Corey Johnson
MOVIES, JAN. 8:
"BREAK OUT THE BARF"
GOOD AT BEING BAD
This review is spot on. I have read Luttrell's heart-wrenching book of the same title [Lone Survivor] and had the privilege of seeing him speak while at school, and he and his teammates deserved better than this film. [Mark] Wahlberg, as usual, is distractingly bad. Wahlberg makes bad action movies, and he's good at that. [Director] Peter Berg also makes bad action movies. This mix is not what this true story deserved.
The film never really reels you in, provides no character or plot buildup or even makes it really believable.
The actual events were overly dramatized (think all four SEALs jumping off a cliff in slow motion with an explosion behind them). If anyone has read Luttrell's book or even watched an interview where he recounts what happened, one will immediately see the movie did an embarrassing job of staying true to his story, though Berg claimed throughout production this was their priority.
Leave it to Berg and Wahlberg to make this horrifying and courageous last resort appear as an absolute joke.
This true story of sacrifice and amazing bravery deserved more than being another forgettable Wahlberg action movie.
STM
SFREPORTER.COM
7 DAYS, DEC. 18: "DILAPIDATED BRIDGE HOLDS SIGNIFICANCE"
DEFOURI NIMBY
With all due respect, the "What's Important" letter about the Defouri bridge exhibits the worst of selfish nimbyism. The purpose of a traffic bridge is to safely move traffic and ensure the safety of pedestrians, runners, bikers, strollers, etc. I drive by that bridge every day, cross it several times a month, and run across the sidewalk there 12-15 times a month.
Apparently it is now in unsafe condition. Are the residents of the "old neighborhood" saying that it should just collapse one day, injuring people rather than replace it?
If it needs to be replaced, then traffic safety is the only proper concern of the designers. The bridge is far too narrow, both corner radii are too sharp, and traffic visibility is blocked by a huge cottonwood. I've witnessed many near misses because of the flaws as well as traffic being impeded.
Since the tree is blocking visibility of the sidewalk too, many times I've seen pedestrians almost hit as the vehicle moves forward trying to see around the tree.
Are these residents saying their quaint perception of their neighborhood is more important than the lives and health of those simply trying to go about their day? An unsafe bridge is not history. Apparently caring about your fellow citizens isn't part of the City Different.
STEVE GIGLIOTTI
SANTA FE, NM
NEWS, JAN. 1:
“BAGGED”
BAG IT
Once again, good intentions have driven poor administrative decisions regarding the about-to-beimplemented plastic bag ban. The ban will actually increase traffic, pollution and costs in Santa Fe, surely not what was intended.
Plastic bags, without question, are less polluting than paper bags in the manufacturing process. Plastic bags are, without question, reused more often the paper bags. And plastic bags use considerably less energy (75 percent less) to manufacture. Plastic bags cost 84 percent less to ship to grocery stores.
Counting Walmart, Target and others that sell groceries in plastic bags (and no paper bags), we can expect between 250,000- 500,000 new, additional paper bags to be needed every week in Santa Fe; 25 million additional paper bags a year. More trucks, more air pollution, more waste to be disposed of.
Paper bags have virtually zero reuse by consumers. If Santa Fe had concentrated on improving the recycling rate of plastic bags, we all would be better off. And what will most dog owners be using now to pick up their pet's waste on our street…paper bags, or reusable?
STEVEN SCHWARTZ
SANTA FE, NM
PICKS, JAN. 1: "GAME OF THRONES"
LOVERS
I see that people queued up well before noon for the free showings of Game of Thrones at the newly reopened Cocteau Theater. My wife and I, who frequent the theatre regularly, were unable to get in. Still we're really glad to see the theatre drawing crowds. Usually when we go in the evenings we're among the 7 or 8 people in attendance for the terrific and unusual films the theatre shows. We both hope that people, having experienced the charming, friendly atmosphere of the Cocteau, will support it by going to see films that are not famous and free. It would be a shame to lose this valuable resource for lovers of unique films.
TAYLOR OLIVER
SANTA FE, NM
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