In weather news, it's way too cold, December or not. Today's high was a sunny 24 F. Of course we had to drive all over the place, too. And there is still a lot of road construction, which should have ended a month ago. Tonight's full moon is called The Cold Moon. No kidding.
First stop today was Deb's rheumatologist. Deb has been having some significant side effects to her new RA meds. So she is now off that one and we are on to a biologic drug, which will have to be self-injected every two weeks. After that we went to see her heart specialist, following up on some tests from a few weeks ago. All clear on the heart front. Deb is now free of medical appointments for almost three weeks now, when she gets an ultra-sound to see if any more kidney stones are in the works.
After the two medical appointments we went to best Buy. Our brand new computer has been in for repair almost since the day we bought it back in early October. Today they gave us a brand new one, since the previous one could not be repaired (?). We will get it going over the weekend.
In an update to my foot problem, which has kept me from walking since last June, things are on the upswing. I had another radioactive test to determine if I had any kind of bone infection. As I have heard nothing from my GP, I will assume there is no infection. On Wednesday I went to a foot care nurse in A'burg who managed to free me from a painful ingrowing toenail. She seemed to think that the impact from last June jammed my toenail back into my foot. She took care of that in about 20 minutes and I am already feeling much better. We'll see how the treadmill walking goes tomorrow, but I am feeling confident that things are finally on the mend. On Monday I will see my new GP. Dr. Shen is Deb's physician and he has agreed to take me on as a patient since my doctor moved much farther away from me. Medical news now complete.
In movie news there are four to report. First come two films from one of my DVD classic films pack. Giants of Rome is from 1964, a sword and sandal film set in the Punic wars. Four hand picked soldiers (and a young kid stowaway) are tasked with taking out an enemy secret weapon (a giant fire throwing catapult), leading up to the famous Battle of Alesia. Julius Caesar is under great pressure to win this one for Rome, and that pressure is transferred to the four warriors. This is a pretty good adventure film, as the four are captured and imprisoned, break out and are then pursued by the enemy. The climatic scene sees the weapon destroyed and Caesar marches on to victory. Mixing actual history with fiction works pretty well in this case.
From the same collection, and also a pretty decent film for its day, comes Herod The Great, from 1959. Herod was a cruel leader unloved by his people, and when he joins forces against Rome with Anthony and Cleopatra, his doom appears to be sealed. But he sets out to meet his conqueror, Augustus, to convince him that he, Herod, is a valuable man to keep Rome's interests at heart back in his kingdom. He is allowed to live and serve Rome. Here on in it becomes a film more related to Othello, as his best friend is tortured for being unfaithful,and his wife is stoned to death. All this happens as a famous "star" appears in the heavens, and news of the birth of a new king of Judea is announced. Realizing that he has erred, Herod dies. Not a great film ,but it does have its moments, and Edmund Purdom as Herod is quite good in the role.
We got to see one more Johnnie To film before they left Criterion. Throw Down is from 2004 and is the director's hommage to Kurosawa, a director whom he reveres. Watching a Chinese film about Judo (a Japanese martial art) can be a bit disconcerting, but this is a really fun film to watch. Filled with humour, some incredible Judo matches (I studied Judo for a year before giving it up for Karate), it is a film without gun play, though there is plenty of action. The three main characters consist of a young Judo expert who wishes to fight against one of the greats, though that person has fallen into gambling and alcohol addiction. The third character is a young female singer trying hard to make it in Hong Kong. The three characters are totally different, but they somehow bond. There are several scenes which can be called classic ones, including the opening scene when the young girl is getting thrown out of her apartment for not paying rent; the all out Judo fight in the bar; and the scene near the end involving a red balloon. Pretty much a terrific film, and recommended.
Lastly comes a restored version of a 1988 film from Turkey. From the Mubi website:
Eleven-year-old Yekta lives in a crumbling island mansion with her
strict aunts and ailing grandfather, yearning for her absent mother. As
dreams and surreal visions shape her solitude, she sets out in search of
a mythical seagull with a child’s head.
A cult hit in Turkey, Reha Erdem’s poetic and surreal first feature was
impressively shot on an ultra-low budget yet is entirely virtuosic.
Loosely based on an Istanbul myth, and shot on black and white film,
with Oh, Moon! Erdem proved both his resourcefulness and his lucid cinematic vision.
This is a spellbinding b & w film that relates images of angels with only heads and wings, often seen in Baroque paintings, to a young girl's search for her long dead mother. Offbeat does not begin to tell the tale here. There are four main characters, which include the girl, her two aunts, and an older young man who for a time befriends the girl. He is also a photographer searching for "the bird with wings and a baby's head." A fifth character is an old man, the caretaker at an abandoned monastery, who witnesses the final ascension of the girl on the hilltop where the monastery sits. Largely set in a crumbling and lonely mansion, the film borders on surreal at times, and at others gives unsettling views of loneliness and disconnectedness. With its startling ending, almost echoing Picnic at Hanging Rock, this is a must film for those that love unusual but highly watchable classic films.
Mapman Mike
