In The Year 2025 (Or Life Isn't Always Great, But It Isn't Bad)

As I begin to write this dispatch, there are just under 90 minutes remaining in the year 2025.

I cannot help but think of the Zager and Evans song "In the Year 2525 (Exordium and Terminus":

In the year 2525, if man is still alive
If woman can survive, they may find
In the year 3535
Ain't gonna need to tell the truth, tell no lie
Everything you think, do and say
Is in the pill you took today

With the advent of AI, 2525 arrived 500 years early. We have now reached the point where we cannot discern what is true from what is false. Worse still, far too many among us don't care to know. Too many among us are ready to swallow anything and it need not be a pill though if often takes the form of a poison. How else can one explain the second Trump Administration and the mainstreaming of anti-Semitism? 

Yet it is true that MAGA is fighting amongst itself and their greed and incompetence may do themselves in, they can still hurt and kill a lot of people in the process be it hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths due to AIDS, malaria, pneumonia and tuberculosis all over the world or hard working, law abiding taxpayers awaiting their green card dying in ICE custody.

And then there's the malignancy of anti-Semitism on both sides of the political spectrum with the sitting Republican Vice-President openly minimizing its very existence while New Yorkers elect a so-called progressive who calls for "globalizing the intifada". In this country, "globalizing the intifada" has resulted in Molotov cocktails being thrown at Jews who had the temerity to hold a vigil for the hostages held by Hamas, arson at the San Francisco Hillel and high school students who openly sing the praises of Hitler while forming a human swastika. Meanwhile, prominent public figures ranging from NY Mayor-elect Mamdani, AOC to Elon Musk and FBI Director Kash Patel seek to vilify Jewish civic institutions. Of course, I'm only scratching the surface. Indeed, the malignancy of anti-Semitism is only beginning to spread. The worst is yet to come, and I shudder to think what the worst could be.

My recent experience serving on a federal jury did little to improve my mood.

Now I don't wish to leave anyone with the impression that I had a terrible year. My job continues to go well and among the highlights of my year were my first business trip to New York and my first business conference in Wheeling, West Virginia. I can only hope there is more of this to come in 2026.

There were plenty of good times whether it was going for a swim, walking along on Mass Ave from Cambridge to Boston, a couple of trips to Walden Pond, my first visit to Newport, Rhode Island or viewing a half century plus old David Ackles concert at the Paley Center for Media in NYC last month. I was saddened by Robert Redford passing away on my birthday but am glad I got a chance to see 10 of his best films at the Brattle Theatre. I also got to see Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman and Wil Wheaton sing the praises of Rob Reiner at a 40th anniversary screening of Stand by Me just over a week before he and his wife Michele were cruelly taken away from this world. A subsequent tribute screening of When Harry Met Sally came at just the right time.

Earlier this evening, I had some Chinese food at Changsho on Mass Ave in Cambridge. My fortune read, "Your heart will be full of love in September." If good things come to those wait, then what's another nine months?

After the meal, I took a short walk around the neighborhood. During this short walk, I went into a convenience store, purchased a $10 scratch ticket and won $50. It was the first time I had bought a scratch ticket since winning $100 during my last trip to Concord. This time around, I had no trouble getting my winnings. It was a good way to end the year. 

Tomorrow, I begin 2026 with my New Year's Day ritual of watching 7 hours of Marx Brothers films at the Brattle Theatre with my friend Christopher Kain.

Life isn't always great, but it isn't bad.

Things aren't so great when it concerns matter beyond one's own control. But when things are within my control, the result is more likely to be good than bad. 

As I enter 2026, I will do my best to minimize my involvement in things I can't control and maximize my involvement in things where control is firmly within my grasp. You can call it my New Year's Resolution.

Whatever turmoil there might be in the next 365 days, it is within my power that the conclusion of this next chapter I write will have a happy ending.

Vance Dismisses Anti-Semitism in America

(Nathan Howard/New York Times)

In a recent interview, Vice-President JD Vance dismissed virtually any notion of anti-Semitism in America:

I think that Nick Fuentes, his influence within Donald Trump’s administration, and within a whole host of institutions on the right, is vastly overstated, and frankly, it’s overstated by people who want to avoid having a foreign-policy conversation about America’s relationship with Israel.

Ninety-nine percent of Republicans, and I think probably 97% of Democrats, do not hate Jewish people for being Jewish. What is actually happening is that there is a real backlash to a consensus view in American foreign policy. I think we ought to have that conversation and not try to shut it down. Most Americans are not antisemitic, they’re never going to be antisemitic, and I think we should focus on the real debate.

Well, it is worth noting that Vance doesn't deny Fuentes have influence over his administration. Vance just doesn't want to talk about it and would like to change the subject namely to America's relationship with Israel. Clearly, Vance thinks that relationship should change. If that's the case, then let's hear what he actually thinks, if he has thought at all. Of course, that Vance should single out Israel as the lone country where such re-evaluation is warranted then it is well worth asking why that is. 

It is also telling that Vance claims 99% of Republicans and 97% of Democrats aren't anti-Semitic. I'm not sure where he gets those figures. But let us suppose for a moment that Vance's assessment is accurate. If Vance is correct, then it is equally telling that a significant number of the 1% of Republicans who are anti-Semitic could be found at Turning Point USA's AmericaFest where not only Vance spoke but where participants openly claimed Israel was involved in the 9/11 attacks. At an earlier TPUSA powwow, Vance took a question from a student who claimed Jews were openly persecuting Christians without challenging the question's dubious premise.

If this is the sort of conversation that Vance's allies are having about America's relationship with Israel, then Vance is being willfully dishonest not only about the nature of the conversation but about the growing malignancy of anti-Semitism in America.

Marty Supreme Pain in the Ass

 

Last night, only 24 hours after viewing Song Sung Blue, I returned to the Kendall Square Cinema to take in a screening of Marty Supreme starring Timothée Chalamet.

I attended the film entirely on the basis of Chalamet's presence in it on what turned out to be his 30th birthday. At this time a year ago, I saw Chalamet in the Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown and was so mesmerized by Chalamet's performance that it left me wanting more. So, I saw it again 72 hours later.

I am sorry to say that Marty Supreme did not leave me wanting more nor do I plan to see it again in 72 hours from now. In fact, I could go another 72 years without seeing it again.

Marty Supreme is loosely based on the life of the late table tennis champion Marty Reisman. However, Chalamet portrays Marty Mauser and any resemblance to Reisman is purely coincidental. Which is a shame because I think it is fascinating that Reisman won a table tennis tournament in 1997 when he was 67 and would have been worthy of a film on its own. 

Unfortunately, Josh Safdie's directorial style and the script which he co-wrote with Ronald Bronstein, takes a kitchen sink approach to storytelling. In the case of Marty Supreme, it is a bathtub. Frankly, the story reminded me a great deal of last year's Best Picture winner Anora which when I viewed it could not wait for it to end. Both movies are little more than bombardment in search of a story that it never finds. But in our current day and age this passes for being clever and insightful. The only thing supreme about Marty Supreme is that it is a supreme pain in the ass.

It is a shame because the film wastes some good performances by Chalamet, Odessa A'zion and Fran Drescher in the first time I've ever seen her without makeup. Chalamet also has some chemistry with Gwyneth Paltrow in a May-December romance. I must admit I did not recognize Penn Jillette without glasses and was delighted to see a cameo role from Ted Williams, a homeless man who found a niche as an announcer and voiceover artist. Another bit of unconventional casting was that businessman, reality TV host and formerly Conservative Party of Canada leadership candidate Kevin O'Leary. However, O'Leary looked like Harry Truman's evil twin brother. Speaking of Truman, although Marty Supreme is set in the early 1950's, much of the soundtrack is from the 1980's which makes the film even more disjointed.

Alas, I suspect that Marty Supreme will likely rack up Oscar nominations and possibly earn Chalamet his elusive first Best Actor Academy Award. It's not that Chalamet isn't worthy of such a triumph. I just wish he would earn the honor for a different role with a more compelling performance.

Megyn Kelly Takes a Page From Elon Musk's Book & Blames Jews for Anti-Semitism

When Ben Shapiro saw fit to take Megyn Kelly to task for enabling Candace Owens' conspiracy theories alleging Israel was involved in Charlie Kirk's assassination, Kelly saw fit to retaliate against both Shapiro and CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss by blaming Jews, or at the very least Jewish conservatives, for anti-Semitism on the Right in an interview with Vanity Fair:

They are making antisemites. Tucker (Carlson) is not making antisemites. They are.

When I read Kelly's comment, it brought Elon Musk to mind.

During his ongoing campaign against the ADL, Musk made the following remark on X back in September 2023:

The ADL, because they are so aggressive in their demands to ban social media accounts for even minor infractions, are ironically the biggest generators of anti-Semitism on this platform!

At the time, I made the following observation:

In other words, the Jews are to blame for anti-Semitism by speaking out against it, and we ought to keep our mouths shut. 

By making this claim, Musk effectively absolves responsibility from those who actually harbor hatred towards Jews while giving them a blank check to defame us at every opportunity. 

In such an environment, anti-Semitism would be bound to become mainstream in the United States. And if this comes to pass then pogroms will be sure to follow.

This would be Elon Musk's hateful and ugly legacy. 

Well, Kelly is certainly carrying on Musk's legacy. By stating that Carlson bears no responsibility for spreading anti-Semitism, she absolves him for his interview of Nick Fuentes, his interview of Darryl Cooper, his interview of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his interview of Qatari PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani and his intention to buy a home there. In all of these interviews, Carlson amplified their anti-Semitism without a whisper of criticism. In excusing Carlson's behavior, Kelly also gives anti-Semitism mainstream legitimacy.

Unfortunately, Kelly will be far from the last mainstream public figure in this country to blame Jews for anti-Semitism rather than the anti-Semites who pour the fuel and ignite the flames.

Song Sung Blue is a Masterpiece of American Cinema

 

On Friday night, I went to the Kendall Square Cinema to take in a screening of Song Sung Blue.

If you are familiar with the discography of Neil Diamond, you will know the song. However, Song Sung Blue is not about Neil Diamond though it is inspired by him. The focal point of Song Sung Blue are Mike and Claire Sardina, a husband-and-wife combo, who performed as Lightning and Thunder in Milwaukee, Chicago and throughout the Midwest with a repertoire of songs by Neil Diamond, Patsy Cline and ABBA. The Sardinas are portrayed by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson in career defining performances in a masterpiece of American cinema written and directed by Craig Brewer.

The Sardinas are portrayed as a pair of struggling musicians who hit lightning in a bottle when they meet and discover a shared affection for Neil Diamond's music. The pair slowly gain a following and a legion of admirers including Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder who joins them onstage to sing "Forever in Blue Jeans". Tragically, their momentum is brought to a halt when Claire is struck by a car outside their family home losing a leg in the process which begins a descent into darkness. In time, the pair rebound and make a comeback only for it to be curtailed by Mike's death following a head injury sustained after a heart attack.

This is not a film for the faint of heart. It is not easy to watch this amount of pain. But beneath the pain is the sunshine of Neil Diamond's music and a support system of friends who sustain them in their time of trouble. Michael Imperioli, Fisher Stevens, Jim Belushi and Mustafa Shakir turn in warm performances as local Milwaukee figures Mark Shurilla, Dave Watson, Tom D'Amato and James Brown impersonator Sex Machine, respectively. Ella Anderson also turns in a formidable performance as Claire's daughter Ella who tries to keep the family together despite an unwanted pregnancy of her own.

Even if one is disinclined towards Neil Diamond's music there is a compelling story here. A pair of struggling musicians find a niche, make it work, only to have it stripped away from them, build it back up only to lose it again. I can only hope this will be enough for Academy Award voters who seem to tend towards bombardment of mile a minute action and constant cuts. I suspect the film will get some nominations although I think Hudson has the best chance of securing a statue as she fully embraces middle age.

There should also be some gold for the music. Jackman, Hudson and company's interpretation of songs like "Soolaimon", "Crunchy Granola Suite", "Holly Holy" and, of course, "Sweet Caroline" are good enough for them to go out on tour. I would certainly pay for a ticket to see the show. I'm sure Neil Diamond would if he could.

As for Song Sung Blue, I would make the case that it is among the best films to be released this century now a quarter old.

Charade Puts Up Quite The Facade

 

On Christmas Day, less than 48 hours removed from having completed watching a Robert Redford retrospective at the Brattle Theatre, I would return to that venerable film house for a screening of Charade starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn. Released in 1963, Charade co-stars Walter Matthau, James Coburn, George Kennedy and Ned Glass. It was directed by Stanley Doren, co-written by Peter Stone and Marc Behm with cinematography by Charles Lang and music from Henry Mancini.

Primarily shot on location in and around Paris, Hepburn plays Regina "Reggie" Lampert, an American ex-patriate recently widowed as her husband was thrown off a train. Her husband had been a soldier assigned with several other soldiers to go behind enemy lines during WWII to steal funds for the French Resistance. Instead, her husband kept the money for himself, and his accomplices Tex Panthollow (Coburn), Herman Scobie (Kennedy) and Leopold W. Gideon (Glass) are determined to collect the money from Reggie despite not having any idea where the might could possibly be. 

Ostensibly protecting Reggie are Grant and Matthau, but neither are who they seem to be. At various points in the film, Grant is known as Peter Joshua, Alexander Dyle, Adam Canfield and Brian Cruickshank while Matthau masquerades as an American embassy official. Despite his deceptions, Reggie becomes quite enamored with Peter, Alexander, Adam and Brian. At the time of the film's release, Grant was 25 years older than Hepburn and their age gap is alluded to subtly:

Alexander Dyle: Reggie, listen to me.

Reggie Lampert: Oh-oh, here it comes. The fatherly talk. You forget I'm already a widow.

Alexander Dyle: So was Juliet -- at fifteen.

Reggie Lampert: I'm not fifteen.

Alexander Dyle: Well, there's your trouble right there - you're too old for me.

Reggie Lampert: Why can't you be serious?

Alexander Dyle: There you said it.

Reggie Lampert: Said what?

Alexander Dyle: Serious. When a man gets to be my age that's the last word he ever wants to hear. I don't want to be serious, and I especially don't want you to be.

Reggie Lampert: Okay, I'll tell you what. We'll just sit around all day long being frivolous - how about that?

In our current times, the age gap would have been treated with the subtlety of a ballpein hammer with certain segments of the audience speaking of "age appropriate relationships" . Indeed, if we go by the half your age plus seven formula Grant would have been deemed too old for Hepburn. But this represents a failure of imagination. Whatever gap there was in their age, there was gap between them concerning their intelligence and wit. In that sense, there was no age between them.

It also must be remembered that this was a movie. A work of fiction, a charade if you will. In the case of Charade, it puts up quite the facade. Charade strikes the right balance of adventure, comedy and romance. Amid this balance is both the interior and exteriors of Paris coordinated by Lang and Mancini's music. 

Charade would earn a single Oscar nomination for the eponymous theme song composed by Mancini with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The pair had earned back-to-back Oscars for their collaborations on "Moon River" from Breakfast at Tiffany's (Hepburn's most famous role) and "Days of Wine and Roses" from the film of the same name. However, they would not earn a third consecutive Oscar as Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn won the statue for "Call Me Irresponsible" from Papa's Delicate Condition.

Charade is nice light entertainment for the holiday season. It is running at the Brattle through December 30th.

Six Days of The Condor, Roy Hobbs, Sundance, Johnny Hooker & Six Other Robert Redford Films

 

For the rest of my days, I shall associate my birthday with the day that Robert Redford died.

Over the years, I have seen many of his films and knew of his significance as a champion of independent filmmakers with the Sundance Film Festival. Yet Redford has weighed more heavily on my mind in the 100 days since his passing.

I have watched reactions to his movies along with scores of interviews. Yet there is nothing like watching a movie in a theatre surrounded by an audience. The Brattle Theatre fulfilled this wish with "A Tribute to Robert Redford". The tribute was a showcase of 11 films of which I saw 10 of them. The only film I did not see was his directorial debut Ordinary People which earned him his only competitive Oscar for Best Director. While time constraints prevented me from seeing this film, I really wanted to see Redford onscreen. As it turned out, the timing was a godsend as I was also dealing my jury duty ordeal. With that here is a summary of 10 Robert Redford films that I watched over a six-day period in the order in which I watched them.

Day 1

Three Days of the Condor (1975)

This film commemorated its 50th anniversary only 9 days after Redford's passing. The third of seven films made with director Sydney Pollack, Redford stars as Joe Turner (a.k.a. Condor). On the surface, he works as a researcher from the American Literary Historical Society. In reality it is a CIA front and everyone in the office is suddenly killed save for Turner/Condor by an assassination squad led by Joubert (Max Von Sydow). Yet as it turns out, the CIA is no more trustworthy than Joubert.

Much of the film was shot on location in New York City including in and around the Ansonia Hotel on the Upper West Side. Indeed, there is a brief shot of Redford running past the Beacon Theatre on Broadway between West 74th and West 75th right before we are introduced to Kathy Hale (Faye Dunaway). 

The interactions between Condor and Hale made the audience audibly uneasy as he holds her captive at gunpoint and ties her up. This unease accelerated during their love scene accompanied by the near porn like soundtrack from Dave Grusin. An audience member behind me yelled, "Stop it!!!" and got up from his seat and walked into the hall for the duration of this scene. Yet the audience equally enjoyed Hale's rejoinders. When Condor asks, "Have I raped you?", Hale retorts, "The night is young." Once the relationship is consensually consummated, Condor tells Hale he needs her help. To which she replies, "Have I ever denied you anything?"

The strongest performance of the cast belonged to Von Sydow. Every time he appeared onscreen, the audience reacted with sheer terror. Mind you, Joubert never raises his voice. It was his quiet precision which made Joubert dangerous. Even when Joubert helps Condor one still has the sense he might do in our protagonist. Yet it is clear that Joubert has developed a respect, if not a hint of affection for Condor. 

I would be remiss if I also did not acknowledge the performances from Cliff Robertson as Higgins, the manipulative CIA section chief who tries to rein in Condor and John Houseman as Higgins' boss Wabash who quickly senses that Condor is a force with which to be reckoned.

As I write this, it is Christmas Day. It should be noted the film is setting during the holiday season. The concluding scene on 8th Avenue between Condor and Higgins, the Salvation Army Singers are in the background. That makes Three Days of the Condor a Christmas movie.

Day 2

The Natural (1984)

I saw this film only an hour or so after seeing When Harry Met Sally which was screened in tribute to Rob Reiner. The Natural was the only film shot in the 1980s featuring Redford onscreen in this retrospective. As a baseball fan, this is among my favorite films about the sport.

Adapted from Bernard Malamud's novel of the same name, Redford's Roy Hobbs does not succumb to the temptation of gamblers although women are another matter as exemplified by both the good in Iris Gaines (which earned Glenn Close as Best Supporting Actress nomination) and the bad with Barbara Hershey and Kim Basinger as Harriet Bird and Memo Paris, respectively. Here Redford's minimalist acting approach is at its most refined whether with his trio of leading ladies or in his scenes with Max Mercy (Robert Duvall), Pop Fisher (Wilfrid Brimley), Robert Prosky (The Judge) and Gus Sands (an uncredited Darren McGavin). It is also nice to see character actors John Finnegan and Alan Fudge from the Columbo universe in small roles. Aside from Redford, two other cast members passed away in 2025 - Joe Don Baker (The Whammer) and Michael Madsen (Bump Bailey).

The Natural proceeds at a brisk pace but is in no need of a ghost runner for Hobbs to hit a walk-off HR accompanied by exploding lights. Barry Levinson's direction is augmented by the soundtrack composed and conducted by Randy Newman. While Redford's performance itself is minimalist, there is one other layer to it. The fact that Redford could play ball. I recall the MLB Network airing a special on The Natural with commentary from contemporary baseball figures. In particular, I remember Philadelphia Phillies legend Jimmy Rollins complimenting Redford on his pitching form when he strikes out The Whammer early in the film. Redford's grace was simultaneously physical, spiritual and intellectual. A proverbial triple play.

Day 3

This day of the tribute was devoted to Redford's collaborations with Paul Newman. The pair only made two films together but what two films they were and still are. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and The Sting are probably the most enduring part of both Redford and Newman's legacy. Both films were directed by George Roy Hill.

Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid (1969)

Although Redford garnered notice in Barefoot in the Park, it was his portrayal of the Sundance Kid which made his legend on the silver screen. At the time, Newman was the established star. But anyone viewing this film can see a partnership on equal footing up to and including jumping off a cliff.

When a mutiny arises with the Hole in the Wall Gang, Butch tells Sundance to kill Harvey (Ted Cassidy) in the event he is killed. Sundance replies, "Love too!!!" From there, Sundance tips his hat and smiles. That gesture alone was enough to drive the audience into hysterics. There were plenty of laughs to be had particularly when Etta Place (Katherine Ross) has to teach them Spanish in order to rob banks in Bolivia. Screenwriter William Goldman was one hell of a storyteller.

As with any great film, one must draw attention to the supporting performances. Among them is George Furth as Woodcock, the devoted employee of E.H. Harriman and the Union Pacific Railroad who has the misfortune of being robbed not once, but twice by the Hole in the Wall Gang. The second robbery prompts the gang to blow up the reinforced safe only to blow up the entire railcar knocking down both Butch and Sundance. To which Sundance dryly retorts, "Think you used enough dynamite there, Butch?"

Other notable supporting performances include Strother Martin as Percy Garris who briefly employs the pair as payroll guards in their ill-fated attempt to go straight as well as Cloris Leachman as Agnes, the prostitute who has a special affection for Butch, and Jeff Corey as Sheriff Bledsoe who politely tells Sundance to tie him up.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid would go on to win four Academy Awards - William Goldman for Best Original Screenplay, Conrad Hill for Best Cinematography, Burt Bacharach for Best Original Score with Bacharach earning a second Oscar for Best Song co-writing "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on My Head" with Hal David and sung by B.J. Thomas.

Despite the fact that the pair die in a hail of bullets from the Bolivian Army, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid is one of the most crowd-pleasing films I have ever seen.

The Sting (1973)

I must that I am partial to Butch and Sundance as Redford and Newman share less screentime together in The Sting, it is nevertheless a crowd pleaser which I have come to enjoy more with each successive viewing.

Redford plays a smalltime con named Johnny Hooker who partners with Luther Coleman (Robert Earl Jones) and the Erie Kid (Jack Kehoe) who end up robbing a numbers runner of $11,000. That runner is associated a major New York crime boss named Doyle Lonnegan (Robert Shaw). Hooker blows most of his share trying to impress a burlesque dancer name Crystal (played by Sally Kirkland who sadly passed away last month). Unfortunately, Luther faces a fatal fate at the hands of Lonnegan's hitmen after announcing he is quitting the con game. Before Luther dies, he tells Hooker to seek out Henry Gondorff (Paul Newman). Hooker and Gondorff then concoct a plan to play a con against Lonnegan to avenge Luther's death.

The supporting cast in The Sting is dizzying - Eileen Brennan, Ray Walston, Harold Gould, Charles Durning, Dana Elcar, Charles Dierkop (who was a member of the Hole in the Wall Gang in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid) and Larry D. Mann (who I remember from a series of TV commercials for Bell Canada during the 1980s). Perhaps my favorite scene in the movie is when the buffoonish and corrupt Lt. William Snyder (Durning) is introduced to FBI Agent Polk (Elcar), the no-nonsense Polk tells Snyder, "Sit down, shut up and try not to live up to all my expectations." It nearly took a cast of hundreds to pull off the perfect con.

The Sting would win seven Oscars including Best Picture. It would also earn Redford his sole Oscar nomination for Best Actor. That year, Redford was competing against Al Pacino (Serpico), Jack Nicholson (The Last Detail), Marlon Brando (Last Tango in Paris) and the winner Jack Lemmon (Save The Tiger). That is one tough field.

Day 4

All the President's Men (1976)

Based on Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein's book of the same name concerning the Watergate scandal, it would be adapted for the silver screen by William Goldman who would earn an Oscar for his efforts.

Redford portrayed Woodward with Dustin Hoffman cast as Bernstein. At the time of the Watergate break-in, the pair were relatively unknown journalists with higher ups at The Washington Post such as Howard Simons (Martin Balsam) and Ben Bradlee (Jason Robards) expressing a less than confident outlook much to the chagrin of Harry Rosenfeld (Jack Warden). However, through their persistence, Woodward and Bernstein gradually gain the confidence of the brass even as the break-in goes all the way into the Nixon White House. 

Redford and Hoffman play off each other to great effect. A decade earlier, Redford had sought to portray Benjamin Braddock in The Graduate, but Mike Nichols balked. Nichols, who had directed Redford in the Broadway version of Barefoot in the Park, asked Redford if he ever struck out with a girl and Redford did not what he meant by the question. The same could not be said for Hoffman and cinematic history would be made.

In addition to Goldman's Oscar win, Robards would win Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Ben Bradlee while Jane Alexander would earn a Best Supporting Actress nomination for her portrayal of the frightened, stress-ridden bookkeeper Judith Hoback Miller who provided crucial evidence concerning the operations of the Committee to Re-Elect the President (CREEP). Other cast members included Hal Holbrook (Deep Throat), Stephen Collins (Hugh Sloan, Jr.), Meredith Baxter (Deborah Murray Sloan), Ned Beatty (Martin Dardis), Lindsay Crouse (Kay Eddy), Robert Walden (Donald Segretti) and Polly Holliday who portrayed Dardis' secretary. I must admit I did not recognize her. Holliday would go on to greater fame as Flo in the TV series Alice which earned her own short-lived spinoff. Sadly, Holliday passed away one week before Redford.

Directed by Alan J. Pakula (who also received an Oscar nomination), the film itself was on an old 35 mm print which at one point stopped running for a few minutes. No sooner than that happened an audience member shouted, "It's a cover up!!!" to amused laughter. What is not so amusing is the current state of American journalism. In half a century, The Washington Post went from bringing down a President to refusing to endorse a presidential candidate for fear of angering her presidential rival. A few hours after this screening, new CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss pulled a 60 Minutes segment on the CECOT facility in El Salvador in an effort to appease the Trump Administration. Mind you, this decision comes only months after the network settled with Trump after he filed a lawsuit concerning 60 Minutes editorial decisions concerning its interview with Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign.

All the President's Men demonstrates a time when the free press could hold government to accounts for unlawful actions up to and including the resignation of the President of the United States. In view of recent events, it may very well be that such a state of affairs is no longer possible.

The Hot Rock (1972)

This is one of three Redford films in the retrospective I had not previously viewed. Penned by William Goldman and directed by Peter Yates, Redford stars as John Dortmunder, a jewel thief just released from prison and already contemplating his next heist.

Although Redford is the film's lead, The Hot Rock is more of an ensemble piece with plenty of screentime being given to his cohorts' brother-in-law Andy Kelp (George Segal), Stan Murch (Ron Leibman) and Allan Greenberg (Paul Sand). I remember Sand from a guest spot he did in a 1981 episode of Taxi in which he plays a reclusive artist who is aided by Elaine Nardo (Marilu Henner) in trying to get back in touch with the world. Although the episode has its weak points, Sand's portrayal left a lasting impression. In the mid-1970s, Sand starred in the short-lived CBS sitcom Friends and Lovers which was based in Boston. Co-starring future TV stars Penny Marshall and Steve Landesberg, it only lasted 14 episodes and would be replaced by The Jeffersons. Amazingly, Sand is still alive at the age of 93.

The quartet is funded by Dr. Amusa, a diplomat from an unnamed African country (Moses Gunn) who becomes exasperated by requests for more equipment as each attempt to retrieve the hot rock fails spectacularly. Allan Greenberg's father and lawyer Abe Greenberg (Zero Mostel) also shines in comedic fool's gold. There are also small roles from Charlotte Rae, the future Edna Garrett in Diff'rent Strokes and The Facts of Life as well as Christopher Guest's first credited film role as a police officer although if you blink, you will likely miss him.

If there is an underrated movie in Redford's filmography it would be The Hot Rock which is very crowd pleasing and full of laughs.

The Candidate (1972)

This is my favorite Robert Redford film. Directed by Michael Ritchie, it would earn Jeremy Larner an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Redford stars as Bill McKay, a public interest attorney who is recruited as the Democratic Party candidate to challenge incumbent Republican Senator Crocker Jarmon (Don Porter) in the U.S. Senate race in California. Complicating matters is McKay's father John J. McKay (Melvyn Douglas) is the former Governor with whom he has a cool and uneasy relationship.

My favorite performance in The Candidate is Peter Boyle's portrayal of campaign manager Marvin Lucas. McKay resents Lucas' intrusions in how to run the campaign. But over time, McKay becomes more and more reliant on Lucas as he starts to devolve into a programmed politician rather than a citizen who speaks from the hip. McKay wins the race in an upset but is the unhappiest person in the room and desperately tries to ask Marvin, "What do we do now?", as a crowd of adoring supporters surrounds the victor. Why Boyle didn't receive Oscar consideration for this role is a mystery worthy of a congressional investigation.

Of note, Natalie Wood makes a cameo appearance as herself. Redford and Wood were no strangers to each other as they attended the same high school and had previously appeared together in two films Inside Daisy Clover (1965) and This Property is Condemned (1966). Mike Barnicle, who would later have a lengthy career with The Boston Globe and is a regular presence on MS NOW (formerly known as MSNBC), played a small role as part of McKay's public interest law firm.

As with All the President's Men, The Candidate was shown on an old 35 mm print. However, the film broke down on five occasions which significantly disrupted the flow of the film and affected how those in the audience who had never seen the film would receive it. This is a shame.

On a personal note, I view Warren Beatty's 1998 film Bulworth as something of a sequel to The Candidate. Although the characters have different names, they are both Democratic Senators from California. In Bulworth, Beatty breaks free of the constraints placed on him by his closest advisors and family and begins to speak his conscience in a way that Bill McKay could not as his campaign progressed (or perhaps regressed).

Day 5

The penultimate day of the tribute focused on western themes spotlighting Jeremiah Johnson and The Electric Horseman.

Jeremiah Johnson (1972)

The film begins with an overture and has an intermission (en'tracte) which is unusual with a film with a runtime of less than 2 hours. This was Redford's second collaboration with director Sydney Pollack. The two first worked together on This Property is Condemned six years earlier with Natalie Wood. 

Shot on location in Redford's adopted home of Utah, Redford stars as the titular character who seeks to become a mountain man. Although he struggles at first, an older mountain man Bear Claw Chris Lapp (Will Geer) takes him under his wing until he is confident Johnson can survive on his own having earned the respect of various Indian tribes in the area.

This respect is severely tested when Johnson is compelled to escort Christian settlers led by Reverend Lindquist (Paul Benedict) at the behest of the U.S. Cavalry led by Lieutenant Mulvey (Jack Colvin) through Crow burial ground. Benedict and Colvin would both go on to greater fame on TV in the 1970's and 1980's as Mr. Bentley on The Jeffersons and Jack McGee on The Incredible Hulk.

After the mission is completed, Johnson returns home to find that his Flathead wife and mute adopted son are massacred. Johnson then proceeds to kill every Crow he can find until their leader Paints His Shirt Red (Joaquin Martinez) raises the hand of peace which Johnson acknowledges.

How cinematographer Duke Callaghan was not nominated for an Oscar nor any other award for his work in capturing the perilous, snowy mountains of Utah is beyond my comprehension. 

Equally incomprehensible is how anyone would mistake Robert Redford for Zach Galifianakis, meme or no meme. 

However, there is no mistaking Redford's love for our natural surroundings and the desire to preserve those surroundings.

The Electric Horseman (1979)

I also never previously viewed this film although oddly enough I first became aware of Redford's existence because of it. Dad had a research lab at Lakehead University. A small portion of that lab was set aside for his fish tanks. It was very hot in that room. I remember a poster for The Electric Horseman on a door to a very small office.

It took me awhile to warm up to The Electric Horseman. Redford portrays Sonny Steele, an alcoholic ex-rodeo star who endorses cereal. The beginning of the film is set in Las Vegas and represents the worst of the excesses of the late 1970's. Steele truly looks like a Rhinestone Cowboy who is at unease with his main handler Wendell Hickson (Willie Nelson), the corporate suits led by Hunt Sears (John Saxon), his ex-wife Charlotta Bell (Valerie Perrine) and journalist Haillie Martin (Jane Fonda) who is determined to find a story with him.

The Electric Horseman picks up steam when it decides to go off the grid. Steele spontaneously decides to steel a horse named Rising Star and release him into the wild. Once the film goes into the open country, we see Steele's self-actualization which makes Martin fall in love with him. In some ways, The Electric Horseman is a reversal of The Candidate. While Bill McKay loses his identity through compromise, Steele regains it by breaking free of the shackles whatever consequences might come. 

The film has a lot of familiar faces. Of course, Redford and Fonda reunite 12 years after Barefoot in the Park. It is Redford's fifth collaboration with director Sydney Pollack. Timothy Scott (who appeared as "News" Carver in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid) gets a larger role as Leroy, who assists Wendell in trying to coral Sonny. All the President's Men alums Basil Hoffman and Nicolas Coster get larger roles as suits collaborating with Sears. Wilfrid Brimley, who would appear prominently in The Natural five years later, has a small role as a farmer sympathetic to Sonny's efforts to free Rising Star. Brimley looked old enough to be Redford's father. In reality, Brimley was only two years older than Redford.

I would be remiss if I also didn't mention the presence of James B. Sikking and Alan Arbus. Sikking was a longtime cast member of both Hill Street Blues and Doogie Howser, M.D. appearing in scores of movies and TV shows. Meanwhile, I remember Arbus from his recurring role as psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Freedman in M*A*S*H. 

I suspect that I enjoyed The Electric Horseman more than most of the audience members who seemed disengaged with it. While it isn't Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, it is a good film in its own right and has a spot in the Robert Redford canon.

Day 6

Downhill Racer (1969)

This film was Michael Ritchie's directorial debut. Redford stars as a self-centered downhill skier David Chappellet determined to become the best in the world at any cost. 

Shot on location in France, Switzerland, Austria as well as in Colorado, we are treated to a firsthand view of how treacherous downhill skiing can be. One false move, whether by taking a wrong turn or skiing over a snow-covered patch of ice, can make all the difference between, to quote ABC's Wide World of Sports, the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

Although Chappellet is not an evil man, he is not particularly sympathetic either. He does not enjoy a close relationship with his father nor his coaches and teammates preferring to be a lone wolf. Chappellet does get involved with Carole (Camilla Sparv) but she turns out to be even more self-centered than he is and doesn't like it when the shoe is on the other foot. The simple honking of a horn terminates their relationship.

The screening of Downhill Racer also served as something of an unofficial tribute to Gene Hackman who starred as Chappellet's coach Claire. When Chappellet causes an injury to a rival skier as good as him, Claire confronts him in his room and sparks fly between Redford and Hackman. It's too bad the Brattle didn't have a formal tribute to Hackman as both the Coolidge Corner Theatre and Somerville Theatre did after his passing this past spring. Of further note, a clean-shaven Dabney Coleman is also featured as Mayo, an assistant coach.

Written by James Salter, the cinematography of Brian Probyn is sorely overlooked particularly in the climactic scene in which we don't know if Chappellet's victory will be short-lived.

Conclusion

While I remained saddened with the passing of Robert Redford, I know that all of us must pass. The sadness is compensated by the fact that Redford left a large body of work to be enjoyed by generations to come. I am glad the Brattle Theatre offered such a comprehensive tribute to his work.

I Served on a Jury for 5 Days & Never Want to Do So Again for as Long as I Live

 

This is one of those times that I need to get some things off my chest.

I served for five days on a jury and never, ever want to do it again for as long as I live.

Mind you, I have developed a strong dislike for the prospect of jury duty over the years particularly the day and a half I spent on Court Street in Lower Manhattan in the fall of 2019. Yet even that experience could not have prepared me for what I endured at the John J. Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston last week and this week. 

 

I should have known what I was in for on the morning of my first day of service. Prospective jurors were instructed to arrive at court by 8 a.m. I caught the Red Line at Porter Square at 7:03 a.m. It took 50 minutes to travel a single stop to Harvard Square.

In 20 plus years I've lived in Boston and in Cambridge, disabled trains have been a fact of life on the T. However, the morning that I needed to be in federal court was the first time I had ever been on a disabled train. Our car was nearly pitch black and our train had to be pushed into the station by another train.

You know things are bad when people in Boston begin talking to each other on the T. Even the homeless guy sleeping at the end of car woke up and asked what was happening. When I said, "Well.....,", the car erupted in laughter. Fortunately, there was a woman a few seats to my right who mentioned she was going to take Uber into the Seaport District and she was nice enough to allow me to join her on the ride at no charge.

Naturally, I was afraid I would be castigated by the court officers for being late. However, this did not come to pass. Before I go further, I should mention a couple distinctions between federal and state court. One cannot defer a federal jury summons. In Massachusetts, you can defer for a year. In New York, you can defer for 2 to 6 months. But when the feds are involved, you go when you are summoned. Unlike state court, one cannot bring electronic equipment into the courthouse. This meant that I had to power down and check in my phone at the front desk.

The one area where federal and state courts are in sync are the propaganda videos which tell you that jury service is among the most rewarding things you can do with your life. I can assure you it isn't, but I will elaborate later.

My first day in court was devoted to jury selection. In state court, jurors are called incrementally. In federal court, at least with this presiding judge, all jurors were told to report to one of the courtrooms upstairs where a jury was being selected for a felony drug charge. Once the judge introduced the government attorneys, the defense attorneys, court personnel as well as the defendant, we were instructed to wait in a courtroom next door. There were approximately 65 prospective jurors, and the judge saw fit to interview nearly all of us. This process took nearly the entire day. I suspect the process would have been speedier had a more incremental approach had been followed.

This might have been alright had I been excluded from service, but this was not to be. I was one of 14 people named to the jury. After we were selected, the government and defense made their opening arguments before the judge recessed for the day.

On Day 2, the government made its case against the defendant and called two witnesses, both with the DEA. The first DEA official was a scientist and the second was the agent in charge of the case. Now some judges will run their trials from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. while other judges will run their trials from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The judge in this case ran on the latter scheduled and called a recess while the defense attorney was cross-examining the DEA agent.

I should mention here that jurors are provided with notebooks and can take down as many or as few notes as we see fit. The reason I mention this is because after we were recessed for the day one of the jurors who sat behind me in the jury box approached me and took me to task for what he thought was excessive note taking on my part. He accused me of not paying attention claiming I would miss crucial information. I thought this highly improper and emailed the judge's clerk to inform her of what had happened.

On Day 3, before court resumed, I was called in to see the judge regarding my email. The judge decided to allow me and any other member of the jury to sit wherever we saw fit. I was originally sitting in the front row and moved to the very last seat in the back row which had the effect of keeping me apart from the rest of the jury. In some ways, it would foreshadow what was to come. 

However, this day was relatively short as the government concluded it case calling one more witness, a detective from the Melrose Police Department who was assisting a federal DEA task force concerning fentanyl (the substance which the defendant was accused of possessing and distributing). The government rested and the defense rested without putting on a case of its own. The day was over by 11 a.m. 

In my case, this meant I could go back to work as the courthouse is just down the street from my office. But before I went to work, I went into the Holiday Market across the street and bought myself a vegan hot chocolate with coconut whipped cream.

Day 4 was devoted to closing arguments and the beginning of jury deliberations. This proved to be a much longer day on a number of levels. Initially, we were split down the middle as to whether the defendant was guilty or not guilty. Unfortunately, the jurors made no secret about wanting to end the proceedings quickly and several jurors suddenly switched their vote to guilty. It would not be long before I was the only juror who was not prepared to convict.

I had trouble with the government's case. My main objection was the DEA threw out crucial evidence. While some of my fellow jurors acknowledged this was a mistake, it did not affect their guilty vote. Again, they just wanted to get home. But I was not sold. Jurors are given the discretion to set their own hours. By 2 p.m., the impasse was still not resolved. The judge was notified, and we were sent back into court and asked resume deliberations on Monday.

Amid this, I had gone to the Brattle Theatre to see When Harry Met Sally in tribute to Rob Reiner while also attending several Robert Redford films (more on those in a post coming soon). This was helpful but it did not entirely allay my anxiety. On Saturday afternoon, during an appointment with my eye doctor, I suffered a panic attack. My chest felt heavy and I was overheating. Fortunately, the optometrist saw what was wrong and was able to help calm me down. We will do a second exam at no charge sometime in the new year. But jury duty still hung over my head.

Before beginning Day 5 there would be further developments. Although 14 jurors were chosen, 2 were selected as alternates and they were not involved in the deliberations on Day 4. However, two jurors became ill over the weekend and both alternates were summoned. The judge notified us that our deliberations had begun anew.

Although one of the two new jurors initially voted not guilty, he was quickly swayed to the guilty side which once again left me as the holdout. Alas, Henry Fonda I am not. I wish I could have been more persuasive. Unfortunately, the 11 guilty votes were not amenable to reason or compromise. Mind you, I didn't necessarily believe the defendant was factually innocent. However, a jury is not required to arrive at the conclusion. They need only have a reasonable doubt. Yet the rest of the jury did not believe my doubt was reasonable.

In the early afternoon, the jury foreperson had enough and decided to inform the judge we were deadlocked. After this had happened, two of the jurors saw fit to levy personal attacks. One of the female jurors said I was wasting the court's time, had undermined the work of the attorneys on both side and putting the family of the defendant under unnecessary stress. Mind you, this juror was foaming at the mouth to convict. The notion that she cared about the defendant's family was laughable. The only thing I said in response was that her comments were unhelpful. I wanted to say more but had I said more I would have likely said things I could not take back.

A second juror, the same juror who had admonished me for excessive notetaking, made the case by not convicting the person that I made him vulnerable to ICE. It should be mentioned the defendant was a Dominican. The idea that I am going to convict someone of a crime based on their national origin so as to protect them from ICE as abominable and cruel as ICE's practices. 

A short time later, a rather large imposing bailiff came into the room and said in a menacing manner, "The judge wants to see you!!!" From this, I had a feeling the judge wasn't going to accept our decision and order us to resume deliberations, and this is exactly what happened.

Although the judge did not rule out the possibility that we would be able to reach decision, she very strongly discouraged it. Alas, there was 11 of them and only one of me. To be fair, one of the jurors broke down the case step by step to see where we were in agreement and disagreement. For the most part, I was in agreement with the other 11 jurors. I did not discount the possibility that a drug transaction had taken place. I just didn't want to send someone to prison unless I was absolutely sure.

After taking a deep dive into the videotaped and pictorial evidence along with statements from the defendant after he was taken into custody, I concluded he was guilty, but I am still not 100% sure that he is. 90% perhaps, maybe 95% but not 100%. Yet like all of the other jurors, I had to carry on with my life. I needed to have stitches removed my mouth from a dental procedure earlier this month and if I didn't get it done that day, I would have to wait until the new year when I have a new insurance provider to do so which could have cost me deep in the purse.

The defendant may very well be guilty. The defendant told police he could name names. Yet such a statement was made under duress. I was certainly under duress in being pressured to render a guilty verdict. I could only imagine what I might say if I were in his shoes. Even if the defendant is indeed guilty of the crime for which I helped convict him for, I am not proud of myself. Not one bit.

After the verdict, a couple of the jurors thanked me for listening to the evidence. While I politely acknowledged their thanks, I know full well they would not have been so kind if I hadn't joined them in finding the defendant guilty.

With that, I hope to hell that I am never accused of a crime and am brought to trial in either a state or a federal court. Should such a thing come to pass, however, I will insist on a bench trial. I am not prepared to hand my life to people who do not want to be in that jury room and are looking for the easiest way out of their predicament. It isn't to say a judge couldn't make a mistake, but a judge is at least a professional who is prepared to exercise diligence and take time to examine both the facts and the law without 11 other people breathing down his or her neck. I do not have any such confidence in a jury.

No doubt you may find it amusing that I have been summoned to state court next month for jury service. However, my five days of jury service ought to excuse me from this obligation. I have been in touch with the Massachusetts Office of the Jury Commissioner. As long as I furnish the necessary paperwork by email, I will be relieved in more ways than one. 

Of course, I am bound to receive more summons in the years which follow. Should I be fortunate enough to live until I am 70, then I am free to decline jury service altogether. Until then I will have to depend on the mercy of the court. I can only hope the court shows me more mercy than I showed to the defendant.

When Harry Met Sally Could Actually Be Called When Rob Met Michele

On Friday, I went to the Brattle Theatre to take in a special matinee screening of When Harry Met Sally in memory of Rob Reiner.

For reasons I cannot explain at the moment, going to this matinee was a godsend. Aside from paying my respects to Rob Reiner, this was something I needed at that hour.

I recall seeing When Harry Met Sally when it was originally released in the summer of 1989 although I cannot be sure if I saw it in Thunder Bay or in Ottawa which I visited that August to celebrate my maternal grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary. I do remember seeing Uncle Buck on that trip. 

Of course, I have seen When Harry Met Sally on TV numerous times over the past 36 years. Billy Crystal was at the height of his powers while Meg Ryan served as a perfect counterpoint. Both Bruno Kirby and Carrie Fisher balanced the burgeoning friendship/romance between Harry and Sally. In between this drama, there were the charming vignettes of old couples telling the story of how they met and how long they had been married. 

And yes, there's the orgasm scene complete with Rob Reiner's mother quipping, "I'll have what she's having."

In many ways, When Harry Met Sally could have been titled When Rob Met Michele. During the making of When Harry Met Sally, Rob Reiner met Michele Singer, a photographer who had shot the cover of Donald Trump's ghostwritten book The Art of the Deal. In a 2018 interview with Reiner with then Guardian columnist Hadley Freeman, their meeting and what would come of it was described as follows:

(Nora) Ephron later said she based the character of Harry – the miserable, divorced Jewish romantic lead – on Reiner, who was at the time divorced after his marriage to Penny Marshall ended. During pre-production of the movie, he spotted a copy of Premiere magazine with Michelle Pfeiffer on the cover. “I’d met her a few months before, she seemed like a nice person, and I read she was getting divorced, so I said to Barry Sonnenfeld [When Harry Met Sally …’s director of photography], ‘I’m going to give her a call.’” (This is the only time during our lunch where Reiner’s privilege shines through: only someone who has truly led a gilded life would conduct their dating life via the covers of Premiere magazine, and think it sounds totally normal to say so.) Sonnenfeld nixed that: “You’re not going to call her, you’re going to marry my friend Michele Singer,” he declared.

Reiner wasn’t convinced, but three-quarters of the way through the film shoot he spotted a “very attractive woman” on the set who turned out to be Singer. They have now been married for almost 30 years and have three “really great” kids. Meeting Singer convinced Reiner to hastily change the ending of the film. “Originally, Harry and Sally didn’t get together. But then I met Michele and I thought: OK, I see how this works,” he grins.

These two paragraphs are prophetic, joyful and tragic. Prophetic in that Barry Sonnenfeld knew they would be a match. Joyful in that once Rob had met Michele, a happy ending for When Harry Met Sally made sense and life would imitate art - or so it seemed. The tragedy here is that one of the kids didn't turn out to be so great.

Nevertheless, Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner had and held each other for than 30 years in sickness and in health until death did them part. While their lives did not have the happy ending that Harry and Sally had, it does not remove the joy they shared. Their lives were better for having come to know and love each other.

Trump's WH Address Was Brief but Still Full of BS

 

So, President Trump just shouted at the American people for about 20 minutes. Although all things considered, his remarks were mercifully short compared to his address to a joint session of Congress this past March which lasted nearly 100 minutes.

True to form, Trump was full of hyperbole and exaggeration with his liberal use of trademark phrase such "like no one believed possible" or "like no one has ever seen before." 

Among other things, Trump claimed the country was "absolutely dead" when he took office, "that we had the worst border in the world" (Ukrainians might challenge that assessment), "we have never been invaded" (those who survived the attack at Pearl Harbor would beg to differ), that he ended 8 wars in 10 months and brought peace to the Middle East for the "first time in 3,000 years."

Ever the conman, Trump promised to send all military personnel a dividend check of $1776. I'm not sure how this happens without Congress as Speaker Mike Johnson likely to adjourn the House yet again. Then there is his promise to establish a TrumpRx website to buy drugs at a lower cost. Again, the devil is in the details, and this devil is light when it comes to details.

With Trump's poll numbers slipping one can only hope that people aren't buying what he's selling. But given that we have chosen him twice, we can underestimate his capacity to fool some of the people all of the time.

Thoughts on JD Vance's Claim There's a Difference Between "Not Liking Israel" and Anti-Semitism

Last night, Vice-President JD Vance claimed, “I would say there’s a difference between not liking Israel (or disagreeing with a given Israeli policy) and anti-semitism," 

For starters, I would say there's a difference between disagreeing with a given Israeli policy and not liking Israel. Indeed, one can be strongly skeptical of the Netanyahu government's efforts to strip Israel's judiciary of its independence. But those who were prepared to take the streets of Tel Aviv against such a policy did so because they are proud of Israel's tradition of an independent judiciary. They very much like Israel.

Frankly, if one is inclined in Vance's word towards "not liking Israel" itself then one can reasonably conclude that there are anti-Semitic sentiments behind such feelings especially if a) Israel alone is singled out for contempt or b) if Israel is lumped in with the world's worst regimes (i.e. Russia, China, Iran, North Korea). 

It is difficult for me to accept Vance as a credible messenger on the subject given how he has seen fit to minimize and excuse anti-Semitism of the right-wing variety. 

If that was not enough, Vance also made a point of claiming that contemporary anti-Semitism in this country is demographic rather than generational. Vance argues:

The most significant single thing you could do to eliminate anti-semitism and any other kind of ethnic hatred is to support our efforts to lower immigration and promote assimilation.

Somehow, I don't think Vance means to deport Elon Musk. Last I checked Nick Fuentes, Marjorie Taylor Greene and his old buddy Tucker Carlson were born in the good old U.S.A. While it isn't to say there isn't anti-Semitism among certain immigrant communities, it is again hard to take Vance seriously as a messenger on the subject.

There is also one other thing to consider concerning Vance's comments vis a vis disliking Israel vs. anti-Semitism. From where I sit this represents a signal the Trump Administration is going to be far more openly critical of Israel with the passage of time. 

Not that it hasn't, mind you. Just yesterday, President Trump saw fit to accuse Israel of violating its ceasefire with Hamas as a result of its assassination of a Hamas commander as he did when Israel went after Hamas commanders being sheltered by Qatar last September. Then there is U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Syrian envoy Thomas Barrack publicly questioning Israel's credentials as a democracy while describing Hezbollah as a political party. Vance himself recently said he was "insulted" the Knesset saw fit to take a vote on the annexation of the West Bank. 

So, it's already out there but we can expect a lot more of this to come. In the event the Trump Administration becomes far more critical of Israel, Vance is trying to ward off accusations of anti-Semitism ahead of time. Given the disdain of Israel by many of the Trump Administration's left-wing critics, this strategy might very well work. In which case, Israel will truly be alone.

President Trump's Comments About Rob Reiner Are Deranged & Paranoid

I am sure that you are aware that President Trump saw fit to disparage Rob Reiner in the wake of his murder.

Yet these comments have to be seen to be believed.

President Trump speaks of derangement and paranoia. But it is he who is deranged and paranoid. 

Trump is also devoid of humanity. A man and his wife have been murdered in their own home, evidently by their own son and is without an ounce of compassion.

There is no doubt that Trump truly hates Rob Reiner. He could have said nothing. But restraint and silence are not part of Trump's modus operandi. 

Indeed, Trump doesn't know when to shut the fuck up:

I wasn’t a fan of his at all. He was a deranged person as far as Trump is concerned. The Russia hoax, he was one of the people behind it. I think he hurt himself career-wise. He became, like, a deranged person. Trump derangement syndrome. So I was not a fan of Rob Reiner at all in any way, shape or form. I thought he was very bad for our country.

Of course, it must be said that a plurality of the American electorate elected and elevated Trump to his position - twice. We have come to accept, embrace and encourage this behavior in our leaders. Within the past 30 days, Trump told a female reporter, "Quiet, piggy!!!", referred to Somali immigrants as "garbage" while calling for the death penalty against Democratic lawmakers who called upon military members not to obey unlawful orders. If he is capable of such contemptibility, it should not come as a shock that we would make derogatory comments about a man who is dead and cannot defend himself. Trump is a man who thinks he can get away with saying anything because we have let him get away with it.

Although some Republicans in Congress like Marjorie Taylor Greene, Thomas Massie and Mike Lawler took Trump to task for his crass behavior, conservative pundit Kurt Schlichter defended Trump stating on X, "It's pretty pathetic to be so fake and fussy because Trump was insufficiently cordial to a guy who targeted him for nonstop bile for the last decade."

Last I checked, Rob Reiner offered words of sorrow following the assassination of Charlie Kirk back in September. Reiner told Piers Morgan:

Absolute horror, and I unfortunately saw the video of it. It’s beyond belief what happened to him. That should never happen to anybody. I don’t care what your political beliefs are. That’s not acceptable. That’s not a solution to solving problems.

And I felt like what his wife [Erika] said at the service at the memorial they had was exactly right. I’m Jewish but I believe in the teachings of Jesus and I believe in ‘do unto others’ and I believe in forgiveness and what she said to me was beautiful. She forgave his assassin. And I think that is admirable.

I guess Schlichter must have missed those remarks. More likely, he simply doesn't care.

To the extent that Trump faces a backlash from MAGA or Republicans at large will depend on those people viewing Rob Reiner as a person and a storyteller rather than as a liberal. While they might not have shared Reiner's views, they probably liked some of his work be it This is Spinal Tap, Stand by Me, The Princess Bride, When Harry Met Sally or perhaps liked him as Meathead in All in the Family. Given the horrific circumstances of Reiner and his wife's death, Trump's remarks might prove to be a bridge too far. Then again, even if it is, it might not them from voting for Trump for a third term - constitution or no constitution.

As for the President, Rob Reiner showed more grace in 100 words than Trump will ever show if he lives to be 100.

Rob Reiner & His Wife Murdered in Their Hollywood Home

This has been a pretty horrible weekend.

First, there was the mass shooting at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island which claimed the lives of 2 people with 9 other people wounded. 

Then came the massacre of a Chanukah party in Sydney, Australia. The death toll now stands at 15 with the gunmen being a father and son.

In between all of this, I have tried to live joyously in celebrating Dick Van Dyke's 100th birthday last night. Earlier this evening, I met up with two couples to watch It's a Wonderful Life at the Brattle Theatre followed by a wonderful dinner at a new Asian restaurant in Harvard Square.

Now, I come home to the news that actor-director Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele, were found stabbed to death in their Hollywood home. It is one thing for Dick Van Dyke to outlive Carl Reiner. It is quite another to outlive Rob Reiner.

It was only last weekend that I attended a special screening of Stand by Me in Lynn, Massachusetts in which the three surviving stars Jerry O'Connell, Corey Feldman and Wil Wheaton were effusive in their praise of Rob Reiner who directed the film. The trio are planning to do more of these screenings in the new year but in light of tonight's horrific news, the retrospective will undoubtedly take on a far sadder tone.

On a personal note, I saw Reiner at the Beacon Theatre in New York City with Michael McKean, Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest during a 35th anniversary screening of This is Spinal Tap in April 2019. As it turned, this year's sequel Spinal Tap II: The End Continues would prove to be Reiner's last film as both an actor and a director. Sadly, it truly was the last tap.

Of course, when something like this happens it is only natural to wonder how this horrific event came to pass. There was the possibility of a robbery gone bad. I also could not help but think that Reiner's political activism or the fact he was Jewish might have factored into this attack. However, it appears the Reiners were murdered by their own son. Whatever the circumstances, the Reiners died a horrible death.

Of course, Reiner's work will live on. But he had more to give. Rob and Michele Reiner should have left this world naturally. Then again, the same can be said for those two students at Brown University and the 15 people celebrating Chanukah at Bondi Beach. R.I.P. to all.

Anti-Semitic Massacre at Chanukah Celebration in Sydney, Australia Leaves 11 Dead

An anti-Semitic terrorist attack took place at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia during a Chanukah by the Sea event resulting in the deaths of 11 Jews. The dead include a British born Chabad rabbi, an Israeli national and a Holocaust survivor.

The massacre was committed by two gunmen along a pedestrian bridge. One gunman was killed by authorities while another was tackled by an unarmed bystander named Ahmed al Ahmed who sustained gunshot wounds in the course of confronting the shooter. One of the gunmen has been identified as Naveed Akram although it is not clear if he was the gunman killed by police or tackled by the bystander.

It is the deadliest anti-Semitic attack in the world since October 7th. Of course, anti-Semitism has surged over the entire world since October 7th, but few places have been worse than Australia. There have been numerous attacks on synagogues and Jewish owned businesses since October 7th, mainly in Sydney and Melbourne not to mention attacks on Jewish neighborhoods and threats by nurses to kill Jewish and Israeli patients or refuse to treat them.

Following the torching of a synagogue and an attack at a restaurant in Melbourne this past July, I made this chilling observation:

Sadly, this won't be the last such incident in Australia. I fear the next time anti-Semitism in the name of globalizing the intifada strikes, there will be dead Jews. Of course, this is exactly what those who wish to "globalize the intifada" want.

I take no pleasure in being correct with my assessment, but this was inevitable. Understandably, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is furious with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

Three months ago I wrote to the Australian prime minister that your policy is pouring oil on the fire of antisemitism. Antisemitism is a cancer that spreads when leaders are silent and do not act.

Netanyahu was referring to a letter he wrote to Albanese after he formally recognized Palestinian statehood last August:

Your call for a Palestinian state pours fuel on the antisemitic fire. It rewards Hamas terrorists. It emboldens those who menace Australian Jews and encourages the Jew hatred now stalking your streets. Anti-Semitism is a cancer. It spreads when leaders stay silent, it retreats when leaders act. I call upon you to replace weakness with action, appeasement with resolve.

Albanese received another letter a few short weeks ago:

As a rabbi in Sydney, I beg you not to betray the Jewish people and not God Himself.

Jews have been torn from their land again and again by leaders who are now remembered with contempt in the pages of history. You have an opportunity to stand on the side of truth and justice.

I congratulate you in advance for the courage to do what is right and stand firm against this act of heresy.

Unfortunately, this advance congratulations proved to be premature. That letter was written by Rabbi Eli Schlanger. He was among the 11 Jews killed at Bondi Beach. 

There may be a brief pause of sympathy with liberal doses of lip service. But soon enough, the campaign of anti-Semitism in the name of the globalized intifada will continue unabated at least until the next brief pause.