswald, DVD
DVD - 2014 | Limited edition.DVD, 2014. Limited edition.
mswrite's rating:
Added Sep 25, 2021
Comment:
Wow.
Good movie, with a memorably sinister performance by Robert Wagner. A bit difficult to watch, if you know about the events surrounding the 1982 death of Wagner's actress legend wife, Natalie Wood.
Hotel CaliforniaHotel California, BookThe True-life Adventures of Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young, Mitchell, Taylor, Browne, Ronstadt, Geffen, the Eagles & Their Many Friends
by Hoskyns, BarneyBook - 2006Book, 2006
mswrite's rating:
Added Sep 15, 2021
Comment:
Terrific summer read, for my generation certainly. I came of age in the seventies and grew up listening to the radio, buying the singles and albums (when I could afford them), and just generally loving the music.
Reading this book I may have learned more about my musical heroes than I really wanted to know, but oh well. No one is perfect including, presumably, the author (who was young once too). The narrative nevertheless brought back floods of fond personal and pop-cultural memories as well as a melancholy reflection that this remarkable era--not just of music and musicians but of political idealism and civic engagement--has passed.Terrific summer read, for my generation certainly. I came of age in the seventies and grew up listening to the radio, buying the singles and albums (when I could afford them), and just generally loving the music.
Reading this book I may have…
LandslideLandslide, BookThe Final Days of the Trump White House
by Wolff, MichaelBook - 2021 | First edition.Book, 2021. First edition.
mswrite's rating:
Added Aug 31, 2021
Comment:
A four-alarm page turner.
Even "knowing" the story of Donald Trump's 2020 election loss, or just being a rational human being who knows that he lost, does not quite prepare you for Michael Wolff's deep dive into the bizarre dynamics of Trumpworld. It is eye-opening and unsettling.
The degree to which Trump truly believed (and continues to believe) his own Big Lie is terrifying for a number of reasons, the most crucial being that his delusion has found a willing audience in millions of Americans who quite literally believe anything he tells them, no matter how outlandishly false.
That Trump himself is generally bemused by his adoring fans--to be clear, they are a fan base, not an informed electorate--who are nothing more than props to him, does not seem to register with any of them. Or they know but don't care: Donald Trump and his base are a closed loop of grievance, conspiracy fantasies and need--he tells them what they want to hear, they love him for it; to keep the adoration (and money) coming he keeps lying. Blaming the Dems, trolling the RINOS (The so-called Republicans In Name Only who do not support Trump, at least not with the sufficient ardor and unquestioned loyalty his fragile ego demands), and of course trashing the media.
The "Stop the Steal" nonsense might have been stopped in its tracks if only the Republicans now lining up at Mar-a-Lago to kiss Trump's ring had had the courage, certainly before but especially after the events of January 6th, to tell their constituents the truth. But GOP politicians looking for fundraising dollars and gauging their re-election chances in 2022 (and perhaps also 2024) are too fearful of antagonizing that adoring Trump base to risk honesty that might cost votes. Trump himself knows this, and has promised to destroy any GOP pol who dares cross him. They may detest him privately but will continue taking selfies with him publicly.
How the hell did we get to this place?
Wolff lays out with stunning detail the myriad ways in which those surrounding Donald Trump the candidate, president-elect, and ex-president--his aides, advisors, family members, friends (to the extent he truly has any) and hangers-on--have enabled his fantasies and falsities and protected him from confronting his incompetence. The reasons range from the fear of provoking the king's wrath, to a resigned awareness that Trump won't listen to information or counsel that contradicts what he wishes to believe, to the uncomfortable realization that he may not have the mental capacity to understand and process complex facts and respond appropriately.
Meanwhile rumors persist that Donald Trump is poised for a run at the 2024 elections, a real possibility given that a sizable number of Senate and House GOP lacked the spine to convict him for his incitement of the January 6 riots that left five people dead and many Capitol law enforcement officers seriously injured.
This is an illuminating if ultimately depressing read, but highly recommended.A four-alarm page turner.
Even "knowing" the story of Donald Trump's 2020 election loss, or just being a rational human being who knows that he lost, does not quite prepare you for Michael Wolff's deep dive into the bizarre dynamics of Trumpworld.…
mswrite's rating:
Added Aug 11, 2021
Linda RonstadtLinda Ronstadt, DVDThe Sound of My Voice
DVD - 2019DVD, 2019
mswrite's rating:
Added Jul 26, 2021
Comment:
Watched the DVD last night welling with emotion.
There was the nooooooo!!, Linda Ronstadt can't be 75 years old now!! reaction (We never want our icons to grow old; it's just not right.) There was the shock and sadness of learning of the Parkinson's Disease that has essentially killed Ronstadt's singing voice, though her speaking voice retains a girlish familiarity.
Mostly, I was swept with nostalgic affection for this great lady and the wonder of her amazing, evocative singing. I was moving from adolescence to my teens in the seventies, back when Ronstadt ruled the rock-pop-country-R&B charts. Her music, and the music of her talented friends and colleagues (including Bonnie Raitt, Emmylou Harris, Aaron Neville, Dolly Parton, Don Henley and The Eagles) were the soundtrack of my girlhood and my family's young years.
As much as I enjoyed the stirring performance clips of the great tunes, the interviews were at least as delightful--Ronstadt comes across as thoughtful, forthright, and charmingly "ordinary" in the girl-next-door kind of way she expresses herself. Also fun to see her in that Boy Scout uniform again--no other pop star could have pulled off that look!
The scene at the very end where Linda is singing, or rather trying to, with her brother and nephew broke my heart.
Oh, for a time machine. For both of us, Linda.Watched the DVD last night welling with emotion.
There was the nooooooo!!, Linda Ronstadt can't be 75 years old now!! reaction (We never want our icons to grow old; it's just not right.) There was the shock and sadness of learning of the…
The SalvationThe Salvation, DVD
DVD - 2015DVD, 2015
mswrite's rating:
Added Jul 17, 2021
Comment:
The great Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (why isn't he a bigger star here?) does quite a good job stepping into the boots of Eastwood in this lean, dark revenge tale set in the Old West. A fine, evocative score (think Ennio Morricone, who composed the music for the Leone-Eastwood spaghetti westerns of the sixties) and arresting cinematography are highlights, as are the performances of Mikkelsen as Jon Jensen, Mikael Persbrandt as Mikkelsen's loyal brother Peter, Jeffrey Dean Morgan as the principal town villain, Jonathan Pryce as the weaselly mayor/undertaker, and the stunning Eva Green as Madeleine, the mysterious town beauty who may or may not be on Jon's side.
Recommended.The great Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (why isn't he a bigger star here?) does quite a good job stepping into the boots of Eastwood in this lean, dark revenge tale set in the Old West. A fine, evocative score (think Ennio Morricone, who composed the…
HannibalHannibal, DVDSeason 3
DVD - 2014DVD, 2014
mswrite's rating:
Added Jul 17, 2021
Comment:
I have always greatly admired the actor Anthony Hopkins, who thanks to his work in "Silence of the Lambs" will likely always be identified with the Hannibal Lecter character. That said, I must also say the fine Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen is outstanding in this role, and has really managed to make it his own. My only complaint is that Mikkelsen's accent is so strong I don't always understand every word of his dialogue. Yet even that doesn't matter, so commanding and expressive is his presence. I spent almost the entire Memorial Day weekend binge-watching this series.
Highly recommended. Even if, like me, you do not like gore-fest television.
(Note to CPL: It may be time to replace these DVD sets; even when I cleaned them first most of the discs tended to freeze and skip at the most inopportune moments of the drama.)I have always greatly admired the actor Anthony Hopkins, who thanks to his work in "Silence of the Lambs" will likely always be identified with the Hannibal Lecter character. That said, I must also say the fine Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen is…
mswrite's rating:
Added Jul 12, 2021
Comment:
A memorable and satisfying sophomore effort overall, more sultry and sophisticated than their playful and funky debut.
The sexy, teasing "Creep" and the poignant and melancholy social commentary of "Waterfalls" are the standouts. Recommended.
Unit oneUnit one, DVDSet 3
DVD - 2014 | DanishDVD, 2014. Language: Danish
mswrite's rating:
Added Jun 23, 2021
Comment:
I came to this series rather belatedly (like, by about twenty years), having recently discovered actor Mads Mikkelsen through the wonderful Danish film "Another Round." (Please don't do an American remake of that one, Leo. Just... no.) I've since been combing through the library system for other Mikkelsen works and frankly much prefer this 2000-2004 Danish (subtitled) series to the grisly Canadian produced 2013-15 NBC series "Hannibal."
I am not a fan of gore, and as "Unit One" is light on blood and guts and big on European police procedurals and character development (quite enjoyable watching a young Mads going through his paces as Detective Allan Fischer) this one is right up my "Law & Order"/"CSI"-type alley.
Nice opening montage and memorable series theme as well. The final season is really extended two-part episodes as the team members receive news by turns hopeful, happy, and shocking and Det. Fischer enters a dark and scary period.
Fangirl Side Note: I cannot get enough of those beautifully sculpted Scandinavian faces! I know "Anglophile" refers to a love of all things British--what is the Scandinavian equivalent? Anybody?I came to this series rather belatedly (like, by about twenty years), having recently discovered actor Mads Mikkelsen through the wonderful Danish film "Another Round." (Please don't do an American remake of that one, Leo. Just... no.) I've since…
Breaking Free of the Co-dependency TrapBreaking Free of the Co-dependency Trap, Book
by Weinhold, Barry K.Book - 2008 | Rev. ed.Book, 2008. Rev. ed.
mswrite's rating:
Added Jun 21, 2021
King ArthurKing Arthur, DVD
DVD - 2004 | Director's cut extended unrated version.DVD, 2004. Director's cut extended unrated version.
mswrite's rating:
Added Jun 16, 2021
Comment:
Generally speaking this kind of film is not my cup of tea, especially this being the longer and gorier Director's Cut version. Still I liked it more than I thought I would. This is partly because I enabled director Antoine Fuqua's commentary track and enjoyed his take on his film and especially his actors.
Fuqua's remarks were insightful and humorous and it was a pleasure listening to his warm regard for his rugged cast, including his shout-out to his Tristan, Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, whose presence in the cast drew me to the movie in the first place. (I am a new fan of Mikkelsen's and am doing a lot of catching up with his earlier work since seeing the remarkable Danish film "Another Round.")Generally speaking this kind of film is not my cup of tea, especially this being the longer and gorier Director's Cut version. Still I liked it more than I thought I would. This is partly because I enabled director Antoine Fuqua's commentary track…
A royal affairA royal affair, DVD
DVD - 2013 | DanishDVD, 2013. Language: Danish
mswrite's rating:
Added Jun 16, 2021
Comment:
So we have a real find here in Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who it seems can play pretty much any role and bring to it his particular blend of strength, sensitivity, dry wit and Scandinavian masculine charm. He's wonderful with the spirited, delicately beautiful Alicia Vikander whose fierce intelligence rises to meet him in her role as the tragic Queen Caroline. Also a standout is Mikkel Folsgaard (hope I'm spelling that correctly) as the childlike and quite mad King Christian, who in the end is perhaps more to be pitied than scorned.
Highly recommend this moving costume drama.So we have a real find here in Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, who it seems can play pretty much any role and bring to it his particular blend of strength, sensitivity, dry wit and Scandinavian masculine charm. He's wonderful with the spirited,…
Sophia LorenSophia Loren, DVD
DVD - 2008 | ItalianDVD, 2008. Language: Italian
Added Jun 01, 2021
Comment:
The break-up of what I assume was originally a 3-disc set is not helpful, since you can't be sure from the catalogue description here exactly which film you are getting when you place the request by volume number. If the problem is that one of the discs has gone missing, can't a replacement be ordered for this title?
The 1970 film "Sunflower" stars Loren and Mastroianni, one of the great screen teams of Italian cinema. They are always watchable, but not as inspired here as in their earlier work with director Vittorio de Sica, classics like "Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow," and "Marriage Italian Style."The break-up of what I assume was originally a 3-disc set is not helpful, since you can't be sure from the catalogue description here exactly which film you are getting when you place the request by volume number. If the problem is that one of the…
Promising Young WomanPromising Young Woman, DVD
DVD - 2021DVD, 2021
mswrite's rating:
Added May 21, 2021
Comment:
I had to wait quite awhile to borrow a copy of this movie. Totally worth it. And whoa, nelly--did not see that ending coming. At all.
"Promising Young Woman" is a compelling, wrenching, gut-punch of a movie. It's also darkly funny, featuring a career-best performance by the talented British actress Carey Mulligan. She is Cassie, a medical school dropout nearing 30 who lives with her parents and works in a coffee shop. Cassie is deeply traumatized by an event the movie takes its time revealing; as it opens she is well into her weirdly creative quest for revenge, one duplicitous creep (including a couple of women, who should have known better) at a time.
As I say, I did not see the shocker ending coming--the enduring question is whether or not Cassie did.
I plan to see "Promising Young Woman" again but, um... not right away. I felt that unsettled by this thought-provoking film. (But next time maybe I'll enable writer-director Emerald Fennell's commentary track, to get her take on the unfolding events.)
Recommended. Highly.I had to wait quite awhile to borrow a copy of this movie. Totally worth it. And whoa, nelly--did not see that ending coming. At all.
"Promising Young Woman" is a compelling, wrenching, gut-punch of a movie. It's also darkly funny, featuring a…
Another roundAnother round, DVD
DVD - 2021 | DanishDVD, 2021. Language: Danish
mswrite's rating:
Added May 21, 2021
Comment:
I wasn't sure I'd like this film--it's Danish with subtitles for one thing, and sometimes (okay, often) the combination of an unfamiliar language coupled with subtitle pop-ups at the bottom of the screen are a seriously annoying distraction. And for another I wasn't exactly drawn to the subject matter. (Middle-aged Danish guys drinking a lot? Really?)
But "Another Round," which won the Oscar this year for best foreign language film and has attracted the attention of superstar Leo DiCaprio who attends to do an American remake, has gotten such buzz I decided to take a look.
I am soooo glad I did--I loved this movie and highly recommend it.
The star is the great Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen who, as a burnt-out history teacher named Martin embarks upon an experiment involving alcohol intake and its effects on human wellbeing with three similarly discontented colleagues. (I really liked, btw, the way these four men were not merely drinking buddies but old friends who genuinely cared about each other.)
There is a point, roughly 40 minutes into the film, when the four meet to compare notes and talk about how their elevated blood alcohol content--the "BAC" in question--has affected them. (Just beyond that moment there appears a brief and hilarious real life montage of world leaders caught on camera who are obviously "in their cups" as my grandmother used to say.) To the friends' delight the constant buzz seems to rejuvenate both their professional and personal lives, and they make what they all know is the risky decision to up the ante with an even higher daily booze intake. Predictably, this does not go well...
Though fellow Dane Thomas Vinterberg's direction and the acting of the entire cast is splendid, the film belongs to the lean and attractively weathered Mikkelsen who was once a gymnast and professional dancer.
I mention this because in the earlier part of the film, Martin's friends tease him about his past as a jazz dancer and goad him into showing them some moves. Martin mostly demurs--he's got a bad back these days--until that is, at the very end of the film where--spoiler alert!--in joyous celebration of his students, his dear friends, the rebirth of his marriage to his beloved Anika, life itself, really, he launches into a wild, impromptu, exuberant dance that literally sends him soaring. This may be the best movie ending of the year if not one of the best movie endings of all time.
Note: I mentioned DiCaprio wanting to remake "Another Round," presumably to play an Americanized version of Martin. I'm a big fan of the talented Leo, but not of this idea. American remakes don't work at least as often as they do-- frequently something crucial gets lost in the cultural translation.
Reportedly, director Vinterberg has expressed support (or at least curiosity) for the DiCaprio remake but Mads Mikkelsen, a major star in his own country (and knighted by Queen Margrethe of Denmark--thus the "R" that now accompanies his name), seems decidedly less enthusiastic.
I totally get that. Of all the films and television he's done and the many and varied roles he's played, "Another Round" is Mikkelsen's movie-star moment. I can appreciate that he might not welcome some American actor so quickly moving in to steal his thunder. If the remake happens, hopefully it will serve to encourage more people to seek out this sterling original no matter how much they may like the newer version.I wasn't sure I'd like this film--it's Danish with subtitles for one thing, and sometimes (okay, often) the combination of an unfamiliar language coupled with subtitle pop-ups at the bottom of the screen are a seriously annoying distraction. And for…
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