Posts Tagged 'Jeffrey Dahmer'
Random Friday Thoughts — August 17, 2018
Posted by Anthony Peoples in Uncategorized.	Tagged: Annette Bening, Aretha Franklin, Awkwafina, Barack Obama, Billy Elliot, Call Me By Your Name, Chappaquiddick, Chicago, CNN, Constance Yu, Crazy Rich Asians, Dexter, Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., Elvis, Elvis Presley, fake news, Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool, George Michael, Gloria Grahame, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Henry Golding, It's A Wonderful Life, Jamie Bell, Jeffrey Dahmer, Jimmy Carter, John Wayne Gacy, Julia Roberts, Julie Walters, Love Simon, Madonna, Mamma Mia, Michael C. Hall, Milwaukee, My Friend Dahmer, Netflix, President Jimmy Carter, Pretty Woman, Rosalynn Carter, Ross Lynch, Safe, serial killers, Singapore, Ted Kennedy, Walter Mondale.	Leave a comment
It's hard to believe that we're already into the middle of August.
After one of the hottest weekends of the summer last weekend in the Northland, I'm ready for a long, comfortable Duluth, Minnesota autumn!
Thank you for checking out my random thoughts.
"FAKE NEWS" — FOR SURE
It's bad enough to have to look at 45 and listen to his ramblings with the traditional trite catch phrases, "witch hunt", "crooked Hillary", or "fake news".
Well, last week, CNN ran a story comparing the approval rating of "that man" vs. President Barack Obama.
But, Junior, that's Donald Jr. posted a fake image on his Instagram page with 45's job approval rating at 50% instead of the actual 40%!
After being called out numerous times, he finally deleted it last Friday.
FAKE NEWS in the 45 White House circle of hell is alive and well!
I've only been to the movies twice this year.
In January, I saw "Call Me By Your Name" and in March, I went to see "Love, Simon". I highly recommend both of them!
But, today, I'm indulging with a large popcorn, a Coke Zero, and "Crazy Rich Asians"!
I first mentioned the movie in my blog last November when I was crushing on 31-year-old British-Malaysian actor Henry Golding, the lead in the movie.
A couple of months ago, I wrote, "I think 'Crazy Rich Asians' could be the new 'Pretty Woman'! Well, without Julia Roberts and turning tricks in Los Angeles!
I'm so excited to see MUCH MORE of Henry Golding and the chemistry between his character, Nick Young and Rachel (Constance Wu).
Also, I hear that Goh Peik Lin (played by Awkwafina), Rachel's Singaporean college best friend, is hilarious."
ARETHA FRANKLIN (1942-2018)
The world lost music legend Aretha Franklin Thursday after a lengthy battle with cancer. She was 76. Her family and friends were with her when she passed on.
Franklin got her start singing in her father's Detroit church.
She scored her first hit in 1960 on the Billboard R&B chart when "When I Sing The Blues" reached #10.
That was the first of 81 hits she charted on R&B charts. Of those, 52 reached the Top Ten, with 37 making the Top 5!
On the R&B chart, she had 20 number one hits.
Meanwhile, on the Billboard Hot 100 (which combines all music), she scored 43 hits with 17 making it to the Top 5.
She had two #1 hits on the Hot 100: 1967's "Respect" and 1987's "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)", with George Michael.
My three favorite Aretha songs were "Chain of Fools" at #3, "Freeway of Love" at #2, and this one is my favorite.
Aretha's duet with George Michael, "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)" was also my favorite of all of Michael's hits, too!
Franklin also picked up 17 Grammy Awards for her recordings and thee more Special Grammy Awards!
On this date, August 16, we lost the "King" Elvis Presley in 1977 and the "Queen of Soul" Aretha Franklin in 2018.
On a happier note, the "Queen of Pop" Madonna was born in 1958!
Happy 60th Madonna!
In her honor, here are my all-time favorite Madonna songs. I'll be your jukebox today!
https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2015/10/08/my-favorite-iconic-madonna-hits/
"FILM STARS DON'T DIE IN LIVERPOOL"
While I still haven't seen two of the Best Actress performances from the 90th Academy Awards, I have to say that Annette Benning was robbed of an Oscar nomination in "Film Stars Don't Die In Liverpool".
Jamie Bell was equally deserving.
This romantic dramedy is about the love affair of an older woman and a younger man and is based on the true story of actress Gloria Grahame.
While Grahame won an Oscar in 1952 for "The Bad and the Beautiful", many people probably know her best as Violet Bick from 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life". (Yes, the staple of Christmas television!)
Bening was fantastic as Grahame and it's great to see Jamie Bell all grown up and sexy!
I loved him, when barely a teenager, in his movie debut, 2000's incredible "Billy Elliot".
And, it was fun seeing him reunited with Julie Walters ("Mamma Mia"), who played his dance teacher in "Billy Elliot" and his mother in "Film Stars".
If you're looking for a new series to binge watch on Netflix, check out the latest from Michael C. Hall, who played adorable serial killer, "Dexter" on Showtime for eight seasons.
I still have the biggest crush on Hall! I was very fortunate to see him "off Broadway" in "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" in New York City in January 2015.
In "Safe", an eight episode series, Hall plays an English doctor who goes on the search for his teenage daughter when she and her hot boyfriend go missing.
It's filled with many twists and turns and the conclusion is a shocker!
MY 15 MINUTES OF FAME WITH JEFFREY DAHMER
Back in 1990, I spent the summer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and unbeknownst then, a menacing serial killer was praying on young men in the city.
When the timeline of Jeffrey Dahmer's killing spree, complete with cannibalism and lobotomies, came to light, I had been in Club 219 two nights before Dahmer picked up one of his victims!
Who knows, he might have been creeping around in the corner of that seedy bar that night!
There have been several movies released about Dahmer.
"Dahmer" (2002) with Jeremy Renner playing the serial killer is a little bit better than this one, but it's not great either.
"My Friend Dahmer" focuses on the high school years of Dahmer in Ohio, with Ross Lynch of Disney Channel fame, playing a teenage Dahmer.
While Lynch is convincing, Anne Heche's performance as his unstable mother is a bit much to take — too comical.
CRAZY OCCURRENCES IN JIMMY CARTER'S TERM
Watching "My Friend Dahmer", I did learn something that I didn't know.
If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know that Jimmy Carter is my favorite president.
While on a high school trip to Washington D.C., Dahmer called the White House and talked his way into a tour and even got to meet Vice President Walter Mondale.
That isn't the only strange occurrence during the Carter White House years with a serial killer.
In a turn of events that's much more widely known, First Lady Rosalynn Carter was photographed with John Wayne Gacy in May 1978 for his part in the annual Polish Constitution Day Parade in Chicago.
Around Christmas 1978, Gacy was arrested and eventually convicted of killing 33 young men and boys outside Chicago. He buried many in his house in the crawl space.
He was also known for dressing up as a clown, thus earning the nickname "Killer Clown".
We know the story of the Kennedy curse: Joe was killed fighting in World War II and John and Bobby were assassinated, so it was up to Ted to get to the White House.
But, on a fateful summer night near Martha's Vineyard, those dreams almost disappeared in an alcohol-induced accident that left Mary Jo Kopechne , who worked on Bobby's 1968 campaign, dead.
If you liked Kennedy, this movie definitely won't make you like him any more. If you already disliked him, you'll like him even less.
I'll admit for all his faults, Ted Kennedy did a lot for us in his almost 47 years as Senator.
However, I'll never forgive him for making a run in 1980 for the Democratic nomination for president.
While dealing with the Iranian hostage situation and the faltering economy, this definitely hurt sitting President Jimmy Carter that spring and gave Ronald Reagan the advantage he needed.
Random Friday Thoughts — June 30, 2017
Posted by Anthony Peoples in Uncategorized.	Tagged: 3 Generations, American Crime Story, Andrew Cunanan, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia, Bad Santa 2, Ben Whishaw, Charlotte Rampling, Christmas, Donald Trump, Elle Fanning, Entertainment Weekly, Erasure, Gay Pride, Get Out, Gianni Versace, Holland America, Hurricane Katrina, Jeffrey Dahmer, Jordan Peele, Kathy Bates, Latitude 29, Lifetime, Lil Rel Howery, London Spy, marriage equality, Naomi Watts, New Orleans, penis, Pride, racism, Resistance, Ronald Reagan, Ryan Murphy, SCOTUS, summer, Supreme Court of the United States, Susan Sarandon, Sylvester, Tom Rob Smith, transgender, Versace.	Leave a comment
The first half of the year is over now! It's incredible how fast time flies.
I hope you've enjoyed part one of 2017 and are looking forward to more of the same for the part two if it's been a good one. If it hasn't been all that spectacular or if there's room for improvement, here's to a better summer, fall, and the kick-off to winter!
I appreciate you checking out my random thoughts and feel free to share yours, too. If you disagree, do it diplomatically!
4 MORE YEARS, ANTHONY KENNEDY, PLEASE!
Rumors are swirling that Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) Anthony Kennedy, almost 81-years-old, might be ready to announce his retirement.
The Reagan-nominee has been a Justice for more than 29 years.
The court is currently split. Ruth Bader Ginsburg, now 84, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan and Stephen Breyer lean Democratic and Neil Gorsuch, John Roberts, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito side Republican.
Kennedy is sometimes a tiebreaker or a swing voter.
My hope is that he holds out until 2021 before he retires since President Obama didn't get to appoint a successor to conservative judge Antonin Scalia, who died in February 2016.
TWO YEARS AND THE WORLD IS STILL HERE
It was two years ago this week (June 26, 2015) that Justice Kennedy authored SCOTUS' decision making marriage equality the law of the land.
He concluded by saying, "No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice, and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right."
That night, the White House showed its true colors!
Since that day, despite people like Kentucky's "Wicked Witch" Kim Davis, the LGBT community learned more about what the expression "all men are created equal" means.
And, to this day, the Earth is still rotating on its axis, the sun still rises in the east, and settles in the west! And, that won't change with #45 either!
VERSACE LIVES AGAIN
Summer just started last week and I'm already looking forward to fall and winter. And, now, early 2018 can't get here soon enough. 🙂
The long awaited follow-up to the spectacular and award winning FX series "The People v O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story" was announced.
Originally, it was going to about Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, but that'll now be the third installment.
"The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" is now being filmed at Casa Casuarina, Versace's former Miami Beach home, and an early look at the series graced the cover of "Entertainment Weekly".
It stars Edgar Ramirez as Versace, Oscar winner Penelope Cruz as Versace's sister, Donatella, Darren Criss ("Glee") as Andrew Cunanan, the man suspected of killing Versace, and Ricky Martin, as Versace's boyfriend, Antonio D'Amico.
ANDREW CUNANAN
I had my own small brush with Cunanan notoriety working as the weekend news anchor in Lubbock, Texas, in 1997.
The search for Cunanan was one of the biggest stories that summer. Without thinking about it, the newscast was produced with me reading the story of Miami's search for the suspected spree killer since I had a phone interview with a friend that lived in that city.
We used an "OTS" (over the shoulder) of Cunanan and then we started getting phone calls about the eerie similarities. 🙂 See for yourself!
You can read my full blog on this story here. Just click on this link and it'll open in a new window so you won't lose your place in today's "Random Friday Thoughts".
It also gives you the back history of the story. It's crazy to believe that it's been twenty years already!
https://anthonypeoples.wordpress.com/2012/04/25/cunanan-then-peeps-now-nicknames/
RYAN MURPHY ON TRUMP
Murphy's new Versace series focuses not only on the designer's murder, it also drives home how homophobia let Cunanan's killing spree go one for so long and how that led to Versace's death.
Murphy tells "Entertainment Weekly" that after the 2016 presidential election, there couldn't be a better time for this series to air.
Murphy: "I think it's the perfect timing based on this president we have. I felt there was so much progress in terms of gay rights and rights for any marginalized groups of people [under Obama] . Suddenly it felt like Trump is inaugurated and the door closed and there's fear again and they're trying to take away everything we fought for. This a bracing cold slap against the policies that the current government has."
Racism is front and center of this psychological drama about a young, white woman taking her black boyfriend home to her little small New England town.
It's the directorial debut from comedian Jordan Peele ("Key & Peele" and "MADtv") and he masters it beautifully. Peele knows the subject very well since he's the son of an interracial couple.
As the movie is moving toward its climax, you might have to suspend disbelief, but the point is perfectly driven home.
While it's a drama, the comedy provided by Chicago actor and comedian Lil Rel Howery is so funny. He plays the main character's best friend.
When he explained to his friend why he needed to "Get Out" of there, I'm glad I wasn't taking a drink of something when he started talking about Jeffrey Dahmer, lobotomies, and penises! It was so flipping hilarious!
WARNING — CHRISTMAS TALK AHEAD!
I know it's still about six months away, but I'm thinking about my first Christmas party — Florida-style.
While it won't be as large as the ones Ray and I hosted back in the Quad Cities, I'm sure it'll be festive.
Liquor is more expensive down here and as I've already vented in an earlier blog, boxed wine only comes in 3-liter boxes! Instead of "I Want My MTV", I want my 5-liter boxed wine!
Well, thanks to returning my two Redbox movies and wanting to get salsa at WalMart last Sunday, I walked out with a gigantic start toward the Christmas party with a cart of discontinued, discount liquor with rebates!
All of this for just $4 to $12 a bottle!
CHRISTMAS PARTY PUNCH????
I just came across the most interesting sounding cocktail that I'm considering making as a punch for my Christmas party.
It's a staple at Latitude 29 in New Orleans called a "Paniolo".
It's a combination of fresh cranberry syrup, lime juice, bourbon, and a macadamia nut liqueur!
Sounds tasty and festive!
The last really incredibly tasty and holiday-festive drink I had was on a Holland America cruise a few years back.
It was a Strawberry Basil Bellissimo (vodka, strawberries, basil infusion, and fresh basil)!
I didn't see the original and I only wanted to give this one a try because of Kathy Bates.
She was very naughty and was the highlight of the movie.
"Bad Santa 2" is so crude. I don't think there's a group that this movie didn't set out to offend. 🙂 Yes, I did laugh at some of the absurd humor.
Warning: contains adult language! (You can check out the "red band trailer", which is about four minutes long. It's really raunchy, so I didn't share it, but it'll save you 90 minutes of your life and a couple of bucks from not renting this movie at Redbox!)
Naomi Watts, Susan Sarandon, and Elle Fanning headline this little seen summer movie about a trans teenage boy, Ray, played by Fanning wanting to transition from female to male.
Watts is stellar and Sarandon was very funny and likable as Watts' mother and Fanning's grandmother, who just happens to be a lesbian.
The subject matter is very relevant with today's higher visibility of trans men and women and the fight for transgender equality, but this isn't the movie to further the cause.
It's just a step away from an after-school special or a Lifetime movie. But, don't take that the wrong way. I've watched some Lifetime movies, especially at Christmas.
MORE OF MY PRIDE CLASSICS
LGBT Pride month is winding down, but I'm still sharing some of my favorite classics from my club days. Actually, I had three different eras of club days.
In the 1980s, in Paducah, Kentucky, when I first started going out. Then, in Chicago, from 1994-1996, and, again, from 2002-2004.
So, I'll featured a couple more of my favorites!
OH L'AMOUR — ERASURE
This is still one of my favorite songs of all time.
I got to see Andy Bell and Vince Clark in concert in Chicago a couple of years ago and it was incredible.
Their new album, "World Be Gone", their 17th, came out this May.
Dance diva Sylvester, who died from complications from AIDS in 1988, scored three Top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 in the late 1970s.
However, he had 18 hits on the Billboard Dance charts. Three of them topped that chart.
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)", from 1979, was one of those number one hits and it also was played on mainstream pop radio.
ANOTHER PARTING VERSACE SERIES NOTE
"The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story" is being written by Tom Rob Smith.
Smith, who created and wrote the incredible 2015 BBC Two five-part miniseries, "London Spy", featuring my future fantasy husband Ben Whishaw.
If you haven't seen, find it. Not only is Whishaw captivating, it also stars a stellar Charlotte Rampling.
Random Friday Thoughts — October 7, 2016
Posted by Anthony Peoples in Uncategorized.	Tagged: American Horror Story: Asylum, Brett Kissel, Christmas, Cliff Curtis, clown sightings, country music, creepy clowns, Donald Trump, Entertainment Weekly, Fear The Walking Dead, George Clooney, Halloween, Hillary Clinton, Jack O'Connell, James Marsden, Jeffrey Dahmer, Jesus, Jodie Foster, John Wayne Gacy, Jospeh Fiennes, Julia Roberts, Kanye West, Kim Kardashian, Magic Mike, Margo Price, Money Monster, NBC, Paris, Paula Hawkins, Randy Rainbow, Risen, robbery, season finale, serial killer, Thanksgiving, The Girl on the Train, The Walking Dead, Will & Grace.	Leave a comment
October is here and I'm excited that cooler days are in the forecast and the holiday seasons are right around the corner. (Notice I said "seasons"? While Christmas is my favorite, I do love my Halloween candy and the Thanksgiving feast!)
Now that the summer heat is giving way to fall temperatures, we'll probably be eating fewer Popsicles.
But, it's always the perfect time for ice cream!
As political as I get sometimes, I admit that I really want November 8th to get here and have this long, drawn out election cycle and 2016 presidential election behind us.
Thank you for taking the time to check out my random Friday thoughts and as always, if you disagree, do it diplomatically!
CREEPY CLOWN SIGHTINGS
I'm not sure what's behind this sudden fascination with creepy clowns showing up and freaking people out.
I'd venture to guess that social media and 24-hour news cycles are huge factors for us hearing so much about it. Aren't those two always to blame? 🙂
When it comes to creepy clowns, this is the creepiest by far! On the brighter side, this particular "killer clown" in no longer a threat to anyone.
If you're too young to know, that's John Wayne Gacy, a serial killer and rapist that murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978 inside his Chicago-area home. Let me tell you, as a teenager when that killing spree was exposed, it creeped me out big time.
A decade or so later, I had a "too close for comfort" brush with Jeffrey Dahmer. That's a story for another time!
KIM KARDASHIAN ROBBED AT GUNPOINT
Reality star Kim Kardashian West was reportedly robbed at gunpoint earlier this week at her Paris hotel residence by five men dressed as police officers.
While she was "badly shaken but physically unharmed", it had to be a scary ordeal!
At least $11 million in jewelry was taken including a jewelry box worth about $6.7 million and a ring valued at $4.5 million.
Unless I win the lottery, I'll never know what it's like to have that kind of money and anything of that much value in my house.
The thing that baffles me most about the ordeal is that if someone had that much money or jewelry, wouldn't you keep it at a safer location like a bank or a vault?
In Kardashian West's case, if she wanted any particular piece of her collection that was safely tucked away, she could have someone fetch it for her!
MAGIC MIKE MISFIRE
I really enjoyed "Magic Mike", but I hated the sequel.
Now, James Marsden reveals that he regrets not signing on for the movie.
Well, that makes two of us. Okay, three if you count Ray and I know the number doesn't stop there!
With that in mind, if Marsden is still up to strip down, this might actually excite me for a third installment!
"FEAR THE WALKING DEAD" SEASON FINALE
The second season of AMC's "Fear The Walking Dead" wrapped up last Sunday night with back-to-back episodes for a two-hour finale.
While the first season's six episodes were slow, it was still enjoyable. However, the second season was stronger and much more powerful.
The finale featured one of the most intense "walker" deaths of the series. It was a wrenching scene that lasted beyond the comfort level and that's a good thing.
We also saw one of the show's original cast members die. While the death may not have come as a surprise, how it was executed was a shocker to me. I tweeted the actor about his amazing two seasons and he liked the tweet.
While I gave the season and the finale a high grade (see below), I have a complaint.
It's becoming monotonous when the characters disembowel a walker and smear the blood on themselves now that they've learned they can walk freely among the walking dead by doing that.
This is much more believable and is done with more intensity on "The Walking Dead". And, it isn't overused as a gimmick.
If "Fear The Walking Dead" is going to keep doing this, why not make it a "chore" and each day for several hours, people can go out, get exercise, and rid themselves of the walker population in their area. But, this would be boring.
That's my only complaint and I can't wait for season three in 2017.
After what seems like an eternal wait since I read the book, "The Girl on the Train" finally hits theaters this weekend.
I've highly recommended the Paula Hawkins book several times in my blog and I can't wait to see the movie, which I think will easily debut at #1 in the U.S. and at worldwide box office.
"WILL & GRACE" TAKE ON VOTING
If you miss the NBC hit comedy, "Will & Grace", you got a treat around the time of the first presidential debate.
The cast gathered ten years after the comedy left television to raise awareness on the importance of voting in this November's election.
This is hilarious (and even borderline offensive to some).
Disclaimer: it's definitely not made for NBC's "standards and practices"!
A LESS "BRAGGADOCIOUS" LOOK BACK
Comedian Randy Rainbow takes a much different approach to last week's first presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
I think this is the best skit I've seen him perform.
This Jodie Foster-directed suspense thriller starring George Clooney, Julia Roberts, and Jack O'Donnell ("Unbroken") was high on my list to see this summer when it hit theaters.
Life got in the way, so I caught it on DVD.
I'm glad it worked out that way because I wouldn't have been too happy if I had spent $35-plus for tickets, popcorn, and sodas.
Don't get me wrong. I'd watch Julia Roberts read the newspaper.
The story was intense and the way it ended was fulfilling, but I had higher expectations.
I guess most of all, I want to see Foster back in front of the camera!
This movie about the search for a risen Jewish messiah (yes, Jesus) was a modest box office hit earlier this year.
The $20 million movie grossed $46.1 million and most of that was here in the United States.
It was an entertaining movie without being too preachy for those that proceed with caution with religious-based movies.
The very sexy Joseph Fiennes plays Clavius, a Roman tribute, assigned to investigate the story of Jesus rising from the dead. By the way, Jesus is played by Cliff Curtis, who plays Travis on "Fear The Walking Dead".
One thing that cracked me up was the silly MPAA rating at the beginning of the movie.
For this one, it warned viewers of "Biblical Violence".
Okay, while implied more than glorified with blood and gore, the movie was rather savage, at times, and violence is violence. Putting the word "biblical" in front of it doesn't make it less painful or deadly, right? 🙂
PICK HIT
I admit that since I don't hear any new music from my country favorites on the radio these days and I'm not a fan of "bro-country", I don't make it a point to listen to the genre.
However, Canadian country music star Brett Kissel is one of my new favorites even though he doesn't get airplay on American country radio.
Recently, "Entertainment Weekly" showcased several women making inroads in the country music field. Two of them stood out to me.
Margo Price, who was born in Aledo, Illinois, in Mercer County, just down the road from the Quad Cities, is one of them.
Her debut album, "Midwest Farmer's Daughter", which hit #10 on the Billboard Country Album chart earlier this year, features some great country music.
"4 Years of Chances" is a favorite of mine.
Next week, I'll feature another standout and if you like traditional country music, you'll love it.
ANOTHER PICK HIT
As I've stated before, "7/27", the latest CD from Fifth Harmony is a great album.
It's already produced the #1 hit "Work From Home" and the smash "All In My Head (Flex)".
"That's My Girl" is their latest release.
Right now, it's at #36 on the Top 40 radio airplay charts.