April Showers

Today is our first sunny day since April 15th.  It's been a rather dark setting around here, though with very little rain.  I am not caught up with all the blogging and writing.  The road trip blog is complete in 5 parts, and I finished up the written volume, adding ten photos I had printed.  Next up is the month-end book reviews for April.  I am currently in the latter half of one of the longest single books I have ever read.  It should be done on time to restart my Avon/Equinox reading quotient.  I am down to only five authors now, so more and more of my time is being spent reading books off the shelf.  Look for that update around the 30th.  And this weekend also marks the start of the monthly film festival.  My turn this month.

 

We recently watched two films.  The first one was Shakespeare Wallah, a b&w early Merchant/Ivory production.  It follows a small British company that travels around India performing plays by the bard.  Mixed in with the trials and tribulations of the company is a love story between the daughter of the company's leader and a young Indian man.  He is already involved with a woman who is a Bollywood actress.  The film is quiet but at times penetrating, and is one we have wanted to see for some time.  Recommended.

 

We watched this 1965 film on Mubi. 

 

 The Suspect is a film from 1944 direct by Richard Siodmak and starring Charles Laughton.  Poor Charles.  He is stuck in a loveless marriage to a shrew of a woman.  When he meets a young woman and helps her out of difficulty, they become very good friends.  The wife finds out and threatens to end it by informing the woman's boss, and also telling her husband's boss (I'm not sure what she had in mind for income once he was fired).  That night she falls down the stairs, with a little help from Charles.  Along comes a police inspector with nothing at all to do except put the pressure on Laughton for killing his wife, though he has no proof.  When his alcoholic neighbour threatens to blackmail him, he, too, ends up dead.  Poor Charles.  It seems that he was left with little choice in either murder.  Of course Hollywood morality does not let him get away with anything in the end, but this viewer certainly wishes that he would have.  An odd film, greatly acted by Laughton (as usual).

Showing on Criterion. 

 

Next came the first of Deb's two choices.  Transit is a German film from 2018.  It takes a book about escaping France during WW II and updates it to the present day, with another unknown fascist element taking control of the country.  In retrospect, the modernizing of the novel doesn't quite work, though overall the film is quite good.  Likely done as a budget consideration, it would have been much more expensive to try and recreate the early war years in Paris and Marseille.  Definitely worth a look.

Showing on Mubi till midnight tonight. 

 

We are just out to start watching Deb's second film choice, which will be followed by my 3 festival picks.  Speaking of festival picks, Deb's most recent short animated film has only had one rejection out of about ten submissions.  No big awards yet, though I hope it picks up a few of them. 

Deb's hip has been increasing bothering her over time.  We went to her GP and he has sent her for x-rays, a bone density test, and a cortisone shot.  All forthcoming.  Hopefully something can be done besides taking pain meds.

And finally, it is time to get the lawn mower ready for cutting grass.  It's time to contact my techie for an oil change and general tune up.  And this Saturday Nathan should arrive with his team to clear my yard of storm debris from our late February ice storm.

Mapman Mike

 

Arctic Bomb Cyclone

10 PM Update: We had a partially sunny day today, and it went to 35 F.  And it appears to be clear this evening, though I wasn't prepared, so no observing.  Drat.

We are to receive an arctic bomb cyclone this Christmas.  I am hearing happy voices on Facebook today, exclaiming that we are going to have a white Christmas (why does Christmas have to be white? I much prefer green).  If only they knew.  It will begin as rain, then change to ice, then change to snow, and then to a blizzard.  A blizzard is a combination of thickly falling snow combined with gale force winds.  That should happen Friday night and Saturday, a time when many people will be (attempting) to travel.  On top of this will be temperatures that are not amusing in the least.  It hasn't gone above 0 C since Friday here, but that is nothing as to what is coming this weekend.  And we haven't had a sunny day in the last 16 tries.  How does a high of -8 C sound for Saturday, with strong winds?  Don't ask about the lows.  Welcome to the most southerly part of Canada in December.  So I do hope everyone enjoys their white Christmas, whether stuck at an airport or stranded on a highway, or at home with power out.  'Cuz all that whiteness is going to come with a heavy price tag.

In happier news, all continues to be well at the Homestead.  Medical appointments for Deb yesterday and on Thursday, and out tonight for the weekly grocery store run.  Randy G. is stopping by for a visit on Winter Solstice tomorrow, and Amanda sometime later in the week (weather permitting).  Piano practice is going well, with pieces about six weeks away from being presentable.  Bach and Grieg, a most unusual combination.  Deb continues to slog away at her latest film, a mini SF epic.  Our music listening program continues to be fun, as we discover LP records we have never played before, and continue with our Beethoven odyssey of hearing everything he wrote (we are just about to enter his late phase).  I haven't been writing much of late, but continue to read voraciously.  And the indoor exercise program continues, awaiting the day when I might actually hike again in far off mountains.  Sigh.

In viewing news, we have paused our viewing of English and Interview With a Vampire for a time, mostly to escape the extreme violence and blood.  We have started to watch a very old British series called The Edwardians, from way back in the early 70s.  Each full length episode tells the story of a famous person or persons from the early 1900s.  So far we are halfway through the 2nd episode.  No blood or extreme violence so far, but we did here one "damn," though the man uttering it was soundly scolded by his wife immediately afterwards.

In film news, there are two to report.  The first is a real oddball film, fun to watch, but tiring at the same time.  The Wizard of Speed And Time is from 1988, and is a frenzied attempt to show a young stop motion animator trying to sell a film project in Hollywood.  It is very funny, very clever, and very fast paced.  Though a bit too frantic for this well aged viewer, it scores a lot of points in its totally zany style.  Recommended (it's on Youtube) for stop motion film and special effects fans.

Watch it on Youtube. 

My leaving Dec. 31st choice from the Criterion streaming channel was called Love Crazy, from 1941.  It stars William Powell and Myrna Loy, and begins with them trying to celebrate their 4th anniversary ritual, backwards.  An unwelcome visit from Loy's mother interrupts the festivities, and the marriage quickly unwinds from hereon in.  A very funny picture, truly worthy of the term "screwball" comedy.  The stuck elevator scene builds to a truly funny climax, among others.

Showing on Criterion till Dec. 31st.

Deb's leaving Dec. 31st choice was a bit grimmer, the Island of Lost Souls from 1932, starring Charles Laughton as Dr. Moreau.  This is one of the best horror films to come out of a very productive decade.  It's moody, creepy, intelligent, and degenerate, and came a full decade before the Nazis did their experiments on humans.  Of course the story is far earlier, by H G Wells.  Too much ahead of its time, I'm afraid.  A masterpiece of atmospheric horror.

Leaving Criterion Dec. 31st. 

Happy Winter Solstice to all northern readers, and a very Happy Summer one to all southern ones!!  Our chopped woodpile is high and dry, and ready for action.

M.

 

 

3 Film Biographies by Korda

This month's weekend film festival consisted of three films from the 1930s by Alexander Korda.  Two were pretty darn good, while one was amusing but not great film making.  We started with "The Private Life of Henry VIII," starring Charles Laughton as the King.  He owns the part, and really makes Henry come to life.  He makes the man a 3-dimensional character, showing his strength and weaknesses, and giving a good attempt at making an interesting historical character, well, interesting.  This was a break through film for Korda, and is certainly worth a look.  Costumes and sets are magnificent.

 Charles Laughton is totally amazing in the lead role.  

Next came a "biography," The Private Life of Don Juan, from 1934.  The film follows the exploits of an ageing hero, one whom young women are not longer attracted to.  Part comedy and part drama, the film is watchable, but it is not great cinema.  Douglas Fairbanks plays a Don past his prime, but still trying his best to live it up with women.  Of course, as to be expected, the film and character are pretty dated.  Poor Merle Oberon has to undertake a lengthy, sexy Spanish dance, and cannot pull it off.  The costumes and sets are wonderful to see, especially Leporello's outfit.  Not essential Korda viewing, but probably likable for Fairbanks fans.  He is pretty funny in the role.

Lastly came "Rembrandt," a stunning film by Korda from 1936.  Charles Laughton gives an understated but memorable role as the great painter, sadly misunderstood and under-appreciated in his time.  How Amsterdam loves him today, though.  Especially his rejected and ridiculed painting "The Night Watch."  This is a great film, with many scenes recreating famous paintings by Dutch masters of the day, including De Hooch, Steen, and Rembrandt himself.  Highly recommended as a start of appreciating one of the truly great artists.

 Another very fine performance by Charles Laughton.  

All three films are around 90 minutes in length, and easy to view.

Speaking of films, Deb will soon have some incredible news about her web series being accepted by a notable film festival.  She will announce the news in a few weeks, but has to keep silent about it for now.

I have managed to make my memorization goals for July!  I am happy and impressed with myself.  Of course nothing sticks in there without review, review, and more review.  It gets more and more complicated the more pieces I add to memory.  My August goal is to memorize the incredibly moving 2nd movement of the Haydn Sonata, and the final piece on the program, a Waltz by Brahms.

In Valeria the Vegetarian Vampire news, I have completed writing the first of three sections to the 2nd novel.  My main idea for the 2nd novel transpires in the 2nd section, the only part of the story I really have in my mind.  It should be fun to write, hopefully getting first draft done this month. 

Mapman Mike