The Purge: Election Year

I have to say, I like this franchise, as did my daughter who decided to watch this one next in the series.  However, I did not like it enough that I am going to watch it again. It has been surprisingly not awful.  The acting in this film was suspect in places, but again, this is another worthy addition to the Purge Universe.  I do not watch many films like this, and it is refreshing to see one which does not focus on middle class white people.  Well, one which does not just focus on middle class white people.  If you liked the other films in the series, this will be one to watch as well.  

On the topic of middle class white people, Jean-Luc Picard is dead, specifically Patrick Stewart. I have to admit, I did not like The Next Generation, but the films from it were better, notably what I consider the second best of them, Star Trek: First Contact. He is also known to many as Professor Xavier, again a character who served as a role model for many. However while he was a celebrated Shakespear actor, I will remember him for his video on the ECHR. I was not aware about the way he spoke out against Domestic Violence until today. 

The Purge: Anarchy and a note about Meghan Markle

I know I am not watching these films in the order they came out, but my daughter picked which one we would see.  She does not get a chance to watch films like this at university as her housemates are not into films like this.  Class is an issue in this film, but not as much as in others, well, most of the time anyway.  Like the other films, I am glad I watched it, but also I am glad I did not pay to do so.  The strength of the film is that it has a different plot to the previous ones.  It is not just a copy and rehash but can be watched as a film in its own right.  But I will not be bothered to watch it again.  

On a different note, I am going to post about Meghan Markle.  I cannot say that I warm to her, but as posted before, it is appalling the way that she is judged harshly for things others are praised for.  Well, one other at least.  I have not followed the couple that much.  I know that they are clickbait and that the media work to show a side of her that people will grow to hate.  But, as noted in The Guardian, some of them need to think about who they backed.  I do not think it will make any difference to the appalling way that she is covered though.  She is after all someone who is just not white enough. 

The First Purge

So, the second instalment in these films. Again, I liked it and again, this was watched with my daughter.  It actually makes the first film appear more logical in the way it focuses on class, specifically race, and not gender.  While it is set in The Purge universe, it is a different film to the first in that this one focuses on those further down the ladder.  There were bits that did not make sense to me, but I will not post a spoiler about the film.  I am glad I watched it.  I am also glad that I had not paid to watch it in a cinema, but I will not be watching it again.  

The Purge

While my daughter is back, we have been watching films and we have watched The Purge.  I have heard a lot about it, but I was not sure if it would live up to the hype.  I have to say, I liked it.  So much that I will watch the next one in the series.  But, I do think that there would be a lot more violence towards women during it.  In fact, it is unfair to post that it is just me who thinks this. My daughter does as well.

Woman of the Hour and also Brazil

Our daughter is back at home and yesterday I watched this film with her.  My wife was in bed unwell and my son was resting having had an eventful night when friends of his stayed over.  

The film was a good one. The description of it on Netflix, which is where we watched it, does not do this justice.  The film is not one for the faint hearted.  If you wish to watch the Anna Kendrick from Pitch Perfect, this is not the film for you.  I was not sure what to expect when I watched this.  I am glad I did and it certainly deserves the four out of five review that it has been given.  I doubt I will watch it again, but I am very glad I watched it, and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to be reminded of how we have moved on with sexism, though it also shows that we still need to move on more.

As for Brazil, what a result!  The importance of voting has been shown here with Lula becoming President despite losing the first round.  This may be a feature in the USA where turnout for mid-term elections is not as great as it is for Presidential ones.  

I saw Americans Fighting

Pete Hegseth made a joke about how NATO forces (and those of other nations) acted in Afghanistan. Needless to say, this is not appreciated by nations who lost soldiers serving. In my job I have encountered many a former veteran who served in Afghanistan, including one who did so serving there for the USSR! One person I have met has major life changing injuries as a result of life there. Sadly, many Americans will believe this lie. 

As noted in the video below, a refusal to accept the sacrifices made will mean that nations will be less likely to help America again. The video is not completely accurate. Georgia was invaded twice by Russia the video forgetting the invasion of the 1990’s. And the reason that NATO members have not aided Israel and the USA in The Epstein War against Iran is because it has no proper goals (other than working to distract people from Trump being in The Epstein Files) and has no legal or moral basis. 

Dealing with paedophiles

Sadly, all organisations will be infiltrated by paedophiles.  Some will attract others more, notably ones where children are being looked after, as to put it simply, a lion hunts at the waterhole.  I work in an organisation which rightly has security checks to check for suspicious activity.  The same happens with political parties.  They become infiltrated, but it is how they deal with such matters which is important.

The Republican Party have been found wanting under Donald Trump, on more than one occasion.  At the moment, the main issue in the media is the attack advert of Vivek Ramaswamy. This features the mother of his Democratic opponent, Amy Acton, saying that she lied about being raped.  The step father of Amy Acton had previously been charged for incest, this being the man that Vivek Ramaswamy's advert appears to be defending.  The mother of Amy Acton, decided to stand by her man rather than her children, and from the advert, continues to do so.  That in itself is bad enough.  

However, there has been outrage in Texas as Ken Paxton had a plea deal with one predator who was offered a stay of one day in jail.  We do not know the full facts, and it may be that this was the least worse option of several terrible choices.  But the GOP also have had issues with Matt Gaetz who had been considered to be the US attorney general under Donald Trump.  He had accidentally had sex with a seventeen year old sex worker, the accident being that she was a minor under US law, but something he may genuinely have been unaware of.  To be fair, he has not been found guilty of anything which makes him just as innocent as Andrew Tate.               

But the elephant in the room is Donald Trump.  They man who went to war after he was named in The Epstein Files as having an intimate encounter with a minor.  It will be interesting to see if US voters and the media join the dots and fixate on this issue.  Sadly, I do not think that they will.