Great Absence

While there are a number of Asian action films, there is also a tradition of quiet family dramas. Best known of this type are the films of Yasujiro Ozu, films about family and marriage, and the differences between generations. The film is described as the reunion and reconciliation of a father and his son who have not gotten together in decades. Director Kei Chika-ura uses a lot of silence, static figures to convey his story, but what it turned into is the story of the son dealing with his father with Alzheimer’s. Supported by his wife, they are trying to deal with a change in their lives.
I have to admit that I had trouble staying awake during this film, but it is not the film’s fault. Having seen a number of films, getting back to my friends’ house late and getting up to do it again, I was drained. I did like the film, a very detailed character study of these three people, it just wasn’t the type of film I needed to see on a Sunday morning.
One other strange thing – the actor playing the father was Tatsuya Fuji, a legend in Japan. I didn’t know his work until it was mentioned that he had starred in the famed sexual obsession film “In The Realm of the Senses,” back when there were art movies with very graphic sex in 1976 (not unlike “Last Tango In Paris” which came out in 1972.

Boy Kills World

Now, back to the weird. Long time readers know that I do enjoy kung-fu movies, and this one starred Bill Skarsgard (“IT”) as a deaf and dumb man raised by a strange hermit and trained in martial arts to have the man get his revenge on the local family that runs the area. Skarsgard was ripped and did a good job as an action star, haunted by the ghost of his sister who was murdered along with their mother (maybe).
Of course, this isn’t just a straight forward Bruce Lee type film. Eventually the man gets into the fortress of the family and mayhem ensues. Amidst the carnage, the story tries to sort who the man is, who is his actual family, what is the role of the old hermit who raised the man. The hermit spends most of the time raising the man by smoking and blowing smoke into the man’s face. It was at times like a Kung-fu “Reefer Madness.” A supporting role by Famke Jannsen was interesting. A very strange movie. I think the audience for this is young men. It was fun though.

Sorry/Not Sorry

Finally, back to the documentaries. This film was high on my list of wanted films; the story of Louis CK, his rise, fall and attempted rise. I have never been a fan of the comedian for some reason. I didn’t find him funny, so I ignored much of his story, just thinking that he’s just a perv who is getting what’s coming to him. The true story is even more disgusting.
First of all, this is the first film I remember that was produced by a newspaper – The New York Times. It was Times reporters that brought the story to light. For those of you who don’t know, Louis CK’s thing is to ask women if they minded him masturbating in front of them. Like Harvey Weinstein and Bill Cosby, Louis wasn’t just a hugely popular comedian, he had built a production empire which produced many popular sitcoms of the time. As a result, the comedian’s kink was an open secret to the standup comic world, but no one, not even the biggest comedy stars wanted to take him on. It was only when a few women spoke up that the New York Times printed an article. It was weird that Louis CK admitted it when he was interviewed by the newspaper.
Then he gets cancelled, but for only 9 months and he tries to come back, with lots of people complaining, and others remaining loyal fans. This is yet another examination of what to do as a fan/consumer with an artist who is either accused or proved of doing despicable acts. The list is long: Weinstein, Polanski, Allen, Cosby, Michael Jackson, James Franco. As someone who inherited the 1960s Cosby albums, I try to think that is was before he was drugging women, although we don’t know that. Woody Allen’s masterpiece, Annie Hall, was made before he was accused on sexual misconduct (as far as we know).
The directors’ and the New York Times asked Louis CK to comment, but as of yet, he has not. Unlike Polanski, or Jackson, or early Woody, I don’t have a dog in this fight. As I wrote above, I was never a fan, so it has been easy for me to ignore Louis CK. All I can say is that I hope is comeback fails.

The Pigeon Tunnel

Two of the firms I wanted to see the most were today and I was excited. The first film is the great documentarian Errol Morris’ latest film which is the final interview with David Cornwell, better known as John LeCarre. It was an interesting look into his background and his thoughts about writing and spys and Kim Philby, the famous British double agent. (The title is what LeCarre always named his latest book in progress before a final title was given. Ill let you see the film for what it means.) He did not talk about his love life or anything other than his love for his children.
This was a personal favorite of mine for reasons other than the film. During the Q&A, several people mentioned Mr. Morris’ most famous documentary, “The Fog of War,” the interview with former Secretary of Defense under JFK and LBJ Robert McNamara. Looking that up, I realized that I was at the premiere 20 years before at TIFF watching the film. I got to meet Mr. Morris, and two of the producers are LeCarre’s sons: Simon and Stephen Cornwell, who are now movie producers bringing their father’s work to the screen. I met Simon and had to give him my favorite movie acting tirade. I have said to anyone that would listed that Gary Oldman’s performance as George Smiley in “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” not only surpasses his Oscar winning portrayal of Winston Churchill in “The Darkest Hour,” but that with very few lines and a story that jumps time frames, Oldman used the character’s glasses and hair to bring the character to life. I feel vindicated the Simon Cornwell, one of the author’s sons agreed with me.

Knox Goes Away
I realized that there would be few if any stars at TIFF this year, except those with special permission from SAG-AFTRA like Sean Penn (who I was unable to see – they took a secret way into the building), and actors who had directed films like Patricia Arquette and Viggo Mortensen (who I did see in a hallway in a theater). Even though I knew it was unlikely, I hoped that Michael Keaton who directed his first film “Knox Goes Away,” would show up. He didn’t, but his first directorial effort showed a man who had been taking notes when he was on other’s films.
Keaton stars as an aging hitman who is having headaches and memory lapses. He goes to a hospital and the doctors determine that he doesn’t have Alzheimer’s but another brain ailment that will erase his mind/memories in weeks instead of months. Into this, he reconnects with his son, who has killed a man who impregnated his 16-year-old daughter. So Knox, with the help of a friend played in rare low key mode by Al Pacino, goes through an elaborate plan to cash out, and distribute his money to his ex-wife, the son, and a prostitute who comes to Knox’s home once a week.
The story becomes an intricate crime film mixed with Christopher Nolan’s iconic “Memento.” It’s a very good movie – worth seeing.

Together 99

It was time for some comedy. “Together 99” is the sequel to “together,” a mid 1970s film about a group of hippie types in a commune that breaks up at the end of the earlier film. Two characters are still living in the house, and they decide to have a reunion with the rest of the group. I had never seen the earlier film, but I found that this was not necessary – it wsa easy to pick up on what was going on. Hilariously funny, it was a Swedish “Big Chill.”

The Beast

I was interested in this because it had a sci-fi feel to it, despite the fact that the last film I saw that had a love story across time was “The Fountain” which sucked. In addition, it starred Lea Seydoux, who I thought was the weakest part of Daniel Craig’s final two films as James Bond “Spectre” and “No Time To Die;” she never made me believe that she was someone Bond would leave the SIS for, much less die. In this film, a young woman in the near future, Gabrielle, decides to purify her DNA by immersing herself in a machine that will recall her previous lives and remove any strong feelings. She meets Louis, with whom she has a strong connection in 3 periods: 1910, 2014, and 2044. Louis is played by George MacKay, whom I had seen before in 1917.
Director Bertrand Bonello created characters to care about through all of the periods where the two are obviously in love with each other, but a husband, death, and murder keep the pair from connecting. SPOILER ALERT: in one of the later periods, Louis becomes an Incel, vowing to destroy women, beginning with Gabrielle. I didn’t like this part because it seemed like an easy out, a predictable, tedious melodrama. It didn’t finish there however, which was good, I think. Interesting ideas, a bit too cold to really be excellent.

The Burial

Every now and then, after having eaten nothing by fancy, foreign food, you get in the mood for a good old fashioned greasy cheeseburger. The Burial was the film version, a David vs. Goliath legal drama based on a true story. Tommy Lee Jones, given not much of a characterization besides being a grumpy old white man (which he has mastered), is patriarch of a string of funeral homes in southern Mississippi. A poor, nearly illegal investment, placed the company and the large family in severe financial trouble. A funeral corporation offers to buy three of the eight homes and not sell Burial insurance in that part of the state. The corporation agrees, but suddenly stall on closing the deal. Turns out the company wants to drive the company out of business and pick up the whole company for peanuts.
A friend of one of Tommy Lee Jones’ grandkids is a Black lawyer named Hal Dockins (played well by Mamoudou Athie), and he talks Jones’ character and his lawyer (Alan Ruck) to file suit in a predominantly Black county. Dockins sees Willie Gary (Jamie Foxx) who is a rich personal injury lawyer with a huge mansion and a private jet. He thinks that having a flamboyant Black lawyer would do well in this case, despite it being a contract law case.
The corporation hires top Black lawyers including Jurnee Smollett (“Lovecraft County,” “Birds of Prey”), an attractive young lawyer with a reputation for toughness. The defense takes advantage of Foxx not being as fully prepared as he should have been and Foxx, despite turning into all but a Baptist Minister, gets replaced as lead attorney. Eventually, the truth comes out about how the corporation is swindling Black people trying to bury their loved ones.
Director Maggie Betts plays this fairly straight forward, but I found it good that certain stereotypes did not make it into the film. Willie Gary is played as a happily married man with support from his wife. It would have been very easy to put in some sexual tension, or romantic angle, but instead, the two very smart actors were playing two very smart people who respected one another but were trying to win the case. Again, this breaks no new ground thematically, but like a good cheeseburger, you’re full and sated when it’s over.

100 Yards

Time for one final strange movie – 100 yards is the distance from a kung-fu dojo that is under the protection of that dojo, creating turf as it were. When the master of the local school dies, it is expected that his son will take over, but instead, the Master’s best student is given the school. Of course, this makes the son angry, and the rest of the film consists of the machinations that the two rivals play on the other.
This was slightly different from other martial arts films I’ve seen. First, women have places in the hierarchy of the school and the two protagonists have romantic relationships (although no public displays of affection). Second, as I used to say about really good martial arts films, “lots of ass gets kicked,” and there are plenty of weapons used, there wasn’t a lot of carnage. People got knocked out, not killed. Overall, the film was kind of silly, but there was a lot of good action.

So, that ends my six-day sojourn to Toronto to watch films. Once again, I don’t think I saw any movies that were really bad, just some that were kooky. As in years past, I will give you a list of the films I liked the best:
13. Bargain (would probably place higher if I ever see the rest)
12. 100 Yards
11. Boy Kills World
10. Great Absence
9. The Beast
8. The Burial
7. Together 99
6. One Life
5. Sorry/Not Sorry
4. Silver Dollar Road
3. The Pigeon Tunnel
2. Knox Goes Away
1. Stamped From The Beginning

That’s it for 2023. Let’s hope that the Writers’ and Actors’ strikes finish very soon, and that there is plenty of material ready for next year, and we’ll see more stars.

Nepotism is a bad word generally, that is unless you are benefitting. Getting a job, especially a high-level position based on one’s parentage or who one knows, is something that happens every day, and people either shrug when it happens, or silently root against the company/hire.
Here in Chicago, we have a lot of children of owners running our sports teams: Danny Wirtz runs the Blackhawks after the sudden death of his father Rocky; Michael Reinsdorf is CEO of the Bulls for his father, but Jerry remains in charge of the White Sox; the brothers and sister under right-wing fascist paterfamilias Joe Ricketts own the Cubs; and George McCaskey is the Chairman of the Bears for his 100 year old mother Virginia.
Honestly, we can complain, but there’s nothing you can do about rich people installing their kids in the family business. Somehow worse are the sychophants that the owners keep around like spoiled puppies surrounding the owner’s throne. They are often incompetent; their one role is to tell the owner what he/she wants to hear, and some stay, making the best martinis in town. The Ricketts’ have Crane Kenney who has made the family billions but has all of the people skills of an angry wolverine. The Bears’ version, recently retired President Ted Phillips was ineffectual for most of his decades long tenure with the team. Bill Wirtz had “Bullet” Bob Pulford who executed his boss’ orders which nearly killed the team and hockey in an Original Six city. Jerry Reinsdorf permitted Jerry Krause to dismantle the greatest dynasty in Chicago sports history with the Bulls. There were two untouchables with the White Sox, Ken Williams and Greg Hahn.
That is, until last week when Jerry Reinsdorf fired Williams and Hahn. The 2023 season has been one of the most disappointing seasons in recent history. After playoffs in 2020 and 2021, the team has shown little fire or spark in 2022 and 2023 despite having a very talented lineup. White Sox fans hoped that there would be an open job search, looking outside of the organization for a new view, a new voice, someone who could stop the incestuous incompetence. We should have known better.
Reinsdorf immediately promoted Chris Getz, from his role as assistant GM and minor league player development head for the past 5 seasons. Overall, Getz has over 10-years of employment with the team ad was even drafted by them in 2002. Getz is young, 40-years of age, but one has to ask the question – does he have the intelligence and independence from the people he’s worked for to make the tough decisions that this team needs. Tim Anderson has been a great player, but he hasn’t been a great teammate. Youn Moncada has been injured most of this time in Chicago and has posted far inferior results than expected. Eloy Jimenez and Luis Robert are tremendous talents but only Robert has been able to remain healthy enough to be the star he was expected to be.
Once again, the out-of-touch Reinsdorf has promoted someone he knows and is comfortable with, not someone who would look at the situation with a honest vision and tell Reinsdorf the truth. Sox fans are upset, doubly so when Reinsdorf said that he wasn’t going to sell the team.

In the midst of one of the most disappointing seasons in team history, the owner and front office of the Chicago White Sox have been like Marie Antoinette – quietly dismissive. GM Rick Hahn has been honest in saying that he knew his job was on the line but that it was up to Owner Jerry Reinsdorf. Meanwhile, the team stands at 49-77, 16 games behind first place Minnesota in what could end up being the worst division in baseball history. The play has been lackluster; stupid mistakes on the field, on the basepaths, on the mound. The biggest hit of the second half so far was the punch Tim Anderson took off Jose Ramirez in Cleveland. And Sox fans, who correctly won’t pay for bad baseball, have been making their wishes known with chants of “Sell The Team.” Well, the fans may get their way.
Crain’s Chicago Business reported that Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf is considering moving the White Sox from Guaranteed Rate Field when the team’s lease expires in six years, and he also might explore selling the team. Reinsdorf, who was part of an ownership group that purchased the Sox for $19 million in 1981, also is contemplating the bigger picture for a franchise worth around $2 billion.
The possibility of moving is serious enough, according to Crain’s, that a Chicago developer is preparing a bid and possibilities exist for a move to a new stadium in the city or suburbs, or even relocating to Nashville, Tennessee. With a lease with the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority, the state entity that owns the ballpark, expiring in 2029, the Sox say it’s time to explore all options.
Reinsdorf, 87, has won six NBA championships as chairman of the Bulls and one World Series title as chairman of the Sox but it is well known that he is a much bigger baseball fan. His son, Michael, has taken over as president and CEO of the Bulls, but Jerry remains at the top of the baseball operations. Sources say that the elder Reinsdorf does not like baseball’s current financial structure or see it improving to his liking, but might be more likely to cut ties with baseball.
Of course, long time Sox fans have never really forgiven him for discussing moving to the suburbs, and almost moving to St. Petersburg, Florida, in 1988, when former Gov. Jim Thompson’s last-hour deal to approve a tax-subsidized new Comiskey Park was approved by a slim margin in Springfield a few minutes after a midnight deadline, keeping the team on the South Side. Add to that his support for the 1994 labor stoppage that ended the season and in 1995 effectively ending the lockout by signing Albert Belle to a ridiculous contract. Let’s not forget the ill-conceived hiring of Reinsdorf’s old buddy Tony LaRussa.
Just as the fans were reacting to this piece of news, the team announced that it had fired Vice President Kenny Williams and GM Rick Hahn. Someone had to take the blame for yet another wasted season and like the Bulls with GarPax (Gar Foreman and John Paxson) it took fan displeasure to fire the loyal flunkies. Most say (myself included) that they should have fired the pair 2-3 years ago, but they weren’t responsible for the LaRussa hiring, and they did invest in some talented young players. However, winning culture is not as easy to build, and the White Sox have looked as team focused as the 19 co-conspirators indicted in Georgia.
I wrote here some time ago that the ownership of the White Sox and Bulls was subject to question. I thought that as long as Reinsdorf the Senior was alive, neither team would change hands. If the sources are correct and he has tired of baseball, I know a lot of Sox fans who would donate money to buy the teams and march Reinsdorf out of town in a reverse Victory Parade. Moving the team to the suburbs? How’s that been going for the Bears, who have suburbs making promises that they can’t afford? Leaving town? Nashville? A nice hockey town, but is it a big enough market to support a Major League Baseball team after the first two years of novelty. Besides, it isn’t the ballpark that is keeping attendance down. It’s not ever the crime in Chicago. It’s the fact that the team last won in 2005, it’s first World Series victory in 88 years, and since then, they have made only four playoffs appearances in the 18 seasons since, and bowed out of the playoffs with a whimper, not a bang.
Sports owners in Chicago are either as welcome as a venereal disease or, at best tolerated (with perhaps Rocky Wirtz the only truly liked owner except for the sexual abuse scandal by an assistant). Reinsdorf will always be cheered as the man who helped the Bulls win six NBA Championships, but also allowed a sycophant Jerry Krause to dissect the team to fulfill his ego. The White Sox won in 2005, but he committed civic blackmail to get his ballpark. There are LOTS of billionaires who would like to join the sports owners’ club. You get in the papers almost every day, you make money, not a lot of it year over year, but you clean up when you sell the team. I am beyond certain that phones have been ringing.
Honestly, Jerry Reinsdorf is long past his “sell by date.” Take your $2 billion and don’t let the owner’s box door hit you on the ass on your way out.

The footballs will be flying soon on college campuses all over the country. Usually, this is a time of anticipation and high hopes, but instead, the 2023 College Football season will have a sad and elegiac feel about it.
Conference realignment will begin this season with 14 schools playing in new conferences: four in the Big 12; four in Conference USA; and 6 in the ACC. The Big 12 will be welcoming BYU, Cincinnati and Houston and UCF, this will be the farewell tour of stalwarts Texas and Oklahoma who will be joining the SEC next season. The 110th meeting of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State may likely be the last for at least awhile. On the other hand, Texas will finally play Texas A&M after years of the two schools pretending the other didn’t exist. The Pac-10 will play this season as normal, but afterward, only four teams are committed to the conference in 2024.
Finally, this will be the final season of a four team CFB Playoff. Next season the playoff will go to 12 teams which will mean fewer “winner take all” games since there will be 1 and even perhaps 2 loss teams making it to the playoffs.
Unfortunately, I am a Northwestern fan and football season ticket holder. After the hazing scandal, the over/under for wins is 3 according to the pundits. Oh well, there’ll be nice fall days…

It is a good thing that Baltimore Orioles Chairman and CEO John Angelos doesn’t own a team in Chicago, or New York, or Boston. One would think that Angelos, son of owner Peter Angelos who bought the team in 1993 would be used to comments from the media and fans by now. However, like Elon Musk, he is showing that money does not bring brains.
Under the Angelos’ ownership, the team has made the playoffs just five times in 30 years, with no World Series appearances. This was a once proud franchise with Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Jim Palmer and teams that won Championships in 1966, 1970 and 1983. The Orioles had Eddie Murray and the league’s Iron Man for consecutive games played and one of the top ambassadors for the game, Cal Ripken, Jr. Angelos’ teams have been lousy for many years with the team losing over 100 games in 3 of the last 4 full seasons. Much like Bill Wirtz in Chicago, the owner was considered a cheap skate who almost demolished a franchise. In May 2009, a Sports Illustrated article reviewing owners of Major League Baseball franchises rated Angelos as the worst owner in the Major Leagues. The article noted that the team’s decision-making methodology “was not scientific” and “weighing heavily in the decision was the team’s success or failure on the field
However, the team is in the middle of a renaissance. After posting their first over .500 record since2015, the posted an 83-79 record. It was still fourth place in the hyper-competitive AL East. This year, the Birds are 32 games over .500, leading the AL East and posting one of the best records in baseball. All should be looking good.
At least it was until Baltimore Orioles announcer Kevin Brown was reportedly suspended for seemingly innocuous on-air comments discussing the team’s former losing ways. Brown was suspended Brown indefinitely after a July series against the Tampa Bay Rays in which he made the comments in question during a pregame segment July 23. He hasn’t been on the air since July 26. Here is the segment that reportedly got Brown suspended (from Yahoo Sports):
Brown said. “The Orioles split a two-gamer with the Rays in June. They had lost their last 15 series here at Tropicana Field. You have to go back to when our now-colleague Brad Brach picked up the win in the series finale June 25, 2017 — the last time the Orioles won a series here in St. Pete. Already gone 3-2 at the Trop this year after winning three of 18 the previous three years combined.”
Brown made the comments while graphics on the broadcast supported the stats he cited, showing that the Orioles were 0-15-1 in their previous 16 series against the Rays. The same stats were cited in the team’s game notes that day.
A source told the Athletic that the Orioles suspended Brown because ownership thought his comments made the team sound cheap. The Orioles are winning this season despite having baseball’s 29th-ranked payroll.
The Orioles denied that Brown had been suspended. They also announced that Brown will return to the booth.
“We don’t comment on personnel matters,” an Orioles official told Awful Announcing, adding, “we look forward to hearing Kevin’s voice soon.”
News of Brown’s reported suspension caught the attention of the baseball world, including New York Mets broadcaster Gary Cohen. The longtime sportscaster blasted Orioles management during Monday’s Mets game against the Cubs. “The Baltimore Orioles organization draped itself in utter humiliation with their treatment of one of their young broadcasters, a guy named Kevin Brown, who is one of the great young talents in broadcasting and this game.” Cohen said. … “Let me just say one thing to Baltimore Orioles management. You draped yourself in humiliation when you fired Jon Miller. And you’re doing it again. And if you don’t want Kevin Brown, there are 29 other teams who do.”
NESN’s Dave O’Brien likewise stood up for Brown during Monday’s game between the Boston Red Sox and Kansas City Royals. “Somebody didn’t like the facts very much, and that’s a fiasco that that’s allowed to happen,” O’Brien said. “I think every announcer in the league feels the same way. … I thought it was a joke when I initially read it.
“I hope he’s reinstated immediately when somebody comes to their senses in the front office of the Orioles.”
White Sox announcer Jason Benetti, meanwhile, quipped that “I hope I don’t get suspended by the Orioles” after discussing the Yankees’ season series with Baltimore during Monday’s game against New York.
It seems to me that Mr. Brown was mentioning that the Orioles had won more games in Tampa this year than in the year years before combined. Notice, nothing was said about payroll, it sounds to me like he was happy that the team was doing so well against the hottest team in baseball at the start of the season, but has recently fell on hard times. I don’t see any complaint there, but John Angelos is proving that maybe ultra-thin skin is a product of inherited wealth, and the IQs of those people are much lower than the general populous by many orders of magnitude.