January Rules the World

The hit count for this blog is currently at 147,059 since its inception on Dec. 20th 2017!  Keep those hits coming and I'll keep writing.  Views come in from virtually every country on the planet.  Now back to our regular programming.

 

January has taken over the Homestead and surrounding area.  It's very cold with worse to come, there is snow on the ground and the boiler is working hard to keep us happy.  We have entered the coldest part of January not only statistically but actually.  This happens from time to time and must be endured, but as we have already had many January days in December it's all getting to be a bit much.  We should have about three weeks of true winter left, but since weather is no longer predictable, this could go on till June.  We shall see.

 

My foot is healing up well.  I will see the doctor in three days to get an official medical opinion, but I am optimistic.  It still hurts to put shoes on, so I am unable to resume walking.  The toe is likely still swollen.  

 

My new piano pieces have now had ten hours of work put into them.  In other words, I am still nowhere.  I will give a more detailed report after the first month.  Deb is inching along on her newest short film, and is ready to commission her composer from Mexico City.  So we both have plenty to keep us busy.  We recently finished playing "Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles," a PC game from 2010.  It is packed with puzzles, many of them quite easy while others are nearly impossible to solve unless one randomly hits upon the solution.  It was actually quite fun to play, even though its relationship to Doyle's book is pretty sketchy.  Graphics were quite well done, as well as the story.

 

 

2 screenshots from the Holmes PC game. 

 

We have begun a replay of Myst III, having recently undertaken the most updated versions of Myst and Riven.  This one badly needs an update.  From 2001 we are now playing the game on Steam rather than loading 4 CDs and having to keep switching them.  At the time, this game was rendered in 640 x 480 graphics!  Hard to believe, as I still think of it as a modern game.

 

2 screenshots from Myst III. 

 

There are two movies to report, and a 9-part SF series.  First the series.  Dark Matter is from 2024 and based on a novel by Blake Crouch.  It stars Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly.  It has an interesting premise that eventually collapses in upon itself, and the series and its many tropes had us cursing the production several times.  Overall it is watchable, especially the episodes where they are traveling within The Box, a room that allows access to different realities, though closely related to the existing one.  It's fun seeing Chicago buried in snow, burnt to a crisp, covered in sand dunes, and looking very sleek and modern in a far future version of itself.  There are many loopholes in the story, and the ending, which we both liked, sure left a heck of a mess behind in present day Chicago.  Recommended, though not highly.

 

Showing on Apple TV. 

 

Two Chinese films round out this portion of today's blog.  It was inevitable that we would watch Chinese Ghost Story 3 from 1991.  Pretty much the same cast returns for pretty much the same story, along with similar scenes of utter grossness, and the familiar farcical humour.  I still recommend the first in the series.

 

Leaving Criterion this month. 

 

Wong Kar Wai has long led in the category of Chinese art film, and his 2004 film 2046 keeps that tradition alive, if not all well.  I found the film overlong and actually on the boring side, despite all the fine photography.  Billed as a romantic drama, that it is.  A man (played by Tony Leung) has many affairs with beautiful women but will not commit to any of them.  Not even the beautiful Gong Li, who comes to love him madly and deeply.  We eventually learn why he is like he is.  There was a woman for him, but she left and seems to have disappeared.  My question is this: can't a person change?  Not this guy, apparently.  The movie is stylish and great to look at, and despite the SF glimmer to the plot the number 2046 refers to a rooming house number, one which he can't seem to leave.  Watchable though not a truly great film (like so many other art films.....).

 

Showing on Criterion. 

 

Coming next: A winter birthday celebration and a 4-film festival of early Nordic noir cinema.  With the weather expected to worsen, the next post should come fairly soon.

 

Mapman Mike 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2025: Looking Back Part 1

It's been a very cold holiday here near the Homestead.  As of today (Jan. 1st) we have had 22 days with the mercury remaining below freezing.  This morning when I went out to feed the birds it was 12 F.  And of course it came with a stiff breeze.  With the holidays winding down (we still have a full moon party to go on Saturday!) it's almost time to return to our normal programming: practicing piano, reading, writing, gaming, studying maps, watching movies and (for Deb) making short films.  Which is pretty much what we did over the holidays, but with more food.  Here is a photo of my 8th or perhaps 9th Christmas morning.  Dig those curtains and that TV!!

 I got some missiles and rockets for Christmas.  It was that era (c. 1961).

2025 was a fairly cruel year for us, with little to no traveling accomplished.  Deb had two surgeries for kidney stones and I injured my foot in June.  The foot is still quite bad, with my walking limited to slow speeds and short duration.  I will see a podiatrist this month, so hoping for some relief.  Regular medical science has been no help, other than telling me that I have an injured foot.  So health problems kept us close to home.

 

Travel was restricted to two journeys to Sudbury by car.  We now break the drive north up into two days and have been exploring a part of Ontario new to us on the way.  We still come home in one go, about 8 hours of solid driving, plus any stops.  As long as Mom is still there to visit these twice yearly trips will likely continue.  Afterwards, who can say.  We also had a short but fun excursion to Toronto, as Deb was invited to a film festival there that was showing one of her films (Once Upon A Time That Never Was).  We went by train, traveling first class, and stayed at a fancy hotel near the station.  We got to have dinner with Amanda and meet her boyfriend, and also got to see Dino (my best man) and Bill, another good friend.  And that sums up 2025 travel news.

 

Turning to major acquisitions for the year, we purchased a 27 CD set of the Rameau operas; I bought new ice skates and used them a lot; we bought a new very fast gaming computer (Acer Nitro 60) and we got a 55" TV.  Of course a lot of Kindle books were purchased, too, but those I talk about in my monthly reading summaries.

 

In other major news two upgrades to our property were completed: a new back deck and a resurfacing of our very long and very old paved driveway.  In music news I played a Spring recital series (Simple Ingredients) and Deb's poster for "Just a Peek" won an award.  She had three films in competition over the year: Once Upon A Time..., Just a Peek and She Makes A Moving Picture.

 

Being home so much made it a great year for PC gaming.  I played a very old game called "Road To India."  Together we played a beautiful Japanese fold out picture book game called "Tengami."  We played a very challenging SF game called "J.U.L.I.A of the Stars."  A big event was the playing of MYST 2024, the latest version of the game.  Though it had some lows, overall it was the best version of the game I have played, with some big improvements to several ages, including the new Arctic one.  Last year the revised version of Riven blew us away, too.

Of course Train Simworld (6) has been a big hit with me.  I am driving trains in real time and real weather, with seasonal changes in England, Scotland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the US.  It is such an amazing experience I can't even begin to describe how much this game has been.

Now we come to a true masterpiece of a game, "Everybody's Gone To The Rapture," with music by Jessica Curry.  It's a SF game set in a small English village in 1984, and has to be the most poignant game we have ever played, as well as one of the most beautiful.  The game takes place over one long day, from dawn till dark.  The player explores a vast area indoors and out, trying to figure out what has happened to all of the people, who have mysteriously vanished but left traces of their existence and conversations behind.  The music is as good as the game.  This is a must play game for all gamers.  Brought to you by the people (Chinese Room) that brought us another favourite game, "Dear Esther."

 

I will continue with my look back next time, discussing either best films of the year or best books.  Check back soon.

 

In the meantime there are two recent films to share.  The Color Wheel is from 2011, an American Indie film directed by Alex Ross Perry.  Filmed in b & w and 16 mm, it is billed on Mubi as a very fun road movie comedy.  While there is some driving and even a few funny moments, most of the film is a waste of time and film.  A brother and sister head out on the road to collect her things in a place where she was living with her college professor.  They have broken up.  Along the way they stay in an ultra Christian-run motel, get involved in a scene at the professor's apartment, attend a party held by old high school friends, and head back home, stopping off along the way to talk sister to brother, and to have sex with each other.  A real laugh riot.  I would avoid this one if I were you reading this.

 

Showing on Mubi.
 

 We have a number of films by Wong Kar Wai in the Criterion queue, and so far have watched a very early one (As Tears Go By).  Next came another early one a much later one.  The Grandmaster is ostensible a kung fu film from 2013.  However, this is the true story of Ip Man, one of the greatest exponents of kung fu (and Bruce Lee's first teacher).  Played perfectly by Tony Leung, the film is artistic in look, quiet in tone and beautifully photographed.  The kung fu fights are still way over the top and too long, but quite toned down from the usual wuxia martial arts films that often come out of Hong Kong.  A bit of Chinese history is given out, too, beginning just before the Japanese invasion previous to WW II.  A great looking film, sensibly paced and with costumes and sets to gawk at, as well as great looking male and female leads.  Highly recommended.

 

Now showing on Criterion. 

 

I'll be back soon.

 

Mapman Mike