You seem to be misunderstanding me. I'm not talking about "going low." I'm not talking about making fun of President Trump's tragic combover, his awful spray tan, or his tiny hands. This is not what Meryl Streep did from a podium at the Golden Globes, nor is it what many of those with influence are doing as they…

Because, among the many qualities that make Donald Trump unfit for the presidency, his utter lack of self-control and his penchant for disregarding reality need to be seen for the dangers they are. The more obvious it becomes that a change is NEVER coming in Donald Trump's disposition or temperament, and the more…

I definitely think there is something to the notion that "trolling Trump" can have a measurable impact as a form of protest, particularly if you are an individual with a large enough soap box or audience. If I was someone with any measure of widespread influence, I would poke the bear non-stop for the next four years.…

Given that he was great in those three movies, I'd say we could use more of him on the big screen. But I'm guessing the complaint has more to do with the relentless meme-ification of Ryan Gosling, which I suppose could make it seem as if he's everywhere all the time.

Actually, I saw it in a fairly bland suburban theater with my father while home for a weekend. It's easy to be snarky about "sepia-toned" navel-gazing, no matter the distance, but having the opportunity to see a re-release of 'Blade Runner' on the big screen helped me to develop a much larger vocabulary for film as an…

The hope is that Villeneuve can reign him in. Leto's a reasonably talented guy when he's not left to his own try-hard method acting devices. Then again, Rutger Hauer's portrayal of Roy Batty was fairly over-the-top, but the film's restraint elsewhere and it's hypnotic pacing made room for such a performance.

I'm among those for whom 'Blade Runner' represents a watershed movie moment. On a whim, I saw it for the very first time when the "Final Cut" version was re-released to theaters in the autumn of 2007. I was a sophomore in college at the time, and like some who originally saw the [inferior] theatrical release in 1982,…

It's very subtextual, but the theme of caring for animal life—real or artificial—as a manifestation of empathy is present in the opening voight-kampff interview between Leon and Holden. Holden asks a question about a tortoise on its back, baking in the sun, and this is the moment when Leon essentially betrays his…

I don't know, the notion that something "causes a massive rift between them" seems quite appropriate for the season finale. If the William=MiB theory is correct, then something inside William clearly snapped during the last episode, and it's being reflected in the MiB's worldview. After single-handedly slaughtering an…

Except the MiB doesn't believe in Ford's vision of the park. As a board member, he willingly gave his vote to Charlotte to oust Ford in this week's episode. MiB is only interested in finding what's at the center of the maze, which represents Arnold's vision of the park.

To be clear, I never said "real world." The aim of Westworld, the park, isn't to invite guests into an authentic Old West setting; it's to invite guests into a fully-realized world of the creators' imagining. The narratives are fictions meant to stir something awake inside of the guest, something true about…

Well, it seems to me that exciting narratives are plentiful in the park, and as they've made abundantly clear, things get increasingly more dangerous the further out from the center you travel. Plus, the fact that Westworld is not a linear experience keeps guests coming back for what they've missed.

Sure, they COULD, but again, that defeats the purpose of constructing a fully-functioning and self-adapting world. The park operators prefer to be as hands-off as possible, it would seem. They intervene when necessary, but clearly the goal is to help the world and its narratives sustain themselves. In fact, the new…

Indeed. There's a reason that the park is referred to as a "world" by so many different characters. It simply would not be a "world" if there was no action occurring outside of the guests' view. It's much like a modern open-world video game, where NPC's often exist on a schedule and go about their business whether or…

I've not been one to engage in the binge-watching encouraged by contemporary television viewing habits, but strangely enough, I do get the sense that I would enjoy 'Westworld' more as a binge watch, when it's magic wouldn't be plucked apart from week to week by online sleuthers determined to mine every corner of every…

Well, just because the producers say so doesn't necessarily make it so. It's got to be there on the screen, and Dolores simply has not been driving the action in the William/Logan storyline. She's been dragged along for the ride. Of course, she had a great "No power in the 'verse can stop me" moment at the end of the…

It's worth noting that, if Elizabeth Warren were to run for president in 2020, she would be older than Hillary was during this election cycle. It's why 2018 is so important. The Democrats absolutely need to get strong candidates elected, because as of this moment, they don't have much of a bench to call up for the…

We're fucked in the short term, sure. I'm aware of the progress that stands to be rolled back by a Republican-controlled federal government. But I'm more interested in the long game of progressivism in America. Democracy tends to limp along until events catalyze change. I was rooting for a Clinton victory as much as…

What do we do now? How do we fight back? We protest loudly. We vote Republicans out of Congress in 2018, and then we vote Trump out of office in 2020. This is what term limits are for. I will continue to caution people away from the ledge. Yes, it will be a long and difficult four years, and yes, a considerable amount…

So, in your mind, a mature or civil conversation should only exist for the purposes of "winning" the respect or admiration of others? That's an awfully childish point of view, wouldn't you say? It would seem appropriate to mature out of the need for affirmation in conversation with complete strangers.