The Keating Files

For about 20 years, Ray Keating wrote a weekly column - a short time with the New York City Tribune, more than 11 years with Newsday, another seven years with Long Island Business News, plus another year-and-a-half with RealClearMarkets.com. As an economist, Keating also pens an assortment of analyses each week. With the Keating Files, he decided to expand his efforts with regular commentary touching on a broad range of issues, written by himself and an assortment of talented contributors and columnists. So, here goes...

Friday, October 15, 2021

THE TRAITOR - A Thriller Torn from Today's Headlines

Get caught up this fall on all of the Pastor Stephen Grant adventures? Paperbacks and Kindle editions at Amazon via https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P1S5R26 and signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com.

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Vatican Shadows - Find Out More About this Page-Turner

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Check Out ROOT OF ALL EVIL? by Ray Keating

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

What's the Deal with WARRIOR MONK by Ray Keating?

Friday, October 8, 2021

James Bond “No Time To Die” Disappoints

by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – October 8, 2021

No Time To Die (2021) – 3 stars out of 5

Did you ever look forward to seeing a new movie with expectations that it would be a good or even great film? That was me getting ready to see the new film, No Time To Die, with Daniel Craig starring for a final time as Bond, James Bond. (See my take in the first four Craig Bond movies as preparation.)

If you answered “yes” to this question, did you then experience significant disappointment because the film came up far short of those expectations? Unfortunately, that was the case when seeing No Time To Die.

The stars seemed to be aligned for a wonderful send off for Craig as Bond. While the movie is visually alluring and had its moments story wise, alas, No Time To Die turned out to be heavy and dull, misguided in its handling of Bond and other characters, and in the end, little fun. James Bond is supposed to be fun, and this movie had only one truly fun moment.

Daniel Craig once again gave an excellent performance, but quite frankly, he was given material that wasn’t very Bond-ian. Craig took Bond to new heights in his previous performances, including serving up a grittier and more complex Bond. But it was still very much Bond. No Time To Die missed critical aspects of what makes Bond Bond and what makes a Bond film a Bond film. And final decisions made regarding this Bond were part well-worn tropes, part misguided, and ultimately, again, disappointing.

As for other major supporting Bond characters, Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) was under-utilized. Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) returned, thankfully, and played an important part in the story, but we needed more of him. And the Bond villains, mainly, Safin (Rami Malek) and Blofeld (Christopf Waltz), failed to stand out in this picture.

Tragic was the central role played by M (Ralph Fiennes) this time around, as the character made decisions in this movie that go directly against what he learned and was about in Skyfall and Spectre.

Unfortunately, Lea Seydoux came back as Madeleine in No Time To Die. Once more, the character was central to Bond’s story, but also was completely uninteresting. I cannot decide if it’s what Seydoux had to work with, her own shortcomings as an actress, or a combination of both.

But let’s get to that fun moment. Ana de Armas as Paloma was the bright spot in No Time To Die. The character was only on screen for a few minutes, but she stole those moments and gave off energy that provided a much-needed spark to Bond himself. Yes, Armas’ Paloma was fun – serving up humor, action and intrigue. You know, like a James Bond movie is supposed to do, but No Time To Die, for the most part, does not.

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Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur. Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13ththriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15^th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story.

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York from Amazon or signed books at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know.

One of the best ways to enjoy Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries is to join the Pastor Stephen Grant Fellowship! For the BEST VALUE, consider the Book of the Month Club. Check it all out at https://www.patreon.com/pastorstephengrantfellowship

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

Thursday, October 7, 2021

Daniel Craig’s First Four Bond Movies – “Casino Royale” to “Spectre”

by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – October 7, 2021

Are you ready to watch No Time To Die, the fifth James Bond film starring Daniel Craig? Well, catching the first four Craig Bond movies would seem to be proper preparation.

I did so, and it was a joy to return to these films. Here’s my quick take on each.

Casino Royale (2006) – 5 stars out of 5

Casino Royale just might be the best James Bond film ever, including all of the movies by Craig’s predecessors Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan (oh yeah, and David Niven). Okay, yes, it’s the best.

Movie watchers have to strap in from the start, being treated to a brutal bathroom brawl, one of the best foot chases in movie history, an engrossing poker game amidst a whirlwind of intrigue and action, and a torture scene that makes every man squirm in his seat (by the way, that savage incident actually is in Ian Fleming’s Casino Royale book published in 1953!)

Plus, those on screen with Craig excel, including Eva Green as Vesper Lynd, Judi Dench as M, Giancarlo Giannini as Rene Mathis, Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter (the best Leiter in Bond movie history), and Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre.

For good measure, Craig brings a depth and complexity to Bond that was previously lacking on screen (and don’t get me wrong, I love Sean Connery’s Bond). Craig’s Bond is more ruthless and colder perhaps than any previous movie manifestation of the character, but also more vulnerable, humorous, and human. That’s a masterful achievement by director Martin Campbell, Daniel Craig, and everyone else involved in creating Casino Royale.

Quantum of Solace (2008) – 3 stars out of 5

Alright, it’s time to give Quantum of Solace some love.

Two charges often are hurled at this movie. First, it’s referred to as the worst of the Daniel Craig Bond films. Second, it has been called the worst Bond film ever. It is guilty on the first charge, but definitely not on the second. Watch the Roger Moore movies, and there’s no way you can call Quantum of Solace the worst Bond movie ever.

However, calling Quantum of Solace the worst Craig Bond movie doesn’t make it a bad movie. Instead, it’s uneven, but interestingly, it works well where most people say it doesn’t and falters in an area that largely goes unmentioned.

Quantum of Solace often gets a bad rap for its story. But that’s simply not the case. The story told in Quantum actually is quite interesting, and unusual for a Bond movie. It’s a film mainly about two broken people – Craig’s Bond and Camille played by Olga Kurylenko – bent on vengeance, hoping that their own brand of justice will provide some kind of peace.

Once more, like in Casino Royale, Craig serves up a complex Bond – in this case, conflicted. His relationship with M (Judi Dench) is deepened, and Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter and Giancarlo Giannini as Rene Mathis serve as beacons in clouds and murkiness. The main villain – Dominic Greene played by Mathieu Amalric – and his plot work fine, but turn out to be less interesting than the more personal aspects of the tale.

So, where does Quantum of Solace falter then? It’s in the action scenes. What arguably should have been the easiest part of this movie was completely botched by director Marc Foster with his use of, what I call, the “shaky cam” combined with ridiculous scene cuts. Potentially wonderful action sequences were turned into visual messes, with moviegoers often struggling to figure out the details of what was happening.

So, don’t fault the writers of Quantum of Solace for coming up short. It’s about Foster’s ability to ruin what so many moviegoers love about the Bond films – the action. But overall, it’s still a respectable effort.

And by the way, the Jack White and Alicia Keys “Another Way to Die” rocks – it’s one of the best Bond songs.

Skyfall (2012) – 5 stars out of 5

The movie that gives Casino Royale a serious run for the top Bond film would be Skyfall. It hits the right Bond notes, while supplying much more.

At the very start, we get to enjoy a spectacular motorcycle chase scene, which then morphs into Bond doing combat on a train – meaning literally on top of a train.

The stakes are high – a stolen list of all NATO agents embedded inside terrorist organizations – but also lend some real-world sense of true danger.

Judi Dench as M plays an even more central role than usual, and when her fate plays out, it carries an emotional wallop.

As for Bond, we delve more deeply into his past than ever before, including the climactic fight with the antagonist, Mr. Silver (played with verve by Javier Bardem), happening at his family’s long-dilapidated home, Skyfall. But as the walls literally are burning down around him, we still get the Bond we have come to know, as he declares, “I always hated this place.” Little room seems to exist in James Bond’s world for sentiment or emotion – well, that is, until the death of M.

As for the rest of us, though, we get to enjoy being a little sentimental, or get to reminisce, as Skyfall offers some tips of the hat to early Bond films, including a glorious Aston Martin DB5, even with an ejector seat, as well as a new, old-style M office. Director Sam Mendes excelled at making an unmistakable Daniel Craig Bond film, but with wonderful references to the character’s long cinematic past.

For good measure, Naomie Harris ranks as a delight as Moneypenny, who also plays a more important role in Skyfall than did any of the character’s previous renditions.

Finally, I must mention that Bond’s hand-to-hand combat scene in a Shanghai skyscraper amidst glass and light rates as a visual feast. Yes, indeed, Skyfall hits all the right Bond notes and more.

Spectre (2015) – 4 stars out of 5

Skyfall was a tough act to follow, as they say, and while Spectre is a good movie, it inevitably feels like it comes up short.

Perhaps most striking from a movie decision-making perspective, while Skyfall referenced previous Bond movies, Spectre goes deeper on this, to the point that it has the feel of a Sean Connery Bond vehicle, but with Daniel Craig as James Bond. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it is different. Also, along the way, occasional glossing over of some details occurs.

At the same time, there is much here to relish. Judi Dench’s M reaching out with one last mission for Bond from beyond the grave sets the story well. The Day of the Dead opening is gripping, especially the brutal fight in a helicopter over a crowded square. In fact, the ferocity of the fight scenes in this movie warrant recognition, including the fight between Bond and Dave Bautista’s Mr. Hinx, inside a train. I couldn’t help but compare it to the classic train-car fisticuffs in Sean Connery’s From Russia with Love.

And watching this movie once more, Christoff Waltz’s Blofeld has grown on me. He is entertainingly crazy and evil.

Once again, Harris is top notch as Miss Moneypenny. But I also must mention two additions who came on in Skyfall, and appear in Spectre as well – Ben Whishaw as Q and Ralph Fiennes as the new M. These are iconic Bond roles, and each actor excels. I particularly find Q’s interactions with Bond splendid – as was the case with past Qs and Bonds.

Alas, though, I admit to finding Lea Seydoux as Madeleine uninspiring. For all of the women who have entered and exited the Bond universe, that it would be this rather dull character who would become James Bond’s key love interest is unconvincing at best and ultimately disappointing. Contrast this character with Vesper from Casino Royale, and you’ll see my point.

However, after mentioning these other players, we must return to Daniel Craig as Bond. As evidenced once more in Spectre, he brings a depth and range to the role of James Bond that none of the previous Bonds had achieved. And as a result, after enjoying the first four Bond films starring Daniel Craig, I am looking forward to Craig’s final Bond outing in No Time To Die with great anticipation.

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Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur. Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15^th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story.

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Watch for Inspiration - James Bond Inspired Ray Keating's Career as a Novelist

PRESS CLUB C Podcast with Ray Keating – Episode #59: Inspired by James Bond – You never know from where inspiration or the next big idea might come. James Bond served up inspiration – shaken, not stirred, of course – for Ray.

Veith Reflects on James Bond … and Stephen Grant

The Keating Files – October 6, 2021

The new James Bond movie – No Time To Die – is here, and offers an opportunity to consider some reflections on James Bond, as well as on Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant, who is compared to Mr. Bond by author and columnist Gene Veith.

Gene Veith looks at Ian Fleming’s James Bond in “James Bond After 50 Years.”

For good measure, Veith writes about Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant in “If James Bond Became a Pastor.”

Grab any and all of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries at Amazon.com and signed books at RayKeatingOnline.com.

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The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

“Venom 2” Assaults Ears, Eyes, Intelligence … and the Box Office

by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – October 5, 2021

(This article originally appeared at DisneyBizJournal.com.)

Venom: Let There Be Carnage ranks as one of the worst movies I’ve seen … ever. And yet it’s breathing life into the pandemic box office.

While the first movie – Venom (2018) – was dull, this sequel is too much of an assault to be boring. The noise is an assault on the ears. The abysmal special effects are an assault on the eyes. The lackluster, uninteresting characters are an assault on storytelling. And the story, well, is an assault on one’s intelligence.

There was, however, one blissful moment in the movie after Venom leaves the body of Tom Hardy’s character Eddie Brock. Brock is soothed by the sudden calm and tranquility. I was envious of Eddie at that point. Alas, it was the briefest of periods, as the attacks on the audience quickly resumed.

Venom, of course, is a Marvel character, but the movie came from Sony. It has to do with the Marvel-Sony deal made years ago over Spider-Man and related characters. But subsequent deals, of course, brought Spidey into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, along with, unfortunately, Venom. And there was, in fact, the obligatory mid-credits MCU scene.

After seeing Venom: Let There Be Carnage, my initial thought was that Disney probably isn’t going to be pleased. Putting aside the mountain of ills in this film, the tone is strikingly different from MCU movies.

But then there are the astounding box office numbers for the opening weekend of this monstrosity of a movie. Venom: Let There Be Carnage broke the pandemic domestic box office record with an opening weekend box office take of $90.1 million. The worldwide box office, according to BoxOfficeMojo.com, registered $103.9 million.

By the way, Venom: Let There Be Carnage had an opening weekend domestic box office take that was actually larger than the 2018 Venom, a time when the pandemic was not even imagined.

What does all of this say about today’s moviegoers? Well, Variety noted, “‘Venom 2’ continued that trend: 62% of ticket buyers were male and 55% were under the age of 25.” Not only is that demographic less concerned about the lingering pandemic, it apparently is far less concerned with some minimal level of quality storytelling as well – at least when it comes to Venom.

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The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

Thursday, September 23, 2021

The Death Tax Makes No Economic Sense

by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – September 23, 2021

Years ago, some Washington wag rather aptly renamed the estate tax as the death tax. Sure, it was meant to gain an edge politically, but it also had the added virtue of being more accurate. After all, the “estate tax” name originally was used to score political points as well.

The death tax ranks as one of the strangest levies imposed by government.

The current death tax was imposed in 1916. Previous measures went back to the earliest days of our country – but were temporary. The 1797 Stamp Act, imposed to help pay for undeclared war with France, included taxes on the assets of the deceased, wills and bequests. Death taxes were inflicted during the Civil War, but were gone by 1872. And the Spanish-American War saw a death tax instituted from 1898 to 1902.

But the current death tax emerged from the Progressive movement’s emphasis on envy and class warfare, which always run contrary to sound economics.

As of September 2021, the death tax imposes a top rate of 40 percent with an exemption level of $11.7 million, and there are efforts afoot to increase taxes at death.

So, what’s the problem? There are several.

First, there is a basic issue of fairness. After paying many, many taxes over a lifetime, the death tax means that government shows up at death in order to impose a tax on total assets.

Second, a tax on total assets is not exactly good for investment and job creation. The levy discourages efforts to build up businesses, while also increasing the likelihood that firms will have to be sold or even closed. And consider that family businesses can be particularly vulnerable at the time of an owner’s death.

Third, resources are diverted away from productive efforts, and wasted on accountants and lawyers to find and set up ways to avoid death taxes.

Fourth, many studies have spelled out the broad negative economic effects of death taxes on investment, economic growth and job creation, and in turn also point out that once all of the costs and economic negatives are factored into the equation, the death tax winds up providing no benefit – that is, no net revenue – to the federal government.

Given these ridiculous realities of death taxes, we are left with returning to the idea that these levies are imposed simply out of the unsavoriness of envy and class warfare. Indeed, economics makes clear that death taxes shouldn’t exist at all.

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The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

Friday, September 3, 2021

Basil’s War: Get to Know Stephen Hunter’s Bond-Like, World War II Character

by Ray Keating

The Keating Files – September 3, 2021

In recent times, it’s obvious that most people have come to know James Bond thanks to all or some of the 24 (official) Bond movies, with another (No Time to Die) on the way. Bond recognition has not, for the most part, been about Ian Fleming’s original books written in the 1950s and early Sixties. But I’ve long been of the opinion that to fully appreciate Bond, you need to read the books as well as seeing the films.

Keeping Bond in mind, perhaps it’s best to get to know Basil St. Florian now by reading Stephen Hunter’s Basil’s War before the character hits the silver screen or a streaming service. Do I know of any deal with a studio? No. But after reading Basil’s War, it seems like a natural leap from the pages of a book to the screen for the fun and fascinating St. Florian.

Hunter tells a ripping-good tale featuring a handsome, witty, ironic, alcohol-swilling British spy during World War II, who isn’t crazy about authority and beds assorted women, including Vivien Leigh. Basil St. Florian really does feel like James Bond, but at work in World War II rather than during the Cold War.

The story is a taut mystery, with Hunter deftly taking the reader along with St. Florian on a mission whose true nature is only gradually revealed.

For good measure, the author serves up some interesting secondary characters, and not just those on St. Florian’s side but even more so among his Nazi opponents.

And finally, like Ian Fleming did with James Bond, Hunter uses the advantages of a book to reveal background on and inner thoughts – including doubts and how decisions are made – of St. Florian. This provides the reader with greater character depth than is really possible with movies or television.

I advise people to read Fleming’s books to get a fuller sense of who James Bond is. They should do the same with Basil St. Florian by reading Stephen Hunter’s outstanding Basil’s War – before the character might land in Hollywood.

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Ray Keating is a columnist, novelist, economist, podcaster and entrepreneur. Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story.

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Check out Ray Keating’s Disney news and entertainment site at www.DisneyBizJournal.com.

Nerd Economist: Ray Keating

Friday, October 15, 2021

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

Friday, October 8, 2021

Thursday, October 7, 2021

Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Thursday, September 23, 2021

Friday, September 3, 2021