Tuesday night we sat outside and watched a tiny part of the full moon disappear for a while, before it came back to its full glory. Our eastern sky is high with trees, so we seldom see a moonrise from home. But it was up pretty high by 10:10, when the eclipse began. We sat on chairs in our driveway, enjoying a beautiful late evening. There is a skunk that wanders past several times a week, but tonight we were spared. Here are a few hand held camera images from mid-eclipse.
In other exciting news, we have now completed two full weeks of intense training for our upcoming hiking expedition to the American Southwest. All of the exercise has been combined with some serious house cleaning and clearing of junk. For the second week in a row we will be putting out a lot of garbage, and tomorrow morning 4 boxes of stuff, plus 4 large garbage bags full, are going to be collected by the Diabetes Association for resale. The house is still crammed with junk, but we can start to see more floor space now, and even a wall or two. Things will continue.
In film news, there are four to report, all from Criterion Streaming Beginning with most recently viewed was Independent's Day, a short documentary about independent filmmakers. The film takes in the Sundance Film Festival band provides a good look at where things stood in 1998 (!). I would love to see an updated version of this film, which is filled with interviews, clips, and quips from independent filmmakers, some of whom are quite famous now, and others not so much. Many people talk about how much Sundance had changed since its origins--if they could only see it now, they would shed crocodile tears.
Deb's other choice was Licorice Pizza, from 2021 and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson. Helped by good writing, good characters, and good acting, this film somehow manages to interest viewers and keep them interested. There is notable chemistry between the two leads, one of the reasons the film is so attractive. The story follows the adventures of Alana (28 years) and Gary (15 years), as they move through several business deals and businesses together in Encino, CA, during the 70s, along with the ups and downs of a very unbalanced romance. The title supposedly refers to two items that do not go well together. I recommend the film, despite a running time of just over two hours, and two very racist scenes with Japanese women.
My two choices ended with Tati's Mon oncle, from 1958. Filled with visual and aural gags, the film does a great job of contrasting old Paris with new Paris. We know which one Tati prefers. We had only seen this film once before, many years ago, and obviously in an inferior print. The colour is beautiful in this one, from the green of the fake grass on the lawn to the browns and greys of the old streets. The film begins with dogs running loose, closely followed by kids doing the same thing. It ends in a similar fashion. In between we have a good contrast between a sterile upbringing and one filled with dirt and noise. Tati uses limited sets to great advantage. My only disappointment is that the character of Tati in this film is that of a simpleton. I find it hard to like him in this role. Still, a very great film, and one worth seeing a third time.
My earlier pick was Night Moves, directed by Arthur Penn and starring Gene Hackman. From 1975, Hackman plays a private eye with marital problems, and an urge to solve a big case. He gets his big case, and for a while the film rips along in a very entertaining way. But the final quarter of the film is a total disaster. How many films has this viewer seen that follows such a pattern. A great concept, a great opening, a great development, and a totally farcical, stupid finale. In this one, every major character involved in the mystery dies at the end. Really? As Deb called it, it turns out to be a snuff film. Something good was destroyed by someone who should have known better.
Mapman Mike
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