Movie Catch-Up

I have not observed with my telescope since early November.  Yes, it's been cloudy a lot.  Any clear nights were always either too cold, or too windy, or too cold and windy.  Usually I get a break in February, but not so this year.  With mild temperatures finally arriving and staying, it has rained and rained and rained.  Even if a clear night appeared, my viewing location would be underwater, and the evening humidity would make observing impossible.  High humidity, which our area is noted for, fogs up the secondary mirror, which transmits light to the eyepiece.  Even eyepieces can fog over.  With the moon on the ascent, there is no chance of deep sky work anyway until at least March 17th.  It's been frustrating to say the least, but I seldom miss a reading session, and my sleep pattern has been solid.  That will all get tossed once Daylight Savings Time hits, along with clear skies.

 

When one lives beside a nasty neighbour, one's  choice is to put up with it or to retaliate in some meaningful way.  Canada and Canadians have chosen the latter method, for better or for worse.  Grocery stores are now labelling items that are Canadian, and people are now ignoring American products on the shelves.  American booze is off the shelves.  And people are cancelling vacations.  I'm still not certain about any of this.  Not visiting Detroit, for example, negates any reason I might have for living where I do.  And Detroit always votes Democrat.  Should we punish Democrats?  Removing California wines from shelves means removing products from a Democratic, anti-Trump state.  Why do that?   Anyway, the battle is on, and it will be interesting to see how far this goes.  Though Canada will indeed suffer as a result of Trump's tariffs, America will be giving itself a very black eye in the process.  Stay tuned to this topic.

 

In film news there are three to report. Most recently we watched a Gene Hackman film.  The Conversation is from 1974 and was directed by Francis Ford Coppola.  Gene plays a private investigator who gets sound and photos for his clients.  His character is a loner who does not work well with others, and his job obsesses him.  His acting is very good, since the character played really has so little to work with--he's bland, boring, and one-dimensional, but somehow the actor makes him come to life.  It's quite a good film, though obviously the technology is somewhat outdated.  The pacing is also good, as very little happens in the film other than one event being replayed and replayed.  The more it's replayed the more we learn about the heart of the case itself, as does Gene's character.  In the end the character is beaten by his rival with a device that he had called "garbage" earlier in the film.  Not far from films like Blow Out and Blow Up.  Recommended.

 

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

Before that came Shockproof, a film by Douglas Sirk from 1949 and scripted by Sam Fuller.  A parole board employee (Cornel Wilde) gets involved with one of his female clients, just released from prison from her murder charge punishment.  She is still mixed up with the guy who got her to prison, and she thinks she loves him.  Cornel tries to discourage her and things heat up quickly.  She ends up shooting her boyfriend and wounding him when he tries to blackmail Cornel.  The plot is thick and the pressure heats up when Cornel and the woman run for it.  They are cornered at nearly every attempt to escape, managing to live by taking short term jobs.  The ending is a bit sugar coated for this type of film, but it's actually good to see such endings once in a while in a Noir film.

 

Leaving Criterion March 31st. 

 

Before that came another Argentinian Noir film, one of a series recently acquired by Criterion.  We will likely get through all of them.  The Black Vampire is a 1953 Argentinian remake of M, Fritz Lang's take on homicidal pedophilia.  The main bad guy even looks like Peter Lorre, and whistles the same tune while stalking.  Though a bit too much time is spent in the storm sewers of Buenos Aires, the film has its moments as the police try to find the murderer.  Despite several highly publicized killings of little girls, there are still quite a number of them running around with no supervision.  Despite the guy being completely insane, the ending is a bit of a surprise as the jury elects to hang him.  No doubt the same verdict would be reached today, at least in countries with the death penalty.  Some pretty intense scenes.  I can't think of too many reasons for recommending a film about someone who kills children, but it's definitely worth a look, even if only to compare it to the original.  In b & w.

 

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

Mapman Mike

 

 

 

Last and First Men: The Movie

Springlike weather continues, though near the Detroit River it has been perpetually foggy.  I haven't seen a ship pass by in days now, but they can certainly be heard.  Foghorns are sounding nearly every minute at certain times.

In music news, I have succeeded in gathering a small group of performing pianists to meet occasionally to try out pieces on one another.  So far there are 3 of us, but this could easily grow larger quickly.  First meeting is tentatively scheduled for the morning of January 23rd.  Looking forward to it!!

In further music news, we were able to locate a recent film based on Olaf Stapledon's 1930 novel First and Last Men.  Conceived originally as a multimedia presentation with images, a narrator, and music, the film worked its magic for us from the opening shot to the closing one.  The film and music is by Johann Johannson, from Iceland in 2020.  He shot the incredible black and white (!) photography mostly in Yugoslavia, at a sculpture park in the mountains, and composed ambient music that is nothing short of alien and futuristic.  Tilda Swinton narrates, speaking words of Stapledon's that give a sense of the final part of the book.  There is no way that the entire book could have been filmed in one go.  Johannson died shortly after the film was made, thus destroying any hope for more chapters from the most incredible SF book ever written.  Now it has a suitable film companion.

Now showing on Mubi. 

We made some fun discoveries this week as a result of chasing down a copy of this film.  One of them is a streaming service called Mubi.  It is a good partner for Criterion, though this one does not have as large a library.  Still, there are enough films now in our queue to keep us going for months, even if we stopped watching Criterion (which we hopefully never will).  Another discovery we made was Spotify (I know, but we're old; these things take time for us).  Here we found the album of music from the film, and have now hooked the computer via Bluetooth into our stereo.

We originally got into Spotify by reading a recent article in the Guardian.  One of the writers has selected a different short piece of music to listen to every day in January, and in the article there is a direct link to the piece on Spotify.  Except that yesterday's (the 3rd) was on Youtube, and it came with an accompanying animation.  Fun stuff!!  So we now have a long listening list awaiting in favourites on Spotify.

Getting back to films, I finished up my December Film Festival with two more by Jasujiro Ozu.  Tokyo Chorus is a silent film from 1931 that follows the life of a young man.  Seen first as a student in a military type school, he is later encountered as an insurance salesman who loses his job when he stands up to the boss over the firing of an older employee.  There is comedy mixing with drama, and the picture is easy to watch.

Now showing on Criterion. 

Lastly came a 1936 film called The Only Son.  Leaving his small village for Tokyo, a young man goes to seek his fortune.  His mother has sacrificed everything to pay for his education.  When she pays a surprise visit to him, she finds him married, with one child, and teaching night school.  She is not impressed, until she sees him act kindly towards a poorer neighbour.  She goes back home with good memories of her visit.  Back at home, the young man has decided to continue his education so that he can get a better paying job.  Ozu's films are always intelligent, and never stretch things beyond what might likely happen in a certain situation.  He is excellent at establishing character, and at getting across emotions in people who are usually reluctant to show what their true feelings really are.

Now showing on Criterion.  

Deb's going away choice for this week was a Sam Fuller western called Forty Guns.  It stars Barbara Stanwyck as a rancher with forty hired guns as helpers, and she mostly gets her way in the world.  The opening scene, with Stanwyck riding hard and followed by her tribe, is very much like watching the opening to Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves.  The characters of both are very similar, too.  A Federal marshal comes to town to arrest one of her helpers for robbing the mail.  Things get tense, people get shot, and the bad guys stir things up.  An unusual western, with Stanwyck doing her usual fine job in the leadership role.  Unusual scenes include the outdoor  town baths, complete with singer and guitar player, and dinner time at Stanwyck's ranch, among others.  Filmed in b & w Cinemascope!

Leaving Criterion January 31st. 

Mapman Mike

 

  

A Visit To Sudbury

I had to drive almost 470 miles from home to escape the intense heat and dryness of our area.  But it was worth it.  Cool days, with heavy rain on one of them, made the trip more than worthwhile.  Into the bargain I also got to see my family.  Five of them live in a large apartment building which Dad owns.  He and my mother live upstairs, brother Steve and sister-in-law Lynne live on the main floor, and my niece Emma-Lee has her own room in the finished basement.  Everyone seemed well and happy, especially brother Steve, who just retired from his stressful job.  I managed two hilly city walks on my visit, a welcome change from the treadmill.  I also enjoyed a very welcome sauna (160 F!) and a swim in the family salt water pool.  Life is good in the north (in the summer, anyway).

I also got to perform my latest piano program for my parents, thanks to the generosity and friendship of Marion, a former mezzo soprano and voice teacher.  Her late husband John was my piano teacher at Cambrian College, getting me from Gr 5 piano through the professional level in three years!  I played on John's practice grand piano, as a guest of Marion.

 

PIANO RECITAL

July, 2022

Michael Ethier

Prelude #1 in C major (BWV933)

Prelude #2 in c minor (BWV934)......................................J.S. Bach (1685-1750)

 

Six Variations on an Original Theme, Op. 34

Theme (Adagio)

I – (D major)

II – Allegro, ma non troppo (Bb major)

III – Allegretto (G major)

IV – Tempo di menuetto (Eb major)

V – Marcia funebre (c minor)

VI – Allegretto (F major)

Coda (Allegretto. Adagio moto)....................L. van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Song Without Words (Andante), Op.102 No. 4....................................F. Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Impromptu, Op. 90 No. 2..........................................F. Schubert (1797-1828)

Nocturne, Op. 37 No.1..............................................F. Chopin (1810-1849)

Bethena, A Concert Waltz.............................................S. Joplin (1868 - 1917) 

The program is a demanding one for me, and it was played through with no intermission.  I did speak briefly between some of the pieces.  The program is now packed away, and new material has been started.  More later on the new pieces.

Some of the audience (my mom and dad) mingles with the guest performer after the concert. 

I have one movie to report.  Though it promised much, it didn't deliver very much at all.  House of Bamboo is from 1955, and is directed by Sam Fuller.  It was in colour, and in Cinemascope.  It was filmed entirely in Japan.  It could have been a real epic film.  But it wasn't.  The plot is a lackluster gangster film, and Robert Stack as the lead actor and hero leaves much to be desired.  Deb made a promising choice, but the film simply did not live up to its hype.  Deforest Kelly plays one of the gangsters.  Overall, very colourful and with some wonderful local photography, but pretty much a disappointment.

Now showing on Criterion. 

Tonight we finished up The Name of the Rose, an 8-part series on AMC.  While some of the episodes had some filler, overall the series was first rate and highly recommended.  I read the novel too long ago for a fair comparison, but I would like to think it is a definitive filmed version.  I sincerely hope other Eco novels will receive similar treatment in the near future.  The final episode features the burning of the library and monastery, as well as a number of deaths.

I will finish up today's blog with a quick look at a painting from the DIA.  American Impressionism features a number of works equal or superior to many French ones.  Detroit has a very good sample of French Impressionism, and a fabulous group of American paintings influenced by that movement.  On The Canal, 1916 could pass as a Van Gogh, and a very good one at that.  I have a healthy interest in the American canal era, which was extensive but short lived.  By the time the canals were fully constructed and operational, railroads were already beginning to supplant them.  Major flooding eventually destroyed the entire system.

We have visited many canal sites in Ohio and Indiana (a canal went from Toledo to Fort Wayne, IN, and from Toledo to Cincinnati).  It's fun comparing photos of the era (early 1900s) to the same locations today.  There are big differences.  Especially in the towns and cities, canals were in industrial areas, with no trees, grass, or any sign of a healthy ecosystem.  Viewing these overgrown sites today can give a very misleading idea of what the era was really like (a bit like Hell).  While Robert Spencer's painting does feature a large tree, he chose to paint it without leaves, likely in early Spring.  Though this particular image is from Pennsylvania, it is easily recognized as a classic canal side image of the day, from just about anywhere in the Midwest.  I love the slightly mismatched windows in the narrow central house.  The painting is getting me interested again in visiting some more sites!

On The Canal, New Hope, 1916.  Oil on canvas.  Robert Spencer, American, 1879-1931.  Unframed 30" x 36".  Did Van Gogh visit America?  Collection Detroit Institute of Arts.

Two details from Spencer's fine painting. 

Mapman Mike

 
 

 

 

April Showers?

It's been a cold week here at the Homestead, with measurable snow on two of the days.  Friday it snowed all day, landing us with about 3" of heavy snow, which turned into 0.7" of water in the rain gauge.  It was a day of misery, but we had a lovely wood fire Thursday night, and a smaller prepared log fire on Friday.  Amazing how cheerful a fire can make a home.  Anyway, I went outside and took some photos.  now you get to see them.  First the mid day radar on Friday....

 Yes, it did snow.  All day Friday.

Our daffodils are still depressed today, even though it is sunny and the snow has melted.

The violets growing amidst the grass were non too impressed.

Our forsythia bush got a little droopy.  It had been so much happier before the snow.

Forsythia close up.

It begins to accumulate. 

End of the weather report--now on to a film report.

Any Sam Fuller film is worth a look.  Viewers can always expect the unexpected.  This one from 1959 tackles racism against the Japanese in America, but in a way one wouldn't expect.  James Shigeta and Glenn Corbett play LA detectives trying to solve a murder.  They fought in Korea together, and are like blood brothers.  Until a pretty woman comes between them.  Shigeta is so paranoid and expectant of being treated in a racist manner that he mistakes his buddy's facial expression when he tells him that he, too, loves the girl and wants to marry her.  The film deals with the fact that the Japanese population in LA is faced with so much racism that it can even appear in a best friend.  However, the Japanese detective's mistake costs him his best friend, even though he does get the girl.  His awakening to how he acted comes at the very end.  Even so, we have to sympathize with him.  A great look at Little Tokyo in LA, and many traditional Japanese cultural pursuits.  Definitely worth a watch.  Victoria Shaw plays the love interest, an artist who reacts to Shigeta's sensitivity and depth.  Hopefully they live happily ever after, but he is a moody type of guy, so watch out.

It's supposed to be clear tonight, and the scope is loaded in the vehicle and ready to go.  There are two problems, however.  It's cloudy, and it's windy.  Either one of those conditions can scupper my observing night, the first chance I've had.  The session is currently 8 days old, so there isn't much time left.  Wherever in Essex County one observes, there are dozens of jet trails from Detroit airport dirtying the air and blocking transparency.  Now that there are hardly any jets, I am yearning to see how much difference it makes without their pollution.  I may never know.

Mapman Mike