Superhero, My Ass!!

Superheroes scare me. They are freaks of nature walking among us. To be around a Superhero must be a test of human endurance. They have a healthy ego--- after all, they call themselves ''Superhero'' on their business card---- and seem indestructible to anyone and any machine. You can't talk rational to a Superhero. They seem to just see the world as Good vs Evil, instead of the way the rest of us see it, a hazy gray matter. I would not want a Superhero to date my daughter. When she would first bring him home I would be at an disadvantage. How can I scare him into treating my daughter well when he can drop the house on me? No, Superhero's are an not for me to support. Except, for Batgirl, who looked hot in that leather gear......... ''Superman The Movie'' was on the other day. Now, when I was a kid, I enjoyed this fantasy of the Man Of Steel. He seemed like a good lug of a guy, with his honesty and integrity. He always beat the bad guys and got the gal, Lois Lane, in the end. Good triumphed over evil. But, as I got older, and, I got more worldly in my thoughts, it occured to me that Superman was a lame ass. An incredibly boring man who seemed to have no interests in life aside from nabbing bad guys that were pussiies. I never saw Superman, for example, go into the West Side of Chicago and best up the El Rukyns street gang and their crackhouses. Superman never got involved in saving the environment---- saving the world from Global Warming by fixing the hole in the Earth. He never dated. He seemed to be more interested in newsboy, Jimmy Olson, than Lois Lane. Lois was warm for Superman's form but he seemed to like staying a virgin. There were no orgies in his life, no benders with Sinatra and The Rat Pack. He insisted on having an alter ego [a weird trait all Superheroes seemed to have] who loved being prick teased by Lois Lane. But, Clark Kent really seemed to have the hots for Jimmy Olson also. Young Olson probably was passed around that office like a sex slave on a pirate ship.But, what did Superman really accomplish? Big deal, he beat Lex Luthor. Joan Rivers, in her current condition, could do that. Crime seemed to continue in Metropolis despite the threat of him flying out of the sky anytime, like a bird or a plane. The only part of the Christopher Reeve ''Superman'' movies I like now, as an adult, are in ''Superman 3'', when he is hit with Kryptonite and it changes his personality into a jagoff. Finally, he shows human traits we all can identify with!!!! His attitude seems to be, ''Screw you! Go save yourselves!'' Much like our politicians.......... The flame of fighting the bad guys burns bright in the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder, aka, Batman and Robin. Now, here is a pair for you. A rich guy housing with a teenage boy. Dressing up in all funny costumes and sliding down the much greased bat poll. And, then, Batman takes the kid into the mean streets of Gotham City, where, when the kid should be home studying because of curfew, Batman makes him fight the criminal underworld. And, always, Batman has to save Robin's ass at some point from some other freak criminal who not only wants to kill Robin but in the most sadistic way possible, like having a giant crab eat him. Batman treats the youth in Gotham City like he was a football coach at Penn State. Again, a Superhero takes care of the community, while the inept police department looks on like a bunch of dummies. Batman is alerted to any danger by them flashing the Bat Signal into the sky. But, what if it is raining and he doesn't see it? And, what if he has just finished an exhausting day of beating up the Joker and he just wants to kick back with a drink and a bomber and the fuckin signal goes off to go grab the Riddler? If I were Batman, I would lift Robin's head from my lap and say, ''Let Chief O'Hara finally do some work!'' Also, I would check into these prisons in these cities because, apparently, it is very easy to escape from these places. And, one added question: Why do these Superhereo's only live in a city modeled after New York? Crime is bad there but should not Batman and Superman be in Detroit or Chicago or East Los Angeles? Why aren't these dudes in the Middle East fighting ISIS?........... In the world of Superhero's, no one is weirder than Spiderman. A man dedicated to the species of spiders. What is this about? Why align yourself with something everybody hates, like the Yankees? If I were a criminal, I would just get a ten story bottle of Raid and kill this nuisance. Supposedly, Spiderman has spider blood coursing through him. I was bit by a spider in my sleep when I was a kid but I don't have to dress up in a pseudo-sexual outfit [at least, in public]. Finally, Spiderman suffers from the same egotism as other men in his line of work. He has to have a dual identity. Why must a Superhero pass incognito? I would guess that he would make more of a splash if he wore his work clothes. Imagine Batman walking into a bar? It would probably be a leather bar but you know no one would get rough with him. Well, let me rethink this last point........ Yeah, you had female Superhero's like Wonder Woman and Batgirl but they never made much of a splash. What you really need to stop the criminal element---males, mostly--- is ''Blow Job Girl''. This would literally stop crime in its tracks. ''Blow Job Girl'' would, ahem, please the arch criminal, make him puddy in her hands, and the police would swoop in before he, well, you know. I can see the billboards for her: ''Blow Job Girl!! Fighting for truth, justice and the American Way!! She can also suck the chrome off a trailer hitch!. Blow Job Girl sucks the crime away so you can sleep soundly!!''..... Now, that is a Superhero to follow!!!.......

Polanski

No question about it, Samantha Geimer had deep misgivings about the photo shoot. At the age of just thirteen, she was about to step into the big time world of modeling, or, so she was promised. Her mother, like all Stage Mothers, had seen her very pretty daughter as a ticket to fame and fortune. It did not matter to the mother that the girl, being so young, might be uncomfortable being shown in this light. Samantha went along with the suggestion for the shoot but the nerves were there. Her Mother assured her that everything would be ok. Mr. Polanski would take care of her........ Roman Polanski was someone that divided people. His personality and manner, depending on how you looked at him, was either charming or annoying. He was brave or a coward. He was a loyal friend or he was a scoundrel who treated people poorly. No one in Hollywood was neutral about him. Polanski had a action packed life, much like the movies he directed. Born in Poland, he lost his mother and sister to the Holocaust. Through sheer wits and determination, he rose to be a top director in Tinseltown. His films, included the classics, ''Rosemary's Baby'' and ''Chinatown', won him accolades and riches.'. He also was quite the ladies man in the Swinging Sixties and Seventies. By turns elfish and arrogant, Roman Polanski became a force to reckoned with. In 1968, he married the starlet, Sharon Tate, and they were the center of all social activity for a while. That is until the Manson Family tore everything apart. Polanski lost his wife and unborn child, along with friends in the bloodbath. After the tragedy, he lived in a world of darkness. His films, already sinister in nature, grew bleaker and more alarming. This reflected the inner feelings of their author. Roman Polanski was always a dark character, haunted by demons. And, he had one fatal flaw: he liked very young girls......... In March, 1977, Polanski agreed to a photo assignment for the French edition of ''Vogue'' magazine. He was to take pictures of young girls, easy work, something he naturally enjoyed. He was introduced to 13year old Samantha Geimer and hre mother. Details were worked out where Polanski would take the girl for a couple of days and shoot the pictures around Hollywood. On the first day of the shoot, with the Mother not present, they went to various sights. One location was a pool, where Polanski, according to Geimer, enticed her to drop her top and be photographed. Geimer later claimed to be very nervous about this request but she went along with the director. Nothing further happened this first day......... The second day, March 10, Polanski had a different agenda planned. Polanski took Geimer to a few locations and took some shots but saved his main day's activities for a home. The home was his friend, Jack Nicholson's home. Nicholson, away skiing in Colorado, always allowed his friends entrance to his house whenever he was not around. His girlfriend at the time, Anjelica Huston, was in and out of his life now and so she could be around or not. She happened to be there this day, however. She met the girl and left to run errands. Polanski gave the girl some champagne and later, a pill to come her nerves. Soon, the girl was in the hot tub taking pictures while Polanski slipped behind the camera. After a short period of time, they went back into the house and Polanski led her into the bedroom....... The following is in Samantha Geimer's words, both to a grand jury and in later interviews....... ''We did photos of me drinking champagne. Toward the end it got a little scary, and I realized he had other intentions and I knew I was not where I should be. I just didn't quite know how to get myself out of there. I said, 'No, no, I don't want to go in there. No, I don't want to do this. No!', and then I didn't know what else to do. We were alone and I didn't know what else would happen if I made a scene. So I was just scared, and after giving some resistance, I figured well, I guess I'll get to come home after this''........ Despite her protests, Polanski had his way with her. He performed oral, vaginal, and anal sex on the 13 year old girl. Polanski was later to claim that the sex, the underage sex, was consensual. By Geimer's accounts, it was not. Either way, it was certainly illegal. California law states that sex with anyone under 14 years old is statutory rape. Even if the sex was agreed upon by both parties, he still committed a felony....... After the act, they gathered their clothes and started to dress. Suddenly, there was a pounding on the door. It was Anjelica Huston, who had just returned to the house. Huston suspected something was going on. Polanski opened the door and confirmed her suspicions. Incredibly, nothing further happened. There was no emotional scene played out. All parties seemed matter-of-fact. After a short time, Polanski left with the girl and Geimer was dropped off at her home. She said nothing to no one about what had just happened........ Soon, that changed. She informed her mother about what had happened at Nicholson's house. The mother notified the police and they arrested Polanski. A grand jury later charged him with several charges. They included: rape by use of drugs, perversion, sodomy, lewd and lascivious act upon a child under fourteen, and furnishing a controlled substance to a minor........ The media pounded hard on Polanski. Overnight, a celebrated director became a child molester. Polanski sex jokes became a stable around the world. Perhaps, because of his character in general, and the fact he was both adored and loathed by people, no one stayed quiet about this crime. Surprisingly, he had many people around him who spun his crime and made him the victim because of his tragic history. The memory of the Manson Murders has never faded from Hollywood, so, some tried to tie Polanski's seedy act to him being mentally destroyed by the murders. This may be true but it does not mask his already famous reputation for liking very young girls. His childhood horrors and brutal end to his marriage to Sharon Tate are not justification for raping this young girl. But, Hollywood, that great immoral toilet of society, tried to cut him a break with the public. But, the public wasn't buying it. They saw Polanski's true colors........ A grand jury was convened to see if there should be a trial. They decided a trial was necessary. Rather than go through a lengthy, public trial--- which he and his lawyers knew would not make him look good--- Polanski copped a plea bargain. He pleaded guilty to unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. The other charges were dropped. Under the terms of the plea agreement, the court ordered Polanski to go to prison for a 90-day psychiatric evaluation. Polanski took up residence at the Chino State Prison for his evaluation period. He was released after 42 days. The followup hearing, true to Polanski's life, took on controversy. Polanski's lawyers had expected to just get probation for Polanski. The probation officer, the psychiatrist, and Samantha Geimer were all recommending probation for him. But, rumor has it, the L.A. Deputy District Attorney, David Wells, and the judge Laurence Rittenburg,had a conversation. The judge was leaning towards sending Polanski for prison. When Polanski got wind of this,  he high-tailed it out of the country, first stopping in England for one day, and then, going to France. Because the U.S. and France do not have an treaty to return fugitives that flee prosecution, Polanski was safe as milk. He could never come back to America for fear of being imprisoned. To this day, he is a wanted fugitive........Samantha Geimer sued Polanski in the late 80's for sexual assault, and emotional distress. The case was settled out of court a few years later. As she became an adult, she softened her anger towards him. Now, she says, she forgives him for what happened. This is very charitable of her to forgive him. A victim forgiving her assailant is very rare. But, that doesn't mean the law should forgive him........ Throughout the years, Roman Polanski has made movies and news since the rape occurred. He continues to be as controversial as always, with people taking sides to defend him or persecute him. I am in the latter camp. He is a child molester, pure and simple. The fact that he has escaped prosecution all of these years is a travesty in justice. But, equally baffling to me is the people who defend him and his atrocious crime. People like Nicholson and Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen { Woody Allen talking about a perverted sex incident!]. These people, whom I know are thinking they are giving support in an act of friendship, are terribly misguided in their allegiance. I am as loyal a friend as anybody you will meet. But, there comes a time when a friend must judge another friend by the seriousness of a situation, particularly, when it involves a crime. Roman Polanski raped a child. His friends and defenders need to see this point clearly. They should not let their affection and professional respect cloud their judgment. He is a scumbag that they continue to associate themselves with, which doesn't speak well for them. If Polanski goes to jail tomorrow, he still hasn't paid his full penance...... Roman Polanski married in the 1990's and has two children, a boy and a girl. The girl is a teenager now. Not far away from the age of Samantha Geimer in March of 1977..........

A Life Well Lived

Usually, the movies provide us with Three Acts. The First Act sets up the characters and the plot. The Second Act takes them into the direction that the movie wants to go. It makes the plot statement. The Third Act is the resolution. The characters find out what the movie is about and the choices of the filmmakers gives the movie and the audience closure. Sometimes, though, there are other Acts that a canny filmmaker will sneak in on you. We have the Prologue, which can touch on the subject while teasing the audience to stick around. And, then, there is the Epilogue, the final statement. Just when you thought the movie had made its mark at the end of Act Three, here, sailing in out of the blue, is the Last Word On The Subject. A good movie has most of these, a great movie has all of these. Roger Ebert understood cinema, perhaps, better than anyone of his generation outside of Hollywood. His remarkable life was lived in Acts. A new documentary, based on his autobiography, ''Life Itself'', just premiered on CNN. It is a favorite right now to win the Oscar for Best Documentary. The film, superb in its presentation, divides the man in chapters, like his book does. However, watching it, Roger Ebert, the filmgoers best friend, seemed to me to be best described as a man with Three Acts. With a Prologue and Epilogue of course.........Fade In........ PROLOGUE: The Past and the Present---- 2013--- meet. The film opens with Roger Ebert in his last months. For several years, he has fought a courageous battle with cancer. Cancer of the jaw. In 2006, he had his jaw taken out and he had no lower face below his lips. There literally was a hole in his face. As we ease into the story, Roger is in the hospital again. Since we know in advance that he will shortly die, the audience is aware of what the ending of the story will be when the story begins. Aided by his loyal wife, Chaz, Roger gamely goes about the rigors with holding onto life. We see the struggles with feeding tubes, the painful immobility of someone who can no longer walk. Sympathy, naturally, is established. So, is the audiences admiration for the man. Clearly, here is someone who has fought a dastardly enemy and will not give up. His wife will not give up. But, life is slipping away from him. Soon, he will be dead. We know it, so does he. The audience is then shot back in time to his youth. A chubby only child of parents that he adored. His love of the written word. And, his true love in life [ until he meets Chaz many years later]. The love affair with sitting in a dark theater, not too far back, with a sky high ceiling, watching the images on a forty foot screen turn into the dreams of a movie lover............. FIRST ACT: As a young man, Roger ingests movies. They occupy the part in his DNA that drives the engine of his soul. But, Roger, with his brilliant mind, divides movies into two parts: the viewer and the essayist. He can enjoy or hate a movie from the audience position but he is determined to tell you why. Here, he shines above the rest. Soon after getting a reporter's job at the Chicago Sun Times, their movie critic retires. Roger is handed the baton to make the movie critic a respectable trade. Probably astounding himself, he is a natural at it. More than a natural, he shines. Rather than being the standard film reviewer who secretly has contempt for the audience, Roger goes the other direction. He becomes the guy next to you in the movie theater or bar stool. A film pal. Coupled with his amazing ability as a wordsmith, soon he is attracting attention for his endeavors. Within a decade of starting his job, the Pulitzer Prize people come calling with their award for him. He is the first film critic to ever be honored with it. With his local celebrity comes an active social life. The bar scene in Chicago in the late 60's and early 70's is the golden time to be young and full of piss and vinegar. He commands an audience with his saloon friends, as every night he flies with the spirits at his favorite watering hole, the legendary ''O'Rourke's''. He drinks with Mike Royko and Studs Terkel, hobnobs with the Second City crowd--- including, a young ball of manic energy named John Belushi----, soaks up the suds with movie stars, and becomes a mini King Of Chicago. Naturally, he has his romantic adventures with the fairer sex. Everyone from bar pals to women that are ''scarlet of profession.'' Roger rides high, both in job and social life. But, the alcohol takes its toll. He is given to benders. Soon, he realizes what every hard drinker does: either you stop and admit you are an alcoholic, or, you die. In August, 1979, Roger Ebert took his last drink. He would never drink again......... Also, with new-found sobriety, comes new-found fame. And, the catalyst of his ascension will be joining forces with his sworn enemy across town, the dastardly Gene Siskel......... SECOND ACT: Gene Siskel wrote for the rival paper in town, the Chicago Tribune. Gene was a couple of years younger than Roger but seemed to have a world of experience for someone so young. He hung at the Playboy mansion with Hugh Hefner, enjoyed his times with the women. Where Roger was overweight and wore glasses, Gene was slim and good-looking. He had a commanding personality and he was not shy about finding the weak spots in someone who crossed him. His writing style was more ''man on the street'' reporting than the smooth insights of Roger's essays. In short, Roger was the better writer but Gene was the better talker, a talent that served him well on television. When, in 1975, WTTW in Chicago had an idea of doing a monthly movie review show, they went to both these gentlemen and asked them what they thought of working together. The answer was simple: they did not like each other and never spoke to each other at film screenings. There was a big, frosty dislike. How could this succeed on TV? The producer of the proposed show, Thea Flaum, deflected their question. She saw the potential sparks that might fly with the pairing of these two. Soon, ''Opening Soon At A Theater Near You'' [ later changed to ''Sneak Previews'', and made into a weekly show] came out in November of 1975. The first shows were underwhelming. Neither seemed comfortable with the new show. There were no sparks, only mild disagreements. A gentlemens disagreement. Hardly the thing to base a show on. To their credit, both Roger and Gene saw the flaws, and through time, they found their chemistry. Most times they agreed, but, when they didn't, then came the sparks. Word got around PBS stations around the country about this new show that talked movies and the odd-looking men who didn't look like they belonged on TV. Ratings climbed all over the country, and, slowly, this reluctant duo realized that they had a hit working as a team. But, what never changed was the personal dislike they had for each other. They were competitors, always trying to one up each other. Both thought they were right in their reviews and thought the other was wrong. Grudging respect would come in time. Also, more money and more fame. They left PBS in 1982 and went to the Tribune Company. With large stations all over America, Siskel & Ebert [ so, decreed by a coin toss, much to Ebert's annoyance] became household names. They would appear as themselves on Carson and Letterman. Be spoofed in ''Spy Magazine''. In a very short time, they became the most powerful film critics in the world. A ''thumbs up or down'' verdict, which became their signature, was much valued or much feared about the studios. Critics back then could make or break a movie. So, Roger and Gene sailed through the Eighties on an ever-expanding ride on the stardom rollercoaster. And, along with their success came an easing of their feelings with each other. They always respected each other. Now, they found out that they actually liked each other. As the years progressed--- and each man found a wife and Gene had kids---- the warm feelings deepened between them. They would always be competitive and needle each other. But, they also grew to love one another as friends. In 1999, when Gene Siskel succumbed to his cancer, Roger Ebert lost a professional soulmate  and a caring friend. For his remaining years, Roger, when he could still speak prior to 2006, would well up slightly with tears when talking about his beloved sparring partner.......... THIRD ACT: Chaz Ebert. Roger would meet his personal soulmate and future wife at an AA meeting. Both had problems with the bottle, so, both knew deep emotional pain and loneliness. But, Chaz, an attorney, came from a big family. She had children of her own from a previous marriage and had grandchildren. Roger, being an only child, and approaching fifty, knew instinctively what he was searching for all of his adult life. A family. He was beginning to fear that he would spend the rest of his life alone. He longed for love. And, Chaz was his lifesaver. She was black and he was white but both saw beyond the problems that some would have with this union. They were a united front. Both their families had some misgivings about the relationship. However, after both sides had met the other party, all of the tension blew away. Roger was beloved by his new step-children and grandchildren. He became ''Grandpa Roger'' and took to the kids with a love which might have surprised even him, a man who never had children. While he would continue in his role as elder statesman of the film criticism world, the home hearth replaced movies as his true love in life. He and Chaz traveled together to film festivals all over the world. With the passing of Gene Siskel, his professional partner, Roger deepened his love with his personal partner. And, when the cancer first struck him in 1997, Chaz was by his side. As she was in 2002 when it came back. And, in 2006 when he got stricken again, this time forcing the removal of his jaw and stopping him from speaking and eating. Chaz Ebert became, with Roger's illness, the dominant partner. She was part cheerleader and part ass-kicker. She loved and supported him as he went from one health issue to another, never flagging in her spirit and optimism. There were times, certainly, when his pain would become her pain. But, as anyone who has taken care of a loved one will tell you, the caretaker finds a strength, an inner strength, that was never thought to be there. Seeing her cheerleading him on made Roger more determined to beat his enemy that was eating away at his body. And, for a few short years, Roger won the battle. Instead of talking, his voice took to print and brightened the cyberworld with his blogs and his accounts on Twitter and Facebook. He had a machine that spoke for him. All he had to do was type the words and the voice on the machine did the rest. His words and thoughts became more precious to be absorbed. And, Roger was the first person to say that Chaz was the reason behind this. She became his Muse, the strong woman behind the man. It cannot be thought of otherwise than to say that Roger Ebert was kept alive by the love and comfort of Chaz and her family. The lonely boy had found the end of the rainbow with Family.......... EPILOGUE: The End.The closing scenes are heartbreaking. In a fictional movie, this is the time when the filmmaker goes for the heartstrings. Here, in real life instead of reel life, reality cannot be rewritten for the audiences approval. Roger is dying. The last few weeks of March, 2013, find him finally surrendering in his battle for life. His final emails to the makers of his documentary show stark realization that he is on his final road, preparing for death. Wisely, the cameras retreat and only his wife is speaking for him. She talks about the last day, a man surrounded by a loving family, holding his hand as he breathes his last. When, the last scene does happen, a beautiful calmness fills the room. Roger has taken flight of this life itself and is on his next journey. No special effects or trumpets blaring. A dignity farewell from a most dignified man....... Fade Out.......