September Sunshine

It has been sunny and in the 80s for quite some time now, and it will continue for at least another week.  Week Two of our mountain hiking training program has begun.  We have some warm walks ahead of us.  I am preparing for a major climb in the New Mexico Rocky Mountains.  It will be my 2nd attempt at Jicarita Peak, and at just over 12,700 it will be my 2nd highest hike.  Years ago our attempt was foiled by a mismatched water bottle, though it was a splendid hike and overnight stay in the high wilderness.  The roar of the evergreen trees as the wind rushed down off the mountain overnight will never be forgotten!  High altitude hikes are also planned for the Manzano Mountains southeast of Albuquerque, and in Texas.  I am attempting to climb to the highest point in Texas, located in Guadalupe National Park.  Lesser hikes (but still good for training) are planned at Palo Duro Canyon south of Amarillo, and in the Wichita Mtns in west Oklahoma.  Urban walks are planned along the way in Terre Haute, Indiana, and Springfield Missouri.  Those last four mentioned hikes will constitute Week 6 of our training program.  If the knees hold up, then the three big climbs will go ahead.  If not, we will find some breweries in Albuquerque and cry in our beer.  

 

Deb is not planning any big hikes, as she has had some breathing issues lately.  She went for lung tests Wednesday, and we are awaiting results.  Most places we will visit have a complete range of hiking difficulty, so she can choose less challenging ones for now.  Today she had a routine eye check up, and everything was good.  Wednesday we both went for routine blood work, and again all results were okay.

 

When I was in the throes of passing a kidney stone (or perhaps three of them), I was unable to sleep on my bed or on the couch.  Deb sleeps on a recliner chair, and I found it worked for me.  She took the couch.  So even though now I was back to my bed, I went ahead and purchased a recliner for night use, too.  With the right chair nights are very comfortable.  Mine was on sale and we got a very good deal.  It meant taking out the old queen bed (purchased years ago when we had three cats sleeping with us), which was a major undertaking.  The mattress was foam, but there was a lot of wood on the frame.  We put out a huge load of trash last night, and it was picked up today by the regular guys.  There is suddenly a lot of room in the upstairs bedroom!

 

Also this past week, a Purolater delivery truck pulled down and destroyed our internet wire.  We were without service for 24 hours, but it is now fixed and sitting a lot higher than before.

 

In other news, my uncle's obituary appeared in the Sudbury Star recently....

 

William Robert Whitehead (Bill)

April 14, 1932 - September 4, 2024

William "Bill" Whitehead, age 92. He passed away the same way he lived his life, on his own terms. He is survived by his sons Bill (Debbie), John (Marie), Jim(Taylor), as well as his daughter Lori. He is also survived by his two older sisters, Geraldine Ethier and Pauline Miller. Bill was a proud grandfather to his grandchildren and a great-grandfather to his four great-grandchildren, all of whom brought him immense joy.
Bill was always there for his grandkids, supporting them at the hockey rink, basketball games, or dance recitals. If there was a project to do, Bill was ready with his hammer, always eager to lend a hand. He played a pivotal role in helping his family build and operate the Penage Bay Marina for many years before moving on to construct the family cottage, which remains a cherished gathering place for the entire family.
He loved his many years hunting and fishing at Welcome Lake. Bill enjoyed snowmobiling with his family and even learned to ski at age 50. Known for his toughness, Bill also had a soft side, especially when it came to his grandchildren.
Bill was preceded in death by his brothers, Jack and Jim Whitehead, and his sisters, Jacqueline Munavish and Evelyn Whitehead. He had many friends and Bill will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing him. His memory will live on in the hearts of those who loved him.
Donations to ABCs & Rice at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/ or the Terryamescarefund.com would be appreciated.

Published online September 9, 2024 in the Sudbury Star 

 

In film news there are two to report.  In addition, we have finished watching Season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery.  I had watched the first two episodes on our flights to New Orleans and back to Detroit in March and got interested.  Though we will probably get around to Season Two, we will first go back to watch the final season of Next Generation (unseen by us), and then back to the 2nd season of Picard.  We are also 3 episodes into Season Two of Rings of Power, and are continuing to enjoy Peripheral, a story with 8 episodes.  More of that one tonight.  We are also viewing two Great Courses, one on detective fiction and one on Gravity.

 

Deb's film choices were from Criterion (leaving this month) and Mubi.  The leaving film was called The Taking, a documentary from 2021 about Monument Valley and how it is perceived today, following the influence of western movies, especially those of John Ford.  Though it is now Navajo land, and they have control of it, the movies filmed there were mostly pro white and against the native population.  It is unfortunate when iconic landscapes such as this are usurped by untruthful and less meaningful ideals, which then become fixed in the minds of people.  It's a good film overall, and does give more than one perspective.  However, it's point is that the Valley is so ensconced in the public's mind with the conquering of the untamed west that it may never escape that tedious label.

 

Leaving Criterion Sept. 30th. 

 

Next came a very poor example of Guy Maddin's unique storytelling methods.  His second feature is from 1990 and is called Archangel.  Taking place in 1919 Russia, a small village does not know that the war against Germany has ended, and so the fighting continues.  A soldier missing a leg is billeted by a small family.  He thinks he sees his deceased girlfriend in a village girl's face, and this sets off a long and tedious account of him trying to woo and win her.  The film goes in circles, and though only 77 minutes long, it seems much longer.  The look of the film is pure Maddin, with silent film techniques mixed in with avant garde use of camera, unique sets, and lighting.  However, the storytelling is pure rubbish.  There are much better Maddin films out there.  This one reminds me of the flip side of a 45 rpm record, with the big hit on side one, and some other musical trash on side two.

Now showing on Mubi.  

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

Oh The Pain! The Pain!

Dr. Smith may have had a delicate back, and so never did anything useful around the Jupiter 2 in Lost In Space.  Over the past week I have quite a full understanding of what real back pain is like.  Pain has not been a large part of my experience, though it is no fun getting pricked by a cactus or stung by a wasp.  I even broke bones in my foot one time, and that really hurt, too.  Usually Deb is in charge of receiving pain, with her RA causing all sorts of daily complications for her.  But last week was my turn.  I was sitting playing piano Wednesday morning as usual and was coming to the end of my first hour.  Suddenly it felt as if someone had knifed me in the back, left side.  With only five minutes left in the session I had to quit.  The pain continued to increase.  I couldn't sit, stand, or lie down without intense pain.  We called my brother Steve, who has had kidney stones pass.  It sounded just like a kidney stone.  We only had Deb's arthritis pain meds, so I took two of those.  Nothing.  Finally, around 1:30 I couldn't take it any longer, and she drove me to the hospital.  We arrived at 1:35 pm, and left at 10:30 pm.  Arriving patients take a number then sit and wait.  After one hour of excruciating pain, I was triaged by a nurse practitioner and assistants.  It was a very long hour, but they immediately gave me pain meds via i.v., as well as anti nausea drugs, as the pain was making me sick to my stomach.  The pain drug helped somewhat, but not that much.  It would recede for a time, then return in spasms of agony.  They also took blood and I gave a urine sample.  So things were moving along.  

I still had to sit in the tiny waiting room for another 3 hours before being put in an ER "room."  Half an hour later a doctor finally saw me.  He ordered i.v. fluids, more anti nausea drugs, and was supposed to give more pain meds, but he forgot before going off shift.  He also ordered a CAT scan.  A very long and very painful wait.  We finally hailed a nurse for help with the pain.  The original doctor had gone off shift, so now it was a new one.  This guy took my pain seriously and I was soon cramming pills down as fast as I could.  They finally helped.  We waited another hour to be taken for a scan, then nearly 90 minutes for the results (a 4 mm kidney stone was in there, all right), then a final hour awaiting release and prescriptions to be taken at home.  By the time we left the hospital (Met) we were both totally done in.  We had worn masks throughout the ordeal.  Today is Sunday and things haven't progressed much.  The pain is less today, however.  Yesterday I had an afternoon flare that quickly brought back unwanted memories.  I have a very serious pain killer pill to be used when needed.  At first they were needed lots.  I now have less than half left, anticipating more flares today.  Tomorrow we might be able to see my urologist.  More later.

 

Needless to say we've been watching some TV.  I am mostly unable to read without falling asleep, and find it difficult to read subtitles as well.  I have been mostly sleeping the past several days, and walking slowly around the house like a zombie in old pajamas.  So here are some of the things we've watched recently.

 

Guy Maddin is one of the great treasures of Winnipeg, Canada.  A filmmaker influenced by surrealism and expressionist silent film, he has made many films of unforgettable and legendary status.  A good place to start is his early feature Tales From The Gimli Hospital, from 1988.  If this shorter feature doesn't win you over, then probably none of his other films will, either.  The hospital is treating patients of an unknown and deadly plague, and one of the patients tells stories at night to entertain the nurses and other patients.  At times totally hilarious (think Monty Python) and even innocent, and at other times violent and sadistic, this b & w film (with some tinting) explores a type of visual experience never seen before 1988.  Maddin's originality and creativity are never in doubt, and his skills in film making are good enough to get the job done properly.  It is a film that once seen is never forgotten.  Highly recommended.  Gimli is an actual small community north of Winnipeg.  I hope I never have to visit their hospital.

Now showing on Mubi. 

 

State and Main is a film from 2000, written and directed by David Mamet.  It's an entertaining piece about a big budget film being made in a small town in Vermont.  The small town is a classic one, and there are some comic moments when the crew arrive and witness life there as it currently is.  Things soon change, however, once the stars arrive.  It stars Alec Baldwin as the alcoholic actor who likes teenage girls, and Philip Seymour Hoffman as the meek mannered writer of the script.  They hurriedly had to leave a previous town because of Baldwin's antics, and they are soon up against it again as a young woman allows herself to be seduced.  A touching love story develops between the script writer and the female owner of a local bookstore, who also directs the local amateur theatre company.  There are many fun moments in the film, and it is one of Mamet's more accessible projects, with equal amounts charm and biting satire.  Recommended.

 

Leaving Criterion Aug. 31st. 

 

Devil of the Desert is an Egyptian attempt at a swashbuckling romance film.  It is from 1954, is directed by Youssef Chanine, and once again stars Omar Sharif.  The plot revolves around loose tribes being bullied by a cruel and unjust ruler, and their rebellion being led by a young upstart (Sharif).  Though not up to Hollywood standards, it is often a fun film, and with better scenery than the usual back lot Hollywood affair.  It reminded Deb of a Hollywood low budget serial, but I found it to be well above that level, though a bit goofy.  Sharif is good as the stand in for Errol Flynn.

 

Devil of the Desert, on Criterion. 

 

Next came two short films, including one animated one.  That was a 45 minute film about a samurai, being episode 5 of a series called Blue-Eyed Samurai.  This seemed to be the part where viewers learn of the origin of the ronin, who is in fact a woman.  It is bloody, full of killing, and has the usual unlimited number of bad guys out to kill the lone good person.  To its eternal detriment, the film also features katanas that "shing" when removed from the saya, or scabbard.  It's worse (to me) that having throbbing engine noise and explosion sounds in space.  If you have seen samurai films, this one offers little that is new to the genre other than a blue-eyed female swordswoman.

The second short was a pretty funny surrealist one from 1924.  Entr'acte was directed by Rene Clair, has music by Eric Satie, and contributions by Francis Picabia.  The main part of the "story" centres around a funeral procession, led by a camel.  Some very clever moments, and some very funny ones, too.  The music is loud and bombastic, so we kept our sound pretty low.  A fun film to view!

Now showing on Criterion.

Yesterday I had a particularly painful day, barely able to walk or focus on much of anything.  So the two final films reported here are old standbys, and watchable probably even on a deathbed.  The first was Forbidden Planet, directed by Fred Wilcox and from 1956.  The Criterion print is pure perfection, and watching all the old scenes go by one at a time was again to witness a marvel of brilliant SF film making.  This is one of those films that never seems to get old, other than in its usual 1950s SF misogynistic manner, and its somewhat infantile special effects for the monster.  The backgrounds by Chesley Bonestell are still supreme works of fantastic art.  Why has there never been a remake of this film, with female crew members as well as males?  Actually, I would much prefer a prequel, a film series that shows the rise and fall of the Krell.  It could be fantastic!

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

Lastly came another early classic, one worth many viewings, too.  The Ladykillers is from 1955 and is directed by Alexander MacKendrick.  Just seeing Alec Guiness with those teeth is enough to cause anyone undue kidney pain from laughter.  Later, seeing him sitting very uncomfortably at the player piano during a tea time singalong with four old ladies and his four criminal cohorts is also not to be forgotten soon.  Simply the best comic crime caper film ever made.  Not a wasted moment here.

 

Leaving Criterion August 31st.
 

Mapman Mike.

 

 

 

Astronomy Season

So far this session I have enjoyed one clear night.  A very chilly clear night.  My lonely sight near giant windmills had snow and ice on the ground.  On arrival just after sundown it was 25 F.  Upon leaving around 11:30 pm it was 21 F.  I usually use a small computer to locate fainter objects that are difficult to find by just "pointing," but it was too cold for the little 9v battery that powers it.  So I went back to my primitive observing days and "pointed."  I didn't do too badly, either.  I am currently observing the tail end of winter constellations.  The spring ones are well up by the time I pull out.  I am on the fringe of the Milky Way in Canis Major and Puppis, both low lying constellations from northern latitudes.  But talk about stars!  When observing galaxies, the observer is usually looking away from the Milky Way, into deep space.  But when looking towards the Milky Way (summer and winter, mostly), the observer peers into the star fields and clusters that make up our galaxy.  So Tuesday night was all about observing star clusters.  I managed to log 13 new ones for me, including a deep southern globular cluster in Puppis that I never thought I would see so clearly.  It was a spectacularly clear night.

It is now cloud, rain, and snow season once again, but Sunday night looks promising (but cold). 

Deb has been sorting through our vast comic book collection from the 70s and 80s.  She is preparing to sell them off tomorrow.  We'll see how that goes.  Had the mice not chewed a good many of them, and water not damaged many others, we might have made a sweet bundle from the sale.

Deb's newest film is now out there, as it begins to enter festivals.  And there has already been an acceptance, from Atomacon in North Charleston, South Carolina.  It's a major SF event that also has a SF film festival.  The short (12') animated film takes a short story I wrote many years ago, updates and improves it, and has the look of a graphic novel.  We are both hoping it will be widely accepted by certain kinds of film festivals, and we seem to be off to a good start (if you wish to see the film, go to Deb's website (see link at upper left).  Near the top of her "films" page is a link to Will Ye No Come Back Again).

In film news, possibly the stupidest film to ever win a major Oscar managed to win an Oscar.  As I said in an earlier blog, the movie seems perfect for its time.  Everyone everywhere wants everything, and they want it now.  The breakneck pace of the film is also indicative as to what social media and instant gratification has done to the human brain (so far).  It can (and will) get worse, especially when the slew of copy cat films begin to emerge.  I might have been the only person on the planet in the 1970s who thought that Star Wars was the worst SF movie I'd ever seen (my opinion hasn't changed much).  So I might also be the only person on the planet (though Deb agrees with me) who thinks that the 2023 Oscar winner is a load of virtually worthless celluloid.

At the opposite end of the film spectrum from the 2023 Oscar winner is a film we recently saw by Jim Jarmusch, and both loved.  Take this review as the kind of movie that I think people really ought to be watching.  Paterson, from 2016, is a quiet film where not much happens.  It's about a man named Paterson who is a bus driver in Paterson, NJ.  We follow him and his wonderfully quirky wife through one week of their day to day existence.  It will be a rewarding week in many ways, mostly for viewers.  Paterson (the bus driver) is also a poet, and his mind is constantly turning over words and phrases as he goes through his day.  They live in a small house and own a small dog.  Every evening Paterson takes the dog for a walk, leaving the dog outside a neighbourhood bar as he sips his nightly glass of beer.

Besides the man, the wife, and the dog, we get to know the bartender, a few of the customers, and two people interested in poetry that briefly encounter Paterson.  There is only one dramatic moment in the whole movie, and it is brief and thankfully resolves calmly.  Even when the bus breaks down with passengers, it is a quiet event, though the director gets some mileage from it.  With just the right amount of humour, love, passion, and memorable moments, this film should have won even more awards than it did.  The dog did win the Palme Dog at Cannes, anyway.  A true sleeper film, it should not be missed by any cinema lover.

Now showing on Mubi, and worth several viewings. 

My leaving choice for the week was Maelstrom, a film by Denis Villeneuve from 2000.  Entertaining if somewhat forgettable, it follows a troubled young woman through several catastrophic events that occur almost simultaneously:  she has an abortion and it truly bothers her, she loses her job, and she kills a man in a hit and run accident while drunk driving.  With three strikes like that against you, it's tough to go on.  She meets the son of the man she killed, and things get even more complex.  His earlier film, August 32nd on Earth was also a challenge to watch, though it did have its rewards, like this film.  Not for everyone, but a credible film nonetheless.  However, coming right after the Jarmusch feature, well, it just doesn't stand up.

Leaving Criterion March 31st. 

Deb's main film choice last weekend was Oliver Sacks: His Own Life, a fascinating look into the famous author and neurologist, with plenty of film devoted to him speaking in his last year of life.  He brought the subject into the 21st C, and though he was ridiculed and ignored for much of his life, he now has a worldwide following and a legacy that has led many into the field for themselves.  His  observations and insight into the human mind, especially as it relates to Alzheimer's, Tourette, and other almost untouchable problems of the mind have advanced the cause several degrees.  His life was very troubled.  As a gay doctor he was unable to fulfill any kind of relationship on peril of being jailed until his later years, and his treatments and written studies were rejected by the medical community.  The documentary is a pretty straight forward one, but fairly representative of a helpful life lived to its fullest.  Highly recommended.  We have only read his music book Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain.  I will be adding to that list very soon.

From 2019, now showing on Mubi.

Finishing up Deb's weekend choices was Guy Madin's film of the Winnipeg Ballet's version of Dracula, Pages From a Virgin's Diary.  From 2002 it has a running time of less than 75 minutes, but seems way longer.  It is not that riveting to watch on the screen, despite many cinematic techniques at work.  I'm not sure I would have even enjoyed the actual ballet.  Let's just say that it's a story that has been done before, and though to my knowledge it has never been danced till now, that might just be a good thing.  Not the way to start getting into Guy's films.  In b & w, with colour accents (such as blood).

Leaving Criterion March 31st. 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

 

End of February Film Festival

We will get right to movies, but before discussing the (on-going) Festival, I'll talk first about Deb's two choices for last weekend.  The first one was another film by Park Chan-Wook.  The Handmaiden is from 2016, and is one of the more bizarre stories to be told.  A man has his very young niece trained to read erotic literature to a select audience of "gentlemen" once she grows up.  He is a cruel man who prizes rare erotic books more than anything else, and he has an octopus in the basement, in case anyone gets difficult to manage.  We don't realize the octopus connection until we see, later, some of the erotic drawings in the books.  A plot emerges to bring in a handmaiden to the niece, who will inherit a fortune that her uncle badly wants.  The plan is to put her away in an asylum.  The plot is complicated, but not hard to follow.  However, there are many twists and turns, as the niece falls in love with the handmaiden, and vice versa.  There are some heavy duty lesbian sex scenes, some very weird lines from old erotic books,and lots of other fun things in this recommended film.  From a book by Welsh writer Sarah Waters, it was moved to take place in Japanese occupied Korea.

Now showing on Mubi. 

Deb's going away choice was from Mubi.  There is probably no stranger filmmaker working today than Canada's Guy Maddin.  We first came across his work many years ago, and even got to meet him and chat at length when the DIA held a film retrospective weekend of his work.  About twenty people showed up for the films.  Not surprising.  But if you don't try to "get" Maddin, and if like truly strange films, usually in b & w, and you are ready for just about anything except what you have ever seen before, then perhaps Maddin is your ticket to fun and adventure!  He is for us.  Brand Upon The Brain is from 2006, and once you have viewed this film, your brain will be branded permanently.  Told in twelve chapters like a silent serial with sound effects and cue cards (in French!), the film tells of a family of four--mom, dad, Sis, and Guy, who run an orphanage on a deserted island, in a lighthouse.  Dad is a scientist and inventor who is always in his top floor lab, working.  Mother runs the orphanage, hates Sis her daughter, but loves her young son, taking him to bed with her every night.  A teen detective, who is also a harp player, shows up on the island to try and solve the mystery of why the orphans have holes in the back of their heads.  Heard enough?  I thought so.  Anyway, it is a very compelling feature to watch.  I'm surprised it got shown anywhere, but am grateful it did.  Watch for more Maddin madness soon!

Avant-garde madness from Guy Maddin.  It's run on Mubi is now over. 

 

Turning now to the end of the month film festival, I got to choose three films (besides my regular two).  I opted for three more from the Sight and Sound Top 100 list, from the ones showing on Criterion.  This time I started at the far end, choosing films we have not ever seen.  First up came a very taut drama directed by Robert Bresson.  A Man Escaped is from 1956, and is based on a true story, as told by the escapee himself after the war.  A French Resistance fighter is captured by the Germans and held in a prison.  He escapes once, but is recaptured and beaten.  Again he is locked up,this time for months.  The b & w film details his laborious method of escaping; at the last minute he is joined by a young French boy, also captured, who might be an informer.  He has to risk it, however, as his own execution is imminent.  Tied for 95th spot with several other films, this is an amazing display of camera virtuosity, often in tight frame due to cramped quarters.  The story is almost unbelievable.  Quite fabulous!

 

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

Tied for 90th spot comes Max Ophul's The Earrings of Madame de..., from 1953.  A spoiled woman who acts like a love-struck and flighty schoolgirl sells her diamond earrings to pay off some debts.  Her husband doesn't know at first, but he does find out that his wedding present to her was sold.  Her lover ends up buying them for her, and so on and son.  Lots of ballroom scenes, and a duel at the end, from which we hear the gunshot but do not see the result.  The schoolgirl faints (for the upteenth time) and the movie ends.  Probably a good film, but it does not belong in the top 100.  Certainly not on my top 500 list.

 

Now showing on Criterion.

We have just began the final film of the festival, so tune in by the weekend for an update.  Oh, and we are getting a major snowstorm on Friday.  Yay.

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

 

Clear Slies and Galaxies

 I have no idea exactly how many galaxies I have seen, though from time to time I do total my list, which exceeds two thousand.  That's a lot of galaxies, but a mere drop in the bucket as to what can be seen from dark skies.  Last night I logged another dozen or so, including Messier 87, an impressive bit of distant light if ever there was.  I began to be interested in astronomy in November 1968, one month before Apollo 8 would circle the moon with three astronauts and return safely to Earth.  In July 1969 astronauts first landed safely and walked on the moon.  So it can be said that my life as an amateur astronomer has the Apollo program to thank for it.  Newcomers are always astounded when they have their first look at the moon through a telescope.  It is the ideal place to begin the hobby, even with a pair of binoculars, as I did as a teenager.  Of course as time goes on and interest deepens, the moon becomes a bit of a curse, as its light drowns out the fainter, more elusive targets one can see with a telescope.

My first telescope was a plastic model of the Hale 100" telescope, with a mirror of just under 3".  It was in bad shape when I got my hands on it, and its tiny plastic eyepiece confirmed it as a toy, not a scientific instrument.  But it worked, and I got closer to the moon then I ever thought possible.  In 1971, with my interest growing, my parents bought me a Tasco 4.5" reflector.  It was like getting a full drum set, only much quieter.  I was in heaven (literally and emotionally), and my observing became a clear night event, though not during Sudbury's merciless winters.

Somehow during university we managed to scrape together funds for an 8" reflector.  This has larger eyepieces, making observing much easier on the eyes during extended sessions, and gathered 4x the light of my previous scope.  I was now in the big leagues, part of the dream team of amateur astronomers.  During university years, and then teaching years, astronomy became mostly a summer thing, as it involves staying up quite late.  Over the years I hauled the scope to school and gave several classes of students and their parents glimpses of some of the sky's major sights, such as the moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and some of the brighter deep sky objects.

I finally upgraded again in 2013, purchasing as 12" reflector that fits neatly into our vehicle and can be set up in about ten minutes in a dark sky site.  I've had to travel farther and farther to reach dark skies, and someday soon I hope to live somewhere I can see a dark sky from my back yard.  At that point I would likely move up to an even bigger scope, such as an 18".  Among astronomers this is called aperture fever, and is quite common.  No cure has ever been found.

Anyway, last night I had a most enjoyable observing session, my first for this month.  With luck the weather will hold and I will get one more chance on Friday. 

In movie news, I am behind again on my reporting.   After my Czech festival, I got to have my 2 normal weekly choices.  I chose another Zatoichi movie, #19, called Samaritan Zatoichi.  He helps those less fortunate and kills a bunch of bad guys.  One would have hoped that by now a new kind of story might have been chosen, but no, it's more of the same.  Like that Peanuts cartoon when Lucy holds the football for Charlie Brown to kick.  Hope springs eternal, but all for naught.

 

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

I followed up with a very short film directed by Preston Sturges, a comedy from 1940 called Christmas In July.  A man is tricked into thinking he has won a coffee slogan contest, and the prize of $25,000.  The trick is so convincing that even the company president is fooled, and hands over the check.  Fun times ensue as (of course) a major spending spree ensues. 

Showing until May 31st on Criterion. 

 

Deb choose a film by Canadian wacko man Guy Maddin.  The Green Fog is an hommage to all of the films set in San Francisco, and there are a whole lot of them.  He takes clips from the films, often removing the sound and replaying tiny snippets many times over, and attempts to fashion a short feature (61 minutes) from it.  Fun to watch at first, I quickly grew tired.  Perhaps as a 20 minute film short it might have been more successful.  Even as a film and TV buff, recognizing most of the characters and many of the films, I still lost interest after a time.  No real attempt was made to fashion a story from the clips, and my mind had really nothing to grab hold of, except image after image.  The added music is quite good.  I class it as a very interesting, though failed, experiment.  What younger viewers would think of it, who have not been exposed to classic films, I know not.

 

Now showing on Criterion.
 

Deb's going away choice has to be one of the best films ever made.  The 1970 The Railway Children is about the most perfect film for children ever made, and eminently rewatchable countless times.  I have seen it at least three times now, and enjoy it more each time.  Jenny Agutter was brilliantly directed by Lionel Jeffries, giving a tour de force performance as the oldest child of three, having to cope while their father is wrongfully imprisoned.  Her acting is understated and restrained, but her emotions come through perfectly.  Superb acting by the mother, too, and the other two children, and Bernard Cribbins, as the station porter.  A truly enchanting film, and highly recommended.  The pace of the film certainly harkens back to a different era of movie making, as well as the subject matter.

 

Showing on Criterion until May 31st.  

 

Lastly, on to this week's main pic for yours truly.  We watched Irma Vep (1996), a bizarre French film about French film.  It stars Maggie Cheung as a Hong Kong actress playing the role of a latex-suited vampire, supposedly a remake of an early silent film.  The film is in French, but as Maggie doesn't speak it, there is also a lot of English.  Although the film purports to be about a lot of things, with some random film conversation thrown in the mix, I think it is mostly about a film director wanting to see Maggie wearing the latex suit.  She does look rather sexy in it, I must admit.  Though we do get a sense of behind the scenes sniping, the overall lack of good organization in making a French film, and the fact that French film actors are not treated as stars, the camera is on Maggie so much that it turns out to be a film mostly about her and her good looks.  Not a bad film by any means, but not a great one, either.

 

Now showing on Criterion.
 

This Mapman Mike signing off for now.