Liverpool (Finally) Wins the Premier League!!

At long last, #Liverpool has their league title!

Incredible! Thank you #JurgenKlopp (and the #CheatSox owners😇!)!

The first pro team I ever heard of was #LFC when I visited Mashi and Mesho all those...years, let's say years😬, ago, before I even had a concept of what pro teams were in sports (back then I assumed everything was a series of World Cups, cricket, football, and individual sports like tennis).

Back in those pre-Internet days(remember those?!), news was hard to come by, the odd score at the back of the Gulf Times, that awesome weekly show where they showed highlights, rounded up the news, and gave us a 30-minute version of a match(they did for the NBA and Serie A too, right?). There was a sense that this was an awesome team, doing awesome things, or at least its diehard supporters would have you believe, but all tinged with a bit of…sadness, no?

There were those *great* #KennyDalglish years, right? I seem to remember the #IanRush-#JohnBarnes years quite fondly, and would ask Baba, how come we get to see JB at the World Cup but not IR, and he would have to explain about Wales and well…it was all sorta confusing (it's the England *and* Wales Cricket Board, but they separate out for football, what sense is that🤷‍♀️?!).

The years/decades after that were a bit hazy…the charismatic #SteveMcManaman, the reliable #JamieCarragher, the…how do we define the singular? #MichaelOwen…until we come to…duh, duh, duh, the great, great, uniqu/suprem-ely talented, but somehow as defined by his failures as much as his successes, made more endearing by his sportsmanly suffering (remind you of a certain tennis player?!)…our #StevenGerrard.

Anyhoo, after a bunch of interminable Uniteds, Arsenals, Chelseas, and the worst of them all, Citys, and a bunch of searching-for-greener-pastures Torreses, Suarezes, Coutinhos, Sterlings…here we are!!!

I'm not saying this is the best Liverpool team of all time, or the best manager, or the best run they've ever had…all I'm saying you'll be hard-pressed to find a more deserving bunch of kids who played their hearts out for their talismanic manager!

#YNWA

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#LiverpoolFC #Wirral #UpTheReds #PL #CHAMP19NS #PremierLeague
#TrentAlexanderArnold #MoSalah #Alisson #Fabinho #VirgilVanDijk #SadioMane #JamesMilner #RobertoFirmino #JordanHenderson
#WeAreLiverpool #ThisMeansMore #Anfield #Kop #Merseyside
#football #futbol #soccer
#Wijnaldum #DivockOrigi
@liverpoolfc @trentarnold66 @mosalah

Liverpool (Finally) Wins the Premier League!

‪At long last, #Liverpool has their league title!‬

‪Incredible! Thanks #JurgenKlopp (& #CheatSox owners😇)! I'm not saying this is the best #LFC, ever…but you'll be hard-pressed to find a more deserving bunch of kids who played their hearts out for their talismanic manager! #YNWA‬

Do the Right Thing (1989) .

#TBT so how about a #Throwback Movie? 😁

#DoTheRightThing (1989)

😆😂🤭😬😮😲😡🤬😱🥵😔🙏

Bl**dy H*ll! This funny, empathetic, superbly-crafted, incendiary human's-eye view of a neighbourhood *still* has the power to…well, do *every*thing! An instant stone-cold classic on release, let's hope that 30 years from now it'll finally feel dated because the alternative is too sad to even think about…

I mean, you could write a college term paper and not even begin to scratch its giddy, multitudinous surface to see everything that's going on. But I have a theory about (re)watching your favourite movies: the visceral reaction you have the first time you watch it as a young person, the analytical, battle-scarred approach to watching it once you're "grown up," and then when you introduce your kids to it. Man, I hope TBH brings her A-game for the third time, 'cause I'm not gonna have any idea how to actually adult that convo.

So, I'll talk, like I always do, about these things: *incredible* cinematography by the great Dickerson, I mean seriously, I've mostly known his work as a director, but man his early work holding the camera, dude, no seriously, all these hipster dudes with their DSLRs and steadicams doing one-r's these days, take a look at what the camera team did here, wow! And, of course, superlative production and costume design, that *stunning* editing, that score by Spike's father (paving the way for a long and fruitful collaboration with Blanchard), that in-your-face sound design(*integral* in a way that you don't often see), and of course, that casting director with an ensemble *bursting* at the seams with once and future "known" actors/stars…I mean, soooo many great performances: Spike (he was quite an actor, no?), Sandoval, Harris, Faison, Savage, Lawrence(yes, *that* Martin!), Edson, Smith(that shot of him at the end😯!), the irrepressible Perez, the doomed Nunn, the livewire Esposito, the conflicted Turturro, the great Dee, Sam Mutha-Bleepin' Jackson(what?! he's been with us *all* along, hasn't he?!)…have I left anyone out?!

And of course, the *great* Aiello, who brings all the nuance and charisma to a complex, complicated, infuriating, warmhearted character, a human being in other words.

But, I gotta say, in all of this maelstrom, in all of Spike's whirling directing, the person who steals the show is Davis. He may not have the last word in the film, but it's his presence that hangs over it all, an easily-ignored but insistent voice that things can, and, must, get better.

PS. TBH was right, as much fun as the movie is…it was all perfectly designed with Swiss-precision to inexorably build to its *inevitable* ending.





#SpikeLee #ErnestDickerson #BarryAlexanderBrown #WynnThomas #RuthECarter #SkipLievsay #BillLee #BranfordMarsalis
#OssieDavis #DannyAiello #GiancarloEsposito #RosiePerez #BillNunn #JohnTurturro #RichardEdson #RubyDee #RogerGuenveurSmith
#MartinLawrence #JoieLee #FrankieFaison #RobinHarris #MiguelSandoval #JohnSavage…and, of course, #SamuelLJackson (and many, many, many more!)
@universalpictures @officialspikelee

Do the Right Thing (1989)

‪#DoTheRightThing (1989)‬

‪😂🤭😬😲🤬😱🥵😔🙏‬

‪Bl**dy H*ll! Funny, empathetic, incendiary human's-eye view of us *still* has the power to…well, do *every*thing! An indispensable, classic, let's hope in 30 years it'll finally feel dated because the alternative would be too sad…‬

Liverpool Thrashes Crystal Palace In Welcome Return to Form

‪#MoSalah, no problems🤣!‬

‪#BendItLikeTrent😳...someone get #GurinderChadha on the phone!‬

‪#Fabinho beautiful touch and thunder shot👏!‬

‪#LIVCRY...what a hashtag...isn't that what we've been doing these last many months...😏‬

‪#YNWA #LFC #Liverpool‬

RIP Joel Schumacher

‪RIP #JoelSchumacher ‬

‪One of my favourite directors. Excelled at well-made, satisfying mainstream films, but when you dig deeper you realise what an eclectic high-quality career he actually had, one that's more than worthy of celebration. So many great movies to (re)discover!‬

Da 5 Bloods

‪#Da5Bloods‬

‪Oh #SpikeLee, you've done it again! Loose-limbed, furious, empathetic genre deconstruction that never loses focuses on what really matters: complicated, complex, compelling characters at the heart of it all. Give #DelroyLindo (& #TerenceBlanchard) *all* the #Oscars!‬

Liverpool Escapes with Draw in Return to Title Run

‪😬‬

‪#Liverpool *escapes* with that famed 0-0 draw vs...#Everton😲‬

‪Hey, at least they're back, no👍?‬

‪PS. Thank g*d for (season-long)stealth MVP #Alisson👌!‬

‪#MerseysideDerby #LFC #EVELIV #YNWA‬

Happy Father's Day 2020

‪Happy #FathersDay y'all!‬

‪To help you celebrate (and make you miss the #USOpen even more) here's a picture of #PebbleBeach!‬

‪#Monterey #CA‬

RIP Ian Holm

‪RIP #IanHolm‬

‪One of my *all*-time faves. Discovered him during that incredible high-profile 90s run, then realised after re-watching/membering many earlier great films, he had been there all along. What a long, stunning career in cinema, TV, theatre...lamp scene in #BigNight👏‬

They Live (1988)

‪#TheyLive (1988)‬

‪Awe-bl**dy-some a**-kicking tongue-in-cheek/steadfastly-earnest sci-fi/horror/actioner social/political-satire that is relevant now more than ever! Speaking of a**kicking - that fight between #RowdyRoddyPiper & #KeithDavid...🤛🤜👊💪😮😲😵💥#JohnCarpenter👏‬

RIP Sushant Singh Rajput

‪RIP #SushantSinghRajput‬

‪So very sad, gone too soon. The kid had real spark. My mother alerted me to him back with his TV show, but I didn't catch up until the fantastic #KaiPoChe!. And I'm so glad I did. 10 films in only 7 years, well on his way to a substantial career. Sigh...‬

Colourism in Cricket

‪Dude, #HasanMinhaj, changing #cricket one @PATRIOTACT takedown at a time!‬

‪Good for #DarenSammy for shining a light on this, and for the always thoughtful @sambitbal for his take: ‬

‪https://t.co/Pu7yp6LKWp‬

Let's Cross That Bridge...

‪In Punjab you don't cross a bridge...‬

‪...the bridge crosses you! 🤣🤣🤣🤣‬

‪PS. As always, #StaySafe #StayPositive🙏‬

‪#Punjab #India‬

We Wanted Great Sports Not Some Rando Golf Tournament

‪We wanted ‬

‪#IPL, #Federer, #LFC's run to the title, #LeBron, er, #Lakers run to his MVP, #Dodgers' run to World Series, #Wimbledon, #BritishOpen, er, #TheOpen, #F1,‬

‪instead...‬

‪...we got something called @CSChallengeFW🤷‍♀️‬

‪Hey, at this point we'll take anything, right?😴😏‬

Grab (2011)

‪#Grab (2011)‬

‪Lovely little documentary short about a little-known, and seldom-seen, Native American tradition. The tilt-shift opening, open-heartedness, drolly humourous(and heartbreaking) narration, assured, genteel storytelling rhythm...wonderful. ‬

‪h/t: TBH (as always!)‬

The Wretched

‪#TheWretched‬

‪D*mn good #Disturbia-by-way-of-#AmityIsland (this time, the shark's a witch…oh gawd, please don't give #Syfy any ideas for a #SharkWitch movie😬!) fun. The *perfect* movie for #DriveInMovieDay. Good screenplay structure, no?, incl a #Shyamalan-esque *double*-twist!‬

Blow the Man Down

‪#BlowTheManDown‬

‪Entertaining #CoenBrothers-Meets-#ManchesterByTheSea indie, ahem, NEo(😉)-noir. Kudos to young dirs, DP(& colourist for that eye-watering lo-fi/IG-filter look). Great cast, #Oscars/#Emmys to Squibb & Martindale(which sounds like the world's most fun lawyer show!)‬

Gemini Man

‪#GeminiMan‬

‪#AngLee, #CliveOwen, #WillSmith vs. Will Smith…be still my beating heart! Not quite as bad as the reviews would have you believe. We've been treated to some spectacular #DC / #Marvel stuff since 2008, but there's still no substitute for Will Smith in Blockbuster Mode‬

Underwater

‪#Underwater‬

‪Good, clean #Alien-Meets-#TheAbyss-Meets-#Leviathan-#Kaiju fun, and it's nice to see #KStew having so much of it. Appealing cast, and you need to watch the awesome BTS to see how the enterprising DP, prod designer, kid director put this whole thing together.‬

Stan Wawrinka Service Motion!

Holy bleep is that #Stanimal... how does one learn to serve like that😳?! I pulled a rotator cuff just putting my hand between my shoulder blades🤣!

Waiting for LeBron...I mean NBA’s Return

‪Even the sky can't wait for #LeBron's...er I mean #Lakers... er I mean the #NBA's return!‬

‪🙏‬

‪#LALive #DTLA #LosAngeles #CA‬

NASA Successfully Launches Astronauts in Crew Dragon

‪Man, watching rockets launch into, ya know, outer space never grows old, no?‬

‪👏 #NASA, #DouglasHurley & #RobertBehnken (both married to astronauts - how cool!), #CrewDragon, #Falcon9(which landed on a drone boat😲?!) & the 1000s that worked on the project!👍👍👍👍‬

Contagion (2011)

How about a #FlashbackFriday Movie? 😁

#Contagion (2011)

Eerily prescient, terrifying look…at the state of theatrical mid-budget adult dramas 🤣

I keed, I keed! No, of course it's a terrifyingly prescient look at the (apparently utterly predictable😮?!) pandemic situation we find ourselves in. I mean, my goodness, how many of those lingering surface shots do we need before we change our disgusting habits?!

Man, remember that time in Welham's when I was No. 6 to get chickenpox, what fun that was, when the hospital eventually filled up with more like us, and then we were discharged, only to find that the school had become so overrun with CP cases that they converted the audi (which used to be NG, i.e. New Ground, right? until NG got shifted upstairs to combine with NU, New Upper, except NU kinda disappeared one day and we were left with NG…but upstairs🤷‍♀️?!) into a makeshift hospital, and the first wave kids (hey, it was the 80s after all🤓!) would look on in jealousy as we still had to go to class and PT and the rest, while the audi kids looked like they were having the time of their lives, and then suddenly, just like that, the school shut down and sent us *all* home early, not checking if the kids were infectious or not? Fun times…with some decidedly un-fun national events that filtered down to us in quarantine…but that's an insane FBF story for another day😳😬!

Always, yeah, I still remember when the trailer came out(almost 10 years ago😱?!?!) and as soon as they showed the army hospital in the indoor stadium, I immediately flashed back to those fun times.

Seriously, though, how about a bunch of in-retrospect #Oscars (a retrospective #Oscar?!) to screenwriter Burns, who "breaks" all the screenwriting rules(umm, does the inciting incident happen like 2 seconds in when "Day 2" flashes on screen - I'll have to ask all my screenwriting friends next time I see them) and somehow still manages to craft a compelling, engaging, human-level disaster film; to editor Mirrione who builds tension in that terse just-the-facts-ma'am style that I love so much(man, so many jarring hard cuts…brilliant!), and, of course, the man himself, the underrated linchpin in the great Soderbergh's great filmography: composer Martinez.

And, of course, that cast: Winslet(where's she been recently?!), Fishburne(such a welcome presence in these sorts of things), Damon, Paltrow, Cotillard, Law(visibly happy to be unburdened by that 6-movies-in-6-months Next Big Thing pressure like his buddy Farrell), and Ehle who kinda, sorta, steals the whole thing…plus, many, many, many more!

Basically, watch this movie again, what else are you gonna do?!?!?!

"We have a novel virus with a high mortality rate and no known vaccine…" famous last words, eh?!

—-

#ScottZBurns #CliffMartinez #StevenSoderbergh #StephenMirrione
#KateWinslet #LaurenceFishburne #MattDamon #JudeLaw #JenniferEhle #MarionCotillard #GwynethPaltrow #BryanCranston
#JohnHawkes #ElliottGould #SanaaLathan … and many, many, many, many more!
@wbpictures @warnerhomebr @participant @scottzburns @extension765

Contagion (2011)

‪#Contagion (2011) ‬

‪Eerily prescient look at...the state of theatrical midbudget adult dramas 🤣‬

‪I keed, I keed! Terrifyingly prophetic look at the (predictable😮?!) situation we're in. In-retrospect #Oscars to writer, ed, music & as many of the star-filled cast as you can fit!‬

Slay the Dragon

‪#SlayTheDragon‬

‪Eye-opening, terrifying, blood-boiling, pull-back-the-curtain ultimately-uplifting(whew!) look at how democracy "truly" works. No matter which side(s) of the political aisle(s) you're on, you can't help but be moved by this stirring film.‬

‪#VirtualCinema(🙏)‬

RIP Jerry Sloan

‪RIP #JerrySloan‬

‪Great, tough-guy coach for a remarkable 23 years with the #Jazz. I always had a soft spot for his un-glamorous but effective teams that gave #MJ's #Bulls fits, after, apparently, being an all-time Bulls player himself. What a glorious ride he had. ‬

Happy Memorial Day / Eid Mubarak 2020

‪Happy #MemorialDay / #EidMubarak‬

‪Sending all of my best wishes to everyone impacted by Cyclone Amphan. ‬

‪As beautiful as Bengal is, what really sets her apart is the people and their irrepressible spirit.‬

‪#StaySafe #StayPositive‬

‪#Bengal #India‬

A White, White Day (Hvítur, hvítur dagur) !

#VirtualCinema(🙏)

#AWhiteWhiteDay (#HviturHviturDagur)

😳👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

Incredible, just bl**dy incredible!

Stop what you're doing right now and watch this remarkable film. Because, this is it, man, this is it, the next great international film director is here, the kid's here. I mean when you go from a first film like the madhouse cinematic experience that was #WinterBrothers and then you follow that up with that nerve-jangling (& flashback-inducing - those Icelandic roads are tricky😬!) opening sequence, followed by that meditative six minutes…and you still have another hour and forty minutes to go…you know you're in that all-too-rare sweet spot where directorial intent meets impeccable craftsmanship.

And what intent, boy! Scene by scene, moment by moment, this Bergman-Meets-Farhadi existential genre-busting film leads you to that ending, that ending…my dude…that ending…

They shot it on film, a low budget Icelandic movie and they shot on #35mm film!! Me? I'm glad the Second AC wasn't too fastidious about checking the gate, analog imperfections in our perfect digital world are a reminder of our shared humanity, no? 🤷‍♀️ I dunno, I must be in a metaphorical (or is that metaphysical😜?!) mood after the rock-rolling-down-the-hill sequence.

Speaking of sequences, those single-takes that litter the film are simply a wonder to behold. Maybe they're not as logistically show-offy as the ones we've seen in Hollywood recently, but they're all tremendously affecting: the liver story, the kids TV show, the key sequence (#Marvel should hire the stunt coordinator based on that scene alone✊!). #Oscars for the dolly group and focus-puller(umm, that'd be the First AC, right🤔?)

Speaking of #Oscar, one of the few bright spots to come out of this, well, ya ka know, is that small films like this actually stand a chance this year. So, let's give a bunch of awards to the director(so young, so great already!), the DP, the editor(what deliberative discipline!), the composer, and the remarkable young Hlynsdottir, one of the all-time child actor performances, and the lead Sigurdsson, I mean he deserves all the awards just for the opening and ending alone, but then, when you add in, ya know, *every*thing in between…

Well, what're you waiting for?! It's Memorial Day weekend, what else are you gonna do?!🤣

TL;DR: Best Movie, Ever!!!

-

Hlynur Palmason Maria von Hausswolff(🎥🎞🙏) Julius Krebs Damsbo Edmund Finnis
Ingvar Sigurdsson Ida Mekkin Hlynsdottir

A White, White Day (Hvítur, hvítur dagur)

‪#AWhiteWhiteDay (#HviturHviturDagur) ‬

‪Best Movie, Ever!‬

‪To go from #WinterBrothers to nerve-jangling (& flashback-inducing😬!) opening, followed by meditative 6 mins…Give this Bergman-Meets-Farhadi existential genre-buster *all* the #Oscars: dir, DP, Hlynsdottir, & Sigurdsson!‬

The Last Dance (ESPN)

‪#TheLastDance (#ESPN)‬

‪aka The Last #GOAT, right #MJ😇?‬

‪True documentary? Let the experts decide...just appreciate the 16mm film footage, gut-wrenching story of his & Kerr's fathers, the "pizza" game, last sequence v Jazz...#Oscars/#Emmys to the entire team, esp the music supes!‬

RIP Lynn Shelton

‪RIP #LynnShelton‬

‪Gone *way* too soon, right in her filmmaking prime. An inspiration for her do-it-yourself, tenacious path to cinema, proving it's never too late to follow your dreams. Follow she did: 9 features in 13 yrs, high-profile TV series. There was so much more to come.‬

RIP Fred Willard

‪RIP #FredWillard‬

‪I *love* this guy, the top of the pantheon of I-love-that-guy/gal scene/movie/show-stealing character actors. Movies & TV won't be the same without him. Now, excuse me while I go catch up on Fernwood 2 Night…& Back to You...& all those Chris Guest films &...‬

Palm Trees

‪Palm trees - all in a manicured row!‬

‪🌴 🏝 ‬

‪#MarinaDelRey #LosAngeles #CA‬

Mad Max Fury Road Oral History

‪An oral history as epic as #MadMaxFuryRoad (one of the few films I paid to watch multiple times in theatres)!!‬

‪Can it really have been 5 years already?!😳‬

‪h/t: my old pal Doney👍‬

https://t.co/0YSWdGjF3L

City of Hope (1991)

‪#CityOfHope (1991) ‬

‪Absolutely terrific Dickensian epic about the intersecting lives of people trying to make a difference/making do in a town dealing with poverty, corruption, local politics, crime, racism, life…10 yrs before #TheWire! An all-timer from the great #JohnSayles!‬

Michael Jordan Ranked Ahead of LeBron by ESPN

‪Boomers of the world unite...‬

‪...& sigh in collective relief!‬

‪Your beloved #MJ is 1 in #ESPN's #GOAT rankings, while pesky #LeBron is firmly ensconced in 2nd.‬

‪Can you imagine the digital rioting if that had been reversed 😳?!‬

‪PS. #Kobe would be ecstatic to be 1 ahead of #Shaq‬

https://es.pn/2WsmJt7

RIP Jerry Stiller

‪RIP #JerryStiller‬

‪One of my all-time favourite character actors/comedians/outrageous screen presences. Discovered him thanks to #Seinfield, he was great on #TheKingOfQueens, great on #TheTakingOfPelhamOneTwoThree...simply, great. Time for me to finally discover #StillerAndMeara‬

RIP Little Richard

‪RIP #LittleRichard‬

‪Not sure if he was one of the originators of rock n' roll, but he definitely was one of my favourites. Discovered him thanks to my parents when they got that mythical CD player...my ears split open! As long as there's music, there will always be Little Richard‬

Happy Mother’s Day 2020

‪How about some nice #Bengali flowers for #MothersDay?‬

‪👩‍👦👩‍👧💐🌷🌸🌹🌺🥀❣️‬

‪#Jalpaiguri #Bengal #India‬

Sorry We Missed You

‪#SorryWeMissedYou‬

‪😳‬

‪Brutal(ly) honest/affecting kitchen-sink drama for the 21st-century gig economy. Not for the faint of spirit, esp in these times, but it's *precisely* for these times that it was made. #Oscars for all: #KenLoach, DP, ed., prod design, cast, esp Honeywood.‬

Rabindranath Tagore - Where the Mind is Without Fear

‪The only thing I remember from School:‬

‪Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high;‬

‪Where knowledge is free;‬

‪Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls;‬

‪Where words come out from the depth of truth;‬

Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection;

Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit;

Where the mind is led forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action —

Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.

- #RabindranathTagore

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)

‪#StarTrekTheMotionPicture (1979)‬

‪Much better than its terrible reputation, just be aware of its, um, measured, stately, rhythm😏 Massive credit to #PersisKhambatta and swaggering #WilliamShatner, effects by Trumbull & Dykstra & esp legendary #JerryGoldsmith who carries the day.‬

RIP Chuni Goswami

‪RIP #ChuniGoswami‬

‪Hallowed name growing up in millions of Bengali households. Captained India in football & Bengal in Ranji Trophy cricket! What a thrill to find out he was one degree of separation away from us (Ma will have to tell you the story). A legendary life fully lived.‬

Swan Cloud

‪We've had a run of bad news lately, so how about a "#swan" to cheer you up?‬

‪🦢 ☁️ ☀️ ‬

1BR - Directed by My College Friend

‪As a rule I try not to watch horror films (ER bills are too high)‬

‪but I'll make an exception for my college buddy Dave Marmor who wrote/directed/produced(/edit/VFX/sound/colour/poster-ed...ah, the life of an indie filmmaker) the well-reviewed #1BR!‬

‪(LA housing is murder, no?🤗)‬