What makes a bad movie? When thinking about this question, I like to contemplate a variety of factors. I consider how bad the acting is, how underdeveloped story is, and how often the director disrespects the audience’s intelligence. I also like to think about how true the movie is to its intended genre. Is the horror movie scary? Is the comedy funny? Sure, these are subjective standards. What I find funny, you may not and vice versa. However, I think the true test of how bad a movie is depends on how you react during the film. Are you constantly checking the time on your phone? Does it take multiple viewings to get through the movie?

"If you're interested in understanding the Trump-Russia findings, ignore what Barr wrote," says Virginia Heffernan. Instead, she says, watch the speech Rep. Adam Schiff delivered before the House Intelligence Committee on Thursday. "There was none of Barr's fuzziness or torque in what Schiff said. He didn't hypothesize," she writes. "He didn't speculate. He just laid it all out."

Seth Hettena of the Los Angeles Times reminds Americans that they need no report to be aware that the all-too public words, actions and behaviors of the 45th U.S. president have been suspicious, damaging and, in many cases, "a national security nightmare."

Christine Flowers, lawyer and columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News, points to cases where false allegations such as the attack actor Jussie Smolett is accused of fabricating have made it harder for real victims to prove their credibility. "When we are faced with even one case of lying, it makes it even harder for victims to prove themselves," she writes. "I don't know if Jussie Smollett made up his story or not. But I do know that the consequences of false accusations are severe, and often tragic.

There are only two and half months left in 2019, but still a lot of movies to see. Many Oscar contenders have yet to release, but there has been a lot of buzz around films coming out of the Toronto, New York, and Cannes Film Festivals. To no surprise, industry heavyweights like Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep, and Willem Dafoe have films releasing this year. For this list, I have chosen to include October releases that you must see. I will be making separate lists for November and December. Only time will tell which films rise to the top, but here are some can’t miss movies for the month of October.

Feelings can hurt alot or be something special.......

This is it, the final chapter in a franchise that has spanned five decades. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be the third epsiode in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, and the ninth and final episode in the “Skywalker Saga.” J.J. Abrams will once again be directing the film. He directed Episode 7, the first in the sequel trilogy. Abrams took a hiatus leaving Rian Johnson to direct Episode 8. Many were disappointed by Johnson’s effort, saying that there was a disconnect between the first two films. Abrams will surely have his work cut out for him in wrapping up countless story lines in a satisfactory manner. Though, if anyone can do it, it’s him.

I would like to start with a list of resources, and short opinions on each. I cover eight books and will mention resources for online research in my next note.

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