Dr. Smith may have had a delicate back, and so never did anything useful around the Jupiter 2 in Lost In Space. Over the past week I have quite a full understanding of what real back pain is like. Pain has not been a large part of my experience, though it is no fun getting pricked by a cactus or stung by a wasp. I even broke bones in my foot one time, and that really hurt, too. Usually Deb is in charge of receiving pain, with her RA causing all sorts of daily complications for her. But last week was my turn. I was sitting playing piano Wednesday morning as usual and was coming to the end of my first hour. Suddenly it felt as if someone had knifed me in the back, left side. With only five minutes left in the session I had to quit. The pain continued to increase. I couldn't sit, stand, or lie down without intense pain. We called my brother Steve, who has had kidney stones pass. It sounded just like a kidney stone. We only had Deb's arthritis pain meds, so I took two of those. Nothing. Finally, around 1:30 I couldn't take it any longer, and she drove me to the hospital. We arrived at 1:35 pm, and left at 10:30 pm. Arriving patients take a number then sit and wait. After one hour of excruciating pain, I was triaged by a nurse practitioner and assistants. It was a very long hour, but they immediately gave me pain meds via i.v., as well as anti nausea drugs, as the pain was making me sick to my stomach. The pain drug helped somewhat, but not that much. It would recede for a time, then return in spasms of agony. They also took blood and I gave a urine sample. So things were moving along.
I still had to sit in the tiny waiting room for another 3 hours before being put in an ER "room." Half an hour later a doctor finally saw me. He ordered i.v. fluids, more anti nausea drugs, and was supposed to give more pain meds, but he forgot. He also ordered a CAT scan. A very long and very painful wait. We finally hailed a nurse for help with the pain. The original doctor had gone off shift, so now it was a new one. This guy took my pain seriously and I was soon cramming pills down as fast as I could. They finally helped. We waited another hour to be taken for a scan, then nearly 90 minutes for the results (a 4 mm kidney stone was in there, all right), then a final hour awaiting release and prescriptions to be taken at home. By the time we left the hospital (Met) we were both totally done in. We had worn masks throughout the ordeal. Today is Sunday and things haven't progressed much. The pain is less today, however. Yesterday I had an afternoon flare that quickly brought back unwanted memories. I have a very serious pain killer pill to be used when needed. At first they were needed lots. I now have less than half left, anticipating more flares today. Tomorrow we might be able to see my urologist. More later.
Needless to say we've been watching some TV. I am mostly unable to read without falling asleep, and find it difficult to read subtitles as well. I have been mostly sleeping the past several days, and walking slowly around the house like a zombie in old pajamas. So here are some of the things we've watched recently.
Guy Maddin is one of the great treasures of Winnipeg, Canada. A filmmaker influenced by surrealism and expressionist silent film, he has made many films of unforgettable and legendary status. A good place to start is his early feature Tales From The Gimli Hospital, from 1988. If this shorter feature doesn't win you over, then probably none of his other films will, either. The hospital is treating patients of an unknown and deadly plague, and one of the patients tells stories at night to entertain the nurses and other patients. At times totally hilarious (think Monty Python) and even innocent, and at other times violent and sadistic, this b & w film (with some tinting) explores a type of visual experience never seen before 1988. Maddin's originality and creativity are never in doubt, and his skills in film making are good enough to get the job done properly. It is a film that once seen is never forgotten. Highly recommended. Gimli is an actual small community north of Winnipeg. I hope I never have to visit their hospital.
State and Main is a film from 2000, written and directed by David Mamet. It's an entertaining piece about a big budget film being made in a small town in Vermont. The small town is a classic one, and there are some comic moments when the crew arrive and witness life there as it currently is. Things soon change, however, once the stars arrive. It stars Alec Baldwin as the alcoholic actor who likes teenage girls, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the meek mannered writer of the script. They hurriedly had to leave a previous town because of Baldwin's antics, and they are soon up against it again as a young woman allows herself to be seduced. A touching love story develops between the script writer and the female owner of a local bookstore, who also directs the local amateur theatre company. There are many fun moments in the film, and it is one of Mamet's more accessible projects, with equal amounts charm and biting satire. Recommended.
Devil of the Desert is an Egyptian attempt at a swashbuckling romance film. It is from 1954, is directed by Youssef Chanine, and once again stars Omar Sharif. The plot revolves around loose tribes being bullied by a cruel and unjust ruler, and their rebellion being led by a young upstart (Sharif). Though not up to Hollywood standards, it is often a fun film, and with better scenery than the usual back lot Hollywood affair. It reminded Deb of a Hollywood low budget serial, but I found it to be well above that level, though a bit goofy. Sharif is good as the stand in for Errol Flynn.
Next came two short films, including one animated one. That was a 45 minute film about a samurai, being episode 5 of a series called Blue-Eyed Samurai. This seemed to be the part where viewers learn of the origin of the ronin, who is in fact a woman. It is bloody, full of killing, and has the usual unlimited number of bad guys out to kill the lone good person. To its eternal detriment, the film also features katanas that "shing" when removed from the saya, or scabbard. It's worse (to me) that having throbbing engine noise and explosion sounds in space. If you have seen samurai films, this one offers little that is new to the genre other than a blue-eyed female swordswoman.
The second short was a pretty funny surrealist one from 1924. Entr'acte was directed by Rene Clair, has music by Eric Satie, and contributions by Francis Picabia. The main part of the "story" centres around a funeral procession, led by a camel. Some very clever moments, and some very funny ones, too. The music is loud and bombastic, so we kept our sound pretty low. A fun film to view!
Yesterday I had a particularly painful day, barely able to walk or focus on much of anything. So the two final films reported here are old standbys, and watchable probably even on a deathbed. The first was Forbidden Planet, directed by Fred Wilcox and from 1956. The Criterion print is pure perfection, and watching all the old scenes go by one at a time was again to witness a marvel of brilliant SF film making. This is one of those films that never seems to get old, other than in its usual 1950s SF misogynistic manner, and its somewhat infantile special effects for the monster. The backgrounds by Chesley Bonestell are still supreme works of fantastic art. Why has there never been a remake of this film, with female crew members as well as males? Actually, I would much prefer a prequel, a film series that shows the rise and fall of the Krell. It could be fantastic!
Lastly came another early classic, one worth many viewings, too. The Ladykillers is from 1955 and is directed by Alexander MacKendrick. Just seeing Alec Guiness with those teeth is enough to cause anyone undue kidney pain from laughter. Later, seeing him sitting very uncomfortably at the player piano during a tea time singalong with four old ladies and his four criminal cohorts is also not to be forgotten soon. Simply the best comic crime caper film ever made. Not a wasted moment here.
Mapman Mike.
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