SFWA has a list of 10 Classic Hard Science Fiction Novels featuring Physics and Astronomy:
1. Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement
2. The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. Clarke
3. Ringworld by Larry Niven
4. Dragon’s Egg by Robert Forward
5. Timescape by Gregory Benford
6. The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle
7. Tau Zero by Poul Anderson
8. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
9. Contact by the astronomer Carl Sagan
10. The Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Ones I've read are in bold print. I don't know enough science to critique those aspects, and because of that, it might as well be magic as far as I'm concerned. I think there are very few science errors I would catch if an author decided to write something that claimed to be all science-y but was nonsense instead.
Shadow of the Vampire, starring John Malkovich and Willem Dafoe, tells a fictionalized account of the making of Murnau's film Nosferatu. Max Schreck was a real vampire. Who knew? We believe it and will definitely watch this one again.
trailer:
Moria says, "The sense of verisimilitude achieved is strikingly well done." Salon.com doesn't like it, saying "When “Shadow of the Vampire” is enjoyable, it’s largely thanks to Malkovich". 1000 Misspent Hours says,
Shadow of the Vampire is nothing if not top-heavy with talent. Not only does it have the celebrated Malkovich and Dafoe in the key roles, but even the supporting cast features a number of respected players.
The supporting cast is a curiously, intriguingly mixed bag: Cary Elwes as Murnau's cinematographer Fritz Wagner (not the one who is eaten), Eddie Izzard as one of the actors, the legendary Udo Kier as the producer.
and says of Willem Dafoe:
He embodies the Schreck of "Nosferatu" so uncannily that when real scenes from the silent classic are slipped into the frame, we don't notice a difference.
The sculpture above is named Ikon and was installed in 2001 in honor of the 100th anniversary of Overton Park. Ted Rust, the sculptor who created the piece, was director of the Memphis College of Art (in the background above) from 1949 to 1975.
Rust died in 2010 at the age of 99. WKNO FM has an obituary that mentions his successful integration of the school and his relocation of it to its current place in Overton Park. The Commercial Appeal obit notes that the school became accredited under his leadership and says, "Rust said he named the piece Ikon because it's a symbol of his love for Memphis, the park and the college - 'everything that has meant the most to me in the last half of my life.'".
This smaller, untitled piece is also on the MCA grounds.
The Jazz Singer, the 1927 Al Jolson classic, is the first feature-length synchronized sound film with dialog. Only some of the dialog is heard; much of it is silent and interpreted through intertitles. It's definitely a hybrid. I thought I had seen this before, but I must have only seen clips because much of it was unfamiliar.
It's too sappy/sweet for my taste. The moral seems to be that you can actually have everything and please everybody in the end. Yeah, right. Not in my experience.
There have been many remakes of the story on-screen and onstage, Jolson’s performance in blackface has long been studied for what it says about stereotypes and the problems of assimilation often encountered by ethnic groups.
Perhaps the one irony is that despite its place in the history of the sound film, the sound system utilized for The Jazz Singer —Vitaphone—was not the system that ultimately became standard in the industry. Vitaphone utilized sound on disc, and the future of the industry lay with sound on film.
EW gives a grade of "C", horrified by the blackface, and says,
Watching Jolson treat Jewish ritual as just another form of "showmanship," thereby equating blackface with cantorial melodies as an expression of a mournful history, remains a remarkable act of ethnic drag.
DVD Talk calls it "less a fossil from the dawn of sound than a fully realized star-vehicle musical that uses its talkie sequences to wow the audience." The book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die says it's an "example of Jewish transformation in U.S. society". Filmsite.org has a 3-page article, consisting mainly of an extensive summary and says, "The commercialization of sound-on-film, and the transformation of the industry from silent films to talkies became a reality with the success of this film." It gets a score of 76% from Rotten Tomatoes critics.
GoldenEye is the first of the Brosnan James Bond movies. Sean Bean has a prominent role. Judi Dench is M. Robbie Coltrane, ya gotta love him, is a Russian gangster. Also in this are Michael Kitchen, Simon Kunz and Famke Janssen (who has a ST:TNG connection). I have my preferences, of course, but all the Bond films are fun. This is no exception. And the cast is great.
trailer:
I agree with Roger Ebert when he says, "Brosnan was quite adequate, although all of the later Bonds suffer from the reality that no one else will ever really replace Sean Connery." Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 82%.
This is a popular and much-anthologized tale of Crawford's, probably owing to the fact it's a "vampire" tale, but that's a shame; it's hardly Crawford's best work
vampire fiction at the turn of the century was obviously conservative; it represented a moral lesson and showed a yearning towards the stability of gender roles with the figure of the vampire as a threat to the existing order. In these narratives the conformist, subordinate women were put on pedestal whilst non-conformist women were destroyed.
Night Creatures (original British title: Captain Clegg) is a 1962 Hammer film starring Peter Cushing, Derek Francis (who had a part in the 1970 Albert Finney Scrooge and whose last role -before his death at age 60 that same year- was in the 1984 George C. Scott A Christmas Carol) and Gordon Rollings (who was in The Bed-Sitting Room and A Hard Days Night). It is fairly faithfully based on the Dr. Syn novels and predates the Disney series The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh, which came out the following year.
It may be a Hammer film, but it's not horror. It's the story of pirates, smugglers and an upright member of the community who is not who he seems to be. It's adventure and crime we're talking about here, and not horror or anything supernatural. This is a well-done and entertaining tale. I wonder that it's so little known.
Classic-Horror.com calls this film "a Hammer Studios film on par with their well-known masterpieces." TCM and MSN have overviews. Reviews are not abundant.
Patriot Games is a 1992 sequel to The Hunt for Red October, though Harrison Ford plays the lead in this one. Sean Bean plays the villain. Richard Harris is also in this. This is a fun action film, and I'm glad I've seen it. It's a shame Baldwin didn't reprise the part to give more consistency to the character, but I like Harrison Ford just fine. The Younger Son has the following sequel ready for me to watch. That'll happen soon.
trailer:
DVD Talk says it's "a pretty good thriller, though not exceptional". EW gives it a C+ and calls it "a generic international thriller". Roger Ebert gives it 2 1/2 stars and a mixed review. It has a 73% rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
I saw the plaque pictured above at Overton Park near the Memphis College of Art and was fascinated. It reads:
Memphis Chapter Of
American War Mothers
A Tribute To
Sophie G. Friedman
For The Activities In Having
Had Enacted First Marriage Law
In Tennessee General Assembly
Abolishing Child Marriage
-
Sponsored By
Tennessee League Of Women Voters
Finding information on her online wasn't easy, but it seems Ms. Friedman, according to this site, "graduated Memphis (Tennessee) University of Law, 1922 and became the first woman to practice law in Natchez, Mississippi." She seems to have been active in issues concerning women and children, including the women's suffrage movement.
I had people tell me during the last presidential election that there wouldn't be a United States of America in 4 years if Obama was elected. I was told this country would be in flames, "they" would be running everything, no babies would be brought to term, God would be very angry with us... Yeah. We see how the Republican thinking goes. I have more faith in my country than they do.
Women constitute more than half of the population. In 2008, 60% of voters were women. It is estimated that 10 million more women than men will vote in this election. ... Mitt Romney and the Republican Party are determined to overturn Roe V. Wade. Romney has not supported equal pay for women (The Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act). Romney has vowed to defund Planned Parenthood. Romney has vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Romney doesn't want health care to cover birth control. Romney says same sex marriage should be banned with a Constitutional Amendment.
Women, let's rise up. Our vote alone can win this election. A vote for Obama is a vote for your health and your right to choose. It is a vote for equal pay and equal rights. A vote for Obama is a vote for our families. It is a vote to marry who you choose. It's a vote to start a family when you choose. A vote for Obama says that we won't stand for violence against women and that rape is rape. Our vote ensures that our daughters will grow up with the same rights that we've had. A vote for Obama sends a message: This war on women must end. We will not go backwards.
This election is shockingly close. Our safety is at stake....
The Hunt for Red October is a 1990 political thriller based on a Tom Clancy novel. The film stars Sean Connery, a very young-looking Alec Baldwin, Tim Curry, James Earl Jones, Scott Glenn, Sam Neill, Joss Ackland, Peter Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Jeffrey Jones, Fred Thompson, Daniel Davis (who was Moriarty in ST: TNG), Sven-Ole Thorsen, Gates McFadden (from ST: TNG), Ned Vaughn (who was in a ST: TNG episode) and many others. I've seen this film several times, and it always holds my interest. I love the actors, and I relish Tim Curry in his small part. This is one of The Younger Son's favorite movies.
trailer:
Rolling Stone doesn't like it, saying, "If the plodding exposition doesn't get you first, the propaganda will." DVD Talk says it "is practically perfect, dated only in some of its Cold War ideology." Roger Ebert calls it "a skillful, efficient film". Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 95%.
The evil computer wants to father a child and has picked Julie Christie, the wife of his developer, as the mother. The section that tries to be like 2001 has such a been-there-done-that feel and goes on far too long. I find it slow, but I find the story creepy. Child of rape as the next evolutionary step? Yuck.
Stomp Tokyo says, "Thank goodness Star Wars came along and proved that sci-fi could be fun again." The Spinning Image says it's "a true unappreciated science fiction and horror classic. It is involving, intelligent, prophetic, and very scary." DVD Talk calls it "a definite mixed bag". Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 62%. DVD Verdict says,
Demon Seed stands alone as one of the most imaginative and contemplative science-fiction films of the 1970s. Had Stanley Kubrick and David Cronenberg collaborated on a film, Demon Seed might well have been the end result.
Moria gives it a single star, saying, "for anybody who has watched more than a handful of science-fiction films it is like sitting through Science-Fiction Remedial Cliche Class #101" but adds,
As science-fiction, it clearly fails by a wide margin but as horror it is occasionally more effective – working on the level of a bondage/rape/horror of impregnation nightmare a la Rosemary’s Baby (1968).
and offers this word of praise in closing:
One thing that certainly has to be complemented about Demon Seed is the considerable tastefulness with which such a premise is relayed. Considering the themes – imprisonment, rape, forced impregnation by a computer – the desire not to go the exploitation route, a line that Dean R. Koontz frequently crossed over in the book, which is often outrightly pornographic, is marked.
Big Star was a rock band formed right here in Memphis, TN in 1971. Wikipedia reports they were active from 1971-74 and 1993-2010. It was in 2010 that Alex Chilton, lead singer and one of the founding members, died of a heart attack. Other founders were Chris Bell (who died in a car wreck in 1978), Jody Stevens (who is the only surviving original member), and Andy Hummel (who died 3 months after Chilton).
These Mockingbirds are having quite the time of it, dancing around our patio. I know they are extremely territorial, but I had no idea Autumn was a prime time for new birds to try to muscle in to carve out territories for themselves. Live and learn.
The turf battle has raged on for days and continues.
The Husband says, "We're a regular game preserve, aren't we?" And we are! But a safer, quieter, smaller type of game preserve.
I remember long years ago The Grandmother told me she wanted When the Roll is Called Up Yonder and When the Saints Go Marching In at her funeral. She said she wished people could walk behind the hearse like they used to instead of ride in cars like is done now.
Sometimes I get sudden flashes of understanding of just how long ago she was born.
During that time during which she was born, Woodrow Wilson was president and became the 1st to travel outside the U.S. while in office, the Sedition Act of 1918 had been passed, the entire Romanov family had been executed, the Spanish flu pandemic was at its height, they were still fighting WW1 with the Ottoman Empire still around to take an active part, the Red Baron was killed, Sergeant York was newly a hero, women couldn't vote, Claude Debussy died, Max Planck won the Nobel Prize for physics, Mississippi was the 1st state to ratify prohibition, the Stars & Stripes was first published, the last Carolina parakeet died in a zoo, congress authorized time zones, Charlie Chaplin got married, women had begun wearing skirts above the ankle, she had one grandparent who was a Civil War spy and other grandparents who were born during that war...
That, folks, is a long time ago. Yet here she is, still with her mental faculties intact, still able to enjoy and appreciate little things like going out to look at the leaves changing colors and little kids trick-or-treating in her building, and still wondering what to wear and fussing a bit over her latest haircut.
An ability to appreciate little joys can add spark to life at any age.
was a prolific writer –as were his brothers Arthur and Robert– writing over 100 books, including novels, biographies and books on different subjects such as sport, politics, war and archaeology. He published his first novel Dodo in 1893, but today he is best known for his tales of the supernatural and for the six "Mapp and Lucia" books...
"What should I wear to my Dr. appointment?" asked The Grandmother. Difficult question to answer.
The Grandmother had gotten pickier and pickier about clothes over the years. It became particularly noticeable to me about 10 years ago when she gave up her car (at her own initiative, for which I was very proud of her). I started being her transportation and would take her shopping. She had given up heels by then and wouldn't wear skirts or dresses with flat shoes. That left pants only, which is still a broad playing field because she's not picky about pants.
But then I took her shopping and heard her requirements for shirts:
long sleeves with button cuffs,
straight hems so she could wear them outside her pants to cover her stomach (because a shirt-tail has to be tucked in),
long enough to completely cover her stomach,
no darts,
must button all the way to the neck and have a collar,
inexpensive (definitely under $40 even if I was buying it for her as a present)
and must be tried on in the store (because if I bought it for her when she wasn't with me she would refuse to try it on at all). Actually, she's gotten to where she'll try things on if I bring them to her apartment, so that's great.
I hit the jackpot one year when we found a series of Leslie Fay blouses that met all of her requirements. We bought as many as I could talk her into. And then styles changed and all we've found in that brand since have had 3/4 sleeves and open necks.
So when she asks me what she should wear, it's a bit complicated, and she's not really asking my advice or opinion. I listened while she worked out what would be best. She chose this:
And I wore this:
We were color-coordinated and each wore tan corduroy pants. It's very creepy when people do this on purpose, but we were totally innocent of any wardrobe collusion. Tan corduroy pants were perfect for the day, and we both knew it. I've never been style-conscious, but that discussion will have to wait.
Because this blog does not consist of a single focus topic I chose the name Divers and Sundry where "Divers" means being of many and various kinds, and "Sundry" means consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds.
Posts
