R E D

Willis made the only film I ever walked out on, (Hudson Hawk)but was never detered from continuing to let him show me a good time and boy does he ever. It was 3PM on a work day and the show was full. We hollered and laughed, we clapped and whistled. Hot damn he was at it again but this time with pros that stole the show ever other scene. Mirren with heavy artillery and almost apologetic for not being able to quite "cut the killing habit", a hoot and holler while still being the perfect lady enjoying a little girl time with Mary Louise who just thinks its all one grand time, finally. Bruce and the rest are at their laid back best while Malcovich should get at least a mention at an Oscar for just being nuts. He was genius.
Morgan Freeman continues to deliver regardless of the role and Bruce is totally believable playing the reluctant retiree flirting with a girl in the pension office, as he is beating his young nemesis half to death. In the end they garner your respect if for nothing else than bejng able to deliver on cue and show you why they are older and still a box office draw. They know what the hell they're doing. Want to laugh and have a good time? Go see the movie, you cant lose with this one.

BELIEFS

One seldom investigates their beliefs. All have them and I'd venture to say 80% of them are unproven yet everyday of our lives are dictated by them, our unproven beliefs. Generally speaking we believe in an invisible entity we've never seen, with powers of unequaled voracity and believe the God to be male, merciful and kind while millions are killed, burned, starved, wars rage and hundreds of thousands are washed away in tidal waves and volcano mud buries them in their cities and churches where some have taken refuge. Yet we personally believe He has answers to this rampant killing He does and has listened to our individual prayers and guided us through our lives.

Our soldiers believe if they pray to God they will be victorious in their quests to kill and maim their enemies, who are praying on the other side of the DMZ for victory in killing and maiming their enemies, you know, on the other side of the DMZ. Now we want our God to play favorites, that little game of ours since childhood learned from the adults that really rule our lives.

We are dragged to church and told that God is a white man sitting on an enormous throne in a toga. He has a gazillion angels that just stand around singing about how wonderful he is. In our child's mind we think of the hungry kids in China that were starving so we had to eat all our breakfast, and wondered why God didn't send some of those angels just standing around, down to feed those kids.

No matter what happens to us, it was meant to be. We are told God likes us to suffer and has a plan for us. We learn when we die we will lie quietly in our graves until Jesus comes for us, though nobody seems to know why there are still ghosts walking around, you know the kind they tell us don't exist, where are they going? And why does there have to be a war before Jesus can come and rescue us? Why is there so much blood shedding? Cant He just speak peace into the world? 'They told me He could. He spoke the world and Universe into being, so why can't he just say to all the waring nations, "Go home and feed your poor". He could do that.

"YOU KNOW DAT'S RIGHT"

All through my life they have been there, two or three non descriptive old guys, laughing at a shared joke, or some forgotten memory stuck in one of their minds, some woman, some dice game, some war. A party not intended to include some nosey girl, or uninterested passerby, just something to laugh about, between them. You'd find them on a bench, a stoop, the old barbershop or like Mr. Bean, propped on a stool in a favorite cafe, or maybe their laughing about that old drunk that hit JuJu and got run out of Fat Larry's Juke Joint that night down in Tupelo Mississippi.

I didnt realize how important two guys like this were, until I saw this picture and began remembering that part of my life I left out a while back. The familiar part that let you know how you still loved your youth when you could turn your nose up at them and now realizing you didnt see many like them anymore. Like all the old familiar things, they too were passing. Drifting away on memory clouds that came less and less these days.

They'd gotten up that morning, went through their ritual of preparing to meet each other like it was going to a job, when in a way it was. The job to remember to meet a friend that might soon go away too. To put on garments that could be taken off if it got too hot or buttoned up in a chill. They called it layering now, back in the day it was just dressing smart for crazy weather. One opened the door and let the dog out, the other glanced at an empty chair in the kitchen table, then slowly closed the door and headed for breakfast. After they'd had enough coffee and the chill had left the air, it was bench time. That would take up the better part of the day, until it was time to go back home, feeling good about your life, your friend, your dog. A couple of things he said he remembered, but really didn't because you had to direct the conversation in a way to move it along when his friend got too hung up trying to remember the color of a button or some other name.

One put his cap on the peg by the door and glanced at the other chair, he smiled, betcha he remembered her. His friend opened his back door and called the dog, Pearly to come on in the house. He had named it after that sassy, big butt girl in Houston that time he left Mississippi and smiled, betcha he remembered that! His old lady never knew. Now, time to fix dinner, just for one. They each smiled remembering their day, ready to do it all again tomorrow, them two old guys.