Walking: Down's Bank, Barlaston

 

Grey day... lotsa dogs!

Mother's Day

Discodelic soul of the finest kind...

Yes, Pink Room is a fantastic venue...

Gawd, I feel so very old!

 

The horror, the horror...

 I do not know what this is...

one of my children made it in late 2008.

That child was 21, 15, or 9 years old...

whichever one it was... that child frightens me!

Cinema list...

Began a most fruitful return to the cinema via a Light gift card a coupla years ago...

thought I'd begin a record, so it ain't like pissing away time in front of the box!

February 2023 signed up for 6 months Light Premiere membership...

Maestro:  umm!  Cliched caricature or stunning insight into the soul of a genius?

There were some stunning vignettes, in terms of both acting & cinematography.

Great music, well used. Mulligan nicks it! Cooper, con bravura, ages remarkably.

I did enjoy it, despite reservations. I think a second viewing would be in order.

Napoleon:  the English hate the French. Scott is English.

Somewhere in this movie lies a good movie - the battles were great, but short; the central relationship not explored in any depth; his background & motivations cursorily examined - re-cutting this over 4+hrs ain't likely that good movie!

Anatomy of a Fall:  a magnificent movie. Sinuous & complex, as to the nature of fact, truth, & relationship. Wonderfully fluid central performance from Sandra Huller, surrounded by a wonderful cast; Antoine Renartz, as Prosecuting Counsel, is a stand-out, but great execution abounds... even Snoop the dog must garner significant praise! Clever, compelling, & far your run-of-the-mill procedural or courtroom drama... it gripped for all the 2.5hr runtime. I could watch it over again! 

The Miracle Club:  cod-Irish schmaltz... there must have been Irish actors, with Irish accents, who might have helped overcome the stereotyping. I didn't hate it!

The Killers of the Flower Moon:  the banality & depth of American racism & evil. 

Lily Gladstone is a magnificent, quiet heart of this movie... a slow, full-bodied movie showing callous, all but mundane murders from the perspective of the perpetrators.

Oppenheimer:  science, politics, power, & ambition. Murphy, as most of the cast, was great. The temporal bouncing was well managed & informative.

Gobby, tense, & enjoyable... Nolan done good!

Equalizer 3:  Roberto is violento; Dakoto is older. Rather enjoyed the thing.

Loadsa blood & gore... stygian-black & heavenly-white hats abound!

Asteroid City:  showy, beautiful, stylish... tricksy & pretty soulless!

Understand why some might be turned off. I really enjoyed it!

Little Richard: I Am Everything:  fantastic documentary on 'the architect of rock & roll'. Too black, too queer, too holy all come across in the story of a complex life!

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry:  Broadbent IS Broadbent; Wilton IS Wilton... much better than one might anticipate. I'd read the book, but the movie does give one pause for thought: anger, grief, regret, guilt, silence, & ageing!

Everything Everywhere All At Once:  the Daniels made Swiss Army Man!

The Matrix on crack, with added familial love-hate! Everyone was great. Looks good.

Much allusion to wide range of cultural artefacts. Gross humour. Plenty to think on!

All Quiet on the Western Front:  great cinematography & melding;

phenomenal sound & score. The cold brutality lacked the subjectivity of 

Lew Ayres & Louis Solheim in the 1930s masterpiece. Could see it again!

The Whale:  theatrical, well acted, at times crass & overt...

it covers loss, complex (pathological) grief, stigma, 

& the rise of christian reconstructionists - trad evangelicals are pussies

alongside these fascistic mofos, who demand biblical law order modern states.

Fraser is brilliant. I understand why folk find it judgemental, monstrous, or 'wrong'. 

*Enys Men:  very Cornish! Loved it. Beautiful. Elemental. Austere.

Weird clockwork art of the highest order... & I've only seen it once so far!

Boiling Point (G/H):  raw, stressful immersion in chaos & panic. 

Graham is immense in his collapse... & all in one take!

Babylon:  a magnificent failure. Hysterical & knackering... great music!

A Man Called Otto:  loved the book, loved the movie. Formulaic,

but ultimately feel good & satisfying. Mariana Trevino magnificent as Marisol.

Rashomon:  Akutagawa, Kurosawa, Mifune, Shimura... come on!  

 

Photography: the day I was sent home from school...

 

Photography: St Lukes in snow

Walking: Borth to Aberystwyth

Borth as a town's a bit boring... but the surrounding landscapes are a bit of alright!

The view inland from the station platform is worth the trip alone. 

The Ceredigion Coastal Path south to Aberystwyth starts with a steep ascent to the war memorial atop Craig yr Wylfa, then along the cliff path on Carreg Mulfran. 

We popped down to the wee bay below for a looksee... 

then a strenuous climb to the top of the cliffs at Craig y Delyn

- at 380' the high point of the day -

great views... as for the weather, fine became gorgeous!

This is a wonderful path, tight & demanding concentration, it's roller-coaster progress is rather taxing of ageing lungs & limbs...

but, on this day, every vista simply stunned! 

We lunched at Wallog - after the ludicrously steep descent we needed to stop!

Basically this isolated spot comprises a beautifully situated house 

& a 20m wide, 11km long glacial moraine that runs off towards Ireland

(Sarn Glynfelyn's in 3rd pic above, it must be something to see at low tide!) 

Another demanding ascent, & the path seems to 'even out':

on the 2nd half of the walk the going gets easier,

but the cliffs & the scenery keep on giving!

Finally we hit Clarach Bay, a place to which caravans & mobile homes flock...

at least, we saw flocks & flocks of'em... along with th'amusements & 

huge 'community club' in the last stages of build.

However, it looks like a great place to drag your kids for 'family fun',

& it doesn't overspill it's space on the valley bottom.

Aberystwyth is just around the corner; we started to encounter more folk (& dogs!)

The path becomes more open & metalled as it rounds onto Constitution Hill.

The cafe was shut, as was the funicular, but who cares? 

At 430' above the town, the views of, & over, Aberystwyth are fantastic! 

Looking south, we see yesterday's coastal trail in the distance;

then it's about ensuring the switchback into town doesn't have us on us asses!

Lovely day all round... I'd do it again in a heartbeat!