WISDOM OF THE SAGES
EPISODE VII: SUMMER 2023
Hello People of the World;
I am thinking of retiring this. My Bonnie feels I should share this publicly again. I never got readers or responses and this has turned into an archive of my stupid thoughts and commentary.
I keep promising that I will get these out sooner, but that never happens. I think because it has become a lesser priority in my writing. I love the idea of this keeping me writing and thinking on the currents of the world. “War. …I don’t know.”
Anyways. As always: Stay safe. Stay home.
All right, let’s get going:
1:[ This virus really showed how equal we all really are: how easily we go back to hating how long lines are, as if we are royalty that can demand anything…
2:[ MOVIE REVIEWS:
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
One-third of the Top Review Team went to see what is billed as the "Final Adventure" of beloved 80's Movie Character Indiana Jones. Here, Jones is forced out of an apathetic retirement by his goddaughter to pursue a relic her father obsessed with. In an effort to protect her, Indiana dons the hat, jacket, and whip once more to once again beat the Nazis in obtaining Archimedes' Dial. Many hate this because Indy is old and not a suave adventurer anymore, and has to share the adventure with *GASP* a capable woman! Sheesh.
This is really good. Indy's monologue on the boat is one of Harrison Ford's BEST ACTED pieces, not only of the Indiana Jones Series, but also his career. Fantastic. The way it treats Indy in his old age is special. I mean, we can follow Rocky Balboa through his career and old age and praise the character still. Yet, when Indiana Jones goes through the same arc, punctuated with super silly adventures, suddenly we're mad about for some reason we can't articulate. I mean, we don't hate it just because it has a capable woman character in it, right? Right?
I thought this was really, really good. Besides, you can never top "Raiders...", you can use the tropes to tell another good story, but you cannot replicate that excitement and experience of watching it ever again. Most fans of this series and Star Wars just can't quite grasp that concept yet. (Which is why we constantly force newbies to watch the Star Wars Saga in "release order", to preserve that stupid non-twist - Darth Vader is Luke's father. Sorry to ruin life for you. Sheesh.). Pop Culture Geeks ruin everything. "We have become god's madmen."
Anyways...
My ranking:
1) Raiders and the Lightning in a Bottle
2) Last Crusade, Dial of Destiny – tie
3) Crystal Skull (Yes, I loved this one)
Distant 4) Temple of Doom (Saw it four times in theater as a kid and now, see it as the most racist of the bunch, sorry.)
Honestly, I hope he comes back once again. More about Indy and less about his adventures… Get that.
HIGH RECOMMENDATION
BEST of 2023
3:[ This Month’s Short Essay: UNINTENTIONAL SEQUELS
1. Paul Thomas Anderson’s “The Master” (takes place in early to mid-50’s, 1951) is the long-delayed prequel to “Manos: the Hands of Fate” which takes place in the mid-60’s (1966) and like all long-delayed prequels, it just could not live up to the hype of both being billed as a “grand epic” that reveals the origins nor up to “the nostalgic charm” of the original.
2. The Mexico-production “Santa Claus” is a prequel to “The Man with No Name” Trilogy: the towheaded boy in the poncho and hat is actually the Man With No Name as a child, because Santa still helps him as an adult, he gave him Merlin’s Flower of Disappearance so that he appears in three places with different names: Joe, Manco, & Blondie.
3. And the remake of “The Stepfather” is a sequel to “Nobody’s Fool” starring Paul Newman
4:[ Observation: I have noticed that once you turn 50, that Doctors love finding ways to humiliate you through suggested actions for diagnosis: For example, if you can learn that I have an intestinal bug via a blood draw, why do I have to shit in a box to see if it’s gone? Can’t another blood draw show that? How about getting a camera shoved up your ass?
5:[ We cannot go back to “Normal” all after this: thinking that fresh water is a infinite resource.
That is it for this month.
As always, I invite you to comment, correct, or contradict anything I write here. I am open to a critical debate. Thanks for taking the time to check out what I write here and I will see you in a month. Uh, maybe….
Until next time, remember “I try to show the schemers how pathetic their attempts to control everything really are.”
2023 Ernest M Whiteman III
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