7 Prisoners

It's on Netflix.

If you're playing the home game, and you're paying attention, you know that today the Maggie Gyllenhaal film "The Lost Daughter" goes live on Netflix. A New Year's gift, it's a marketing mistake. In today's fast-flowing world you want the product available simultaneous with the hype. The "Lost Daughter" hype took place weeks ago, when the movie opened in theatres. Now, the stories in America are completely different. You shoot someone in the morning and it doesn't even make the nightly news, which no one watches anyway, how come movie marketers can't adjust?

Have you read any of the music Top Ten lists? THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT RECORDS! Used to be there was some consensus, now there's none. And I won't bother to debate what albums are good or bad, but I will tell you if you wanted to be informed, dive deep, discover new material, good luck. Check 'em out, there seems to be some consistency in listing Jazmine Sullivan, but other than that... And this isn't about the critics, who like to amplify their pet favorites, but the landscape. It's incomprehensible. If we can't even agree on a Top Ten, then what are the odds there really is a Top Ten? This is how scattered and abstruse the music world has become, and there's not a single purveyor who will mention it, for fear their project won't be featured. The "Billboard" Top Ten is manipulated, in media everywhere, not an accurate reflection of what is being played (Purchases? Do you know anybody who's bought an album recently? And don't talk to me about vinyl, it's a feel-good story, and creating analog records from digital sources makes no sense anyway.), and if you're looking for John Lennon's truth in music, good luck.

I found "7 Prisoners" via the "Washington Post," in an article entitled "The movies that wowed Post critics in 2021 - and where to watch them": https://wapo.st/3qEgTmf

Remember when everybody was freaking out twenty years ago that music and movies and news would be free online, that no one would pay anything for anything? Isn't that a laugh. More and more outlets are creeping behind a paywall. We live in a two-tiered society, those who know and those who don't. Furthermore, those who don't think they do. My recommendation is you at least sign up for Apple News+, at ten bucks a month. But after subscribing for a while, if you're a periodicals junkie, you'll realize how awful the writing is in most of these publications. Even worse are the clickbait headlines employed. But you've got to start somewhere, get on the information train or be left behind.

So "7 Prisoners"...

You don't know where it's going.

And it starts out slowly, and doesn't really speed up, but then, like the prisoners, you realize what is happening.

And then the story unfolds.

This is a Brazilian movie. That means subtitles. But the message is universal. Life is hard, people will take advantage of you and if you're not looking out for yourself, you're falling behind.

This always depresses me. In our educational system they teach you to obey, get in line, pay fealty to the teacher, all qualities that will leave you left behind in real life. Especially college. It's like an alternative universe. You get good grades...exactly why? Have you noticed that all the people who didn't fit in, who weren't the teacher's pet, are the ones who blew up the world and made beaucoup bucks? Turns out you win if you color outside the lines. If you behave you're a sucker. You're being taken advantage of right this very second, unaware of it. And to win you've got to bend the rules, employ obfuscation and abandon relationships and in many cases morality.

"7 Prisoners" is not a huge commitment, it's only 94 minutes long, but I highly recommend it. This is how the world works.

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Bonus Family Season 4

That was phenomenal. I've got tears in my eyes.

It's only about relationships. Only. We can't live alone, we can't function alone, and we never know what's going through anybody else's mind. How's that for life?

You grow up waiting to get out of school and then you do and no one cares about you, you're on your own. Then there's Martin, who dropped out and now his life is one of low-paying retail jobs. He's cute and fun but he's an overgrown mama's boy. He's hard to love. Some people are born to be abandoned.

Then there's Patrik, who works as a schoolteacher. You can't have that job anymore, because the kids are entitled and the parents are nuts. When I was growing up the worst thing that could happen was to have the school send a note home to your parents. Forget what the school might do to you, your parents would come down much harder than that. Not only would they yell, they'd hit you. Were all baby boomers hit? I think so. And then they'd remind you of your failure, your faux pas, constantly. Today if you screw up your parents say it's the school's fault, the teachers have to apologize. And I'm not saying that teachers can never be wrong, it's just that who would want to be a teacher? Kind of like politicians. I don't want anybody representing me who is so squeaky clean they've never tried marijuana, never questioned the existence of God, never gotten drunk and puked. Otherwise, how can they understand me, and how can I relate?

And Lisa builds up her design business to the point where she's so focused she's got no mental time for anybody else. She's driven because she's fulfilling her dream, and she's bringing home the bacon to boot.

And then there's Katja, Patrik's first wife. Cold and distant, she can't even be nice to her aged mother. She finally lets Henrik into her life. She's standoffish, entitled, and he's only nice and she keeps pushing him away and putting him down, calling him a wimp. But she ultimately pushes so hard that he reacts. I see this paradigm all the time and I don't understand it. A wily woman or man who can't seem to understand others' feelings, likes to control everything, and then a partner who appears to be a doormat. Most people have a type, even if it's not good for them, they repeat their behavior endlessly, marrying the same person with the same flaws and expecting a different result.

And can you be relaxed in a relationship or do you always have to be on guard? Because just when you relax, that's when things go south. And in relationships you never know when things will go south.

And you get older and you learn lessons you wish you knew earlier. Like if someone leaves someone for you, they'll probably leave you too. Commitment is the number one criterion of a great relationship, but that's what's lacking in today's society. Those who are committed succeed. Not blindly committed, but taking in data, making adjustments, keeping their eyes on the goal. Otherwise, you have to start all over.

And the pain...

The hurt, it lasts forever. The male shrink can't get over his wife's old boyfriend. Hates having to hear him on the radio. Touch the third rail at your peril. If you step out, if you cheat, no matter what your partner says, if they take you back they're always gun-shy, they always think you can do it again.

And your new infatuation...you really don't know much about them. If you have years invested in a relationship/marriage, don't pooh-pooh that, it's hard to stay together that long, a fling looks good, but will it last? Most times not.

So what we've got here is a Swedish series, about blended families. I found it in the comments section of a "New York Times" article about the best foreign TV. I'm always looking for something great, that titillates me, makes me want to watch it. Sure, some of the hyped shows can be great, but the truth is people are lazy, they won't do the research, they don't want to risk, never mind read subtitles, but it's those who plumb the edges who ultimately succeed, because the more worldly you are, the more you've seen and done, the more well-rounded you are, you've got perspective, and perspective is everything.

It comes down to problem-solving. Too many people are impulsive. Then again, there are those so busy trying to get it right that they don't act. I've worked on this problem with the OCD shrink. Better to make a decision, it's the only way forward. And the truth is you will make mistakes, you've just got to accept that. But if you do your research, take a bit of time, most times you'll make the right choice. And the truth is so many choices are irrelevant, just decide and move on.

But not in relationships. Not in permanent relationships. Ones that last years. Who you pick determines how your life works out. Martin is a screw-up. He can't dot an i or cross a t. Do you know what it's like being involved with someone like that? Unfortunately I do. You can blast them all you want, but it makes no difference, they're missing a chip, a point of education, that they can never get, most times they don't want to get it, and their self-hatred is worse than your criticism.

Wow. I wish this was an American show so we could talk about it. They used to make shows like this in the U.S., most notably Zwick and Herskovitz of "thirtysomething" fame. But despite the issues, there's no heaviness in "Bonus Family." These are just regular people, and it's not life or death, except when it is.

I'm telling you right now, your life won't turn out the way you planned it. I don't care what college you went to, what professional degree you've earned, how much money you've got. You could get sick and die. You could give it your all and fail. You could be dedicated but your partner might see it another way. It takes two to tango, but unlike Patrik and Lisa, most don't persevere, they don't want to go to couples therapy. Hell, in America men think they can work out their own problems, ain't that a joke. And most people don't want insight, they don't want to go kicking around in the dark and learn things. But even more think they're okay, nothing is wrong, but then bad things keep happening to them. Can they accept blame? Usually not.

I'll be honest, it took me a minute to get into the new "Bonus Family. Katja was played by a different actress, and it had been too long a time since the last season. But as the eight episodes wore on, I started to realize it was going to end and then what, I'd be left hanging.

But it was better than that. The obvious happened, but that was not the end like it would be in an American show. There was an aftermath, there's always an aftermath. It feels good to quit your job, but then what? Or break up with your significant other. And your friends give you bad advice, they tell you what you want to hear and...

This is one of the most honest and real shows I've seen on television. You couldn't make it as a movie, you couldn't squeeze it all in.

And in Sweden the health care is free and it snows and life is pretty advanced. But most Americans wouldn't know all that, because they've never been anywhere. Sweden is Scandinavian socialism, right? Well then how can Spotify come from Sweden? And Max Martin too, who is referenced in this show.

I'm caught off guard, it's going to be hard to watch anything else, just like it's hard to eat after a breakup, hard to go back to work, hard to function.

Watch all the superheroes you want. Live in the land of fantasy. It can be cool, but it's not real life. Most people can't handle real life, even though they're living it. You've got to keep your eyes wide open, you've got to learn, but most people don't want to.

And most people won't want to watch "Bonus Family."

But "Bonus Family" is real life, that's why it's so great.

A solid A.

https://www.netflix.com/title/80141270


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Everybody Is A Star

We're in the post-internet era,

What do I mean by that? The innovation, the bubble, is over. As for cryptocurrency, it took so long to mature that the governments are now involved, regulating or talking about doing that, whereas the goal of crypto was to obviate the need for banks and governments.

Let's see. You were on AOL. You got a high-speed connection. You got a smartphone. You're on social media. There was tumultuous change and now it's over, not that you'll hear this from Silicon Valley. Expect minor steps, not great leaps forward, techies were sideshows in the seventies and early eighties and they're going back to that role. I mean why should we be listening to Marc Andreessen, who told Zuckerberg to stand up to the criticism of Facebook. It's a family, it circles the wagons, and you're not a member. In other words, these tech billionaires are the enemy. And if Elon Musk doesn't stop acting like an evil buffoon, he's going to wreck Tesla. I mean who wants to be associated with a company run by a guy like that?

And then there's Belarus. Where the president installed his girlfriend in the government. Only reminded me of America, where Trump pardoned Steve Bannon and Roger Stone, it's gotten so bad we just shrug our shoulders. And we wonder how Germany got away with the Holocaust...it was in the news, but the average person just didn't care. As for governments...

The U.S. can't even manage Covid, what are the odds it's got a lock on anything else?

That's what Covid has taught us. If there's anybody home, they're not in control. Hell, the CDC shortens quarantine days because of pressure from business. And they ask doubters to respect the science?

Yes, no one is in control, no one has that much power, and those who had power and control in the past don't want to admit this, never mind see it publicized.

TikTok had more traffic than Google. Think about that, once upon a time Google was a panacea. Now no one goes beyond the first page of results. As for TikTok...you know it's time-stamped. Social networks are cool and then they're not, they're fads. When it's still new, when the buzz is still occurring, everybody wants to make videos for TikTok. But once they realize views are low, considering the amount of effort involved, they're gonna stop. Happens each and every time.

But my point is these people on TikTok are today's stars. Certainly not actors, who can no longer open a movie, and certainly not musicians.

The record industry. Quick, who runs the companies? And if you know that, and even insiders in the music industry don't, you can't name the VPs. Because they're irrelevant, they're worker bees, that paradigm of the all powerful record company, changing the culture, is kaput. All of its controlled tools faded away. First, record stores. Then TV. Then terrestrial radio.

Those were the good old days, the days of record stores, BECAUSE IT WAS A CONTROLLED UNIVERSE! Not only was distribution a huge hurdle, floorspace was limited, which meant most legacy acts were not stocked whatsoever, or had just a greatest hits package, today was unthinkable, when 66% of streams are catalog. I mean just try competing against Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. As for those inured to the 808... God, you're using a forty year old fake drum/clap sound and trying to pawn it as hip? Who do you expect to believe this?

And then you've got the oldsters, still fighting the old wars. Streaming, payments. These topics are already dead, and soon those bitching about them will be too. The classic rock acts can't get arrested with new material and SiriusXM bumped Sixties on 6 to channel 73. After all, if you remember the sixties exactly how old are you?

While we were focused on Trump, and then Covid, the whole world changed. It became further decentralized, and not only in politics. There is no such thing as universal reach anymore, every act/band is a cottage industry. You try to grow your audience...AND THAT'S IT!

There is nowhere to cross over to. Terrestrial radio is a backwater riddled with commercials that is only listened to by the aged and the cheap. These are people who don't even have a streaming music subscription. You should just forget them. They're not active consumers, and now it's all about the activity. They've got to listen, they've got to buy tickets and merch, otherwise the economics don't work.

As for TV... SNL and "CBS Sunday Morning" move the needle a little, but the rest of the late night programs are worthless for spreading music. Hell, look at the ratings, not only are there too many talk shows, there are too many shows period! And the thought of watching them in real time... If anything good happens, we'll hear about it the next day and watch it online. That's the game late night TV is playing. As for having your own TV show... Ratings are bad and so is the pay. All those old goals you were building towards...they've been lopped off, they mean almost nothing.

As for TikTok...it's about creativity, it's not static. Music can contain these elements, but it has not changed with the times. Recorded music is static. Want to satiate your fans? Constantly release alternative recordings/mixes/new tracks. Don't spend so much time getting it exactly right, the idea is paramount, as it always is in pop culture. Don't bother comping the vocals, no one cares.

So everybody on TikTok is a star. There are fewer barriers to entry than there are in traditional entertainment. You make it on your identity and charisma, the penumbra is irrelevant. That's how it is today, you're selling YOURSELF!

And everybody on TikTok thinks they're equal to the recording stars, the politicos, the so-called rich and famous. They know they've been excluded from that game, but without their purchasing power the old game doesn't exist, but they still get no respect.

So no matter who you are online, a saint, you're gonna have haters.

And then there are those gaming the system, trying to get ahead. Hell, they can't even eradicate spam, what are the odds they're gonna get rid of the scamsters? Your "bank" texted you for your password recently? As for less spam in your inbox, that's at the price of the good stuff being weeded out. You hear all this talk about the power of newsletters, but everybody with a newsletter knows it's almost impossible to reach the public. Gmail puts your missives in spam and...god forbid you use profanity, then you're toast, nothing will get through.

As for Substack... Ever check the numbers? They're anemic!

As for building an audience...that's the hardest part. A household name sports outlet went deep on podcasting, but they were lucky if the podcasts hit four digits. That's right...A THOUSAND LISTENERS!

As for the people you think are stars... You don't have to hear Billie Eilish if you don't want to, never mind Adele. You're not exposed the way you used to be, never mind AM radio in the sixties or MTV in the eighties. There is no center anymore!

That's what Covid has taught us. Today, the "New York Times" printed a chart showing that most Covid infections per capita are in red states, where vaccination rates are lower. It's not rocket science, but the truth can no longer compete with fiction. Then there's that woman who went to an antivax rally and boasted she had Covid and her husband was in the hospital for it, but it was harmless. You can't make this stuff up, or maybe this story was fake, despite the footage, how do you know? I mean those people with incredible editing skills on TikTok are CHILDREN!

And the biggest star to die is John Madden. Bigger than the passing of Harry Reid. And you know why...BECAUSE HE WAS HONEST! He didn't censor himself, he went deeper into the game, we crave authenticity and knowledge, but this is what the old media barons say we can't handle as they manipulate us. Duplicity is rampant in America.

So, despite being able to find likeminded people online, don't get the impression that your club is known outside its borders. Just because Phish sells out arenas, don't get the impression there are millions of diehard Phish fans, hell, there may only be 20,000, going to each and every gig! But at least Phish engenders this belief, most new acts do not, and then they wonder why they're not rich.

First and foremost, you can't get rich making music. Hell, it's hard to get rich at all. Used to be you could start at the bottom and then ring the bell at the top, now you're playing the lottery, there are too many barriers to upward mobility.

And it's only going to get murkier.

This is the new reality. An overload of input that no one can make sense of. We want order, which is why people vote for authoritarians, but the truth is there can't be, there's just too much stuff in the pipeline. You've got your life, your career, and that's it. There's almost no context. You're on your own. And you can feel as good about yourself being a star online as you can plying the boards as a traditional entertainer. Never forget, most musical stars make the music themselves and it's a hit online before the label signs them. The label is a MARKETING ENTERPRISE!

As for live... There's nobody everybody wants to see. Let's see, you go on a nationwide stadium tour. Fifty dates at 50,000, even though no one can do that. That means you played to 2,500,000 people, in a country of 340 million. Not too good. And Garth Brooks has proven this. To keep prices low he plays as many gigs as are needed to satiate demand. And then he has to move on, there's no one else left who wants to see him!

And Garth was built under the old model.

Today's stars are laughable compared to those of yore, flavors of the moment like Dua Lipa. Next year it will be someone else, but the point is you can't reach everybody if you're just selling entertainment, you've got to sell more, excellence and gravitas, and then you still can't reach everybody!

The Tower of Babel is here. Right now. It's arrived. There's plenty of money to be made serving a relatively small audience, but if you think you can reach everybody, you're out of touch and dreaming. And it's not going to get better, only worse. Hits are gonna shrink. Because everybody has their own taste and limited time. Choices are seemingly endless. And if it's not on demand, at a low price, it's a nonstarter.

But you won't hear this from the purveyors.

You won't even hear it from the government. Elected officials are afraid of offending...exactly who? No one really knows. Is this a center right or center left or progressive country? How big is the right? Polls are more inaccurate than ever before. Everybody's planning their actions on false data.

The past keeps sliding by. The year 2000 was TWO DECADES AGO! If you're in college today not only do you not remember 9/11, you don't remember the meltdown of 2008! Yes, everything changed while you weren't looking. And it's going to continue to change. Unless you live in China, where you can only play videogames for so long, they persecute religious minorities to extinction and they can build infrastructure in nearly a minute. It's the iron fist of Xi. Which many people want in America. They want someone to make sense out of the chaos. And when someone comes along and says they will, watch out. Because people are sick of the mealy-mouthed and always prone to the deceptions of snake oil salesman.

We are not going backward, this is where we are, forget the past, it's nearly irrelevant, everything's up for grabs in today's society, it's utter chaos, and unless you accept this you're doomed.


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Shooter Jennings-This Week's Podcast

Shooter Jennings is not only Jessi Colter and Waylon Jennings's son, he's an artist and producer in his own right. Along with Dave Cobb, Shooter produced the last two Brandi Carlile albums and has a magic touch, helping formulate the songs as well as the sound. A nice, voluble guy, you'll fall in love with Shooter and want him to produce your record!

https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-30806836/episode/shooter-jennings-91026989/

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/shooter-jennings/id1316200737?i=1000546494214

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0EjrLLbwj1EExBZ456zlDx?si=b3qPNkOQROW1IdFjQABvVw

https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/9ff4fb19-54d4-41ae-ae7a-8a6f8d3dafa8/episodes/e21991e7-7fe5-4e25-b0a3-346a9cca8cb3/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast-shooter-jennings

https://www.stitcher.com/show/the-bob-lefsetz-podcast

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More Don't Look Up

The point is, you've got to open on Netflix.

That's right, unless you've got a superhero movie, you want to be day and date on the flat screen. Hell, skip the theatres completely, even though the owners of these megalopolises will bitch, they're ancient, history, in the rearview mirror like record stores. And yes, there are record stores, selling vinyl, catering to the diehards, but the truth is the masses have moved on to streaming, on demand, and there are always Luddites and fetishists keeping the old game alive. Hell, people ride HORSES!

Money is secondary to being seen, heard, impact. Blowhards like Gene Simmons focus on money first, but despite being in the R&RHOF no one is going to remember KISS's tunes once this generation fades away. They're of the moment, fodder. And despite it all, the truth is that Gene is a fame-whore, otherwise why do that inane reality TV series, he'd make much more money doing a couple of gigs on the road. But no, he wants to be SEEN, he wants to be in the public eye!

That's the game and that's the hardest thing to do in today's culture...get notice, get traction, go viral, become a point of public discussion.

Don't expect the media to get the future, these are the same people who want to save NEWSPAPERS! The "Washington Post" commissioned a study, it said "only 14% of Washington Post subscribers are under 55, compared with 61% of the U.S. adult population": https://on.wsj.com/3exR1Ty This is like that old Sam Kinison routine about people starving in Africa, he said not to send them food, but SUITCASES! They've got to MOVE! We need local news, but the newspaper paradigm no longer fits with the desires of the public. Why is it boomers who were pushing the envelope in the sixties are all about preserving the past in the twenty first century, maybe the means of production need to be torn away from them, then again, the younger people are doing a good job of ignoring them anyway.

But the younger generation, the youngest generation, will go to a movie theatre, it's an event, outside supervision of their parents. And now movies are like the dead and gone circus, something for kids to look forward to that anybody over the age of twenty five winces at the thought of.

Entertainment has shifted to the flat screen. On demand. Which is one of the many reasons network has failed. And HBO too. Want to create buzz, put the whole show on at one time, let us see all of the vaunted "Station Eleven." Now, if you miss an episode or two, what do you do? GIVE UP, not catch up. You're behind the buzz. But if it's a land mine waiting to be discovered, whenever you find it it's new, kind of like a record album, which is why music has always lasted longer than movies, think about it.

As for "Ted Lasso"... Would it be as popular if it weren't on Apple? No. Apple is a religion. And even so, I haven't watched the second season, I can't watch week by week, it's too frustrating, I forget things, and now that it's over no one is talking about it so I'm not watching it, whereas if it had all dropped day and date...

What is it with Hollywood and the news that they can't see that Netflix won, why do they keep rejecting the streaming giant's paradigm instead of embracing it. You've got a DVD by mail company that switches its game, goes to on demand streaming, and dominates. Meanwhile, HBO Max and Disney+ have stalled. Well, they could have a plethora of product day and date but it looks like the wankers at those companies are so infatuated with themselves, think they're so smart, that they can't learn from the people who invented the paradigm and emerged victorious. You copy the winner, you jet into the future, try to get ahead of them as opposed to try and drag people back to the past.

So the cognoscenti said "Don't Look Up" was a loser. But it's the biggest winner of the holiday season, how did that happen?

Well, it turns out that critics are meaningless. And that those following the game on a micro level, so deep counting grains of sand, are clueless. It's quite simple, create a film that's more story than visual effects and it's perfect for the flat screen. And if it appeals to the public, it can go viral. Going viral at the theatre? Well, right now many people won't even go because of viral, i.e. the virus. But, to go viral outside the home you've got to get the message to people, they've got to want to go, they've got to find a theatre and a time that are convenient, they've got to actually get up and go and then they've got to pay for it. Meanwhile, EVERYBODY'S ALREADY PAYING FOR NETFLIX! If they hear about something they can immediately check it out. Kinda like Spotify. Oh, that's right, Spotify killed the music business. Just ask the major labels whose fortunes have turned around, just ask those with a billion streams making beaucoup bucks. And we do live in a winner take all world, why should it be any different in music? Why should we keep the marginal in music in business, it would be best if they GOT OUT! Furthermore, 66% of streaming is catalog. Just like people want to stream "Friends." You're competing against history, you've got to be just that good, being new is not good enough.

So, Netflix funds "Don't Look Up," it opens in theatres to satiate the brain dead film industry and reviews are bad and it tanks. Then it goes to the flat screen and it BLOWS UP! It's a mania. People are hearing about it from multiple sources, they've got to check it out for themselves, they've got to experience it, they want to be a member of the club, they want to give their opinion when everybody else does. This is what we're looking for in our lonely culture, a rallying point that makes us feel connected, one of the group, ALIVE!

And who cares if you have a negative opinion. Only in the twenty first century do we have groupthink, where everybody has to have the same take. The chiaroscuro of the past is what made American culture great, the various thoughts and opinions. We used to discuss art. Has anybody talked to you about a hit record recently? There's nothing to SAY! There are no breakthroughs, it's a backwater culture, a business, but "Get Back" hits the flat screen and for weeks people talk about the Beatles, they're still talking about the Beatles. The original "Let It Be" wasn't even ninety minutes, how long can you sit in a theatre, but "Get Back" was EIGHT HOURS! Turns out people love to go deep, if you make it convenient, if you can turn it off and on when it suits you, go to the bathroom, eat... Yes, "Get Back" couldn't exist in a pre-streaming world, the medium affected the product, which is why streaming series trump movies, people want to go deeper, they want to luxuriate in the experience.

But don't expect Hollywood to learn any lessons. Never forget, the moribund music business propped up retail, afraid of moving into the future and offending it. And then what did Best Buy do? RECLAIM THE FLOORSPACE! Yes, Best Buy didn't care about the record business, not at all. You prop up your past at your peril. If it weren't for Daniel Ek, the labels would have been sold off for scrap long ago. Forget Steve Jobs and Apple, selling files was a finger in the dike of file-trading. But it served the labels' agenda. Ownership. Come on, who wants to own anything in this world when you can rent the best and the brightest at your fingertips? And that's what streaming is, on demand rental based on a subscription model. We don't want to be pecked to death by ducks. Give it all to us for one low price. And we'll consume at will. So many subscribing are upside down, they forget to cancel, but they want that access, you never want to give up access, you never want to be disconnected, isn't that what the smartphone is all about? They ruin the theatre experience, because people can't get off them, but if you're watching and texting at home no one cares...better, see?!

Hollywood will hang on to the past until the very last minute. Yes, Spielberg needed "West Side Story" presented on the big screen. End result, NO ONE SAW IT! But if it's as good as the buzz, if it broke on Netflix it would have been a phenomenon. Meanwhile, when it finally hits the flat screen it will be old news. It might get some traction, but you want to strike, want easy availability, when the buzz hits. And the buzz can die in less than a day. This is why Hollywood hates Rotten Tomatoes. But the public is sick of being snookered, people don't want to waste their time, they won't settle for substandard entertainment, that's so last century.

So now you've got to watch "Don't Look Up." To be an American. You want to see what the brouhaha is all about, just like you watched "Squid Game." We hear all about the grosses of the new Spiderman, but it has just a fraction of the impact of "Squid Game." 007? Dead and gone. But if it had opened on Netflix... As for "West Side Story," believe me Spielberg isn't interested in the money, he's got more than enough, he wants people to see his work!

If you build it, that does not mean people will come. The Field of Dreams was last century, today kids don't even play baseball, it's a sport for oldsters to watch and follow. But somehow, in Hollywood, they're convinced the old rules still apply. They're the WSJ editorial writers, decrying electric cars while the world is going to plug-ins. Either you do that or the valuation of your company tanks. Once again, never bet against the future.

The aforementioned Steve Jobs was all about chopping off the past and jumping ahead, into the future, beyond what the public thought it wanted, He killed ports, he even killed Microsoft, yes, it's Apple that is the world's most valuable company, verging on three trillion, Then again, one person makes a difference, now Apple is about refinement, not innovation, and they don't know how to keep it simple. Jobs kept wanting a simple interface.

You know what sucks? The Amazon Prime interface. You know what is great? The Netflix interface. And Apple TV+ is slow and Hulu is confusing and... It's not brain surgery, it's just that no one is willing to take a risk.

Please do, we're looking for leaders, we're looking to glom on, we're looking to be a member of the group, keep those precepts in mind.

And if you want a water cooler moment, which is virtual now, since people don't even go to the office, drop it all at once and see if it catches fire. Hype no longer works, at best you can fan the flames and turn them into a conflagration. Hype didn't make "Squid Game" a hit, word of mouth did! Word of mouth is superior to advertising. And it spreads like wildfire. So you've got to be ready if there is ignition. Which is what is so great about digital, the ability to instantly unspool to everybody. Assuming everybody cares. Make it easy for them, will you? Put it on the flat screen first, then we'll decide. We always decide. But given access and timing we can all decide in a matter of days and then you've got a hit, and the truth is once you've got a hit you can write your own ticket in entertainment. You can negotiate better deals, renegotiate old deals, pick up on new opportunities. The future is bright, if you'd just take off your shades and stop living in darkness, get out of the Polo Lounge and get down with the people, the ultimate arbiter, to succeed today you've got to be involved, not at a distance. And one more thing, the public is smart, appealing to their intellect is a winning path, which is why HBO killed network television, and now Netflix is killing HBO.

JOIN THE WINNING TEAM!

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Re: Don't Look Up

I got a chance to see a screening pre-release. I fucking loved it. Told everyone I knew to make sure they don't miss it. Then I started to read the reviews and seriously questioned what movie it was they were talking about. Sometimes I just don't get it. Glad you did.

Ken Alterwitz

_______________________________________

Yes Yes. We watched it last night and today everyone is talking about it. Is it wrong to say this is as close to a perfect film as I've ever seen? No it's not wrong It's that good

Barry Schneier

_______________________________________

I'll ck it out. But the nincompoops are you and your wacko liberal morons who in a year have emboldened China, Russia and Iran, alienated and endangered Israel, destroyed the US economy, let the Southern border go to hell, injected racist mandates that disproportionately hurt minorities, and fueled the toxic wokeism tearing our country apart. God help us from the further damage y'all will wreak in the coming year.

John Hanley, Jr.

_______________________________________

Watched it last night. Was so glad. Laughed my ass off

Roots of Creation

_______________________________________

Agreed! Terrific movie!

Norman Prusslin

_______________________________________

Don't Look Up is definitely for thinking people.
Not for everyone.
But. I'm with you Bob. Watch it! It's great. And the ending? What a hoot! Just great.

Bobby Tarantino

_______________________________________

Agreed. Thanks for this, Bob. Except, republicans won't watch this. Trump supporters won't. Climate deniers wont either. We can't get it thru to them. They won't hear nor see the message until it's too late then they finally look up.

Like Trump now supports booster shot. Wtf too little too late.

Shirley Wu

_______________________________________

Truly an amazing film. I tend to be someone doesn't like political commentary as much, because we get SO MUCH of it and it's not often done well. But this was really amazing, especially given that we don't know where the story is going. The whole thing is hard to predict and keeps you guessing. I thought of it as a comment on Trump but my friend that I watched it with saw it thought it was a larger comment on human nature. The scene around the dining room table was truly amazing.

HappyRon Hill

_______________________________________

Just saw it - funny as hell but enough truth to make it sad at the same time. A very unexpected enjoyable watch, but felt a little mind fucked afterwards.

Clay DuBose

_______________________________________

I watched it yesterday and texted everyone I knew to watch. I agree 100%.

Happy holidays.

Linda

_______________________________________

"Best Picture Of The Year"........Best Social Commentary...Best Look In The Mirror !!

Great review Bob

Mark Carter

_______________________________________

I LOVED it - and because of the crazy cast and that there's been so little buzz I assumed it was mediocre or bad. I LOVED IT. Wish everyone would see it. Cause there's a BIG ASS COMET HEADING OUR WAY - and we need that kind of panic and intensity and global unifying and ACTION. And yet depressingly and scarily we live in the world of "fake news" - but so not the time for that crap. Trump (and/or his ilk) has a history of bringing down every company and person and now country he has touched. Hoping that doesn't apply to the frickin PLANET. Up to us all to counter all this and fight back LOUDLY (thus the capitalizations). Honestly not sure how we get there. Brave new world of living in our own silo'd news sources - not sure how we get back….

Maybe Fox News somehow gets taken down? Would sure help.

Thx Bob - Happy Merry

Peter van Roden

_______________________________________

This movie left me with the feeling that we've had a good run, we had the chance to NOT fuck it up, instead we made the same narcissistic choices until the very end. We got what we deserved and then visited it upon the rest of humanity, due to our insatiable need for control and the pursuit of more.

Funkright

_______________________________________

Yeah watched it Friday thought it was great

I particularly liked that they held up the bullshit and pure danger that is the Mark Rylance character

They're the ones who've got us into this shit and need the finger pointed relentlessly at them.
NICK HANSON

_______________________________________

Bob I loved the movie. IT is the perfect metaphor for the pandemic. Half the country won't look at the science. They won't even look up and the truth is right their in the sky. I do have a question for you. I am sitting here with a friend and we are wondering when this happened to our country. When did the truth become non believable. My best guess is it eroded away over time. Ever since they shot Kennedy and we never found out the truth. Or maybe when Bush and Chenny lied about weapons of Mass destruction. Can you pin point a moment when the shift occurred. Or was it like this for decades and Trump just brought it to the surface?

Andrew Kastner

_______________________________________

I agree about Don't Look Up. What were the reviewers watching? Most said it was a depressing eco film. What!?? Great Satire, has to be watched closley or you will miss all the funny bits

Rick Klufas

_______________________________________

Is there anything other than a worst case scenario for humanity? If half (or more) of us are just acting on emotional impulse, stuck in a Pavlovian cycle that's exploited by big-tech sociopaths, how is there any hope? I really want to read something other than a doomsday perspective, but it seems pretty hard to find.. I'm constantly haunted by the Fermi paradox.

The rain in LA was a nice moment of Zen for us after hearing Leo's final lines. Shit man.

Julian Hoffman Beech

_______________________________________

Amen Bob. It was almost depressing how accurately the film depicts how our society today would react if an extinction level comet was actually hurtling toward Earth. If Idiocracy was a prescient look into what was to come, Don't Look Up is the look into what now is.

Zach Ziskin

_______________________________________

Just watched it. Loved it. Sadly, feels like that could happen!

Richard Stumpf

_______________________________________

I loved it for all the reasons you cite, but I'll give it 2nd best picture of the year, right behind "Belfast".

Tonehenge

_______________________________________

Have you lost your mind? I was looking forward to "Don't Look Up", but it was awful. Awful. I felt embarrassed for the star-studded cast.

The only reason I finished watching the film was to see all those obnoxious people get destroyed. (I'm a lifelong democrat, by the way, in case you're thinking I'm on the "wrong" side of the political spectrum.)

Amanda Gerrish

_______________________________________

I am a moderate Republican, I saw the film as you say an equal opportunity offender. While it does have its blatant attacks on the Republican structure it also attacks, Steve Jobs/Elon Musk/Zuckerberg/Jeff Bezos morphed type of character who ultimately leads to the end of the world. While Meryl Streep is clearly meant to poke fun at Trump, and her son Jonah Hill, "Trumps kid" being chief of staff. Peter Bishwell, Bash owner clearly is poking fun at the billionaire democrat tech Constituents impact on politics. That character in real world is clearly more the democratic limousine/jet liberal, Silicon Valley elitist. Even though in this film he is portrayed as a supporter of the pseudo Republican President. That isn't really where those characters in real life align with politically. I thought it was a brilliant movie, a sad, witty and extreme satire on todays world. I would agree with most of what you said, other than as I pointed out the confusion between Silicon Valley elitist aligned with a Trump character type president. That was a bit of a miss, propaganda, but I understand how and why it was used incorrectly to tell the witty story. The film couldn't attack Trumpers and tie in Silicon Valley elitist at the same time accurately, even though the film does.

John Loos III

_______________________________________

Of COURSE, half of the country ( the DON'T-look-uppers) panned it..But us JUST-look-uppers will rave about it for years..
I went back and read McKay's interview in "The Atlantic"..Elucidating read..Makes me really miss the DVD extras' "Making Of" option.
I was SHOCKED to discover McKay brought those horrible Will Ferrel movies to fruition.What an evolution..

James Spencer

_______________________________________

Saw it today and couldn't agree more. This is a fantastic satire that hits all the right marks and perfectly balances the absurd with the searing truth of what it's like to interact with the world today. I loved it. There are so many angles here, they are almost too numerous to mention. The sad truth is, I can see this happening. Covid or comet - we're screwed.

Exactly - ignore the reviews. This is top tier satire. Laugh while you squirm.

Merry Christmas to you and happy New Year.

Marc McDonald

_______________________________________

Two thumbs up!

Keenan Moran

_______________________________________

"Don't look up" infected and spoiled my Christmas Day.
It is easily the the most unabashed cash grab I've seen in a long time. It makes the Marvel re-purposing juggernaut look like a conscientious health documentary.
Yes, it is a mirror on current USA insanity, but is executed in a way that simply condones and clears ground for more of the same.
DiCaprio's willingness to embrace "fame" and Streep's Cruella-like presidency depiction, do nothing other than make those who've already bought in to the truthless madness, feel vindicated and comfortable reaching to tweet into the void.

And this from someone who lists The Big Short in my Top 5 of all time.

I'm amazed you like this Christmas release. And disappointed.

Short the USA. It's so over.

Many thanks
Trevor Gilchrist

_______________________________________

Watched if last night. Had heard nothing about it before. The whole family enjoyed it from start to finish. Would have been easy for it to be crap but it wasn't.
As you say, perfectly captures the zeitgeist.

Geoff Ellis

_______________________________________

Agree, great movie, and so surprising that the world does get destroyed.... And Mark Rylance, my favorite actor, in such a perfect role!

Schuyler Bishop

_______________________________________

It's fucking great. Network meets Dr. Strangelove (maybe not as great as either of those films, but pretty great nonetheless).

John Henry Jones

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So it seems we had the same viewing schedule this weekend.

So here is the fun fact: to me (European Republican) this was all about corporate and politics in general I wouldn't label it but if anything I've detected strong LGB tones, some anti-Fauci satire (I'm the science) and Bill Gates / Elon Musk reminiscences.

Sure, Trump is part of this landscape I don't disagree but we're looking at a much more vile global concept today which McKay captured but will the people be able read between the lines I doubt it.

J Semrau

_______________________________________

It's interesting that you see it as almost an anti trump movie. I think it works just as well as an anti Biden movie depending on your individual political bias. Either way it a FU to the way the politics has worked since the 80's.

Thank you,
Brook Chivell

_______________________________________

We saw "Don't Look Up" last night, loved it, will watch it again. The reviews that I saw were critical, maybe they didn't like the way the media was portrayed, poor things. I think Trump supporters will do fine with the movie, there's plenty of shots taken at all *sides* of America's divisions. Streep's character was an amalgam of all that is wrong with politics, almost like a grafted Trump/Hilary. They could have named her Hilary Trump without changing her character.

Hank Linderman

_______________________________________

I gave it a D-.
Terrible movie.

Dave Barnes

_______________________________________

I agree. I saw it on Netflix at home. Just about the only thing that actually goes to the heart of the ignorance and division in the US today.

David Pearl
nyc

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Watched it last night. It's a modern day Dr. Strangelove.

Steve Waxman

_______________________________________

Adam McKay, WOW! I laughed and cried, it shook me to my core. Glad you're talking about it. It's brilliant filmmaking and important.

Jack Ross

_______________________________________

Once again in total agreement and one of my first responses was the scene where DiCaprio loses his shit reminded me of Network.
Peter Roaman

_______________________________________

I was praying you would see this and then report back. I blasted a big group of friends with a must stop everything and see It as I felt exactly as you did. Then for some reason I checked to see what rotten tomatoes gave It. A blogger I read says that's the authority. They gave It a 50. 50?! Did I miss something? I gingerly walked back a bit of my best movie ever recco but then stopped. Screw It I said. I love It and although I feel so disconnected to our world these days, I knew I wouldn't be alone on this and be damned to those who don't feel what I did. The movie is glorious and as sad as It is on so many levels, I needed this more than any other movie of the year. The Power of The Dog a close second.

Thank you Bob. Your writings are so important to me and todays column made me feel like a million bucks.

2 quick side notes…..

Leo is as legit as they get. I was a little curious about his age as well so I went IMDB. His list of movies is scary. You're hard pressed to find a bad one. He delivers and crushed It in Don't Look Up.

Lastly, Dylan at Budakan has my favorite version of Its All Right Ma. When he sings that line the crowd knows It and loves It. That song should've been in this movie. Harsh to say but if any of your readers didn't know that was his lyrics, then I feel for them.

Happy new year Bob.

Lee Posner

_______________________________________

Agreed on the Oscar. A good back to back watch is Matrix to remind you and your tribe along with Streep's character that the Blue Pill you're addicted to is destroying the world. Y'all called back the missle envoy that might have destroyed the Asteroid … to feather your personal agendas nest and line your pockets . If your tribe ever wakes up and looks past the ratings and likes and polling .. here's the reality of the tribes greed, bias and terrible judgement … " US Navy Warship Pauses Deployment After COVID-19 Outbreak Among '100 Percent Immunized' Crew." Comforting that BASH and NIH are running our National defense after decimating our Healthcare system. Have another Blue Pill, pick a scapegoat and don't look up.

jb

(Note: a Trumper)

_______________________________________

Jennifer Lawrence held the movie together. Especially her obsession over the General charging her for free snacks.

Matt .mac

_______________________________________

Hi Bob yes and no? For me satire that's so obvious doesn't work so well. I'm surprised you liked it so much. The real 4 years of Trump and the shit he is still getting away with is tragedy not satire!

Alan Segal

_______________________________________

Word! From Norway.
David Gjester

_______________________________________

100%love this movie Bob

Lauren Edwards

_______________________________________

Wow...you know how to insult people.

Michael K. Clifford
VentureCatalyst

(Note: a Trumper)

_______________________________________

Nailed it once again… Incredible…. You are a rock star Bob Lefsetz.. Sharon

Sharon

_______________________________________

Barely got through the 1st 30 mins and I don't think i'll be making a 2nd attempt

Chris Xynos

_______________________________________

Agreed 100%. This is nail on head stuff.

You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows, this film will more than suffice.

Thanks for the tip!

Dave Duggan

_______________________________________

Hi Bob - Totally agree. Just finished watching it with my daughter and Belgian boyfriend. Didn't know whether to laugh or cry. And both of them got the sendups and "role models" for the characters. Very well executed film.

Boyd Allen

_______________________________________

Hi Bob,
I respectfully disagree with your review of Don't Look Up.
I found it a sub par black comedy. Much like the film adaptation of Catch -22 it suffers from a lack of nuance and imagination - but then again maybe that's the point.
Regrettably, I didn't laugh once but I'm glad you did.
Maybe I'll wait for a bit and try it again.
Thanks for the suggestion. Keep'em coming.
Cheers,
Jay Aymar

_______________________________________

Bravo Bob. I had sent u same recommendation as your friend
But you Left out very important factoid.

The WALL STREET JOURNAL review. The review should be the epilogue of the film.
All fatuous intellectualized pretentious criticism that is EXACTLY what the film decries! Refusal to look at the imminent destruction of the planet vis climate change. Talks "art talk"
Republican and Manchine talking about MONEY
Can you breathe that? Can you drink that? I'd like to serve them up A nice bowl of gold.
King Midas. Where r u?

Keep those columns coming
Joan Levine PhD

_______________________________________

You nailed it! This is NETWORK of the new era. I watched this on December 24th, it's release date, for the same reason you did. Adam McKay.

It's not great, but the social and political satire in this film resonate with though of us who feel like people are becoming more and more stupid as we try and live our day to day lives.

Without giving away the movie in case other people see this, it was interesting how the roles of the President and Chief of Staff were done for this film.

Hope all except the pro-Trumpers get to see this.

Thanks as always for your take.

Randy Schaaf

_______________________________________

Thanks, Bob, for the heads up, but I was going to watch it regardless of the reviews, for all the reasons you listed. Wikipedia, though, includes a quote from the LA Times' Justin Chang, which I believe sees the big picture:

"Nothing about the foolishness and outrageousness of what the movie shows us—no matter how virtuosically sliced and diced by McKay's characteristically jittery editor, Hank Corwin—can really compete with the horrors of our real-world American idiocracy."

Larry Butler

_______________________________________

I don't look up – you risk getting bird crap in your eye.

Now I understand why you embrace the uninformed Covid positions that you do – you waste your time watching crappy movies on Netflix and listening to your pipsqueak demigod media whore Fauci, instead of reading factual information that would better educate you about Covid.

JW

_______________________________________

In a Twitter thread praising "Don't Look Up," someone replied that they turned it off halfway and that Jonah Hill's character was "unlikable." Someone replied back saying that the whole point was that Hill's character is unlikable. That exchange encapsulates our country's current situation.

Gordon Chaffin

_______________________________________

I watched it. Sadly, I feel I need to start by saying I am not a Trump supporter. I'm a fan of DiCaprio and Adam McKay. I've watched The Big Short multiple times. This didn't work. It tried too hard. It tried to do too much. If you want to make a satire, go all the way. You're right that there are some really funny moments, but it's too long, too pretentious, and too preachy. If you're looking for satire that captures the inanity of American life, just watch The Simpsons.

Jason Ward

_______________________________________

Watched it last night. Pretty average. Didn't know what it wanted to be. At least we have yet more proof that Di Caprio shouldn't be allowed anywhere near comedy. The jury's still out on Lawrence.

Pete Smith

_______________________________________

The times I have hit pause because I was laughing so hard. Jonah Hill's lines are glorious as they seem like throw aways at the end of scenes. Saw Cate Blanchett in opening credits and was certain she's cast as the President, had watched the trailer, then Meryl Streep's name comes up and it was an "Oh Damn" moment. It's fun and I still have 57 min left. Fully entertained in a way which has been lacking. Stir in some IRL social commentary and it's brilliant.

-Paula Barron

_______________________________________

Just brilliant. Could be best pic. Thanks for alerting me.

Kenneth Freundlich

_______________________________________

You are spot on with this movie.

Nick Sproviero

_______________________________________

Don't Look Up is an excellent film...I laughed and cringed as I also was reminded of our politicians most likely response. After living through the politicalization of a health pandemic it is an easy transition to consider how they would respond to a planet extinction event.

Can't imagine a greater departure from "following the science". Unbelievable to see how easily we quickly put innocent children in harm's way, freely using them as a shield to protect the very sick and elderly all for a virus with a 99.84% survivability rate and most harmful for those with an average age of 80 and multiple comorbidities. What were we thinking? A shameful embarrassment of epic proportions that I believe will be a stain on this nation's memory longer than our experience in Vietnam. I guess leaving these important decisions to highly conflicted politicians/bureaucrats/Corporate Interests with an average age over 70 was an obvious mistake.

Stay safe,

Ed Kelly

_______________________________________

Just watched this with my daughter who's a sophomore in college. You were absolutely right with your synopsis of this movie. It was fantastic! We recently watched Network as well. I just hope my daughter's generation is smarter than ours and can find a way. The similarities are unnerving!

Theherlihyfamily

_______________________________________

Not that great

Chris Lynch
Keller Williams, Agent
Shamrock Holdings, LLC

_______________________________________

Thank you for wasting a couple hours of my time watching this poor excuse of a movie. The first few minutes of the film caught my attention, as a friend discovered a new comet a few years ago, which is now named after her.

After that, I found it hard to stay awake with the less than engaging plot. DiCaprio and Lawrence did a good job with their roles, as pros should, but the film had the feel of a movie that they needed to do to fulfill a contract commitment. I could see no connection with reality in this thing.

As to comedy, event the worst skits on the current iteration of SNL have more humor than this extremely predictable film.

Best picture of the year? No way in hell! Were you paid to promote this piece of crap?

Terry Watson

(Note: a Trumper)

_______________________________________

Thanks, Bob. I just saw it 2 days ago.

"I mean I wonder what they'll say when they watch this." My first thought when it finished. Pondering the answer is really part of experiencing the film. I'm afraid we can guess what it is.

Robert Bond

_______________________________________

Loved this so much Bob.

Leo & Jennifer can do no wrong & it's so great to finally see Leonardo on Netflix.

Writing was spot on and the cast were a 10/10.

Spot on

Regan Lethbridge

_______________________________________

Saw it last night Bob. It's simply an incredible film poignant and at times very funny and very current in our climate and timbre. And I would say Leo and Jennifer are quite good to understate my thoughts.

Chris Apostle

_______________________________________

Didactic overload...
Suffers some from wanting to teach and tackle too much.


Marty Bender

_______________________________________

Couldn't agree more. I think along with "Idiocracy", these are the most perfect portraits of the modern society.

Peace,
Flavio Marchesin

_______________________________________

The comparison to Network seems spot on. I say seems because I was too young at the time to see it or understand it. But I do remember seeing it for the first time and understanding that it captured something real and visceral. Time has also shown its urgency to be correct. It's wild that I can't name another movie that has come close to that since Network. I'm not sure why that is. Maybe the temperature in the country has to reach a fever before art starts to even attempt to reflect it. Like, you just can't deny anymore what it is happening.
Thank god the comic relief, but watching it was like watching a documentary about Covid, the MAGA era and climate change in real time. I loved the performances and the writing. And it looked great. But it's hard to watch it and not bemoan the state of our country.
So thanks for the review that pushed me over the line to watch it. Well worth everyone's time. But probably it will preach to the choir.
Cheers Bob!
Christian Lane

_______________________________________

watched on on saturday, on a whim, totally unknowing, hearing or paying any attention to anything about it. it was a goodie! nothing what i imagined it to be nor having a thought provoking ending.

Wayne Forte

_______________________________________

I can never get over the dichotomy between how smart some of your takes are and how bad your taste is.

Morgan Wallen being the worst one. This movie is awful, to compare it to network is shameful.

BTW I'm 27 and a liberal so your standard baby boomer or crazy republican defense wouldn't work.

Two Feet

_______________________________________

Yes, it's excellent. Many things I've found weird about the US, especially since moving back last year, are articulated in this movie. Hopefully it will click where it needs to.

Jennifer O'Sullivan

_______________________________________

It's brilliant. I'm telling friends it's Dr. Strangelove meets Idiocracy to get them to watch it.

Hope you stayed through the credits for the TWO easter egg codas. That was the funniest part.

Zachary Goode

_______________________________________

Thanks for the heads up, Bob. I always appreciate your recommendations on what to watch. I got your email yesterday and watched Don't Look Up last night. It was terrific! My take was a mash-up of Dr. Strangelove and Idiocracy with a sprinkle of Wag The Dog. I enjoyed every minute. And today I'm seeing this film recommended left and right by friends on Facebook. The buzz has begun.

Doyle Davis

_______________________________________

Initially this struck me as a swing and a miss, but your point: "Don't judge the movie as a movie. Judge it as a cultural exposé" is what turned me around at least a little. "Wag The Dog" and "Idiocracy" are both reference points ...even "Dr. Strangelove," with Ron Perlman's one man mission aboard the missile echoing Slim Pickens' famous bomb rodeo ride. These are movies that serve as time capsules of a sort. They say to future generations (assuming they exist), "some of us knew what was happening!" Whether this movie can move the idiot needle even a little remains to be seen. I assume any MAGA types will recognize simply that they are being mocked and their defensive reactions will bury any chance of self-examination. As broad as the strokes are in the movie, they still may prove too subtle for Trumpers. The most intelligent among them will likely argue it's an invalid or exaggerated metaphor. And as a movie, it wouldn't have had to go full "Airplane" or "Brooklyn 99" but it still could have been much funnier with better writing. Some of the dialogue is just superfluous and the fraternity humor in places is pointless.

Jim Neill

_______________________________________

Yes, yes, yes - spot on. A great film, and you're *so right* about the parallels with the Big Short. Take away the comet bit, and we're living out the same two storylines in a single, conflated tale. People should be prepared for what's ahead of us - a real-life mashup of Big Short and Don't Look Up playing out around the world in 2022. Most people won't know it's happening until it's happening... and we will be fed minimal (and often patently false) information in an attempt to preserve our socio-political and economic structures, however broken they may be.

Thinking about this tweet from Caitlin Johnstone (@caitoz):

A lucid and well-informed examination of the world's problems will keep bringing you back to this one fundamental issue: that Earth's inhabitants are being psychologically manipulated at mass scale into organizing themselves in ways that serve the powerful instead of the people.

We're about to hit the reset button.

Food for thought.

Happy new year,
josh nelson
he / him / his

_______________________________________

Bob: you were right about Don't Look Up. We loved it. Netflix needed that. I was beginning to question their quality control.

Patrick Reilly

_______________________________________

Saw it and loved it. Thanks, bob!

emiltonmyers

_______________________________________

You and I don't always agree. I am on the left side of things but distrust them too these days, do we're pretty much good on that.

I differ w a fair amount of your "Rock is dead" talk, but i digress…

You're a great interviewer ( LOVE YOUR PODCAST)

And this movie?????

Spot on. A snap shot of Amerka today. LOVED IT!!!

Sincerely,
Robert Garcia

_______________________________________

Agreed just watched it last night! Me and the Mrs. loved it. It is a sad commentary on our current ridiculous circumstances. I loved how they pointed out the absurdity of some of the lefts virtue signaling and un-affective sloganeering and awareness events. The Republican bullshit was easy and on full display but they did not ignore the left.

Mazi Ray

_______________________________________

More like a tragedy than a comedy.
I'd had enough by 90 minutes.

Mike Worsfold

(Note: a Trumper)

_______________________________________

?It's a good film, Bob, but best picture of the year will be The Power of the Dog.

ELF

_______________________________________

Thank you for your recommendation of the Netflix movie, "Don't Look Up".

John Lennon and Jim Morrison have both been quoted as saying that they won't describe what their lyrics mean because that is the job of the listener.

That's what makes art so spiritual.

I'm sure the movie will be interpreted in different ways depending on the agenda and the personal political leanings of each particular audience member.

Is the comet analogous to a deadly virus or a long-term lethal vaccine which destroys our immune systems? Are Leo and Jennifer Dr. Fauci or Alex Jones? Is the rich nerd a globalist Bill Gates or a greedy Republican capitalist? Which audience is Meryl Streep urging to not look up, the Left or the Right?

Thought provoking is a good thing, because it invites us to look outside of whatever fixed ideas we're stuck in and negotiating our life around.

And that movie sure is thought provoking.

Thanks again,
Rich Nisbet

_______________________________________

I love your commentary and think you are so incisive. I'm also anti-Trump and can't stand him and his ilk.

But for you to call "Don't Look Up" the best film of the year is an atrocity.

It's lazy, indulgent, tedious, and ham-fisted. Every gotcha is telegraphed a mile away. It is yet another one of those sub-genres where they stuff the movie full of famous actors and put all of their faces on the posters, like "The Cannonball Run."

Sure, there are deserved targets, and boy does the film tell you what the targets are, as the actors portraying them dance and mug and jig on the stage.

But to each his own.

My bigger problem is this is further proof Netflix is destroying cinema. In past years, movie-goers would have ignored it and it would have been designated a bomb. But now, with inscrutable metrics, a flat monthly fee, and a business model relying on puffery and press releases, no one is held to account. All we get reflected back at us is praise and participation medals, while the actors get in on the action and collect big paychecks without accountability. And to watch a movie about the end of the world, when its true result depicts end of Hollywood is so heart-breaking. What is the wreckage that Jonah Hill climbs out of at the end? Mann's Chinese Theatre? The escaping space ship is what Don't Look Up is for its actors. If only the broncosaurs could start eating them in real life (or at least scare them a bit into becoming real artists again).

You've said as much on other topics. That's why I'm stunned you loved this movie.

Anyway, no worries / who cares, keep up the great work, love your writing.

Tim Doyle

_______________________________________

This is a head scratcher of a recommendation. Movie is terrible. Don't mind the premise but too many modern cliches wrapped into one movie…and I only made it a little over an hour.

Steve Barth

_______________________________________

Just watched last night and waited to read what you wrote. Sunday morning my sister texted me about it. Then I saw 3 friends post about it on Facebook and then Jeff told me to watch it when I called him Sunday afternoon. It will be interesting to see the traction it got when it moved to streaming. I've never had that many recommendations for one movie or book in the same day. My sister never recommends anything like that. Does hit home.

Amy Madnick

_______________________________________

It sure would be refreshing to read at least ONE review from you without comparing it to ANYTHING political.

Ron Jones

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Beginnings/Starting Over-This Week On SiriusXM

Tune in today, December 28th, to Volume 106, 7 PM East, 4 PM West.

Phone #: 844-6-VOLUME, 844-686-5863 

Twitter: @lefsetz or @siriusxmvolume/#lefsetzlive

Hear the episode live on SiriusXM VOLUME: siriusxm.us/HearLefsetzLive  

If you miss the episode, you can hear it on demand on the SiriusXM app: siriusxm.us/LefsetzLive 


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Don't Look Up

You've got to see it.

Ignore the reviews. Ignore the fact that it stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence. Forget that it opened in theatres. Ignore its budget. There's almost no buzz. But this movie is FANTASTIC!

Then again, if you're a Trump supporter...

We haven't had a movie that's captured the zeitgeist like this since "Network." And that may be a better movie, but it's not as good of a snapshot of life in these United States and the media business.

Do you feel alone? Is life confusing? Does it make no sense? Do you not even recognize our country? Then "Don't Look Up" is for you. The truth is we're shown the fiction every damn day that the center is holding. The media business functions like it's still the twentieth century while it might as well be the twenty-third. The internet came along and blew the old world apart. It democratized the country. I'm not talking about DEMOCRACY, but democratization. Now everybody has a voice, like the feed of comments scrolling down the images in this picture. Everybody's got a hater, EVERYBODY! Hell, they want to take Abraham Lincoln's name off of schools. We've become unmoored and the distance has become too far for the rope to be thrown to reconnect us.

Trump. He was a symptom. He captured the feelings of the ignorant and the left behind, whereas the know-it-all Democrats, the educated elite, had no idea that half the country was being left in the distance on their run to riches. And now instead of having compassion for the losers, they have contempt, then again how can you support these anti-fact, anti-science, nincompoops.

It's all about money, and that means it's all about ratings. In other words, if it doesn't go viral, if it doesn't get likes, we're not interested. The tail is wagging the dog, and speaking of that movie, i.e. "Wag the Dog," it's not in the LEAGUE of "Don't Look Up."

Don't judge the movie as a movie. Judge it as a cultural exposé. It's hard to do comedy, comedy is inherently uneven, but the wanker critics use the same template for every flick, and that's just plain wrong. That's like scoring Formula 1 on style instead of time, the metrics are different in every category and you must adjust. And we've got people who do, and then there are those who refuse to. Don't tell me you don't have a smartphone, don't tell me you don't subscribe to Netflix, the joke is on YOU! You've snuffed out your life. All that anti-tech b.s...we're never going backward, we're always going to be connected, get with the PROGRAM!

So, you've got Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence waving the truth...and they seem to be the only ones who care. As for DiCaprio, I had to ask Alexa how old he was. 47! If Leonardo DiCaprio is 47, that must mean I'm just about DEAD!

And Jennifer Lawrence plays an intelligent nerd. Enough with the glamour girls, the ones with looks but no brains, never mind no education. You can't teach a rock to do science, never mind math or astronomy.

And DiCaprio is understated and Lawrence at times out of control...they're perfect for the roles, and to tell you the truth, when I hear DiCaprio is in a flick I shy away. Thank god I didn't this time.

So why did I watch? Because Jake texted me about "Don't Look Up" and I did the research, and I saw it was an Adam McKay picture, who did "The Big Short," which was different from the book, and just as good. McKay employs cinematic effects that bring you into the picture, he almost breaks the fourth wall, he almost laughs at what is on screen, and I remembered the review I had read which said he didn't succeed here, but I'd much rather see an honest attempt than a dishonest financial success.

And if "Don't Look Up" had succeeded at the box office... That used to be a thing, but it's long gone. You know, the grosses. It was a breakthrough when they were published in the newspaper. They affected ticket sales, never mind delivering naches for the winning studios. Now they're irrelevant. People only want to see superhero movies in the theatre, everything else plays on the flat screen, where the public truly lives, where even a day and date disaster like "Red Notice" is seen by many more people than the vaunted pictures that debut in the theatre.

And that's where "Don't Look Up" started. Yes, Netflix has caved to the ancient Academy. It has placated the wankers in the film industry, but the truth is there is an advantage to being day and date on the flat screen, because you have one starting point for the buzz. Once again, we no longer live in the twentieth century, with its windows. You get one chance to make a good impression, that's it, after that the public is on to something new, there are no second chances, just an endless onslaught of product, a tsunami that buries the consumer, who is so overwhelmed that he or she or they is lucky if they can focus on and watch one damn thing.

Which is all to say that "Don't Look Up" is on Netflix. To paraphrase the Stones, it's just a click away. It's Sunday, forget sports, with its substitute players, struggling to play on, ignoring Covid like the brain dead Aaron Rodgers. Like Howard Stern said, the next time he's injured on the field I hope he calls in Joe Rogan, not an M.D. You've got to watch "Don't Look Up."

You won't know what is going on at first, you won't even know it's a comedy. It's not until they make it to...

I'm not gonna tell you a damn thing. That's one of the great things about a movie, a book, the freshness, the twists and turns, if you know what is going to happen it ruins it.

I'll just say that "Don't Look Up" is for thinking people, ones flummoxed by the life we lead. It skewers all those who need the puncture. Like the divas, like the musical stars. It's an equal opportunity offender, but that does not mean everybody deserves the same amount, the same depth of attack. No, it's quite clear that those on the right, the Republicans, have lost their minds, assuming they've got minds. I mean I wonder what they'll say when they watch this. I mean you really can't make up your own science, you really can't deny facts. You can go unvaxxed, you can say whatever you want, but that does not mean death's honesty won't fall upon you naturally, even the President of the United States sometimes must have to stand naked.

That's Bob Dylan for the uninformed. That latter line got cheers when Dylan went back on the road with the Band during the Watergate crisis, when Richard Nixon was on his way to being held to account.

Now nobody is held to account. Well, if you're poor and unconnected, good luck. But Trump even pardoned Bannon and Stone. We live in a country akin to a banana republic, and the rest of the world KNOWS IT!

And so does "Don't Look Up." It speaks truth in a world where that's anathema. You can only tell truth in cartoons, comedies, that's why "The Simpsons" has lasted so long, it doesn't pull punches.

And neither does "Don't Look Up."

Watch it. It's not hah-hah funny at first. And then there are moments when you split a side, when you laugh hysterically, at the inanity of modern life.

Best picture of the year, hands down.


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tick, tick...BOOM!

Trailer: https://bit.ly/3z0MvXa

What does it take to give up?

I don't remember a Christmas when I wasn't skiing.

Well, that's not true, there was last year, and that year I got cancer, and all those years in between the seventies and 2005 when I was stuck in L.A., wondering what to do with myself when the world stopped and I didn't want it to.

You grow up in a family. Well, maybe you don't. Maybe you're the child of a single parent. Or sans parents. I'm not familiar with your experience, but the suburbs? I know those by heart.

And in the pre-internet era, if you lived in the suburbs you were disconnected, all you could do was dream. You had to go to the city, New York or L.A., to take your chance on the spinning wheel of entertainment, even more. But the truth is most people don't have the chutzpah, they're just too scared to leave their comfort zone, or maybe they've got no direction except home. Why do people not dream? Maybe it's society, it does its best to squeeze the creativity out of you, makes you conform, so you can be a good little worker on the assembly line of life. But what if that life isn't for you?

The truth is it's easiest to go straight. And if you're from the suburbs your parents wanted you to go straight, they weren't rich, they wanted you to be able to leave the nest and keep flying, they wanted you to get a college education, to be prepared, and then a professional degree, to begin your working life one step ahead of everybody else. And to defy your parents, that takes a will most people don't have, therefore the world is riddled with baby boomers who look back and wonder, what if they took the path less taken, what if they invested in their dreams, what if they hadn't borrowed so much money, what if they weren't tied to their job, THEN WHAT?

On the other side you've got the people watching the world pass them by as they pursue their dream, and usually never achieve it. At first they can live without the money. But then there's the house, the car, the family, and then it's too late, you can never catch up. Either it's your dream or second class citizenry.

And everybody's invested in your dream, but only for a short while. They'll support you, come to your show, and then they won't, they believe you're being juvenile, that you need to grow up, everybody else conformed, why can't you?

I'm not talking about the desperate, who will do anything to make it, many times they do. Then again, the risk is so much smaller, if they fall back to earth they haven't missed much, just drudgery on the assembly line.

And the truth is it is drudgery. So you live to get high, have sex and be entertained by music, movies and television. Without those three there'd be little reason to live, life would be in black and white, and we all need a little color to make it worthwhile.

But there are a zillion people for each slot. And most are full of it...you know, doo-doo. They tell you about their past, who they know, but they never go anywhere. And then there are those who make it their business to complain about the system, saying it's rigged. And then there are those for whom it seems effortless, they make it in their twenties, but what if you're about to be THIRTY!

The bigger the artist, the more unique the path, the more challenges there are to success. Because even the gatekeepers, they want something that rains down coin, they talk about risk, but take very little. As for today's internet world? Like Sly Stone sang, everybody is a star, and it's a side hustle. Occasionally it's your main hustle, but it takes so much effort to keep your head above water that you ultimately give up. Being a star today is different from yesterday, because today it is all about money, whereas before it was about the work, you were measured by your work, not the cash.

So Jonathan Larson put everything on the line to make it, and he failed.

Oh, eventually he succeeded, with "Rent," but he wasn't around to see it, he died of a heart attack, you don't have health insurance when you're poor, to go to the hospital just costs too much, so you don't. This is the reason the rich live longer than the poor, health care.

So you're sharing an apartment. You've got the college bookshelves, with the cinder blocks and wooden planks, and after a couple of years your cohorts peel off. Usually they don't talk about it, they keep it to themselves, and then suddenly they've gone straight, and there's one fewer Indian in the tribe. Can one even use that metaphor anymore? Now there are so many boxes you have to check before you can start to write, start to create, talk about inhibition.

And Larson needs one more song for his musical "Superbia," and the closer it gets to deadline, the harder it is to write. That's one of the reasons people don't risk, because when you get close to the deadline, the test, it's agony.

And then... "Superbia" fails. I'm not giving anything away. It's right there online if you do any reading. And the fact that Lin-Manuel Miranda made the picture, a tribute to his hero.

And "tick, tick...BOOM" is made for theatre nerds. If you're not one, if you're not a fan of Broadway, I don't recommend it, it will be a bit of a slog. But then it ends...

It took so much for Jonathan Larson to make it. And despite common wisdom, his Jewish parents did not support him. They support you during your education, then they cut you off, you've got to make it on your own, but that's so hard to do, there are no starting jobs that pay all the bills, you need time to create. But especially if you're the child of Jewish parents the entertainment business is anathema. Forget that Jews started Hollywood, forget all the successful actors and musicians, that was a different era, they came from nothing.

As for those who come from something... That doesn't help you much on the creative side of the equation. Maybe you can get a desk job, but when it comes to creativity you've either got it or you don't, and no amount of money can buy it. But the point is...DO YOU BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

Not blind belief. Not the person who tries to convince you it's sunny when it's pouring outside. No, if you believe in yourself you've got a world of doubt. The inner mounting flame keeps you going, but you're not convinced you're going to make it, at most you can convince yourself you'll keep on trying.

And then as the wannabes peel off, those with early success and no follow-up become real estate agents, and you get a grasp of what it takes to make it, you can smell it, sense it. Then you know whether you've got it or not. And I'm gonna let you in on a secret, most people don't have it, that "it."

But everybody recognizes that "it" when they see it, or hear it. They yearn for it, they cut through detritus looking for it. Nothing comes close, it's the difference between masturbation and sex, the former is just a facsimile, the latter is the real deal.

Used to be the hurdles were right up front. To jump from the minor leagues to the big leagues was quite a leap, but you found out pretty quickly if you were cut out for the creative life. Now, in today's amorphous world, you're not even sure what success is, and you can woodshed for a decade, hear the words of acolytes and sycophants, and then realize you can never be a part of the club. You're in between the winners and the losers, but in truth you're a professional wannabe.

So...

Jonathan Larson made it. There were signals that kept him going, little events that kept him on the path, certain words of encouragement, but he threatened to go straight, all the winners do, like I said, they have self-doubt.

And he sacrificed love and lifestyle. A significant other will only believe in you so long, then they want the trappings. The odds of finding someone who needs it as much as you do, who will sacrifice as much as you do, are close to nil. They're all lovey-dovey, supportive, and then the switch flips, you didn't realize it was coming, and then you're confronted with a black and white choice, give up or give up everything and keep going.

So, if you're Jewish and you live in the city, on Christmas you go for Chinese food and then to the movies, maybe two. Christmas means nothing to Jews.

But now you can't go to the movies, you can't even go skiing, you're taking your life in your hands. I know, I was in Vail, I came home. Colorado is not like California, the belief is there is no Covid, no one was wearing a mask. And it's not like the news will confirm the infection rate, because that might make people leave, or not even come, and they depend on tourists.

And if you have three shots, you're not gonna die. But my two didn't give me any antibodies, and a third would do nothing, because I have no B cells. And I was depending on Regeneron's monoclonal antibodies, good at 82% for eight months, no one went to the hospital, no one died, but then Regeneron said it didn't work so well against Omicron, the study said 15%. Are you willing to take those odds?

Like I said, I'm unique. I don't know anybody else with my immune issues. And no one cares about my immune issues. Ever since Reagan the American mind-set has changed, you worry about yourself, not everybody else, not society. And the truth is life is so hard you've got to. But the irony is those who are the winners care about the losers, the challenged, the least. Philanthropy is at a higher percentage amongst the far less wealthy, they're compassionate, whereas the "job creators" are trying to disinform the public as to the reality.

That's the story today. Which is why our art often suffers, it's about the bottom line. And movie studios and record labels used to fund the challenging, the out there, the risky, that was part of their mission, but no longer. Thank god we've got Netflix, which will fund your passion project with its hands off. But how long will that last?

This is the juggernaut you're confronted with, No one is awaiting your opus, no one cares about your opus. It becomes unclear how talented you are, perseverance is as important as talent, the road is littered with the talented.

And even if you make it, you cannot get back those years gone by. Your body is beat up, you're old. No one wants to go on a month-long bike trip with you, they'd rather just relax at an expensive hotel. They're on the downslope, you're on the upslope, they're retiring, you're still going, is the equation equal, is it worth it?

Hell if I know. Only you know. Deep down inside. Only you can stay the course. Ultimately only you're the one who believes. Are you willing to put it all on the line?

Jonathan Larson did.


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