Half of the dustups I have on Twitter / X are generational. It’s pointless to argue STAR WARS with a person born in 1995 when I saw it in 70mm at The Ziegfield on its opening weekend. Explaining its impact is impossible to transmit.
I was privileged to know Gene Hackman because he played tennis with another Gene—Gene Wilder. And that Gene told him about a little role called The Blind Hermit in our movie YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. He said, “Do you think Mel would let me play it? I’ve always wanted to do a comedy.” Needless to say, I was over the moon and he was perfect.
Sorry to say goodbye to Gene Hackman, sadly gone at 95. Let's remember the good times, though, and celebrate his life with soup, wine and cigars.
(📽️ Young Frankenstein, 1974)
Super Sky Point to Gene Hackman. Some actors are great good guys, some are great villains, some are funny. A chosen few are all those things in one exceptional package. That was Gene Hackman. You rooted for him like hell. Or, if he wanted, you despised him. A goddamn legend. #RIP
I don’t want to connect my coffee machine to the wifi network. I don’t want to share the file with OneDrive. I don’t want to download an app to check my car’s fluid levels. I don’t want to scan a QR code to view the restaurant menu. I don’t want to let Google know my location before showing me the search results. I don’t want to include a Teams link on the calendar invite. I don’t want to pay 50 different monthly subscription fees for all my software. I don’t want to upgrade to TurboTax platinum plus audit protection. I don’t want to install the Webex plugin to join the meeting. I don’t want to share my car’s braking data with the actuaries at State Farm. I don’t want to text with your AI chatbot. I don’t want to download the Instagram app to look at your picture. I don’t want to type in my email address to view the content on your company’s website. I don’t want text messages with promo codes. I don’t want to leave your company a five-star Google review in exchange for the chance to win a $20 Starbucks gift card. I don’t want to join your exclusive community in the metaverse. I don’t want AI to help me write my comments on LinkedIn. I don’t even want to be on LinkedIn in the first place.
I just want to pay for a product one time (and only one time), know that it’s going to work flawlessly, press 0 to speak to an operator if I need help, and otherwise be left alone and treated with some small measure of human dignity, if that’s not too much to ask anymore.
Happy birthday to the legendary Django Reinhardt, who was born on this day in 1910!
He was one of the first major jazz talents to emerge in Europe and has been hailed as one of its most significant exponents…