Category: Television Page 1 of 20

“Margo’s Got Money Troubles” Opens SXSW 2026 on March 12th, 2026

On March 13, 2026

In Pop Culture, Reviews, Television, Texas

“Margo’s Got Money Troubles” opened the SXSW Film Festival at the Paramount Theater on Thursday, March 12th. We were treated to three episodes of the new series and the remarks of most of the principal cast members after they screened. Showrunner David E. Kelley, husband of Michelle Pfeiffer and originator of so many hit television series, came onstage and insisted that the woman who wrote the book on which the characters were based, Rufi Thorpe, stand up in the audience and take a bow. Writers are often treated as prophets without honor in their own land, so that was refreshing. Of course, Kelley is a writer, so he knows the often seen lack-of-attribution-for-the-creator issue firsthand.

SYNOPSIS

The synopsis for the series, which starts on Apple on April 15^th says: “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” is a bold, heart-warming and comedic family drama following recent college dropout and aspiring writer, Margo (Elle Fanning), the daughter of an ex-Hooter’s waitress Shayanne (Michelle Pfeiffer) and an ex-pro wrestler, Jinx, with drug abuse issues, played by Nick Offerman. Margo is forced to make her way forward with a new baby, a mounting pile of bills, and a dwindling amount of ways to pay them.”

The opening set-up features Margo being groomed by her Literature instructor at Fullerton College. According to Professor Gable, who impregnates the young Margo and then retreats to his wife and two children, Margo is practically the next Shakespeare. That works. Margo is soon with child.

First, Professor Gable seems to suggest that Margo get rid of the child and that she could well be the next Rufi Thorpe (the author who wrote the 2024 best selling novel on which the characters are based.) He mentions Harvard for Margo rather than Fullerton. The young, impressionable Margo falls victim to one of the oldest plays in the book.

PREGNANCY

Showrunner David E. Kelly after the Opening Night showing of “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” at SXSW 2026 on March 12, 2026.

There is no mention of why Margo isn’t on the pill or why condoms don’t enter the picture. That would definitely have stopped this plot at inception. Or conception.

Margo, for reasons that she can’t fully articulate, decides that she wants to keep this child, repeating the pattern of single motherhood that her own mother lived. Mom is not happy about it. At one point, following a neat film segue from Margo screaming in a parking lot (while Mom Michelle Pfeiffer screams inside the car) we move directly to screaming in labor and Bodhi Millet is born. [Cinematographers Carl Herse and Tari Segal get props for the neat juxtaposition.]

As the mother of two, I appreciated the reality of motherhood being depicted with all of the less-than-glamorous spit-up, feces, breast milk and paraphernalia. This version of motherhood reminded me of Marielle Heller’s film “Nightbitch” starring Amy Adams, which also told it like it is—(except for the part about turning into a dog.)

CAST & DIRECTOR

Elle Fanning and Michelle Pfeiffer (Margo & Shayanne) after the showing of “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” at SXSW on Opening Night (March 12, 2026.)

Present this night was Director Dearbhla Walsh, who has won an IFTA award for ‘Fargo” and directed episodes of “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Kate Herron also directs and was onstage. The writing and directing take an excellent script by Kelley and, from there, the cast is an All Star ensemble, with Elle Fanning (a producer along with her sister Dakota) giving a terrific performance in the first three episodes we were shown. The others in the cast include Greg Kinnear as Kenny, Marcia Gay Harden, Nicole Kidman (who did not appear in episodes one through three) and those already mentioned.

CONCLUSION

This one is going on my ‘must see” list. It appears that Dad (Nick Offerman–who we were told did his own wrestling stunts) is going to stay on as Margo’s roommate. Margo is going to start making some quick money on OnlyFans, since she is unemployed. Mom Shayanne (Michelle Pfeiffer)–who is really not cut out to be the Grandmother who babysits— is engaged to uber Christian Kenny (Greg Kinnear) and the cosplaying roommate has not jumped ship, but is going to continue to be a shoulder for Margo to cry on.

Irish director Dearbhla Walsh addresses the crowd from the stage of the Paramount Theater after the showing of “Margo’s Got Money Troubles” on Opening Night of SXSW 2026 March12, 2026.

I look forward to the mother/daughter dynamic, which promises to be a big part of the story.As Director Dearbhla Walsh (in the brightly colored coat) said in her Irish accent, “If it’s not one thing, it’s your mother.”

The series is billed as being about bravery, courage, optimism, the lengths we will go to for our loved ones and controlling your own destiny in life. As someone with two children (born 19 years apart) who has lived parts of this story, I heartily recommend checking this one out when it premieres April 15th.

The Experts Weigh In On Stephen Colbert’s Firing

By Connie Wilson

On July 20, 2025

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Interviews, Local, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Pop Culture, Television

Stephen Colbert.

The Washington Post (Emily Davies) asked some prominent authorities in the field of television about the likelihood that the cancellation of Stephen Colbert’s Late Show was just based on financial considerations, as Paramount maintains. The experts aren’t buying it; neither should we. Forty-eight hours after Colbert called the $16 million payment to Trump by Paramount a bribe on his show, one designed to help facilitate the sale of CBS to Skydance, Colbert was fired, despite being #1.

“How often does the No. 1 guy get canceled? You can analyze this 100 different ways, but Colbert has the No. 1 show in late night and they’ve canceled him. If it walks like a duck, it’s a duck,” Rob Burnett said. “I don’t know the ins and outs of what’s going on up there, but I just don’t think if Stephen Colbert isn’t saying the things he’s saying that this happens.” Rob Burnett ran things at the Tonight Show for 19 years as David Letterman’s producer.

Burnett conceded that revenue is down in late night: At its peak, during Johnny Carson’s long stint as host, NBC’s time-slot champion “Tonight Show” drew 17 million viewers, according to Adweek, whereas Colbert’s top-rated “Late Show” has averaged about 2.5 million viewers this year. All the late-night shows now share digital excerpts online. That allows fans to consume an episode in pieces whenever they choose, and younger viewers choose to do that. But YouTube doesn’t offer nearly the same ad revenue as television. Still, the lock on late night viewers is no longer the pull it was for older generations. Viewers under 35 might not watch any of the late night hosts.

Merrill Markoe

Merrill Markoe, who was the head writer on Letterman’s show during its early-1980s incarnation on NBC before he went on to launch “The Late Show” and moved to CBS in the 1990s, said she “had nightmares” after she heard the news about Colbert.

“CBS, Paramount, the merger, the buyout with Trump, all of it came tumbling down like dice and added up to me in a second,” she said. “It hit me in a very hard way. He was No. 1 in his time slot. And a talk show is one of the cheapest forms of entertainment there is.”

As far as what’s next, Colbert still has many shows to produce at CBS before May. Daniel Kellison, another former Letterman producer, doubts he’ll make it. “I just hope he’s going to go all scorched-earth now. There’s no way he’s going to be on the air for nine months,” Kellison said. “He’s such a smart guy, and it would be really cool if he did a slow burn.”

It’s classic authoritarian behavior to forbid criticism, especially if the target is someone as thin-skinned as DJT. Our First Amendment freedoms are under attack and the Jimmys (Fallon and Kimmel) and other hosts (Jon Stewart, Seth Meyer, Bill Maher, Conan O’Brien, John Oliver) are being bullied into submission, just as our universities, our judges, our elected representatives in Congress and anyone whom DJT has a beef with is being bullied into submission.

How long before our First Amendment Freedom of Speech and of the Press and of the right to assembly are eroded? Our leaders of conscience of any party must stand up for the Constitution and the right of habeas corpus and all of our cherished American freedoms, before DJT and Steve Bannon and the boys completely destroy the freedoms our citizens have exercised and prized for 250 years.

Some suggest that Colbert ought to run against Lindsey Graham, since they are both from South Carolina. It would be a waste of a top-notch talent we sorely need at these moments of crisis.

Thank you for speaking truth to power, Stephen Colbert, and let’s hope that the venality of the nation’s biggest bully—out there for all to see—gives pause to some of the worst excesses of MAGA land.

Stephen Colbert Is Canceled By CBS

By Connie Wilson

On July 17, 2025

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Local, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Television

Stephen Colbert.

At 7 p.m. (CDT) on Thursday (7/17) comes the news that Stephen Colbert’s Late Night Show has been canceled. He has until May before we will have to do without Colbert’s brand of intelligent humor and his insightful interviews of informed celebrities.

Lately, Colbert himself had made jokes about the possibility that his show, which was top-rated, might be yanked from the air waves. The connection that everyone is making is the current attempt by Paramount (Shari Redstone) to sell CBS to Sky Dance and Larry Ellison. Recently, “Sixty Minutes” forked over $16 million for a non-offense, which had to do with airing an interview with Kamala Harris that DJT did not like.

Trump had accused the network of editing in an improper way, which nearly all experts say was not the case. It caused the long-time Director of “Sixty Minutes” to resign and the network—which needs approval from the FCC to sell to Sky Dance—paid $16 million to Trump’s future presidential library.

It was reported by PBS this way: “In a case seen as a challenge to American free-speech principles, Paramount has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump over the editing of CBS’ ” 60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October.

Paramount, which owns CBS, said the money will go to Trump’s future presidential library, not to the Republican president himself. It said the settlement did not involve an apology.

Trump’s lawyer said Trump had suffered “mental anguish” over the editing of the interview by CBS News, while Paramount and CBS rejected his contention that it was edited to enhance how Harris, the Democratic nominee for president in 2024, sounded. They had called Trump’s case “completely without merit.”

NBC explained the news this way: “CBS’ parent company, Paramount, is in the midst of an $8 billion merger with Hollywood studio Skydance. But the deal has been delayed for months as talks with lawyers for President Donald Trump dragged on after he filed a lawsuit over an interview the CBS newsmagazine “60 Minutes” aired with Vice President Kamala Harris last year.

Paramount agreed in principle on July 2 to settle the suit by paying $16 million to Trump’s future presidential library. However, Paramount Global said at the time, “this lawsuit is completely separate from and unrelated to the Skydance transaction and the FCC approval process.” Trump’s FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, is investigating the deal.

Colbert recently criticized the settlement on “The Late Show,” calling it “a big fat bribe.”

And now Stephen Colbert—arguably the best at skewering Donald J. Trump—has been let go for “financial reasons” at a time when his show was #1 in the late-night ratings.

This is what can happen in the United States of America when a dictator takes over the levers of power. Free speech is under attack and Colbert is the highest-profile victim, but almost certainly not the last. This is a move right out of Putin’s playbook.

Flash Flooding: Iowa Quad Cities, July 11th, 2025

By Connie Wilson

On July 11, 2025

In Local, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Television

Davenport, Iowa on July 11th: flash flooding

Davenport, Iowa, Friday, July 11th, 35th St. area and near Duck Creek area were hardest hit. The Illinois side of the river did not get hit as bad as the Iowa side.

Flash flooding in Davenport, Iowa According to the Scott County Emergency Management team, over 100 houses are affected and there are numerous 9-1-1 calls. I was on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River until about 5 p.m., but the downpour came later. I noticed that the atmosphere seemed to be getting hotter close to 5 p.m. and, for want of a better term, the air became sultry.

Girl in flood waters in Davenport, Iowa

My biggest concern for what remains of my life on the planet is the worsening condition of the weather. It doesn’t seem to bother the current Republican administration at all. “Drill, Baby, Drill!” is the chief buzz word from MAGA nation. I am well aware that the current weather crisis cannot be put back “the way it was” but there were steps, including the promotion of electric cars over those that run on fossil fuel, that might have helped, over time. I’ve read that China has made some progress in its polluting of the atmosphere.

Flooded car in Davenport, Iowa on July 11th, 2025.

Have we? Will we?

“2024:” Trump Threatens to ‘Bomb the S***’ Out of Moscow/Beijing

By Connie Wilson

On July 8, 2025

In Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Television

“2024” book jacket

There’s a new book out entitled “2024,” It is written by 3 co-authors who appeared on CNN to shill for this new book. The book is subtitled: “How Trump Retook the White House and the Democrats Lost America.” The authors are Josh Dawsey of the Wall Street Journal, Tyler Pager of the New York Times, and Isaac Arnsdorf, Senior Washington Post Reporter.

On CNN the trio played an exclusive audio recording of Trump reciting the details of a conversation he had with Vladimir Putin. Knowing DJT, you can not believe what he says. It is also true that I can only type so fast, so my transcription of the audio piece, while substantially correct, is slightly truncated. I’m sure you’ll hear this amazing piece of audio soon elsewhere, but let me synopsize it for you.

Trump: “I had a very strong conversation with President Putin and he understood. And I won’t go into the great details of the conversation because nobody has to hear it, but did they fear me? I suspect they did. I told him, ‘If you go into Ukraine I’m gonna’ bomb the shit out of Moscow. I’m telling you: I have no choice.’ So he goes like, ‘I don’t believe you. He said ‘No way.’ I said ‘Way.’ And then he goes like, ‘I don’t believe you.’ I said the same thing to Xi Jinping. If you go into Taiwan I’m gonna’ bomb the shit out of Beijing.’ And he didn’t believe me either. I think they believed me 10% and that’s all you need. They thought I was just crazy enough that I might do it.”

Another part of the tape dealt with Trump’s solicitation of huge political contributions to his campaign. Trump mentioned a donor who gave him $25 million. The audio tape went this way: “He was worth 4 or 5 billion. Most of its—half of it in cash. And he wants to have lunch and hand over a million. I said, ‘You’re much richer than that. You’re worth 5 or 6 billion. I’m not having lunch. You’ve got to make it 25 million.’ And he said ‘Oh, that sounds like a lot.” The tape continued, “He gave me 25 million. It’s crazy.”

True or false? Bragging or embarrassing himself (and our country?)

A snippet of the televised Cabinet meeting of July 8, Tuesday was played. A female reporter asked Trump who had okayed the pausing of the delivery of munitions to Ukraine, (which occurred recently.)The President did not like the question. He said, very sarcastically, “Why don’t you tell me.”

Pete Hegseth, Secretary of Defense.

Trump did not hand off the military question to his Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who was seated to his immediate left.

The discussion of the experts onscreen went on to say that Hegseth may have “okayed” the stopping of aid to Ukraine without properly notifying Trump that he was doing so. Pretty easy to believe of a guy who included the Editor of the “Atlantic” on a highly classified military discussion of bombing Yemen and faced no further repercussions. But, then, being a talking head on Fox News is not the best preparation for heading up the military of the United States. Incompetent people may do incompetent or poorly thought out things.

This audio tape was played on CNN on Tuesday, January 8th, about 6 p.m. I would anticipate that Trump’s people will deny it was authentic audio and then attack the reporters (as is their custom). Some further discussion of Putin and Trump occurred involving Rahm Emanuel, former Mayor of Chicago, former Ambassador to Japan, and current CNN Global and Foreign Affairs Commentator.

Rahm Emanuel, former Obama advisor, Chicago Mayor, and Ambassador to Japan.

Emanuel offered the opinion that Putin has “bet the farm” on his invasion of Ukraine. The experts agreed that Trump has misjudged Putin, who does not, as Trump previously thought, desire closer relations with the West. Putin’s true aim is to return Russia to its previous Glory Days, not to ally it with the wicked West. The talking heads felt that DJT might be changing his opinion on a future chummy relationship with Russia, saying, “We got a lot of bullshit thrown at us by Putin.” (So much for bringing the Ukrainian War to a halt in 24 hours.)

Emanuel’s take on our current relationship with China is that the most dangerous threat is not an invasion of Taiwan, but a take-over of the Philippines, saying, “The real challenge is the South China Seas and the Philippines.”

The three authors of the book said that Trump spoke to them for the book. In March, they approached Joe Biden, who agreed to speak with them, but did not follow through. The story, as related by Tyler Pager, was that he had asked Biden’s aides for months to speak to him. Finally, Pager got Biden’s direct cell phone number and phoned him directly. Biden answered and, said Pager, “He seemed open to talking to us.”

However, when the trio called back to set up a time to speak, the number had been disconnected. Pager also related some fairly critical phone conversations with Biden aides, who admonished him about contacting their boss.

It will be interesting to see if there is any coverage of the clip that reveals our current leader as a loose cannon, threatening WWIII, strong-arming rich donors for bigger contributions, and generally behaving in the boorish manner we have seen on the national and international stage. (Makes you proud to be an American—right?)

The very last bit of business that the CNN report addressed was Jimmy Carter’s funeral, where the film clip showed Obama speaking with Trump as they sat with the other living presidents and with Vice President Harris (who seemed annoyed that Obama was being civil to DJT in the row behind her.) The trio says the conversation was of Trump inviting Obama to play golf at one of his clubs.

The Presidency

By Connie Wilson

On June 10, 2025

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Local, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Television

Armed troops sent in by Mayor Daley during the Chicago riots of 1968, following the assassination of Martin Luther King.

In a March 29th, 1968 editorial entitled “The Presidency,” in LIFE magazine, Hugh Sidey wrote, “There remain people who are wistful over what is happening, who feel that the United States Presidency is a marble relic to be placed high on a pedestal above the daily political clamor, to be revered and protected, never buffeted or soiled. But the Presidency is refined only in the process that chooses the man for the office. The Presidency is only as strong as the men who contend for it. It is visionary and responsive to the country’s needs only when natural political forces collide freely.

In politics, as in life, struggle often breeds character—to invoke a Lyndon Johnson maxim which he got from his mother…A lot of silly things have been said about not making this fight a personal one. But it has to be. The Presidency is a personal matter. The arguments in the end come down to how that single person will think and act….What is the most important task of the President: to pass legislation, as Lyndon Johnson has done, or to lift the hearts of the people as he has not. Or to do both.”

RFK assassination (1968)

Robert F. Kennedy lies mortally wounded on the floor immediately after the shooting. Kneeling beside him is 17-year-old busboy Juan Romero, who was shaking Kennedy’s hand when Sirhan Sirhan fired the shots

Those Hugh Sidey words were written against the backdrop of a looming 1968 fight amongst the Democratic faithful, with Bobby Kennedy seeking to take the torch from the hands of the incumbent President. Johson would not announce that he would not seek nor would he accept his party’s nomination until March 31, 1968, two days after this editorial appeared.

Although Johnson confided to aides on several occasions that he might be forced to accept Kennedy in order to secure a victory over a moderate Republican ticket such as Nelson Rockefeller and George Romney,^[215] Kennedy supporters attempted to force the issue by running a draft movement during the New Hampshire primary.^[209] This movement gained momentum after Governor John W. King‘s endorsement and infuriated Johnson. Kennedy received 25,094 write in votes for vice president in New Hampshire, far surpassing Senator Hubert Humphrey, the eventual vice-presidential nominee.^[216] The potential need for a Johnson–Kennedy ticket was ultimately eliminated by the Republican nomination of conservative Barry Goldwater. With Goldwater as his opponent, Johnson’s choice of vice president was all but irrelevant; opinion polls had revealed that, while Kennedy was an overwhelming first choice among Democrats, any choice made less than a 2% difference in a general election that already promised to be a landslide.^[217

Surprisingly, one of Sidey’s observations in the “LIFE” piece was this: “There can be longer-range results of the upheaval. Some urban specialists predict that, because of the big political fight, the coming summer will be considerably cooler in the streets than it would have been without this legitimate outlet for dissent.” When I think back to the summer of ’68 and the condition of the streets that summer, I shake my head at the idea of “cooler in the streets.” It can be argued that the summer of ’68 was the worst summer in the streets that we have ever seen, illustrated by the Democratic convention in Chicago, which may have set the bar as low as any national event in history. Mayor Daley, too, used a heavy ham-handed approach to the protesters in Chicago’s streets. In Chicago itself, more than 48 hours of rioting left 11 Chicago citizens dead, 48 wounded by police gunfire, 90 policemen injured, and 2,150 people arrested.^[3] Three miles of East Garfield Park and West Garfield Park on West Madison Street were left in a state of rubble [Perhaps only the insurrection of January 6, 2021, ranks higher in terms of political gatherings that went horribly awry.]

March 29, 1968 “LIFE” magazine.

Civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr., was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST, not even a week after this Hugh Sidey opinion piece appeared. Robert F. Kennedy lived until June 6, 1968, just 39 more days after this “LIFE”editorial appeared. He was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan after a triumphant victory winning the California and South Dakota primaries on June 4th, 1968. He would be shot at the Ambassador Hotel on June 5th at 12:15 a.m. and pronounced dead 25 hours later at Good Samaritan Hospital in Los Angeles.

In Indianapolis, the day MLK (April 4, 1968) was shot, candidate RFK would give this impromptu speech:

“What we need in the United States is not division; what we need in the United States is not hatred; what we need in the United States is not violence and lawlessness, but is love, and wisdom, and compassion toward one another, and a feeling of justice toward those who still suffer within our country, whether they be white or whether they be black. … let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.“^[30]

I could not agree more with the sentiments in that RFK Indianapolis speech. Indianapolis did not have riots in its streets after this impromptu speech from RFK; many attribute that to Kennedy’s words.

Riots of ’68.

I would point out that intentionally inflaming conditions in the streets of Los Angeles—something that is happening now because the current President of the United States is, as Governor Gavin Newsom of California dubbed him in a CNN interview, “The King of Chaos,” is unbecoming to the office and the opposite of what a President has historically attempted to do in times of unrest. Rather than try to calm the crowd, DJT has attempted to rile it up, using chaos and threatened violence and fully armed active Marines and National Guard soldiers. To make matters even worse, he is shown grinning gleefully while trying on a championship belt of a violent fighting exhibition he attended the very night he was sending troops in that were not requested by the Governor of California and were not necessary. One hopes that we are not about to experience another Kent State incident, since the training of some of those who were sent in, fully armed, was questionable.

There is no insurrection in the streets of L.A., except the one that DJT is trying to create. As another said, it’s like an arsonist rushing in to quell the fire he started. While it is not in the nature of this particular malignant narcissist to read or to listen to what his elders and betters may say, since he tapped RFK, Jr., to be his Secretary of Health and Human Services, (despite RFK, Jr.’s complete lack of credentials for the job), I hope he re-reads Robert F. Kennedy Sr.’s words and takes heed, “Let us dedicated ourselves to tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world. Let us dedicate ourselves to that, and say a prayer for our country and for our people.”

“The Studio” Screens at SXSW 2025 on Opening Night

By Connie Wilson

On March 9, 2025

In Local, Movies, Reviews, Television

Seth Rogen and friends came to downtown Austin in golf carts for the Premiere of their new television series “The Studio.” Accompanied by Evan Goldberg, Catherine O’Hara, Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn and Executive Producer Peter Huyck, the first two episodes of the new series gave me the most laughs since Bob Odenkirk in “Lucky Hank” in 2023 (or last year’s first look at the season of “Hacks” with Jean Smart in attendance.) This one is a winner. There are even appearances within the first episode by Paul Dano (“Wildfire”), Bryan Cranston (“Breaking Bad”),Charlize Theron (“Monster”), Steve Buscemi (“The Sopranos”), Directors Peter Berg and Nick Stoller and a hilarious bit featuring Director Martin Scorsese. It begins streaming on Apple Plus on March 26, 2025.

Writer/Director Seth Rogen on the Red Carpet at SXSW on March 7, 2025. (Photo by Connie Wilson).

The Apple TV Plus offering would have had me signing up for the service if I didn’t already have it. The first two episodes are to be released March 26, 2025.

As the synopsis describes the series about making movies: “Seth Rogen stars as Matt Remick, the newly appointed head of embattled Continental Studios. As movies struggle to stay alive and relevant, Matt and his core team of infighting executives battle their own insecurities as they wrangle narcissistic artists and craven corporate overlords in the ever-elusive pursuit of making great films. With their power suits masking their never-ending sense of panic, every party, set visit, casting decision, marketing meeting, and award show presents them with an opportunity for glittering success or career-ending catastrophe. As someone who eats, sleeps, and breathes movies, it’s the job Matt’s been pursuing his whole life, and it may very well destroy him.”

EPISODE ONE

In Episode One—which opens with Paul Dano (“Let There Be Blood”) acting in a gory scene—we meet Matt, played by the schlubbish Everyman whom Rogen personifies. You get the feeling that Matt would like to make really fine cinematic masterpieces, but then there are “the suits” at the studio. They want movies that make money. And, as Bryan Cranston’s studio uber boss makes clear, the mext big thing after Greta Gerwig’s fantastic success with “Barbie” are more films focusing on the next Barbie, which, he says, is going to be (drum roll here) Kool Ade.(Cranston: “Two billion off the plastic tits of a fucking doll!”)

Kathryn Hahn of “The Studio” on the Red Carpet at SXSW on March 7, 2025. (Photo by Connie Wilson,)

The female studio head (Patty, played by Catherine O’Hara) has put in 22 years at the studio (think Sherry Lansing). But Patty is being forced out and Matt is in, disappointing best buddy Ike Barinholtz, who thought he had a shot. Patty isn’t taking Matt’s calls, at first, but when they finally meet, she presents as a formidable adversary who knows the business inside-out and sweet-talks and bullies Matt into giving her work as a producer. Matt owes her.

Matt tries to stand firm on some of Patty’s outrageous financial demands, but she counters, “I killed one of Warren’s movies in 1988 and he never slept with me again.” Part of the plot of the first episode is right out of the playbook that Sondra Locke experienced during her tumultuous break-up with Clint Eastwood. (She sued and won; look it up). “We’ll own the project, but nobody will ever be able to make it.”

The writing is truly spot-on. As the credits rolled, in addition to Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Peter Huyck is listed as Writer, not just Executive Producer, which he is along with James Weaver, Alex Gregory, Alex McAtee, Josh Fagen and Frida Perez, all of whom are also credited with helping write the truly hilarious dialogue. Editor for the series was Eric Kissack and Production Designer is Julie Berghoff. (I want to know whose Hollywood homes are featured as sets? Are they still standing? Did any of them burn down? They were gorgeous.)

EPISODE TWO

Ike Barinholtz on the Red Carpet for "The Studio" on March 7 at SXSW

Ike Barinholtz, co-star of “The Studio” on the Red Carpet at SXSW on March 7, 2025. (Photo by Connie Wilson).

In Episode #2, Matt decides to make a visit to a project that Patty is producing. It’s not a good idea, but he can’t be dissuaded.

There are many funny lines that center on the idea that “We have to keep Baby Huey (Matt) in his playpen.
“The days of Robert Evans stopping by with a Magnum of champagne and an 8-ball are gone,” goes one line and, ultimately, after a series of comedic clashes, the Director of the film shouts, “I want Mr. Magoo gone!”

CONCLUSION

If you love the movies and you have a sense of humor, don’t miss this one. Fans of “Hacks” will love this series, too. It’s my favorite SXSW viewing experience of 2025, so far.

Justin Trudeau Addresses Tariffs on Canada on March 4, 2025

By Connie Wilson

On March 4, 2025

In Editorial, Essays on Politics: Best Political Essays & Ideology, Local, News, Of Local (Quad Cities') Interest, Politics, Pop Culture, Television

Canadian Primer Minister Justin Trudeau.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau unleashed a historic speech scorching Donald Trump’s idiocy over his disastrous new tariffs: “This is a very dumb thing to do.”

“The United States launched a trade war against Canada, their closest partner and ally, their closest friend. At the same time, they’re talking about working positively with Russia, appeasing Vladimir Putin, a lying murderous dictator,” began Trudeau.

“Make that make sense.”

Trump’s 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico took effect today and the markets are in free fall. The Dow Jones Industrial Average has already plummeted 662 points after plunging 650 points on Monday. The S&P 500 lost 1.3% and the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.9%

The gullible fools who thought that Trump would be “good for the economy” have had the rug pulled out from under them in record time.

“Canadians are reasonable and we are polite,” Trudeau continued. “But we will not back down from a fight, not when our country and the well-being of everyone in it is at stake. At the moment, the U.S. tariffs came into effect in the early hours of this morning and so did the Canadian response.”

“Canada will be implementing 25% tariffs against $155 billion worth of American goods starting with tariffs on $30 billion worth of goods immediately and tariffs on the remaining $125 billion of American products in twenty-one days time,” said Trudeau. “Our tariffs will remain in place until the U.S. tariffs are withdrawn and not a moment sooner.”

“And should these tariffs not cease, we are in active and ongoing discussions with provinces and territories to pursue several non-tariff measures, measures which will demonstrate that there are no winners in a trade war,” he threatened.

“Now just like I did a month ago, I want to speak first directly to the American people. We don’t want this,” said Trudeau. “We want to work with you as a friend and ally and we don’t want to see you hurt either.”

BEE GONE

“But your government has chosen to do this to you,” he stated bluntly. “As of this morning, markets are down and inflation is set to rise dramatically all across your country.”

“Your government has chosen to put American jobs at risk at the thousands of workplaces that succeed because of materials from Canada or because of consumers in Canada or both,” he went on.

“They’ve chosen to raise costs for American consumers on everyday essential items like groceries and gas, on major purchases like cars and homes, and everything in between,” he continued.

“They’ve chosen to harm American national security, impeding access to the abundant critical minerals, energy, building materials, and fertilizers that we have and that the United States needs to grow and prosper,” he explained.

“They’ve chosen to launch a trade war that will first and foremost harm American families. They’ve chosen to sabotage their own agenda that was supposed to usher in a new ‘Golden Age’ for the United States,” said Trudeau, taking a direct shot at MAGA’s latest inane rhetoric.

“And they’ve chosen to undermine the incredible work that we’ve done together to tackle the scourge that is fentanyl, a drug that must be wiped from the face of the Earth,” he added. “So on that point, let me be crystal clear. There is absolutely no justification or need whatsoever for these tariffs today.”

Trudeau then shifted gears to go after Donald Trump directly, the clueless mastermind behind this entire disaster—

“Now I want to speak directly to one specific American: Donald. In the over eight years you and I have worked together, we’ve done big things,” said Trudeau, appealing to Trump’s ego.

“We signed a historic deal that has created record jobs and growth in both of our countries. We’ve done big things together on the world stage as Canada and the U.S. have done together for decades, for generations,” he continued. “And now we should be working together to ensure even greater prosperity for North Americans in a very uncertain and challenging world.”

“Now, it’s not in my habit to agree with The Wall Street Journal but Donald, they point out that even though you’re a very smart guy this is a very dumb thing to do. We two friends fighting is exactly what our opponents around the world want to see,” said Trudeau.

“And now to my fellow Canadians: I won’t sugarcoat it. This is going to be tough even though we’re all going to pull together because that’s what we do,” he added. “We will use every tool at our disposal so Canadian workers and businesses can weather this storm.”

(*A last-minute exchange on Trump’s Truth Social Network suggests that Trump might now use this 25% tariff, scheduled to go into effect on March 5th, as a bullying tactic against Canada, much as he used the threat of discontinuing Ukrainian military aid to extract a promise from that war-torn country to hand over precious minerals to the U.S.

CNN called Trump’s threats “a game of economic chicken.”

Trump sees everything in terms of money and power and will use any means to seize and hold both, even if it means abandoning moral principles our country has espoused for many

generations, such as USAID. To put it in simpler terms, DJT finds the far-right groups easier to manipulate, since they will blindly follow a figurehead without thinking through that Talking Head’s positions to determine if they are really advantageous to them, personally. DJT and Elon Musk are overthrowing the traditional values of free speech (and, soon, free elections) because a “free” election might throw them out of power. And, as mentioned, DJT is all about seizing and maintaining their power and wealth. There is no morality to thinking this way, but, then, we’re talking about a man not known for his morality or his compassion or his concern for anyone but Donald J. Trump.

We are talking about a man who is squandering our (former) position as the Leader of the Free World. The message to the world is that the U.S. cannot be counted on. This is not about DJT. This is about the American people and DJT is not keeping the American people (and America) safe on any level.)

2025 Oscars Are In the Books

By Connie Wilson

On March 3, 2025

In Movies, Music, Pop Culture, Television

The Oscars

The 97th Academy Awards are in the books.

“Anora” came on strong at the finish to snag a Best Actress award for new-comer Mikey Madison.The shift towards “Anora” prompted the best line of the evening, when Conan O’Brien (the host) said, “Apparently Americans like seeing someone stand up to a powerful Russian.” Anora won five awards, total: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original Screenplay and Editing. It cost about $6 million to make (an independent film).

The way the night went reminded me of other “sweep” years, like the Oscars in 1978 for the 1977 film “The Turning Point” when that film was nominated for 11 awards and came up about as empty as this year’s nominees “Emilia Perez” (nominated for 13; won two) or “A Complete Unknown” (nominated for 8; won none).

If you go with the wrong movie to sweep, you are in for a world of hurt. I was so impressed with “The Brutalist” that I went with it most of the time. Also an independent film, it was amazing that it could be made for $10 million, but it did get some kick-back for using A.I. technology to “tweak” the Hungarian dialogue and help create some settings.

The daughter got 18 correct when she correctly supported “Anora” in our annual predicting extravaganza, which had six participants this year. While I was struggling to break into double digits, she nailed most of the major categories (one notable exception being Best Actress). At the time of the Awards celebration, she was flying to Wichita, but her ballot spoke loudly!

This has been my most recent experience with the Oscars. They don’t seem similar to the Oscars I was “in tune” with in years of yore, but, still, I finished with a respectable score, as I did not look up any “predicting” gurus, relying instead on having seen 9 of the nominated films. That refusal to consult will have to be rethought for future Academy Awards celebrations, which now number almost 70 for me. I was amused to hear June Squibb admit that the year she was born, 1929, was the first year the Oscars were awarded. Ms. Squibb was Oscar-nominated for “Nebraska” in 2013. She got laughs for saying that Alexander Saarsgard was portraying her whenever you saw her out and about. She looked very festive for a 95-year-old woman. (Birthdate: Nov. 6, 1929). Her dress was very sparkly.

THE HOST

How did the host do?

I thought Conan O’Brien’s hosting was fine, but I would say that his promise not to “waste time” led into the song-and-dance number he participated in, which was a waste of time. His wit was, as usual, sharp, and he seemed to be genuinely happy to be there.

He shared some random facts, such as the factoid that there were 479 “F” words in “Anora.”

His wit, as with the “stand up to a strong Russian” was evident and the bit with Adam Sandler dressed casually made me think that he could have gotten a quick bit about the outfit’s resemblance to that of a Senator (John Fetterman). Maybe next time.

MUSIC

I went to the trouble of finding every single nominated song and listening to each one. I would have been happy with Diane Warren or Elton John winning. Instead, it was the song from “Emilia Perez.” Maybe it was throwing that film a bone, since it was shut out except for Best Supporting Actress Zoe Saldana? Then, again, the music expert in our household is the daughter who triumphed tonight.

ACCEPTANCES

Adrian Brody wins his second Oscar as Best Actor for “The Brutalist.”

My favorite acceptance speech event was the sinister-looking composer of the score for “The Brutalist,” Daniel Blumberg. He resembles DJT’s henchman, Steve Miller, shaved head and all. When they began playing him off he abruptly quit, mid-sentence and retreated like a small creature scurrying for cover. It made me smile. (You had to be there to appreciate the expression on his face as he bolted backstage.)

Adrian Brody, however, basically told those trying to play him off to stop, saying he had “done this before” and it was “not my first rodeo.” He then promised to be brief with his additional remarks. He was not that brief, but you had to admire his chutzpah. (Anybody but me notice his girlfriend in the audience trying to remind him to thank his Mother?)

UPSETS

I thought that Mikey Madison—who was cast in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon A Time in Hollywood” and, I think, was the Manson family member set afire by a flame thrower wielded by Leonardo DeCaprio poolside in that film—was an upset winner. She was very good in the film and, as I mentioned in an earlier post, the Academy does not like to award Oscars to horror films, which “The Substance” was. Too bad for Demi Moore, but I would guess that she still will enjoy a resurgence of role offers. Imagine how Mikey Madison’s star will rise!

Given how well “Conclave” did at the BAFTAs, I was surprised it didn’t do better this night. Aside from Adapted Screenplay, it won no other Oscars and nominee Ralph Fiennes may be being called “Ralph” rather than “Rafe” if he lost again this time, his third nomination. (A small joke that Conan made, which caused Fiennes to laugh aloud in the audience.) Fiennes was nominated in 1994 for “Schindler’s List,” and in 1997 for “The English Patient.”

FIRSTS

Anora” director Sean Baker became the first person to win four Oscars in the same year for the same film. In that respect, he tied with Walt Disney, although, in Disney’s case, it was for four different films in 1953—not 4 Oscars for the same film in the same year. Other Disney nominations in 1953 were for “Ben and Me” and “Rugged Bear.”

Hollywood sign

When Baker accepted the award for Best Director, he thanked the Academy for recognizing an independent film like “Anora.” “We’re all here tonight and watching this broadcast because we love movies. Where did we fall in love with the movies? At the movie theater,” Baker said. He made an impassioned plea for people to return to theaters, noting that over 1,000 independent screens were lost last year as movie theaters struggle to stay alive.

This concerns me. First, my country is led by someone who wants us to abandon our roots as fighters for democracy and freedom and follow a Soviet strongman who invaded a peaceful neighboring country without cause. Then my favorite past-time (going to the movies) is threatened.

True fact: the only movie theater in Moline, Illinois was shut for over a year after the pandemic. It used to be a Regal 8. It is now open again, but it was a long dry spell for someone like me. I literally had to drive to another state (Iowa) to see a movie. (*This by way of excuse if I am asked why I didn’t see that 10th nominated film.) Also, when I’m in Chicago, the Icon Theaters near me closed, but, thankfully, not for an entire year. (They are open again off Roosevelt Road downtown.)

Another first was the first Black man to win an award for his costuming expertise, Paul Taswell, whom Bowen Yang referred to as a legend. Other interesting costuming tid-bits that were dropped during the evening’s program were that Timothee Chalamet had 67 different costume changes for “A Complete Unknown” and there were 103 Cardinals to be costumed by Missy Crystal for “Conclave.”

The Latvian couple who accepted their Oscar for “Flow” were charming as they shared the fact that they had had difficulties getting Visas to get in the country to potentially accept their award and had then apparently come straight from the airport, landing just a few hours earlier.

All-in-all, an enjoyable—if overlong–viewing experience. At the post-Oscars “Vanity Fair” party, it was possible to see that there was a 3.9 earthquake happening in Hollywood.

One last reminder: this time next week there will be reviews of films premiering at SXSW here in Austin, so check back as the Red Carpet here in Austin (where I’ll be) will feature stars like Nicole Kidman, Matthew McConaughey, and Seth Rogen.

Last-Minute Musing(s) on the 2025 Oscars

By Connie Wilson

On March 2, 2025

In Movies, Music, News, Pop Culture, Reviews, Television

It’s only a few hours from the Oscars. The ballots are out (you know who you are) and the Prognosticator trophy is at stake.

Since this is Oscar Sunday, I am going to (stream-of-consciousness) run through the nominees, in the hopes that some of you are doing the same thing right about now. The Red Carpet is about to start, and who is going to win? (The tension mounts.)

Our ballots are distributed to the Usual Suspects and the traveling trophy of Most Accurate Prognosticator sits proudly on the mantel—errr, glass table—near our TV set. In other years, I’d be giving out freebie movie tickets to students at my Sylvan Learning Center (only the winners, of course) but, this year, it’s just old Oscar (the trophy) and bragging rights. Pay no attention to my last post about the nominated films I, personally, liked the most because I have not “liked” the Best Picture winner in the past few years. So, you’re warned.

I’m going beyond the 5 main categories to discuss those that almost nobody sees, live-action shorts. I actually reviewed many of the “live action” shorts, and a Mindy Kahling produced film about India called “Anuja,” which I liked. However, I liked a different one better from China about fishing for corpses in the river, so… But how many of you have seen “A Lien,” “I’m Not A Robot,” “The Last Ranger,” or “The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent?” Yeah. That’s what I thought.

Original Screenplay nominees are “Anora,”, “The Brutalist,” “A Real Pain,” “September 5,” “The Substance.” I have actually seen all of these. “A Real Pain” is the front-runner, supposedly, but I like nearly any other script better. I’m thinking that, if a sweep starts with either “Anora” or “The Brutalist,” it might garner a vote in this category, too. (Lots of talk about how “Anora,” the film about a U.S. strip tease dancer marrying the son of a Russian oligarch and the fall-out that represents is gaining on the previous front-runners.) We liked Mikey Madison’s performance in “Anora” but—after her Russian husband takes a powder—the film becomes a repetitive search film where they attempt to locate him. Mikey Madison was great in her part, and the somewhat open-ended interpretation we are left with at the end was a plus. I could see new-comers to the voting ranks giving Madison the BEST ACTRESS trophy, if they don’t decide to honor Demi Moore for her long career.

BEST DIRECTORS

Nominated directors for the Oscars, 2025

Nominated directors for the 2025 Oscars

Jacques Audliard (“Emilia Perez”); Sean Baker (“Anora”); Brady Corbet (“The Brutalist”); Coralie Fargeat (“The Substance”); James Mangold “A Complete Unknown”. The two in the lead are Sean Baker and Brady Corbet. I also would like to heartily endorse James Mangold, primarily because I loved “Ford vs. Ferrari.” I am sticking with “The Brutalist” because it was such an achievement on just a $10 million budget.

DEMI MOORE/ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY AWARDS

Why would Demi Moore NOT win? (1) “The Substance” was a horror movie and, historically, the Academy has not wanted to honor them with the top prize. (2) The ending may have turned some viewers off (3) The voter has to be willing to honor age and experience over the youthful new-on-the-scene Mikey Madison. It’s a close call with so many members of the Academy now voting being newcomers. Both women have been doing well at the other awards ceremonies that lead up to the Oscars. I can’t see the trans-gender lead (Karla Sofia Gascon) pulling this one out of the fire and Fernanda Torres’ “I’m Still Here” is probably the film least viewed of the 10 nominees (It’s the only one I missed).

So, take your pick between the old-timer and the new-comer or give your vote to Cynthia Erivo for “Wicked.” For me, I’ll go with the old-timer for the Best Actress award, and I’ll go with “The Brutalist” over “A Real Pain” for original screenplay. Jesse Eisenberg will continue writing scripts and I hope they continue to receive accolades. For me, the best script this year was for “Heretic” from (Scott) Beck and (Bryan) Woods, which didn’t make the cut at all.

James Mangold (“A Complete Unknown.”).

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Nominees are “Conclave,” “A Complete Unknown,” “Emilia Perez,” “Nickel Boys,” “Sing Sing.” Given its BAFTA showings, “Conclave” must move up on the list of potential winners. For me, it’s “A Complete Unknown,” but the experts are leaning towards “Conclave.”

ANIMATED FEATURE

Nominees are “Flow,” “Inside Out 2,” “Memoir of a Snail,” “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” “The Wild Robot”

There was a big push to have all the critics see “Memoir of a Snail.” I did. It was weird, but well-done, so I’ll go with that. I think that “Flow” is the favorite.

PRODUCTION DESIGN

“The Brutalist,” “Conclave,” “Dune: Part Two,” “Nosferatu,” “Wicked.”

For me, “The Brutalist” really delivered on the architect immigrant in America theme. “Wicked” and “Dune” are possible winners, but I was so impressed by the architecture in “The Brutalist” that I’ll stick with my favorite picture of those nominated this year.

COSTUME DESIGN

“Wicked”

“Wicked” co-stars.

CINEMATOGRAPHY

“The Brutalist.” A close second, for me, would be “Dune: Part Two,” but the almost picture-perfect moon over the water and the shots taking us down the railroad tracks and the unique look at the Statue of Liberty at the beginning all point me to “The Brutalist.”

EDITING

“Conclave,” in deference to the BAFTA nods.

MAKEUP & HAIRSTYLING

“Wicked,” although “The Substance” has a shot.

SOUND

The 2 musically inclined films are “A Complete Unknown” and “Wicked.” Take your pick. Mine is “Wicked.”

VISUAL EFFECTS

“Dune: Part Two”with “Wicked as a close second.

ORIGINAL SCORE

“The Brutalist”

Oscar predicting trophy

ORIGINAL SONG

Have you heard all 5 of the nominated songs? Well, I have. It took some sleuthing, but, after listening to all of them, I would say the battle is between honoring Elton John for “Never Too Late,” which has a typical Elton John sound and is possibly the finale entry from this talented songsmith. But I’ll vote for Dianne Warren’s 16th nomination for “The Journey” from “The Six Triple Eight.” When you hear the lyrics, you’ll see why. It’s become a hymn for the fire-ravaged Los Angeles community, and isn’t it about time that Diane Warren got the little gold guy?

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

I’m going with “Porcelain War,” even though it echoes last year’s Ukraine-themed winner. I realize that DJT doesn’t want us supporting Ukraine any more, since he’s all in for Russia, but I’m voting for it based on having seen it.

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

“Emilia Perez” from France—which was supposed to win it all until recent tweets resurfaced.

ANIMATED SHORT

“Yuck”

Oscar Prognosticator Trophy

DOCUMENTARY SHORT

“The Only Girl in the Orchestra”

LIVE-ACTION SHORT

Since I saw “Anuja,” I’m voting for it, even though I’ve not read that it is favored. (“A Lien” got that honor from one predictor.)

There’s a tie-breaker on our competition. You have to make a pick in all categories and tell which film will win the most Oscars, and how many. For me, based on this stream-of-consciousness