The Mandalorian and Grogu

Finally got so see this much anticipated film.  The audience was surprisingly large for a movie nearing the end of its initial release.  Not expecting much from a story line that had left me rather cold, I was surprised both at how well the film stood up as a story and how well composed the visual product was.  A film where the major character only shows his face --reluctantly -- for a few seconds and where his buddy only speaks in slight whimpers does not seem to offer a lot to engage the spectator.  Yet, The Mandalorian and Grogu moves along extremely efficiently, perhaps because it mixes in just the right amount of detective noir and measured humor to modulate the fight scenes and military sci fi content.  There are tasteful tributes to the rest of the vase Star Wars canon, without the irritating leaning that typifies so many sequel efforts.  Nothing is permitted to steal the show or overpower the various elements, not even the presence of the Queen of Outer Space (not a Gabor, but THE Weaver) as the leader of the rebel/republican alliance.  One of the elements that pleased me most was the way the middle course of the movie, where the Mandalorian is near death and Grogu is forced togrow up quickly and save them both, shifts registers to a more emotive and thoughtful pace.  It is like a changing tempo in a symphony that still blends completely into the themes of the other movements.  Speaking of which, the music in this epic deserves special accolades, covering a range of cohesive themes that underline the sweeping confrontations in the John Williams tradition and also shift without jarring into the suspenseful or gentler parts of the plot.  The more I think of it, The Mandalorian and Grogu stands out for me as a more carefully crafted artwork than the other prequels and sequels, putting it in a class with Rogue One as a masterpiece that can be enjoyed on its own.

 EVER HEARD OF CSA?

No, not Confederate States of America!  It's Community Sustainable Agriculture and it's a way of putting our concern for the planet's future into action.  You make a contract with a farm or group of farms to provide you with a box of produce direct from them every so often.  This year, I decided to try this with our local asparagus farm because we love fresh asparagus spears and have been a little dissatisfied with the super market product.  So we paid about $300 for 10 weeks of boxes, plus a few pick-your-own events right in the fields.  We've now received our first five weeks of boxes, which contained superb asparagus, plus products from three associated farms: salad greens, zucchini squash (courgettes), sweet potatoes, berries, and LOTS of eggs, as well as some honey and blackberry jam.  There were so many eggs that I had to dig into my old quiche recipes and start freezing some of those, besides learning to pickle boiled eggs.  I realize that not everyone has a farm available to do this (here we have a choice of two) or the time to cook a lot of fresh products.  Yet I am very happy we did, because we are helping to preserve local farms that grow something besides corn, wheat and soybeans for Big Ag.  These family farms are an American tradition and a great way to get fresher, tastier, and less chemically-treated items for the diet.  All over the world, there is a need to encourage this sort of sustainable agriculture in order to restore the balance of nature and climate and to make a better world for coming generations.  I think you all should consider ways to consume local products raised by dependable local farms, both for your own personal benefit and that of the Earth.  (And yes, I did think of our own characters the Religious Dissenters on Domremy as I wrote this piece.)

 FELIZ PASCOA NEW VIEWERS FROM BRAZIL!

 

SEE US AT MARSCON

APRIL 24-26   GLEN ALLEN, VIRGINIA

A SCI FI CON THAT'S ALWAYS LOADS OF FUN!

LOOKING FORWARD TO MARSCON THIS COMING WEEKEND IN VIRGINIA BEACH-NORFOLK

AND HOPING MOTHER NATURE WILL BE BACK!

OUR PANELS WILL BE:

HERPETOLOGY, WHAT IS IT?  FRIDAY 4pm

INDIE PUBLISHING FRIDAY 7PM (JIM)

MAKING VILLAINS WICKED AGAIN  FRIDAY 7PM (JOHN)

EVOLUTIONARY MECHANICS AND BEHAVIOR OF SEX   FRIDAY 10 PM

HIDE AND SEEK -- CHAMPIONS OF US CRYPTIDS SATURDAY 2PM

Q, THE MAN BEHIND 007--LET'S TALK SPY TECH AND ITS ROLE IN REALITY AND FICTION   SATURDAY 7PM

THE ORIGIN OF LIFE SUNDAY NOON