Saturday, March 18, 2023

Tuesday, March 14, 2023

The Curse and the Covenant (2020)

Link to map

Last updated: March 18, 2023


Link to Top-Level Menu
Link to Top-Level Map





Quick Summary:
(From imdb) In a dark time when the kingdoms of men have fallen and orcs dominate the earth, Akosh, the cowardly survivor of a dragon attack, seeks refuge in the mountains. There he must learn the ways of the sword from an exiled knight named Eli, and his daughter Zephra. But as Akosh gets groomed to take up the mantle of heroes who have passed in to legend, he begins to uncover dark secrets about Eli's family history. Set nine centuries before the events of "Song of the Starslayer," this new chapter delves deeper into the legends that form the history of Ashelon.


Notes on Individual Scenes
-----------------------------

Two men in sword battle - ocotillo present, so this is a southern location 

Juniper woods - Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument - Abo ruins (34.451433°, -106.376200°) 

View through trees (34.449448°, -106.375198°) 

In the ruins 

 Walking across grasslands and through woods

View of Mountain (don't recognize mountains), Body 

Various views of the Sandia Mountains - on crest 

View of Kiwanis Cabin - (35.205633°, -106.445576°) 

Views of Sandias, Fire in woods with orcs 

View of Kiwanis Cabin cabin - (35.201582°, -106.438622°) 

Wood swords near Kiwanis Stream, bow 

King and fire - Some kind of grotto 

Abo again 

Battle site down south 

Mountain views (north - probably Silverton) 

Sandias again 

Top of cliff - View behind Sandias?

Burned area - battle with orcs 

Battle in south again 

View of mountains 

Knighting ceremony 

Migration of people 

------ 

Credits list Albuquerque, NM; Ruidoso, NM, El Paso, TX; Silverton, TX - Cibola and Lincoln National Forests and Salinas Pueblo Missions National Monument - Archery Shoppe, Adorn Salon, SCA Citadel of the Southern Pass, and Rock Ranch Equestrian Center

A Plethora of Easter Eggs

Recently, I was surprised by a massive spill of hundreds of brightly-colored plastic Easter Eggs in my basement. Paranoid, I wondered whether shadowy intruders might have been trying to send a message to me. (An obscure message, to be sure, but maybe symbolic of the equinox, or springtime, or something-something.) 

As it turns out, the intruders appear to be rats, attracted by the former association between the plastic eggs, once used for Easter-Egg hunts, and candy. (Maybe there were even a few stray pieces of candy left.) So, the rats ripped up the plastic bag holding the eggs, leading to the massive spill. The rats then dragged plastic eggs away and hid them elsewhere in the basement. 

I must war against these cunning intruders with appropriate symbols.

Sunday, March 12, 2023

Max Sedgley - "Happy"

I like this!  This song sounds like it should have been in "Better Call Saul":

 

The Real Inspector Hound - Chautauqua Playhouse - March 3, 2023

Rachel and I went to go see John Ewing as Moon in "The Real Inspector Hound" at Chautauqua Playhouse in Carmichael. A very fun show! See it if you can!:
THE REAL INSPECTOR HOUND by Tom Stoppard 
In this critically acclaimed comedy, feuding theatre critics Birdboot and Moon — the first a fusty philanderer and the second a pompous and vindictive second stringer — are swept into the whodunit they are viewing. In this hilarious spoof of Agatha Christie-like melodramas that follows, the body under the sofa proves to be an unexpected victim. As mists rise about isolated Muldoon Manor, Moon and Birdboot become dangerously implicated in the lethal activities of an escaped madman.

The Oscar Nominated Shorts 2023: Live Action

I saw this at the Tower Theater:
For the 18th consecutive year, ShortsTV presents the Oscar-Nominated Short Films, opening on Feb. 17th. With all three categories offered – Animated, Live Action and Documentary – this is your annual chance to predict the winners (and have the edge in your Oscar pool)! A perennial hit with audiences around the country and the world, don’t miss this year’s selection of shorts. The Academy Awards take place Sunday, March 12th.

The short films were: 

Ivalu– Anders Walter and Rebecca Pruzan, Denmark, 17 min.
Night Ride – Eirik Tveiten and Gaute Lid Larssen, Norway, 16 min.
Le Pupille – Alice Rohrwacher, Italy, 39 min.
The Red Suitcase – Cyrus Neshvad, Luxembourg, 18 min.
An Irish Goodbye – Tom Berkeley and Ross White, UK, 23 min.
The shorts in the order I liked the best are:
Ivalu– Anders Walter and Rebecca Pruzan, Denmark, 17 min.
Le Pupille – Alice Rohrwacher, Italy, 39 min.
The Red Suitcase – Cyrus Neshvad, Luxembourg, 18 min.
Night Ride – Eirik Tveiten and Gaute Lid Larssen, Norway, 16 min. 
An Irish Goodbye – Tom Berkeley and Ross White, UK, 23 min.
And tonight at the Oscars, the short film I liked the least won the Oscar:
An Irish Goodbye – Tom Berkeley and Ross White, UK, 23 min.

Jenna Ortega on SNL

I remember how "The Exorcist" freaked everyone out in the 70s. I made sure never to watch it. Unlike my friends and neighbors, I would remain sane and stable. Jenna Ortega does a good Linda Blair: