Last week, the media reported upon the resignation of Jeff Zucker, who was the head of CNN (at one time known as Cable News Network) over an affair he had with a fellow colleague. This brought a shock to those that worked within the organization, as well as through outside of this news source. Even through Zuker did apologize in what he was involved with, it was deemed ass too little too late.
A few days before, this writer received an email notice from a large megachurch located in the Midwest. This church, whose name won’t be reviled here since the episode wasn’t “newsworthy” as a nationwide insistent, is located in a town that has been herald as the birthplace as thew new “national pastime”. (Its TV and video ratings back this fact up!) And the church itself has been respected in the community is resides.
Anyway, the email stated to its recipients to check on a link where one will be sent to a page on YouTube, with a message from the head pastor introducing the pastor who desired to break out the news. The pastor himself, a man who was in his middle age, gave a statement, or rather, a confessional, noting what occurred and why he was stepping down from his duties of this church. For about fifteen minutes (give or take) he stated, or rather, stammered through his “confession” of what happened. To make a long story short, he too, had an affair with somebody within the church’s domain, and added that he had a “roll in the hay” with this person and she had the proof! Although this writer had no connection to this church outside of being on their email mailing list and did not know or know of this pastor, it was rather sad to see him tell his flock and he was going away due to his activity.
A few years before, another megachurch in Milwaukee also has the same situation. They invited through on their mailing list (yours truly included) to visit a secure link on YouTube’s competing video posting website Vemeo.com. Unlike the previous notice through the first megachurch, the Milwaukee church posted an hour long presentation where the other elders of this church had a virtual prayer meeting, and a sermon (so to speak) of what happened to their former head pastor. It was for the same reasons, but this time, the pastor has a spouse and children. The pastor didn’t appear in this production. All of those appearing passed the word to their congregation stating what occurred, and to offer prayers toward the family.
Of course, there are just three isolated episodes of somebody who is connected to some place of employment that, let’s say, got a little too friendly with somebody else within the same work space. Episodes such as this one does happen. Most of the time, unless one works within the same company space, or is aware of those involved with this situation, one will never hear about it. One ones the public at large become aware are those incidences where a CEO or somebody in charge of holds some importance is involved, or if the episode leads toward some hideous act such as murder as expressed in the Netflix documentary American Murder: The Family Next Door. (Still available for streaming as of this writing!)
Granted, affairs of any kind are great for drama as seen through the media, but not so much in so-called “real life”. And in spite of what has been reviled, affairs, be it in the work space or otherwise, are usually conducted by people who know of each other. Using this guideline based upon a heterosexual situation, if person “A” who, let’s say is male, and person “B” who is of the female persuasion may work side by side. Depending on persons “A” and “B” domestic relations status if, maybe something can be conjured up. But because of the atmosphere the two are set within, this is where a “fling” can bring its spark.
Of course, it’s not always like this. Yours truly once upon a time was faced with a similar senrio. For whatever reason, it never took hold for reasons long forgotten. And it won’t since the workspace I was in is long gone, and the person did move on as well. So this plot can be classified as a “what if?” scenario that I will leave to those that write for the soap operas that still exist in the TV landscape. However, unlike a soap opera where an affair can last for weeks, months, and even years, I long forgotten story only brewed for a week!
Again, based upon the video presentations as seen by this writer through those megachurches, there was a lot of standards that had to be cleaned out. Since I hold no connection toward those churches, I can’t say how they were resolved, if at all. Then again, one has to leave that to the powers that be.
If one works from home, having an affair can’t happen. But when you get angry clients one has to deal with, they may express anger telling you to go “F” yourself, but that’s another topic that we don’t discuss here. So much for pathos!
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The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS) announced their nominations for the 94th annual Academy Awards on February 8th.
The following titles and names received the nomination for the following categories:
Best Picture
Belfast (Focus Features)
CODA (Apple TV)
Don’t Look Up (Netflix)
Drive My Car (Janus Films)
Dune (Warner Bros.)
King Richard (Warner Bros.)
Licorice Pizza (MGM)
Nightmare Alley (Searchlight Pictures)
The Power of the Dog (Netflix)
West Side Story (20th Century Pictures)
Best Actress
Jessica Chastain-The Eyes of Tammy Faye
Olivia Colman-The Lost Daughter
Penélope Cruz-Parallel Mothers
Nicole Kidman-Being the Ricardos
Kristen Stewart-Spencer
Best Director
Kenneth Branagh-Belfast
Ryusuke Hamaguchi-Drive My Car
Paul Thomas Anderson-Licorice Pizza
Jane Campion-The Power of the Dog
Steven Spielberg-West Side Story
The awards program will take place on Sunday, March 26th at the Dolby® Theatre at Hollywood & Highland Center® in Hollywood, and will be televised live on ABC at 5:00 PM (PST)
For a complete listing of all nominations, visit the official AMPAS web site at
http://www.Oscars.com
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On February 4th, The Golden Raspberry Foundation announced the nominations for The 42nd Razzie Awards, presented the worst in feature films released within the 2021 calendar year.
The following titles and names received the nomination for the following categories:
Worst Picture
Diana the Musical (Netflix)
Infinite (Paramount/New Republic Pictures)
Karen (BET Networks/Viacom)
Space Jam: A New Legacy (Warner Bros.)
The Woman in the Window (20th Century Pictures)
Worst Actor
Scott Eastwood-Dangerous
Roe Hartrampf (As Prince Charles)-Diana the Musical
LeBron James-Space Jam: A New Legacy
Ben Platt-Dear Evan Hansen
Mark Wahlberg-Infinite
Worst Actress
Amy Adams-The Woman in the Window
Jeanna de Waal-Diana the Musical
Megan Fox-Midnight in the Switchgrass
Taryn Manning-Karen
Ruby Rose-Vanquish
Worst Director
Christopher Ashley-Diana the Musical
Stephen Chbosky-Dear Evan Hansen
“Coke” Daniels-Karen
Renny Harlin-The Misfits
Joe Wright-The Woman in the Window
The Golden Razzie Awards will be presented on Saturday, March 25th.
A complete list of nominations is also viewable at http://www.Razzies.com. The Official 42nd Razzie Nominations Video is also available at RazzieChannel.
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DEATH ON THE NILE (20th Century Pictures) stars Kenneth Branagh as detective Hercule Poirot. It’s 1937, and the good detective decides to take a bit of a vacation in Egypt. While on board the luxury ship “Karnac” that sails down the Nile River, he encounters a wedding party that toasts the newly bride and groom. However, there’s going to be foul play on board this ship that will feature …unbridled passion and incapacitating jealousy features a cosmopolitan group of impeccably dressed travelers, and enough wicked twists and turns to leave audiences guessing until the final, shocking denouement, as the official press notes state.
Based upon the murder mystery of the same name written by Agatha Christie, it factors the usual plot twists one can expect in such a “whodunnit” of this type. The feature itself starts up rather upbeat for what it is. Once the cruse down the Nile takes its turn and when the first murder takes place (there are a series of murders in case one doesn’t know), that is when the film starts to get rather moody, then downright dull! Michael Green’s screenplay makes this film rather talky for what it is, meaning that it would look better on a video screen rather than a traditional movie setting. (Was this done intentionally?) The mystery of the suspects are laid out in classic fashion. But after a while, one will find out what Poirot discovers upon who did what to who, assuming that the viewer can sit still until everyone is a suspect, if they aren’t murdered first.
As to the cast, if does feature a robust set of players including Tom Bateman and Annette Bening as the groom Bouc and bride Euphemia, Russell Brand as Windlesham, Ali Fazal as Katchadourian, Dawn French as Bowers, Gal Gadot as Linnet Ridgway, Armie Hammer as Simon Doyle, Rose Leslie as Louise Bourget, Emma Mackey as Jacqueline de Bellefort, Sophie Okonedo as Salome Otterbourne, Jennifer Saunders as Marie Van Schuyler, and Letitia Wright as Rosalie Otterboourne.
What’s a period film without its period settings? It has great 1930’s-era costuming by Paco Delgado and JobanJit Singh, production Design by Jim Clay with set decoration by Abi Groves and Amanda Willgrave. And it even features some period music, mostly in the blues department. But that music is only there to a minimum.
Directed by Kenneth Branagh, DEATH ON THE NILE is indeed a movie that is more toward an older demographic. Or as the folks at AARP would note, it’s a movie for “grownups”. This is also the demographic that has been staying away from movie theaters for the past two years. Will they ever return to seeing a movie in the form that they were accustomed to? They will, but not right away! After all, this feature was scheduled to be released in theaters sometime in 2020. Then that release date was set for October of last year. After all of this time, it’s now available (as of February, ’22) to see in a movie house. This reviewer suggests waiting until it will be available for streaming or through home video. That may be by the time that the buds will be blooming on the trees. (Springtime!!) After all, if this movie was delayed for so many months to be seen and perhaps appreciated, what’s a few more weeks?
PS..this movie was shot on 65mm film stock, making this movie one of the late entries of a “high def” film shot on…film! That proves that motion picture film isn’t quite dead let. It was just murdered over time! (Pun intended!!)
PSS..Although it may not crucial to the plot, the backstory behind Hercule Poirot’s bushy mustache is relieved, in case anyone out there had any interest to that notion. (No spoilers on that aspect relieved in this review.)
This feature is rated PG-13 for violence, some bloody images, and sexual material, as dictated by the MPA. Now playing in real movie houses nationwide.
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