We finish off our triptych of latter-year Clint Eastwood films with THE MULE about an old man who gets mixed up with the Cartel, but in a cool old man way. Discussion also includes: Prano Bailey-Bond's 2021 film CENSOR; “Ringmaster: Vince McMahon and the Unmaking of America” by Josie Riesman; The documentary TAKE CARE OF MAYA; and again, we discuss which of Clint Eastwood's children he dislikes the most (still Scott).

Hal and Craig return to watching some latter-career Clint Eastwood films, this time it's Clint's 2008 film GRAN TORINO, a movie made for old white people to feel okay about being racist! Fun? Discussion also includes:

• The new season of Black Mirror;

• Clive Barker's Faustian novel THE DAMNATION GAME;

• The best airplane movies;

• An update on the Tampa 5, the five people arrested in Tampa for protesting Ron DeSantis' anti-DEI efforts;

• Which of Clint Eastwood's children he dislikes the most; and

• A quick history of the Hmong people.

RESOURCES & LINKS:

More info on the Tampa 5:

• https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2023/06/22/tampa-five-usf-protest-diversity-lauren-pineiro-arrest

• http://www.fightbacknews.org/2023/4/19/florida-statewide-protest-demands-justice-tampa-5-drop-charges

• https://naarpr.org/updates/drop-the-charges-now-defend-student-activists-justice-for-the-tampa-5/

More info on the Hmong People:

• https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/chart/top-10-u-s-metropolitan-areas-by-hmong-population-2019/)

• https://www.hmongamericancenter.org/

• https://iimn.org/publication/finding-common-ground/minnesotas-refugees/asia/hmong/ 

In this episode, the first of a three-episode series examining the later career films of Clint Eastwood, Hal and Craig invite Thomas Greene to discuss Eastwood's 2014 jingoistic war film AMERICAN SNIPER. Discussions also include: Clint Eastwood's best performance ever: screaming at a chair at the 2012 RNC; Elon Musk going full mask-off; Craig conquers some personal demons regarding how he rates films on Letterboxd; Thomas gives us some necessary context around the Sunni and Shiite conflict in Iraq; and the return of our favorite game: Did Armond White Like This Movie?