Rich Monetti
Bio
I am, I write.
Stories (1011)
Filter by community
'Person of Interest' Role Cements Michael Emerson as One of TV’s Hottest Actors
Photo Credit: Genevieve Athletics not really an option for tv actor Michael Emerson as a kid growing up in Iowa, the after school activity left to him was the Midwestern tradition of speech and debate. He’d enter state and local contests and eventually got involved in drama clubs before deciding to study theatre at Drake College. Devoid of any real practical knowledge on pursuing the discipline, his move to the tougher New York City of the 1970s really knocked the “wind out of him,” and forced him to quit.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Geeks
Near Miss in 'Sully' Takes You for a Fake News Ride on the Hudson
If you don’t have a problem with Hollywood turning nothing into something then Sully is a pretty entertaining movie that adds even more to the our hero’s legend. But I couldn’t help feeling jaded as the “nothing” in question seemed grossly over dramatized, and I came away feeling mostly empty of the contrived effort to drive the plot with a format that would make fake news proud.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Geeks
'The East' Finds Balance Between Environmental Terrorism and Legally Holding Corporations Accountable
The East pits environmental terrorism against the corporations that fully deserve the wrath their actions engender. Caught in the middle, Jane (Brit Marling) is a freelance intelligence officer for the private intelligence firm Hiller Brood and is eager to make her mark. Although her journey can’t help but blur the lines between the letter of the law that protects the powerful and those willing to mete out justice as they see it.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Geeks
The Golden Age of Movies Teaches Us that Cary Grant Can’t Be Taught In 'The Philadelphia Story'
For you beginners out there – pay attention – Cary Grant has opened his playbook in another golden age movie. The Philadelphia Story provides more lessons for all of us trying to temper our heart’s palpations in pursuit of the joy and the pain, while making getting the girl look easy.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Geeks
'A Bronx Tale' Took More Than a Real Mob Story to Come to Life
When Chazz Palminteri appeared opposite Robert De Niro in A Bronx Tale, his credits showed a series of TV spots and only three movie roles. De Niro, on the other hand, transcended the notion of a career that could be summed up in a mere IMDB listing. Nonetheless, Palminteri's performance enveloped the screen and suspended us in disbelief where it seemed he was the one carrying all the credits and acclaim. The confidence to pull off such a feat was obvious. But what it took to actually put himself in that position... Well, as they say in the Bronx - fu-ge-da-boud-it
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Geeks
'The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' is British Humor at its Driest
I had long seen The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy in bookstores, but it seemed too long to read and the title too eclectic to classify as comedy or science fiction. 109 minutes of DVD I could handle, and while the science fiction backdrop doesn’t seek any deeper understanding, the comedy made me feel as an honorary member of the British Empire and the British Humor that goes with it. In other words, plot, cast, special effects, whatever – just the passive/aggressive intellectual and sometimes cryptic delivery of the dialogue makes this 2005 film well worth watching.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Futurism
'The Bad News Bears' Remembers a Time When We Didn’t Smother Kids with Child Psychology
Picture this, a little league baseball team packed 10 deep in a convertible - three perilously hanging out the back. Add Walter Matthau pouring vodka into an open container, while jockeying back and forth in a manner befitting 10 year old boys, and you have The Bad News Bears. God Bless America, 1976-style.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Geeks
Voter ID Laws Are Disenfranchisement Politics As Usual
Three to five million illegal votes and Jeff Sessions our new attorney general, the voter fraud issue is going on full alert in the Trump Administration. But the concern amounts to nothing more than the Republicans taking out their playbook and putting disenfranchising politics in full gear. Their constituency eager to engage and vilify, historical facts demonstrate that political parties do not steal elections by getting random people to vote twice.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in The Swamp
Martin Short Publishes Life Story to Cope with the Death of His Wife
On Friday Night, the Harvey School in Bedford presented the fourth in its series of celebrity Q&As. Paul Shaffer providing the Qs, Martin Short let fly, and the audience didn’t come down until the Canadian born talent ran out of rocket fuel.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Geeks
A Clockwork Orange Can Teach Us Something About Partisan Politics In America
My first viewing of A Clockwork Orange 30 years ago left me lost on the message. A hardened criminal receives the opportunity for a quick, psychologically based reform, but the dehumanizing treatment endured almost makes his crimes seem forgivable. Not sure who to side with and put off by the chaotic presentation, I was indifferent. Nonetheless, a later more open-minded viewing got my nod, but the ideological mish-mash remained, and a meaningful critique here, would require the insight of others.
By Rich Monetti9 years ago in Futurism
