The mask of Social Media: TAKE IT OFF

This is going to be REAL short

Folks, stop hiding behind social media via twitter, fb, etc.

If you love someone, CALL them up and tell them on the phone.
If you hate someone's guts or involved in a he said/she said situation or problem, CALL the individual to squash it and clear the air.

DO NOT BE A COWARD and post your feelings or situation online to gain numerous soul claps from so called "friends" which is imprinted forever. You think you're being victorious when its actually making you look vanglorious, narcissist, stupid and most of all...MORE STUPID. I know, I used to be one until I wised up and realized in this so called world of Social Media that no one really gives a shit. Its the main reason why I shut everything down on my social media.

Why should I care if you're man cheated?
Why should I care if you can't find a good job or a good man?
Why should I care if you someone didn't pay you the exact dollar for your services?

WHO CARES.

Handle it like a real man or woman and deal with it privately. Always remember that your true friends will call you up and put you in check saying "remove that last status NOW. No one needs to know all your business". I'd rather have THAT friend than the fake "LIKE/ RE-TWEET" whores of Social Media.

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told you it was short

3RD FAVORITE FILM OF ALL TIME-DONT GET OFF THE BOAT

"APOCALYPSE NOW" 1979
Written and Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
Based on the book "Heart of Darkness" by Joeseph Conrad
Winner of 2 Academy Awards (Sound and Cinematography), Nominated for Best Picture
Starring Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Dennis Hopper, Laurence Fishburne, Robert Duvall and Harrison Ford.


THIS ALMOST MADE NUMBER ONE ON MY LIST. ALMOST, but my main number one was just too damn perfect. Not that THIS movie isn't perfect, there's some flaws but its damn near close.

Apocalypse Now tells the story of a damaged yet skillful solider Captain Willard (Martin Sheen's greatest performance besides THE WEST WING) is sent on a dangerous mission to assassinate a Former Green Beret who went ape crazy and claimed he was a GOD within a hidden tribe in the jungle  of cambodia. Simple mission right? wrong. Paired up with a crew of crazed soldiers, they head up to seek this "classified" mission during the hell of vietnam. The film is never clear as to what year it takes place but it doesn't matter; the movie clearly shows that Vietnam was a death zone mentally and physically to our young men in the 60's.

From the very first shot of the film, Francis shows the heart of man as the beautiful, peaceful trees of the jungle blowing in the wind EXPLODES in flames after a chopper passes through frame-EVIL. Jim Morrison's voice from the song "THE END" hums like a ghost letting the audience know you are in for some deep, tramatic shit. What follows is a super-imposition shot (and there's ton of these in this film) of Sheen staring at us with a spinning ceiling fan letting us know we're just as crazy or heading to BECOME crazy during this journey. This film is dark from the beginning to the end. It holds so much power to make you feel exactly what these soldiers, or at least the characters in the film, felt as they head for a world of chaos: dirty, deranged, depressed and most of all AFRAID. By the end of the movie where Jim Morrison's voice is heard through a whisper again, you want Williard to end ALL OF THIS and it all comes through the wonderful, well deserved Oscar win for Cinematography. I have to say in my opinion, every shot in the film looks like a painting.

The making of the film alone is one of the reasons why I truly love this film, Francis and everyone involved. A film that was suppose to take at least 6 weeks to shoot took a total of 16 months in pre-production, 2 years in post (OMG) due to the destructive monsoon weather in the philippines, over budget and actors basically "losing it".

Here are the FACTS in case you don't know:
1. George Lucas was set to direct this film  but was too occupied with Star Wars (THANK GOD)

2. Steve McQueen, Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson were up to play Williard but declined. Harvey Keitel was hired and fired after 2 weeks replacing him with Sheen. There's footage of Keitel's scenes on the documentary "HEART OF DARKNESS"

3. Brando's character "Kurtz" based on the book, was suppose to be real skinny and frail due to malnutrition but Brando being BRANDO at the time, went the opposite, gained tremendous weight not out of method acting but out of I DONT GIVE A FUCK, PAY ME MORE method,  along other problems he gave Francis.

4. Martin Sheen was a severe alcoholic at the time  and appears drunk in the opening scene; within production he would suffer a heart attack.

5. Laurence Fishburne (aka Larry Fishburne) lied about his age saying he was 16 when he was actually 14. When the film was completed he was 17.

There are so many facts on this film that it would be way too long to discuss; however the testament this crew and Francis went through inspires me as a filmmaker and actor that the SHOW MUST GO ON and go on RIGHT during the storms. It almost reminds me of what Sir David Lean wen't through with LAWRENCE OF ARABIA; both men made masterpieces when their backs were against the wall, facing termination from the studios.

I don't consider Apocalypse Now a WAR film. I view it as a war within mankind-the evil that man performs on a daily basis just to get what they want and need and sometimes dying for. The soldiers in the film fought all their battles from machines to spears and knifes-they were heading up to the river when in reality and mentally they were going backwards. Its truly a heart of darkness when you have the hunger to kill, especially killing when your forced by the government to do so (another topic, another time).

No matter how you look at it, WAR IS EVIL and no good comes out of it. I always think what would Willard's life become after the mission? In my opinion, worst than the beginning. He would stay in the military until it killed him. I don't think he would survive the world outside the jungle-I could see him being so traumatized and mentally damaged that he probably would've committed suicide. Truly a heart of darkness.

I'm a dork like that. I think beyond.

Hey, don't blame me. Francis developed a great character I care about.

Such a great film.

BIG FACT:
There's no opening credits nor is there an ending to this film. When it was premiered in 1979, audience received a program with credits. After the great super-impostition of Brando saying "the horror" with an ancient stone in the background, the film went to black at that was the end. Two versions of the ending were shown years later: 1. Willard leaves on the boat and the military air strike team blows up the villiage, killing everyone in it. The Redux version shows ending credits.

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NEXT: FILM #2
"You were too old to be called anything else. You were always too old"

HOW TO GET CLIENTS AS A PERSONAL TRAINER IN THE GYM

TIPS ON GETTING CLIENTS IN A GYM AS A PERSONAL TRAINER

Im no EXPERT, let's get that out the way; but I KNOW some stuff. I was hired as a personal trainer for Equinox Fitness 8 years ago and was told it would take me 3 months to get off the floor. The floor meaning "FLOOR SHIFTS", a humiliating yet rewarding experience as a new trainer to tell the gym "HEY IM NEW AND I NEED CLIENTS FAST SO I WONT WEAR THESE STUPID ASS ROOKIE UNIFORMS". The norm was "within 3 months you're not gonna make any money. You gotta work the floor, picking up weights, engaging clients because THIS IS your business"-more on that nonsense talk later.

But I said SCREW THAT and using the methods I'm about to share, I set a record in that gym in TriBeCa that to this day, far as I know or care of, was on the floor for only 4 weeks.

1. PROFESSIONALISM no matter what. Look like you give a damn when doing floor shifts. Avoid chatting with other new and old trainers on the floor during busy hours and keep moving-smile, clean machines a bit, rack and re-rack to rack weights, be there on hours/days you're not on shift. The key is to BE SEEN. Look neat, smell neat, be neat and ALWAYS  BE ON TIME.

2. EXPOSURE. Don't just train or do a floor shift, then go home-WORKOUT. You are now a walking billboard of fitness, like it or not; therefore showcase your best moves, best workouts etc ALONE. Are you showing off? YES. WHY? Because someone is ALWAYS watching you and if you're serious about fitness then they want the same passion and drive you have. And when I say workout, WORKOUT to the tee-wear your best clothing that reveals your body. Don't be a dork working out fully covered like you have something to hide. The fitness industry is VISUAL.

2. Make a weekly goal program. "this week I will talk to 2 people and sign up 1 for a free session" seems small right? Wrong. 2 people will turn into 4 people, then the next week will be "I'll talk to 4 people and sign up 2" next thing you know you have clients. It's no different than a fitness program.

3. Gyms will get mad at me for this but stay away from doing FLOOR DEMONSTRATIONS. It's just desperate and forced advertising from managers and it screams "THIS trainer is not pulling enough sessions, sign up with him so I, the manager alone, can hit bonus". If the managers would give them my tools of getting clients, they wouldn't need it; however managers are pressured by the "big dogs" who just want their pockets full so you might have to do this. If you are assigned, give it your best BUT if you use these tools they wouldn't ask you to do this unless you have a shitty manager.

4. Study body language. Not everyone is approachable. Study and watch who and how they're working out. I don't  like to be bothered when I workout but it all depends on the mood I'm in. I may look pissed off, but if you approach me with a nice smile and something I will add to my next exercise, then I'm all ears. Never and I mean NEVER assume a fit client doesn't need you.

5. CONFIDENCE. You may be new and not know a lot of things. The client doesn't know that but you damn well better sell it like you know your stuff. Lack of confidence in any industry is a complete turn off. I'm not saying you have to lie, if there's a question you don't know the answer to, just say "I honestly don't know but I will research it and have the answer for you the next time we meet", that's better than "well this movement works your bicaleipious.." making up some word. BELIEVE your the best trainer for them; they need you just like you need them-no one wants a trainer who doesn't know what he/she is doing yet alone doesn't know who they are. Certifications is just a piece of paper without personality and confidence.

6. My last one and this is gonna piss some of you trainers: DON'T DEPEND ON MANAGERS GIVING YOU PROFILES. You are off the floor for a reason and they constantly say "THIS is your business" which we all know is complete bullshit cause if that's the case, give trainers the amount of money they deserve; however it's true in a sense-operate like you are your own INC. Get your clients with these methods or your own style and method. When you depend on them too much, they got you by the balls then you'll complain that you're not getting enough cause the new trainers are getting it all which leads to frustration which leads to your sessions faultering. I say this cause once you go PRIVATE, no one is gonna give you jack squat. You have to fish for it and private is 10 times harder. 

Speaking of private, I will also blog on how to become and remain successful as a private trainer.

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4th ALL TIME FAVORITE FILM- Sir Lawrence

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

Winner of 7 Academy Awards including Best Picture 1962

Starring Peter O'Toole, Alec Gunniness, Anthony Quinn 

Directed by Sir Davis Lean

MASTERPIECE

That's the word that plays in my head over and over when I watch this film, all 227 minutes of it. 

Beautifully crafted, sharp direction and brilliant performances from the leads, Sir David Lean spent almost a year in the hot desert creating the story of T.E. Lawrence. Yeah yeah yeah we can complain about the history of it being white washed-another film where the white man saves the day in a land not his own.

Ok

The film tells the story of the  real T.E. Lawrence to go from lieutenant to colonel, sets on a mission, a BALL-sey mission at that, in the desert tribes tries to unite and tip the balance in the Allies' favor against the Turks in World War I.

Yeah...one man dressed in all white tries to make peace...for 3 long hours and my God is it long but it's equivalent to staring at the best painting in the world for 3 hours.

It was so long that there was an intermission in its theatrical release-wished they had that for LORD OF THE RINGS.

So why do I like this and use it as a tablet of inspiration when I prepare to film my projects? No matter environment, actors used, you MUST create or at least try to create a masterpiece. Try filming a  violent feature length film with brand new state of the art equipment at the time with wide lens, in 115 degree heat for almost a year-and not only make a masterpiece but it became a box office hit and snagged some oscars.

We can debate all day how Marlon Brando, Lawrence Oliver and DeNiro are the greatest actors of our time and of course I agree; however Peter O'Toole is the best underrated actor who gave in my opinion and according to PREMIERE magazine, the best performance in cinema history.

Sadly to this day, he has never won an Oscar. 

The rape scene alone, the pain he endures through betrayal and mission at hand, priceless. He was also, this debatable, the first to shoot someone in the head at close range onscreen. Numerous versions of the film have cut the scene but if you look at the brand new editions, it's there.

There would be no STAR WARS and INDIANA JONES if it wasn't for this film. It's so hot it makes you feel hot watching it.

Highly recommended.

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Next

"never get out of the boat"

The GREATEST ENTERTAINER ALIVE is BAD 25 years today

"Michael Jackson is in cardiac arrest. pray"
A Text from a dear friend of mine who knows that I am a devoted Michael Jackson fan for years. I brushed it off thinking it's a rumor or he'll make it though. He injured his back years before, suffered burns on his scalp before that, he can make this. I continued to eat my burger with my son at the now defunct ESPN ZONE restaurant.

Paid for my bill. Stepped outside with son in hand.
"he's dead, Damian"

I think that text will haunt me forever. No way. No way did MJ die. Not now? I thought he would go out like Sammy Davis Jr. or his hero Gene Kelly-old but still dancing. I called my friend to confirm and I could hear the sobbing from her voice. I was speechless, shocked, in pain as if I lost my own brother. My son looked up at me and said, "don't cry. He's in a better place".

Ok that even screwed me up.

Tomorrow, August 29, two things: MJ BIRTHDAY and the 25th Anniversary of BAD album. My first intro to the greatest entertainer alive was 1979. My older sister bought the new release album of OFF THE WALL and she blasted the tunes and sounds of his wonderful voice through out the house, of course Mom and Dad were at work. We didn't have music video or cable TV back then but I loved the man's voice wooing during the song of "Don't stop till you get enough". My favorite was "TURN THIS DISCO OUT" at the time. Along comes the album TRIUMPH, The Jackson's best album besides DESTINY, with the thunderous song "CAN YOU FEEL IT" attached with a wicked short film that almost looks 3D (hint hint this needs to be on blu ray), with the marvelous performance on MOTOWN 25, you had to be a fool NOT to like him.

He was talented
Smart
Very good looking
Rich
Trend setter
And best of all
BLACK.
A brother that everyone, the whole world, loved.
Not even ELVIS had dealers from the hood listening to him, more less prisoners in jail.

Then he vanished after 1984. Where the hell was he, I thought. Where's the moonwalk? The glove???
Arrives another Jackson, JANET who came out with "CONTROL" and ruled the mid 80s.

Fine. But as years went by and I became older, I couldn't be any happier when the announcement came that MJ was back with his THRILLER follow up on August 29, 1988. A video was to be released publicly on national TV along with the album. I remember that summer day play the game of "TAPS" with my friends until it was 7:30pm, time to go upstairs. The video would air at 8pm.

Its on. The first shot is a tight close up on MJ. It's in black and white. And we all said in my house...

WHAT THE HELL DID HE DO TO HIS FACE? Why does he look lighter? Almost like Diana Ross. His Hair is THAT long? What's with the belt buckle thing? Wait, MJ is HARD core? He's a thug? A former thug?

.........BWWAHHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

What the hell
The world thought

BAD was bashed. It wasn't a critical success. People wanted another THRILLER where every song was a hit and it wasn't.

That didn't stop people from making it NUMBER ONE. It didn't stop him from making one of the best videos from the album SMOOTH CRIMINAL more less make that film MOONWALKER, a film that makes no sense but who cares, it's still a hit. It damn sure didn't stop him for doing his first world tour smashing records (remember he never had a tour for THRILLER). Yes MJ changed. A first that would be a line of changes to come sadly. MJ was gone to reinvent and to master his craft. He would create new dances, new routines, each video had to be bigger and better than the last. THIS WAS THE DEFINITION OF A GENIUS.

And the beginning of cruel ridicule till the day of his death. No one left him alone. It was so bad that the man has to make a song out of it called LEAVE ME ALONE.

WE could sit around and joke till the cows come home about how "white" this man was and how weird he acted only because he didn't follow the norm. He was viewed crazy because he had his own fashion style. We could ying yang all day and night but imagine walking in his shoes. Just think about that.

MJ WAS BAD. A BAD MUTHA%#>^*

Though I freaked out when I saw the BAD video, I still had love for him. I loved him through the DANGEROUS period where he was accused the first time causing his sales to drop. I loved him when he went through that vendetta that eventually killed him (another blog for another time).

The day of June 25, the music died but his anointing through music lives on.

Happy Birthday Michael Joe Jackson
You are BAD

MY REVIEW of RED HOOK SUMMER

I'll come out right away to say this.

I LOVE SPIKE LEE.

LOVE YOU SPIKE. Not like THAT but you know what I mean.

Loved and supported you since SHE'S GOTTA HAVE IT till RED HOOK SUMMER. I even paid for SHE HATE ME (...)

You are a pioneer and the only filmmaker I will pay to see.

Now that we got all that out the way.

I saw RED HOOK SUMMER

JUST WTH???

This is two in a row now of WTH. The first was MIRACLE OF ST. ANNA where I first said WTH. I had hopes for this, especially when word got out you reprised your role as "Mookie" from your classic, your "Citizen Kane" film "DO THE RIGHT THING" but I was let down. badly.

RED HOOK SUMMER tells the story of a boy taking a trip to Atlanta with his FINE mother (I so wanted to know and SEE more of her) to spend time with his Overbearing preacher grandfather (a great GREAT Clarke Peters) in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn, NY. We don't know why the mother has an attitude when she drops her only son off then vanishes. The boy doesn't want to be in the hood nor wants to attend church, singing praises and hearing sermons all day. On non church days, he cant watch TV, play video games, eat healthy food, instead he's forced to work for the church with this "crazy" deacon (Thomas Byrd who looked like his character "Eroll Barnes" from CLOCKERS got saved and more screwed up in the head), befriends another girl from the church who is LOUD and carries her asthma inhaler like an ipod, and passes out tracks to people out in the street.

Yeah

I would be pissed at my moms for sending me some where so boring. And I'm a Born Again Christian too.

Now I was fully prepared that Christianity was going to get a bad rep, like it always does in the media: Money hungry preachers taking from vulnerable black folks praying to a white God-FAR FROM THE TRUTH but with every film I try to keep an open mind to see Spike and writer James McBride point of view. Though false prophets exist, there are Pastors who care for the community and their congregation so I was waiting to see if there was a hint of any characteristics in the film. There was none. What I saw was an angry, personal attack on the church. It was very one sided instead of having a balance on the issue, especially with the climatic unpredictable last half hour. 

This film, like most Spike Lee films, have a plot but something else always goes on left field making it a distraction such as a Blood gang member (Excellent NATE PARKER) who wants to be a rapper, steals the boy's ipad and the preacher's money. OK....AND????

Without giving the climax away, I still didn't understand why the mother did what she did (again you have to see it). There was no solution, no ending, and nothing special about Red Hook. I'll enjoy Country Club section of the Bronx, thank you.

Spike is known for having the best actors in his films, shine. SPIKE please next time, hire ACTORS, child actors particularly. Deal with the stage moms, its a headache but at the end of the day, you'll have a great performance from them like the kids from CROOKLYN. The kid characters dialogue seemed as though the kids wrote it themselves on the spot. 

THE MUSIC. sometimes less is best or NONE AT ALL and this is a common trend with Spike Lee films-loud volume music over gripping scenes. The opening scene alone I actually said aloud "CUT THE MUSIC OFF". Not saying the soundtrack is bad because its not, its just used wrong. I loved the church songs. A lot. Especially towards the end at "that scene" I cant say.

I was disappointed seeing MOOKIE who...looked like Spike walking onset. I find it hard to believe that he would still be an old man delivering PIZZA wearing expensive jordans. Instead of Mookie he should have bought back MARS BLACKMAN who wasn't about nothing anyway so I would like to see what he would've evolved into. I DID however love the fact that NOLA DARLING (Tracey Johns) from SHES GOTTA HAVE IT appeared as a Jehovah's Witness. I thought that was a breath of fresh air. 

This film in my opinion felt personal from the writer and I hope and pray that his eyes of understanding will be enlighten on the issue of Christianity. We are all not like what you appeared or showcased in your film. 

I still love you Spike. Why? because you got this film made on your own. I may not have liked it but who cares. You got my $14 and this is the reason why we make films: to tell the story YOU want to tell, despite if I like it or not, and like Mookie says "I GOTS TO GET PAID". 

I didn't like it. Not at all. But I will continue to support you when OLDBOY is released. Your last good film to me was INSIDE MAN. Your last EXCELLENT flawless film was MALCOLM X. I'm waiting for the next masterpiece from you brother. This wasn't it.

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MY TOP FIVE FAVORITE FILMS OF ALL TIME

Each thursday I will blog on the films that have inspired me in my life staring from five to the big número UNO. 

FAV FILM NUMBER 5

WEST SIDE STORY (1961)

Directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins

Winner of 10 Academy Awards

Ingenious. Raw. authentic. Riveting...and it's a musical?

Winner of 10 Academy Awards, including a well deserved Best Picture (1961), this simple modernized Romeo and Juliet touched hearts in its debut on broadway and continued to do so with the film version. Here it is in the year 2012 and this timeless classic continues to touch hearts, make you smile and cry all at the same time. YES I cry watching this film.

The original concept was a Jewish boy and an Irish Catholic girl-BORING.  The theme was changed due to the sudden landing of Puerto Ricans moving to NYC from their homeland Puerto Rico.  NYC began its melting pot with the rise of Irish immigrants and Italians fighting each other in the area which would be considered hells kitchen but another theme was on the rise in NYC-Gang warfare. There were many gangs all throughout the five boroughs protecting and fighting for turf from careless teens; teenagers such as Salvador Agron aka The CAPEMAN, a puerto rican thug, sporting a cape, fedora and a knife, would be infamous for stabbing someone and laughing about it.  The famous words "I dont care if I burn" from the CAPEMAN made NY'ers aware that this teenage epidemic was serious and a huge problem.

This era was the same time another gang leader by the name of Nicky Cruz  from the bronx would lead the T-Birds in a reign of terror throughout NYC.

This was the late 50's. The best time to make this film.

Of course we all know the plot. Beautiful MARIA played by Natalie "BEDROOM EYES" Wood, a puerto rican teen finds love with a gang member named TONY played by Richard Beymer, looking for hope in his life. Both find true love through the midst of NYC gang and racial tension between the Irish or Caucasians per se, versus the Ricans. The film is mostly told through fabulous musical numbers such as "LIVE IN AMERICA", "BE COOL" and "MARIA".

Why the hell do I like this film? Well...Where do I begin.

The great authenticity of NYC. I am a sucker for vintage things, especially NYC. I truly love the fact that this NYC based film was NOT shot on a stupid studio lot in LA but filmed in the hot, and I mean HOT summer of 1960 on the real mean streets of NYC. If you look closely, and if you're a native NYer like myself, you can recognize a few locations like the park on 110st and Amsterdam and the open street in the beginning of what would be LINCOLN CENTER years later. The only scenes shot on a lot/studio was the interior scenes. On the DVD SPECIAL FEATURES "making of.." they show the filmmaker Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins (who was fired cause of being way too anal causing the film to be over budget) directing the actors with their dance, and you see the real NYC bystanders, some of them real gang members, watching, some snickering I guess thinking the actors looked feminine but THEY DIDN'T. 

The dance numbers were so strict and poised that it didn't look like typical dance numbers but a reflection or body language of their characters, it wasn't a  distraction. Of course George Chakiris wasn't a Puerto Rican, nor was Miss Wood but their performances were so dead on and characters well written that you believed they were from the native land. You even bought the fact that Miss Wood actually sang those songs sounding nothing like a rican but some white old lady. Who cares, it's good. 

I have tons of favorite scenes in this film but the one that stands out for me to the point of tears (I swear I'm gomma mimic this with one of my own films to pay homage), the party dance off between the gangs, it separates and suddenly Tony and Maria spots each other across the room. Both of their worlds behind them becomes blurry and  IT'S THE MOST BEAUTIFUL FREAKING SCENE AND SET UP IN FILM HISTORY. 

That's real. When you find your true love the first time, nothing else matters. It's a shame that Miss Wood and Tony hated each other during filming.

This film is a testament that no matter what goes on around you, as long as you're happy, whether it's with a mate or yourself, nothing else matters. True love is true love, even in the gang tormented NYC. Things would eventually change for NYC for the better...at least in Manhattan. CAPEMAN Algron would do time in prison, reformed himself as a anti-gang counselor who would pass away in the late 80s. Nicky Cruz would also reform to christianity and was the subject of the Best Christian film entitled THE CROSS AND THE SWITCHBLADE (future blog).

As for WEST SIDE STORY, the film still ranks as one of the best in film history. Many revivals of the broadway version has come and go and  It's one of the top five films I watch the day before I film one of my creative contents. 

It's truly a timeless classic. Love conquers all.

HIDDEN FACT: Elvis Presley was approached to play TONY

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Next thursday FILM FAV NUMBER 4

"my name is for my friends. None of my friends are a murderer"