An Engaging Vampire Film

Welcome back to the Homestead.  Today I will talk about a print from the DIA, and a few recent films we have watched.  But first, a photo that was posted on FB by a friend.  Amusing, and better than many posts of recent vintage.

From a friend's FB post. 

In my hurry to bring you the latest news, I often make silly spelling and grammar mistakes.  Ideally, Blogger should catch them, but, alas, it doesn't.  And if my trusty proof reader (Deb) doesn't have time to read the blog, they usually don't get corrected.  But I always mean to do it correctly, and that's what counts.

Maxime Lalanne was a French artist who specialized in prints and etchings, of which the DIA has several examples.  At least one has been featured here before.  But there is something exceptional about Le Pont Des Arts et L'Institut, as can easily be seen.  For one thing, that sky is just too amazing, giving an unsettling feel to the cityscape depicted.  Also, the way he uses the lighted lamp posts and their reflections in the river is unique, and very effective.  The moonlight itself is reflected in front of the boats approaching the bridge.  And by having only two people out on a moonlit night, enjoying the bridge and view of the river all to themselves, we feel as if we are peeking into a private world, glimpsing something that normally would be beyond human perception.  A rare work, filled with a most strange beauty.

A crosshatch miracle from the DIA's print collection.  Le Pont des Arts et L'Institut, 1869, by Maxime Lalonde, French, 1827-1886.  Etching printed in black ink on tissue paper.  12" x 9".  Collection Detroit Institute of Arts. 

Two details of Lalonde's print. Could that be Adam and Eve (see vampire film discussion, further below)?

Turning to recent film viewing, there are three to report.  First up was Querelle.  From 1982, this was Fassbinder's final film.  From the Criterion description: Director Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s final film is a deliriously stylized tale of hothouse lust and simmering violence. Set amid an expressionistic soundstage vision of a French sea port, this daring adaptation of a novel by Jean Genet recounts the tragedy of a handsome sailor (Brad Davis) as he is drawn into a vortex of sibling rivalry, murder, and explosive sexuality. Completed just before Fassbinder’s sudden death at age thirty-seven, QUERELLE finds the director pushing his embrace of artifice and taboo-shattering depiction of queer desire to new extremes. 

The film is visually quite seductive, and feels at first a bit like watching a queer version of a Gilbert and Sullivan opera.  The action is limited to a very small area, mostly in a seaside bar owned and run by Jeanne Moreau.  In one of the low points of cinema music, she sings (twice) possibly the worst song ever written.  It is quite embarrassing.  Apparently Fassbinder does not follow the book very much, claiming it was just a third rate crime novel.  Not having read it, I can't comment on that comment.  But he does create something unique, at least stylistically and visually.  I always have difficulty with novels and films in which I feel no sympathy or empathy with the main character.  And if the main character is a murderer, and a person who takes advantage of his comrades, and a drunken sot who is also a misogynist, then I know I will have difficulty with the film.  The gay scenes are pretty tame by today's standards, but no doubt the film opened up the possibilities for the art of queer cinema.  So, what does one do with a drunken sailor?  Do not star him in a film.

Fassbinder's final film, showing on Criterion Channel. 

With the Fassbinder films now all viewed, I will have to seek out another director project.  My choice for leaving this month was called Trouble Man, from 1972.  Directed by Ivan Dixon (of Hogan's Heroes fame), this sleeper film features Robert Hooks in a Shaft type of role.  He plays a private eye out to investigate a murder when he is set up for the crime.  Mr. T, as he is called, is admired by friends and feared by foes.  The body count goes pretty high, similar to a samurai film.  Fun to watch.  

Showing till June 30th on Criterion. 

Thank you for waiting for the vampire film discussion, which tricked you into reading this blog in the first place.  Deb chose another film from the Roku Channel (ads, but not many), and it turned into a big winner.  Somehow we had missed Jim Jarmusch's 2013 film called Only Lovers Left Alive.  With mesmerizing performances by Tilda Swinton and Tom Hiddleston, they are both too perfect in their roles as nearly burned out, aging vampires.  John Hurt stars as well, in a small but key role as Christopher Marlowe.  Adam (Tom H.) lives in a run down mansion in Brush Park, Detroit, while his wife, Eve (Tilda S.) lives in an apartment in Tangier, Morocco.  They each have reliable sources for blood, and we get to see some of their life before they come back together.  This is certainly one of the best vampire pics ever put to film, with rich nocturnal atmosphere, a music soundtrack to die for, and an unhurried pace that perfectly captures their current outlook on life.  Filmed in both of those cities, the choices could not have been better.  This is a must see film, and one worth several views.

Now showing on the Roku Channel. 

A full moon celebration is coming up, and this time will feature the first of a new 5-game tournament of Middle Earth: The Wizards card game.  Happy Full Moon to all!  And next week, or course, is the Solstice, where we get to turn our clocks towards winter once again.  See you all soon.

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

Detroit Day #2

It rained.  Oh how it rained.  All day.  So our walk around downtown was postponed indefinitely.  My 2nd visit to Detroit since the start of the pandemic was with Jenn G, who hadn't been over yet since it all began.  She wanted to see the Artemisia exhibit at the DIA.  She drove from Cambridge that morning, picked me up at the house at 11, and we were off.  Deb is still unable to cross, or if she does she cannot enter her mom's LTC facility for 14 days afterwards.  We hope this rule changes soon.

After easily getting over the border with no wait time, we drove to Eastern Market.  I purchased coffee at Germack roasters, then we drove off to Hopcat, a craft ale hot spot in Midtown Detroit.  We each had three 5 oz glasses of different craft ales, then ordered their vegan tacos.  The beer and tacos were excellent.  We sat at the bar.  The place would usually have been very busy at lunchtime, but it was rather quiet today.  Many people continue to work from home, and street life has yet to really recover.

Next stop was the DIA.  Jenn went to see the main exhibit, whilst I wandered the quiet and darkened rooms of the Asian collection for an hour.  I also spent some time at a car design show in the modern galleries, and took in a bit of early Flemish art.  We were to meet afterwards in Rivera Court.  I had time to sit and look at the wonderful murals once again, and took a few photos.  The murals still appear as if they were just recently painted.  It is a very popular place at the museum, and seldom empty of admirers.

Rivera Court murals, Detroit Institute of Arts.

Mural detail.  Fritz Lang, anyone?

Detail of above.

One of the main panels, Diego Rivera mural in Detroit. 

Two concept cars from the auto design exhibit at the DIA. 

Henri Met de Bles, Detroit Institute of Arts.

Central panel of an early Italian tryptych.  I love the colours and patterns in these kinds of paintings.

Medieval Madonna and Child, evoking a sense of calm and sanity. 

We left the DIA hoping that the rain would stop and we could go downtown and walk...nope.  So it was off to another pub.  8 Degrees Plato is the perfect combination of tap room and beer and wine shop.  There are always about a dozen taps pouring strange and wonderful brews from around the world, and the shop can be browsed for an hour at least.  Again we had three short samples before deciding to pack it in and head for home.  Back in A'burg Jenn stayed for dinner before heading back towards home.  We hope to visit the art museum in Toledo next time.

In haircut news, we both got haircuts on Friday.  I am on FB with many former APS students.  Several of them cut hair.  But one of them now comes to your home to cut.  So on Friday afternoon Garnette came over to undertake badly needed services.  We haven't seen her since Gr. 8 graduation!  She has two daughters, and many nephews and nieces.  She did a fantastic job with both of us, and I suddenly feel civilized once again.

In garage door news, as we exited the house Tuesday evening for groceries, the large spring on the garage door broke.  Upon our return the door would not open.  Deb called Dorco (yup) Wednesday morning, and they came out Thursday morning.  It was repaired with a brand new spring, and now works better than when it was new.  The door will not open without that spring.  Weirdness.

Turning finally to film news, we have now watched six b & w movies in a row.  My niece, who turns 13 soon, will not watch anything in b & w.  She hates it.  Is that common today among youngsters?  What a loss for them if this is so.

The Mill on the Po is an Italian melodrama from 1949, directed by Alberto Lattuada.  It follows two families, one a farming one and the other one millers.  Farm boy loves miller girl, and they get caught up in a political and social upheaval, as a general strike is called to protest working conditions.  It is very well acted by the principals, including the belligerent, bellowing, bigger than life brother of the girl, who eventually causes the central tragedy of the film.  Quite good, with some excellent river and rural photography.

Showing on Criterion until May 31st.

Next came Fassbinder's 2nd last movie, Veronika Voss.  From 1982 it deals with the drug addition of a fading former movie star, and the corrupt medical profession and police that surround her and take advantage of her.  When she falls for a sports writer,  he gets dragged into a very sordid environment, losing his girlfriend and his sense of who he is.  Based loosely on a real German actress who died by suicide in the 1950s, it is a pretty good film, with some bizarre scenes and dialogue.

Now showing on Criterion.

Our last b & w film (ending our streak) was International House, starring W C Fields and a host of other entertainers, including Baby Rose Marie and Cab Calloway, whose band perform "Reefer Man".  The action takes place in Wu Hu, China.  I probably needn't say too much more.  Still, it is very funny and quite wild in places, and certainly worth watching.  Some fun musical numbers, and lots of pre code underwear on display.  Bela Lugosi has a fun role as a jealous Russian general.

Showing on Criterion until May 31st 

Mapman Mike

 

Spring Weather

 Spring weather has once again struck here at the Homestead, and on a weekend!  We had a snowfall just a few days ago, but now it's near 80 F.  But more seasonal weather returns Monday.  Still, more yard work must be done today, and in a day or two the lawn tractor will be fired up, have its oil changed, and be pressed into action.  The car had an oil change on Thursday, and I had a busy run around day.  First to the bank to deposit a cheque, then to the pharmacy to get some prescriptions, then to the auto shop to get an oil change on the Golf.  Right across the street from the auto shop is a forested rails to trails path, so off I went on a solo walking adventure.  It was sunny and very warm.  The birds were having a major field day.  I ended up sitting on  bench for quite a while, watching and listening to a steady cacophony of birdsong.  Absolutely nothing was stirring in the woods in the way of flowers, except for a few dandelions.  We are still weeks away from the wildflower show.

As of Thursday afternoon, the woods were still in early Spring mode.  The birds, however, were something else.  What a racket! 

What film do you watch every week (answer coming up later)?  We have seen three decent films of late.  The first one was Lola, from director Fassbinder and from 1981.  One of his last films, it is filmed in lovingly lavish and garish colours.  It is a comedy of manners that deals with a supposedly upright middle aged man who is the new building commissioner for a mid size German city.  He is trying to weed out crooked dealings.  It also deals with Lola, a prostitute and singer at the city's main sinful nightclub.  She meets the director and pretends to be a lady of some quality.  He soon falls in love with her, before discovering her true persona.  But he is soon revealed to be a morally ambivalent person (something Lola is not), and by the end of the film nearly everyone has gotten what they wanted.  Not too many of Fassbinder's films are "fun" to watch, but this one is.  The lighting is a work of art.

Now showing on Criterion.

 

An example of the bizarre but eye-catching lighting from Lola. 

 

Next up was a neat little Noir sleeper film from 1949, directed by Richard Fleischer.  A counterfeit ring is broken up by US secret service agents in this intelligent and unique little film starring Lloyd Bridges, who is sprung from prison in a plot by the government to lead them to the criminals.  Lloyd plays along, then shows his true colours by trying to get in on the scheme again now that he is on the run.  He hopes to get to Mexico with his girlfriend with enough money to live there.  The finale chase and shootout is in the main LA trolley repair and maintenance shop, making for a unique ending.  Recommended.

Showing on Criterion until April 30th. 

 

Next up was the restored 1932 masterpiece Vampyr, directed by Carl Dreyer.  We chose the English text version (Criterion also has the German one), and sat spellbound for over an hour as this strange and unmatched horror chiller played on our big screen TV.  We weren't five minutes into the film when we both thought of the Brothers Quay and their weird and wonderful films.  Sure enough, when Deb checked it out afterwards, the Brothers claimed to be have influenced by this film more than any other single thing in their lives.  They jokingly claim to watch it once a week.  It helps to explain the Brothers Quay a little bit, but it doesn't help to explain Dreyer.  He had just made his iconic Joan of Arc film,then made this one.  Really?  Is that even possible?  Anyway, it is a masterpiece of horror film making, with nothing to compare to many of its scenes, including the very famous one from inside the coffin looking upwards.  We will likely watch it again soon.  The special effects are awesome, especially the ones involving shadows.  Don't miss the restored version!

A still from Vampyr, showing in 2 restored versions on Criterion.

Now showing on Criterion in a restored version. 

 

Turning lastly to art from the DIA, I was attracted by this image of ships in New York harbour by a French artist.  That is one beautiful ship!

 

New York Harbor, 19th C.  Jules Lessore, 1849-1892.  Watercolour, 42" x 39".

 

Detail of above. 

 

My late Uncle Jimmy was building a model ship similar to this one.  I used to stare at it in awe as it progressed (very, very slowly).  I don't think it ever got finished.  Speaking of ships, the spotting has been very good lately, with many of the regulars passing by once again.  I keep a specific eye on five ships, 2 from the Great Lakes and three salties.  I will devote a blog to them soon. 

I just received a message from my brother that my dad now has Covid.  More later.....

Mapman Mike

 
 

 

 

 

 

More Movies

It's not that I am unaware of world events and choose to ignore them.  This blog was created as more of a "what I am doing lately" thing, for family and close to friends to keeps tabs on Homestead happenings.  I have usually avoided political discourse here, and will continue to do so.  If I were to start a political crises blog, I fear I would be writing in it 24 hours per day. So I do keep up with world current events, but you will find very little of that here (so far).  Making it through four years of a Trump presidency without much commenting was a daunting task.  Watching the UK go through Brexit was another challenge for me to keep my mouth shut.  Now it is Putin's turn.  And on it goes.  Now, putting my rose coloured glasses back on....

I have been sending out my Valeria manuscript to more English publishers.  I have a very good chance of having it published in France, but the translating costs are huge.  I am having the first three chapters translated into French for submission, but I will await the English deadlines before committing to more translation costs.  The second volume is also ready to send out, if and when the first one gets published.  And the third is inside my head, waiting to come forth should the 2nd one get a green light.

In film watching news, I am a bit behind, and there have been some memorable ones lately.  One of the creepiest films we have ever the dubious pleasure of watching is called The Cremator.  It is a Czech film from 1967, directed by Juraj Herz.  It's about a man who works at a crematorium during Hitler's rise to power.  He is mad at the beginning, getting more insane as the film progresses.  He is possibly one of the scariest villains in film history.  And the picture is a dark comedy, so don't totally despair.  He likes to brag about his firm's gas furnace, which can reduce a body to ashes in 75 minutes.  He combs his hair a lot, using the same comb on dead bodies, and on his children.  He commits four murders, and tries for a fifth.  For his efforts he is rewarded by the Nazis, and given the task of making more efficient gas furnaces.  Yikes!  A horror film, indeed.

The Cremator, now showing on Criterion as part of its Czech New Wave Festival.

A still from The Cremator. 

Next up was Cronos, Del Toro's first film, from 1993.  It is a very unique film, though not entirely successful, mostly due to excessive violence.  At its heart it is a vampire tale.  An older man who runs a small antique shop gets his hand on a strange little metal device, in the shape of an insect.  When he winds it it suddenly clings to his hand, and sharp needles penetrate it, injecting him with a life prolonging formula, provided he supplements his diet with human blood.  A rich older man is after the device, having come across a text about it from the 1500s.  Ron Perlman plays his nephew and strong man.  This was the actor's first film with Del Toro, and he has some funny comments to make about him in one of the many extras that come with the film.  Definitely worth seeing, but I think that a great idea was virtually wasted here.  Be warned; there is a lot of blood, and some hilariously gross scenes (such as the first older man licking blood from the floor of a rest room).

Now showing on Criterion.

 Next came Fassbinder's 1979 film, called The Third Generation.  Starring his usual cast of actors and actresses, the director takes on home grown terrorism in this darkly funny tale about a group of misfits who band together to try and create mayhem on the streets.  We are never told why, and I doubt the group knows why.  They are completely ineffective.  However, there is an informer among them, who does his best to destroy the group.  The ending is quite good, as the film suddenly ends during the making of a ransom film of a kidnapped millionaire.  He is under the impression that this is part of his plan to boost business, and is not worried in the least.  The film had much trouble in Germany, but was successful elsewhere.  

Now showing on Criterion. 

As Spring finally arrives here in SW Ontario (though more snow is coming on Monday), it's time to take a look back at what real snow looks like.  These are more photos from my colour slides scanning project, and are from 1976, the final winter we spent in Sudbury.

February 1976, Sudbury.  Younger brother Steve, about to be put to work.

 

 Front of the house, standing in the driveway which needs some shovelling....

The driveway is clear, but not much else.

We built a fort!  Deb and I would be married in August of 1976, and leave home permanently. 

Enjoy your weather, whatever it might be!

Mapman Mike

 

 

Dead of Winter

The three weeks following January 15th are the statistically coldest days of our short winter in Essex County.  We are just coming out of our upteenth severe cold spell, which this time lasted two days.  We will have an extended breather until Thursday, when the next cold spell rolls in.  All without any snow.  However, as I write this, a monster storm is tearing through areas south of us.  It's effects will barely glaze our area, but will hit Toronto and Ottawa hard, with plenty of snow, anywhere from 10" to 16".  We could get 1", which would be welcome as ground protection. Today was almost a perfect January day.  The temperature rose to 31 F.  It was sunny, and there was barely any wind.  All that was missing was some snow, and it would have been a perfect winter day, suitable for snow shoeing.  Here is the weather map as of 4:30 pm Sunday.  Detroit and our county is at upper left.

A good illustration of one big mess, heading north.  We might get grazed. 

In shipping news, all Great Lakes locks are now closed for the season.  Three of the lakes can be navigated without locks:  Erie, Huron, and Michigan.  That includes Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers.  there are still a few ships passing by, but they all seem to be heading to winter berths.  The photo below shows the Manitowac.  It's destination was listed on my website as "Hotel Toledofornia."  Hilarious!

The Manitowac heads for its winter berth in Toledo. 

In movie news, I chose the next feature directed by Fassbinder.  From 1978, it was called In A Year of 13 Moons, and concerns the affairs of one very screwed up trans person.  The main problem with this very bold drama is that it is virtually impossible to have any sympathy with the main character, who has painted herself into a corner.  Her emotions aren't much beyond the teenage high school stage, and even if it weren't an adult but a teen being depicted, it would still be hard to empathize.  The film gets better when she goes to apologize to the man she once loved for comments she made in a recent magazine interview.  This is the most bizarre part of the film, but also the most fun.  Supposedly it was Fassbinder's favourite of his films, possibly because he had a personal attachment to it.  Fassbinder's gay lover committed suicide before filming.

Now showing on Criterion. 

Angel Face is from 1953, directed by Otto Preminger and starring Robert Mitchum and Jean Simmons.  This is a really great little noir, with intelligent dialogue and plausible outcomes.  Simmons is the deranged young beauty who wants to kill her stepmother.  When new boyfriend Mitchum, hired as the family chauffeur, refuses to get involved, she undertakes things on her own.  They both end up getting arrested and tried for murder. There are moments when dark-haired Simmons can be saved.  But her lawyer doesn't listen to her guilty pleas, and Mitchum doesn't believe her when she tells him she plead not guilty to save him (which is true).  After the trial he wants no part of her at all.  Period.  What's a psychotic girl to do?  The ending must have been shocking at the time.  it appears on some top 10 film lists, including that of Godard (8th best American sound film).  Definitely worth catching.

Showing on Criterion until January 31st. 

Mapman Mike

 

 

A Lunar Eclipse, and A Sunny Day

Things happened in that order.  First came the eclipse, which was cloudy.  Then came the sunny day, right afterwards. Typical.  Deb got up at 5 am Thursday, but it was cloudy.  I woke up at 5:50, and it had cleared.  The moon was already gibbous, being 3/4 of the way back to normal.  So I glimpsed the every end of it from the upstairs bedroom picture window.  I went back to bed and fell back asleep.

Wednesday night we celebrated the Full Moon with a fireplace fire, a moon cake, and an opera we heard throughout the day.  This time it was Mathis der Maler, by Hindemith, telling some of the story of Mathias Grunewald, the painter from the early 1500s.  Fantastic opera about a painter we still know little about, who only has about ten paintings extant.  But what paintings!  So it was a fun day, and I skipped out on piano practice.

Friday was a lovely day, and I went outside and took some photos, all within our yard.  I took three with instant cameras, and five with my small digital one.  Here are two of the digital ones:

Looking into our back yard from the south side rock garden area.  It looks like a country lane.

Tree trunk reflections in our creek. 

In movie news, there are two of my choices to report, and one of Deb's.  My main choice was Fassbinder's The Marriage of Maria Braun, from 1978.  Set in a German city just after WWII, Maria's husband has not returned from the war.  She searches and waits for him, then finally gives up.  She takes a job at a bar as a girl who dances with customers, and meets a man whom she learns to like, and has an affair with him.  Her husband walks into the bedroom at a crucial moment.  Maria clobbers her new friend, killing him.  Her husband takes the rap for it, and she visits him in jail.  It is one of the director's more lucid and enjoyable films from a mainstream audience perspective.  He makes a cameo appearance, too, as a black market seller.  It is a pretty decent film.  Fassbinder shot the film during the day, and worked on the screenplay to Berlin Alexanderplatz, consuming large quantities of cocaine.  The film turned into a big success, critical and commercial.

Hanna Schygulla in a Marlene Dietrich moment. 

My going away choice was Funeral Parade of Roses, a Japanese film from 1969.  Within Criterion, it is grouped with other films under the heading "Japan Goes Wild."  This is a strange but watchable gay boy version of Oedipus Rex, as the camera follows the exploits of pretty boy Eddie (played by "Peter").  We get right inside the gay scene in Tokyo in the 1960s, with incredible photography and visuals.  The story is pretty basic but fun all the same, with Eddie proving to be a very charming young first time actor.  There is some graphic violence involving knives, but for the most part the film consists of some wonderful eye candy, very funny lines, and some strane avante garde cinema effects.  During the story, the director will suddenly stop and interview the actors and others about life as a gay boy.  Definitely one of the weirder 60s movies I have ever watched.  Worth catching if you are able.

Leaving Criterion this month. 

 

Deb's main choice for the weekend was Pinky, a 1949 film directed by Elia Kazan and starring Jeanne Crain as a black woman who appears to be white.  She has returned to her poverty-stricken grandmother after graduating nursing, and becomes involved with a very ill white woman who owns the mansion at the end of the laneway.  This is a film that exposes some hard truths about being black, whether it shows up in your skin tones or not.  The acting is amazingly good, including that of Ethel Barrymore as the old woman, and Ethel Waters as the grandmother who did washing to put her granddaughter through nursing school.  Interracial romance is also tackled here, as well as property being left in a will for blacks to inherit.  The film was a big hit in the good old southern US of A, surprising as that may sound.  No doubt it was supported by blacks, despite casting a white woman in the main role.

Now showing on Criterion.

 And now a quick look at modern transport, from a print by William Hogarth.  We seem to be back where we started, with overcrowded airports, people much too large for the seats assigned, and armed guards needed at the beginning, the end, and on board during the trip.  Not to mention the difference between first class and the rest of us.  One can only thank Hogarth for reminding us today that progress has been slight, indeed.  And we seem to be slipping back even further, into medieval times, with the lack of trust shown scientists who are trying to put an end to the pandemic.  Good luck from me, and from Hogarth, no doubt.

The Stage Coach, 1747, by William Hogarth, English (1697-1764). Engraving in ink on wove paper, 10" x 14".  Collection Detroit Institute of Arts.  

 

In conclusion (on the subject of travel and pandemic), we will be able to visit the US for short trips and return to Canada without having to get tested.  Fully vaccinated Canadians can cross beginning either Nov. 30th or Dec. 1st.  However, Michigan now leads the US in numbers of new cases, more than 7,000 a day now.  By comparison, Ontario had 700 cases per day as last week's average.  And with American Thanksgiving coming up, the greatest annual get-together over there, it means that Covid will likely get even worse by late November/early December.  So my travel plans are still on hold, until Michigan gets its numbers down, and until I get a booster shot.  Deb can't cross, either, because she won't be allowed into the facility where her mother is living for 14 days after being out of the country.  I'm guessing January before my first visit.

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

 

Autumn Again

 We have just finished up with another two weeks of summer, with mostly very warm temps.  Today it is cool and windy, and we had over 2.5" of rain on Friday and overnight Friday into Saturday.  So far we have needed no heat turned on, and other than the furnace test on September 22nd, our system is resting up for the big winter job.  Thursday Deb had a dentist appointment in Windsor, near the main riverfront trail.  I went for a very warm walk (it was 82 F) while she had her smile cleaned. I didn't see any ships, but one was docked at the Detroit terminal.  The bridge was heavy with trucks.

Geese on the Detroit River, seen from my riverfront walk Thursday.

Trucks on the bridge.  Detroit seen across the river.

  Looking towards downtown Detroit from Windsor's riverwalk.  It was a summery day. 

 

Three of the four ships I have been watching all this year are now on the upper Great Lakes.  I am watching two lake freighters, one Canadian and one American, and two salties, both registered under the flag of Marshall Islands.  One of the salties recently stopped in Detroit, coming from Rotterdam.  It is now way up the lakes somewhere, and I will watch for its return.  The other salty is currently in Vera Cruz, Mexico, and I'm hoping it makes at least one more passage past the Homestead before the season ends.  Though it's been a busy shipping season, it is about to get a whole lot busier, as grain shipments from recent harvests make their way past us on their way across the world.  With our trees properly trimmed, I now have an excellent view of the river again from home.

 

There are three recent films seen to mention briefly.  First, the Fassbinder project continues, this time with Satan's Brew, from 1976.  It's an avant garde comedy, and one that has some serious problems.  Despite the problems, it still has some very funny moments, including the physical appearance of Margit Carstensen, looking hilarious in short, curly hair, thick eye glasses making her eyes look gigantic, and a long, tight skirt and jacket that emphasizes her thinness.  It reminds me of some of the Richard Lester movies I have seen.  Though Deb quit watching early on, I persevered.  The two main problems is that his usual actors have little or no sense of how to act in comedy.  However, they get better as the story goes along, and by the end appear to be enjoying themselves in their bizarre roles.  The second problem is the on-going overt sexism, which is amazing in its outrageousness from today's standpoint.  Worth viewing?  Probably, but mostly for Fassbinder fans who want to see everything he has done.

Now showing on Criterion, the story of a writer who is not quite all there, and always in need of cash. 

 

Red-Headed Woman stars Jean Harlow, and is from 1932.  Especially in period Hollywood films, one is used to seeing bad guys and bad gals get their comeuppence at the end of the movie.  Well, Jean is a bad one, out to get a rich man away from his wife no matter what it takes.  She is a truly revolting gold digger who knows exactly how to tempt a man.  But no comeuppance.  She gets away with everything, including attempted murder.  I guess some girls are lucky that way.  Not a great film, but Una Merkel plays her part well, as Jean's loyal girlfriend.

 

Leaving Criterion soon. 

 

Lastly came Across The Pacific, a 1942 wartime adventure film starring Bogart, Greenstreet, and Mary Astor.  The action takes places just prior to Pearl Harbour, when the Japanese were trying to time their assault with a crippling explosion along the Panama Canal.  Luck for us that Bogart is ready to tackle the problem head on, despite first getting beat up so badly he would be in the hospital for a month.  No problem for our hero, who grabs a gattling gun and saves the western world.  Too bad he wasn't at Pearl Harbour, too.  Most of the adventure takes place aboard a small ship, which Bogart calls a boat.  Mary Astor has a great role with some very fun lines as the romantic interest, as well as having some private business to attend in Panama.  Greenstreet is perfect as the evil enabler of the Japanese.

An early film for John Huston, just after he directed Maltese Falcon.

Suited to today's weather, and the beginning of dangerous fall gale season on the Great Lakes, is this print by Claude Gellee in the DIA.

The Wreck, between 1635-36.  Claude Gellee, French (1600-82).  Etching printed in black ink, 5" x 7".  Collection Detroit Institute of Arts. 

 

Mapman Mike