What’s it like to be from a state where you might occasionally get mentioned in the national news for something positive? Other people probably see their home state trending on twitter and think “Cool, I can’t wait to see what it’s about!” But Alabamians know all too well it won’t be for something positive, and…
Author: Alabama Liberal
Choosing Merrick Garland is a Brilliant Move on Obama’s Part
In the face of historically bull-headed Republican opposition, President Obama had one of two ways he could go: one was choosing the furthest, wackadoodle leftist judge you could ever imagine since he has no hope of getting any justice confirmed. It would be a triumphiant bone thrown to the restless base, but would really not…
Kasich Should Quit Now and Go Out on a High Note
John Kasich should quit. No, really, he’s done. Now that’s probably not an opener to an article you would expect about Kasich on a night when he won his first state of the primary season. But it’s exactly the kind-of thing you should expect and should be hearing, but probably haven’t heard since the media is desperate to keep…
Clinton and Trump are the Nominees, Get Over It
In an article written a few days ago, I said March 15th would definitively tell us who would win the primaries. People scoffed, and I’m not one to say “I told you so” but Alabama Liberal’s election predictions are usually better than the ones people are paying big money to get on other media outlets,…
Rubio’s Campaign: An Autopsy
Surprising exactly no one, Marco Rubio lost his home state of Florida. And you have to wonder if even Rubio was surprised at his loss, despite “Little Marco” being hellbent to turn Miami into his Little Big Horn. Only a few days before he was desperately reaching out to Governor Kasich’s Florida supporters (all three…
“House of Cards” Season 4 is Its Best Yet
I’ve been very vocal about my disappointment in season 3 of “House of Cards.” [I said the entire season was tied for a specific episode of “The Strain” for the most disappointing TV moment of 2015.] Boring characters took center stage, interesting ones were completely marginalized (Doug was off angrily staring at his kitchen for much of…
Movie Review: Whisky Tango Foxtrot
A movie I wanted to like more than I did, but still a really noble effort in a time when anything marketed “War Comedy” is likely to be an instant skip-it from a major studio. While other reviewers have chosen to pull out a magnifying glass and scrutinize the film’s every politically incorrect sin, I…
Movie Review: Triple 9
It comes pretty close to being a halfway watchable heist noir, but something just never quite comes together. It has all the lyrics right, but you can’t feel the music. Prime example: the movie has a great cast, but never really does anything with them. What Works: Any movie that stars Chiwetel Ejiofor, Woody Harrelson, Anthony…
We’ll Know Who the Nominees are After March 15th
In the last A Year Long Conversation podcast, “Episode 12: Why March 15th is the Most Important Day of the Election” we both let it be known that March 15th is the most important day of the election. Now I’d like to go a step beyond that and say definitively that we’ll know who the…
Movie Review: Deadpool
Not as good a movie as the great reviews or ecstatic box office would suggest, but still a pretty decent time for the 50 or so people who haven’t seen it yet. What Works: It has the best beginning for a movie (so far) this year, as we’re treated to a slow motion fallout from a…
Movie Review: Zoolander 2
Who cares about this movie? I get that Ben Stiller was forced to come up with something now that his franchises are stalling out—Meet the Parents ended, Night at the Museum ended, Madagascar can’t go on forever—but “Zoolander 2” won’t be it. The only thing more predictable than the movie itself is that it was…
Movie Review: Kung Fu Panda 3
I actually love this franchise, and it’s one of the few film series that I don’t mind sitting through unnecessary sequels for. I knew it wasn’t a great sign that the studio decided to put this in January, a traditional dumping ground for movies that aren’t worth watching in more competitive times, but it’s still a lot better than…
Review: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon 2 “Sword of Destiny”
I was surprised at how terrible this movie is. Since the first “Crouching Tiger” movie came out more than 15 years ago, you would probably think a “sequel” would either have to be 1. So good that it justified a sequel OR 2. An obvious cash-register raider just trying to milk a dead franchise. Well,…