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| Luc-Olivier Merson, Rest on the Flight into Egypt |
I love this imaginative flight. It never would have occurred to me to put the Holy Family together with the Sphinx.
Wednesday, January 8, 2025
Best of 2024 — TV
Here are my top picks from our year of TV viewing. Our television viewing was not extensive but we discovered some that were pure gold. In no particular order.
I began my "Best of" lists way back in 2008. To see them, check the label cloud in the sidebar under "Best of ..."
2024 BEST TV
Peter Gunn
The coolest of the cool, Peter Gunn is a detective modeled on Cary Grant. He's smooth, sophisticated and doesn't like to use violence to solve his cases. We watched these with my 90-year-old mother and were surprised at how noir-ish these were. I grew up with the soundtrack by Henry Mancini and was pleased to find that John Williams was the piano player for the studio band.
Read more about it on Wikipedia. Then try it!
Pokerface
We really love procedural murder mysteries and this one is really entertaining. It is a creative, superfun throwback to TV the way it used to be.
The Fiery Priest
A really fun K-drama action thriller about Father Kim, a priest with big anger management issues. They get the Catholicism right while delivering an engaging drama and murder mystery.
Killing It
Florida security guard Craig Foster's and Aussie Uber driver Jillian enter the Florida Python Challenge (which we discovered is a real thing) to win $20,000 seed money for a farm.
Craig is a good guy who is often faced with choosing the lesser of two evils. Jillian is the moral compass of the show. She always knows the right thing to do and will push for it even if if hurts personally.
Star Trek: Lower Decks
An animated comedy that focuses on the missions and adventures of the "lower deckers." By episode 4 we were hooked. Part of the fun is the references to other Star Trek shows that the lower decks gang toss around. Part of it is the friendship between the lower decks gang. And, finally, part is the wackiness and humor.
The Crowned Clown
This series came about because of the extraordinary popularity of the movie Masquerade which is in the Best of 2024 Movies list. Partway through The Crowned Clown takes a different path than the movie because they have the time to explore more ideas. It's also gorgeous as well as interesting.
Tuesday, January 7, 2025
Three Magi
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| The Three Magi, Byzantine mosaic c. 565, Basilica of Sant'Apollinare Nuovo, Ravenna, Italy;(restored during the 18th century). As we see here Byzantine art usually depicts the Magi in Persian clothing which includes breeches, capes, and Phrygian caps. |
Best of 2024 — Movies
Here are my top picks from our year of viewing. It's a long list but to be fair we watched around 130 movies last year. I think it is partially because we came across so many unexpected gems in our Oscars watching series. Favorites are listed in the order we encountered them.
As always, the movies may be old, but my viewing was brand new in 2024. In no particular order.
I began my "Best of" lists way back in 2008. To see them, check the label cloud in the sidebar under "Best of ..."
2024 BEST MOVIES
Maanaadu
This is a really great time-loop thriller with fantastic action scenes and an unexpected twist that ratchets up the suspense and action.
A Tale of Two Cities (1935)
The final movie in our 1937 Oscar winner/nominees viewing. It is considered the best cinematic telling of that story and it blew us away. Ronald Colman was simply amazing and I will now watch him in anything.
Masquerade
I always enjoy a noble impersonation story, especially The Prince and the Pauper and The Prisoner of Zenda. This is the best I've ever seen. We know all the common twists and turns but this movie keeps you in suspense even as you fall in love with the imposter more in every scene.
Alienoid I
This movie's got a lot of genres goin' on. In 14th century Korea there's a magical-mystical-quest for a holy blade. And in 2022 it's got a Terminator vibe of sorts with sf-thriller-alien invasion action. They intersect through time travel and it works. In a hold-onto-your-seat, immerse yourself in the story, crazy way. I hear part II is just as good, if not better.
Polite Society
Really enjoyable, with a fresh, fun feel that made me think of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and The Man Who Feels No Pain. With a touch of a Get Out vibe.
Oppenheimer
I thought this was going to be a really boring movie about a lot of stuff I didn't care about. I couldn't have been more wrong. Now I understand how a 3-hour long movie about talking scientists and politicians could make so much money, break so many records, and win so many awards.
The Good Earth (1938)
The last of the 1938 Oscar winner/nominees movies we watched and the one we'd have given the award to. This is the sort of movie that doesn't usually appeal to me - long dramatic sagas of families struggling to survive, especially since I'd read the book long ago and hadn't liked it much. This sold it though. By the end I was loving it.
Laapataa Ladies(Lost Ladies)
When two identically dressed brides, with requisite scarves covering their faces are grabbed by the wrong groom at different train stations, how will they be restored to their rightful places? Especially when neither can remember the name of their groom's hometown?
Furiosa
This could be Gulliver's Travels, the Odyssey or Iliad. The characters are archetypal, the societies encountered each tell us something of basic humanity, the themes are simple but powerful, and the adventure keeps pulling us along.
The Fall GuyThe Lost City
These are two movies whose only goal is to entertain. There have been precious few of those lately from Hollywood so we were thrilled to find them. Each is silly in its own way, but each one is fun in just the right way.
(The Fall Guy review here.)
Maaveeran
The story of a coward who is forced to be a brave warrior fighting a prominent corrupt real estate mogul/politician. The device that prompts his eventual change is imaginative and I enjoyed the way that he continually bleated, "Sorry, sir!" while knocking out villains. It was a fun super-hero origin story and I hope there is a sequel.
Godzilla Minus One
It manages to combine the monster movie action thrills of a Hollywood-style movie with the introspection of the first Japanese Godzilla movie. The result is simply fantastic, something that keeps you on the edge of your seat.
Freaks (1932)
I've always been afraid to watch this but when I overcame my fears I discovered an amazing movie with a sympathetic depiction of the true humanity and community that the freaks share behind the scenes.
Hansan: Rising Dragon
The prequel to The Admiral which was on last year's list. A classic underdog movie where very few ships are trying to hold off an overwhelming Japanese invasion. Based on the true naval battle which most of us have never heard of.
Goodbye, Mr. Chips
A complete surprise. I've always had the impression that this is a namby pamby, sappy story. Au contraire. It is simply lovely and not to be missed. We watched it for our 1940 Oscar winner/ nominees viewing.
Christmas — The Bells!
I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Monday, January 6, 2025
Adoration of the Magi
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| Gentile da Fabriano, Adoration of the Magi, 1423 (Uffizi Gallery, Florence) |
Click on the link to go to the original and then click again on the photo to enlarge it. You can see a fascinating amount of detail. And in this painting, detail matters!
I was made aware of this magnificent piece by my friend Patsy. It is just the sort of thing I love, with tons of details and other small related paintings to enrich the story and our inspiration. She points out a deep meaning in the portrayal of the kings.
My favorite detail is the "magi" themselves.
The old one is first, on his knees, his gift already in the hands of the maids, and his crown forgotten on the ground, out of the way. Most precious of all--the old king is kissing the foot of Baby Jesus, while Jesus' tiny hand is on his bare head.
The second king, a mature man, is beginning to kneel to present his gift, and is ready to take off his crown. His eyes are on the Baby Jesus.
Now the third king, a young man, maybe not yet so wise, is still standing fully upright, his elaborate crown firmly on his head. One of this man's feet is, of all places, on the hem of the old king's robe. A valet is removing, after the long journey, his golden riding spurs. The young king's gift for the King of Kings, is proffered delicately, almost impersonally. He is still very young and independent.
Easy to see the artist is depicting stages in a spiritual life, growth in seeing, understanding, familiarity with our loving Lord (playful, as one writer sees him) who lets us feel his touch as we humbly reverence his tiny feet. We take off our shoes in his holy presence, lay our triumphs at his feet, and return to him our most precious treasures to use as he wishes.
Flooded with details, the painting boasts of a rich narrative as well. Notice the attendants behind Mary as they curiously examine the first gift. Or in the right foreground, observe the royal dog that looks precariously up at the horse who is about to carelessly step onto him. Indeed intriguing are the gold anklet spurs of the third king being taken off by a squire as the Magus prepares to approach the Christ Child.Be sure to go to the Aletia article for lots more good insight into this work.
I also found an article from Khan Academy looking at this work, and the many details, from a different angle. It too is well worth reading.
In the middle predella panel, the new family flees to Egypt against a landscape bathed in the blazing midday sun – a raised golden orb amid a blue sky showering the nearest hillsides in gold. ...
Gentile used real gold to achieve many of these subtle lighting effects, demonstrating his ability to combine intricate manipulation of precious materials with an interest in naturalism. Perfecting a technique that would be copied by many other artists, he layered gold leaf underneath layers of paint to lend brightly lit surfaces an added glow—an effect that would be more readily apparent in candlelight. This means precious metals are woven underneath the surface, on the surface, and protruding from the surface, like a tapestry made of paint and gold.
Best of 2024 — Reading
My top picks from the over 130 books I read last year.
You may find old books here but if they're on this list, then they were new to me! In no particular order.
Note: I've been doing this since 2008 — check the label cloud in the sidebar for "Best of" to see other lists.
2024 BEST BOOKS
Dominion:
The Making of the Western Mind
by Tom Holland
As Tom Holland says, "What today we term "the West" is less Christianity's heir than its continuation." One of the most even-handed approaches to Christianity I've ever seen. Utterly fair and a great read.
(Full review here.)Team of Rivals
by Doris Goodwin Kearns
Abraham Lincoln was already at the top of my admired people list. However, I found a lot in this book that gave me a fuller picture of the man himself. Most of what I learned was simply admirable.
Linnets & Valerians
by Elizabeth Goudge
My brief take is that in many ways it makes me think of E. Nesbit's tales such as The Magic City, The House of Arden, and The Treasure Seekers. Like those, this book takes recognizable fantasy beats and weaves an entirely new and enchanting pattern.
The Power and the Glory
by Graham Greene
Strongly recommended by my daughter Rose and I can see why. It is quite grim and depressing for 3/4 of the book. Then it takes off like a firecracker and puts everything together in a way that blows your mind by the end of the book. Simply magnificent.
We Solve Murders
It has all the qualities that makes the Thursday Murder Club series so much fun while being completely different. Super entertaining.
Scum of the Earth
by Alexander C. Kane
This book looks at alien invasion from the point of the collaborators, the turncoats who wholeheartedly cooperate with the subjugation of the human race to a life of fear and misery. Echoes of 1984 abound but there are opportunities for redemption that transcend doublethink.
Lord of a Shattered Land
by Howard Andrew Jones
Sword-and-sorcery in a world based on the Carthaginians and the Romans, raised to a high level of storytelilng. With many monsters that Lovecraft would approve of.
How the Church Has Changed the World, I-IV
by Anthony Esolen
Esolen ranges across time and around the world to show us the many ways that the love of Christ has been expressed by the Church through history — in art, song, customs, and people. Each book has 24 essays and they make wonderful daily reading.
Teresa of Avila: God Alone Suffices
by Jean Jacques Antier
I wanted a big book about a big saint including historical context. This book filled the bill. I really felt immersed in Teresa's life. It was very inspirational as well as being informative.
Above Suspicion
by Helen MacInnes
This is both an exciting spy story and an interesting look at the pre-war Germany. This book was written as the Nazis increased power and published in 1941. It seems surprisingly true to life.
Christmas Spirit
Because, yes, it is STILL Christmas! We're in this mighty celebration until the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord which isn't until next Monday.
For the spirit of Christmas fulfils the greatest hunger of mankind.
Loring A. Schuler
Sunday, January 5, 2025
Solemnity of Epiphany
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| Giotto, Adoration of the Magi via Wikipedia |
We are perhaps in danger of not realizing fully how close Our Lord is to our lives because God presents himself to us under the insignificant appearance of a piece of bread, because he does not reveal himself in his glory, because he does not impose himself irresistibly, because he slips into our life like a shadow, instead of making his power resound at the summit of all things ... How many souls are troubled because God does not show himself in the way they expected! (J. Leclerq, A Year with the Liturgy)The Solemnity of the Epiphany is celebrated either on January 6 or, according to the decision of the episcopal conference, on the Sunday between January 2 and January 8. Epiphany celebrates the visit of the three kings or wise men to the Christ Child, signifying salvation for the Gentiles. Read more at Catholic Culture.
In Conversation with God: Advent and Christmastide
Friday, January 3, 2025
Christmas - Mirth is also of Heaven's Making
Fail not to call to mind, in the course of the twenty-fifth of this month, that the Divinest Heart that ever walked the earth was born on that day; and then smile and enjoy yourselves for the rest of it; for mirth is also of Heaven's making.
Leigh Hunt
Pralinen
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| Pralinen by Edward B. Gordon |
Thursday, January 2, 2025
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Twain on New Year's Day
Yesterday, everybody smoked his last cigar, took his last drink and swore his last oath. Today, we are a pious and exemplary community. Thirty days from now, we shall have cast our reformation to the winds and gone to cutting our ancient shortcomings considerably shorter than ever.
Mark Twain
Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God
Image from Chant Art
All the feasts of Our Lady are great events, because they are opportunities the church gives us to show with deeds that we love Mary. But if I had to choose one from among all her feasts, I would choose today's, the feast of the Divine Motherhood of the Blessed Virgin ...
When the Blessed Virgin said Yes, freely, to the plans revealed to her by the Creator, the divine Word assumed a human nature, with a rational soul and a body, formed in the most pure womb of Mary. The divine nature and the human were united in a single Person: Jesus Christ, true God and, thenceforth, true man: the only-begotten and Eternal Son of the Father and, from that moment on, as Man, the true son of Mary. This is why Our Lady is the Mother of the Incarnate Word, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, who has united our human nature to himself forever, without any confusion of the two natures. The greatest praise we can give to the Blessed Virgin is to address her loud and clear by the name that expresses her highest dignity: Mother of God.
St. Josemaria Escriva, Friends of God
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Fiesta in Figueres
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| Salvador Dali, 1916, Fiesta in Figueres via WikiPaintings |
Monday, December 30, 2024
Teresa of Avila: God Alone Suffices by Jean Jacques Antier
Internationally-known author Jean-Jacques Antier recounts Teresa's life in vivid detail, from her earliest years as a romantic and worldly young woman to her passionate love for Christ and subsequent efforts to reform the Carmelite Order. Easily one of the most amazing figures history has known, St. Teresa of ?vila led an exceptional life for a woman of her time as well as our own.
After reading Sigrid Undset's book sbout Catherine of Siena I was ready for another big book about a big saint. This filled the bill, including historical context, which was something that I really enjoyed in the Undset book.
I'm so glad I picked this up. I really felt immersed in Teresa's life. It was very inspirational as well as being informative. Coincidentally I am also reading The Betrothed for an upcoming podcast episode. Teresa's life, the discalced way of living, and her struggles all resonate to make the world of The Betrothed feel much more familiar.
My favorite part was midway through when the first convent was being established. All those details made me have a deeper appreciation for one of my very favorite books, In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden. All of this is to say that the book resonated with me on several levels.
I really loved one little vignette when Teresa and John of the Cross were such good friends with surprising results.
Very privileged relationships were established and lasted for those two years that John of the Cross spent in Avila, and astonishing dialogues took place in the Inacrnation parlor. On May 17, 1573, Sister Beatriz de Ocampo, looking for the prioress, went to the parlor, where she found Teresa in ecstacy, and, on the other side of the grille, John of the Cross sent into levitation by ecstasy. Teresa excused herself saying, "You cannot speak of God with Father John of the Cross without having him enter into ecstasy and leading you along with him."
Highly recommended.
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Christmas with Charles Dickens
The best sitting room at Manor Farm was a good, long, dark-paneled room with a high chimney-piece, and a capacious chimney, up which you could have driven one of the new patent cabs, wheels and all. At the upper end of the room, seated in a shady bower of holly and evergreens, were the two best fiddlers, and the only harp, in all Muggleton. In all sorts of recesses, and on all kinds of brackets, stood massive old silver candlesticks with four branches each. The carpet was up, the candles burnt bright, the fire blazed and crackled on the hearth, and merry voices and light-hearted laughter range through the room.
Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers
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