Movie Review: Darkest Hour

Some liberties were taken with the facts in this biopic of Winston Churchill in 1940, to the degree that part of the closing paragraph of a recent biography of Marie Laveau comes to mind:

As a mirror, Marie tells us more about the era from which she is observed than she does about herself.

And that is precisely the problem with Darkest Hour.  It colors the events of 1940 – when Great Britain's back was hard against the wall and some of her leaders were considering a peace treaty with Nazi Germany – with a wash of today's emphasis on popular leadership and blurted-out sound bite rhetoric.  Instead of the morally resolute statesman who was willing to listen to and consider his opposition's views, he is depicted as a vacillating politician who is only convinced his path is right after a bracing interview with random Londoners on a brief Underground car ride.  Hm.

Now having bashed this film in about the worst way possible, I have to note that there are some redeeming aspects.  The desperate situation Britain, and indeed all of Western Europe, faced is shown in a manner that Americans frequently under-appreciate.  The casting, acting, sets, wardrobe, and special effects are all top-notch.  Finally and best of all, Gary Oldman's transformation into Winston Churchill is truly astonishing and fully credible:

By all means, go see this film if you can't wait, or see it at home if you can.  But keep in mind, this is a story told from a current film industry viewpoint.  Try to see past that, and enjoy the rest.

Overall rating: 2.5 stars out of 4.

Bonus linkage: What's Fact and What's Fiction in Darkest Hour, over at Slate.  From a historian at Case Western, this will help you sort things out.  Probably worth a read before you see the movie.

Bethel Trails are Still There!

Though I had not ridden them since October, between weather, other activities, and deer season.  But deer season ended last Wednesday, so I was out there.  A lot of other people had the same idea, and it was good to run into some old friends.  Here are a couple of pics for evidence that the trails are still there.

Nothing out of the ordinary, but it was a nice day.

Route 650: Americana Music Stream

Our old friend WSM 650 AM Nashville now has a second music stream, Route 650, and it is very good.  Less... today's country, more of what country music was prior to 1960 and where that has branched off into newer music that's generically called "Americana" these days.  Think string bands, backwoods barroom rockers, heartfelt acoustic music – on the edge of country music, but not stereotypically country music.  Here, read WSM's description, it's better than I can manage.  And give it a try.

Now if they'd also broadcast on shortwave, it'd be just about perfect.  Imagine listening to this music around a campfire in the middle of nowhere.  That would be something.

So, you've got a frozen pipe, do you?

Here's what to do, courtesy of the New Orleans Times-Picayune.

In case that link ever goes away, here's the TL:DR version:

1. Cut off the water supply to your home.
2. Relieve any pressure.  Open faucets connecting to the frozen pipes.
3. Warm things up, gently.  Flames or high heat can crack pipes.
4. Check for leaks.  Listen, look, etc.  Check the water meter for motion.
5. Contact a professional.  There are also temporary repair kits in the meantime.
6. Contact your homeowners insurance agency promptly.
7. Resolve to drip your pipes the next time.

Movie Review: Kong, Skull Island

On one hand, the action never lets up, the effects are stunning, and it has enough story line to move it along.  The star-studded cast helps too, and most of the actors were well-chosen for their roles.  On the other hand, this is just one big, dumb, over-the-top summer popcorn muncher.  (So why'd they release it in March?)  Somewhere near the start it looked like it might turn out to be pure B-movie goodness like the original Predator, but then things got a little too cute.  A lot of it was nonsense or had plot holes you could toss Kong himself through, seemingly to wedge in one more special effects shot.

Oh never mind, it's just a big dumb summer blockbuster wannabe about an oversized ape on a horrific island.  Watch the trailer and decide for yourself.  It pretty much gives the plot, introduces the main characters, and shows all the cool scenes, but with a pace and wit that's missing from the movie itself.

Somehow it feels like 2017 will be remembered as the year that CGI effects jumped the shark.

Hard to Believe

A second snow in one winter is a rare occurrence.  So is cold like this:

That big number makes no sense at all.

What the hell is that stuff?  Twice this year?

I'm going to go brew some more hot coffee and wait for this horror to pass.

A Good Day Along the Seawall

Pic from today's late-morning ride:

It's just a snapshot, but still... it'd be at home on a Jimmy Buffett album's liner notes.