Showing posts with label Joseph Conrad. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Joseph Conrad. Show all posts

Friday, September 20, 2019

Ad Astra: A Review 🚀




A thoughtful and serious movie. Written and directed by James Gray. A rather bleak one in many ways--but optimistic too. Themes such as the relationship of God and man, fathers and sons, and loneliness are explored (the cold enormous emptiness of space is an excellent setting for all those issues). There is also a big Heart of Darkness influence to this film (or maybe Apocalypse Now). 

The story is far from perfect, but overall it did make me think. There are a few scenes, apparently added by the studio over the objection of the director, that should have been left out. Still it is beautifully filmed and the production quality is top notch--which lends itself to the big screen. I do not want to give the ending away. Brad Pitt's performance is very good. Tommy Lee Jones is ok (but not as good as Brad's). 

If you are into serious science issues go see it (it was better than 2010: The Year We Make Contact and Interstellar) and if that is not what you are into--there's always Downton Abbey. Ok--go see Rambo: Last Blood

Many may not like it (the audience score from Rotten Tomatoes reflects that). I read some of the reviews and they also don't seem to capture what I saw. Different people will likely have very different takes on this film. 

These ladies are not in the film that much (it is mostly Brad Pitt) but here they are (and what they are in is good): 







Rule 5 and FMJRA

Goodstuff : 93rd Ed. 

Woodsterman: Grand

Bacon Time: Sun Links

Wired Right: Ilhan Omar 

Daily Gator: Sunday Faces

Lem's Place : Small Mouths

Hogewash: Exoplanet K2-18b

Proof Positive: Best of the Web

Right Way: Rule 5 Link-O-Rama

AoSHQ: Morning Report 09.16.19

American Elephants: Fake Al Gore

A View From The Beach: Stika Visit

Raised on Hoecakes: Never Forget It 

Don Surber: No One Cares About Mitt

American Power: The Nordic Type is popular


Mark Steyn: Vinyl Score, Venetian Blind Spot, Ending of the Peer Show (Mann gets his hockey stick where it belongs), and A Return of Biden's Mojo

TOM: Welcome to ‘Bizarre Hell-World’In The Mailbox: 09.20.19 (Late Night Edition)The ‘Whistleblower’ Is the Deep State Interfering in Trump’s Ukraine Policy, Hillary Clinton Blames Her Defeat on ‘Voter Suppression’ Conspiracy Theory, NBC Shocked by New Scandal!Netanyahu Wins Re-Election UPDATE: Hey, Wait, That Was Completely Wrong!In Which @LaurenDuca Gets CancelledIn The Mailbox: 09.18.19Empowering WomenHorror in Ohio: Pedophiles Raped Little Boys in ‘Satanic’ Videos, Police SayNo, Your AR-15 Is Not the ProblemIn The Mailbox: 09.17.19In The Mailbox: 09.16.19Lesbian Sues Sperm Bank After Learning Why Both Her Kids Are Autistic2020: White Votes MatterSomali Gangs Target Whites in Beatings, Robberies in Ilhan Omar’s DistrictWhat Is the Kavanaugh Smear About?Who Is Raping Whom?Poulos, You Magnificent Bastard!Fascism or Feminism? Amanda Marcotte Says We Have Only Two Choices, So …In The Mailbox: 09.13.19, and The Family Business

A collection of sites known for appreciation of Rule 5 and space exploration:   


Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Costa Concordia Capitano "Lord Jim" Francesco Schettino claims he fell into the life boat by accident!

Capitano "Lord Jim" Francesco Schettino, Coward and Plagiarist
No, you cannot make this up.  Captain Francesco Schettino claims he "fell" into the lifeboat and did not abandon the ship.  Well I guess you could make it up if you were Joseph Conrad (here is the Wikipedia* link to those under 30 who do not know who Lord Jim or Joseph Conrad are).
The Other McCain and Smitty (who is in the U.S. Navy) puts the blame on feminism and cowardice.


But of course there is that other theory of who really caused this disaster...

La strega Amanda Knox  il malocchio.
* Wikipedia is down on January 18, 2012 to protest the U.S. Congress' SOPA legislation.


Prior Posts:   Italian Lord Jim (The Wreck of the Costa Concordia)(but without the nuance and redemption)
                      Amanda Knox affondò la Costa Concordia ...


Update:  Ann Althouse:  The Cowardly Captain of the Costa Concordia
              American Digest:  The Cowardly Captain of the Costa Concordia (transcript of Captain Schettino refusing direct orders to return to his sinking ship...)
              Carnival Cruise Lines:  Owner of this ship
              Blame Feminism for this?
              BBC:  Does the Captain have to be the last to leave the ship?

UPDATE II:  Mark Steyn suggests when the West goes down it will look a lot more like the Costa Concordia than the Titanic.  Of course, I think we all noticed this Costa Concordia disaster is a pretty good metaphor of  how the EU and the Euro as been navigated.