Our own welcoming party here at the Homestead was pretty subdued this year. Deb seemed to be fighting off a sleeping sickness, and I was recovering from another chilly night of late night observing with the telescope. So there was no wood fire, but there was music, changing of the art on our walls, and revealing the new Tarot cards for this cross-quarter time. My card indicates that my inward journey should continue, but I have had almost enough of inward journeying for the present. It might be finally time for an outward journey. At least Deb's new card thinks so for her. I know that reading and practicing piano are inward journeys, and they will certainly continue. My passion for astronomy is a combination of inward and outward journeying. And travel can also be both. So if I do travel, I will try to make it about inward journeying as much as outward.
Our little front garden got mostly destroyed last year, back when we were getting new eaves troughs installed, and also the major cement project. So it's mostly starting over time for it, though the snowdrops returned, as did some old bulbs. We also planted a short ton of new bulbs last fall, and they seem to be thriving. Right won we have two kinds of flowers showing; I'll return with new photos in a few weeks time.
Getting right into film watching, there are a few good ones to report (as usual). My main choice for last week was called Loving Highsmith, a documentary about Patricia Highsmith from 2022, directed by Eva Vitija. I have read most of her books, some of them twice, and she remains a favourite of mine. The documentary includes a few scenes from movies made from her books, as well as lots of interviews with her and film of her. She was a lesbian who wrote the first known book about such folk that had a happy ending. "Carol" was made into a very good film recently, too, which we have both seen and liked a lot. But of course her most famous character is the Ripley, where most people first come across her writing. Of course she was a bit of a strange person, and she often comes across as cool on camera. But the film once again highlights the trauma of having to break with family and friends because of one's sexual orientation. Overall, the film is quite good, and does a good job of tracing her life and loves.
My leaving choice was a b & w Bollywood musical comedy drama noir called Aar Paar (Heads or Tails). From 1954, it is directed by Guru Dutt, who also plays the lead male actor. It begins with him being released from jail early for good behaviour. His speeding caused an accident and he was jailed. He becomes involved with bank robbers, and falls in love with the daughter of a man who runs a garage. At first he is given a job, but when dad finds out that he is a jailbird, he fires him. Plenty of songs, some dancing, and a general feeling of goodness make the movie fun to watch. It runs for 2 1/4 hours, so I'm not sure that western viewers would make it to the happy ending.
Deb's main choice for last weekend was another fine documentary, this one called M. C. Escher: Journey to Infinity. Showing on Wondrium, it is a film from 2018. It is filled with his prints, great footage and photos of him, and words from his diaries read by Stephen Fry. I thought I knew most of his prints, but there are many wonderful ones shown here I had never before seen. His mathematical turning point was a visit to Granada, Spain, where he first came into contact with the abstract tiles, with repeating designs that fit together. This sent him off into a new world of discovery and artistic invention. A brilliant man, served well by this informative and uplifting film.
Deb's leaving choice was taken from Mubi, an Iranian film from 2018 called Three Faces. The director, Jafar Panahi, also stars as himself in the film. One of his lead actresses is sent a suicide video from a teenage girl in a small mountain village, a girl that wanted to become an actress. However, she lives among truly medieval people back home, and is unable to escape. Fearing the worst, the director and actress hit the road, winding their way slowly through the mountains to the village, in search of the girl, who may or may not be dead. Along the way we get a pretty vivid glimpse of mountain village life in 2018, and much of it isn't very pretty. The people of the village are friendly enough, but they just don't want anyone from their village to be an actor or entertainer. This is another one of those quiet, understated films that really pack a fine wallop, and is well worth seeking out.
I will conclude with one of the worst films I have ever seen. Expecting at the very least some humour, and perhaps some funky clothing, Blackenstein, from 1973. Yeesh, what a mess. A black soldier wounded in Vietnam (he now has no arms or legs) is put back together by white Doctor Stein. But his evil assistant wants the girl (doesn't matter what girl), and switches the DNA, turning the wounded war hero into a killing monster. He kills and kills and kills and kills, and then he is killed. Total crap from beginning to end (and through the middle). It actually gets worse and worse as it goes along. Some terrible songs are thrown in, too. Mercifully, the movie is leaving Criterion March 31st.
Mapman Mike
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