Random Friday Thoughts — April 15, 2022

As we head into the weekend, some of you are shopping to prepare your Easter feast, some may be coloring eggs and putting together baskets, and others just waiting until Monday to get half-price candy!

Whatever your plans, have a great weekend and thank you for checking out my random thoughts!

HAPPY EASTER!

A flashback to 2001 with Miss ABBA, my golden, as a puppy!

Have a fantastic Easter weekend. I’m be enjoying a feast with my sister. She’s making the meal and I’m making a fun flavored cheesecake. I’ll share a photo next time!

A FUN EASTER THOUGHT

AND, A SERIOUS EASTER THOUGHT

“ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY” IS DEAD!

It’s a sign of the changing times: print (magazines, newspapers, and books), music (digital), and movie (on demand and digital) media is changing and I don’t like it.

I still love to read books and magazines by holding them. I still love to rent movies from Redbox kiosks and I want my favorite movies and series on DVD.

“Entertainment Weekly”, my favorite magazine for decades, started sounding the death knell when it went to once a month in its magazine form.

While it didn’t shock me, I got a notice earlier this week that “EW” will no longer be published and they’ll fulfill my subscription with “People” magazine.

“EW” will still be available online and on social media formats.

“DEXTER: NEW BLOOD”

While many fans saw “Dexter: New Blood”, the ten episode limited series (or the ninth season, but they don’t want you to call it that), in its Showtime run beginning in November 2021, I just watched it on DVD and it completes my “Dexter” series in that format!

You know I don’t believe in spoilers, so I’ll be very careful in my comments. And, if you comment, don’t spoil it for others late to the game!

In August 2021, I wrote: “‘Dexter’ originally ended after eight seasons in September 2013. After 95 great episodes, the series finale was a DUD! By the grace of God, we’re getting another season of ten episodes this fall and winter to make up for that finale! Showtime’s president of entertainment Gary Levine earlier this week said, ‘For me, it’s a revisiting of Dexter and a proper finale for a brilliant season.'” (I gave that eighth and final season a grade of “B” and wrote in 2014, “If the finale hadn’t been so silly, I’d given it an A-.”)

Well, Levine was right about “Dexter: New Blood”! It was a “brilliant season” and a great “proper finale”.

By the fourth episode, I had a theory in place! I was right about what would happen. However, I had the roles wrong! After a certain scene in the final episode, I correctly called how it would end!

It was great seeing Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) again and, this really isn’t a spoiler, Debra (Jennifer Carpenter) as the “dark passenger” instead of Harry (their dad) from the original run.

Jack Alcott as Harrison Morgan was great.

He’s come a long way from how we saw him in the season four finale!

GRADE: A

WELL, SAM IS SORRY!

About a month ago, I expressed that my lovefest with actor Sam Elliott was over after his homophobic and sexist rant on a late February podcast.

I’m still okay with him not liking Jane Campion’s “The Power of the Dog”, but I took offense to him referring to Benedict Cumberbatch and others in the movie as Chippendale dancers, “who wear bowties and not much else… that’s what all these fucking cowboys in that movie looked like. They’re running around in chaps and no shirts. There’s all these allusions of homosexuality throughout the movie. Where’s the Western in this Western?”

Last Sunday, while promoting his new project, Elliott apologized to Campion, the cast, and his gay friends that have always supported him, “I mean my entire career, from before I got started when I was in this town. Friends on every level and every job description up until today… I’m sorry that I hurt any of those friends and someone that I loved. And anyone else by the words that I used.”

Well, Sam, thank you for apologizing. It may take a little more enticing.

No, silly, not that kind. Maybe getting together for a drink or two (with Katharine, too, of course) would help!

“RED ROCKET”

Simon Rex plays Mikey Saber, a washed up porn star, who returns to his hometown of Texas City, Texas, because he has no other options.

Director Sean Baker brings the same dead end feel to this movie with his characters just trying to make it through the day and life as he did in “The Florida Project”.

Bree Elrod and Suzanna Son are both amazing as the estranged wife and a teenaged girl Saber seduces at the doughnut shop, respectively.

GRADE: A-

“THE FLORIDA PROJECT”

Here’s what I said of Baker’s last full-length movie, “The Florida Project” in March 2018. It ended up being my 14th favorite movie I saw in 2018.

“This movie about people down on their luck and finances living in a “project” (The Magic Castle Motel) in Kissimmee, Florida (near Walt Disney World), is sad and incredible.

The real star of the movie is Brooklynn Prince, who plays 6-year-old Moonee.  She’s spectacular for a child actor expressing a happy childhood of not knowing just how bad things are in her life.

Bria Vinaite, is great as Moonee’s white trash mother, Halley.

My sister and I grew up in a bug-infested apartment and we didn’t have much during our childhood, so I could definitely relate to this movie.

Willem Dafoe earned a “Best Supporting Actor” Oscar nomination for his role as Bobby, the manager of the motel.”

I gave the movie a “B+”!

GLORIA GAYNOR DEFINITELY SURVIVED!

“I Will Survive”, Gloria Gaynor’s #1 worldwide hit, became an anthem for women and gay men after its late-1970s release.

Thanks to the incredible Kylie Minogue, Gaynor, the 78-year-old music legend, is back.

“Can’t Stop Writing Songs About You” is the third release from Minogue’s late-2021 release “Disco: Guest List Edition”.

Both women look and sound amazing. Get ready to dance around your living room!

It’s hard to believe that Gloria Gaynor only scored two hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

The Grammy Award-winning “I Will Survive” topped the chart in March 1979 and her first hit, “Never Can Say Goodbye” reached #9 in 1975.

“Goodbye” was first a #2 Hot 100 smash for the Jackson 5 in 1971, a #22 hit for Isaac Hayes that same year, and a worldwide Top Ten hit (#2 on the Billboard Dance Club songs chart) for The Communards in 1987.

It’s still one of my favorite hi-NRG songs, so I’m sharing it here, too, because I’m sure many of you might never have heard it!

“BLUE BAYOU”

This underrated gem is one of the most touching and heartbreaking movies I’ve seen in a long time.

While not a “true story” about one person, it’s a true story compiled from many people’s lives that were torn apart by the immigrations practices in the United States.

It was my #7 movie I saw in 2021.

GRADE: B+

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony

Random Friday Thoughts — June 11, 2021

Where does the time go? I can’t believe we’re already heading into the middle of June already.

I guess for those of us that love fall and winter, that’s a good thing. 🙂

Thank you for taking the time to check out my random thoughts.

CONQUERING THE MEDIA WORLD!

I make my living as a television meteorologist — I get paid to talk about the weather!

Now I’m branching out and it all started by walking off calories around Lake Decatur — while reading a book! 🙂

In May 2020, a month after arriving in Central Illinois, Clay Jackson featured a photo of me walking and reading in Decatur’s Herald & Review newspaper.

Almost a year later, I was approached for a feature story in the paper’s “Together Decatur” column with reporter Donnette Beckett. (This photo is from Clay Jackson and the Herald & Review.)

The article raised my visibility as “that guy that walks around the lake reading a book”!

The newspaper story led to a twice monthly 10-15 minute Friday morning radio appearance on Talk 101 FM on the “Busboom & Wolfe” show to talk about what I’m reading.

The first two topics were former vice presidents Herbert Humphrey and Walter Mondale and the AIDS epidemic which became public 40 years ago this summer.

And, later this summer or early fall, I’ll be doing a weekly segment on our morning show about what I’m reading!

Isn’t it funny that something I started doing in the summer of 2017 in Panama City, Florida (walking outdoors while reading), is leading to other media ventures.

And, it all started as a healthy way to eat my desserts and junk food and keep the weight off!

TAKE A BITE OUT OF PRIDE

While I make beautiful and tasty cheesecakes, the thought of decorating and icing a cake terrifies me!

I wish I was talented enough to make this fun Pride cake!

PRIDE MONTH FUNNY

I found this postcard some time back in the 1990s and I feel this is a perfect time to share it. 🙂

Happy Pride Month to my LGBTQ and “straight, but not narrow” friends!

“YOUNGER”

It’s hard to believe that the amazingly funny and touching TVLand series “Younger” is now over after seven great seasons (the longest running original series in the network’s history).

Sutton Foster (Liza) is so incredible, charming, and beautiful. Her chemistry with Hilary Duff (Kelsey) and Molly Bernard (Lauren) (so insanely brass and funny) made the show.

And, then there’s Nico Tortorella (Josh)!

No other words are needed except I need to find a man in his 40s or 50s like Nico!

Also, the addition of Steven Young (Rob) was a treat!

SEASON SEVEN FINAL THOUGHT: I was a little saddened that one of the funniest characters of the first six seasons only made ONE appearance in the last season and it was via Skype or Zoom or something!

SERIES FINALE FINAL THOUGHT: I was bummed that a certain regular character didn’t show up until almost the end. WTH?

But, how it ended was just how I wanted it to end!!! It gives me hope for love! I won’t say which team I was always on, but when see the finale, you’ll know! 🙂

If you’ve never seen the comedy/drama, here’s the trailer for the first season.

SERIES GRADE: A

ONE LAST “YOUNGER” NOTE

My favorite line in the series finale was from Maggie (Debi Mazer), Liza’s best friend and lesbian roommate:

“I don’t understand straight people, you’re crazier than the gays!”

“JOHN WAYNE GACY: DEVIL IN DISGUISE”

As I’ve stated before, I find serial killers and cults fascinating.

Although I read “Killer Clown” many years ago, I just finished watching Peacock’s six-part documentary about serial killer John Wayne Gacy, who killed, at least, 33 young men and boys in the Chicago area in the 1970s.

Of those, 26 were buried in the crawl space of his home!

As a 14-year-old kid in western Kentucky, six hours south of Chicago, when the story broke, I was petrified to think that there were people like Gacy that preyed on young boys like myself!

While Gacy’s story isn’t new, what made this series intriguing is that it featured a long interview with Gacy himself!

And, of course, this infamous May 1978 picture with then-First Lady Rosalynn Carter was featured. It was taken at the annual Polish Constitution Day Parade in Chicago, which Gacy helped organize.

To put this timeline into perspective, this was seven months before we’d learn he was a suspected serial killer. (I only say “suspected”, because he was arrested in December and wasn’t convicted yet!)

One final note and quote from the series: About sleeping in the same house with his last victim’s body in the other room (15-year-old Robert Piest), Gacy told the interviewer, “The dead won’t bother you.  It’s the living you have to worry about.”

HOW DEMENTED IS THIS?

While in prison to pass the time before his 1994 execution, Gacy painted and was able to collect money from them until the mid-1980s.

Some sold for as much as $20,000!

There’s one that I really want. Well, I’d take a replica!

BEST RECENT LAS VEGAS HEADLINE

Now that more of the U.S. is opening up for business again, I absolutely love this April 2021 Las Vegas Sun headline!

At least one of my favorites is making a comeback!

I mean, really, who wants a buffet and bottomless mimosas? 🙂

Laughing, joking, kidding! 🙂 I do!

TAKING A SHORT BREAK!

Thank you for always checking out my thoughts. See you soon!

THAT’S IT

With all the craziness in the world, make it the best in your little part of it!

Anthony