David Breashears

    I think this guy was a pretty big deal. Sad to see him gone so young.

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    March 21, 2024
    Tags: david brashears

    Brazil (1985)

    A man wearing wings jumps from a filing cabinet drawer that is open among an entire wall of filig cabinet drawers with pink and blue neon lighting-styled title spelling Brazil.

    A lot of 1984, a lot of Kafka, a real noir, and great. I really liked this.

    This movie came out when I was 10, and around that time I saw everything I could. We had a family friend who worked for a studio who could somehow call this megaplex in my town and get me and my friends in whenever I wanted. I think my parents were horrified, but I called all the time and she was always awesome and hooked me up.

    Anyway, I saw everything that a kid might find at all interesting in those days. I never even heard of Brazil. That’s obviously on me, especially since I never heard of the movie until last year. But let’s forget about all that.

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    March 09, 2024

    Categories: Reviews

    We bought an EV

    Man, it was only about an hour and a half between when I wrote that I wouldn’t be going anywhere last Saturday and when my day got really busy away from the house.

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    March 07, 2024
    Tags: kia ev6 | electric | ev

    Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984)

    Eyes stare at you while a set of arms is crossed in front, and many other sets of arms are crossed below in a show of solidarity.

    I was once again struck by the visuals in this movie. I had only ever seen it on a crappy DVD copy (or VHS before that) and remembered it as really dark and gritty and ugly. This time through is was dark and gritty and beautiful.

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    March 02, 2024
    Tags: george orwell | 1984
    Categories: Reviews

    We got a real storm

    A tree stands in the middle of a small yard, both covered in snow.
    My Catalpa tree, which stands as the subject of my many photos showing current conditions at my house. Photo by Ryan C. Jerz, March 2, 2024.

    This week saw a heavily-broadcast threat of a major winter storm in the Sierra and hitting the valley floor in Reno. It was real. We went to sleep last night with some snow coming down but not quite sticking and woke up to about six inches sticking on the ground. Everything underneath our patio was covered, suggesting the wind blew all night as well.

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    March 02, 2024
    Tags: snow

    I feel like I'm in my own personal Renaissance

    I have made it my mission to watch a lot of movies. I love them and wish I had spent more of my youth indulging in them, even though I did pretty well anyway. But now, at this point, I’m enjoying them more thoroughly than I ever did before. That’s partially due to being older, having more life experience, and being able to understand the movies I watch in ways I never could without those things.

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    The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez (1982)

    A line art drawing shows one man dressed in traditional Mexican western attire being chased on horses by four men with guns.

    I came across this movie at a used bookstore while on the lookout for some movies that would fit in my collection. I picked this up and immediately held onto it because it was a western thing with that starred Edward James Olmos front and center. I expected action and a solid story. What I got was a tremendously moving and sad tale of what amounts to just plain old racism making one man’s life hell.

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    February 05, 2024
    Tags: racism | texas | criterion collection
    Categories: Reviews

    The Wizard of Oz (1939)

    A scarecrow, tin man, young woman, and lion walk down the yellow brick road with a small dog looking at them from the text title of the movie

    I got to see this on the big screen, and it was spectacular.

    I’m a product of seeing this on television once a year through my childhood, and as a result, this has always been one of my all-time favorites. But it’s an entirely different experience to see this on the big screen, watching what I presume is the 4K print (it sure looked like it) or better.

    While the movie is so beautiful, I was captured by the inability to rewind and take a second look at something. The result is a bit more magical, if that word applies. I couldn’t prove to myself that I saw what I thought I saw in a couple places, and the not knowing for sure leads me to think they meant it to be there.

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    February 01, 2024
    Tags: movies
    Categories: Reviews

    All that complaining

    Today’s Blognauary prompt: “What do you complain about the most?

    The answer is easy. The implied improvement following such recognition isn’t.

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    January 30, 2024
    Tags: complaints

    Clever title about sports

    Today’s Bloganuary prompt: “What are your favorite sports to watch and play?

    Here is another that finds me in a state of change.

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    January 29, 2024
    Tags: sports
    Categories: Bloganuary