Movie of the Year: 1973
Westworld
This week we discuss Westworld! Does this sci-fi/western have enough firepower to become our Movie of the Year?
Westworld is a lot of things: cool, well-known, probably about 45 minutes too long. It tells the story of the eponymous Westworld (go to heck Romanworld and Medievalworld) a place for adults to put on costumes and play cowboy with their friends. Maybe intercourse a few robo-ladies together like pals.
As the Go-Go’s tell us: Vacation, all I ever wanted; vacation, had to get away. But did they also not teach us: Vacation, meant to be spent all alone. Ominous.
Conceived of after writer-director Michael Crichton looked at a Pirates of the Caribbean automaton that could raise and lower its hand and say “shiver me timbers,” and got all spooked, thinking, “my god what is stopping this perfect machine from killing me, writer-director Michael Crichton,” Westworld is about an amusement park gone bonkers.
The robots, whose job it is to get banged and murdered, freak out for some unexplained reason and start killing guests. One of these robots, played by Yul Brynner, kills Christian Bale, played by James Brolin, and then stalks 1973 superstar Richard Benjamin through the entire park. And if that sounds interesting, you’re right, it sounds super interesting. Even now, I’m like, this movie must be interesting, right?
Many are surprised to hear that Michael Crichton not only wrote this movie but directed it as well. Was having such an inexperienced director the greatest idea? Does it show at all in the movie? We also explore Westerns and their influence on/by masculinity. And, of course, we cover Yul "Be Sorry" Brynner.
All this AND the stuff that I forgot because I need to go get in a line to fill my car up with gas! Thanks a lot, current president, Richard Nixon!
Abortion is healthcare
While Americans overwhelmingly support the right of an individual to make their own decisions about abortion, unfortunately, that right is no longer protected everywhere in the U.S.
The Supreme Court overturned Roe versus Wade on June 24th.
Abortion is a basic healthcare need for the millions of people who can become pregnant. Everyone should have the freedom to decide what’s best for themselves and their families, including when it comes to ending a pregnancy. This decision has dire consequences for individual health and safety, and could have harsh repercussions for other landmark decisions.
Restricting access to comprehensive reproductive care, including abortion, threatens the health and independence of all Americans. Even if you live in a state where abortion rights are upheld, access to safe medical procedures shouldn’t be determined by location, and it shouldn’t be the privilege of a small few.
You can help by donating to local abortion funds. To find out where to donate for each state, visit donations4abortion.com.
If you or someone you know needs help, or if you want to get more involved, here are 5 resources:
1. Shout Your Abortion is a campaign to normalize abortion.
2. Don’t Ban Equality is a campaign for companies to take a stand against abortion restrictions.
3. Abortion.cafe has information about where to find clinics.
4. PlanCPills.org provides early at-home abortion pills that you can keep in your medicine cabinet. And five.
5. Choice.crd.co has a collection of these resources and more.
You can also find links to all of these resources and more info at podvoices.help
