All three of them! Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday were colder than the average, but from now till the end of the month we will be above average. How great is that? Last year at this time the boiler was running 24/7. Now it occasionally clicks on for awhile, out of sheer boredom. I have been able to use the sidewalks, so the walking program is still going well. I would love to do some desert hiking in New Mexico this March, and it seems as if I will be able to prepare for it. A decision will be made on February 2nd, after looking at the 10-day forecast from there. It is also the day after my recital, so I will be able to devote myself full-time to preparing for some hill climbing at altitude. I will need at least 6 weeks of prep work, if I can maintain a basic fitness level until then.
In movie news, we watched two rather different films this week (as usual). Deb's choice was Dark Star, a fun SF movie from 1974, the first film directed by John Carpenter, and co-written with Dan O'Bannon (of Alien fame). It's actually a pretty good movie, and seems to get right to the heart of the matter regarding long voyages in space, and the ennui that affects the astronauts on board. There is a lot of humour, including the extended scene of one of the men trying to feed an alien pet. We have seen it many years ago, and have always remembered (an sung) the "Benson Arizona" theme song, which is a great one! Definitely worth catching again, it it's been awhile.
Showing on Criterion Channel.
My pick was another film seen a long time ago, Mirror by Tarkovsky. With many scenes filmed in b & w, the film is a stark reminder that life is mostly difficult and mundane, but interspersed with moments of unrivalled poetry and calm. This is a film that would reward frequent and repeated viewings. On a narrative level it makes little sense, and the first half of the film is very different from the 2nd half. But it is hard to take ones eyes away from the screen. Tarkovksy has created a sensual masterpiece, but one that is not necessarily accessible to film buffs. It is better to approach it like an abstract work of art, and let its power and aura enter into oneself, not forcing it, and not even trying to understand it. Like a caressing ocean wave, it simply needs to be allowed to flow on its way, passing over and through you, and then both the wave and the recipient moving on, back into their own worlds and time stream. Having said that, the movie has a lot to do with how memories recur in our thoughts, often mixing with our day to day reality. We cannot escape who we are, or where we came from, and certain memories cannot be repressed, nor should they be.
Showing on Criterion Channel.
As for our look at another work from the Detroit Institute of Arts, we will stick with the Egyptian photography theme for one more go, this one by an unknown photographer. Works such as these are seldom on view, though there is a dedicated graphic arts gallery within the museum, as well as a photography gallery. With so much art now on-line, a person can spend months studying the collections of just one museum. These high quality prints, which are still amazing to view today, must have wowed the folks back home in Paris back in the 2nd half of the 19th C. I tend to view them as an explorer to another planet might see them--they are completely alien to me, though fascinating to look at and contemplate. The civilization that created them, and is fondly remembered by most of us, is still not well understood. One of the pieces I am performing next week is Canope, by Claude Debussy. His musing on the Canopic jar traditions of ancient Egypt is something that probably gets closer to the truth than all the scientific papers that have been written about them. What is death all about? What is it? What can we learn from it? What role does ritual play, and what role does time itself play? Anyway, this is a great photo, and is likely to remain one for a very long time.
The Island and Temple at Philae, French ca. 1869. 15" x 18.5". Collection Detroit Institute of Arts.
Detail of above photo.
A modern photo from Wikipedia. The temple was relocated here because of the building of the Aswan Dam. An obelisk from the site now resides in Dorset, England.
Mapman Mike
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