David Cranmer's Blog, page 10
October 12, 2017
Mitch at War
We’ve been celebrating one hundred years of Robert Mitchum, having already looked back at his noir and Western films. Another genre he dominated was war movies, often projecting the great inner strength of tight-lipped heroes who fought the good fight, usually against staggering odds. Here are several of the best.
October 11, 2017
Fear and Desire
Here's a curio: Fear and Desire (1953) directed by Stanley Kubrick, his first feature. At 62 minutes, it plays like an art house film cross-pollinated with The Twilight Zone. Open narration sets it up:
There is a war in this forest. Not a war that has been fought, nor one that will be, but any war. And the enemies who struggle here do not exist unless we call them into being. This forest then, and all that happens now is outside history. Only the unchanging shapes of fear and doubt and death are from our world. These soldiers that you see keep our language and our time, but have no other country but the mind.It shows Kubrik's theme of dehumanization was already set in place and if you have some time, it is well worth the view.
October 10, 2017
The Guardian: The Rub of Time by Martin Amis Review
Guardian: Insight vies with self-regard in this anthology of essays on everything from poker to porn.
About That Trailer
In 1977, at seven-years-old, I saw Star Wars at a drive-in movie theater and it charged my imagination like no movie before—I remember days afterward still buzzing with the andrenline high. Then came The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi. Not the same shot in the arm but damn near close. The pitiful prequels followed that had their moments and if you closed one eye and squinted you could almost relive the magic. I liked aspects of The Force Awakens and forgave it for being the plot to the first movie and holy hell it was sure great to see Han and Chewie again. But on a second viewing, a few months later, I was completely bored and fast forwarded through chunks of stale dialogue, same old action. Rogue One was a step-up though I felt no emotional connection between the hero and her father because the opening moved too swift, lack of character development. Still, it's obvious these individual stand alones (Han Solo is next) have a much needed fresh package seal.
Now, earlier today, I posted the new trailer because I guess (pleading Pavlov's dog syndrome) thats what I am suppose to do. And I did as trained though I was underwhelmed to the max by my first glimpse of The Last Jedi. I liked seeing Luke Skywalker but have zero interest in Rey's journey of enlightenment. Because that was Luke's original journey and well it was completed in 1983 with the death of Vader and the Empire in ruins but fandom demanded it all keeps going so here we are again... and will be again until sales at some distant point fade. As if that's posssible, right? Yes, bah umbug! I'm old, ewoks. Though many of my friends on Twitter within the same ten years of decreptitude are way excited, looking to decipher every frame of this trailer and the seven-year-old kid in me is wanting the same level of excitement. I just can't give it to him.
Now, earlier today, I posted the new trailer because I guess (pleading Pavlov's dog syndrome) thats what I am suppose to do. And I did as trained though I was underwhelmed to the max by my first glimpse of The Last Jedi. I liked seeing Luke Skywalker but have zero interest in Rey's journey of enlightenment. Because that was Luke's original journey and well it was completed in 1983 with the death of Vader and the Empire in ruins but fandom demanded it all keeps going so here we are again... and will be again until sales at some distant point fade. As if that's posssible, right? Yes, bah umbug! I'm old, ewoks. Though many of my friends on Twitter within the same ten years of decreptitude are way excited, looking to decipher every frame of this trailer and the seven-year-old kid in me is wanting the same level of excitement. I just can't give it to him.
October 9, 2017
'Star Trek: Discovery' Is a Tale of Two Torchbearers
Popular Mechanics: "Despite clunky writing and mediocre acting, Star Trek: Discovery continues to go where no Trek show has gone before."
*I still haven't watched this show. May be finally Trekked out. You?
*I still haven't watched this show. May be finally Trekked out. You?
Science fiction picks sound wedding bells and other alarms
Science fiction picks sound wedding bells and other alarms: People are stronger together, according to the latest crop of novels by Maggie Shen King, M. T. Anderson and Dave Hutchinson
