Artemis II is about to take us back to the moon, where as noted by Buzz Aldrin in his 1974 memoir, Return to Earth, there is a starkness of shadows and the unusually brilliant white, a contrasting white like no white I had ever seen.
Armstrong’s brilliant white
Upon returning home, Aldrin wrote, When I wasn’t in bed, I sat staring at the television set.If a man reflects at all, it is usually near the end of his life. and it happens only because there is little else to do. My depression forced me to stop and, for the first time, examine my life.
Examine my life? What’s that? Do I just close my eyes and think deeper? Or clean my thoughts and think not at all. All or nothing?
AI helps me with all of my visions
Red or black, 11 or 21, everything on that, plain and simple. Forget the lies and compromise. Ditch the morons. Ignorance and fury out the back. One more drink and get that number, Artemis II. 500 on magnificent desolation.
If I were to have dinner with anyone living or dead, I would choose Jafar Panahi, the Iranian director of The White Balloon (1995), This is Not a Film (2011), Taxi (2015) and this year’s It Was Just An Accident. Even though Mr. Panahi speaks no English and I speak no Farsi, I believe there would understanding through his entrancingly beautiful films and the humility he shows in every interview I know.
Jafar Panahi silently aghast of the Shark Tank Guy
Mr. Panahi and I would talk about films and books, living in this chaotic world and the American Tragedy. Mr. Panahi understands that there is no such thing as the American Dream, no success story of rising to the top of the capitalistic ladder, that there is only tragedy, a sacrificing of everything for personal greed.
Daniel Day Lewis’ portrayal of the American Tragedy
This tragic tale has been told throughout Western history – from Aeschylus’ Agamemnon slaughtered by his wife, Clytemnestra, through Scotland’s Macbeth beheaded by Duncan to the American’s Daniel Plainview sitting in blood and piss – each furiously violent stories of how the attainment of power leaves you desolate and dead.
Yes, Macbeth, those trees are moving coming for you.
The fates of Gates, Zuckerberg and Musk are not hard to determine; like Trump, the bitter and ignominious final chapter is coming fast. None of us will be sad. Mr. Panahi and I would laugh and nod about that and then talk about better things, films to come and maybe even of one day living in a tolerant and empathetic world
It’s not like I had expectations of anything worthwhile, but I still was depressed at the pathetic nature of this year’s Academy Awards. Worst of all is the bald-faced lie of inclusion.
Sinners, a predominantly black production, was hailed for receiving the most nominations in Oscar history (16), winning four, including Michael B. Jordan for Best Actor. Great, right? Or as Jordan said, “God is good.” Uh, no. Sinners is not a very good film, meandering through vampires and gore to nowhere, paling in comparison to Fruitvale Station (2013), Ryan Coogler’s first film with Michael B Jordan which received zero nominations.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw, the cinematographer for Sinners, became the first woman to win in this category. Great, right? Uh, no. There have only been three previous female nominees ever in this category – Rachel Morrison, Ari Wegner & Many Walker – a profession known historically for being for men-only. Why? Yeah, good question.
Where’s Agnes Varda’s Oscar?
Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another won six awards, including Best Picture and Director, and featuring a black female lead, Chase Infiniti. Great, right? Uh, no. Anderson’s previous films, including There Will Be Blood, Punch Drunk Love & Magnolia, were not acknowledged – despite being far superior in substance, style and meaning.
It was just the best film of the decade.
Worst of all this year was the exclusion of Jafar Panahi’s It Was Just An Accident, not only the best picture of the year but perhaps the decade. Also excluded, not even nominated (!), was Alex Babenko’s 2000 Meters to Andriivka, documenting the futility of war in Ukraine. Ukraine? Iran? Whatever. But…”God is good.” Okay.
Conan O’Brien, the host for the evening, spent much of the night performing gags related to the increasing irrelevance of the Academy Awards, due to the present generation’s inability to focus and empathize. Wow, okay. As my mother used to say, “Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?”
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‘Kind’ regards. ‘Best’ as well. But what are regards if not kind and best? Are vitriolic regards a thing? ‘Most’ is needed too, as sincerely isn’t enough, respectfully neither. This sycophant language – or is it language sycophancy? – spouts from all corners. We’re all ‘valued’ customers, appreciated too. Until the card is declined. Then we have a epic problem.
Which brings us to Trump’s need to work on his messaging for world domination. Here’s a draft for the next bombing: Most Valued Citizens, Our mission to make the world like I want it has a weensy bit to go. Stay safe and stay good. Your patience is kindly appreciated.
