Usually a lucky day for us witches and warlocks, we'll see if the skies clear and another astronomy observing night presents itself. I've had four nights so far in less than a week, and anticipating a 5th one. Usually November is dark, wet, and dreary. However, like this year, it does occasionally surprise. I leave home around 5:15 pm and return around 11 pm, so observing at this time of year does not mess up the body clock. However, I have to drive through some heavy traffic to get there at that time.
In other news, I saw my specialist regarding my vertigo. He has me full time on beta-histine. It's been a week now and it might be helping--no attacks in over 10 days now. My recent record is 13 days, so I'm hoping to break that one. The air pressure seems to be easing up a bit, too, and the tinnitus is reduced. So things seems to be improving.
My days are filled with writing up my astronomy notes, maintaining my piano program, reading, and watching movies. As usual I'm a bit behind on our movie watching, so here goes. Deb's most recent choice was the 1974 Swallows and Amazons. We had seen it many years ago, and tuned in to see it again. It's amazing how slow moving this wonderful children's picture seems in 2020, with nearly all kids movies these days moving at lightning speed. Imagine kids sitting down today and watching a movie about kids sailing around a lake, camping out without adults on an island, and exploring. I don't think the average child of today would last 10 minutes in front of this film. Anyway, I still liked it, and would be willing to read more by Arthur Ransome. I have not seen a more recent film version of this book, but will watch out for it.
The 1974 version, now showing on Criterion.
Deb also chose Dames, a Busby Berkeley film from 1934. Starring Ruby Keeler, Joan Blondell, and Dick Powell, it's pretty much a snoozer until the frivolous frolicking begins. The expense of doing those final dance numbers must have been atrociously expensive. Girls in bed waking up, girls ironing in their undies, girls in bathtubs--good old pre-code Busby.
Scene from Dames, now showing on Criterion (until November 30th). The movement of the dancers and the set up is pure Escher.
I chose a series of short films by John and Faith Hubley, which included an interview with their four children talking about growing up in the household. Two boys and tow girls, the boys being oldest were used in several of the films. Our favourite is called The Moonbird, from 1959, and features the boys (ages 6 and 3) talking and singing in an improvised story about the two of them going out at night to capture a moonbird. We were laughing all the way through. The older boy knew the story, but the youngest just sings and talks his way to stardom in this 10 minute short film. Another really good one is called The Hole. In it, Dizzy Gillespie and George Matthews improvise a conversation between two labourers in NYC working down in a hole. Again it is very funny, but also projects the fears of 1962 regarding atomic war. Others viewed include Tender Game, Date With Dizzy, and a documentary entitled Of Stars and Men. All are good, and the animation is very distinct and original.
My next choice was from 2011, called Almayer's Folly. Directed by Chantal Akerman, this is probably the best filming of a Joseph Conrad story that I've ever seen. Set in the 1950s in Vietnam, it deals with the same colonial issues that Conrad wrote about in his first novel in 1895. The story follows the novel closely, and Akerman dwells long on many of her fine shots, allowing the full psychological impact of the situation to sink into her characters and her viewers. A truly amazing film, and I am sorry it's leaving on November 30th. I will read the book soon (complete works of Conrad for $1.99, now on my Kindle reader), and would love to see the film again. A great film! I used to read so much Conrad back in the day, and really loved his writing. It's been awhile.
Nina, as played by Aurora Marion, whose life is destroyed when she is taken from her wilderness home to be educated in a white boarding school. On Criterion until the end of November.
Mapman Mike
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