Mindy Newell: Late Sunday Night Ramblings
Went out to dinner tonight – that’s last night now – with Editor Mike, where I discovered that Mr. Gold does not like broccoli rabe. It’s a case of false advertising, people – Mikey, it turns out, does not eat anything. Personally, I think he’s nuts. Give me a plate of broccoli rabe, a loaf of fresh-out-of-the oven crusty Italian bread, a nice Merlot or Pinot Noir, and that’s what I call a meal!
Watched the trailer for Trumbo over the weekend, starring Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Ellie Fanning, John Goodman, Diane Lane, Alan Tudyk, Louis C.K., and Helen Mirren, which is hitting theatres in October. One of Hollywood’s greatest screenwriters, Dalton Trumbo’s early credits included Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo and Kitty Foyle. He also wrote the classic anti-war novel, Johnny Got His Gun. In 1947, Trumbo was one of the Hollywood Ten who refused to testify before the House of Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), and so was blacklisted from the movie industry – although he “unofficially” won two Academy Awards – for The Brave One and Roman Holiday – during this period, the first under the pseudonym of Robert Rich, the second through a “front.” It wasn’t until 1960, when Kirk Douglas publicly announced that he had hired Dalton Trumbo to write the screenplay for Spartacus and Otto Preminger went public in revealing that Dalton Trumbo was the true writer of Exodus, that the blacklist started to crack.
When President John F. Kennedy crossed the American Legion picket lines protesting Trumbo’s involvement with Spartacus and entered the theatre to watch the film, the blacklist was over. But it wasn’t until 1993, after the screenwriter had died, that the Academy awarded him an Oscar for Roman Holiday, and it took until 2011 that the Writers Guild of America gave Trumbo full credit for the screenplay.
Bottom line, guys – go see this movie.
Regarding comics, I’m currently reading two with the same title: Strange Fruit. Yes, one of them is the comic that caused all the “hub-bub” a few weeks ago, even though that particular comic was not about Waid and Jones’s work but about political correctness and how I find that offensive, although I admit that got lost in the translation of my thoughts to the keyboard. The other is a graphic collection of, as the sub-title says, Uncelebrated Narratives from Black History. It’s by Joel Christian Gill. Stay tuned for my thoughts about both – political correctness will not be required, nor, do I need to say, should not be expected.
Listening to a soundtrack titled Doctor Who Epic Soundtrack 50th Anniversary Music Mix, which I found on YouTube and was complied by Juan Sam. Big Shout Out!!!!! to this guy. Running two hours and change, it is absolutely fantastic… as the Ninth Doctor would say. I heartily, strongly, robustly urge you to seek this out. Not only is it fabulous to write to – along with a nice buzz from that nice dinner Merlot – but also a tremendous means to get your Whovian mojo up and running for the September 19th premiere of Capaldi’s second season as our favorite Time Lord. And btw, just “Who” is Maisie Williams playing?
The Doctor: You…
Maise Williams’s Character: What took you so long, old man?
Is it possible that she is Susan, the Galifreyan’s granddaughter?
Opinions are welcomed and valued.
I haven’t gotten into any political rants lately, unless you count the “hub-bub” column, and I do have a lot to say about Mr. Trump and Ms. Clinton and Mr. Biden, et. al. But like the title of this column says, it’s late Sunday night and my buzz is wearing off, so it’ll have to wait. Not to worry. I’m sure the shenanigans that we call our elective process will continue to give me lots of fodder in the coming weeks.
See ya!
