Friday Film: Nightmare Alley (2021)

I was glad to catch this movie after recently seeing another film version of William Lindsay Gresham's novel. This version, directed by Guillermo Del Toro, is truer to the novel with its downbeat ending. It's beautifully shot and all of the details of costumes and props look authentic to the time and to the characters. 

I liked learning details of the carny life along with Stan (Bradley Cooper in the role played by Tyrone Power in the 1947 film) such as how to make a geek and how to use the code in the mindreading scam. Stan's a natural--his cold reading of a policeman keeps the carnival from being closed down and he makes Molly's electrocution gag look more realistic.

The cast is terrific: I especially liked David Strathairn as Pete Krumbein.

I have this film recorded and started a re-watch this morning. I wish I also had the original to re-watch.

Book Seven: Triangle by Katharine Weber

I liked this book, but I have a but. The story begins with a transcript of survivor Esther Gottesfeld's recollections of the Triangle Factory Fire. The second chapter jumps to George Botkin and his musical career. I was thinking what happened? Did I miss something? I knew who George was from the book cover's description, but I didn't like the way he took over the narrative. 

After I finished the book this afternoon, I googled the book and author. Some critics thought that there was too much George, but the author disagreed. George is a fascinating character, but I feel he belongs in another book. I would have preferred less of a focus on George.

Of course, Triangle was never intended to be a narrative of the fire. Instead it focuses on story telling--what is said, what is heard, and what is remembered as history. I'll be thinking about it for a long time.

Movie Catch-up

It's been a while since I've written about movies. Here are some I've watched this year.

Anthony Adverse 1936: This was on my list to see for awhile: a Warner Brothers historical drama with Fredric March, Claude Rains, and Olivia de Havilland. There are definitely some soapy elements in Anthony's origin story and how he--as an orphan--ends up apprenticed to his own grandfather. Anthony (March) is also separated from his true love and wife Angela (de Havilland) by plot contrivances--including a letter that blows away at the wrong time. Anthony was ruined for me by becoming a slave trader: I lost all sympathy and compassion for him after that. He has a happy ending of sorts, finding Angela and their son, losing Angela to Napoleon, but taking his son to America with him. Good performances all around, including Gale Sondergaard's as Faith Paleologus, which won her the first Best Supporting Actress Oscar in her first film. 

Nightmare Alley 1947: Tyrone Power plays Stan a con man and carnival barker. Stan learns the code to a mind reading game and later teams up with his wife Molly and wows the nightclub circuit. But Stan gets greedy and finds another partner in psychologist Lilith. Things fall apart after that. The carney characters were fascinating and all the performances were good especially Tyrone Power and Joan Blondell as Zeena. I also liked Helen Walker as Lilith. I had never heard of her before. 

Clueless 1995: I saw this when it first came out. When I found it channel surfing two weeks ago when I was reading Emma, I had to watch it. It's still a lot of fun and sweet. 

Galaxy Quest 1999: I was disappointed in this; it was just okay. I did enjoy the scene when the geeky fan (Justin Long) is the only one who can save the crew, but his parents make him take out the trash first.

Cleopatra 1934: Enjoyed this film classic courtesy of TCM. Claudette Colbert makes a seductive and smart Cleopatra. Warren William and Henry Wilcoxon don't fare as well in their roles as Julius Caesar and Mark Antony respectively (and I usually like William.) Director Cecil B. DeMille provides his usual pageantry and spectacle that is fun to watch. 

The Wrong Missy 2020: I forgot about this when I first posted (edited 2-23-22.) I had wanted to watch a romantic comedy type movie for Valentine's Day. I looked through Netflix's list and saw this. I read somewhere (where?) that it was hysterical. No. It had a few funny parts, and I like Lauren Lapkus the lead. The plot is in the title: a man invites a woman to a corporate retreat in Hawaii, but sends a text invitation to the wrong person.  

Snow Squall

I was about to take Lola to Oyster Shell Park, when our phones starting buzzing with a snow squall warning. So we waited out the squall. The snow swirled furiously for about a half hour. Afterwards, the park looked beautiful like funnel cake sprinkled with powdered sugar. 

We weren't the only people there, but in some places ours were the only foot (and paw) prints. Somehow, it made me feel special. 

By the time we came home, ice was beginning to form on the parking lot. I'm glad to be in for the night.  

Book Six: Diablo Mesa by Preston & Child

I loved this book--it was well worth waiting for. 

Archaeologist Nora Kelly reluctantly accepts an assignment to excavate the Roswell, New Mexico site of an alleged UFO landing. On the first day of the excavation, Nora finds bodies of two murder victims from 1947. Enter FBI Special Agent Corrie Swanson to investigate the murders. 

The tale threads together aliens, conspiracy theories, espionage, violence, and even romance. Nora and Corrie make a great team. I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series. 

MidWeek Miscellanea

Miscellanea is a good topic for a blog post that will be interrupted and perhaps disjointed. I'm doing laundry and will have to go to the laundry room at least once while writing this. We only have two loads today; usually it's three or four.

I've been thinking about schedules and routines lately. My Monday morning writing class is my only ongoing scheduled item. I've gotten into two routines: food shopping on Tuesday morning and laundry on Wednesday morning. I'm starting Lola on a Tuesday and Friday visit to the vet for her fluid infusions. It breaks my heart to see her so scared every time we get into the car, so I switched from three to two vet visits a week. 

We had a February Dog Park Saturday and met John, Jen, and Katie. Katie had a great time chasing her ball. Lola ran across the field, but otherwise hung by the picnic table. It was windy, but we stayed for almost two hours. This was a change for Lola; I've only been taking her to Oyster Shell Park lately.

I picked up Diablo Mesa yesterday from the library. It's the latest by Preston and Child in the Nora Kelly/Corrie Swanson book series. I had finished Emma on Saturday morning. I had debated reading War and Peace next, but knew I would read Diablo Mesa as soon as I got my heads on it. I read magazines for a few days. 

I wasn't thrilled with my story for last Monday's class. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly good. I liked the set up though. We have two weeks before our next class. Our assignment: write a congratulatory letter to a newly published author and mention a bad review. I think I want to be a jealous writing friend and be sarcastic. Play with that idea for a while. 

In the Kitchen

Had a lot to do in the kitchen today. First was finishing last night's dinner dishes. Then I made a bacon and eggs brunch using a small lobster tail, saved from last night's lobster risotto dinner. After brunch, I got a chili going in the crockpot: beef, bison, black, pinto, and cannellini beans, peppers, onions, crushed tomatoes, and garlic. (I was going to say a touch of garlic, but we're garlic fans--my touch is heavy.) Then I exercised, took Lola to Oyster Shell, and cleaned.

I don't really care about tonight's football game. Jeff's not feeling well and went to bed. I need to work on my story for tomorrow's class. Why am I procrastinating?

Book Five: Emma by Jane Austen

While I liked this book, I wanted to like it more than I did. I guess it's more accurate to say I thought I would like it more than I did. 

It's slow-moving. I realize that books written in the 19th Century were written in a different style for a different kind of reader, but Emma has a slower pace than either Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility. Emma was too snobbish for me to really like her, though she is clearly a product of her society and is at least genteel in her snobbery. 

This is the third novel in my Jane Austen volume. I have previously read Northanger Abbey in college; I don't remember much about it, but I do remember liking it. I may re-read that and pick up Austen's other books Mansfield Park and Persuasion. But other books call first. 

"It's Only a Whiff of Spring, Not Whole Lungs Full."

That's a line from my favorite book, I Capture the Castle, and it's the way I felt today. It was the first of three days with temperatures in the fifties in February. Today Lola and I returned to Oyster Shell Park.  It was a bit windy, but that was a small price to pay.

I know this won't last--temperatures will plummet on Sunday, but I will enjoy the next few days. 

National Pizza Day

I heard on the radio today that it was National Pizza Day. Jeff had already heard when I immediately went into the other room to tell him. 

That's all I needed to hear to decide on today's lunch. I could eat pizza every day.

Art Journaling

I wasn't sure how long it had been since I last posted here. I opened this page and wondered just what have I been doing since I last posted. 

Since I tracked my time last week, I could easily find out. Based on a quick look t my excel spreadsheet, I spent a lot of time watching TV, doing word puzzles, exercising, and cleaning. 

I also spent about five-and-a-half hours working on my art journal. Most of that time was also spent watching TV, but I'm glad I finally worked/played on the journal. I've been frustrated because I don't have a good workspace. Some art journalists say you can work anywhere, in any corner, etc. I worked in the living room on a tray table covered in a cheap plastic tablecloth. I pulled some clipping folders from my file box in the second bedroom closet. I didn't use any paint this time. I especially liked two of the pages. I had pasted an ad with a sophisticated woman in a black dress walking against a backdrop of city scenes. I colored in some of the buildings and advertisements, the woman's pocketbook, and a pair of swans. I added some embellishments including a heart, a cross, and a Mary medal. On another page, I pasted photos of Tsar Nicholas II, his family, and some Russian peasants on a gold foil paper. I apparently didn't use the right kind of glue, but I liked my idea.

I first learned about art journaling from someone at a writer's retreat (I had earlier learned about artist trading cards from people in the same writing group.) I've kept the Art Journaling magazines I've bought over the years  and re-read them often, seeing new things each time. Jeff got me a two-year subscription for Christmas, but I haven't received an issue yet. I'm looking forward to that. 

I need to give myself a gift of time to play more in my journal. 

February Frown

February is my least favorite month by far. At this point, we're only halfway through winter, but I'm sick of lacing up my snow boots and putting on layers of clothes just to take Lola for a walk. 

The only good thing in February is Valentine's Day. I have to admit that even Valentine's Day is problematic--it's over commercialized and puts too much pressure on people who aren't in relationships. 

Today is Groundhog Day. I heard on the radio that Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. But Staten Island Chuck disagrees--he predicts an early spring. 

Luckily Chuck has an 80 percent accuracy rate. Go Chuck!