THE KING

The King (2019) directed by David Michôd. A coming-of-age film focused on Henry V's rise to power, moving from drunk laughingstock to warrior king. Loosely based on historical foundations and likewise loosely based on Shakespeare's play Henry V, the plot ultimately satisfies during Henry's transformation from Hal to Henry, King of England. The beauty of the muddy Battle of Agincourt as the central tableau is that the confusion of the battlefield feels more true than most cinematic depictions. Recommended.

Streaming on Netflix.

KINGDOM III

Kingdom 3: Flame of Destiny (2023) directed by Shinsuke Sato. A bit slower than the prior two Kingdom films, this one provides us with significant background information. It also sets us up for Kingdom 4, coming later in 2024. This doesn't work well as a standalone, but is important as glue for the whole. Mostly for the diehard fans.

Streaming on Netflix.

BLUE EYE SAMURAI

Blue Eye Samurai (2023) is a series of eight episodes of great anime, with spectacular storytelling and stunning animation. It's a balance of violence, comedy, family (and its attendant problems), and quest, all wrapped up in the historical setting of Edo-era, Shogun-run, medieval Japan. Quite the wild ride.

Streaming on Netflix.

SALTBURN

Saltburn (2023) directed by Emerald Fennell. Moral bankruptcy and masquerade. Perversion. There are echoes of similar films and novels that I catch: Dangerous Liaisons, Cruel Intentions, Marie Antoinette, the books of Bret Easton Ellis. But this is it's own slow-burning beast. It's beautiful and melancholic until the mask slips, and then it is all death and decay. (Or maybe it always was.) 

 Streaming on Amazon Prime.

ALCOHOL-FREE in 2024

The Advent Beer Calendar is complete.

I've taken a vow of no alcohol for 2024, for personal and spiritual reasons. I had a couple of recent prayer walks where I lamented the losses associated with this, but I'm ready. Here's to a sober life for at least a year!

LAST MEAL / FLAME / BEER

TWT fired up the Last Flame so the steaks for the Last Meal could be grilled. This year, TWT enjoyed peppery tri-tip steaks, with Rice-a-Roni and white corn. The Wife had a Dungeness crab salad. The Child had pasta-and-cheese, carrots-and-peas casserole.



Teisnacher 1543 Festmärzen. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty-four.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.4% abv. • *****

Last Meal was accompanied by the final beer from the 2023 Advent Calendar box.

The pour was orange body and thin white head.

Flavors were broth, nuttiness, light orange, and light bitterness.

Medium mouthfeel leads into a brief bitterness. This was an excellent way to end the box and dinner.



After dinner, we played games: Betrayal at House on the Hill and Dutch Blitz. It was also time for the final beer of the year, as well as the final beer for a year!

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Aldersbacher Urhell. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty-three.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.1% abv. • ****

On the pour: yellow body and crisp white head.

Notes are leafy hops, yeast, undetermined spices, light butterscotch, biscuit.

Medium mouthfeel. Medium crisp and clean finish. Leaves and biscuits are on the end.

This is a great hell.

2023 ADVENT BEER CALENDAR

Black Forest Dark Lager. Advent Beer Calendar day twenty-two.

500 ml/16.9 oz. • 5.7% abv. • *****

 
The pour presents a black body and a thin tan head.

Flavors include cocoa, burnt log, dark chocolate, light spices, cinnamon. Hints of vanilla and cream.

A medium and creamy mouthfeel leads into a brief dry finish.

This is most excellent and one of the best in the box. So enjoyable!

THE GREAT WAVE

Today, we visited the Seattle Art Museum to visit the Hokusai exhibit. The highlight for me was getting to see an original print of 神奈川沖浪裏 "Kanagawa-oki Nami Ura," "Under the Wave off Kanagawa," sometimes known as "The Great Wave." Hokusai's use of negative space and a mixture of outlined and "boneless" forms is exquisite. I also imagined it to be a much larger work than it is, so that was a bit of a surprise. Ultimately, though, it was one of my great moments experiencing art. A truly holy moment!

REBEL MOON

Rebel Moon (2023) directed by Zack Snyder. OMG. Spoiler alerts, maybe?

Odin the Robot narrates the tale of the Battleship Yamato as it makes a pit stop at a farm world for food. Space Nazis from BY express their cruelty upon the population.

Space Nazi troops attempt rape. Brooding refugee kills rapists.

Campout in front of fantastic Frank Frazetta planetscapes after riding horses-not-horses to seek rebels.

Cue slomo-slaughter battle scene backstory.

Then Old West saloon with aliens. "These aren't the droids" moment meets Greedo shot first.

Trope stumbles over trope stumbles over exponential filmed references. Accents galore! More slomo!

Insert griffin taming. (No joke.) It's Tarzan/John Carter of Mars meets How To Train Your Dragon.

Next up: Bladerunner mining world to pick up medieval Korean noble, yet a woman in men's garb. Plus lightsabers. Versus Hunger Games spider. Seriously. SERIOUSLY.

Then Frozen backstory.

Every scene we are given a wink. Or is it a fart?

One of the gladiators from Gladiator. Bounty hunters. Betrayal. Jar Jar Binks as quiet king. The Bloodaxe siblings arrive.

NOW we have our Seven Samurai.

Nazi goes full Negan. Sell out. Guns blazing. Denouement.

Standoff! "Shoot out!"

Mutated 2001 Star Child after meeting Dumbledore in the afterlife.

Resurrection?

Ready for part two in April.

Streaming on Netflix.