The Protest in Charlottesville Virginia

     It's unfortunate that we need to be made aware of such dangerous people. We can't go back, and the South will not rise again (with all due respect to innocent, respectful Southerners). Slavery was wrong, and the Holocaust was wrong. Americans won't be blindsided by allowing this hate talk to convert us. I believe that cultural, and ethnic diversity is not only tolerated, but embraced by most people.

     NO hate groups should be allowed on college campuses because their mission is recruitment! Our students should not be exposed to the dangerous environments made by hate groups being on college campuses. Whether being a club, a public speaker, or protestors, the potential for violence is too high when their message is hate and divisiveness. Put all Civil War relics in a "National Confederate Museum of Prejudice and Intolerance" so that the KKK, the White Nationalist, and others with similar beliefs can go and worship the demons and evil idols inside.

     I would pay extra taxes to keep a Confederate flag off government buildings, and not flapping in the wind in anyone's face. Anyone's. Including more than enough White who don't believe in such superiority nonsense. All ethnic groups need to continue to have faith in that, and combine forces with them, or we'll have no America. We'll be in another Civil War. Russia, North Korea, ISIS, and China will sure be standing by for that..

The Charlottesville, Va. Protest and the Possible Trump Connection

I saw this coming. President Trump's endgame. Part of his mission to control, and reduce the number of minorities (with his wall building and deportation campaign promises). He hopes this plan will strengthen the White Power Structure, like when America was great as he says. Just my theories developed through observation. But his opponents in the Republican Primary just kept following his lead on the wall and immigration reform without challenging him on his real motivation f...or them. Hillary Clinton didn't do much better, and totally dropped the ball. This Presidency illustrates why Presidents have term limits. But a bad President can destroy America in less than 4 years it seems, so let us come together as one society against racism. No President can stop that because most people are good. The bad guys where just in the right states (and Russia) for Trump.
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Confederate Statues, Flags, and Other Concessions

     Confederate "hero" statues and the Confederate flag should go the way of Confederate money in my opinion. Especially when they sit on State and Federal government property. But I would have no objection to other locations of display because I love history regardless, and all history should be preserved.

 

     However, we must realize that these Confedrate forms of public displays were concessions to the South, to appease those who lost their whole plantation economy after 1865. Soon, Segregation was allowed as another concession from the Federal government in the 1880s. In Virginia particularly, it was even illegal for Blacks and Whites to marry before 1967!

 

     Despite all these concessions allowed by the Federal government, the KKK existed before them, and the KKK still exist to this day (along with other hate groups they inspired). The concessions didn't work, and has cost much Black suffering. But the Federal government finally bent to the wisdom of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (and Black voting power) when Segregation was ended in 1965, and, a man and woman of different ethnicities could legally marry each other in Va. as of 1967.

 

     Now in 2017, the Federal government must step in again and compell all States to remove all Confederate symbols from government property. It's time. No more concessions! The bones of slaves lie under miles of Southern roadways and structures. They have no statues or even a grave marker.

Nate Parker's "The Birth of a Nation"

     Do you have a dog? Whether you bought your dog or not, do you consider it property or family? Do you teach your dog tricks? Obedience? Do you punish your dog? Chances are you treat your dog much better than slave owners treated their slaves. Soon will be the 400th anniversary of the beginning of the slave trade that supposedly ended in America after the Civil War in 1865.

     The Birth of a Nation is a film that tells the story of Nat Turner and his leading of a slave rebellion in Hampton Va. He's portrayed as a hero instead of a savage terrorist, as many history books describe him. The Legacy of Nat Turner documentary which is included in the special features of the DVD & Blue Ray version of the film gives even more facts and insight about Nat Turner.

     Nat Turner waited for a sign, which happened to be a solar eclipse, to start the attack on the county's slave owners. Ironically, there was a solar eclipse on August 21, 2017. August 12, 2017 was the Charlottesville Va. protest by various hate groups lead by Whites which resulted in the death of a counter protester. The protest was reportedly against the removal of Civil War relics and symbols from State government property including buildings. But was there a connection to the slave rebellion led by Nat Turner?

     Blacks were either slaves or dead in the South during slavery. So if you were a slave would you kill your captors to be free? In the special features documentary, a White man who's ancestors barely escaped death by Nat Turner's forces, admits that if Whites were slaves they would similarly rebel. Should there be Confederate symbols on State government property? Should all known slave owners be removed? Should there be a Nat Turner have a statue? The Birth of a Nation film has outstanding acting performances, sets, period costumes, and music, but most of all the script is profoundly moving and effective in telling this historical drama.

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter

     The longest running female driven science fiction movie series to date are the Resident Evil movies. "The Final Chapter" wraps things up in a bloody bow. New characters are introduced in this film, but aren't well developed. They are only present to defend Alice, as they are wiped out by the T-virus infected. No need for their backstories.

     Alice's team must get her to the the Hive to complete her mission to save what's left of humankind. Milla Jovovich is ageless in her role as Alice, clearly doing many of her stunts herself. This is not nearly the best film in the series, but it answers many questions, including the biggest question of the film franchise...Who is Alice?

Ex-Machina

     Ex-Machina is a fantastic story with so much technical realism you'd think it was a biography. The time period that the story takes place in was left intentionally vague, but the clothing, architecture, and language (English) was contemporary. All the actors were superior, and interacted well as a cast. With only four characters, the film interesting and exciting. A robotics/computer science engineer entrepreneur is at the verge of achieving artificial intelligence in the form a robot in the image of a young woman. 

     The scientist needs to confirm the robot's self-awareness through the interaction of a specially selected young male student. The three become involved in a battle of wits, which becomes increasingly dangerous for all of them. Unexpectedly, a different female robot in the complex, created only for pleasure, starts wondering if there is more to her existence. Watch this film to see the dramatic outcome of the research.

13 Hours

13 Hours is a film about what happened in that time span to American military contractors defending occupants of the US Embassy in Bengahzi, Lybia against terrorist. The film portrayed the heros and victims with respect, and without political mud slinging. The production focused on the lives of the contractors and the victims, on, and off the battlefield.

Ghostbusters (2016)

     Ghostbusters (now in video), was cast well, and with a reboot in mind. All of the women team members were regulars on SNL, or appeared there often (Melissa McCartney), like their original male counterparts. This project was a no brainer because the cast was there, and the time was right. The problem was the writing. I was surprised to find out that Dan Aykroyd and Ivan Reitman were producers considering this.

     I wondered, why not make the women children of the  "forefathers" of the Ghostbusters? Several of them made cameos in the film. Dan Ackroyd was a cab driver, Bill Murray was a ghost debunker, and Ernie Hudson was a funeral director! This made them look like they were all desparate for money to me. I just think they should have played their original roles. Those type of cameo appearances are for TV shows made into films.

     When I saw Meet the Team in the Special Features section of the DVD, I appreciated the directors vision a lot more, and what he was trying to accomplish. So have fun with this film. A good film for everyone of all ages. It's just that, like so many other remakes or reboots, the original movie was just better.

Welcome Home to Spider-Man: Homecoming

     DC heroes often oversee justice in fictional cities like Metropolis, and Gotham City. Marvel character plots are often written so that they "exist" in real cities. New Yorkers claim Spider-Man as their #1 hero, with all due respect to Dare Devil (Hells Kitchen), Captain America (Brooklyn), and Luke Cage (Harlem). I live in Queens, New York, and trust me, this movie captured Queens more accurately than any previous Spider-Man film. The racial diversity of the cast is beautiful.

     This movie depiction of Spider-Man is really a Spider-Boy. When not fighting crime he's building Lego structures with his best friend, but still trying to be cool around girls. Gaining his super powers as a teenager, Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is very impulsive and over eager to explore the reaches of his skills. He admires the Avengers, and wants to drop out of school if necessary to join them. Tony

     Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) mentors the rambunctious Parker. Parker starts a criminal investigation solo which is discouraged by Stark. Parker's not ready, regardless of his successful debout helping Stark with his Avengers' "Civil Wars". So much is at stake for Parker, as he becomes careless (as teenagers often are) about concealing his Spider-Man identity. Can the space aged equipment loaned to Parker by Stark be the difference between his life and death? Or will Spider-Man have to save himself without it? This new Spider-Man movie edition is incredible, and amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39udgGPyYMg

Atomic Bond

Pass the "Salt". This movie looks at least as good as that Angelina Jolie film according to the trailer. Doubtful they'll be a female Bond in the movies, so hopefully this is of equitable quality. Watch the trailer.

https://www.facebook.com/AtomicBlondeMovie/

Welcome Marvel's Inhumans

     Agent Carter was disappointing, and Agents of Shield hasn't reached it's potential. It's the TV "Disney Affect " (overly family oriented with low budget special... effects) with Once Upon A Time on the same network (which actually started off good). Disney owns ABC and many Marvel properties. Disney puts much more production value into their films obviously, but ABC TV shows can't touch some HBO, AMC, or Netflix TV series for example.

     With Iwan Rheon from Game of Thrones (HBO) and Anson Mount from Hell on Wheels (AMC) in the cast, I'm enthusiastic about the expected high quality of acting and top rate special effects in Inhumans. The character Black Bolt (played by Anson Mount), the leader of the Inhumans, can level planets with his voice, so let's see how the small screen portrays such power. Check out the trailer.

http://wimz.com/blogs/jay-mac-way/1675/new-marvel-tv-series-inhumans-official-trailer-1/

Transformers: My Last Knight

     Movies about fast cars...awesome. Movies about fighting robots...awesome. Movies about fighting robots that turn into fast cars?...I'm all in. And I was with Transformers: The Last Knight. But I was disappointed, confused, and tired by the end. Yes, I said tired. It took a lot of mental stamina to try to follow the elusive plot. A very convoluted plot, with long monologues attempting to explain Transformer origin mythology. This really stretched-out the film. The movie was at least an 90 minutes too long.

     However, to be fair, the film was very funny. Mark Wahlberg seems to have given up his action hero options for comedy in his most recent films, including this one. Like the Transformers, Anthony Hopkins settled for easy laughs at times by speaking urban slang, but in his British accent. Wahlberg tries to find Bubble Bee's true voice (for some reason) by replacing certain of his car parts. Parentless, homeless kids factor into the plot as the defenders of a few critically damaged Transformers. Similar to an X-Men film, the U.S. government wants all Transformers destroyed to eliminate any possible threat to humankind.

     Anthony Hopkins is investigating the connection between Merlin the Magician, King Arthur's rise to power, and ancient DNA from Witwicky ancestry that can control Transformer technology. That's where I got lost. Shia Labeouf (Sam Witwicky) wasn't even in the film! Even weirder, a Megan Fox look-alike, who was suppose to be a Witwicky, had such DNA. How could the production close the book on the Transformers without having most of the original actors in it. He did out grow the roll of Sam Witwicky, but was Shia Labeouf that bad to work with? Not even a Stan Lee type cameo? The comedy in the film was not enough to overcome the lack of action and adventure that I expected.