Post-Christmas Message

 It began snowing on Christmas Eve, and continued all throughout Christmas Day.  It was also as cold as January, and still is.  We were promised one cold day, but this is the 3rd in a row.  So we have been even more inside than usual, if that is even possible.  I still make 2 trips outside every day, to feed the birds and squirrels.  We've had cardinals, a flock of goldfinches, nuthatches, sparrows, pigeons, and chickadees, along with every squirrel within ten square miles.  They eat voraciously when there is snow on the ground and it is really cold outside.  So do I.

I talked briefly with my parents on Friday, and Deb talked with Lynne, my brother's wife.  And today I talked at length with Amanda, who is in town to visit her family from Toronto.  As I write this blog entry the newest lockdown restrictions are in effect Ontario-wide, and will remain so until late January.  We'll see if that slows down the disease.  Already the newer strain has arrived here.

In addition to movies, we are watching Season 3 of Upstart Crow on Britbox, as well as watching Black Adder again from the beginning.  And we continue to watch Sir Tony Robinson's Walking Through History on Prime.  It's my turn to choose a threesome for this weekend's end of the month film festival, so stay tuned for that important announcement later in the week.  The show begins tonight at 6:45 pm.

Recently watched Criterion films include my two most recent choices.  The first was part 3 of Fassbinder's fascinating and fun TV series 8 Hours Don't Make A Day.  At 1 hr 45 min each, the five part series requires some serious set-aside time.  But it's worth it, as Fassbinder tackles the work-a-day world of a German industrial city in the 1970s.  Next came a short film from the leaving list, called Our Dancing Daughters.  From 1928, it is a silent film starring Joan Crawford as a carefree flapper, wondering why serious guys don't pick her for keeps.  The soundtrack is quite good, featuring music, sound effects, and even songs appearing over top emotional scenes. The ending is pure Hollywood cliche, but is fun nonetheless.  Bad characters who are really, really drunk should not try to negotiate a really long, high staircase.  Take it from me.

Showing until Dec. 31st on criterion.

The stunning Ms. Crawford in 1928.

The infamous staircase of doom.  

 

Deb chose to see what a city looks like with no clothes on.  From 1948 comes Jules Dassin's stunning crime drama The Naked City.  It was the first big Hollywood film to shoot on location in New York City, and it's fun to watch for several reasons.  The main crime story is quite good, and of course the outdoor and indoor photography is excellent.  One of the short features that accompany the film takes a tour of several locations used in filming.  The picture has a narrator, and he talks viewers through a typical workday in Manhattan, with the camera going into places never before seen, including the actual city morgue, and inside police headquarters, where various departments and labs are shown doing their jobs.  We have seen it before, years ago, but this was, of course, a newly restored print, which makes all the difference.  A solid film, worth catching.

 

Now showing on Criterion, with many extra shorts to support it.

Filmed on location in NYC, this was the first big American film to do so.  

Turning to painting, I chose yet another Arcadia image, this one even richer and more enticing than the last time.  This is a fun painting to gaze at when the snow is blowing and the weather is frightful.  It's even fun to look at when the weather is lovely.  I like these paintings because nothing seems to be going on.  Everyone knows that in the Golden Age no one had to work, or be anywhere at any specific time.  You could just loll around all day and eat grapes.  We could all use a few such days in our busy lives.  Even in a nearly one-year stay-at-home life, I am still far too busy.  This is a large painting, but because of the horizontal path, it is more difficult to enter the picture.  But the calmness and sereneness make up for that; we should not be wandering too far off anyway, as it is too taxing.
 

Landscape Of Ancient Greece, 1786, Pierre Henri de Valenciennes, French 1750-1819.  Oil on canvas, 39.5" x 59.5".  Collection Detroit Institute of Arts.

 

Detail of left side.

 

Detail of right side.

 

Further detail, right side.

 

Your loveliness goes on and on...

See you all next time, after the film festival weekend festivities have ended.

Mapman Mike