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‘Elemental’ a delightfully odd Disney/Pixar treat

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:20:47 GMT

Wonderfully weird, Pixar’s animated “Elemental” is a gift from the Magic Kingdom as it presents an astounding world where the citizens are one of the four elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Air.“Elemental” is about the rocky courtship that asks: Can a Water person find happiness – and continued life – with a Fire person?Specifically, can sweet-natured inspector Wade Ripple (voiced by Mamoudou Athie) find a soul mate and life partner with explosive, short-tempered Ember Lumens (Leah Lewis)?After all, these are two worlds that rarely meet much less become coupled. Can they touch?  Will Ember boil Wade?  On his part, he can easily extinguish her flame.While Earth and Air are reduced to bit parts without much interest, “Elemental” has other things in mind beyond its Romeo and Juliet warring families set-up.There is a vivid contrast between what would be the upper middle class of Water world where families live in plush high rises and nearly constantly break into (comical) gushes of tears.The...

Franks: Trump should return to being unpredictable

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:20:47 GMT

The best move for former President Donald Trump is the one most unexpected. Being unpredictable or unconventional was the trait that helped him win the White House in 2016, and it would help him today.The baseball pitcher that tips off his pitches eventually gets hit hard, looks bad, and does not last long in a game against professional hitters. Trump must do something that no one would expect – maybe a change up pitch after countless fastballs.Trump should be magnanimous and withdraw from the presidential race. It would be in his best interest, and it would be for the good of the country. For the leading candidate for the Republican nomination to gracefully bow out now would allow Trump to give an endorsement next year that would help ensure a Republican victory in 2024.If Trump were to take himself off the stage, I believe the drama would be gone. And most Americans would feel more positive about Trump because of this sacrifice, his willingness to help the nation by taking the spo...

Scherer: AM Radio bill already having positive effect

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:20:47 GMT

Ford Motor Co. announced last month that it would not remove AM radio from 2024 vehicle models. The surprise announcement comes on the heels of a bipartisan bill requiring auto manufacturers to maintain AM radio capabilities in all new vehicles at no additional cost to consumers.Known as the AM for Every Vehicle Act, the measure addresses the recent trend in manufacturers choosing to phase out AM radios from electric vehicles.To that effect, the act already appears to have a noticeable effect. Ford’s policy reversal seems to have been influenced by recent discussions between company CEO Jim Farley and policy leaders “about the importance of AM broadband radio as part of the emergency alert system.” If that’s true, then other manufacturers may eventually reach similar conclusions.This is good news for consumers because it means regardless of whether the act becomes law, it may still force a change in industry behavior. Consumers deserve access to as many sources of information as pos...

Editorial: Council vote to cut police budget undermines Boston

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:20:47 GMT

A question for the members of the Boston City Council who voted to cut some $31M from the police budget – just what city are you representing?Judging by your vote, it can’t be Boston, the city with 213 gun-related arrests and 55 shooting incidents year-to-date, according to BPD data. Those numbers are down from the past year, thanks in large part to the very police department these councilors have targeted for budget cuts. Logically, those statistics point to a need to keep police funding where it is, or even increase it.But logic is in short supply here.While some crimes are on the downswing, gun violence still threatens Boston’s safety, and there have been 14 homicides so far this year compared to six the same time last year, according to the BPD. News of Boston police officers arresting drug traffickers, thus getting cocaine, fentanyl and other illicit, often deadly substances off the streets is hard to miss. Boston Police officers are doing yeoman’s work ...

Chris Hemsworth kicks up the action in stellar ‘Extraction 2’

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:20:47 GMT

Is it a spoiler just to review “Extraction 2” after the ending of its 2020 predecessor? The oldest tricks are the best. When we last saw him, Tyler Rake (Chris Hemsworth aka Thor), whose name summons the ghosts of the Tom Clancy-school of spydom. , took a header into the Ganges, leaving us doubting his chances of survival. Are you kidding me? “Extraction,” which featured some of the most exciting action of any action film of the time, thanks to former stunt coordinator-turned-director Sam Hargrave and screenwriter Joe Russo (“Extraction,” “The Gray Man”), was a smash hit for Netflix and created a character that gave Australian actor Hemsworth a rare and coveted second signature role. Based on the graphic novel “Ciudad” by Ande Parks, “Extraction” was also the international film debut of Indian actor Randeep Hooda as Rake’s adversary. Would Hargrave’s “Extraction 2” provide an adversary as imposing and charismatic?Not quite, but Georgian gun and drug-smuggler and super-vi...

‘Blue Jean’ revisits tense life as a gay woman in Thatcher’s Britain

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:20:47 GMT

Boasting a breakthrough, award-winning performance by Brit Rosy McEwan (“The Alienist”), writer-director Georgia Oakley’s “Blue Jean” charts the dangerous and uncharted land traveled by a gay woman (a PE teacher at a public high school) in Newcastle in northeast England in 1988. At a time when Margaret Thatcher is calling for a return to “traditional values” and her supporters bemoaned the pernicious influence gay people could exert upon children, a gay teacher has to tread very carefully and even remain in the closet to safekeep her livelihood.Thatcher even passed Section 28, a law prohibiting the “promotion of homosexuality.” It remained in effect until 2000. At school and in public, Jean Newman, who lives alone in a semi-attached property, is cautious and passive. A busybody across the way keeps an eye on Jean. In opening scenes, Jean, a bottle blonde, is applying bleach to her hair. With her fair skin and make-up free face, the effect suggests a desire to be invisible. At ...

Dear Abby: BF not interested in making his own friends

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:20:47 GMT

Dear Abby: My partner, “Josh,” and I (we’re both male) have been together for two years. We met while living in LA and were fortunate to be accepted to grad schools in NYC. We’re not living together now as our schools are in different boroughs, but we see each other most weekends.Recently, Josh has been trying to make more friends, as our social network seems more heavily skewed toward people from my circles (school, past work, etc.). I have the benefit of living on a grad school campus with in-person classes. Ninety percent of my peers are within the three buildings around me. Josh’s school has more students spread around Manhattan.I’m trying to figure out how I can support him making friends organically while not feeling like I’m ignoring him or missing out on time with him. We communicate well, and I’ve asked how I can help him, or if I should give him more space (i.e., not come over some weekends to give him more free time to make ...

Gloria Estefan gets loud, Teddy Riley swings and Jeff Lynne rocks at Songwriters Hall induction

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:20:47 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Gloria Estefan sang a medley of her hits, Post Malone sang one of his forgotten gems, Teddy Riley swayed to New Jack Swing and Jeff Lynne rocked out to “Mr. Blue Sky” at the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony Thursday night. The gala at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City celebrated a diverse group of songwriters, with Broadway represented by lyricist Tim Rice, pop from Glen Ballard and a Nashville twang from Liz Rose. Each inductee spoke about how important music was to them growing up and how it connected them to the past and future.“To those fans that have found in my music what I found in the music of the life-changing songwriters that nourished my soul throughout my life, I thank you for that privilege,” said Estefan, the first Hispanic woman to be inducted. “And I can assure you that it is just as magical from the other side of the song.”Lynne, of the prog-rock Electric Light Orchestra, who worked with the Travelling Wilburys and To...

Stock market today: Asian shares track Wall Street rally, Bank of Japan stands pat

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:20:47 GMT

BANGKOK (AP) — Asian shares logged moderate gains on Friday after Wall Street benchmarks swept higher, extending their longest rally in a year and a half. The Bank of Japan wrapped up a policy meeting by keeping its ultra-lax monetary stance unchanged, as expected. It is a standout among central banks, most of which have sought to rein in inflation by raising interest rates. The key Japanese rate has stayed at minus 0.1% for a decade and policymakers have indicated they are not convinced that current inflation, which finally has surpassed the BOJ’s target of about 2%, will be sustained. “With extremely high uncertainties surrounding economies and financial markets at home and abroad, the Bank will patiently continue with monetary easing while nimbly responding to developments in economic activity and prices as well as financial conditions,” the BOJ said in a statement.Tokyo’s Nikkei 225 index edged 0.1% higher to 33,518.93. Share prices have been trading around their hig...

REVIEW: The Flash runs into a dead end

Published Tue, 24 Dec 2024 13:20:47 GMT

Over the past ten years, D.C. Studios has released 14 films that make up a cinematic universe. It’s been constantly criticized and compared to Marvel’s more successful model, but the DCEU has had a variety of high points. The first time Batman ever fought Superman in live action, three outstanding performances from Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, and of course Jason Momoa looking amazingly attractive as Aquaman. With the studio’s newest release, the film is putting this cinematic universe in the past and jumping ahead into a new one.Ezra Miller in the Flash, courtesy of Warner Media.The Flash is both the end of a chapter, and an attempted beginning in a bold new direction. Ezra Miller (from We Need to Talk About Kevin) excels in their best performance as the speedster Barry Allen. Accustomed to his role in the Justice League, Allen discovers he can travel back in time and decides to do so to attempt to save the life of his mother (played by Maribel Verdú from Y tu m...