I needed some brainless mind candy this week and the next thing in my Netflix queue just happened to serve up Real Steel starring Hugh Jackman (of Wolverine and Leopold fame).
When I saw the trailers last year, the first thing I thought of was a video game my kids used to play called One Must Fall. Actually, the screenplay is based on a science fiction short story called ‘Steel’ published in 1956 by Richard Matheson (of I Am Legend fame).
For once, I admit I agree with Roger Ebert on this film, when he stated, “Real Steel is a real movie. It has characters, it matters who they are, it makes sense of its action, it has a compelling plot. Sometimes you go into a movie with low expectations and are pleasantly surprised.” My sentiments exactly. I came away very pleasantly surprised, giving my heart a much needed boost up from a devastating loss at home this week.
I did get a chuckle out of a couple of scenes as Atom began his climb up the robot boxing ranks. A nod and a wink back to Every Which Way But Loose and at least one of the Rocky films. I probably missed some other scenes that referenced other boxing films of the past, due to my limited experience in that film subcategory.
This movie kept me up way past my bedtime, but I didn’t mind at all. Take a chance on Atom and enjoy Real Steel soon.
I loved this film. I would even go so far to say I loved it better than the original book the screenplay was adapted from, A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. As soon as the BluRay for John Carter is released, I am buying it. That’s saying something, since I haven’t actually purchased a DVD or BluRay for myself in years (as a Netflix subscriber, why would I?). The last film worthy of that feat (but only on the discount table because I’m so cheap) would have been Live Free or Die Hard, but I didn’t get the chance since my daughter gifted it to me for my birthday last year. I plan to add John Carter to my permanent collection, shelving it next to my special collector’s editions of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings.
Go see John Carter. Now. Don’t wait.
You don’t need to be a fan of science fiction or epic fantasy to appreciate a good tale well told, one that leaves you shouting for more.
***
Oh, and I almost forgot. I liked the musical score as well, which came as no surprise when the credits started rolling and listed Michael Giacchino as the composer. His work on The Incredibles impressed me so much I bought the soundtrack CD (another thing I haven’t done since the days of Star Wars).
The very last photo I took of Roxy (Fri 9 Mar 2012)
Terry and I are devastated. We lost Roxy yesterday, unexpectedly. I decided to stay home today and try to deal with this loss. So far, I haven’t slept much and I miss her terribly.
So if you don’t see much from me here for a few days, don’t panic. I’m just mourning the loss of my favorite ditzy Rottweiler.
I grew disappointed with the critical reviews after the release of the movie last summer, so rather than take a chance on wasting my money at the movie theater, I opted to wait for the BluRay release. After returning The Adjustment Bureau to Netflix on Monday, Conan the Barbarian came next, arriving on Wednesday. Due to a prior engagement Wednesday evening, my first opportunity to watch the BluRay came Thursday evening.
I can’t help but compare this to the previous Conan film from my teenage years in the 80s. Even though I know, intellectually, that the other film did NOT adhere closely to Howard’s original creation, it still holds a special place in my memory and my heart. The most obvious short falling for me, oddly, was the musical score. I can still hear, in my head, many of the motifs written by Basil Poledouris (who I just learned was born in Kansas City). Also, Sandahl Bergman as Valeria, remains one of my all-time favorite female warrior/barbarian film characters, and she also happens to be another Kansas City native.
So I had quite a bit of baggage to carry with me while watching the new Conan the Barbarian last night. I had avoided this gauntlet long enough and now I was determined to forge ahead and damn the consequences.
Terry and I started the film early, because I didn’t know exactly how long it was and I needed to do a couple of after-hours tasks for my employer before falling asleep. While I frequently checked the progress meter on the BluRay player’s display menu, the movie really didn’t drag or bog down too much. I was disappointed in most of Momoa’s performance (I’ve seen him give better performances on the small screen in Stargate: Atlantis). In fact most of the acting seemed ‘off’ for the actors I recognized. I heard and saw many references to people and places mentioned in Howard’s many Conan stories, but I just don’t believe they quite captured the heart of Conan or the world of his Hyborian Age.
While it wasn’t great, Conan the Barbarian wasn’t nearly as bad as I feared it would be.
My next movie adventure happens on the really big screen at my local theater this weekend. John Carter opens today. And I already regret reading one review this morning that reminds me of my feelings and observations on watching Conan the Barbarian. I will keep my fingers crossed. Edgar Rice Burroughs, a contemporary of Robert E. Howard, deserves the best adaptation of his iconic character John Carter as we’ve given Conan.
I whirled through Wednesday like the gusty winds whipping through the Midwest the past few days. The minute I dropped off my last rider, I rushed home, ran in the house, snatched some cash from Terry, switched van keys for car keys and flew back to the Plaza (where I had just spent eight or nine hours working). I spent less than five minutes in the house, only having time to pet Roxy and Apollo once each and peck Terry on the cheek (as I fleeced him out of a twenty dollar bill).
When Marge retired in late January, we agreed to reconnect on the first Wednesday of March. We met at the Eden Alley Cafe in the basement of the Unity Temple on the Plaza for dinner, immediately followed by the monthly ‘Spirituality and All That Jazz‘ concert hosted by Tim Whitmer. I touched base with Marge late on Tuesday to confirm and agreed to meet at a quarter to six. I should have said I’d be there by six, not before, as I barely made it back from Lansing in thirty minutes (a record for me actually).
Veggie Burger (vegan) made with carrots, celery, yellow onions, tofu, vegetable oil, soy sauce and bread crumbs, served atop a locally made whole wheat bun with dijon mustard, spicy vegan aioli, dill pickles, red onions, greens and a tomato.
We were seated almost immediately. I had to spend some time reviewing the menu, since it had been over two years (probably close to three years) since I’d last been to Eden Alley. I decided to try their veggie burger and for once I did NOT ask for anything to be left off (since cheese was not automatically part of the dish) with a side of Garlic Bread. Marge and Bill ordered the same dish, the Spinach and Mushroom Meatloaf. We snacked on various types of freshly baked breads, all of which tasted fabulous. Our food arrived quite quickly and I devoured the delicious veggie burger, but decided not to finish the garlic bread. I’ve had that side before and I should have remembered that I don’t care for the aoili. None of us had room for dessert so we paid our tabs, tipped the waitor and headed upstairs for the concert.
We soon learned that the scheduled special guest for the evening, vocalist Monique Danielle, would not be performing. Tim did not enlighten us until after the first set who had agreed to step in at the absolute last minute as a replacement.
The ‘usual suspects’ appeared on stage a few minutes past seven o’clock – Tim Whitmer at the piano, bassist James Albright, percussionist Jurgen Welge and saxophonist and flutist Jim Mair.
Tim Whitmer at the piano, James Albright on bass, Jurgin Welge on drums and Jim Mair on sax and flute.
I heard some incredibly stunning soprano sax solos by Jim Mair during that first set. Just mind boggling.
During the brief pause between sets, Tim let the cat out of the bag with respect to Monique’s illness. He got quite a few laughs when he started soliciting the audience for vocal volunteers. After a few minutes, one woman came forward, answering the jazz altar call and blessed us with her voice – the incomparable Millie Edwards.
I love listening to Millie sing. And, surprising to me anyway, her vocal range matches my own voice almost perfectly. I had to really resist the urge to start singing along with her, since I so rarely get the chance to sing in that range (I am no soprano and never want to be one). Her last two songs were just plain fun.
Between songs, Millie shared with us the story of how Tim wrangled her into performing last night. That afternoon she had received an e-mail from Tim with the subject ‘Favor’ and soon discovered the nature of the favor Tim asked of her. Her students became the real beneficiaries as she had to postpone grading papers and a pop-quiz the next day. Millie imparted to Tim the heartfelt gratitude of her students for sparing them from the test gauntlet, at least for a day.
After the concert, I said goodbye to Marge and Bill and headed back home (for the second time in that day). I flipped through my radio presets and caught the last song of the classic music program on KANU – one I actually recognized – a piano arrangement of ‘Pictures at an Exhibition.’ As I exited I-70 and headed north on K-7/US-73, I caught the beginning of Piano Jazz on KPR.
I attempted to call my daughter but as usually happens, I got her voice-mail. So for the second time that day, I called her boyfriend, Nic, who promptly answered his phone (as he always does). We exchanged pleasantries and I asked if he happened to be near my daughter. Unfortunately, she was at a rehearsal (which explained why she didn’t answer her phone). Nic realized Rachelle had forgotten to tell me she finally got a church gig. She is now an Alto II section lead in the Chancel Choir at First UMC of Plano. I think I need to take an extra trip to North Texas next month for Easter services.
I had a great time catching up with Marge (and Bill) and listening to lovely live jazz music in a relaxed and smoke-free environment. Marge and I agreed to return for the May concert which features the KCKCC jazz ensembles (of which my daughter is an alum). I look forward to seeing how the jazz program at KCKCC has progressed in the three years since Rachelle graduated.
I can’t wait until this weekend to see John Carter at the theater. I would have bought my tickets over lunch except my favorite theater has not yet listed showtimes for this weekend. I convinced my uncle to venture forth as well this weekend. But the real icing on the cake came with the short note he sent me this morning proclaiming his success in finding A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs at Project Gutenberg and getting it downloaded to his Nook Color.
My local favorite library posted a cool YouTube video via their Facebook and Twitter feeds that I’d like to share here, prefaced by their blurb:
Do you know who created Tarzan and John Carter of Mars 100 years ago this spring? Check out this video preview of an upcoming event featuring author, critic & broadcaster John Tibbetts celebrating the legacy of an American cult icon…
And thanks to an update from Sky & Telescope‘s Facebook feed, I learned that “Mars is at its closest to Earth for this apparition: 100.8 million km (62.6 million miles). Mars appears 13.9 arcseconds wide, compared to the 24″ or 25″ it reaches during its closet swing-bys. The last time that happened was in 2003; the next will be in 2018.” I saw Mars shining brightly this morning in the west before the sun arose, when I let the dogs out after they ate their breakfast.
If I had a vote or a voice for this year’s Nebula Award (specifically the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation), this movie would get mine. I’ve watched it twice now and I loved every minute of it.
The film is based on a short story called “The Adjustment Team” written by Philip K. Dick published in the Sep/Oct 1954 issue of Orbit Science Fiction. I cannot compare the film adaptation to the original short story, as I have not yet read it, but I can see the hand of PKD in the themes exhibited.
What appealed to me most about this story is the questions it raises, about fate and free will, and how we live our lives. Science fiction doing what it does best.
I valiantly kept myself awake past my pumpkin transformation time (usually half past nine o’clock on weeknights), reading an ebook on my Nook Color while Terry dozed through the UFC fights. When I finally got within twenty pages of the end of my book, I put the ereader aside and checked the position of Mars from my front porch. The waxing moon hung at about the one o’clock position in the sky almost hidden behind my house and Mars shown redly at about the ten o’clock position. I decided to setup the telescope in my driveway, even though all the street lights and house lights concentrated their glows more intensely on the east side of my property.
I opened the garage door and began transferring the telescope and accessories from the band room (behind the garage on the west side of the house) through the garage to the driveway. I had put on a sweater but only had flip-flops on my feet (something I would come to regret an hour or so later).
In setting up my telescope, I made an error in the home position and failed two attempts at an easy alignment. When I finally realized my mistake, after having run the motors up to and beyond the stops twice, I tried a third time, but the Autostar control device disconnected itself from the telescope and reset itself twice. I gave up and finally just pointed the scope at Mars, shining brightly and sanguinely from the constellation Leo.
Two of the stars selected by the Autostar alignment program included Sirius, in the constellation Canis Major, and Capella, in the constellation Auriga, and both of these stars could be found in the Winter Circle. The waxing moon enjoyed center-stage in the Winter Circle on a cold clear late winter night.
Once I got Mars in my sights, I tried various barlows and eyepieces, but could never quite get a good focus on it. I could dimly and vaguely see the polar ice cap and Mars definitely had an orange-ish and pink-ish cast to it.
By this time, I could barely feel my toes, but I didn’t want to stop observing, so I turned the telescope farther eastward, looking for Saturn. I found Spica in the constellation Virgo. Saturn is just a short hop to the left of Spica. I clearly saw the rings, but did not take the time to look for Titan or any of Saturn’s other moons. I wanted to get my feet warmed up, so I shutdown the telescope, packed everything up and transported it back to the band room.
I may repeat this entire process tonight, but from a different location. I will take a nap this afternoon to allow me to stay up past my pumpkin transformation point.
Oh, and I did get my feet warmed back up while finishing the last twenty pages of my ebook.
Much of my March will revolve around Mars. For example, this Saturday, March 3rd, according to Sky & Telescope‘s ‘This Week’s Sky at a Glance‘ (both for this past week and the one ahead), Mars shines highest in the south, in the sharpest telescopic view, around midnight.
Mars is at opposition, appearing opposite the Sun in Earth’s sky. This is the most distant opposition of Mars in its 15-year cycle of oppositions near and far, so the planet appears only 13.9 arcseconds wide. At its next time around in April 2014, Mars will reach a diameter of 15.2″.
My goal is to stay up late enough on Saturday night to allow the moon to set (or almost set) and Mars to be either directly overhead or just over the top and falling towards the western horizon. That will optimize my viewing, reducing the amount of atmosphere I must look through and minimizing the effect of the light pollution in my area.
For this first weekend of March, I think I will limit myself to my own backyard. I did receive the new power cord I ordered for the ETX-90 yesterday, so I will test that out tonight with the portable battery pack my father reconditioned and gifted to me. The following weekend will present more difficulties observing Mars since the Full Moon will be two days old on Saturday the 10th.
Just a day or two after the vernal equinox I hope to join other members of the Astronomical Society of Kansas City (ASKC) in the annual Messier Marathon – an attempt to find as many Messier Objects as possible during one night. Since the new moon occurs just two days after the equinox, my only concern would be clouds to obscure an otherwise perfect dark night sky. I don’t plan on needing a tent, since I wouldn’t be sleeping until the sun broke over the eastern horizon anyway. I will really regret giving up drinking tea and coffee (or any kind of beverage except water) for Lent during that long night. I just hope the excitement of discovery will keep me awake.
Real Steel (2011)
