ONE:
Chris and I went to se Me and Orson Wells yesterday. We went to an early showing, a private showing if you will, because we were the only audience in the hugh theatre. The movie is about the the landmark production of Wells' and John Houseman's 1937 Mercury Theatre (Julius) Caesar. Christian McKay's portrayal of Wells was stupendous-the voice, the mannerisms, and most probably the vulgar, profane language of the creative genius. I don't know why all these great artistic geniuses have to be so vulgar and immoral in their "real" lives. It just makes me more satisfied that I did not pursue the professional acting career I wanted when I was young and went into education and communitiy theatre instead. While the acting and production values of this film were wonderful, especially the interior theatre scenes, I think it went beyond a PG13 rating for language alone, and the sexual content (continually talked about but not shown) was borderline R. We couldn't figure out for what audience the film was made. If non theatre young people don't know who Orson Wells, John Houseman, Joseph Cotton, et al. were, and the artisitic impact these men and the Mercury Theatre ensemble made on stage, radio and film, I don't think they would pay money to see this. Unless you are over sixty and an old movie buff like Chris and I are, you wouldn't have any schema on which to attach this film. I suppose younger audiences might go to see Zac Efron, who was very good, by the way, but I don't think they would catch the Wellsian, ground-breaking theatricality that is swirling around Efron's character. Another question we have is why was this film made in 2008 and only being released at the end of 2009 with little advertising? Anyway, Christian McKay deserves an Oscar for his portrayal of Wells. If you know little or nothing about Orson Wells or would like a little background, you might find this education site on the film interesting. http://www.filmeducation.org/meandorsonwelles/welles_caesar.html

TWO: This is purple prose and political, so you may want to skip it.
Chris would not let me watch any news or be political from December 24 to 26. She did not want me to fume about the clown congress passing horrible legislation in the dead of night. But alas, the great and self-serving Senate of the People's Democratic Republic of America, while throwing the late great United States of America under the Socialist bullit train, strained mightily in the night and with bribes and the persuasion of force brought forth an abomination of desolation which future generations of enslaved Americans shall rise up in their chains and curse. But, hopefully, the quagmire of both wings of the clown congress coming together to blend their abominations into one monstrosity will sink the whole mess and some actually inteligent reform might come forth. NOT