newyorkpost--2020-11-09--‘Seduced’s Creators Want Their Docuseries to Be a Warning

When it was first reported that the alleged self-help company NXIVM was harboring a secret sex cult , the story was handled with salacious interest .
It wasn ’ t until this year that the general public has changed its tune as people have come to understand the full extent of Keith Raniere ’ s crimes and manipulations .
This empathetic rewriting of history is partially thanks to STARZ ’ s latest docuseries Seduced : Inside the NXIVM Cult .
Deeply vulnerable and well-researched , Seduced follows former NXIVM member and DOS survivor India Oxenberg as she opens up about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ its sex cult .
The four-part documentary reframes this shocking story from a perversely interesting true crime case to study into indoctrination and how anyone can be manipulated .
It ’ s the series directors , Cecilia Peck and Inbal B. Lessner , who helped orchestrate this change of perspective .
By talking with Decider these filmmakers shared how they created an environment that supported their survivors , what it was like working with Oxenberg , and what they hope viewers will take away from any documentary about NXIVM .
Decider : My @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Raniere being sentenced to 120 years in prison .
What were both of your reactions ?
Cecilia Peck : We felt so proud of everybody who spoke there and used their voices and contributed to making sure that he got the sentence he deserved .
India [ Oxenberg ] was there .
It took a lot of courage to do that .
Inbal B. Lessner : I sat in that courtroom , and when I heard those testimonies , all I could do was say , “ Motherfucker.
” I could not believe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ managed to manipulate all these people for his sadistic needs and gain .
I think the court spoke very clearly .
It ’ s well-deserving .
We tried to explain in our series , at least from one woman ’ s perspective and other women who intersect with her storyline along the way , how deeply troubling the crimes of NXIVM were and the trauma endured from that .
It ’ s such a powerful and disturbing documentary .
You ’ re both very good at taking these horrific stories and focusing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rare in true crime .
How do you stay focused on the survivors rather than get distracted by the larger story ?
Peck : Personally , I come from a vérité documentary background .
I learned filmmaking from my mentor Barbara Kopple .
Her approach is always to follow the characters from start to finish .
To find people who have an intense experience with a story and document how that story unfolds .
On this project we combined India ’ s personal story and the stories of the other former members of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ archival footage .
But I think we ’ ve always approached stories that way .
What is the experience that the person went through ?
And education and advocacy , for me , are always an important part of the process .
One of the reasons that people will speak about traumatic subjects is because they believe that others can learn from their experience .
They want to turn that trauma into activism .
Lessner : We started research with a couple of former members .
We started before there was a whole @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and before the trial started .
We listened and learned from them and spoke to a lot of other former members who did not agree to come on camera .
We were respectful to everybody ’ s boundaries .
We realized early on that , as sensitive as we can be , we ’ re not professional counselors .
So we have set up a fund with F.A.C.T.
, Families Against Cult Teachings , which is a caregiving organization that supports victims of cults .
Through that fund we were able to provide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who chose to share their stories , before , during , and after filming .
To be honest , it ’ s not easy to work on material like this , day in and day out , for almost three years .
We actually found out in the process that our team , in editing , would go in the hallway and you ’ d hear somebody screaming at their monitor .
Like , “ Why can ’ t people say something ?
” Just shocked by the audacity of the NXIVM curriculum @ @ @ @ @ @ @ object and stand up .
I think it was really triggering and troubling to some of the people who worked with us on the team .
We offered the same counseling services to them .
… We had to support the people in front and behind the camera when we tell these stories because they ’ re just difficult .
If you ’ re emotionally exhausted by the end of the day , then you probably don ’ t want to dive further into a horrific story of abuse .
Providing these services @ @ @ @ @ @ @ your people so much .
Peck : We really entered this world for over a year and a half , day and night , seven days a week .
We went from going on a personal journey with this one young woman who was signed up for what she thought was an Executive Success Program that would teach her business and communication skills — and she got to a point where she thought that she would die for Keith Raniere .
So what we really wanted to look at was how does coercive @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intelligent young women get targeted and recruited ?
What is the process of transforming their thoughts to the point where they could become a branded sex slave to this mastermind predator and cult leader ?
I wanted to talk about your relationship with India because she ’ s so vulnerable throughout the entire series .
You actually see her therapy sessions .
Did she immediately offer all of this access to you ?
How did your relationship with India work ?
Peck : We met her at a point where she was still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
” The first time we spoke to her we asked her how she was doing , and she said , “ Well , I ’ m still trying to figure out the difference between what I thought happened and what actually happened.
” But her story had been taken out of her hands .
It had been told not only by her mother , but she had been slashed across the media as a sex slave , as a call girl .
She wanted to take ownership of her story , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on this journey of trying to figure out what happened to her brain .
That was our starting point .
Lessner : I think she trusted Cecilia ’ s body of work .
We ’ ve done some films together .
Brave Miss World focused on survivors of sexual assault .
Cecilia has done Shut Up and Sing .
I think being able to evaluate that body of work and have a conversation with us , she was able to trust us , that our intentions were aligned with her own .
She @ @ @ @ @ @ @ starting to edit , kind of halfway through production… It definitely transformed the focus of the piece .
She said , “ I ’ m not going to hold anything back .
I am an open book .
You can ask me anything you want.
” We obviously were very careful to re-trigger any trauma , and make sure she had the professional support she needs and offer her our support .
But it was really her mission to go and confront , and really understand , investigate , “ How did this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ take us along on that journey .
Peck : I would say it was a combination of her trust in us and her understanding that she wanted it to really resonate and help other people .
… When she first joined , she thought it would be for one interview .
It turned out that STARZ very much understood that she would be a good amplifier for the voices of all the women in the series and that we did need one central character to focus on that could take the audience through @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when she joined us .
Lessner : Actually , our first shoot with her was in Serbia .
We went to Belgrade and we met the rest of the family .
That helped build trust and familiarity .
We were welcomed into the royal family .
It kind of felt like it was meant to be .
The result feels deeply intimate .
Her openness makes everything Keith Raniere did so much more horrifying .
Peck : There was so much that needed to be investigated .
Why would you say yes to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cult trying to accomplish ?
Why would you send a naked picture ?
We weren ’ t satisfied with just saying [ India ] did those things .
We really wanted to go deep into why .
What ’ s the process ?
How do you get there ?
How do you silence your own instincts that are crying out , saying , “ This is not a good idea ” ?
Each episode of our show is about a different part of her journey that takes you through how she got involved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ What I really love about the format of Seduced is that typically India will tell a story about her time in NXIVM , and then you will cut to cult experts who basically confirm that these leaders were using manipulative strategies on her .
How did you find these experts ?
Peck : Through research .
We sought out all of the foremost experts in the field .
We were so grateful to them , from Dr. Janja Lalich to Steven Hassan to Rick Ross to Rachel Bernstein .
These are the leading @ @ @ @ @ @ @ STARZ really encouraged and pushed us to make sure that every time India experienced something or any of the other women in the show , that we provide content from an expert in the field so the audience could understand how to process these very complicated , intricate things .
Lessner : On one hand , it helps the viewer to see the nefarious dynamic very clearly .
On the other hand , it does present a much heavier burden to our characters .
Because they have to still convey what it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ red flags , not knowing what is common call tactics or that they were specifically targeted or that their thinking was tampered with and reformed .
That ’ s why it had to be tremendously personal , so that you really believe their point of view and follow their throughline .
I know it helped me .
To use India as an example , she went through this for years .
Her whole life revolved around this organization .
Whereas , as a viewer , this story has been condensed down to four @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Peck : What ’ s so diabolical is this EM exercise that they used — it really makes people feel like they ’ ve had a tremendous breakthrough and signs people up for the next course .
That ’ s what they employed when anybody had an objection or when something didn ’ t feel right .
They would immediately board them to the EM to separate them from their own thoughts or instincts .
The same technique that they used to lure them in was then later used to silence any questioning @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t right .
There ’ s one interview in the final episode that really surprised me , and it ’ s with Keith Raniere ’ s defense counsel .
How did that come about ?
Did you reach out to anyone else besides his defense attorney ?
Peck : I think early on , yes , we tried to reach out to others who still were loyal ( to NXIVM ) .
We made initial efforts to see if Clare Bronfman would maybe want to come on camera , but she wasn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other descendants were permitted to talk about NXIVM .
But it definitely wasn ’ t a focus .
Our focus was really on the women , on the former members , on our own investigative approach to telling their truth .
I think with Marc Agnifilo , the defense lawyer , we were present at the courtroom .
We spoke to the prosecutor , Moira Penza .
We did think it was important to take a look at what the argument that was being presented was .
The idea that this was consensual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — there was a mountain of evidence about how these women were starved , sleep-deprived , blackmailed through the use of the collateral .
It wasn ’ t an argument that held up , but I think we needed to make sense of at least what the argument was .
Lessner : That [ prosecution ] wasn ’ t a slam dunk .
It took massive amounts of work and effort to build the case to convict him .
It was two young female government attorneys against a battery of very highly-skilled and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Clare Bronfman defense fund .
You ’ ve been there .
Even hearing all the atrocities , you still wonder , “ Is he going to get away with it ?
” We ’ ve seen people get away with terrible things because of sophisticated lawyers .
We wanted to convey that .
Peck : Our documentary is not neutral .
We weren ’ t interested in showing both sides .
We were interested in coercive control .
How does it work ?
How does it manifest ?
What does it look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about the women who were victims of NXIVM .
It ’ s not supposed to be a balanced look any more than I would want to make a film giving Harvey Weinstein equal point of views to that of his victims .
Absolutely .
The subject matter almost dictates not having a balanced point of view , because it ’ s very difficult to even begin to defend the other side .
Peck : We wanted to treat victims of trauma very carefully — not trigger them , not exploit them , not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ safe space to tell their stories .
Speaking about the framing of your film , when did you learn that HBO was going to release its own NXIVM documentary , The Vow ?
Did that influence how you structured Seduced ?
Lessner : We had already started working and developing our idea when we learned — and had already started working with STARZ on filming it — when we realized that HBO was going to release it as a multi-part series .
It was really when the trial started in Brooklyn , both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the courtroom together .
We knew they had access to the story much earlier .
And , to be honest , it was easy to see that they were better-funded and had more resources .
But we just stuck to our own lane .
We were trying to do our thing , tell the stories of the women who trusted us .
We didn ’ t really know what they were going to include or not .
Had really zero idea , because that ’ s the nature of television .
Everybody ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ locked the show at the end of July , and they announced that they ’ d start airing at the end of August .
We , at this point , have been studying this , living with NXIVM for years .
So you bet I watched every single episode of The Vow , but it was already after we locked the show .
Our show is in no way a response to The Vow… We learned about what ’ s happening in their episodes as it came out in the press and on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no idea that they were saving the trial for a second season .
Did you see anything on The Vow that shocked you ?
Peck : They had incredible footage .
We were fascinated with every scene in the series .
We have a lot of respect for Mark Vicente and Sarah Edmondson and Bonnie Piesse and their roles in exposing NXIVM .
Bonnie is the hero of the story .
She recognized those red flags before anyone , and then she worked with Mark and Sarah to try and warn other members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Oxenberg ] , who had been conducting her own investigation .
Frank Parlato helped .
They all went to the New York Times together ; that was really a big turning point in bringing the cult down .
We ’ ve always felt that the two series are complementary : They ’ re different sides of the same story .
It took everybody involved to expose NXIVM and bring them down .
India happened to be ready to tell her story at a time that coincided with exactly where we were in our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ comfortable with our all-women team , all-women crews , and the environment we created on our sets .
We had nothing but admiration for our fellow filmmakers , for their storytelling .
Maybe we thought our two series would be more similar than they are .
We ’ re kind of relieved to see that the approaches were quite different , and we ’ re offering different lenses to the story on both of the shows .
Lessner : If anything , it surprised us how different their approaches were .
They really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NXIVM , so there are 17,000 stories .
Peck : It ’ s an ongoing trauma to have to deal with having been associated with that .
Like Naomi [ Gibson ] says in our series , “ If you weren ’ t branded physically , ” she says , “ our brains were branded.
” Collateral Damage was actually a title you liked , Inbal , at one point .
I actually think people come on our title , Seduced , and call it salacious .
But for us , NXIVM was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ From the moment you walked into the beautiful rooms , mingling with celebrities , info presentations , you were seduced .
Our title comes more from the original meaning of the word , which is to lead one away from oneself .
I was shocked by the fourth episode and how it did a marvelous job showing the media ’ s influence on this case .
All of these members , even if they only took one class , they were being accused of being in a sex cult .
Was it always @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the aftermath ?
Lessner : Not only that , but having to reckon with the fact that you admired a man who was a psychopath predator , master manipulator , now convicted to 120 years in prison .
Or maybe recruited other friends that maybe went further than you .
All these were really interesting questions and points of trauma .
Peck : Also , it wasn ’ t just including what it felt like or including how it felt to be perceived in the media as being part of this .
All @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it wasn ’ t an easy decision .
They were very worried about what their families would think , about what it would mean to be publicly portrayed forever now as doing NXIVM , of what it would do to their careers , even retaliation from people who were still loyal .
None of that was easy .
That was always our intention , to highlight people ’ s courage in the face of all of the fears in what it means to come forward .
But that ’ s what really moved @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sure to honor their stories .
It ’ s not easy to talk about this stuff .
For all the women in the film , it was done because they knew it would help others .
It would help another girl be able to recognize the red flags or say no if they got into a self-help group that felt very compelling but all of a sudden they ’ re asking you to do things you don ’ t really feel like doing .
Maybe their stories would be that red flag .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the fourth episode , is really what it ’ s all about for us .
These women , speaking up and using their voices .
Turning their trauma into activism .
The final moments of that episode are just so empowering .
I teared up a lot during the scene when the NXIVM and DOS survivors are teaching classes to different law students .
Lessner : And you know , they spearheaded a website : SeducedDocumentary.com .
Peck : It ’ s an amazing resource they built for anybody who fears that they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get out .
It has resources and a story platform and a questionnaire for how do you recognize you ’ re in a cult .
It ’ s entirely built , coded , and created by two of the former members of NXIVM who are in our series .
That ’ s incredible .
What have you seen from fan reactions so far ?
Peck : Inbal , do you want to talk about Twitter ?
Lessner : It ’ s hard , because people want to put the two shows in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I think it is a distraction from the real issue of honestly talking about manipulation and coercive control .
How did we , as a society , let this go on for 20 years ?
Why did women have to be branded on their vaginas to make it stop ?
People reported about Keith ’ s sexual history with underage girls .
There was enough there for people to really put a stop to it .
So why don ’ t we have mechanisms in place , or laws in the United States @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they become so dangerous ?
I think there ’ s enough evidence there that he was — at least , our experts think that he was — taking this group in a very dangerous situation that could have ended like Jonestown .
People were willing to sacrifice themselves for him .
If you follow the loyalists , they are sacrificing their lives , their reputations , their future careers on defending him publicly .
I love that they ’ re getting the message .
They ’ re seeing the parallels to abusive relationships @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the workplace , to our political spectrum .
People are really drawing existing parallels .
You don ’ t really have to be in a crazy sex cult to recognize those red flags , to recognize when there ’ s coercion and manipulation .
I just hope people will continue to see the series with its merits and take away from it beyond , “ Who ’ s the winner in this docuseries battle ?
” Peck : At the same time , the incredible positive response has been , “ I understand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other women.
” People seem to be able to grasp — through the way we break down the gradual process from recruitment to indoctrination — that it could happen to almost anyone , given the right set of circumstances and given the incredibly fueled recruitment and marketing practices of NXIVM .
They knew exactly what words to use .
They would offer mentorship in your chosen field , the best women ’ s group you ’ ve ever been part of , help in starting a business .
They knew what to say @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first class and then to make them believe they needed the next class .
That ’ s part of what we ’ re hearing back , is that people realize that it doesn ’ t mean you ’ re vulnerable or weak or uneducated .
It could happen to almost anyone .
Peck : It ’ s interesting .
When you become very educated into a subject like we have , you want to continue to make a difference and employ everything you ’ ve learned .
We ’ re not saying we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ season or series around issues of coercive control and manipulation .
We are taking a tiny bit of a breather .
It was an incredibly intense , 24/7 experience .
We both have a couple of other projects that we ’ re working on .
But I love working with Inbal .
I think she ’ s the greatest storytelling editor working in documentary .
We definitely want to collaborate again .
Lessner : Thank you .
Yeah , the right project will have to present itself or have to be sought out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more likely .
It will come from the trove of this work that we have done together , and hopefully we continue to do together , of giving voice to people who want to make a difference .
This interview has been edited for length and clarity .

When it was first reported that the alleged self-help company NXIVM was harboring a secret sex cult, the story was handled with salacious interest. It wasn’t until this year that the general public has changed its tune as people have come to understand the full extent of Keith Raniere’s crimes and manipulations. This empathetic rewriting of history is partially thanks to STARZ’s latest docuseries Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult.
Deeply vulnerable and well-researched, Seduced follows former NXIVM member and DOS survivor India Oxenberg as she opens up about her time within both the company and its sex cult. The four-part documentary reframes this shocking story from a perversely interesting true crime case to study into indoctrination and how anyone can be manipulated. It’s the series creators, Cecilia Peck and Inbal B. Lessner, who helped orchestrate this change of perspective. By talking with Decider these filmmakers shared how they created an environment that supported their survivors, what it was like working with Oxenberg, and what they hope viewers will take away from any documentary about NXIVM.
Decider: My first question has to do with Keith Raniere being sentenced to 120 years in prison. What were both of your reactions?
Cecilia Peck: We felt so proud of everybody who spoke there and used their voices and contributed to making sure that he got the sentence he deserved. India [Oxenberg] was there. It took a lot of courage to do that.
Inbal B. Lessner: I sat in that courtroom, and when I heard those testimonies, all I could do was say, “Motherfucker.” I could not believe what I was hearing and how he managed to manipulate all these people for his sadistic needs and gain. I think the court spoke very clearly. It’s well-deserving. We tried to explain in our series, at least from one woman’s perspective and other women who intersect with her storyline along the way, how deeply troubling the crimes of NXIVM were and the trauma endured from that.
It’s such a powerful and disturbing documentary. You’re both very good at taking these horrific stories and focusing on the survivors. That focus can be rare in true crime. How do you stay focused on the survivors rather than get distracted by the larger story?
Peck: Personally, I come from a vérité documentary background. I learned filmmaking from my mentor Barbara Kopple. Her approach is always to follow the characters from start to finish. To find people who have an intense experience with a story and document how that story unfolds. On this project we combined India’s personal story and the stories of the other former members of NXIVM with interviews with experts and with archival footage. But I think we’ve always approached stories that way. What is the experience that the person went through? And education and advocacy, for me, are always an important part of the process. One of the reasons that people will speak about traumatic subjects is because they believe that others can learn from their experience. They want to turn that trauma into activism.
Lessner: We started research with a couple of former members. We started before there was a whole lot of other research material out there and before the trial started. We listened and learned from them and spoke to a lot of other former members who did not agree to come on camera. We were respectful of everybody’s boundaries.
We realized early on that, as sensitive as we can be, we’re not professional counselors. So we have set up a fund with F.A.C.T., Families Against Cult Teachings, which is a caregiving organization that supports victims of cults. Through that fund we were able to provide therapy services and professional counseling to women who chose to share their stories, before, during, and after filming.
To be honest, it’s not easy to work on material like this, day in and day out, for almost two years. We actually found out in the process that our team, in editing, would go in the hallway and you’d hear somebody screaming at their monitor. Like, “Why can’t people say something?” Just shocked by the audacity of the NXIVM curriculum and why people were not able to object and stand up. I think it was really triggering and troubling to some of the people who worked with us on the team. We offered the same counseling services to them. … We had to support the people in front and behind the camera when we tell these stories because they’re just difficult.
If you’re emotionally exhausted by the end of the day, then you probably don’t want to dive further into a horrific story of abuse. Providing these services, I’m sure, helps your people so much.
Peck: We really entered this world for over a year and a half, day and night, seven days a week. We went from going on a personal journey with this one young woman who was signed up for what she thought was an Executive Success Program that would teach her business and communication skills — and she got to a point where she thought that she would die for Keith Raniere. So what we really wanted to look at was how does coercive control and indoctrination work? How do intelligent young women get targeted and recruited? What is the process of transforming their thoughts to the point where they could become a branded sex slave to this mastermind predator and cult leader?
I wanted to talk about your relationship with India because she’s so vulnerable throughout the entire series. You actually see her therapy sessions. Did she immediately offer all of this access to you? How did your relationship with India work?
Peck: We met her at a point where she was still questioning “What happened to my brain?” The first time we spoke to her we asked her how she was doing, and she said, “Well, I’m still trying to figure out the difference between what I thought happened and what actually happened.” But her story had been taken out of her hands. It had been told not only by her mother, but she had been slashed across the media as a sex slave, as a cult girl. She wanted to take ownership of her story, and she decided to let us accompany her on this journey of trying to figure out what happened to her brain. That was our starting point.
Lessner: I think she trusted Cecilia’s body of work. Our previous film together, Brave Miss World, focused on survivors of sexual assault. Cecilia has done Shut Up and Sing. I think being able to evaluate that body of work and have a conversation with us, she was able to trust us, that our intentions were aligned with her own. She actually joined us when we were already starting to edit, kind of halfway through production… It definitely transformed the focus of the piece.
She said, “I’m not going to hold anything back. I am an open book. You can ask me anything you want.” We obviously were very careful not to re-trigger any trauma, and make sure she had the professional support she needs and offer her our support. But it was really her mission to go and confront, and really understand, investigate, “How did this happen to my brain?” And take us along on that journey.
Peck: I would say it was a combination of her trust in us and her understanding that she wanted it to really resonate and help other people. … When she first joined, she thought it would be for one interview. It turned out that STARZ very much understood that she would be a good amplifier for the voices of all the women in the series and that we did need one central character to focus on that could take the audience through the story. We just kept going when she joined us.
Lessner: Actually, our first shoot with her was in Serbia. We went to Belgrade and we met the rest of the family. That helped build trust and familiarity. We were welcomed into the royal family. It kind of felt like it was meant to be.
The result feels deeply intimate. Her openness makes everything Keith Raniere did so much more horrifying.
Peck: There was so much that needed to be investigated. Why would you say yes to a readiness drill? What was that cult trying to accomplish? Why would you send a naked picture? We weren’t satisfied with just saying [India] did those things. We really wanted to go deep into why. What’s the process? How do you get there? How do you silence your own instincts that are crying out, saying, “This is not a good idea”? Each episode of our show is about a different part of her journey that takes you through how she got involved and deep into the indoctrination process.
What I really love about the format of Seduced is that typically India will tell a story about her time in NXIVM, and then you will cut to cult experts who basically confirm that these leaders were using manipulative strategies on her. How did you find these experts?
Peck: Through research. We sought out all of the foremost experts in the field. We were so grateful to them, from Dr. Janja Lalich to Steven Hassan to Rick Ross to Rachel Bernstein. These are the leading authorities on these issues. Also, STARZ really encouraged and pushed us to make sure that every time India experienced something or any of the other women in the show, that we provide content from an expert in the field so the audience could understand how to process these very complicated, intricate things.
Lessner: On one hand, it helps the viewer to see the nefarious dynamic very clearly. On the other hand, it does present a much heavier burden to our characters. Because they have to still convey what it was like for them, not noticing the red flags, not knowing what is common cult tactics or that they were specifically targeted or that their thinking was tampered with and reformed. That’s why it had to be tremendously personal, so that you really believe their point of view and follow their throughline.
I know it helped me. To use India as an example, she went through this for years. Her whole life revolved around this organization. Whereas, as a viewer, this story has been condensed down to four hours. The context helped tremendously.
Peck: What’s so diabolical is this EM exercise that they used — it really makes people feel like they’ve had a tremendous breakthrough and signs people up for the next course. That’s what they employed when anybody had an objection or when something didn’t feel right. They would immediately order them to the EM to separate them from their own thoughts or instincts. The same technique that they used to lure them in was then later used to silence any questioning or any instinct that just wasn’t right.
There’s one interview in the final episode that really surprised me, and it’s with Keith Raniere’s defense counsel. How did that come about? Did you reach out to anyone else besides his defense attorney?
Peck: Early on, yes, we tried to reach out to others who still were loyal (to NXIVM). We made initial efforts to see if Clare Bronfman would maybe want to come on camera, but she wasn’t allowed to. None of the other descendants were permitted to talk about NXIVM. But it definitely wasn’t a focus.
Our focus was really on the women, on the former members, on our own investigative approach to telling their truth. We spoke to Mark Agnifilo, the defense lawyer, as well as to the prosecutor, Moira Penza. We did think it was important to take a look at what the argument that was being presented was. The idea that this was consensual — which the judge obviously saw through — there was a mountain of evidence about how these women were starved, sleep-deprived, blackmailed through the use of the collateral. It wasn’t an argument that held up, but I think we needed to make sense of at least what the argument was.
Lessner: That [prosecution] wasn’t a slam dunk. It took massive amounts of work and effort to build the case to convict him. It was two young female government attorneys against a battery of very highly-skilled and private lawyers, all paid for by the Clare Bronfman defense fund. You’ve been there. Even hearing all the atrocities, you still wonder, “Is he going to get away with it?” We’ve seen people get away with terrible things because of sophisticated lawyers. We wanted to convey that.
Peck: Our documentary is not neutral. We weren’t interested in showing both sides. We were interested in coercive control. How does it work? How does it manifest? What does it look like? It’s a film about the women who were victims of NXIVM. It’s not supposed to be a balanced look any more than I would want to make a film giving Harvey Weinstein an equal point of view to that of his victims.
Absolutely. The subject matter almost dictates not having a balanced point of view, because it’s very difficult to even begin to defend the other side.
Peck: We wanted to treat victims of trauma very carefully — not trigger them, not exploit them, not coerce them. Just give them a safe space to tell their stories.
Speaking about the framing of your film, when did you learn that HBO was going to release its own NXIVM documentary, The Vow? Did that influence how you structured Seduced?
Lessner: We had already started working and developing our idea when we learned — and had already started working with STARZ on filming it — when we realized that HBO was going to release it as a multi-part series. It was really when the trial started in Brooklyn, both our crew and their crew were in the courtroom together. We knew they had access to the story much earlier. And, to be honest, it was easy to see that they were better-funded and had more resources. But we just stuck to our own lane.
We were trying to do our thing, tell the stories of the women who trusted us. We didn’t really know what they were going to include or not. Had really zero idea, because that’s the nature of television. Everybody’s bound by confidentiality agreements. We locked the show at the end of July, and they announced that they’d start airing at the end of August. We, at this point, have been studying this, living with NXIVM for years. So you bet I watched every single episode of The Vow, but it was already after we locked the show.
Our show is in no way a response to The Vow… We learned about what’s happening in their episodes as it came out in the press and on TV like everybody else. We had no idea that they were saving the trial for a second season.
Did you see anything on The Vow that shocked you?
Peck: They had incredible footage. We were fascinated with every scene in the series. We have a lot of respect for Mark Vicente and Sarah Edmondson and Bonnie Piesse and their roles in exposing NXIVM. Bonnie is the hero of the story. She recognized those red flags before anyone, and then she worked with Mark and Sarah to try and warn other members. They joined forces with Catherine [Oxenberg], who had been conducting her own investigation. Frank Parlato helped. They all went to the New York Times together; that was really a big turning point in bringing the cult down.
We’ve always felt that the two series are complementary: They’re different sides of the same story. It took everybody involved to expose NXIVM and bring them down. India happened to be ready to tell her story at a time that coincided with exactly where we were in our project. I think she felt very comfortable with our all-women team, all-women crews, and the environment we created on our sets. We had nothing but admiration for our fellow filmmakers, for their storytelling. Maybe we thought our two series would be more similar than they are. We’re kind of relieved to see that the approaches were quite different, and we’re offering different lenses to the story on both of the shows.
Lessner: If anything, it surprised us how different their approaches were. They really are. There were 17,000 members in NXIVM, so there are 17,000 stories.
Peck: It’s an ongoing trauma to have to deal with having been associated with that. Like Naomi [Gibson] says in our series, “If you weren’t branded physically,” she says, “our brains were branded.”
Collateral Damage was actually a title you liked, Inbal, at one point. I’ve seen people call our title, Seduced, salacious. But for us, NXIVM was a seduction from start to finish. From the moment you walked into the beautiful rooms, mingling with celebrities, info presentations, you were seduced. Our title comes more from the original meaning of the word, which is to lead one away from oneself.
I was shocked by the fourth episode and how it did a marvelous job showing the media’s influence on this case. All of these members, even if they only took one class, they were being accused of being in a sex cult. Was it always your intention to include that focus, the aftermath?
Lessner: Not only that, but having to reckon with the fact that you admired a man who was a psychopath predator, master manipulator, now convicted to 120 years in prison. Or maybe recruited other friends that maybe went further than you. All these were really interesting questions and points of trauma.
Peck: Also, it wasn’t just including what it felt like or including how it felt to be perceived in the media as being part of this. All of the women who came forward, it wasn’t an easy decision. They were very worried about what their families would think, about what it would mean to be publicly portrayed forever now as having been in NXIVM, of what it would do to their careers, even retaliation from people who were still loyal. None of that was easy.
That was always our intention, to highlight people’s courage in the face of all of the fears of what it means to come forward. But that’s what really moved us and made us want to make sure to honor their stories. It’s not easy to talk about this stuff. For all the women in the film, it was done because they knew it would help others. It would help another girl be able to recognize the red flags or say no if they got into a self-help group that felt very compelling but all of a sudden they’re asking you to do things you don’t really feel like doing. Maybe their stories would be that red flag.
But the end of our series, the fourth episode, is really what it’s all about for us. These women, speaking up and using their voices. Turning their trauma into activism.
The final moments of that episode are just so empowering. I teared up a lot during the scene when the NXIVM and DOS survivors are teaching classes to different law students.
Lessner: And you know, they spearheaded a website: SeducedDocumentary.com.
Peck: It’s an amazing resource they built for anybody who fears that they might be in a cult or trying to get out. It has resources and a story platform and a questionnaire for how do you recognize you’re in a cult. It’s entirely built, coded, and created by two of the former members of NXIVM who are in our series.
That’s incredible. What have you seen from fan reactions so far?
Peck: Inbal, do you want to talk about Twitter?
Lessner: It’s hard, because people want to put the two shows in comparison and at-war with each other. I think it is a distraction from the real issue of honestly talking about manipulation and coercive control. How did we, as a society, let this go on for 20 years? Why did women have to be branded on their vaginas to make it stop?
People reported about Keith’s sexual history with underage girls. There was enough there for people to really put a stop to it. So why don’t we have mechanisms in place, or laws in the United States, to stop groups like this before they become so dangerous? I think there’s enough evidence there that he was — at least, our experts think that he was — taking this group in a very dangerous situation that could have ended like Jonestown. People were willing to sacrifice themselves for him. If you follow the loyalists, they are sacrificing their lives, their reputations, their future careers on defending him publicly.
I love that they’re getting the message. They’re seeing the parallels to abusive relationships in their lives, to abuse in the workplace, to our political spectrum. People are really drawing existing parallels. You don’t really have to be in a crazy sex cult to recognize those red flags, to recognize when there’s coercion and manipulation. I just hope people will continue to see the series with its merits and take away from it beyond, “Who’s the winner in this docuseries battle?”
Peck: At the same time, the incredible positive response has been, “I understand how that happened to India and these other women.” People seem to be able to grasp — through the way we break down the gradual process from recruitment to indoctrination — that it could happen to almost anyone, given the right set of circumstances and given the incredibly skilled recruitment and marketing practices of NXIVM. They knew exactly what words to use. They would offer mentorship in your chosen field, the best women’s group you’ve ever been part of, help in starting a business. They knew what to say to everyone to get them into the first class and then to make them believe they needed the next class. That’s part of what we’re hearing back, is that people realize that it doesn’t mean you’re vulnerable or weak or uneducated. It could happen to almost anyone.
It feels crass to even ask about a Season 2 of a true crime documentary, but do you see yourselves continuing this story in any way? Or collaborating on another project in the future?
Peck: It’s interesting. When you become very educated into a subject like we have, you want to continue to make a difference and employ everything you’ve learned. We’re not saying we wouldn’t do another show or season or series around issues of coercive control and manipulation. We are taking a tiny bit of a breather. It was an incredibly intense, 24/7 experience. We both have a couple of other projects that we’re working on. But I love working with Inbal. I think she’s the greatest storytelling editor working in documentary. We definitely want to collaborate again.
Lessner: Thank you. Yeah, the right project will have to present itself or have to be sought out and developed, probably that’s more likely. It will come from the trove of this work that we have done together, and hopefully we continue to do together, of giving voice to people who want to make a difference.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Watch Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult on STARZ


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Trump to hold campaign-style rallies, will push voter fraud examples

President Trump is planning to hold campaign-style rallies at which he will reveal obituaries of Americans who supposedly voted in the 2020 presidential election despite being deceased , a campaign official confirms to The Post .
The group of rallies , first reported Sunday by Axios , will be focused on highlighting the Trump campaign ’ s legal effort to win back a lost election by highlighting specific examples of voter fraud .
The obituaries specifically are meant to act as evidence that President-elect Biden won the election by what the Trump team has repeatedly referred to as “ illegal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dates have not yet been announced , the Trump team is focusing their efforts on the must-win swing states : Georgia , Arizona and Pennsylvania , although other states could be included , a campaign official told the Post .
There is “ no daylight ” between those working on the Trump campaign and those in the Trump White House , specifically senior adviser Jared Kushner and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows .
“ We all have the same goal in mind , which is using the legal process over the next many @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that the president is re-elected , ” one adviser told The Post .
President-elect Biden won the 2020 White House race on Saturday , after clinching the must-win state of Pennsylvania .
He has since claimed victory and begun building out his transition team , but President Trump has refused to concede the race .
Instead , Trump has repeatedly claimed Biden won by “ illegal votes , ” and continues to vow to fight the election outcome in court , questioning its legitimacy .
On Sunday , Trump ’ s personal lawyer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to file up to 10 lawsuits alleging election fraud .
Speaking to Fox News ’ “ Sunday Morning Futures , ” the former NYC mayor argued that , “ At this point , it would be wrong for him to concede.
” “ There is strong evidence that this was an election that in at least three or four states , and possible 10 , it was stolen .
In other words , it was based on false votes .
Now , you can ’ t let an election go into history without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Besides a single example alleged by the Trump campaign of voter fraud in Nevada , which would not have been enough to sway an entire election outcome if proven , the team has not provided evidence of widespread fraud .
Speaking to host Maria Bartiromo , Giuliani pledged that voters would see evidence this week as part of the lawsuits .
“ Right now we have one [ lawsuit ] , ” he said .
“ We have two that are being drafted , and the potential is 10 .
We haven ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ states .
… You want an estimate ?
By the end of the week we ’ ll have four or five .
”

President Trump is planning to hold campaign-style rallies at which he will reveal obituaries of Americans who supposedly voted in the 2020 presidential election despite being deceased, a campaign official confirms to The Post.
The group of rallies, first reported Sunday by Axios, will be focused on highlighting the Trump campaign’s legal effort to win back a lost election by highlighting specific examples of voter fraud.
The obituaries specifically are meant to act as evidence that President-elect Joe Biden won the election by what the Trump team has repeatedly referred to as “illegal” votes.
Reached for comment by The Post, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh denied that the rallies would involve the president himself.
“These would be grassroots rallies, as we’ve already seen pop up in a variety of states since Election Day, organic shows of support like the tractor and boat parades have been all year. These is no plan for the president to hold rallies,” he said in a statement.
While specific locations and dates have not yet been announced, the Trump team is focusing their efforts on the must-win swing states of Arizona, Georgia and Pennsylvania, although other states could be included, a campaign official told the Post.
There is “no daylight” between those working on the Trump campaign and those in the Trump White House, specifically senior adviser Jared Kushner and chief of staff Mark Meadows.
“We all have the same goal in mind, which is using the legal process over the next many days and weeks ahead to make sure that the president is re-elected,” one adviser told The Post.
Biden won the 2020 White House race on Saturday after clinching the must-win state of Pennsylvania. He has since claimed victory and begun building out his transition team, but Trump has refused to concede the race.
Instead, Trump continues to vow to fight the election outcome in court, questioning its legitimacy.
On Sunday, Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani said he intends to file up to 10 lawsuits alleging election fraud.
Speaking to Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures,” the former NYC mayor argued, “At this point, it would be wrong for him to concede.”
“There is strong evidence that this was an election that in at least three or four states, and possible 10, it was stolen. In other words, it was based on false votes. Now, you can’t let an election go into history without challenging that,” he continued.
Besides a single example alleged by the Trump campaign of voter fraud in Nevada, which would not have been enough to sway an entire election outcome if proven, the team has not provided evidence of widespread fraud.
Speaking to host Maria Bartiromo, Giuliani pledged that voters would see evidence this week as part of the lawsuits.
“Right now we have one [lawsuit],” he said. “We have two that are being drafted, and the potential is 10. We haven’t investigated all the rest of those states. … You want an estimate? By the end of the week, we’ll have four or five.”


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Person leaps to death while viewing apartment at famed Hollywood building

Click to email this to a friend ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Twitter ( Opens in new window ) Click to share on Facebook ( Opens in new window ) There ’ s been a bizarre and grisly death at one of Hollywood ’ s most exclusive and star-studded buildings , Page Six has learned .
We hear a prospective buyer was viewing a multimillion-dollar apartment on one of the highest floors of the 31-story Sierra Towers on Monday afternoon — and , when the Realtor ’ s back was turned , they climbed over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to their death .
Sources say that at least one of the many famous residents of the building saw the body on the ground , and the chilling incident has been the main topic of conversation among neighbors in the elevators .
We ’ re told the sale was being handled by the real estate firm founded by Paris Hilton ’ s father , Rick Hilton , although Rick wasn ’ t showing the apartment when the devastating incident occurred .
The building has been home to David Geffen , Cher , Kelly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Lindsay Lohan , Elton John and David Furnish , Britney Spears , Joan Collins and Nikki Haskell , among many others .
In fact , The Hollywood Reporter has said of it : “ There is no other residential building in Los Angeles that has housed such a diverse and large group of notables.
” Haskell once said of the place , “ You have to be in full makeup at all times when you get in the elevator — you never know who you are going to run into.
” At @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — which is near the border between West Hollywood and Beverly Hills — went for a staggering $ 2,000 per square foot .
The LA Sheriff ’ s Office confirmed it had attended an incident involving a person who had fallen from the tower .
When we asked the building ’ s management about it , they told us they “ couldn ’ t talk about it ” and then hung up on us .
A rep for the Realtor who was showing the pricey pad declined to comment .

There’s been a bizarre and grisly death at one of Hollywood’s most exclusive and star-studded buildings, Page Six has learned.
We hear a prospective buyer was viewing a multimillion-dollar apartment on one of the highest floors of the 31-story Sierra Towers on Monday afternoon — and, when the Realtor’s back was turned, they climbed over the wall of a balcony and jumped to their death.
Sources say that at least one of the many famous residents of the building saw the body on the ground, and the chilling incident has been the main topic of conversation among neighbors in the elevators.
We’re told the sale was being handled by the real estate firm founded by Paris Hilton’s father, Rick Hilton, although Rick wasn’t showing the apartment when the devastating incident occurred.
The building has been home to David Geffen, Cher, Kelly Osbourne, Sidney Poitier, Sandra Bullock, Lindsay Lohan, Elton John and David Furnish, Britney Spears, Joan Collins and Nikki Haskell, among many others.
In fact, The Hollywood Reporter has said of it: “There is no other residential building in Los Angeles that has housed such a diverse and large group of notables.”
Haskell once said of the place, “You have to be in full makeup at all times when you get in the elevator — you never know who you are going to run into.”
At its peak, apartments in the building — which is near the border between West Hollywood and Beverly Hills — went for a staggering $2,000 per square foot.
The LA Sheriff’s Office confirmed it had attended an incident involving a person who had fallen from the tower.
When we asked the building’s management about it, they told us they “couldn’t talk about it” and then hung up on us.
A rep for the Realtor who was showing the pricey pad declined to comment.


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Trump campaign touts fake news of Al Gore win in fight for presidency

The coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is more ...

In an effort to illustrate how media can get it wrong, Trump campaign communications chief Tim Murtaugh posted an image of a newspaper declaring Al Gore as the winner of the 2000 presidential election.
The problem is that the front page in the Washington Times was a fake.
“Greeting staff at @Team Trump HQ this morning, a reminder that the media doesn’t select the President,” Murtaugh said in a since-deleted tweet Sunday.
“PRESIDENT GORE,” read the headline, which was supposed to show how the conservative newspaper prematurely projected the win.
“Those photos have been doctored. The Washington Times never ran a ‘President Gore’ headline,” the outlet said in a tweet debunking Murtaugh’s post Sunday afternoon.
“We also wish to add that Mr. Murtaugh has been officially notified via email about this error,” it added in a separate post.
All major news outlets, including CNN and the Associated Press, on Saturday projected Joe Biden as the winner of the 2020 election, having garnered more than the required 270 electoral votes.
The president, however, has so far refused to concede the election and has claimed that Biden won by “illegal votes” without offering any evidence.
On Sunday, his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani said he plans to file up to 10 last-ditch lawsuits alleging election fraud.
Trump campaign workers had apparently plastered copies of the Gore front page all over their office kitchen as motivation to keep fighting against the media’s projection of Biden winning the Electoral College, BuzzFeed News reported.
The faux page, which includes the text of the actual article printed by the paper on Nov. 8, 2000 — which said George W. Bush had defeated Gore — appears to have been originally posted in 2010 on DeviantArt.com, the outlet reported.
Previous 1 of 3 Next Advertisement The Trump campaign tweets -- and then deletes -- a fake Washington Times front page declaring Al Gore's victory in 2000. The Trump campaign tweets -- and then deletes -- a fake Washington Times front page declaring Al Gore's victory in 2000. Advertisement
Major news networks at first named Gore the projected winner in Florida two decades ago, but then retracted the call and projected that Bush had won the Sunshine State and the presidency.
When it became clear the race was too close to call, the outlets again retracted their projection — and Bush ultimately won after a Supreme Court decision ended a recount in the state.


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Al Roker thanks fans for support after cancer diagnosis

`` You ’ re hearing it from all of us today , he is ...

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Al Roker is “beyond grateful” for the well wishes he’s received since revealing his prostate cancer diagnosis last week.
Over the weekend, the “Today” show co-host, 66, thanked fans for their support in a video posted to Instagram.
“Oh my gosh, is this not a glorious day or what? Fantastic,” he said in a video showing beautiful scenery and weather. “And it reminds me that I’ve got to thank each and every one of you for your prayers, your support, your well wishes after I announced on Friday that I am battling prostate cancer.”
“With any luck, next week, I’m going to be having prostate cancer surgery and I’m going to tell prostate cancer — to borrow a phrase — you’re fired,” Roker continued, lifting President Trump’s famed phrase from “The Apprentice.”
Roker will be taking time off to undergo surgery to remove his prostate. The beloved weather forecaster said Friday he hopes to return to work in about two weeks.


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is more than 90 percent effective, company says

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
The coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is more than 90 percent effective , the companies said Monday in a major milestone for the fight against the deadly global pandemic .
The Manhattan-based drugmaker and the German biotech firm became the first pharmaceutical outfits to reveal successful data from a large , late-stage study of a COVID-19 vaccine at a time when the US and other nations are grappling with surging infection counts .
“ Today is a great day for science @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bourla said in a statement .
“ With today ’ s news , we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis.
” Pfizer and BioNTech released the data from their crucial Phase 3 study of the vaccine after 94 of the trial ’ s 43,538 participants contracted COVID-19 .
An analysis showed the vaccine was more than 90 percent effective seven days after patients received the second of two doses , meaning they become protected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccination course , according to the companies .
Pfizer and BioNTech will assess the vaccine ’ s effectiveness again when 164 study participants get sick with coronavirus .
While the final efficacy rate will vary as the study continues , an independent committee tasked with examining the data has not reported any safety concerns , the companies said .
Monday ’ s results bode well for Pfizer ’ s plans to ask the US Food and Drug Administration to approve the vaccine for emergency use by the end of this month .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vaccine is safe , a milestone it expects to reach in the third week of November .
The news sent Pfizer ’ s stock price soaring about 14.3 percent in premarket trading to $ 41.61 as of 7:28 a.m. Pfizer and BioNTech are just two of several major pharmaceutical firms that have been racing to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 inoculation since the start of the pandemic .
Three other potential vaccines besides Pfizer ’ s are currently undergoing large Phase 3 studies in the US , including candidates from Moderna @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
The coronavirus vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech is more than 90 percent effective, the companies said Monday in a major milestone for the fight against the deadly global pandemic.
The Manhattan-based drugmaker and the German biotech firm became the first pharmaceutical outfits to reveal successful data from a large, late-stage study of a COVID-19 vaccine at a time when the US and other nations are grappling with surging infection counts.
“Today is a great day for science and humanity,” Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement. “With today’s news, we are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis.”
Pfizer and BioNTech released the data from their crucial Phase 3 study of the vaccine after 94 of the trial’s 43,538 participants contracted COVID-19. An analysis showed the vaccine was more than 90 percent effective seven days after patients received the second of two doses, meaning they become protected from the virus 28 days after starting the vaccination course, according to the companies.
Pfizer and BioNTech will assess the vaccine’s effectiveness again when 164 study participants get sick with coronavirus. While the final efficacy rate will vary as the study continues, an independent committee tasked with examining the data has not reported any safety concerns, the companies said.
That rate is well above the 50 percent effectiveness that the Food and Drug Administration requires for a coronavirus vaccine and far higher than the typical efficacy of the seasonal flu shot, which was only 29 percent effective in the 2018-2019 flu season, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The results suggest Pfizer’s shot works almost as well as the measles vaccine, which is about 93 percent effective with one dose and roughly 97 percent effective with two doses, the CDC says.
Monday’s results bode well for Pfizer’s plans to ask the US Food and Drug Administration to approve the vaccine for emergency use by the end of this month. The company will still have to prove the vaccine is safe, a milestone it expects to reach in the third week of November.
The news sent Pfizer’s stock price soaring about 14.3 percent in premarket trading to $41.61 as of 7:28 a.m.
Pfizer and BioNTech are just two of several major pharmaceutical firms that have been racing to develop a safe and effective COVID-19 inoculation since the start of the pandemic.
Three other potential vaccines besides Pfizer’s are currently undergoing large Phase 3 studies in the US, including candidates from Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--‘Fatman’ review: Mel Gibson is the worst Santa of all time

And here I thought the pandemic would ruin Christmas .
But Mel Gibson got there first .
For his latest instrument of torture , a k a film , the actor plays Chris Cringle , a k a Santa Claus , in “ Fatman.
” Many performers have given a unique spin on Father Christmas , from Edmund Gwenn as the traditional jolly type in “ Miracle on 34th Street ” to Tim Allen as an angry divorced dad in “ The Santa Clause.
” Mel ’ s Canadian schlub with a sooty beard and John Wayne voice is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ telling , Chris lives proudly out in the open on an average-looking farm in a real northern town with his wife Ruth ( Marianne Jean-Baptiste ) .
He is cranky and monotonous , he doesn ’ t wear the red suit , he drinks beer at the pub and is friendly with the locals .
No one seems to care or acknowledge that he is a magical being who annually sneaks into their homes to give them gifts .
Santa ’ s Workshop , like so many small businesses , has fallen on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reason .
The operation , which is subsidized by the US government ( so stupid ) , has floundered because Santa is delivering as much coal as he is presents .
Chris , we ’ re told , is paid by volume of packages .
He laments that the drop-off is because the world ’ s children are misbehaving .
“ There is a rising number of youth making poor decisions , ” he tells the elves , who are somber , slightly shorter-than-normal middle-class seasonal workers .
“ This has unfortunately caused @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our current budget.
” So he partners with the military to use the elves to make control panels for jet planes .
Writers and directors Eshom and Ian Nelms clearly think this is all very clever , but it really makes you want to chuck tree ornaments at the TV .
What exactly is this commenting on or satirizing anyway ?
Kids today are more coddled , spoiled and screen-obsessed than they were before , but they haven ’ t all turned into tiny devils .
But what ’ s the use of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is like trying to find nachos at a Japanese grocery .
Good luck !
The B-plot — yes , there is somehow more — is about an annoying , supersmart rich kid who gets a lump of coal under the tree , and vows revenge on “ the fatman !
” .
He hires an assassin , credited as “ Skinny Man ” ( Walton Goggins , overdoing it ) , to kill Santa .
The movie ends in a bloody shootout , and although it considers itself a comedy , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ into the mind of Mel Gibson .
The 64-year-old actor ’ s choices , both personal ( “ F - - king Jews !
” ) and professional , are highly suspect .
He hasn ’ t been in one good movie since 2002 ’ s “ Signs , ” but he was nominated for a Best Director Oscar just three years ago for “ Hacksaw Ridge.
” There is an ounce of taste in there somewhere , but , like cicadas , it hides for years and years , makes a big @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s Home 2.
” Gibson ’ s got another strong performance in him , I think , but this Christmas crapola sure ain ’ t it .

Movie review Fatman Running time: 100 minutes. Rated R (bloody violence and language). In select theaters Nov. 13. On digital platforms Nov. 24.
And here I thought the pandemic would ruin Christmas. But Mel Gibson got there first.
For his latest instrument of torture, a k a film, the actor plays Chris Cringle, a k a Santa Claus, in “Fatman.” Many performers have given a unique spin on Father Christmas, from Edmund Gwenn as the traditional jolly type in “Miracle on 34th Street” to Tim Allen as an angry divorced dad in “The Santa Clause.” Gibson’s Canadian schlub with a sooty beard and John Wayne voice is the worst of them all.
In this telling, Chris lives proudly out in the open on an average-looking farm in a real northern town with his wife, Ruth (Marianne Jean-Baptiste). He is cranky and monotonous, he doesn’t wear the red suit, he drinks beer at the pub and is friendly with the locals. No one seems to care or acknowledge that he is a magical being who annually sneaks into their homes to give them gifts.
Santa’s Workshop, like so many small businesses, has fallen on hard times, but for a dubious reason. The operation, which is subsidized by the US government (so stupid), has floundered because Santa is delivering as much coal as he is presents. Chris, we’re told, is paid by volume of packages. He laments that the drop-off is because the world’s children are misbehaving.
“There is a rising number of youth making poor decisions,” he tells the elves, who are somber, slightly shorter-than-normal middle-class seasonal workers. “This has unfortunately caused our yearly subsidy to be well below our current budget.”
So he partners with the military to use the elves to make control panels for jet planes. Writers and directors Eshom and Ian Nelms clearly think this is all very clever, but it really makes you want to chuck tree ornaments at the TV.
What exactly is this commenting on or satirizing anyway? Kids today are more coddled, spoiled and screen-obsessed than they were before, but they haven’t all turned into tiny devils. But what’s the use of wonderin’? Combing for logic here is like trying to find nachos at a Japanese grocery. Good luck!
The B-plot — yes, there is somehow more — is about an annoying, supersmart rich kid who gets a lump of coal under the tree, and vows revenge on “the fatman!” He hires an assassin, credited as “Skinny Man” (Walton Goggins, overdoing it), to kill Santa. The movie ends in a bloody shootout, and although it considers itself a comedy, it is not funny.
Oh, to peek into the mind of Mel Gibson. The 64-year-old actor’s choices, both personal (“F - - king Jews!”) and professional, are highly suspect. He hasn’t been in one good movie since 2002’s “Signs,” but he was nominated for a Best Director Oscar just three years ago for “Hacksaw Ridge.” There is an ounce of taste in there somewhere, but, like cicadas, it hides for years and years, makes a big fuss and then stars in “Daddy’s Home 2.”
Gibson’s got another strong performance in him, I think, but this Christmas crapola sure ain’t it.


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Of course the Jets are a mess heading into Patriots showdown

The Patriots have embarrassed the Jets plenty of times in ...

Because, of course.
The Jets finally get a crack at the Patriots when they’re down — for the first time in two decades — with New England entering Monday night’s game at MetLife Stadium having lost its past four games.
Problem is the Jets have lost their past eight games (that would be every game they’ve played this season).
The Jets finally get to play the Patriots without Tom Brady.
Problem is they play the Patriots without Brady while without their own starting quarterback, Sam Darnold, who re-injured his right shoulder in last week’s loss in Kansas City and won’t play.
The Jets will have every one of their top receivers healthy and playing together for the first time all season — with Jamison Crowder back from his groin injury, Breshad Perriman returning from concussion protocol and rookie Denzel Mims playing his third NFL game after missing the first five with a hamstring injury he initially suffered this summer in training camp.
Problem is Darnold won’t be around to throw them the ball.
Because, of course.
“I think it’s going to be fun,’’ Perriman said of having the entire receiving corps together for the first time. “We’ve all been waiting for this moment to all get out there at the same time. It’s finally about to happen. Now we’re just going to go out there and have fun.”
Without Darnold.
Because, of course.
“I think it sucks for [Darnold],’’ Jets coach Adam Gase said. “He’s been waiting for those three guys to be together since the beginning. I hate it for him. I wish he had the opportunity to play with those three guys … and he felt like he was healthy and ready to go.’’
Until he wasn’t ready to go, ruled out at the end of the week when he realized he simply didn’t have the proper velocity on his passes, reluctantly stepping aside for veteran Joe Flacco for at least this game.
Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, the Jets 2019 first-round draft pick, has been playing the best, most disruptive football of his career of late, coming off perhaps his best game as a pro against the Chiefs … and he’s not expected to play after suffering a hamstring injury in that game.
Because, of course.
Such is the sad plight of the Jets, who can never seem to take flight. Why does it feel like they’re always grounded?
Patriots quarterback Cam Newton, Brady’s successor, has had a rough month, turning the ball over and giving away games. Newton, in fact, has been so bad that he’s called himself out publicly, acknowledging that his job is in jeopardy if he doesn’t get his act together.
If you’ve followed the Jets long enough, though, you probably have a pretty good idea what’s likely to happen Monday night in the Meadowlands: Newton is going to right himself, put his Superman cape on and play like he did when he was the league MVP leading the Carolina Panthers to the Super Bowl.
Because, of course he will.
Everyone gets fat on the Jets. They’re like the ice cream shop right next door to the Weight Watchers clinic.
In his first press conference since summertime, Jets general manager Joe Douglas, whom all of Jets Nation had been waiting to hear from with explanations for the mess he’s overseen and with hope that the team is ready to fire Gase, doubled down last week on his beleaguered coach, saying he wants to fix this thing together with him.
“This is not all on Adam,’’ Douglas said. “The hope is that we can fix these problems together and be here together for a while.’’
Those words, to Jets fans, were akin to telling a child there will be no gifts in the stocking for Christmas.
Even though everyone knows the only person with the authority to fire Gase is CEO Christopher Johnson, Douglas attempting to publicly bail Gase out by taking blame for not giving him enough talent (which he hasn’t) was the last thing Jets fans wanted to hear.
But that’s what they got.
Because, of course.


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Hip to be square: Self-driving truck hits the road

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A self-driving truck was unveiled by Kamaz, Russia’s largest truck producer, with an unusual boxy design. Watch as the driverless semi takes a spin around the factory and brakes automatically when encountering a pedestrian.
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newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Putin awaits ‘official vote count’ to congratulate Biden: Kremlin

Russian strongman Vladimir Putin will not be congratulating President-elect Joe Biden for his election win until the “ official vote count ” is in and “ legal processes ” are resolved , his spokesman said Monday .
Putin has remained mum on the issue since Biden clinched the presidency on Saturday , four days after the Nov. 3 election , clearing the threshold of 270 Electoral College votes needed for the win .
“ We think it appropriate to wait for the official vote count , ” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters .
“ I want to remind you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ respect the choice of the American people.
” Asked why Putin had congratulated President Trump soon after he had won the Electoral College and beaten Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016 , Peskov said there was an obvious difference this time .
“ You can see that there are certain legal procedures that have been announced by the current president .
That is why the situations are different and we therefore think it appropriate to wait for an official announcement , ” he said .
“ We hope that with the next president of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to re-establish a dialogue and together agree on ways to normalize our bilateral relations , ” Peskov added .
In the run-up to the election , the Russian leader had appeared to hedge his bets , frowning on Biden ’ s anti-Kremlin rhetoric but welcoming his comments on nuclear arms control .
The two countries ’ ties sank to post-Cold War lows when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 when Biden was serving as vice president under President Barack Obama .
Relations deteriorated further amid allegations that Moscow had meddled in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the vote in Trump ’ s favor — something the Kremlin has denied .
During his campaign , Biden slammed Trump for having “ embraced so many autocrats around the world , starting with Vladimir Putin .
”

Russian strongman Vladimir Putin will not be congratulating President-elect Joe Biden for his election win until the “official vote count” is in and “legal processes” are resolved, his spokesman said Monday.
Putin has remained mum on the issue since Biden clinched the presidency on Saturday, four days after the Nov. 3 election, clearing the threshold of 270 Electoral College votes needed for the win.
“We think it appropriate to wait for the official vote count,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “I want to remind you that President Putin repeatedly said he will respect the choice of the American people.”
Asked why Putin had congratulated President Trump soon after he had won the Electoral College and beaten Democrat Hillary Clinton in 2016, Peskov said there was an obvious difference this time.
“You can see that there are certain legal procedures that have been announced by the current president. That is why the situations are different and we therefore think it appropriate to wait for an official announcement,” he said.
“We hope that with the next president of the United States it will be possible to re-establish a dialogue and together agree on ways to normalize our bilateral relations,” Peskov added.
In the run-up to the election, the Russian leader had appeared to hedge his bets, frowning on Biden’s anti-Kremlin rhetoric but welcoming his comments on nuclear arms control.
The two countries’ ties sank to post-Cold War lows when Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 when Biden was serving as vice president under President Barack Obama.
Relations deteriorated further amid allegations that Moscow had meddled in the 2016 presidential election to try to tilt the vote in Trump’s favor — something the Kremlin has denied.
During his campaign, Biden slammed Trump for having “embraced so many autocrats around the world, starting with Vladimir Putin.”
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Biden reveals COVID-19 taskforce members ahead of Monday meeting

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic .
President-elect Joe Biden plans to meet Monday with his new coronavirus taskforce and give remarks about his plans for tackling the pandemic , as well as rebuilding the economy .
“ Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most important battles our administration will face , and I will be informed by science and by experts , ” Biden said in a statement Monday .
“ The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and distributed efficiently , equitably , and free ; and protecting at-risk populations , ” he added .
The board will be co-chaired by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy , former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Yale University Associate Professor Marcella Nunez-Smith .
Among the panel ’ s 10 members will be Rick Bright , who was removed as head of a federal agency called the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority earlier this year .
In April , he filed a whistleblower complaint claiming he was ousted for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drug that had been touted by President Trump as a coronavirus treatment .
Also on the board are Dr. Michael Osterholm , director of the Center for Infectious Disease & Policy at the University of Minnesota ; Dr. Atul Gawande , a former senior adviser in the Department of Health and Human Services during the Clinton administration ; and Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel , former special adviser for health policy in the White House Office of Management and Budget during the Obama Administration , ABC News reported .
Some board members previously served on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that was assembled in March during the Democratic Primary .
Murthy , Kessler and Emanuel were all part of the group that has briefed Biden about the pandemic , the network reported .
Meanwhile , Vice President Mike Pence is due to meet with the White House coronavirus task force on Monday for the first time since Oct. 20 , according to Reuters .

Sign up for our special edition newsletter to get a daily update on the coronavirus pandemic.
President-elect Joe Biden plans to meet Monday with his new coronavirus task force and give remarks about his plans for tackling the pandemic, as well as rebuilding the economy.
“Dealing with the coronavirus pandemic is one of the most important battles our administration will face, and I will be informed by science and by experts,” Biden said in a statement Monday.
“The advisory board will help shape my approach to managing the surge in reported infections; ensuring vaccines are safe, effective, and distributed efficiently, equitably, and free; and protecting at-risk populations,” he added.
The board will be co-chaired by former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, former Food and Drug Administration Commissioner David Kessler and Yale University associate professor Marcella Nunez-Smith.
Among the panel’s 10 members will be Rick Bright, who was removed as head of a federal agency called the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority earlier this year.
In April, he filed a whistleblower complaint, claiming he was ousted for refusing to promote hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that had been touted by President Trump as a coronavirus treatment.
Also on the board are Dr. Michael Osterholm, director of the Center for Infectious Disease & Policy at the University of Minnesota; Dr. Atul Gawande, a former senior adviser in the Department of Health and Human Services during the Clinton administration; and Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, former special adviser for health policy in the White House Office of Management and Budget during the Obama administration, ABC News reported.
Some board members previously served on Biden’s public health advisory committee that was assembled in March during the Democratic primary. Murthy, Kessler and Emanuel were all part of the group that has briefed Biden about the pandemic, the network reported.
Meanwhile, Vice President Mike Pence is due to meet with the White House coronavirus task force on Monday for the first time since Oct. 20, according to Reuters.


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Nonpartisan board calls on Trump to begin transition

A nonpartisan advisory board on presidential transitions urged President Trump to begin the transition process — one day after his electoral defeat to Joe Biden .
“ We urge the Trump administration to immediately begin the post-election transition process and the Biden team to take full advantage of the resources available under the Presidential Transition Act , ” the Center for Presidential Transition wrote in a Sunday letter .
“ This was a hard-fought campaign , but history is replete with examples of presidents who emerged from such campaigns to graciously assist their successors , ” the group said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election to Biden , who on Saturday was projected to be the next president .
Instead , the president has repeatedly claimed Biden won by “ illegal votes.
” On Sunday , Trump ’ s personal lawyer , Rudy Giuliani , said he intends to file up to 10 last-ditch lawsuits alleging election fraud .
Adding to the presidential transition delay , Biden has yet to be formally recognized as the president-elect by the General Services Administration , an independent federal government agency tasked with doing so .
The agency ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to her position by Trump .

A nonpartisan advisory board on presidential transitions urged President Trump to begin the transition process — one day after his electoral defeat by Joe Biden.
“We urge the Trump administration to immediately begin the post-election transition process and the Biden team to take full advantage of the resources available under the Presidential Transition Act,” the Center for Presidential Transition wrote in a Sunday letter.
“This was a hard-fought campaign, but history is replete with examples of presidents who emerged from such campaigns to graciously assist their successors,” the group said.
Trump has so far refused to concede the election to Biden, who on Saturday was projected to become the next president.
Instead, the president has repeatedly claimed Biden won by “illegal votes.” On Sunday, Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani said he intends to file up to 10 last-ditch lawsuits alleging election fraud.
Adding to the presidential transition delay, Biden has yet to be formally recognized as the president-elect by the General Services Administration, an independent federal agency tasked with doing so.
The agency’s administrator, Emily Murphy, was appointed to her position by Trump.
With Post wires


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Dog, eight people shot in Nashville during fight over the animal

A dog and eight people in Nashville were wounded in a Sunday morning shooting that erupted during an argument over @ @ @ @ @ said .
The pooch was shot in the hip and taken to an emergency vet @ @ @ @ @ at each other just after 1 a.m. at an intersection in the city ’ s @ @ @ @ @ the Nashville Tennessean .
The dog ’ s condition was not immediately known .
The @ @ @ @ @ non-life threatening injuries , the newspaper reported .
One of the shooters was the man @ @ @ @ @ said .
He had gotten into an argument with a group of people over the @ @ @ @ @ the group left and returned a short time later with a gun before the two @ @ @ @ @ .
The suspects fled after the shooting .
A gun was recovered at the scene @

A dog and eight people in Nashville were wounded in a Sunday morning shooting that erupted during an argument over the animal, a report said.
The pooch was shot in the hip and taken to an emergency vet after two men fired at each other just after 1 a.m. at an intersection in the city’s downtown area, authorities told the Nashville Tennessean.
The dog’s condition was not immediately known.
The eight adults appeared to sustain non-life-threatening injuries, the newspaper reported.
One of the shooters was the man with the dog, police said. He had gotten into an argument with a group of people over the pet.
A man from the group left and returned a short time later with a gun before the two suspects shot at each other.
The suspects fled after the shooting. A gun was recovered at the scene.


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Giants’ offensive line strategy sparked best rushing day yet

This game showed why the Giants turned down offers for ...

At one point in the first quarter of Sunday’s 23-20 victory over Washington at FedEx Field, the Giants had three rookies in the game on their offensive line, by design.
Andrew Thomas, as usual, started at left tackle. Shane Lemieux started at left guard for the second consecutive week, replacing Will Hernandez, who is on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Matt Peart, the third-round pick, came in to replace Cam Fleming, a rotation the Giants have been using the past few weeks.
The Giants had 109 rushing yards at halftime, which was met with approval by Hernandez, who tweeted, “Hell yeah boys.’’
At one point in the second quarter, little-used Chad Slade came into the game, replacing Lemieux at left guard. In the fourth quarter, Thomas was seated on the bench and Peart was in at left tackle, one rookie (third round) in place of another (first round).
“Tackle-wise, we’re really three for two at that spot,’’ head coach Joe Judge said. “Guard-wise, Will should be back sooner than later for us. I plan on being three-for-two at those positions as well inside. We’re going to try to play everyone at the game every week, make sure we stay fresh, give everybody experience.’’
The final total: 35 rushing attempts for 166 yards, both season highs.
“They’ve done a great job these last few weeks,’’ quarterback Daniel Jones said. [Offensive line] coach [Marc] Colombo has ’em going and rotating those guys in and out and keeping ’em fresh. We ran the ball effectively all day. That was a big advantage for us. Those guys did a great job up front against a really good defensive front that had the ability to really impact the game and change the game.’’
The Giants’ last five games (two wins, three losses) were decided by a total of 10 points. … TE Kaden Smith was forced out of the game in the fourth quarter with a concussion. Smith was a big factor in the run blocking before he left the field.
Rookie WR Austin Mack, subbing for left-at-home veteran Golden Tate, caught four passes for 72 yards, including breaking free for a 50-yard completion in the first quarter that set up a field goal.
“Austin did a great job stepping up and made a lot of plays for us,’’ Jones said. “He’s someone you can trust to be in the right spot. I certainly have a lot of trust in him.’’
Jones could be heard shouting “Eli, Eli, Eli’’ as he changed a play at the line of scrimmage, a check that pays homage to retired Eli Manning. Jones laughed when asked about this and said Manning has yet to reach out to him about it.
“Maybe I’ll hear from him now,’’ Jones said.


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Lee Elder gets long overdue Augusta recognition with 2021 Masters invite

With the 2020 Masters , which was scheduled to be played ...

AUGUSTA, Ga. — It was a better-late-than-never gesture.
But it was a sincere and positively necessary one — even if it did come a bit later than it should have.
Augusta National on Monday — essentially the opening day of this year’s November Masters as the world’s best players convened for practice rounds — finally recognized and celebrated Lee Elder, the man who broke the color barrier at Augusta National in 1975.
Fred Ridley, the chairman of Augusta National, announced that Elder, the first man of color to compete in the Masters 45 years ago, will be honored by the club, establishing college scholarships in his name. The club, too, invited him to be an honorary starter for the 2021 Masters, alongside Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.
The truth is Elder had never been acknowledged enough for breaking the color barrier at Augusta National. So, Monday’s press conference, which the 86-year-old Elder attended alongside with his wife, Sharon, with whom he held hands while Ridley spoke, was touching.
More importantly, it was fitting of the times we live in and long overdue.
“Like all organizations, we’ve been moved by the events of 2020,’’ Ridley said. “There’s been a lot said about racial justice and opportunity, and our question was not so much what can we say, but what can we do. So, I guess I would say that this announcement is in part a call to action in that regard.’’
Augusta National has had its well-documented issues with race relations, dating back to its early years when the only men of color on the grounds were working in the kitchen or wearing white coveralls as caddies.
Asked if he’s “satisfied’’ with the club’s efforts to become more diverse, Ridley said, “I don’t think satisfied would be the right word. I would say that we do have a diverse membership. That has been an increasing fact over the past few years. It will continue to be an increasing fact during my chairmanship.’’
Ridley predictably declined to divulge the number of minority and women members on the club roster, but don’t fool yourself: It remains predominantly made up of white males.
“I think what’s important is that we continue to look at diversity always as we look at our membership,’’ Ridley said. “While progress can always and should be made, and we do have progress to be made, but I can assure you that that is an issue that we’re focused on.’’
Perhaps Monday’s announcement was, in its own way, evidence of that.
“We have had a long relationship with Lee,’’ Ridley said. “This is just a culmination of that great relationship and an opportunity in these times to recognize him for the pioneer that he was, the great citizen that he is and what he’s done for the game of golf, what he’s persevered.’’
Only Elder, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour and eight-time winner on the Senior Tour, truly knows what he persevered in the form of overt and covert racism. He’s been on record in years past about “watch-your-back’’ death threats he received when he was first invited to play the 1975 Masters.
The only place Ridley and Augusta National came up a bit short with this honor was inviting Elder as an honorary starter for only 2021.
When asked to clarify whether Elder would be invited back to hit the first tee shots with Nicklaus and Palmer for as long as they’re alive, Ridley stumbled a bit, saying, “Oh, your question is this going to be a perpetual thing? No, this is a special moment in time.’’
It should be a special moment that goes beyond 2021. Elder’s stamp on this tournament is well worth that honor.
Nonetheless, Elder on Monday called the honor bestowed on him “something that I’ll cherish for a lifetime.’’
“The opportunity to earn an invitation to the Masters and stand at that first tee was my dream and to have it come true in 1975 remains one of the greatest highlights of my career and life,” he said. “So, to be invited back to the first tee one more time to join Jack and Gary for next year’s Masters means the world to me.”
When Elder was making history in 1975, he famously told reporters: “I belong.’’
On Monday after Ridley’s announcement honoring Elder, Tiger Woods tweeted: “We all belong. Such wonderful news to hear from Augusta National in celebration of Lee Elder.’’
Better late than never.


newyorkpost--2020-11-09--Giants’ unconventional offensive line approach more than short-term fix

Someone has to win it !
Maybe that can be the ...

Forget everything you’ve ever heard about continuity and chemistry fostering good offensive line play.
The Giants have.
The strategy of indiscriminately rotating three tackles and soon-to-be three guards through the left side, right side and the bench completely bucks conventional norms, but the Giants’ offensive line issues have been so pronounced for so many years involving so many different players and coaches that maybe “Opposites Day” was the only stone left unturned. So, why is it effective?
“We’ve talked a lot about that internally, to be honest,” coach Joe Judge said. “Part of the reason may be it gives our guys a little bit of a breather and they’ve got fresher legs out there. Part of it may be it changes what the defense can do to attack you — they can’t single up on what one guy does and maybe it alters how they approach each drive not knowing who is going in.”
Mark Schlereth — who played offensive line for 12 years in the NFL and has been an NFL on Fox booth analyst for two Giants games — has another idea.
“Sometimes it’s good to light a fire because you don’t get to play all the time, so you better understand what you are supposed to do,” Schlereth told The Post. “I think there’s been more attention to detail for young players.”
Schlereth and a teammate alternated by the quarter during the 1994 season. No merit-based exceptions.
“It was the dumbest thing in the history of football,” Schlereth said. “Normally I would criticize the rotational aspect, but a lot of it is, ‘Let’s figure out what we’ve got.’ When you are in the process of building a football team, you need depth. This is not just about this year. It’s also about building for the future.”
The Giants didn’t revolutionize football — the same five linemen playing together over the long term, studying each other’s tendencies and sharing one brain remains the preferred blueprint — but they have at least temporarily stabilized a weakness with a Pop Warner-like “everybody plays” strategy.
“The one thing we’ve concluded is whatever the reasons on the other side may be, we like how it’s working for us,” Judge said, “and we’re going to keep on going with it.”
The offensive line paved the way for a season-high 166 rushing yards and ranked a season-best 11th in the league in pass-blocking efficiency against Washington, according to Pro Football Focus.
Three of rookie left tackle Andrew Thomas’ four highest single-game grades from PFF have come since he, right tackle Cam Fleming and rookie swing tackle Matt Peart began rotating. Thomas played 68 snaps, Fleming 64 and Peart 24 against Washington.
“All three guys are playing well right now for us,” Judge said. “They’re all improving, so it gives us a lot of confidence to keep moving those guys on through.”
The Giants are about to adopt the strategy at guard, too. Rookie Shane Lemieux held his own during Will Hernandez’s two-game absence on the COVID-19/reserve list and will continue to get snaps when Hernandez returns to starting opposite Kevin Zeitler.
“For the Giants, what you saw was a lot of technique mistakes early — whether it was footwork, sets or not understanding where your help is,” Schlereth said. “There was a lack of awareness because you’ve got a bunch of young players. There’s a process where you say, ‘We’re struggling, we’re going to get everybody some reps, and we’re going to see if the cream rises to the top.’ ”
Schlereth also saw the Giants simplify the demands between Weeks 4 and 6.
“At that position, you have to find something to hang your hat on and then build from there,” Schlereth said. “When you have a lot of volume up front, there are going to be a lot of mistakes.”
The loss of spring workouts and preseason games due to COVID-19 turned the first quarter of the season into the Giants’ learning period.
“Continuity is a big piece, but we also have a unique situation,” Zeitler said. “We have a lot of young, very talented linemen in the room. Given how the season has started, I think the ability to get them in there has been really good for us.”