How Did All This Happen?: A hilarious and moving memoir, from the comedian that inspired Bradley Cooper’s new movie Is This Thing On? by John Bishop, in some ways, I liked this more than Marty Supreme https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/09/do-you-have-any-feedback.html Frankenstein, and maybe Bugonia

 

How Did All This Happen?: A hilarious and moving memoir, from the comedian that inspired Bradley Cooper’s new movie Is This Thing On? by John Bishop, in some ways, I liked this more than Marty Supreme https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/09/do-you-have-any-feedback.html Frankenstein, and maybe Bugonia

 

8 out of 10

 

Blue Moon https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/12/blue-moon-written-by-lorenz-hart-robert.html was the best motion picture of 2025 for this cinephile, who would give it The Oscar for Best Film and then more: Best Actor in a Leading Role would go to Ethan Hawke, Supporting for Bobby Cannavale, and for Margaret Qualley another trophy

 

Is This Thing On was not as exhilarating, but as stated, it is better than Frankenstein, or Marty Supreme in my book, which just goes to prove you should not be reading this, these are just biased lines, written on the principle "De gustibus non disputandum est", and yes, I get that these are both impressive works of art

Then I have qualms even about Hamnet https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2026/02/hamnet-by-maggie-ofarrell-has-been.html Paul Mescal appears asleep as Shakespeare, Jesse Buckley is more alert as Agnes, the real main character, after all, she is the favorite to win the Oscar, after getting the Golden Globe and more…

 

Nonetheless, I do not see the fantastic quality of Hamnet, although I was thrilled by the ending, that is a couple of minutes there that seemed inspiring, emotional, bringing the audience to tears, so maybe it was all worth it, never mind that the real wife looks as if she was not important, Shakespeare left her almost nothing

Will Arnett is excellent as Alex Novak, this is a complex role, he is separating from his wife, Laura Dern as Tess Novak, and trying to find meaning, support in a…comedy club, where he comes on stage and talks about his marriage, the problems they have had in a funny way, without insulting, crying, or being pathetic

 

Games People Play https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/01/games-people-play-by-eric-berne.html is a classic of psychology by Eric Berne, in which we find that one of the most common games (if not number one, I can’t remember) is If It Weren’t For You, which partners in couples actively engage in with each other

Alas, most often it is not a gratitude exercise, it is meant to incriminate ‘if I were alone, without you, with somebody else, I would have done so much, achieved this, been that’ and I find that this comes back to me at home, we are not divorced, but my spouse and I seem to live together just for the boys, the two macaws

 

And because we would not be able to afford lodgings with the comfort we still have, since the firm has had zero profit last year, this could change anyway, and then maybe I have to see this film again, or better still take for the second time The Seven Principles of Making Marriage Work https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-seven-principles-of-making-marriage.html by John Gottman, another classic

 

As their marriage unravels, Alex faces middle age and divorce, seeking new purpose in the New York comedy scene. Meanwhile, his wife Tess confronts sacrifices made for their family, forcing them to navigate co-parenting and identities.

 

 

Now for my standard closing of the note with a question, and invitation – I am on Goodreads as Realini Ionescu, at least for the moment, if I keep on expressing my views on Orange Woland aka TACO, it may be a short-lived presence

Also, maybe you have a good idea on how we could make more than a million dollars with this https://realinibarzoi.blogspot.com/2025/09/do-you-have-any-feedback.html – as it is, this is a unique technique, which we could promote, sell, open the Oscars show with or something and then make lots of money together, if you have the how, I have the product, I just do not know how to get the benefits from it, other than the exercise per se

 

 There is also the small matter of working for AT&T – this huge company asked me to be its Representative for Romania and Bulgaria, on the Calling Card side, which meant sailing into the Black Sea wo meet the US Navy ships, travelling to Sofia, a lot of activity, using my mother’s two bedrooms flat as office and warehouse, all for the grand total of $250, raised after a lot of persuasion to the staggering $400…with retirement ahead, there are no benefits, nothing…it is a longer story, but if you can help get the mastodont to pay some dues, or have an idea how it can happen, let me know

 

As for my role in the Revolution that killed Ceausescu, a smaller Mao, there it is http://realini.blogspot.com/2022/03/realini-in-newsweek-participant-in.html

 

Some favorite quotes from To The Hermitage and other works

 

‘Fiction is infinitely preferable to real life...As long as you avoid the books of Kafka or Beckett, the everlasting plot of fiction has fewer futile experiences than the careless plot of reality...Fiction's people are fuller, deeper, cleverer, more moving than those in real life…Its actions are more intricate, illuminating, noble, profound…There are many more dramas, climaxes, romantic fulfillment, twists, turns, gratified resolutions…Unlike reality, all of this you can experience without leaving the house or even getting out of bed…What's more, books are a form of intelligent human greatness, as stories are a higher order of sense…As random life is to destiny, so stories are to great authors, who provided us with some of the highest pleasures and the most wonderful mystifications we can find…Few stories are greater than Anna Karenina, that wise epic by an often foolish author…’