We seem to have entered a new (for this region) life zone. We have always bordered, at times, on sub-tropical, but with the past extremely mild Winter and our very early Spring, it seems fitting to declare that Essex County is now about 300 miles south of where it used to be. The only thing that remains the same is the hours of daylight we get. Anyway, the lilacs and bridal flowers are over, roses are blooming, and grass is growing. Our lawn will receive its fourth cut later today. There is a kind of green on the leaves at this time of year that is very different from Summer green. It's brighter and more cheerful in appearance, as the new leaves live their short lives to the fullest, before becoming next years' mulch. Our maple tree has been deluging our driveway with keys. There are two baby groundhogs that have been coming around. One of them climbed the stairs yesterday and was scratching at the door. I think the next door neighbour has been feeding them.
With the ground thawed in Sudbury, it is nearly time to be burying Dad's ashes. One more epic drive lies ahead of us before things (hopefully) calm down for the summer. I scanned some older pictures of Dad, and will share a few of them here.
Yours truly came along one year and 5 days later.
Date unknown. Probably taken at Copper Cliff arena, where his team usually played.
In other news, Deb received her vintage Elmo 8 mm movie camera yesterday, and shot her first role of experimental film with it. She built an indoor set on the theme of our obsession with images and photographed it under different lighting conditions. The film now goes back to Toronto for developing and digitizing. Results in about two weeks.
In film watching news, there are a few to report. Most recently was Cryptozoo, an animated film by an American director from 2021. The project began in 2016. It hearkens back to the 1960s with its colourful imagery and save the world theme, only this time the saviours are out to protect actual live mythological animals. They are being harassed by people, and so are placed, for temporary protection, in a zoo. But when the animals are suddenly released, they go wild. How can viewers tell if the animated film is for kids? Well, if it has nudity, sex, and plenty of extreme violence, one should probably turn the Disney channel back on, and Mubi off. It is a very bizarre film, and sometimes hard to watch. Death by unicorn is not a pretty sight. It certainly is a colourful one, though.
Before that came a newer film by Wes Anderson, called French Dispatch. From 2021, the film is as clever as any Anderson film, and fun to watch. Three short stories make up the bulk of the film, which describes the life and workings of a magazine produced in Paris and published Sundays in the Liberal, Kansas newspaper. A somewhat odd premise. The first story, about an insane artist, is the best of the three. The second story, about a student leading a rebellion on campus, is less successful, as is the third, about the kidnapping and rescue of a young boy. Bill Murray stars as the editor. Above the door in the main office is a sign that says "No Crying." This sign pretty much sums up Anderson's films, which are almost completely devoid of any emotional content. The cleverness matches an autistic person's creativity, helping somewhat to move things along. During the third story there is a very creative use of animation showing the pursuit and capture of the kidnappers. One of the film techniques Anderson uses is to switch back and forth between b & w and colour. I never understood the purpose of this. Anderson fans should love the film; others can watch and at least gain much amusement.
We rented the film from Prime ($4.99).
Deb's leaving choice was called The Mountains Are A Dream That Call To Me, a semi-documentary film from 2020. Filmed in Nepal, it highlights the Anapurna Base Camp Trail, one of the most spectacular hiking trails in the world. However, aside from the beautiful photography, which includes the trails, woods, rivers, sanctuary hotels and villages, and, of course, the mountains, there is little else to appreciate. The barest thread of a story has a young guide voluntarily join an older woman who is climbing the trail. He comes across her as he is descending, on his way to a job in Dubai. He ends up following her for a time, but then she leaves him finally and he is on his own. A yeti is seen from time to time, inexplicably. As a film, this is not a great success. As a coffee table photo book, it is quite amazing.
Screenshot from The Mountains...., leaving Criterion May 31st.
We are currently amidst a long film starring James Mason and Ava Gardener, a technicolour film about the Flying Dutchman legend. So far so good.
Mapman Mike
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