Movie Review of Seven Pounds, Released 2008, Starring Will Smith, Rosario Dawson, Woody Harrelson. Absolutely NO SPOILERS in this review.

The movie Seven Pounds, released during Oscar Season in 2008 and woefully overshadowed by bigger guns such as Doubt and Revolutionary Road, had a poster that gave nothing away, except what it was not. It featured Will Smith, but it was not a blockbuster action movie, because he was simply attired in a business suit, as in The Pursuit of Happyness. There was no cute kid, though, just a very somber look on his face. Not a comedy, either, like Hitch. This is going to be one of those movies that make you think, I decided, and I love Will Smith (yes, even in Hancock, which actually turned out to be a rather touching movie), so I added Seven Pounds to my queue.

We saw it last night. I was right; it’s a movie that makes you think, and one that makes you feel. It’s a little heartbreaking and a little uplifting and a little awe-inspiring.

It’s also a mystery that must be unraveled; one of those movies that starts in media res with something very big indeed happening, but you have no idea what’s going on, at first. Then, bit by bit, things are revealed to you, and you start to piece things together and make educated guesses. Some of your guesses turn out to be right, and I would not be surprised if you are able to guess the main direction of the story a decent amount of time before it is openly revealed, but you never grasp the full extent until the very end. That’s one of the wonderful things about the movie: The pace at which things are revealed is satisfying, causing you to remain constantly engaged, yet never frustrated.

What’s the other wonderful thing? The humanity. The human face of tragedy and redemption, the integrity of Smith’s character, the vulnerability of Rosario Dawson, the surprisingly gentle Woody Harrelson in a rather small but brilliantly played role. This is an acting tour de force by Will Smith, who, even though he is playing a character who at times seems to be living a double life, never strays from the underlying relentlessness, the determination, that inhabits that character. I wish I could tell you what the title means, but it would give away the main idea. I wish I could tell you a little more about the plot, but like I said, it’s one of those movies you’re supposed to go into completely fresh, so don’t look up any other reviews, don’t look at any summaries, just watch it. You will not be sorry.

Image credit: https://www.pexels.com/@tima-miroshnichenko/

What Are Eurogames?

One of the things I love to do is play board games. I grew up playing games like Parcheesi, Aggravation, and Monopoly with my family, and over the last several years, I have also learned of the existence of "Eurogames", which are European-style board games that are very heavy on strategy and not just roll-and-move games, like the kind I used to play as a kid.

  Eurogames are probably quite well-known in Europe, I imagine, but were not so familiar to Americans. However, they are making inroads quickly. Many Americans have heard of or played Settlers of Catan, and you can buy it, as well as Ticket to Ride, another great introductory game, at mass-market retailers like WalMart. Once you get seriously into Eurogames, you will find yourself playing heavier fare, such as Lisboa, Terraforming Mars, Navegador, and Agricola. These games all have a lot going on and can take several hours to play. Agricola, by the way, was the game that Rachel played (and cheated at) with Scott on the television show Orphan Black. It has 14 rounds! I learned about Eurogames by joining a local gaming group that plays them. I discovered the gaming group through meetup.com, which is a great way to find local people who are into the same things you're into. Now Eurogames are a great enthusiasm of mine!

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/board-game-play-strategy-fun-933165/

October Is National Ergonomics Month

According to my handy article about October holidays , it's National Ergonomics Month!

Maybe you have heard of ergonomics. Even if you haven't, you are still probably benefiting from it. ergonomics, also called "human factors", is the science of designing technology, products and environments to work with the human body--the way it moves, the way it is shaped, and its requirements for support and comfort. 

The theory is that you work more efficiently if you are comfortable, and so products are designed to alleviate stress on the body in order to prevent injury or fatigue. Think of products like those gel-filled wrist rests designed to prevent carpal tunnel syndrome in people who spend most of the day typing, or like the ergonomic angled keyboard, pictured above.

Ergonomics can also prevent accidents, as well. Take your car, for example. Not only is it ergonomically designed with your comfort in mind, but also with an eye toward your safety. Think about how easy it is to reach what you need quickly, so that you won't be too distracted while motoring down the road. It's hard enough to get people to pull over to make a phone call, let alone tune the radio, and it's not worth crashing your car just because you can't get enough Dua Lipa (who can, really?).

In order to raise awareness and appreciation for ergonomic design, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) declared October to be National Ergonomics Month, so every time you sit in a molded chair or use one of those funky curved computer keyboards or drive somewhere in a safe, comfortable car, you can thank ergonomic design, in October and in every other month of the year! 

Image credit: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:LAs_new_kb_and_mouse.JPG

Review of The King in the Tree by Steven Millhauser

 

Steven Millhauser is a very accomplished author with a body of work spanning back to 1972, when his debut novel, Edwin Mullhouse, was published. His book Martin Dressler has won a Pulitzer. Both of these titles are on my reading list, but I happened to have purchased The King in the Tree a while back, and my aim is to read the books I already have before getting any new ones. So, this is my jumping-off point into the work of Steven Millhauser. And I like where I landed!

The King in the Tree (2003, Knopf) is a book composed of three novellas, entitled Revenge, An Adventure of Don Juan, and The King in the Tree. Each story has a different setting, different characters, and a different tone. The three are united, however, by similar subject matter: love, longing, and betrayal.

Revenge, the first novella, starts the book off with a bang. The premise of this story is of a woman who is showing a potential buyer around her home, which is for sale. As we progress through the story, the seller reveals bits and pieces of the real story, which is about far more than selling a home. It's written in a kind of first person/second-person hybrid, because there is a narrator, but she is speaking to the unidentified (at first) buyer, which feels like she's talking to you. We're experiencing the story from the point of view of the buyer, although that person never gets a single line of dialogue, because we are passively listening to the narrator unwind the story, room by room. And yet, we are also experiencing the story from the point of view of the narrator, because she is sharing all of her feelings with us. It was absolutely spellbinding, and when I finished, I basically had to sit and go “Whoa”. I love stories that make me do that!

The second novella, An Adventure of Don Juan, is told in a more traditional third-person style, although we are fully inhabiting the point of view of Don Juan Tenorio, the famous seducer. This ended up making me uncomfortable, because he turns out to be a seriously vile person, wrapped up in the pretty packaging of his handsome face, wealth, and courtly ways. In this tale, Don Juan becomes bored with his self-indulgent lifestyle in Venice and travels to England on the invitation of a casual friend, Augustus Hood, a creative prodigy whose lovely wife and striking, enigmatic sister-in-law are given the care of their guest, with increasingly dire consequences. The conclusion of this story was harrowing, but satisfying.

The 'title track' of the collection, The King in the Tree, is the longest of the three, and packs even more twists and turns than the prior stories. It is based on the legend of Tristan and Yseut/Yseult/Isolde/Isolt, in this version spelled Ysolt. Anyone familiar with the legend knows that it is the classic “doomed lovers” tale, but this version, narrated by the king's advisor and bosom friend, Thomas, gives us a far more subtle view, showing us how the love affair between King Mark of Cornwall's nephew, Tristan, and his queen, Ysolt, is dealt with (or at times not dealt with) by the king, who deeply loves them both.

I enjoyed this book so much. The writing is just exquisite. Millhauser knows how to set a scene, hatch a plot, and keep things moving, but what I loved best is his ability to thoroughly inhabit his characters – the wounded, vindictive unnamed character in Revenge, the cocky, jaded, Don Juan, the gentle, faithful Thomas – giving us a full immersion into the story through their eyes. I can't wait to read more Millhauser!

If you enjoyed these, please check out my other book reviews: 

https://bucketofuseful.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-best-in-writing-half-asleep-in-frog.html

https://bucketofuseful.blogspot.com/2022/05/review-of-your-head-is-houseboat-by.html

https://bucketofuseful.blogspot.com/2022/05/a-review-of-boston-darkens-by-michael.html

Looking for a Job? How Charity Work Can Help You Find a Paying Job

So, you have either graduated from school and are ready to embark upon a career, or you are between jobs and looking for work, or you are working part-time but need a job that is going to pay the bills. Whatever your scenario, the job hunt can be exhausting and frustrating. You may have been reading advice articles or even attending classes or workshops to learn how to ace an interview or perfect your resume, but when interviews are few and far between, and your resume has already been polished to a glasslike shine (or is a little too lean yet to benefit from editing), how do you fill your time productively and still gain skills and experience without the benefit of a paying gig?

Try a non-paying one. Although it may seem counter-intuitive to give away your time and efforts for free just at the time you need compensation, you would be amazed by how much the experience of helping others can help you. When you have the experience of working with people from all walks of life, it can give you a sense of empathy that will not only enhance your abilities, but your sensibilities. Being able to relate to people is always a plus in the job market, and your newly-developed sense of what people need can help you ace those interviews, as well.

You may be working for free, but you are also learning skills for free, from office work to dealing with the public to doing construction and landscaping projects, should that be your task. In addition to acquiring knowledge and experience, you will also be making human connections that can help you. Your supervisor at the non-profit might be able to put in a good word for you if he or she knows of a paid opportunity, or at least write a glowing letter of recommendation for future use. You might meet other volunteers who know of job openings, as well. Networking can be the most powerful aid in securing long-term employment.

Potential employers like to see volunteer work on your resume, as well; not just because you have acquired experience that many other job candidates may not have, but it also gives the sense that you are not only a compassionate individual who is willing to work hard, but someone who didn't just sit around during the down time between jobs. Companies want people who can get things accomplished, so don't let the lackluster job market get you down. Now, more than ever, you can make a difference for someone else and help yourself immeasurably in the process!

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/volunteer-volunteerism-volunteering-652383/

Review of Oz the Great and Powerful with James Franco and Mila Kunis (2013)

Disney's 2013 movie Oz the Great and Powerful is available on Disney Plus (Disney+), and I watched it this weekend. I had read a couple of iffy reviews about the movie, but I'm a sucker for big movies with awesome special effects, and this film paid off. Also, I'm not sure what people were complaining about, because it was really great! There are many very good, well-known actors in it--James Franco plays "the wizard", and Michelle Williams, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Bill Cobb and Zach Braff do a wonderful job in their roles, as well.

This film is written to be the "prequel" to the 1939 original The Wizard of Oz. It answers the questions we all had as kids when we first saw the movie--how did the wizard get to Oz in the first place? How did he, a regular man, end up in such a powerful position? How did the people of Oz deal with having witches flying around the country? All these questions get answered, and we also get a chance to meet the Wicked Witch of the East, the sister who got smashed flat by Dorothy's house at the start of the original movie.

The makers of this movie have done a great job referencing the original, from the starts-off-black-and-white-and-changes-to-color effect to more subtle things, such as having the actors play dual roles of characters both in the real world and in the land of Oz. Disney also cracks me up by doing a little SELF-referencing: watch for the poisoned apple!

All in all, it's a great film for the family. It enhances the experience to have seen the original movie, but it's a great stand-alone film. Ali approves!

See what I thought of Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters

The Creepiest Songs by The Beatles

 A Creepy Song by The Beatles

A friend of mine wrote a post about the Beatles song Eleanor Rigby (that's the one that goes "Ahhhhh, look at all the lonely people"), and I left a comment that the song, with its dark themes of loneliness and death and its brooding music, was kind of creepy.

But as soon as I mentioned that, I thought, "And yet, that song is not the creepiest Beatles song, by far."

An Even Creepier Song by The Beatles

There is a song that is much creepier than that, called "Maxwell's Silver Hammer". This song is about a medical student ("Maxwell Edison, majoring in medicine") who is basically a serial killer, murdering people by bludgeoning them with a hammer. What's more creepy than the subject matter is that the lyrics are set to an upbeat tune, and everything is treated as giddy little romp:

Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer came down upon her head;

Bang, bang, Maxwell's silver hammer made sure that she was dead

Jeez, at least "Eleanor Rigby"'s music is somber and gives one a bit of a warning that the song isn't about a cheerful subject. But hey, peppy and industrious serial killer Maxwell isn't even the worst character The Beatles invented:

The Creepiest Beatles Song Ever 

That honor goes to the guy singing "Run for Your Life", another Beatles song disguised as good-time rock, until you actually consider the lyrics:

You better run for your life if you can, little girl

Hide your head in the sand, little girl

Catch you with another man, that's the end, little girl

Um, yeah. And just in case you thought "the end" might just mean the end of the relationship: No. The first two lines of the song make that plain:

Well, I'd rather see you dead, little girl

Than to be with another man

The reason I think this is even creepier than the song about the med student who shyly asks a girl on a date so that he can smash her skull in is that "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" is still a pretty fanciful situation. 

The ruthlessly possessive and violent guy in "Run for Your Life", however, is all too real for hundreds of thousands of women who have been stalked, and sometimes attacked, even killed, by a jealous, abusive, obsessed ex-lover. For the Beatles to couch this as a fairly light-hearted pop song really did a disservice to the subject of violent domestic abuse and stalking. The singer talks about a woman he supposedly loves, but it's clear he knows nothing of love, only fear and control.

To me, that's not just creepy, it's horrifying.

On a serious note: 

If you or a loved one is suffering from domestic violence, help is available. Speak with someone today.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

Hours: 24/7. Languages: English, Spanish and 200+ through interpretation service 

Call 1-800-799-7233 or Text START to 88788

More info: https://www.thehotline.org/

Image credit: https://pixabay.com/photos/beatles-statue-sculpture-liverpool-7767458/