By Laurence Lerman / New York City Step aside, Marvel Comics Universe and computer-generated thunder lizards! Make way for a dazzling new summer franchise that goes by the unwieldy name of “The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol.” The marketing department should definitely rethink the name. The freshest extended, episodic production of its kind since the Watergate Hearings nearly 50 years ago held its third public proceeding on the afternoon of Thursday, June 16. The ongoing hearings may include at least five more sessions, some of which have already been announced. So, it’s a series that may very well still be going strong when Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness and Jurassic Park Dominion are just two of a zillion possible options on your streaming menu. One day prior to the third episode, committee co-chair Liz Cheney of Wyoming released a preview of the installment with a “blurb” that described how the day’s session would delve into former President Trump’s relentless effort to pressure Vice President Mike Pence not to certify the lawful electoral votes, in what is intended in the Constitution to be an essentially ceremonial duty. It effectively set up what played as a considerably drier, talkier and more legalistic narrative then the previous two hearings. Cheney’s teaser dangled a portion of the testimony given by former Trump White House lawyer Eric Herschmann, parts of which had been seen in the second day of hearings. A half hour into the broadcast of the epic episode (it clocked in at a little over three hours, while the previous two had run two hours or less), the hearing began to feel like one of the middle entries of an extended film cycle or prestige television series. Yes, it was well-prepared and smartly executed, technologically proficient in regards to its audio, video and computer graphics presentation (filled with texts of tweets, maps of the Capitol building, testimony clips and more), but it wasn’t initially as alluring or absorbing as the previous segments. Those first two hearings grabbed our attention right out of the gate and thrust us into an investigation that revealed lies, illegalities, power plays, angry Presidential tweets and phone calls, strange White House meetings and lessons on constitutional law. It's no surprise that the middle sections of even the most popular TV and film series fall victim to audience fatigue, predictability and the viewers’ desire to move on to the juicier, later chapters of the story. Let’s be honest here—does anyone outside of a diehard fan clearly remember the second film in the Lord of the Rings trilogy—2002’s The Two Towers—or the fourth and fifth seasons of HBO’s eight-season-long Game of Thrones? But even as the opening salvos of the first two hearings were more propulsive, the team that put together the third one still wisely amplified all that was said by the repeated use of clips of the violent and shocking assault on the Capitol. With the regular rollout of carnage clips (which still weren’t as frequent as in the first two hearings), the horrors of January 6 never felt far away. “If Pence caved, we’re going to drag motherfuckers through the streets,” says one rioter captured on video that day. “He deserves to burn with the rest of them,” yells another. And then there’s the crowd chanting “Hang Mike Pence! Hang Mike Pence!” with footage of a wooden gallows erected by Trump’s supporters on the Capitol lawn. These are unnerving words and a terrifying crowd and serious stuff. Overall, though, I don’t think it’s as disturbing as the knowledge that the hearings are transpiring in the very building complex where the insurrection took place. That’s something that’s been floating around my head since the hearings began, as it probably has for the many of the hearing’s participants and viewers. Like any good ongoing series, strong images like those of the violence that occurred on such familiar and hallowed ground early on in the production are sure to rear their heads again as the narrative moves forward. It was Herschmann’s testimony and warning to rogue Trump attorney John Eastman, a former law professor and lawyer who served as an advisor to Trump during the election fracas, not to file an election result appeal in Georgia following the events of January 6 that proved to be the most fascinating and memorable passages to emerge during the third hearing. “I said to him, ‘Are you out of your effing mind?,’” Herschmann recalled in his testimony. ‘“I only want to hear two words coming out of your mouth from now on: ‘Orderly transition.’ Repeat those words to me.” Eventually, {Eastman] said ‘orderly transition.’” A few seconds later, Herschmann’s cherry on top of his “orderly transition” demand arrived in the form of his giving Eastman “the best free legal advice you’re ever getting in your entire life: ‘Get a great effing criminal defense lawyer, you’re going to need it.’” The Herschmann declaration was smartly situated right in the middle of the broadcast, marking a change in direction of the narrative from the legalese of the electoral aspects to a physical breakdown of the events of January 6. The transition and its structure were smartly conceived, with a bit more action to enliven the second half. Hey, and speaking of Lord of the Rings, with the arrival of Eastman at the third hearing, the public was presented with a villainous new player in the saga who’s frighteningly reminiscent of a nasty character in The Two Towers. Eastman’s ludicrous legal theory that Mike Pence as vice president could refuse to certify the fair election’s results and overturn the election, was one of the primary topics of the third hearing. John Eastman is, without a doubt, the Grima Wormtongue of the election saga, Wormtongue being the nefarious chief counsellor at the court of King Theoden of Rohan. Portrayed by Brad Dourif in the film, Wormtongue is ultimately exposed as a scheming, untrustworthy advisor who has designs on bringing down the kingdom. Even when his agenda is found out, Wormtongue refuses to admit to his actions and denies any wrongdoing, much like Eastman invoked the Fifth Amendment more than 100 times when he was deposed by the Select Committee, according to Rep. Pete Aguilar of Texas. The third hearing included a handful of clips of Eastman asserting the Fifth and more blather. At one point, committee member Aguilar plays a clip of Mike Pence’s former counsel testifying that Eastman acknowledged this theory was unconstitutional and illegal—and that Trump was well aware of that, too. So Eastman, the bad guy of the third hearing—you’ve gotta have a villain and the jowly, white-haired Eastman plays the role perfectly—took the biggest public beating of the various players. Hopefully, his career and credibility, whatever it is at this point, did the same. Though Mike Pence could never be considered a hero, in the narrative of the third hearing, he actually emerged as one of the good guys. As testimony and video footage of his January 6 actions in Congress reveal—these performed several hours after the insurrection that put his life in danger—Pence clearly broke with the former President and refused to go along with him and his advisor’s illegal and unconstitutional plot to block Congress’ certification of Joe Biden’s victory. It’s a legal theory that, again, both Trump and Eastman knew was bogus and one that U.S. District Judge David Carter in a decision in March described as “a coup in search of a legal theory.” Good guys and bad guys and heroes and villains abound, just like in the movies. But unlike a movie, which is a make-believe tale even if it’s fact-based, the categorization here is likely to last much longer, even if the panel’s ultimate goal to lay out a case against Trump and to have him criminally indicted doesn’t come to pass. “Tonight, I say this to my Republican colleagues who are defending the indefensible,” Cheney memorably stated in her opening statement in the hearings on June 9. “There will come a day that Donald Trump is gone, but your dishonor will remain.” Laurence Lerman is a film journalist, former editor of Video Business--Variety's DVD trade publication--and husband to The Insider's own Gwen Cooper. Over the course of his career he has conducted one-on-one interviews with just about every major director working today, including Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Kathryn Bigelow, Ridley Scott, Walter Hill, Spike Lee, and Werner Herzog, among numerous others. Once James Cameron specifically requested an interview with Laurence by name, which his wife still likes to brag about. Most recently, he is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the online review site DiscDish.com.

Fred Plotkin, a pleasure activist and passionate Italy and culinary expert, speaks each Friday with leading people in the arts FRED PLOTKIN is one of America’s foremost experts on opera and has distinguished himself in many fields as a writer, speaker, consultant and as a compelling teacher. He is an expert on everything Italian, the person other so-called Italy experts turn to for definitive information.  Fred discovered the concept of "The Renaissance Man" as a small child and has devoted himself to pursuing that ideal as the central role of his life. In a “Public Lives” profile in The New York Times on August 30, 2002, Plotkin was described as "one of those New York word-of-mouth legends, known by the cognoscenti for his renaissance mastery of two seemingly separate disciplines: music and the food of Italy." In the same publication, on May 11, 2006, it was written that "Fred is a New Yorker, but has the soul of an Italian."

By Andy Borowitz June 17, 2022 WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)—John Eastman has announced that he is “seriously considering” going to law school, in what he described as the pursuit of a lifelong dream. The embattled Eastman said that the idea of applying to law school first occurred to him while being deposed by the January 6th committee. “As I was taking the Fifth Amendment a hundred times, I realized there must be at least four other amendments, and possibly more than that,” he said. “I started wondering what those amendments were.” Eastman said that attending law school would “be a ton of work” but would probably make him a better lawyer. “Everything I know about law I learned at Trump University,” he revealed.

By Sienna Beck / New York City Hello Readers!!! The last time I wrote for The Insider, I was in New York City. Well, this time, I am writing to you from ROME, Italy! I came to Rome with my mother and grandparents, who had meetings here. Even though the trip was short, I visited many important landmarks and averaged seven miles of walking each day! Here are some photos from my adventure. Castel Sant'Angelo. This castle, which was just a few minute walk from our hotel, was once one of the tallest buildings in Rome. Even if it’s not the tallest now, it is still huge! It served many purposes in history, but one of them was as a fortress for the popes, so when we walked there, we walked under a walkway that connected the Vatican to the castle. At night, it was all lit up! It was beautiful! I took a million photos that could probably be on postcards. Pantheon. The Pantheon was one of the first of many churches that I saw in two days in Rome! It is impressive from the outside, and it is gorgeous on the inside. All the paintings, patterns, statues and textures are almost the same as they were over 1,000 years ago. I went with my mom and grandmother, but my mom could not go in. She needed to have her shoulders covered, and she was wearing a tank top and shorts. We took a video tour for her, though. The Pantheon was crowded with tourists. Trevi Fountain. We only stayed for 10 minutes, considering the crowd and my hunger, but even the glimpse we got was beautiful! I was impressed with the statues. I wondered where the water came from and whether it was recycling the water in the fountain. Again, we took several photos (with lots of other tourists around us), and we bought some souvenirs with photos of the fountain! St. Peter’s Basilica. One word. STAIRS. On our second day, my mom insisted we walk up the 551 steps to the top of the dome. The endless stairs went around in a long spiral. By the end, I didn’t want to walk up another single step! But it was worth it. Going up to the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica was dizzying but beautiful. The view of the city from the top of the dome was beautiful. Unfortunately, most of the decorations and paintings and stories were on the ceiling, and my glasses didn’t have quite the right prescription. But I still managed to get some views of the paintings and textures on the ceiling. Here and in other churches and museums, we saw trompe l’oeils, but they did not fool me. Vatican Museum. After coming down from the dome, we rushed very quickly to our tour at the Vatican Museum. Like St. Peter’s Basilica, Michelangelo painted many of the walls and the ceilings. We had a tour guide, but I mostly explored on my own. On our way to the Sistine Chapel, I looked at old coins and treasures that the popes collected. At the Sistine Chapel, cameras were not allowed, but I saw the famous picture Michelangelo painted, the Last Judgment, where Michelangelo had painted himself into his painting with someone holding his skin (with his face). Colosseum. My mom really wanted me to see the Colosseum which was on the other side of town from the Vatican Museum, so we got a snack on the way and walked another mile or two! We got there right as it closed at 7:15 in the evening, so we couldn’t go inside, but I saw it from the outside. It was very old, and part of it was chipping off. I was very tired from walking seven miles, so I sat down on one of the steps. We only stayed for 15 minutes, but we managed to get this photo in. I stood on two rocks in front of the enormous Colosseum. The streets in Rome were cobblestone and narrow, which makes them particularly hard to drive on. We also had to be careful walking on the streets. Some streets were blocked off because there were so many restaurants. Everywhere you stepped, there was a different souvenir shop, and I wanted to go to all of them. At every meal, I ate pasta, schnitzel and French fries. I also ate a LOT of gelato! My overall impressions of Rome were “Old!” “Beautiful!” “Historical!” “Old again!” Sienna Beck is a 9-year-old author who loves writing short stories. She goes to a camp called Writopia, and once entered a play contest and was selected to have her play professionally performed by trained actors. Sienna has two sisters, Willa and Olive, and they all go to P.S. 87 in New York City. Sienna likes animals, including pets and mostly dogs. She also wants to be THE PRESIDENT when she grows up.

By Naomi Serviss / New York City While ob-gyn shopping on Long Island in the ’80s’, I was looking for a progressive doc, familiar and comfortable with the Leboyer childbirth method. During this technique, the delivery room is kept quiet, dimly lit to guide the infant gently into the world. The newborn is not held upside down (do they still do that?) or swept away for immediate examination. Likely for scoring on the Apgar. The Apgar score is a test given (twice) to newborns soon after birth. It checks the baby’s heart rate, muscle tone and red flags potential problems. Five minutes after the first test, a second is administered. Getting back to Leboyer. After birth, babe is gently placed on the mom’s tum and lightly massaged. What a great way to enter the world: a quiet room and a free massage! After the umbilical cord stops pulsing, it’s cut. Après mom-bonding, the infant is bathed (warm water) by the partner of your choice. Lew, my husband, would be mine. After researching available doctors who fit my specifications, I found a keeper, 20 minutes from our home. Dr. David Shobin of Smithtown Hospital aced his interview. His credentials were outstanding, top-notch experience and a boomer, like me! Impressive background. He was not your mother’s doctor. Not only a lauded physician, he was also a dedicated writer who wrote about what he knew. Pregnancy, hospitals, doctors and evil insurance companies. (It’s not entirely fiction!) With a twist. Horror-lite. Sometimes, not so lite. Always entertaining. And romantic! His most renowned title, The Unborn (1981) ominously telegraphs Twilight Zone vibes, with verve and vigor. I really liked Shobin–he had a great sense of humor and compassionately listened to my pregnancy woe worries . He assured me my weight gain was fine and not to fret about it. He didn’t realize that for a food-disordered human, weight fretting was a given! Especially after having Orlando doctors admonish me for gaining six whole pounds in a month when carrying Emily. “You’re the one who’ll have to lose it, so watch what you eat,” snapped the least likeable doctor in the Florida practice. But Shobin was laser-focused on keeping me physically healthy and emotionally nourished. He knew about my college food disorders. He said most of his patients dealt with an eating disorder at some point. Not to worry. At the time, I was a Newsday columnist and wrote about his practice, (including his work with midwives) and writing avocation. Not to mention his tendency to scare the bejesus out of expectant waiting-room moms-to-be after they noticed his proud wall art: An enlarged cover of–you guessed it–The Unborn. I found it very amusing, but understood if others found it untoward. Shobin’s The Unborn is a nail-biter/heart attack-y tale about Samantha, an unwed mother in a sleep-study program. She develops an uncanny ability to communicate thoughts with her unborn. What ensues: fetus runs amuck, causing grave tumult and agita. And more! Now, when friends confide their fear of going to the doctor, I laugh to myself. Not in a mocking way, mind you. They’re overly worried about knees, sciatica and migraines. With the aura. There’s even a word for physician fear: Iatrophobia, which could trigger “White Coat Syndrome,” causing high-blood pressure and heart palps when medical professionals register on your radar. I get it. Who isn’t on edge after two (hundred?) years of Covid-smackdown? A meditation teacher encourages calming self-reflection but not obsession. It’s essential to stay relaxed, in any situation. Meditators are big on the breath. You can feel the body moving on the rhythm of each breath. How does that make you feel? asked the instructor during a recent Sunday morning Zoom meditation session. What happens when you become aware of the feeling? How does the mind state feel? Painful, pleasant or neutral? Coffee, tea or me? We’ve all been coping with “cascading collective trauma”, coined by psychologist Roxane Cohen Silver, at the University of California (Irvine). She’s researched trauma for decades. In a recent article published in the Nature Human Behaviour journal, Silver described how the pandemic has layered a new trauma on our psyches, because of its ambiguous endpoint. Who knows how bad things will get or when recovery will really begin? With an indefinite pandemic, anti-Black police violence, frequent mass shootings, record high inflation, white supremacists threatening democracy– not to mention the erosion of abortion laws, voting rights, and high-profile pedophiles getting their comeuppance. No wonder we’re fed up, fearful and phobic. But cheer up, find joyful reasons to get out of bed (a sweet pup can help!). Coffee! Lately, I've been motivated by reality-based Buddhist teachings to make executive, non-fear-based decisions. It's not so easy. But recalling F.D.R.’s succinctly brilliant wisdom: "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself,” I've scheduled an ultrasound of a persistent swollen gland. It couldn't hurt! Naomi Serviss is a New York-based award-winning journalist whose work has been published in The New York Times, Newsday, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Highroads (AAA magazine), in-flight publications, spa and travel magazines and websites, including BroadwayWorld.com

By John Rolfe / Red Hook, N.Y. The midterms are still five months away, but the 2024 presidential campaign is already well underway. “The clock is ticking for anyone thinking about 2024,” Republican strategist Tucker Martin, a top advisor to former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, told Politico in March. “If you’re interested in the next cycle, you have to start defining yourself and your potential opponents.” Actually, it’s always campaign season in the good ol’ U.S.A. and in my humble opinion, the next presidential race began on Inauguration Day 2021 when I first heard “Will Joe Biden and Donald Trump run again?” speculation in the media. Politics in America is treated mostly like a combination of sports and entertainment. We can’t resist looking ahead and trying to predict the future, even if the dust from the last election has barely settled and the present is a cloudy mess. Donald Trump is under investigation on several fronts for grievous activities such as business fraud and attempting to overturn the 2020 election. His allies, some of whom have their own presidential aspirations, are caught on the horns of a dilemma: how to suck up to Trump and please the GOP’s base while appearing independent enough to attract undecided voters should these non-Trumps secure the nomination, which still appears unlikely given the former president’s substantial popularity on the right. That Trump is still a viable candidate shows just how insane our country has become. Be that as dismay, it’s a howling shame that in the best of times, the most crucial business of the people is left to those who must constantly traffic in spin, lies, hypocrisy and obstruction. The goal of the game is to gain and keep power, not to serve the country. Poor Joe Biden. He’s now the Charlie Brown of politics. Well meaning and sincere, he’s tried to steer the country through turbulent, difficult times but has been mocked for his failures, foiled by foes, and undermined by events the way Lucy yanks the football away whenever Charlie tries to kick it. Now Biden is flat on his back, with his approval ratings at a dismal 39.7 percent, which is below where Trump’s were at a similar point in his term. Even worse for Biden’s prospects, reports of Democrats souring on his re-election bid keep coming. A New York Times story on June 12 cited dozens of party officials, members of Congress, and voters who don’t want Biden to run again. This after a YouGov poll in April found only 21% of voters who are inclined to vote for a Democrat named Biden as their pick. So if not Biden, who? The Dems need an Obama — a fresh, younger face who can energize people across racial, gender and age lines with appealing, practical ideas and messages that inspire hope. None of the commonly cited favorites — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Gavin Newsom, Cory Booker, Sherrod Brown, Roy Cooper, Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Pete Buttigieg, Beto O’Rourke or Vice President Kamala Harris — generate excitement in a wide swath of the electorate on the left or in the middle. It’s probably safe to say there isn’t a Democrat on the planet who can turn a Trumper’s vote. No matter who they choose, the Democrats won’t get anything done without a filibuster-proof majority in Congress. The Republicans, especially if Trump still has his hands on the party’s levers and Mitch McConnell is around, will simply block them. If the stories out of Georgia and New Mexico are any portent, the GOP may well litigate, or worse, to keep a Democratic winner from taking office in the first place. Over on the GOP side, the candidate is likely to be Trump or one of the at least 15 possible challengers, among them Ron DeSantis, Ted Cruz, Mike Pence, Tom Cotton, Greg Abbott, Josh Hawley, Rick Scott, Marco Rubio and Nikki Haley. They will probably have to out-Trump Trump to satisfy the base, which remains key to the nomination. In doing so, they will give their Democratic opponent plenty of ammunition while likely alienating crucial independents and moderates. A sane party in a sane country would choose someone like Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican who has remained popular enough in a blue state to serve two terms. Unfortunately, he is not seeking re-election and hasn’t expressed an interest in the presidency. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan comes close to Baker in willingness to focus on actually governing in a way that helps all people. But Hogan has spoken out against Trump and is therefore a RINO to the hard right, which seems to be mainly interested in revenge, continuing to fight over the 2020 election, and focusing on culture wars over things like LGBTQ+ rights and how racial issues are discussed in public schools. There’s also the ongoing threat to democracy itself. As I pointed out last week, if you believe that if Trump is returned to the White House in 2024 he will willingly leave in 2028 or 2032, I have a tower in Moscow I’d like to sell you. I sincerely hope I’m wrong, but I fear we are entering an era of perpetual groundless charges of voter fraud, constant litigation, and likely violence over the outcomes of significant elections. While I admire Joe Biden’s willingness to take this crazy country and world on his shoulders, given the fateful nature of the 2024 election and the monumental tasks that await the next president, I do think it is time for him to content himself with being a one-term caretaker who did the best he could under almost impossible circumstances. The Democrat who tries to succeed him will be in for hard, dark times. That race will surely be fateful for this country. John Rolfe is a former senior editor for Sports Illustrated for Kids, a longtime columnist for the Poughkeepsie Journal/USA Today Network, and author of The Goose in the Bathroom: Stirring Tales of Family Life. His school bus drivin’ blog “Hellions, Mayhem and Brake Failure” is parked on his website Celestialchuckle.com (https://celestialchuckle.com) with the meter running.

One film journalist’s stream-of-consciousness cinematic journey through the pandemic, Part 88 By Laurence Lerman / New York City The King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis Presley, returns to the big screen on Friday (June 24), with the wide theatrical release of filmmaker Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis. Luhrmann’s much-anticipated biopic takes an epic look the life and career of the musical icon (who died at age 42 in 1977) and his relationship with his controversial manager, Colonel Tom Parker, whose dodgy machinations reportedly ruled every aspect of Elvis’s professional and personal life. A prosthetics-covered, heavily accented Tom Hanks portrays the Colonel (a completely bogus title conferred on him by Louisiana Gov. Jimmie Davis in the early 1960s), while Elvis is brought to hip-swiveling, velvet-voiced life by Austin Butler (who is best remembered as young Ms. Bradshaw’s love interest in 2013’s The Carrie Diaries). Of course, there have been more than a handful of movies that chronicled the life and career of the megastar, beginning with a pair that are both named Elvis (from 1979 and 2005). Others highlight certain episodes and periods of his life (2016’s Elvis & Nixon is very interesting), while some feature fleeting appearances by the superstar (1993’s shoot ‘em up True Romance is a favorite of mine). And then there are a handful that offer wholly fictionalized portrayals of the man who would be King (2002’s wacky-as-all-get-out Bubba Ho-Tep). With Luhrmann’s film arriving this Friday, The Insider offers you an appetizing roundup of 10 worthwhile, streamable Elvis projects that feature the Man from Memphis himself. Included are a handful of movies in which he starred and acted (he appeared in 31 of them between 1956 and 1969), a few concert offerings, and a couple of other movies that offer a closer look at his private life. So has Elvis left the building? In one sense, yeah, of course…and the shocking circumstances of his death left us all shook up. But there’s so much material on him out there for us to watch, read, listen to and enjoy—his catalog of music has never gone out of circulation—one could almost say that in death, Elvis is even bigger than he was in life. Or as Time magazine put it in 1981, “The remark of the Hollywood cynic, upon hearing of Elvis’ death — “Good career move” — was prophecy after all.” Jailhouse Rock (1957) Directed by Richard Thorpe Elvis’ third big-screen effort finds him portraying a convict who learns guitar while in prison and becomes a star upon his release. A musical drama best remembered for the rollicking dance sequence set to the film’s title song, Jailhouse Rock was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in 2004. King Creole (1958) Directed by Michael Curtiz Loosely adapted from Harold Robbins’s 1952 bestseller A Stone for Danny Fisher and helmed by veteran Curtiz of Casablanca fame, King Creole follows a 19-year-old in New Orleans’ French Quarter who gets mixed up with crooks and a pair of local ladies (played by Carolyn Jones and Delores Hart) while taking advantage of multiple opportunities to sing at a local nightclub. This well-acted film holds the honor of having been banned in Mexico following its premiere at the Las Americas Cinema in Mexico City. Wild in the Country (1961) Directed by Philip Dunne Elvis gets a chance to show off his acting chops alongside Hope Lange, Tuesday Weld and Millie Perkins in this song-filled drama, penned by the estimable Clifford Odets. Set in the Shenandoah Valley, it concerns a confused young man marked as a troublemaker who discovers he has knack for writing and is encouraged by an attractive therapist to pursue a literary career. Viva Las Vegas (1964) Directed by George Sidney Generally regarded by fans and critics as one of Elvis’s most entertaining films, Viva Las Vegas is a glittery, lively concoction. Elvis is racecar driver Lucky Jackson, who arrives in Sin City to participate in Vegas’ first annual Grand Prix, but ends up working as a hotel waiter and getting involved with the joint’s swimming instructor (a slinky Ann-Margret). A solid set of song-and-dance sequences and some tingly onscreen chemistry between the sexy leading players helped make this one a smash. Elvis ’68 Comeback Special (1968) Directed by Steven Binder This televised concert, aired by NBC in December 1968, marked Elvis’ return to performing live after seven years of primarily focusing on making movies. Leathered up and ready to rock for a small studio audience, Elvis clearly had a grand old time with his band and the crowd. The hourlong show was an across-the-board critical and ratings hit, with its casual setting and sit-down section serving as a forerunner to MTV Unplugged. Elvis: That’s the Way It Is (1970) Directed by Denis Sanders Alternating between live concert material and rehearsal footage of Elvis’ Summer Festival in Las Vegas during the summer of 1970, this documentary was primarily filmed onstage and behind-the-scenes at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. The fest marked the beginning of Elvis’s regular biannual concert dates at the International, which became a Hilton property less than a year later. Elvis on Tour (1972) Directed by Robert Abel and Pierre Adidge Elvis’s 15-city U.S. tour in the spring of 1972 is the focus of this lively concert film. The production team filmed four Elvis shows that were later interspersed with interview segments. Young filmmaker Martin Scorsese received a credit as “montage supervisor” for his work on the split-screen segments of the concert sections. Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii via Satellite (1973) Directed by Marty Pasetta Nixon’s 1972 visit to China reportedly inspired Colonel Tom Parker to promote a worldwide concert that would include record label and TV network tie-ins. Broadcast live around the world on January 14, 1973, the show featured a stage runway to allow Elvis to get closer to the audience, a specially designed embroidered white jumpsuit and cape for Elvis and a strict pre-concert weight-loss regime for the then-portly superstar. The “live” concert was actually broadcast on NBC nearly two months later to avoid a programming conflict with Superbowl VII. This Is Elvis (1981) Directed by Andrew Solt and Malcolm Leo This curious documentary looks at the life of Elvis by combining archival footage with reenactments by four actors portraying Elvis at various ages, along with voiceover narration by Elvis sound-alike singer Ral Donner. A strange one, to be sure, but it’s glossy, fast-paced and filled with a solid selection of music. Elvis Presley: The Searcher (2018) Directed by Thom Zimmy An HBO Documentary Film production directed by noted Bruce Springsteen documentarian Zimmy and co-produced by Springsteen manager Jon Landau, this nearly four-hour production highlights the development and evolution of Elvis’ musical artistry. A well-researched and insightful project, The Searcher was initiated by an idea from Elvis’s ex-wife Priscilla Presley about the prospect of an honest telling of Elvis’s story primarily through his music. Laurence Lerman is a film journalist, former editor of Video Business--Variety's DVD trade publication--and husband to The Insider's own Gwen Cooper. Over the course of his career he has conducted one-on-one interviews with just about every major director working today, including Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Clint Eastwood, Kathryn Bigelow, Ridley Scott, Walter Hill, Spike Lee, and Werner Herzog, among numerous others. Once James Cameron specifically requested an interview with Laurence by name, which his wife still likes to brag about. Most recently, he is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of the online review site DiscDish.com.

By Bonnie Fishman / San Francisco Bay Area Geez. We’re having dog-day afternoons in June and it’s barely summer, with the summer solstice arriving on Tuesday (June 21). That is officially the first day of summer in the U.S. and the longest day and shortest night of the year. The Encyclopedia Britannica says that summer solstice marks “the two moments during the year when the path of the Sun in the sky is farthest north in the Northern Hemisphere (June 20 or 21) or farthest south in the Southern Hemisphere (December 21 or 22).” I’ve always been fascinated with astronomy and studying about our solar system in particular. I was fortunate to attend a high school where a brand-new planetarium was built while I was a student. That was my favorite class. I remember lying back in those big cushy chairs, lights out, as the whole ceiling was lit up with stars. It made learning easier having an experience like that instead of reading about it in books. I enjoyed it so much that I later took astronomy at the University of Michigan. Just a side note: getting to the fourth-floor planetarium was challenging because bats would hang upside down in the stairwell. If you covered your head with a hood, it was no problem. Because of my interest in experiential learning and my love for travel, my sister Marcia and I decided in 2015 to see the summer solstice up close and personal. We opened a map and selected the northernmost city in the world, Tromso, Norway, 200 miles inside the Arctic Circle. I highly recommend this trip because it was, well, “trippy.” The light at night was so eerie, unlike anything I have known. The sun NEVER set; it just sat on the horizon like a bouncing ball. We walked on the streets at 3:00 a.m. and it was daylight, not a soul around, like in the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. Even the birds were confused. As if this trip weren’t enough, I needed more summer solstice in the Arctic. In 2017, I took my daughter Hanna to Iceland during June. That country isn’t as far north as Norway, but the nights there were still plenty weird. There was no delineation between day and night. We visited a geyser at 10:00 p.m. and then went out for dinner at 11:30 p.m. It was still light out! People hiked, swam and biked during the night. We didn’t sleep for five days. On the eve of summer solstice 2022, we are witnessing epic high temperatures all over the world. There is no denying it, the climate has changed and not in a good way. We are seeing extreme heat, extreme rain with flooding, extreme drought, extreme wind and fire. One can’t avoid it anywhere. Don’t get me started on a tirade about this terrible situation. We are all at the mercy of altered climate, some suffering more than others. I am grateful that many of us have access to air-conditioning and clean water to drink. Despite the awful heat, we must press on living our lives, working, doing chores, and feeding ourselves and our families. Now is not the time to crank up the ovens and burners. In my house, the kitchen is an integral part of the dining and living space. When I even have one burner on, it ups the temperature inside. My advice: Let’s “cook” dishes that don’t require any heating. Today’s offering is a riff on gazpacho: mangospacho, made with, you guessed it, mangos and mango nectar. Gazpacho originated in Andalusia, Spain centuries ago. The word gazpacho had its origin in the Arabic word for soaked bread. Gazpacho in its truest form is made of tomatoes, peppers, olive oil, herbs and bread crumbs, which are used as a binder. I personally never use bread crumbs, but there are hundreds of variations with no one correct recipe. Have fun playing with the ingredients to create a concoction of your liking! Let us know here at The Insider what you do to cool off during this year’s summer solstice. And don’t forget to serve cold and refreshing mangospacho! Mangospacho Yield: 8-10 servings 2 large firm-ripe mangos, peeled and cut into 1/4” dice 1 English cucumbers, cut into 1/4“ dice 3 scallions, sliced very thin 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 jalapeño pepper, seeds discarded, minced Kernels from 1 ear of corn (should measure @ 1 cup) 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro 2 c. mango nectar 1 c. cold water 1/4 c. fresh orange juice 1/4 c. white wine vinegar 1/8 c. fresh lemon juice 1/8 c. fresh lime juice 2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. sugar Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Adjust the seasoning. Chill for at least 1 hour. Bonnie Fishman attended the Cordon Bleu Cookery School in London. Later, she owned and operated Bonnie’s Patisserie in Southfield, Mich. and Bonnie’s Kitchen and Catering in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. She has taught cooking for over 35 years and created hundreds of recipes. She is now living in Northern California.

By Emmy Serviss / Boston I’m conflicted. With the upcoming Supreme Court decision regarding Roe vs. Wade, there is some unexpected dissension regarding of all things, language. David Leonhardt from the New York Times recently wrote: “The politics of gender identity are dividing Democrats, which may make it harder for them to agree on a clear message. Historically, Democrats have described abortion access as a matter of women’s equality. But some progressives now oppose using the word “women” when talking about abortion, because a small percentage of pregnant people are transgender men.” Apparently, some experts are claiming that referring to “pregnant people” instead of “pregnant women” is alienating to many people. And to be perfectly frank I find this bewildering. As someone who teeters on the Gen-X / Millennial cusp, I sometimes struggle with the knee-jerk response of, “But this was okay when I was growing up!” But then I remind myself that just because something was considered acceptable 40 years ago, doesn’t mean it’s acceptable now. Times change, and society changes with it. With language, it can be frustrating to retrain our brains to update how we refer to things or remove words from our vocabulary. For example, when I was in kindergarten, we referred to sitting on the floor with our legs crossed as sitting “Indian style.” Eventually someone pointed out that, hey maybe this is an outdated and offensive term, and we should change it. And now, kids sit on the floor “Crisscross, applesauce.” It’s a small change, but it’s an important change. There’s a lot of good in identifying hurtful language, acknowledging it, and adapting. Which brings me back to the pregnant people vs. pregnant women issue. Some people feel that removing the word “woman” from the Roe vs. Wade and reproductive-rights debate diminishes the struggle for women’s rights, and instead turns the focus to the language. Organizations and publications are falling all over themselves to find more inclusive language, and then apologizing when they can’t please everyone. This is where my perplexity lies. Language around gender and identity has evolved a great deal in the last five years. Many people in older generations are confused and frustrated as to why things have suddenly changed so much, why we’ve stepped so far away from the binary male/female identities and where did all these other terms come from? I would argue that just because gender and identity language has changed and grown in recent years, that doesn’t mean these concepts are new. But the younger generations have explored language and finally put a name to the concepts and identities that were always there – they just weren’t named yet. Or they weren’t yet acceptable. I consider myself a straight cis-female. This means I identify with the gender I was born into, and I am only attracted to members of the opposite sex. In other words, I fit neatly into the binary identify that many people of older generations are comfortable with. Therefore, I don’t struggle to find language that connects to my identity, and to make others feel comfortable with my authentic self. I acknowledge this privilege. Having this privilege is why I advocate so hard for others to use language that best represents their true selves. And I’ll be honest, I still get confused sometimes. There’s a lot of terms being used that I’m still not sure of their meaning. For example, I still get mixed up on Ace and Aro. But a quick Google search helps to remind me that they refer to various types of romantic and sexual attraction, usually depending on the level of emotional connection. But my point is that I don’t get it right 100 percent of the time. And that’s okay. Because I’m trying. And so, I don’t see anything wrong with trying to be as inclusive in our language regarding reproductive rights, as we do regarding gender identity. Because yes, while most pregnant people are in fact women, there are pregnant people who identify as nonbinary or trans male. What do we gain by intentionally excluding them? Where is the hardship in trying to adapt? Aren’t we stronger together? I can understand the resistance. Change can be scary, and the familiar is comfortable. But growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone. Maya Angelou was quoted as saying: "Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better." Let’s do better, together. Emmy Serviss is a Boston-based writer, actor and video editor. Once it is safe to return to live theater, you can find her performing with ComedySportz Boston and the sketch group SUZZY. When not on the stage, Emmy enjoys indulging in her new pandemic hobbies, laughing way too loudly and counting the days until Halloween.

Fred Plotkin, a pleasure activist and passionate Italy and culinary expert, speaks each Friday with leading people in the arts FRED PLOTKIN is one of America’s foremost experts on opera and has distinguished himself in many fields as a writer, speaker, consultant and as a compelling teacher. He is an expert on everything Italian, the person other so-called Italy experts turn to for definitive information.  Fred discovered the concept of "The Renaissance Man" as a small child and has devoted himself to pursuing that ideal as the central role of his life. In a “Public Lives” profile in The New York Times on August 30, 2002, Plotkin was described as "one of those New York word-of-mouth legends, known by the cognoscenti for his renaissance mastery of two seemingly separate disciplines: music and the food of Italy." In the same publication, on May 11, 2006, it was written that "Fred is a New Yorker, but has the soul of an Italian."

By Andy Borowitz June 10, 2022 PALM BEACH (The Borowitz Report)—Hoping to capitalize on Donald J. Trump’s annoyance at his daughter for her testimony before the January 6th committee, Eric Trump requested that he be given Ivanka Trump’s room at Mar-a-Lago. According to those familiar with the exchange, Eric Trump’s campaign for his sister’s room began just moments after her testimony aired on Thursday night. “Dad, it really sucks, that stuff Ivanka just said,” Eric Trump began. “I would never, ever say stuff like that about you.” Sensing an opening, he continued, “She doesn’t deserve that big room she has. She’s never even here. She’s in Washington, saying stuff about you that totally sucks and that I would never say. Can I please, please have her room?” “Shut up, you loser,” his father reportedly responded.

By Naomi Serviss / New York City An informal girlfriend poll about forgetting stuff was both comforting and alarming. Comforting because I realized it wasn’t just me. Wasn’t the only one vexed by memory issues. Alarming because it hit me that our collective brain cells have been shedding like Goodwill fur coats. Retention skills are deteriorating. We’re blanking on favorite unsung actors (Bruno Kirby? Oh, THAT guy!) and we didn’t recognize a primary care physician on the subway. (Who I’d been going to for years!) What’s that about? Friends report frequent discombobulation over misplaced phones keys glasses, which produces mini-panic attacks. multiple times daily. All of which leads me to the (two-part) universal question: Are we seasoned sage oldsters merely exhibiting gray matter wear and tear? Or (more sinisterly) are we exhibiting telltale signs of memory loss? Like it matters. My husband has not been spared, either, contrary to his denial. Eagle Scout, (age 15!) Lew’s been a prepared kinda of guy since kidhood, family lore reports. Lately, he’s been “misplacing” his stuff, too. His reading glasses. Cellphone. Misremembering the theme song from F Troop. Inability to identify a familiar-looking character actor Bruno Kirby! That guy! Not to be confused with Richard Kind, an Upper West Side neighbor and actor in a million movies. Lew’s theory about the poll participants (including ourselves): We’ve all come down with Bruce Willis Disease. Not to make light of Willis’s recent aphasia disclosure and retirement from acting. But it does have a nice ring to it. So we shoulder shrug and call each other’s cell phones as well. And laugh, because what’s the alternative? Plus, it’s kind of funny in a I-can’t-believe-we’re-so-damn-old-when-I-still- feel-like-that-college-girl way. Except when I rise from a seated position. Three laminectomies, one hip replacement and two surgeries on my feet later, I’m a mindful standee. I’ll never again feel compelled To wear my glasses hanging on a sad, beaded necklace. Another facet of my diminishing (gray-matter) returns is lack of focus. Deadlines loom but, oh look! Cows! Being virtually trapped in our one-bedroom nest for nearly two years hasn’t helped my attention span. So while trying to focus on a current deadline, I may have to check tracking for that birthday gift sent to my daughter-in-law. Expensive distraction is a screen away. There’s always the online shopping or “monitor shopping” as in “window shopping.” I power-browse, scrolling pell-mell through categories like I’m working the five-cent slots in Atlantic City. Black tank top tempts for five bucks. Added to cart. Then the same in fuchsia, white, tan and seafoam also carted. Spent enough for Free Shipping! Then I almost almost almost place the order. I silently ask Do I really need four more tank tops? NAH! Who needs more stuff? Recalling George Carlin’s classic bit on “Stuff” reminds me how unnecessary more clutter would be. Rarely do I place an order. Instead, time for a visit to my Buy Nothing Facebook group. Neighbors give away unwanted merchandise to eager members. During my ongoing clothing purge season, I’ve unloaded some fancy frocks and plenty of schmattas. Problem is I’ve accumulated more… this, that and whatnot to boot. As I creep towards my seventh decade an upcoming 50th high school reunion has been on my mind. Schmoozing with all those 68-year-olds! How do you make small talk with someone you crushed on in 10th grade? What do I have in common with those old geezers? They better have name tags. Naomi Serviss is a New York-based award-winning journalist whose work has been published in The New York Times, Newsday, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Highroads (AAA magazine), in-flight publications, spa and travel magazines and websites, including BroadwayWorld.com