February 7th 2011, a date that will live in infamy…just kidding, it was the official launch date of Alabama Liberal and I can honestly say it’s been a great six years. Sure, I’ve been slacking on some features—people most often ask for more Bubba’s Sex Tips, Sunday’s Sermons, Red State Vs. Blue State, and Mom…
Author: Alabama Liberal
How the Super Bowl Became a Part of the Culture Wars
Since when do so many people like the Atlanta Falcons? Since they were up against Tom Brady and the empire of evil, that’s when. You might have noticed that it seemed like an awful lot of people were pulling for the Atlanta Falcons this past Sunday, and there were a lot of broken hearts when…
Movie Reviews: La La Land, Rogue One, Silence, The Founder, Patriot’s Day
Some of my favorite 2016 are all in one article. It feels like a shame not to give each one their due, but “La La Land” and “Rogue One” have already been semi-reviewed in my end of the year movie countdown, and sadly “Silence” never quite caught-on with audiences or awards voters. I still hope…
Movie Reviews: Nocturnal Animals, Manchester By the Sea, Hidden Figures, Fences, Jackie
Five big Oscar contenders that are all worth watching for different reasons… Nocturnal Animals…Tom Ford’s follow-up to “A Single Man” (still a great movie and all-time best performance from Colin Firth, if you haven’t seen it) isn’t as deep and doesn’t stay with you as long, but it’s still a fun head-game in the moment….
Movie Reviews: War Dogs, Snowden, Our Kind of Traitor
Three very different (but quality) 2016 films about espionage or the military industrial complex… Our Kind of Traitor…If you’ve ever read a John Le Carre novel (and this book is based on one of his most recent ones) then you know his spy tales will be more about slowly untangling suspense than wham-blam action set…
Movie Reviews: Pete’s Dragon, The Secret life of Pets, Sully
Three 2016 films that are family-appropriate (except “Sully” may bore some kids and may scare younger children during the plane crash sequences)… Sully…Listed as one of my “Best Films of 2016,” it’s so old-fashioned it’s practically new-school. Tom Hanks continues his winning streak, and even though some of the scenes suffer from Eastwood’s trademark stodginess,…
Movie Reviews: Miles Ahead, Anthropoid, Mechanic Resurrection, Jack Reacher 2
Today’s the end of the road of 2016 movies I never reviewed earlier… Miles Ahead…Don Cheadle used Kickstarter to get his labor-of-love film financed (something people apparently do even when they can afford to finance it themselves), and I wish this Miles Davis biopic had done a better job of explaining why Miles was such a jazz…
Sole Complaint with Obama: He Didn’t Pardon Don Siegelman (Why it Matters)
Most of the complaints about President Obama are ridiculous (“he didn’t tear down the military industrial complex?” “War criminal!”), untrue (“he’s weak on defense” when he actually made us safer at home and abroad), or perhaps things that weren’t his problems to solve (“why didn’t he heal the divide between black and white Americans?”). The…
And No, Hillary’s Campaign Wasn’t Bad
Aside from the myth that Bernie could’ve won, we also hear that Hillary’s campaign was bad. This is the second persistent myth that basically lets the American voter (and the media) off the hook. The thinking probably goes “hey, our country’s not really dumb enough to vote for Trump against a good candidate, it’s gotta be Hillary’s fault!” It…
No, Bernie Couldn’t Have Beat Trump Either
One of the widespread myths of the 2016—and there seem to be many—is that Bernie Sanders could’ve beat Trump where Hillary failed. This myth usually runs parallel to the myth that Hillary ran a bad campaign, a convenient theory that lets the voters (and the media) off the hook without acknowledging history, demographics, just how…
The Most Likely Candidates to Fill Jeff Sessions Senate Seat…
Will Jeff Sessions be confirmed as Attorney General? Sad to say—and despite a noble effort from Corey Booker to block it—but yes, he probably will be. And that means that there is an open senate seat in Alabama for the first time in almost thirty years. Gee, who can believe Alabamians have won the Turd Lottery…
It’s Actually Next Friday I’m Afraid Of…
Sure, Friday the 13th is a terrifying time. The more superstitious among us barely want to leave the house, and all day long most people may be looking for confirmation-bias to suggest the day is unlucky: “Damn, I specifically said no mustard on this sandwich, and look–mustard! I knew this day was cursed.” But it’s…
Why “Weiner” is the Best Film of 2016 (and “Hacksaw Ridge” the Worst)
Following up on my “Best of 2016” rankings, I didn’t post proper reviews of “Weiner” or “Hacksaw Ridge” before the listings in order to keep things a surprise. I thought I would expand a little bit on both… Hacksaw Ridge: It’s true that I may stand alone among critics in listing this as one of…