James Hudnall had a right-on post about 10 Cinematic Clichés That Must Die!, which he followed up with 10 more. I agree, but I offer my list of characters to replace them.

1. The Crazed Vietnam Vet. It started in the 1970s when Hollywood wanted a character whose violence could be excused as the work of the government. The original “Rambo” movie was actually this very cliché.

Far more interesting is the character Noah, played by Chris Klein in “The Valley of Light,” about a World War II hero who comes home to find the family farm sold off, his parents dead and his brother is in jail. Very quietly, he puts to great use the maturity he had tempered in war, and the movie (spoiler alert) ends with him letting the catfish go. (more…)

Thirty years ago, actor James Whitmore did a one-man show called “Give ‘em Hell, Harry,” about President Truman. It was a fascinating tribute to a man who left the White House unpopular over a war that everyone said was unnecessary. The vindication of Truman came as the Vietnam War wound down.

Will Ferrell is preparing to do a show mocking President Bush. I guess Farrell is afraid that 30 years from now, Bush too will be vindicated. Ferrell will re-package old “SNL” skits for his show, “You’re Welcome, America. A Final Night with George W. Bush,” which begins previews on Inauguration Day. (more…)

The Associated Press quoted the starlet as saying: “I hope that the war resolves. Whether we win or lose or whatever, it doesn’t matter.”

I am not knocking her. She’s 16. I don’t expect her to politically aware. And although she’s a TV star, as a newspaperman I believe her quote comes in response to a question — so she is not speaking out. Not yet. That comes later after a few awards.

The starlet is Demi Lovato, who is the star of a new Disney Channel show, “Sonny with a Chance.” The premise of the show, according to IMDB, is “Sonny, a talented Midwestern girl, has won a nationwide talent search to move to Los Angeles and star in a popular television series. Sonny’s home and work life is documented along with her adjustment to life in the spotlight.”

Art is imitating life, isn’t it? She is adjusting to life in the spotlight, just as her character will.

(more…)

It was two degrees this morning when I left  Poca, West Virginia, for work at six. But that was not as cold as I felt after reading this at noon on the Fox News site: “Tom Hanks Says Mormon Supporters of Proposition 8 ‘Un-American’.”

Now I am willing to sacrifice my life, if necessary, to defend his right to spew whatever vile, hateful, ignorant, demented, loathsome, ugly and foolish remarks he may make.

But I also reserve my right to call his remarks vile, hateful, ignorant, demented, loathsome, ugly and foolish.

Readers can decide for themselves whether what he said is vile, hateful, ignorant, demented, loathsome, ugly and foolish. (more…)