Timcast IRL is my favorite podcast. I came to this conclusion after suffering through Joe Rogan’s softball interview with Mark Zuckerberg. When it comes to his guests, Rogan is clearly more comfortable discussing jujitsu with Zuckerberg, or professional wrestling with Donald Trump, than more substantial topics.

Tim Pool and company eschew the softballs for more hard-hitting stuff. The downside for Pool is his location. He streams the podcast from somewhere in the boonies of West Virginia, which reduces the availability of good guests. Too often, the show features some no-name, local politician. But when he gets a meatier guest (like Nancy Mace, above), Pool is often must-watch.

 

**

 

Two pearls of wisdom this week from Mary Morgan on “Pop Culture Crisis”:

 

On bitter, whining celebrities — “That’s what you would think about people in Hollywood, though: that they were bullied in high school, or they were uncool theater kids, and then they got rich and famous, so it’s fine. But no, they’re still filled with resentment from it. So, it just never goes away.”

On short haircuts for women — “You will always look better with long hair, no matter what. No woman looks better with short hair.”

 

 

I agree about the haircuts … to a point. Once a woman reaches, perhaps her 50s, long hair begins to make her look desperate to retain her fading youth.

Later in the week, Morgan popped up on Tim Pool’s podcast and warned leftists gloating over Trump’s “convicted felon” designation that it could backfire. Just as Trump’s infamous mugshot added to his “cool” status, so might the term “convicted felon.”

I imagine beer mugs and t-shirts are already in the works.

 

**

 

I am happy to report that season three of the U.S. version of The Traitors is off to a good start.

But I am upset with Peacock. Try as I might, I am unable to find out when the new seasons of Traitors Australia and England will debut. A.I., unsurprisingly, was unable to find this information for me.

 

**

 

 

I think Trump should consider doing to wealthy California residents what Biden’s FEMA did to poor North Carolina hurricane victims: withhold financial aid from anyone who voted for Democrats. I’m just kidding. Sort of.

 

**

 

I am still waiting for an apology from boy wonder Zuckerberg for Facebook’s role in censoring conservatives during and before recent elections.

I watched about an hour of his interview on Rogan’s podcast and, after hearing Zuckerberg’s excuses about how difficult his job is and how much “pressure” he was under to censor right-leaning voices, I’d had enough.

 

**

 

I finally watched A Quiet Place: Day One. I am pleased to report that it checks most of the necessary boxes:

 

  The heroine is a dying black woman. She wants nothing more than a slice of pizza before cancer or the aliens get her.

  The main straight-white-male character sobs a lot, regularly announces that he’s “afraid,” and — spoiler alert! — is saved at the end by our brave heroine, who sacrifices herself for his sake.

  There are no cute dogs in the movie. Dogs presumably share too many traits with toxic males. Instead, there is a feline for the childless cat ladies in the audience.

 

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Share

 

Saltburn

 

Saltburn falls into the “love it or hate it” category.

I loved it and I hated it. Let me try to explain ….

 

The plot:  Shortly after meeting big-man-on-campus Felix at Oxford, young Oliver is invited to Saltburn, the aristocratic home of Felix and his, uh, eccentric family. Drama ensues.

 

What I loved:

It’s a film with a point-of-view so strong that it feels more original than it actually is. I noticed similarities to The Talented Mr. Ripley and to Brideshead Revisited. That didn’t bother me because: A) Writer-director Emerald Fennell infuses her story with enough passion, and memorable scenes, that it seems fresh. This is the kind of personal film that used to be routine in the 1970s. B) If you’re going to borrow from other stories, you can do a lot worse than The Talented Mr. Ripley and Brideshead Revisited. C) It’s a black comedy. Black comedies (good ones) are in short supply these days. D) I am a sucker for lifestyles-of-the-rich-and-famous settings, especially when the photography is as striking as it is in this movie.

 

What I hated:

Hate’s a strong word. Let’s go with “dislike.” A) I disliked the fact that, as a straight male, I am not likely in this movie’s target audience. Many scenes are tailored to the “female gaze” or the “gay gaze” — take your pick. I will not harp on this because, lord knows, I am a fan of movies with the “straight male gaze.” B) I am not disposed to enjoy bodily fluids on the screen. There are two scenes (the ones you probably heard about) featuring bodily fluids. Yuck. Release: 2023  Grade: B+

 

Would I watch it again?  Eventually, yes — although I might skip the last five minutes of the movie (if you know, you know).

 

*

 

The Fall Guy

 

The recipe for a romantic action-comedy: Take two well-established, glamorous movie stars; put them in an exotic location; give the director a decent budget; marinate all of that in a script with romance, action, and comedy.

My question: Why does that formula work so well for something like 1984’s Romancing the Stone, yet fall so flat in The Fall Guy?

 

The plot: Ryan Gosling plays a dimwitted stuntman who pursues the girl of his dreams, a movie director played by Emily Blunt, on the set of her debut film being shot in Australia. When the vainglorious star of the movie goes missing, complications, danger, and stunts galore ensue.

This sort of comedy worked well for Michael Douglas and Kathleen Turner in Stone, so why not here?

The problem is in the script. Everything (and everyone) has been “dumbed down” so as not to offend anyone in the audience.

We aren’t intended to like Gosling’s character even though he’s a lunkheaded man-child; we are intended to like him because he’s a lunkheaded man-child. You know, the way a 12-year-old adores The Three Stooges.

We aren’t intended to like Blunt’s character because she’s an empowered “girl boss”; we are intended to like her because, when the chips are down, she can morph into a female Bruce Lee.

This kind of nonsense might amuse the average 12-year-old, but it made me cringe. Romancing the Stone was unbelievable, but clever. The Fall Guy is just plain dumb. Release: 2024 Grade: D

 

Would I watch it again?  No way, Jose.

 

*

 

My Old Ass

 

The plot: During a drug-induced hallucination, a Canadian teen (Maisy Stella) meets her 39-year-old future self (Aubrey Plaza), a mystery woman who imparts advice in hopes of improving both of their lives.

When I finished watching this charming movie, I thought of another film I watched — and loved — more than a decade ago. Like My Old Ass, low-budget Short Term 12 (2013) featured a breakout performance from a young actress (Brie Larson) and a story that caught me off guard with its heartfelt sincerity.

And yet, 11 years later, I can’t recall a single thing about the plot of Short Term 12. Will the same thing happen to me with My Old Ass? Is it another “little” movie I like very much — and then forget? I hope not. Release: 2024  Grade: A-

 

Would I watch it again?  Yes.

 

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Share

 

She’s back …

 

 

Good Asian-related News:

 

Squid Game season 2 is pretty good. It’s not as good as the original. This time around, the emphasis is on players’ personal dramas and relationships. That’s fine, but the selling point of Squid Game is the games. The games were better in season one.

The new season does bring back the opening challenge, in which players must outwit/outrun a giant girl-doll (above), but there is nothing to rival the first show’s best game, in which contestants play a deadly game of hopscotch over a bottomless pit.

 

Bad Asian-related News:

 

I’m not sure where to place the blame for this one, but it’s among anime distributors Funimation, Crunchyroll, and Sony. 

In December, I discovered that my Funimation library of movies and TV shows had been erased — poof! Gone without a trace.

Despite my providing them with a screen capture of my digital library (below), the jerks at Crunchyroll were less than helpful. They demanded receipts. From shows that I acquired years ago. Do you keep receipts from movies you bought three years ago?

That seems like theft, to me.  If you are considering purchases from Crunchyroll (Funimation is, apparently, defunct), be warned.

 

 

**

 

I watched La Palma on Netflix. It was a routine disaster show about a volcano. The only thing I am likely to remember is actress Alma Gunther (on the left, below):

 

 

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Share

 

 

If you recognize the above shot from the opening scene of a Christmas classic, then we can possibly be friends.

 

**

 

Holiday Harangues

 

 

 

Ramaswamy’s take on foreign workers vs. American workers might be correct. He feels that too many of us are unmotivated. I’m just a stupid American, so what do I know?

But I do know this: Ramaswamy’s timing is terrible.

We need to focus first on worker IDs, and on illegal immigration. Only then should we discuss these visas. Trump supporters are not in the mood to talk about special exceptions to immigration — yet.

Also, Ramaswamy’s and Musk’s take is music to the ears of big corporations, and that can’t be good for the rest of us.

 

 

Stop sending money and weapons to Ukraine. Only then can we discuss other ways to help Ukrainians.

 

I have nothing against Kentucky, South Carolina, or California (well, nothing against the first two), but until the awful politicians pictured below are gone and forgotten (and possibly prosecuted), I don’t want to forgive anyone from those states who imposed them on the rest of us.

 

 

 

 

**

 

I used to think that young women were probably the best thing about America. Young men went to war and died for “the girl back home.”

Now I think too many Western females are entitled brats: selfish, promiscuous and possibly the worst thing about America.

This woman’s YouTube video addresses the situation well — to me, anyway.

It’s no longer about “women’s rights.” It’s about “women’s privileges.”

 

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Share

 

Ricky Gervais liked my reply to his post:

 

 

It’s nice to be recognized by a comic genius.

 

 

Twice.

 

**

 

Quiet Before the Storm

 

Twas the week before Christmas

and all through the land,

Redsters and Bluesters

were taking a stand …

Before all hell breaks loose

 

Enjoy the holidays, because next year could make 2024 feel like a bridge tournament.

The election was merely a battle; the war begins next month, methinks.

 

**

 

Season two of Wednesday will premiere sometime next year. I did a search for information and this photo popped up:

 

 

Turns out there is a whole industry dedicated to deep-faking our favorite movies and TV shows. For example, I’ve seen Crocodile Dundee and Alien, but I don’t recall these two scenes:

 

 

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Share

 

Conclave

 

Story: When the pope dies, cardinals are sequestered in Vatican City to elect a new one. The man in charge of this process (Ralph Fiennes) must navigate competing factions and secrets kept by the deceased pope.

 

Pros:

A.  It’s refreshing to watch an intellectual drama, as opposed to an emotional drama or, God help us, another comic-book flick or sequel.

There are scenes in Conclave that might appear dull on paper but are gripping on the screen. It’s why I love good chess movies like The Queen’s Gambit and Searching for Bobby Fischer. You don’t need chase scenes or explosions to generate suspense. Conclave uses great acting to convey a dramatic power struggle.

B.  The sets look gorgeous. The atmosphere is suitably claustrophobic.

C.  It’s educational for non-Catholics. Aside from the famous smoke signal when a new pope is elected, I knew nothing of the selection process.

 

Cons:

A.  The ending.

I am not referring to the big twist, which has been criticized as being “woke.” I thought the twist was more thought-provoking than virtue signaling. What I disliked was the scene preceding the big reveal, in which the conclave of cardinals, having listened to a stirring speech by a colleague, make a major, about-face decision about their vote. I didn’t buy it.

Release: 2024  Grade: B+

 

Would I watch it again? If I get thirsty for a brainy thriller, yes.

 

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Share

 

by Gypsy Rose Lee

 

I was in the mood for a curiosity, so I read Mother Finds a Body, by Gypsy Rose Lee. What and Who? you might ask.

Lee was America’s most famous burlesque-and-striptease star of the mid-20th century. She penned a memoir titled Gypsy, which became a musical play and a 1962 movie with Natalie Wood and Rosalind Russell. Oh, and she wrote two murder mysteries, including this one.

I consider murder-mystery novels written by famous strippers to be a “curiosity.”

The plot:  A handful of comics and dancers traveling east with a trailer make a pit stop in Ysleta, Texas, and discover a body under the bed in their mobile home.

If you’ve watched any screwball comedies from the 1930s, what ensues is very much like those. Lots of tough talk, quaint jargon, and quirky characters.

Like one of Lee’s costumes during her act, there’s not a lot of material here — but it’s an enjoyable watch.

 

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Share

 

 

This guy Kirby is a great government spokesman for the mysterious-drones issue.

I am being sarcastic.

I mean, at this point does anyone believe a single word out of his mouth?

 

**

 

If I had to cite a movie that these bizarre drone sightings remind me of, I’d say Netflix’s Leave the World Behind.

That movie was produced by the Obamas.

Just a coincidence?

(Cue Twilight Zone music.)

 

**

 

I recently got back on Twitter and was quickly bombarded by two types of followers: AI-generated attractive “girls,” and real-life hookers.

Occasionally one of these chicks has an amusing post. Like this one:

 

 

Overall, I am happy to be back on the X:

 

 

As for the people I reply to, I couldn’t say.

 

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Share

 

 

Lots of nasty rumors about Tom Hanks floating around the Internet. I hope they are just that: rumors.

But this is 2024, so who knows?

 

We need to rip off the Band-Aid, find out who’s on the Epstein and Diddy lists, and get it over with.

 

**

 

 

With these pardons, Biden seems hellbent on cementing his legacy as one of the worst presidents in American history.

 

**

 

I’ve been watching a lot of horror movies lately.

Pretty Good:  Speak No Evil

Average:  Afraid

 

**

 

Look out, world. Guess who’s back on Twitter (X)?

 

 

 

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Share

 

 

I haven’t seen Wicked the movie. Apparently, it’s pretty good. But I already have an issue with the film that has nothing to do with “wokeness” or the stars’ obnoxious press interviews.

Here’s my thing about musicals, in general: I like them — if the music is good. Rodgers and Hammerstein cranked out one great play/movie after another largely because their tunes were so memorable. Oklahoma!, The Sound of Music, My Fair Lady (not Rodgers and Hammerstein, but you get the point) — those 1940s-‘50s shows included tunes that I still enjoy.

I watched some Wicked videos on YouTube and there was nothing special that I heard. “Defying Gravity,” for example, spotlights what I dislike most about musicals: actors belting out some gaudy, generic number that doesn’t say “catchy tune,” but rather “Look at me! Listen to me! I’m singing!”

Theater kids may dig that shit, but it bores me.

 

**

 

 

The Helicopter Heist

 

This is one of those foreign shows (Sweden) that fly under the radar on Netflix, which is sometimes justified, sometimes a shame. The title sounds like a rip-off of Money Heist; the plot synopsis also seems “been there, done that.”

But damned if this miniseries didn’t hook me. I liked it for three main reasons: The lead characters were compelling; the plot had me alternately rooting for the bad guys and the good guys; the heist itself was magnificent. Oh, and I really dug the musical score.

 

**

 

Tier lists are all the rage on YouTube. I thought I’d make my own. It’s a subjective ranking of horror movies, from Universal classics to recent offerings. It’s how I feel about them. If you don’t like my rankings, tough titties. Click on the image for a larger view. If you still can’t read the titles in the images, it’s because Tiermaker sucks. Tough titties.

 

 

© 2010-2025 grouchyeditor.com (text only)

Share