Saturday, October 14, 2017

Movie night: Blade Runner 2049

Young son and I had a movie night tonight since the Missus is doing her annual Fright Fest gig at 6 Flag Magic Mountain.

Young son has been anxiously awaiting the arrival of "Blade Runner 2049" and now that it's in the theaters we were off to see the show.




For those who know our family history, we dined at "Cousins" before the show, so we got a great start.   The original "Blade Runner" is a major favorite for YS and a good movie in my book too.  He has the original version, the extended version, the director's cut, and who knows what other versions of the original movie.

This movie takes place 30 years after the original movie in a dystopian future with an L.A. that is in constant rain and something that looks like snow but might be ash falling.  Ryan Gosling (who just happens to look like Older son) is a replicant LAPD officer sent to run down and kill renegade fellow replicants.   The movie is dark, atmospheric, thoughtful, slow but not dull and with occasional bursts of violent action  The music is perfect for the dark themes in the movie. 

I found it to be mesmerizing but it was a good thing that the Missus wasn't with us; she can't sit still in a slow-moving movie like this.   Without revealing too much, the ending was both sad and hopeful.

Young son and I both give it 4 out of 4 stars.  And yes, you need to have seen the original before you see this one if you want to have a smidgen of a clue why what is happening, is happening.


Sunday, October 1, 2017

"What Was Lost Is Now Found"

In October of last year the Missus was complaining that she was getting so skinny that her engagement ring was trying to slip from her finger.

 We thought no more about it until early in November after returning from an evening walk she exclaimed in dismay that her engagement ring was no longer on her finger!

When we were on the walk, I thought I heard something 'ting' as we were crossing an intersection.  I had looked down at the street at the time but didn't see anything.   After she told me about the missing ring, I retraced our route but didn't see anything.  I tried again the next day but still didn't find it.

We put up signs in the neighborhood, visited the Sheriff's office in case someone found it and turned it in and I even went to the local pawn shop and notified them to call me if someone brought it in but no luck.

I was still working at the city at that time and the sewer guys told me that they found lots of jewelry in the sewers when cleaning them out which they promptly took to the local pawn shop.  Wonder if that is why Ed Norton stuck with being a sewer worker instead of getting a job with Ralph's bus line?  But I digress...

This afternoon the Missus suddenly called that she had good news to share.  She was busy putting up Halloween decorations around the house and when she pulled one of them out its box, her engagement ring was attached to the decoration!  The decoration hangs from a large spring and that is what her ring was attached to.  How did that happen?   Poltergeists perhaps?  It was a Halloween decoration after all.

What was lost is now found, so the line in the song "Amazing Grace" goes, and it was amazing that the ring showed up again!

Never despair, what is lost may be found again, whether it is a ring or something else less tangible.   I am a believer now.