Saturday, July 21, 2018

Hottest screen couples by decades

Responding to "ABC NEWS erases Kim Basinger!," Pam e-mailed to say that she though Lynn and Bud (Kim Basinger and Russell Crowe) in LA CONFIDENTIAL as one of "the best and hottest screen couples of all time."

I agree.  They're great actors, sensational looking, they had real chemistry and they were playing flawed and bruised humans.  You rooted for them.

So who else would you pick?

I'll start with the 1930s and I'll pick one for each decade.

1930s -- Constance Bennett and  Neil Hamilton in WHAT PRICE HOLLYWOOD?

Neil is third billed.  But he plays Lonny who courts and marries Constance's Mary.  They divorce as the film enters the third act but they are back together at the end of the movie.

They have real chemistry.  Sit awake even in the 21st century chemistry.  It really registers.

It was weird for me to find out, today, that Neil Hamilton went on to be Commissioner Gordon on the sixties BATMAN TV show.  Cosntance is of course one of three talented and famous sisters -- Barbara and Joan Bennett.

1940s -- Lana Turner and John Garfield in THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE.

Despite all the films Lana made, she only got one really hot co-star in my opinion, John Garfield.  And the steam between them makes this film noir sizzle to this day.

1950s -- Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF.

Liz isn't the only cat with hot footsies in this film.  The late Skipper be damned, Brick wants to live and lust just as much as Maggie.

1960s -- Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty in SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS.

Yes, it's a great film.  Sandy Dennis is a small role registers but so does everyone in the cast.  This is an excellent film.  But it's the steam between Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood that makes it last.  This was remade as a TV movie with the trite Melissa Gilbert and it's a yawn.

1970s --  Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford in THE WAY WE WERE.

One of the all time great melodramas and it works due to the chemistry between the leads.  Barbra's been sexy in other films but I've never found Redford sexy in other films -- or even alive.  The only other film he works in is BAREFOOT IN THE PARK -- and he's playing a dead person, a stuffed shirt.  In this film, Barbra's projecting Katie's lust for Huabble so strongly that Redford is even sexy.

1980s -- Michelle Pfeiffer and Mel Gibson in TEQUILA SUNRISE.

Am I the only one who feels like the screenwriter got lost in the last third of the film?  It doesn't matter because this film is all about the chemitry. 

1990s -- Kim and Russells as already noted.

2000s -- Halle Berry and Hugh Jackman in SWORDFISH. 

Even in their X-Men films, Halle and Hugh have a comfort and low key chemistry.  But in this film, the chemistry blazes.  SWORDFISH is a film I didn't expect to like and didn't want to see.  I was dragged to it by a friend.  But it is an incredible film.  (And I love the sexy guy at the start who is busted in customs and dies all too soon.)

2010s -- Amy Adams and Henry Cavill in BATMAN V. SUPERMAN.

Yes, we still have two years to go so anything can happen.  But if BVS works for any reason at all, it's because of the chemistry between Amy and Henry.  It gives a real sense of urgency to an otherwise often lifeless film.

This is just off the top of my head.  I'm not saying they are the only ones.  Certainly, as I type, I remember the chemistry between Diana Ross and Billy Dee Williams (especially in MAHOGANY).  I'm just throwing those out as a conversation starter.


Closing with C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot:"


Thursday, July 19, 2018.  Protests continue in Iraq.  As the US media remains uninterested, let's remember what happened last time the US media ignored attacks on protesters in Iraq.


In Iraq, the protests continue.  The protesters are still greeted with violence from the government that claims to represent them.  This despite the support for the protesters from Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani and Shi'ite cleric and movement leader Moqtada al-Sadr.

The government of using armored vehicles and guns to stop the protests and the people who are asking for their simple human rights!


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Protesting over the lack of jobs, lack of water, lack of electricity and so much more means they are targeted with violence.


Iraqi people are protesting against the corruption of the government, there is no electricity in most of the cities no public service and over 40% of the young people are unemployed .
 
 



That's an interesting photo above.  It is even more interesting if you pull back a little.

This picture speaks volumes
 
 




The bravery of the two protesters is even more evident if you pull back just a little.


It's again interesting how the protests in Iraq just do not matter to the United States.



Dear I hope you’ve seen what’s happening in nowadays.. There is No Rights, Humanity, and no one is watching..
 
 


The US media largely ignores them.  Whether it's corporate media or beggar media, they find something else to feign interest in.  They are the reason so many have died.  Not just in these protests going on now but in all the earlier protests since 2010.


Protests in Basra city today.







Why is Hayder al-Abadi, prime minister of Iraq, deciding to attack the Iraqi people a surprise?

When Barack Obama installed Hayder al-Abadi in 2014 -- a fact even NPR acknowledged on air (it's MORNING EDITION earlier this year, if you need to look that up) -- it was known that he was Dawa -- Nouri al-Maliki's political party -- and that he was State Of Law (Nouri's political slate).  Barack was removing Nouri (finally) because his persecution had led to the rise of ISIS.  Why did anyone think that Hayder would be any different from thug Nouri?

He's not.

For all the people late to the party on ISIS this year, let's note something that they apparently do not know or else forgot.

Hayder is attacking the protesters.

Do we remember when Nouri started attacking the protesters?

Those of us with functioning brains do remember.  What happened was ISIS showed up.  In public.  They showed up on the long highway into Baghdad where Anbar citizens were protesting and being targeted by Nouri.  They showed up and protected the persecuted.

Nouri's War Crimes made a terrorist group (ISIS) look better by comparison.

We have the worst government in the world We're living in a country where there are no human rights, no water , no electricity, no jobs ..etc We are suffering poverty in a time we have lots of sources but only the government people and their families are getting it
 
 



Those valid statements above by Hanaa should be heard and responded to.  Instead, Hayder's attacking the people.

Hayder's traveling down that same road Nouri did.  He needs to stop or be stopped.  (I'm not referring to murder, I'm referring to the international community speaking frankly and, if he continues this, they cut off aid.)  It's bad right now.


GRAPHIC: one of the protesters killed by security forces in Basra (I post merely to document them):
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But if it continues, it's going to get worse just as it did under Nouri.



the government's action to this situation is: - cutting of the internet service. - shutting down the electricity power in a lot of cities -arresting and killing random people !!
 
 
 



That main photo above we've noted before.  It's huge on Arabic social media.  Strange that the US media seems unconcerned and doesn't rush to inform Americans what is become a rallying point in the Arabic world.

Hello world! people are getting shot for demanding water, electricity & other basic human needs in If you wanna show your support please use hashtag
 
 




Look, over here, I'm waiving my hand and saying "Pay attention!"


I was doing that when ISIS was rising in Iraq, before terms like "ISIS" were being used.

I'm not a prophet.  I'm someone with common sense (at least a little).  Anyone with common sense can tell you that things are going to get worse if Hayder's attacks on the protesters continue.That's basic analysis.  I see that, as usual, whenever anything takes place in Iraq, 'analyst' Joel Wing just posts links.  That's because he requires months and months to form any sot of opinion -- and when he does, he's generally wrong.  Like he was about Barzani.  Over and over, Joel stalls and stalls and the events pass him by.  But because he offers conventional wisdom, he's treated as a seer.  He can't see beyond his own toes.



Night protests begin in Najaf
 
 
leaked videotape showing the protesters from Al-Shula city being held in disgrace at the Kadhimiya police station
 
 
protest in the Alshula -baghdad and security forces used live ammunition
 
 



ISIS never left.  It was not defeated.  People are starting to notice that and insisting it's creeping back (again, it never left and it never was defeated).

AL BAWABA reports, "At least 10 people were injured in four bombings in Iraq’s oil-rich city of Kirkuk, police sources said on Wednesday. A spokesman of Kirkuk Police, Afsaryav Kamil, told Anadolu Agency that roadside bombs were planted by unknown persons."  THE NEW ARAB adds, "Anadolu news agency reported that four explosives were detonated, including one on the Baghdad road, but made no mention of mortar rounds."

Because earlier this week, Liz Sly and Mustafa Salim (WASHINGTON POST) noted of Hayder al-Abadi's claims that ISIS has been defeated, "The government declared the Baghdad-Kirkuk road is now safe, and drivers and passengers who take the route say there are new checkpoints every kilometer."














The following community sites -- plus Jody Watley and Cindy Sheehan -- updated: