Just Cause (1995)

In Just Cause, Sean Connery plays an elderly law professor who hasn’t tried a case in 25 years.  A fierce opponent of the death penalty, he’s much happier in the classroom than the courtroom.

After he smokes colleague George Plimpton in a brief, entertaining debate on the subject during a college event in Boston he’s approached by a desperate Ruby Dee.  Her grandson, Blair Underwood, is on death row for the rape and murder of an 11-year-old girl down in Florida.  She gives him a letter he wrote.  He says he’ll read it later.  She insists he look at it now.

She’s convinced he’s been railroaded because of racism and police brutality.  Predictably, he turns her down.  If he changes his mind, she’ll be at the bus station in a few hours waiting to go see another respected law professor in New Jersey.

Inevitably, Connery will indeed stop her before she leaves Boston.  That’s because his much younger wife Kate Capshaw, a former lawyer herself now trying to help juvenile delinquents, insists on looking into the case.  We find out why much later on.

Eight years ago, Underwood was taken in custody by a redneck cop who then proceeded to beat him during an interrogation.  His superior, Laurence Fishburne, then forced a confession out of him by improbably employing a technique famously used in The Deer Hunter.  It takes quite a while before we realize why.  This whole sequence feels more cartoonish than brutal.

Upon visiting him in prison, Connery is immediately suspicious.  After Underwood pretends to act ignorant before revealing his highly educated self, the professor asks him point blank, “What’s your game?”

Unfortunately, Connery’s justifiable scepticism fades rather quickly as Underwood recounts his 22-hour ordeal in police custody, already covered in his letter.  No nourishment, no liquid refreshment, no lawyer, no permission to use the bathroom.  Connery is shocked that the cop that forced him to cop is Black himself.

When Connery meets Fishburne, his redneck partner, and later Ned Beatty, the shoddy lawyer who gave Underwood a pitiful defense, and the coroner, his doubts about Underwood’s guilt grow.  There’s no evidence of rape, no murder weapon, no DNA, no physical evidence whatsoever.  Beyond the forced confession, all the police have on Underwood is that his car was spotted outside the school where the young girl was snatched.

Then, Connery encounters Ed Harris, a genuinely scary death row inmate who Underwood claims is the real killer.  Harris is basically another Hannibal Lecter, whip-smart and depraved, a master of manipulation who hooks the foolish Connery right from the start, but with one notable exception.  Whereas the most famous character from The Silence Of The Lambs was always calmly in control, the super religious, compulsively artistic Harris has sudden, loud outbursts of rage.

Harris gives Connery an important clue which eventually leads to the discovery of the murder weapon, a knife.  The fact that the police and dozens of volunteers could not find it in 1986 when it wasn’t exactly cleverly hidden is embarrassing and puzzling.  They just weren’t thorough enough which feels highly unlikely.

Harris likes to write the families of the victims he tortured describing his long list of crimes and sure enough, Connery conveniently spots a letter to the parents of the 11-year-old murder victim.  When it’s read out loud in court in front of them during an appellate hearing, it does what it’s supposed to do.

But the movie has only been running for an hour which can only mean one thing.

I missed Just Cause during its modest theatrical run in early 1995 and never found time to catch it on video later that year.  Now that I’ve finally seen it more than 20 years later, I have a lot of problems with it.

Let’s start with Fishburne’s character, the shady cop who profiled Underwood based on next-to-no evidence and a pure hatred of his leading man looks.  His consistent hostility towards Connery makes him highly suspicious for a while which turns out to be an annoying red herring.

When Connery visits him at his house, he discovers that the murder victim was friends with his now adult daughter who wants to become a lawyer herself.  (Fishburne later admits the white girl was like a daughter to him.)  He spots a framed picture of them as kids in the living room.  That’s a pretty big ol’ conflict there.  How was Fishburne allowed to lead the investigation without raising any red flags?  Why no demands for recusal?

Also, without coming right out and saying it, once all is eventually and predictably revealed, it’s as though the film is trying to belatedly justify Fishburne’s unlawful treatment of Underwood which isn’t exactly discredited.  Fishburne may downplay the violence but he doesn’t outright deny it, either.  By the end of the movie, this is all magically disappeared.  How can he say he can sleep well at night with a straight face?

Then, there’s Kate Capshaw’s involvement in Underwood’s history.  It turns out he’s been arrested before.  Capshaw was able to get him locked up for an extra day so she could quickly attempt to strengthen her case.  But she couldn’t so he was freed.  That’s a pretty big secret to keep from your dopey husband who couldn’t bother to investigate this himself.  I mean how do you not think to do a criminal history search?

Besides the huge age gap, the Capshaw/Connery pairing is awkward.  (A young Scarlett Johanssen plays their daughter.)  When we first meet her, we find out a troubled teen she’s been trying to help punched her in the face.  Connery asks her how she explained this to the judge since she’s trying to get the kid into some rehab program and she claims she said her husband beat her.  Is this supposed to be a terrible inside reference to Connery’s infamous Playboy interview where he seemed to justify domestic violence?  Horrible.

And what about the moment where it looks like he headbutts her as they embrace?  That’s just weird.

Blair Underwood’s a fine actor but the absolute wrong guy to play the central figure in this story.  From the beginning, his character is not very warm or trustworthy and once we know exactly what’s going on, it’s just not believable.  The inevitable heel turn doesn’t pay off.

Despite Harris’ effective performance as the malicious child minister, his motivations are questionable, as well.  I mean what does he care about Underwood’s dilemma?  He’s gonna die anyway.  Is he looking for some kind of twisted redemption or something?  It makes no sense.  Also, what’s the story with his parents?

And what the hell happened to Ruby Dee?  After Connery meets with her at the bus station following their impromptu meeting in the college auditorium, we never see her again.  Why?

Just Cause never hooks us with its convoluted, overly twisty story because we’ve seen it many times before and it lacks absolute conviction.  Connery’s character is remarkably naïve for an experienced law professor.  His bullshit detector malfunctions constantly.

There’s a strange scene where his car gets vandalized and as he’s looking inside the front seat he gets mysteriously whacked in the head with a baseball bat.  Is that supposed to explain his stupidity?

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
5:17 p.m.

Volcano (1997)

In Volcano, Los Angeles is a city of contradictions.  Beneath its warm and sunny exterior lies an ongoing class divide and stubborn racial segregation.  While working people of colour complain about an old church being turned into a mini-mall and protest those who oppose the extension of a subway system into their neighbourhoods, rich white folks can test drive fancy vehicles, build tall apartment buildings and have their pick of plastic surgery options.

Meanwhile, quietly bubbling under the La Trea Tar Pits is a disaster in the making, one that the city is seemingly ill-prepared to contain.

Tommy Lee Jones, the director of the Office of Emergency Management in LA, is supposed to be on vacation.  He’s recently separated and babysitting his needy 13-year-old daughter (Gaby Hoffmann).  But his “Midwestern work ethic” can’t keep him away from work.

Soon thereafter, an earthquake hits.  A construction crew working on the subway extension take bets on its epicenter.  In the middle of looking after a recently admitted gunshot victim, an ER surgeon (Jacqueline Kim) has to keep an important piece of equipment plugged in.  And several maintenance workers have died mysteriously of severe burns while working in an underground sewer.

Even though charismatic geologist Anne Heche correctly deduces that all this is happening because there’s a previously undetected underground volcano on the verge of multiple eruptions, her lack of absolute certainty fails to convince a skeptical Jones to take preventive measures beyond clearing out a local park.

Very early the next morning, she takes along a doomed colleague to go into that underground sewer to collect samples.  But something goes horribly wrong confirming her suspicions.  (She could’ve just asked Jones about his own experience down below since he was there first.)  It isn’t until “lava bombs” start flying through the sky hours later that Jones himself finally gets the message.  But by that point, the damage is done.  Power is out throughout the entire city.  Traffic jams are everywhere.  Buildings are towering infernos while a slow-moving pool of glowing lava is making its way through Wilshire Boulevard.  When the disaster ends, 100 people will have died and thousands more will be injured.

Heckuva job, Jonesy.

Belatedly using his authority to coordinate as many law enforcement, emergency and military teams as necessary, he first has to figure out a way to stop the lava flow from going any further.  Then, when Heche tells him a second, much speedier eruption is heading towards a hospital that has so many patients many have to be treated outside, he has to determine how to redirect its mighty hot contents safely towards the ocean.

I have to admit it’s fun seeing balls of fire flying around causing serious damage to empty buildings.  However, it’s far less exciting following this hokey story.  Part of the problem is that it’s overplotted.  So much information comes at you in the first 10 minutes or so laying the groundwork for payoffs that never arrive.

Consider John Corbett’s character, a racist land developer improbably married to Jacqueline Kim, the compassionate Asian-American ER doctor.  He’s deliberately built his new apartment building directly across from a different hospital he wants his wife to work in.  He would rather she treat “tennis elbows” than gunshot victims.  Not only is it hard to accept their relationship (which is thankfully minimized to just two scenes), it’s also not convincing that she would encourage his 100 million dollar venture knowing full well that money would be better served improving her current workplace, an issue that’s never discussed.

Corbett is front and center at the subway protest complaining about the planned extension.  His rationale for opposing this sounds an awful lot like Donald Trump’s infamous campaign speech when he decried Mexicans.  But after this scene’s conclusion, it’s never addressed again.  And when his brand new skyscraper becomes part of the spontaneous plan to redirect the second round of lava to the ocean, he’s nowhere in sight.

There’s an awkward subplot where a Black man gets arrested by a much smaller white cop right in the middle of the developing disaster.  The man simply wants his neighbourhood looked after during the worsening crisis.  But the much wealthier white areas of the city, including a museum, get prioritized.  It isn’t until his considerable strength is called upon that he’s uncuffed and, thanks to his spontaneous service, suddenly allowed to ride a fire truck back home.  He’s never seen again and we never do find out how bad the damage is in his area.

Even more awkward is the scene where a small child notices that everyone looks the same when their faces are covered in volcanic ash.  I guess that’s supposed to pass for a kumbaya moment but it feels very forced, much like the moment where Heche admits she likes Jones which, thankfully, never develops into anything.

Because the movie is all over the place with its narrative, graphics are frequently used to tell us the time and place of almost every scene.  Did I say frequently used?  I meant excessively used.  (I think we can clearly see the Hard Rock Café sign, guys.)  Also excessive are the number of reporter characters who offer unnecessary play-by-play of what’s happening.  Instead of letting the clearly defined images tell the story we get Michael Cole wannabes (future TMZ jerk Harvey Levin and Fox News anchor Shepard Smith among them) stating the obvious over and over again.  (Only those with sight issues will appreciate the descriptions even though they’re not that colourful.)

Back in 1997, Volcano had the misfortune of arriving in theatres two months after Dante’s Peak, another bad disaster movie with a similar story that ultimately made more money.  Despite the strong cast which also includes a sometimes funny Don Cheadle as Jones’ second-in-command at the OEM, the film lacks genuine tension and palpable fear.  Plus, we’re simply not given enough good scenes with the characters in order to care about them and their dilemma.

Not nearly as bad as some critics like Roger Ebert believed (I don’t agree that the special effects are cheesy) but not nearly as good as the guilty pleasure Airport ’77, Volcano is disappointingly ordinary.  And yet there are moments that suggest a better result.

After Heche climbs out of the underground sewer, a bunch of poor folks start looting closed businesses.  (Remember, much of the movie takes place during early morning hours.)  At one point, she removes some of her scientific equipment and leaves it on the hood of a car.  As she tries to process the tragedy that happened just moments before, a looter runs by scooping up her shit.  She’s too sad to notice.

It’s the biggest laugh in a movie that should’ve been funnier.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Friday, January 26, 2018
2:48 a.m.

How You Can See All The Movies Nominated For The 90th Academy Awards

Tough break, James Franco.  Better luck next time, Gal Gadot.  Sorry, Bob Odenkirk.

The 90th annual Academy Award nominations are out and as usual, there were some notable surprises. (Logan for Best Adapted Screenplay?  I did not see that coming.)

While The Disaster Artist snagged a Best Adapted Screenplay nod, Franco, its star, did not get invited to join the exclusive Best Actor club.  Did the recent allegations of sexual harassment play a crucial role in the snub?  We’ll never know for sure.

Speaking of which, Kevin Spacey is probably royally pissed right now.  Why?  Because Christopher Plummer, the man who replaced him as billionaire J. Paul Getty in All The Money In The World, received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor.  Would Spacey have achieved the same result if all his bad behaviour (allegedly) had remained the subject of old, forgotten Gawker articles?  Again, we’ll never know.

It also wasn’t a good morning for Zionists.  Steven Spielberg, a two-time Oscar winner for Best Director, wasn’t recognized for helming The Post.  And Gadot, the star of Wonder Woman, was shut out for Best Actress.  In fact, the entire movie was completely ignored for consideration in all eligible categories.

Speaking of The Post, I was personally surprised that Odenkirk didn’t get singled out for Best Supporting Actor.  I’m sure others thought Tom Hanks would secure a nod for Best Actor.  In the end, Meryl Streep is the only star from the film to get recognized for her performance as Washington Post publisher Katharine Graham.  She’s up for yet another Best Actress gong.

In the meantime, there’s a more pressing concern to discuss.  How can one see all the nominated features?  Easy.  Below is the complete list of titles.  Next to each one is either the date for its upcoming home video or theatrical release or whether you can see it on DVD, Blu-ray or at a theatre near you right now.  (Some films are in release limbo so their home video debuts are “to be determined”.)  As always, updates will be added when new information becomes available.  Until then, happy screenings.

Abacus: Small Enough to Jail – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

All The Money In The World – Now playing in theatres, on DVD & Blu-ray June 30 April 10

Baby Driver – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

Beauty And The Beast – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

The Big Sick – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

Blade Runner 2049 – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

The Boss Baby – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

The Breadwinner – March 6

Call Me By Your Name – March 13

Coco – February 27

Darkest Hour – February 27

The Disaster Artist – March 13

Dunkirk – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

Faces Places – March 6

A Fantastic Woman – May 22

Ferdinand – March 13

The Florida Project – February 20

Get Out – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

The Greatest Showman – March 6

Guardians Of The Galaxy, Vol. 2 – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

I, Tonya – March 13

Icarus – Now playing on Netflix

The Insult – May 1

Kong: Skull Island – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

Lady Bird – March 6

Last Men in Aleppo – March 27

Logan – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

Loveless – June 12

Loving Vincent – February 20 Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

Marshall – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

Molly’s Game – March 1

Mudbound – Now playing in theatres

On Body and Soul – Opens in theatres February 21

Phantom Thread – April 10

The Post – April 17

Roman J. Israel, Esq. – February 13

The Shape Of Water – March 13

The Square – January 30

Star Wars: The Last Jedi – March 27

Strong Island – Now playing on Netflix

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – February 27

Victoria & Abdul – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

War For The Planet Of The Apes – Now available on DVD & Blu-ray

Wonder – February 13

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
8:13 p.m.

UPDATE:  Best Actor contender Gary Oldman’s critically acclaimed turn as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour can be seen on DVD & Blu-ray starting February 27.  On March 6, look for the home video debut of Best Animated Feature nominee The Breadwinner.  Another film from that category, Ferdinand, will be out March 13 as will Best Picture nominee Call Me By Your Name and I, Tonya which features Best Actress competitor Margot Robbie.  Meanwhile, All The Money In The World will hit home video on June 30.  All these dates have been added to the list.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Tuesday, January 30, 2018
10:01 p.m.

UPDATE 2:  You don’t have to wait until February 20 to see Loving Vincent on home video after all.  After a trip to my public library today, there it was on the express rack on DVD.  Speaking of February 20, that’s when The Florida Project will be out on DVD & Blu-ray.  Also, look for Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri on February 27, The Disaster Artist and The Shape Of Water on March 13, Best Documentary Feature nominee Last Men In Aleppo on March 27 and Phantom Thread, supposedly the last film of Daniel Day-Lewis, on April 10.  All the dates have been added to the list.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
9:53 p.m.

UPDATE 3: Best Animated Feature favourite Coco comes out on home video February 27 while The Greatest Showman and Best Picture nominee Lady Bird both drop March 6. The dates have been added to the list.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Friday, February 9, 2018
3:52 a.m.

UPDATE 4: Strong Island and Icarus can be streamed on Netflix.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Tuesday, February 20, 2018
2:48 a.m.

UPDATE 5: Best Picture nominee The Post drops April 17 while Best Foreign Language Film nominee The Insult arrives May 1.  The dates have been added to the list.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Saturday, March 10, 2018
3:22 a.m.

UPDATE 6: All The Money In The World has been bumped up to April 10.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
10:10 p.m.

UPDATE 7:  Available today on digital platforms, Star Wars: The Last Jedi hits DVD & Blu-ray on March 27. The new date has been added to the list.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
3:34 p.m.

UPDATE 8: Best Foreign Language Feature winner A Fantastic Woman will be released on home video May 22. The new date has been added to the list.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Sunday, April 15, 2018
4:59 p.m.

UPDATE 9: Loveless finally hits home video on June 12. The new date has been added to the list.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Wednesday, May 2, 2018
3:27 a.m.

What Happened To The Best Of OMD CD I Ordered From Amazon.ca?

For the last three Christmases, a good friend of mine has given me an Amazon gift card.  In order to redeem it you have to have an active account.  Since my old one was apparently discontinued (probably because of a defunct email address and years of inactivity), I had to start a new one.  (I should clarify that my parents were the ones who used the old one and not very often, at that.)

No problem.  It takes two seconds to sign up.  Adding a gift card balance is just as quick and simple.

After searching Amazon.ca for music long coveted on my CD wishlist, I was able to spot some elusive titles I had been unable to nab at local record shops for years.

Back in early 2016, you only needed to purchase $25 worth of merch to get the free shipping & handling deal.  So, I bought a couple of titles right away.  And then, when I discovered they accept a Visa debit card, I was able to buy two more later on in order to use up the rest of the balance, also with free shipping.  Anything over my limit would be withdrawn from my seriously depleted account.  (Hey, experienced blogger looking to get paid over here.  Offers welcomed.  Send email or a DM.)

Just a few days after ordering, all my requested items showed up at my house.  Fantastic.

The following Christmas, Amazon.ca jacked up its free shipping & handling minimum to $35, so I ordered everything I wanted in one shot.  All my requested CDs showed up relatively quickly although my Matthew Sweet hits compilation could not be opened without breaking the case.  I don’t know how it got so stuck but once my dad got it open, I discovered the liner notes, the back cover and the disc were in perfect shape.  Thankfully, I had a spare case to replace the broken one.

That brings us to December 27th of last year.  Three days earlier, my friend once again generously gave me an Amazon gift card.  I ordered 4 CDs.  Two arrived on January 2 while another showed up the following day.  The fourth, The Best Of OMD, was scheduled to be delivered on January 4.

It never arrived.

So I vented in a tweet on Twitter which was spotted by the helpful folks who run the Amazon Help account.  They asked me if I had been sent an email about this.  Sure enough, in my in-box, was this notification:

“We recently learned that we may miss your delivery promise for your Amazon.ca Order…and apologize for the inconvenience. You’ll still receive the item and you can track the status of or make any changes to your order under Your Orders on Amazon.ca…”

When the disc didn’t arrive on January 5, I was told by the Amazon Help folks to sign in to my account and talk to someone with direct access to my order.  It took a few tries but I got on the live chat there.  I was told the following:

“It seems, the shipment was possibly delayed by the carrier due to huge holiday deliveries. The carrier has apologized and states that ‘We’re working hard to process and deliver record holiday parcel volumes as quickly as possible. In some cases, customers may experience a delay in delivery. We continue to devote extra resources to serve you and apologize for any delays’. Usually this does not happen, please accept my sincere apology for this bad experience with us and I hope you can understand our limitations as well as of the carriers.”

I was then informed that I would receive a $5 “courtesy credit” that will go towards my next purchase.  And also this:

“I have requested a redelivery of your order on priority. The maximum time carrier would require is till Monday.”

To make sure I understood completely, I replied, “I appreciate that. So, just to be clear, [the CD] should be here no later than Monday?”

“Yes, correct. Thanks Dennis for understanding.”

It didn’t arrive on Monday.

After trying for over an hour to get back to the live chat (I later got an email from an Amazon rep who had seen me sign in even though I couldn’t see anything on my end), I gave up and wrote an email.  Just before bed late last night, I received an apologetic message from a different rep:

“As the estimated delivery date is already passed at this point, we can only presume that the package was lost during shipping. I sincerely apologize for the incorrect update.​”

I was to receive a full refund for my order (which was confirmed today).  They couldn’t replace the disc because The Best Of OMD was only sold through MegaHitRecords Canada (a third party) and not through Amazon.ca.  (They only “fulfilled” the order.)  I could always try again and re-order the CD (Ha!) or if the original disc magically appeared out of nowhere one day, I could let them know and just pay for the damn thing.  I could also refuse it (why would I do that when I want it?) and have it returned.

At any event, while I appreciate the credit, the restored portion of the gift card balance and all the apologies, I still would like to know what the fuck happened to this CD.  Because there is a Canada Post tracking number for the delivery, you can also track its progress on their site.  But much like Amazon, there’s no further update beyond December 28.

According to Canada Post, “The shipper [MegaHitRecords Canada] has created a shipping label for this item and has sent us electronic information.”

That’s followed by this alarming notice:

“If no additional updates are showing in Track, it means we have not yet received the item. We will track the item once we receive it.”

Wait.  Canada Post didn’t acquire my ordered disc?  (They only got the label to put on it?)  Then, where the fuck is it?

I’ve sent a message to MegaHitRecords Canada and hopefully they’ll have some answers for me soon.  (I’ll update if I hear anything back.)  What’s so puzzling about all of this is that 2 of the other 3 discs I ordered that did arrive as scheduled were also fulfilled by Amazon through other 3rd-party sellers with zero difficulties.

Furthermore, MHR has a 99% approval rating on Amazon.  One pleased commenter wrote yesterday, “fast delivery all good!”

Don’t tell Bernie but I’m part of the 1%.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
6:55 p.m.

UPDATE:  MegaHitRecords Canada responded yesterday apologizing for the undelivered CD but didn’t provide an explanation for why this happened in the first place.  (It remains a baffling mystery.)  I was told it was Amazon’s problem now since they fulfilled the order.

Originally, I was going to wait things out and see if the CD would actually show up within the next few business days.  After all, my most recent Internet bill was late.  Usually, I get it about a week or so before the payment is due.  Instead, it arrived on January 2nd, two days after the due date.  (I paid it immediately.)

But after thinking about it and discovering there was only one copy left of The Best Of OMD on Amazon (which is now curiously sold directly through them, not MHR Canada as before), I broke down and decided to buy it.  Thanks to that $5 credit I received and another helpful Amazon rep who made sure I still got the free shipping, I used my gift card refund to pay for it.  Now I should still have close to 4 dollars left on it (right now it’s zero) but at this point, all I care about is finally getting this goddamn CD in the mail.  I got the two-day shipping so it should be here on Monday.  Here’s hoping.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Friday, January 12, 2018
1:16 a.m.

UPDATE 2:  Great news!  The second copy of The Best Of OMD CD I ordered arrived earlier this afternoon at my front door.  I am so relieved.  Many thanks to Amazon’s excellent customer service and all the folks running the @AmazonHelp Twitter account for all their assistance.  As for what happened to the original copy I ordered, it looks like it will forever remain missing.

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Saturday, January 13, 2018
4:54 p.m.

The Point

“You missed the point by a goddamn mile”
Her politics don’t matter, just her beautiful style
Don’t you dare focus on those women getting hurt
Doesn’t she look fabulous in her elegant skirt?

“You missed the point by a goddamn mile”
No discussion of oppression in this fashion file
Who cares about liberating these damaged souls?
Nothing’s more important than achieving #FemmeGoals

“You missed the point by a goddamn mile”
You mention her Zionism, I change the dial
Freeing Palestine can wait another day
Did you see that dress? Didn’t she slay?

“You missed the point by a goddamn mile”
Throwing truth in my face is unspeakably vile
I just don’t care about their endless plight
They’re not glamourous icons who happen to be white

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Monday, January 8, 2018
10:14 p.m.

A Banquet Of Desire

I enter you slowly
You squirm with delight
Flat on your back
Skin so milky white

The pace quickens
You sigh at every thrust
Heels flying in the air
An expression of lust

Glistening bodies
Intensifying heat
Vanishing problems
An impossible feat

You roll on your side
I climb aboard
Hands are exploring
As you slide on my sword

You take the lead
Now you’re on top
Grabbing and squeezing
With no wish to stop

Feeling the grind
As this foundation shakes
The sighs are now groans
As every part aches

Time to get vertical
The space soon tightens
Pounding like a juggernaut
So fierce it frightens

We’re close to the end
A shortness of breath
A banquet of desire
Then a little death

Dennis Earl
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Thursday, January 4, 2018
7:47 p.m.