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Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
David Mamet's Complicated Brain
DAVID MAMET, THE PULITZER PRIZE–WINNING, Trump-and-Israel-supporting writer and filmmaker, is having something of a banner year. After the premiere of the much-ballyhooed Broadway revival of Mamet's essential play Glengarry Glen Ross (this time, boasting a headline-making cast that includes Bob Odenkirk, Bill Burr, and Kieran Culkin), Mamet premiered Henry Johnson, his first film as a director since Phil Spector in 2013. And now, this month, we have the publication, for the first time ever, of Russian Poland, an unproduced screenplay written by Mamet in 1993, when his then-burgeoning career as a movie director was really beginning to ramp up. In 1991, Mamet released Homicide, his divisive but impactful third film as writer/director, and in 1992, the late James Foley's electric film of Glengarry Glen Ross, featuring a stacked ensemble cast led by Jack Lemmon and Al Pacino, became something of a cultural event—not a box office hit, but critically acclaimed, nominated for a slew of awards, and considered a bit of a comeback for Lemmon, while its (movie-original) scene featuring Alec Baldwin as an abusive sales executive became instantly iconic. The stage should, by all rights, have been set for Mamet to get a new project, something really ambitious, off the ground. Mamet's Jewish faith had been strengthening in those years, and had manifested itself in his writing most forcefully in Homicide, the victim at that film's core murder investigation being an old woman whose corner shop was a front for an operation running guns into Israel. The opportunity to pursue these themes further seemed to have presented itself. Mamet attaches a very brief introduction to the published screenplay of Russian Poland; in it, he lays out the historical, as well as the political, but more so the personal, inspiration for the script. For instance, he writes that his grandmother grew up near the Polish city of Chelm, and that she told him stories of the pogroms she'd survived in the Pale of Settlement—the area permitted to the Russian Jews. The Pale was geographically known as Volhynia, known to her, and, then, to me, as Russian Poland. The tales-within-the-tale, here, are fables of Isaac Luria, the Ari (lion) of Sfat, in the late 16th century… I set his mystical tales in my grandmother's Volhynia, and framed them in another fable. And that is, ultimately and unexpectedly, what Russian Poland is: a collection of Jewish fables, almost an anthology, with an illegal shipment of supplies by air to Israel functioning as a kind of framing device. This setting for this framing device is the late 1940s, shortly after the establishment of the state of Israel. The military men carrying out the mission are British RAF officers, and throughout the script, they are referred to only as Sergeant and Officer. Also on board is an elderly Holocaust survivor called Old Man. (Almost none of the characters are given names, except for one or two that appear in the fables.) Neither the Officer nor the Sergeant seem to know who the Old Man is, and they even ask him what he's doing there. Not very talkative, the Old Man does indicate he's on the plane because he's going to Palestine. The RAF men object that none of the planes at the airfield have the fuel capacity to reach that destination (and the Officer also asks why the Old Man wants to go to Palestine, because, he says 'The Arabs say they're going to drive you people into the sea'), to which the Old Man offers only a shrug. Something mysterious has now been established. Explore the deep mysteries while supporting our growing coverage of books, culture, and the arts: Sign up for a free or paid Bulwark subscription today. The Old Man begins to drift into his past, and into Mamet's fables, as the flight becomes more dangerous. In the first, set in a village in the 1890s, the Beggar roams the village, seeking charity, first from a pair of housewives, then from the local Rabbi, and then from the Rich Man (or, Reb Siegel, one of the few proper names in the script). As these short tales begin to take over the narrative of Russian Poland, the dialogue becomes less casual and more formal, but what's most interesting about this aspect of Mamet's script—Mamet being justly famous for his gift for stylish, stylized dialogue—is how it reflects his attitudes as a director more than as a writer. In his book On Directing Film, and more recently when promoting Henry Johnson, Mamet has said that ideally, when directing a film, it should be possible to remove all the dialogue and, as in silent films, let the images and the editing tell the story. This is, of course, the central idea behind all motion pictures, but I can't imagine following the narrative of a film as word-drunk as Henry Johnson with all the language removed. Henry Johnson is a very skillful and artful piece of film direction, but the words, and the performances of those words, are the whole show. This is not the case with Russian Poland, or it wouldn't have been, had a film ever been made from it. In the story about the Beggar, the Rabbi, and the Rich Man, Mamet lays out his scenes and his shots in strict visual terms, as directing choices he made at the screenplay stage. It begins with this image: A longshot. A road on a hill. A Beggar comes into the shot, moving across the frame from left to right. A mullioned window bangs into the shot. Camera pulls back slightly to reveal we have been looking at the scene through a window. The window frame bangs in the window. Then a cut to the Rabbi, outside the building, commenting on the deteriorated state of the window, and the Shul to which it is connected. We have also been introduced to the Beggar, and his journey. There is now a connection (ideally, anyway) in the viewer's mind between the state of the shtetl, where this is all taking place, and the Beggar. There is conflict in this connection, one that will play out as both Rabbi and Rich Man are shown to be somewhat callous towards the Beggar—though the Rabbi is perhaps more officious than callous—but the story is one of redemption. More importantly, that window, through which we were introduced to a setting and a key character, returns as an image, and through it we are shown actions the meanings of which the audience understands better than the characters do. We see, more than hear, both the Beggar and the Rich Man, independent of each other, find evidence for the existence of God, through each man's misunderstanding of events. To Mamet, these misunderstandings, and the revelations they inspire, are as true and as spiritual as would be those brought about by a literal angel appearing on the scene. Join now It's difficult, in this venue, to get across how much of Russian Poland's story is communicated visually rather than through dialogue. But this is very much a script written by a man who intended to direct: visuals, shot descriptions, and even camera edits are described at length, broken up by streams of conversation that is sometimes of a spiritual nature, sometimes just pure gossip. This is done in the same way that a film heavy with talk might find relief, or a heightening of emotion, through bursts of silence. I can imagine one fable, late in the script, being told entirely through images, with no dialogue whatsoever (not that there's so very much of it to begin with). This fable is much darker than the life-affirming tale of the Beggar (Russian Poland can get pretty bleak at times), and it ends with a punchline—I think a certain gallows humor is at play here, but as far as gallows humor goes, it's pretty heavy on gallows—that is entirely visual. (Words are spoken, but don't need to be.) Granted, these visuals include words written on a piece of paper—words that reveal the aforementioned punchline—but this is all part of the silent film grammar Mamet aspires to. Because of his outspoken conservative politics over the last several years, even well before Trump, Mamet long ago fell out of favor as an artist. Some artists, when confronting such a fate, will withdraw; others will lean into it, inflating the political rhetoric that had been subliminal or even non-existent in their work before. And while Mamet's responses in interviews and his nonfiction writing have gotten nakedly reactionary, it has not gotten in the way of his fiction. As implied earlier, this unproduced screenplay is particularly compelling when looked at Mamet's career as a film director as a whole, and especially in the context of his work during the 1990s. Once again, Homicide, his best film, can't help but spring to mind. Mamet's current politics (many say his politics have always leaned right, if not far-right, but I don't), and what I'd call the spiritual politics of Russian Poland, often seem to be at odds with each other. In Homicide, for example, the murder of the Zionist shopkeeper is not, as homicide detective Bobby Gold (Joe Mantegna) believes, an antisemitic act. In a final twist (a swing so wild I almost can't believe Mamet brings it off), it's shown to be a random act, an apolitical crime of greed, and evidence for the anti-Zionist motive is revealed as a blind alley. Though Gold has faced antisemitism in his past, and experiences it over the course of the film, his political righteousness becomes a mental trap, and his inability to view the situation from any other angle ultimately destroys him. Not the same kind of thing you'd expect from the author of Russian Poland, which radiates a kind of arcane energy. If Russian Poland can seem esoteric, especially to a gentile like myself, it is nevertheless clearly the work of an artist who sees in it a grand truth, whereas Homicide is awash with uncertainty. Yet both works are about, essentially, the same thing. And if Henry Johnson, the story of an unprincipled idiot who believes everything people tell him, doesn't seem like it could possibly have been made by someone who supports Donald Trump, well, the human brain is a complicated organ. Share this article with someone who appreciates the complicated nature of the human brain. Share
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Las Vegas man shoots, kills landlord who attempted to evict him, police say
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A man is dead after an argument about an eviction led to a tenant shooting and killing his landlord, Las Vegas police said. According to Homicide Lieutenant Robert Price, the shooting occurred in the 3600 block of North Campbell Road near West Gowan Road, at around 4:45 p.m. The 911 caller said his roommates were in an argument, and during the argument, someone was shot. Arriving officers were able to take the suspect into custody without incident. Police found the victim lying on the kitchen floor suffering from several gunshot wounds. Medical personnel pronounced the victim dead at the scene. Price said the argument stemmed because the victim, the landlord, was attempting to evict the suspect. The suspect became angry, pulled out a gun, and shot the victim several times, Price said. Price said there are four people who live at the property, one who was inside during the shooting and another who was in the yard. This is a developing story. Stay with 8 News Now for updates. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Yahoo
Glendale mass shooting: Persons of interest wanted for questioning
The Brief The Glendale Police Department is looking for three people who might have information on the May 4 mass shooting at El Camaron Gigante Mariscos & Steakhouse. Investigators stress that these people are not suspects. Three people died in this shooting and five others were hurt. GLENDALE, Ariz. - The Glendale Police Department released photos of people who might be critical in helping solve the May 4 mass shooting at a restaurant. Persons of interest in the Glendale shooting on May 4. Photos courtesy of the Glendale Police Department What they're saying "Earlier today, we met with the case agent and Homicide Supervisors, they have asked us to share the following images of 3 individuals, investigators wish to speak with. To be clear, these individuals are persons of interest, NOT SUSPECTS, and we believe they may have vital information important to this case," the police department said on May 7. What we know The shooting happened at El Camaron Gigante Mariscos & Steakhouse near SR 51 and 57th Avenue around 7:45 p.m. Three people died and five people were hurt in the shooting that spilled out into the parking lot. What you can do Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Glendale Police at 623-930-3000 or Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS. Click here to submit information through Glendale PD's portal. Map of where the shooting happened:
CBS News
06-05-2025
- CBS News
Denver City Council rejects extention of Flock Safety cameras
The Denver City Council unanimously rejected a two-year extension of the Flock Safety camera program. The vote happened on Monday night. The cameras have been installed at 70 intersections across Denver. The cameras snap a photo of a license plate or vehicle in an attempt to catch criminals. Flock Safety Denver police claim the cameras have led to 275 arrests, recovered 180 stolen vehicles and helped solve several homicides. Investigators say the cameras have helped track down suspects in a $12 million jewelry heist earlier this year. Some council members discussed privacy concerns and who may have access to that footage.
Geek Tyrant
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Geek Tyrant
Trailer for Shia LaBeouf's HENRY JOHNSON From Acclaimed Writer and Director David Mamet — GeekTyrant
We have a trailer here for you to watch titled Henry Johnson , which was written and directed by acclaimed writer David Mamet. The movie is based on the 2023 play of the same name also written by Mamet, and it features the same cast playing their roles again. That cast includes Shia LaBeouf and Evan Jonigkeit as cellmates, Chris Bauer, and Dominic Hoffman. Henry Johnson follows the title character (Jonigkeit) 'as he navigates his search for a moral center, after an act of compassion upends his life. Looking to authority figures he encounters along the way — including his eventual cellmate, Gene (LaBeouf) — Henry's journey leads him down a road of manipulation and ethical uncertainty.' The film is descibed as 'an exploration of power, justice and the consequences of letting others choose your path for you.' Mamet is the director of several films including House of Games , Things Change , Homicide , Oleanna , The Spanish Prisoner , The Winslow Boy , State and Main , Heist , Spartan , and Redbelt . The movie will be released in select theaters starting May 9th, 2025.
