behind schedule

Over the past week or two, I've seen several movies that I'd like to review, so I might be spending a chunk of my upcoming three-day weekend (Monday, August 15, is Liberation Day in South Korea, which is a national holiday*) churning out the reviews I've been meaning to write. I've also got to write my three-fer review of the two Machete films plus "The Expendables III." So expect the following reviews:

1. "Last Days in the Desert" (Ewan McGregor as both Jesus and Satan)
2. "Can We Take a Joke?" (documentary about outrage culture, sponsored by FIRE)
3. "Sherlock Holmes" (2009, starring Robert Downey, Jr., and directed by Guy Ritchie)
4. "Hardcore Henry" (Sharlto Copley)
5. "Expendables III," "Machete," "Machete Kills" (three-fer)

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*August 15 marks Korea's emergence from under the thumb of the Japanese (the occupation ran from 1910 to 1945, i.e., 36 years). On this day, Korean luminaries give big speeches, none of which thank America for its role in liberating Korea. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that young Koreans somehow think Korea liberated itself. The lack of gratitude dovetails with ongoing resentment about US troop presence here, and I've long advocated pulling our troops out. Why stay where we're not appreciated? Besides, I actually sympathize with Korean resentment at the presence of US troops: how would I feel about, say, French soldiers patrolling the sidewalks of Washington, DC? Thanks to technology that allows for rapid force projection, we can still keep our promises of military aid without having to maintain bases on the peninsula. I want us out. I want South Korea at least 95% responsible for its own self-defense. A "tripwire" force composed of American sacrificial lambs is ludicrous.