Strange Times

Once again the world has proved that it loves a white male misogynist racist convicted criminal, more than a black female. I mean who wouldn't, right?  Sadly, we live right next door to this insanity.  In fact, I can see it from my picture window.  In all likelihood Canada will go exactly the same way in our upcoming election.  Sometimes the good guys just can't win, especially if you can fool all of the people all of the time.  I don't think the new president elect will have any adverse affect on the climate, even if he scuppers all of the environmental laws he says he will, and drills for even more oil.  The balance has turned long ago.  Besides, why would a 77 year man care what happens to the climate--he won't be around long enough to see the worst of the results.

In happier news, Deb and I are now both up to date with our flu and Covid shots.  Now we are hoping to find out why she can't breathe well when she even slightly exerts herself.  Another specialist appointment this month.  Heart and lungs have been ruled out.  What is left?

We've watching and enjoying the first season of Star Trek: Lower Decks, along with the final season of Next Generation.  Lower Decks is often laugh out loud funny, and I think we all need that sort of thing a lot more than it actually happens.

    In film watching news, there are three to report.  From most recent to earlier, then, comes a really strange little picture out of France from 2015.  Called Gaz de France, it is directed by Benoit Forgeard.  It's a deadpan comedy about a puppet president of France who is eventually forced to go off script.  The film would work just as well as a theatre piece, as it is mostly ensemble acting in confined settings.  When his ratings plummet, a think tank is organized to help the president recover his popularity.  Recommended, but it certainly won't be for all tastes.

 

The film is leaving Mubi very soon. 

 

Before that came The Linguine Incident, a film by Richard Shepard from 1991.  It stars a totally amazing Rosanna Arquette as a waitress at a fancy restaurant, who really wants to become the next Houdini escape artist.  David Bowie plays a bartender with whom she becomes involved.  .He has a large gambling debt, and has made a bet that he can marry Rosanna.  When that falls through, he provides a big opportunity for the female escape artist to prove her worth.  This is a comedy that often falls flat, but Arquette is so vivacious in her role that as long as she is in the frame, the film is worth watching.  Bowie plays his role flat.  I guess the director figured just his presence would be enough.  Good thing Arquette is so right on, or the film would have totally bombed.  Worth a look, but hardly essential viewing.  No idea where the title came from.

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

Lastly comes Delta Space Mission, a restored SF animated feature from Romania in 1984.  It is a children's film, something along the lines of Fireball XL 5.  However, the animation is colourful and eye catching.  While the story is pretty flat (choose just about any Star Trek episode), there is some humour that kids might appreciate.  Impressive background art much of the time.

 

Now showing on the Criterion streaming channel. 

 

All five parts of the recent rip are now live on Blogger.  See the Travels West blog for the full impact of our adventure. 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

 

 

Reestablishing Routines

It's taken a week, but things are finally beginning to settle down again.  Piano practice has resumed, as has a scaled down exercise regime.  I've been working on the notebook log of the recent journey, as well as the web version.  The first blogger page is now up and running.  It can be seen by clicking on the link in the left margin, the one titled Travels West.  In addition, I had two nights of astronomy, with another one coming up tonight and possibly tomorrow night.  Sometimes there aren't enough days in the week, or hours in the day.  And last night was our annual Samhain party, with free Tarot cards chosen to help guide us through the upcoming year.  We choose one card that will be our yearly guide, and 8 others for the quarters and have quarters of the Celtic year.

 

In TV watching news, I will begin with the most recent and work backwards, with three to report.  Deb chose a nine part series called Self Portrait as a Coffee Pot:  A Natural History of the Studio.  So far, after three episodes, it seems a totally brilliant concept of exploring what goes on in an artist's studio.  The artist and director is William Kentridge, and it seems to have been a Covid project.  Working in South Africa, the series discusses Johannesburg, art, memory, feeling, awareness, and many other artistic and philosophical topics.  The first episode was pretty good, the second even better.  But the third episode, especially the last half, was totally brilliant.  Each part lasts about 35 minutes, so three episodes at a time is how will take this curious but fascinating medicine.

The series is showing on Mubi.  It uses stop motion in a very original and effective way. 

Before that we watched The Lady From Shanghai, a 1947 noir directed by Orson Welles, staring him and Rita Hayworth.  We had not seen this one in years, and we were quite disappointed.  It really isn't a very good film, though Hayworth is quite good in her femme fatale role as a bleached blonde.  The basic story, where an innocent man is tricked into taking the blame for a murder, is not very believable, and this tends to make Welle's character look quite stupid.  Of course the final mirror scene is fun, but it's brief and not really sitting through the entire picture to see.  I doubt I'll be tempted to see this film again.

 

The film has now left the Criterion Channel.
 

Earlier we watched a b & w medieval film epic from 1967 Czechoslovakia.  Marketa Lasarova is in several chapters, and takes place mostly over a winter and an early spring.  If you are one of those people who think that it would have been truly wonderful to live in back then, then this movie is not for you.  It's brutality isn't only caused by human action.  Living through a northern hemisphere winter is hard enough for some of us today; never mind the 1400s.  Then there is that muddy and wet spring.  Filmed in widescreen, it is a visual spectacle all the way.  The story mostly takes place in two small outlying walled hamlets.  They are rivals, with one of them being slightly more loyal to the distant king, and the other wanting nothing to do with a central command.  Marketa is the daughter of one of the leaders, and wishes to join a religious order.  Her father has pledged her to a nunnery, but does not have enough yet for her dowry.  Returning home she is kidnapped by the rival clan and her fortunes suddenly take a different turn.  A wandering holy man fights against a strongly pagan environment; experimental photography and images keep the pace interesting, if sometimes perplexing.  Since its restoration the film has been gaining adherents, after being mostly unseen until recent times.  Highly recommended, if you can find it showing anywhere else except Criterion.

Now showing on Criterion.

Mapman Mike