Walk km 11,370-11,382 (10,758 to go): Meetup in Pacific Spirit Park
walk km 11,382-11,385: running errands
approx km 11,376 along the Fraser River
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Day #22,139-140
Walk km 11,361-11,370: Pacific Spirit Park
Walk km 11,370-11,382 (10,758 to go): Meetup in Pacific Spirit Park
walk km 11,382-11,385: running errands
Meetup walkers
approx km 11,376 along the Fraser River
Walk km 11,370-11,382 (10,758 to go): Meetup in Pacific Spirit Park
walk km 11,382-11,385: running errands
approx km 11,376 along the Fraser River
Sunday, July 29, 2012
Day #22,138
Walk km 11,352-11,361 (10,777 to go): Metrotown to 54th @ Kerr
a creek
approx km 11,355 Kaymar Creek Ravine Park
Movie #2099: Almost Heaven (2005, Al Herzog)
Watched this one because it was going to be dropped from Netflix in a couple of days. I should have waited longer. Inept.
approx km 11,355 Kaymar Creek Ravine Park
Movie #2099: Almost Heaven (2005, Al Herzog)
Watched this one because it was going to be dropped from Netflix in a couple of days. I should have waited longer. Inept.
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Day #22,136-137
Walk km 11,336-11,341: running errands
Walk km 11,341-11,352 (10,785 to go): Meetup walk, Metrotown to 29th Ave Station
trail in the park
approx km 11,348 Discovery Place Conservation Area
Movie #2098: Wild Wild Planet (1965, Antonio Margheriti)
Some would have you believe that this is an epic loser in the same league as "Plan Nine From Outer Space". Not at all. Firstly, the budget for this must have been astronomical compared to a shoestring Ed Wood production. And the money looks to have been used wisely as the minatures all look just as realistic as those in your typical Japanese Godzilla movie.
It's the idiotic plot where this movie really shines. That is the only thing that comes close to Wood territory.
Walk km 11,341-11,352 (10,785 to go): Meetup walk, Metrotown to 29th Ave Station
approx km 11,348 Discovery Place Conservation Area
Movie #2098: Wild Wild Planet (1965, Antonio Margheriti)
Some would have you believe that this is an epic loser in the same league as "Plan Nine From Outer Space". Not at all. Firstly, the budget for this must have been astronomical compared to a shoestring Ed Wood production. And the money looks to have been used wisely as the minatures all look just as realistic as those in your typical Japanese Godzilla movie.
It's the idiotic plot where this movie really shines. That is the only thing that comes close to Wood territory.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Day #22,135
Walk km 11,328-11,336: Stanley Park
Third Beach and SeaWall
approx km 11,332 Stanley Park
TV Episodes #30 & #31: Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)
Interestingly, Alfred actually name checked the author of the episode "The Big Switch" in his pre-film chat. The author was Cornell Woolrich and it's doubltful that many members of the viewing audience would recognize that name.
Unfortunatelly, the episoide is no great shakes as the plot is not at all plausible and it also has a hole in it (the plot that is, although one of the cast members suffers the same fate!).
The other episode is "A Bullet For Baldwin". Both episodes are period pieces and and both are non too exciting.
approx km 11,332 Stanley Park
TV Episodes #30 & #31: Alfred Hitchcock Presents (1955)
Interestingly, Alfred actually name checked the author of the episode "The Big Switch" in his pre-film chat. The author was Cornell Woolrich and it's doubltful that many members of the viewing audience would recognize that name.
Unfortunatelly, the episoide is no great shakes as the plot is not at all plausible and it also has a hole in it (the plot that is, although one of the cast members suffers the same fate!).
The other episode is "A Bullet For Baldwin". Both episodes are period pieces and and both are non too exciting.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Day #22,133
Walk km 11,307-11,319: Meetup walk from 29th Ave Station to Metrotown Station
Meetup walkers
approx km 11,315 Deer Lake Park
Movie rewatch: D.O.A. (1950, Rudolph Mate)
I think everyone has seen this one. It was one of the better movies that was in the public domain so right since the invention of the VCR it's been in the discount bins everywhere.
It was on TCM today so I thought they might have a better print than the public domain copies but the picture looked a little washed out on this one too.
The plot is a doozy that just cannot lose: a guy is murdered but because he drank only some of the poison he'll live just long enough to track down the guy who murdered him. Neat.
approx km 11,315 Deer Lake Park
Movie rewatch: D.O.A. (1950, Rudolph Mate)
I think everyone has seen this one. It was one of the better movies that was in the public domain so right since the invention of the VCR it's been in the discount bins everywhere.
It was on TCM today so I thought they might have a better print than the public domain copies but the picture looked a little washed out on this one too.
The plot is a doozy that just cannot lose: a guy is murdered but because he drank only some of the poison he'll live just long enough to track down the guy who murdered him. Neat.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Sunday, July 22, 2012
New Westminster
Day #22,131
Walk km 11,285-11,296 (10,835 km to go): Meetup walk from New Westminster Station to Annacis Island
Meetup walkers
approx km 11,289 entrance to Queensborough Bridge
Movie #2097: Made In U.S.A. (1966, Jean-Luc Godard)
This is Jean-Luc Godard meets Donald E Westlake. It is based on the novel "The Jugger" by Richard Stark (Westlake). I looked on the internet to see what Westlake's reaction was to this movie. It appears that his reaction was to block it being shown! Apparently, Godard never paid for the screen rights for the book. And who could blame him? After he had smothered the plot with huge amounts of politics and pop culture, who could ever recognize it?
Walk km 11,285-11,296 (10,835 km to go): Meetup walk from New Westminster Station to Annacis Island
approx km 11,289 entrance to Queensborough Bridge
Movie #2097: Made In U.S.A. (1966, Jean-Luc Godard)
This is Jean-Luc Godard meets Donald E Westlake. It is based on the novel "The Jugger" by Richard Stark (Westlake). I looked on the internet to see what Westlake's reaction was to this movie. It appears that his reaction was to block it being shown! Apparently, Godard never paid for the screen rights for the book. And who could blame him? After he had smothered the plot with huge amounts of politics and pop culture, who could ever recognize it?
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Day #22,130
Walk km 11,277-11,280: to Safeway
Walk km 11,280-11,285: walk around streets of Shaughnessy
Movie #2096: My Dinner With Jimi (2003, Bill Fishman)
Not much of a movie. They couldn't afford any 60s sets so everything is in close-up. A documentary would have probably been better. The guy who played Jimi Hendrix was impressive though.
Oh ya, they did forget one thing: Flo and Eddie did the "Blind Date" column for Phonograph Record Magazine - they never even mentioned that - I guess since Howard Kaylan wrote the script he didn't wanna brag.
Book #422: The Farm (1967, Clarence Cooper Jr)
Well, it's unique. A novel concerning a drug addict in a prison for drug addicts. Clarence Cooper was a drug addict who spent a good part of his life in prison. So he knows of what he speaks.
The book is written in the lingo of the drug addict. It has no plot.
Interesting but no page-turner.
Walk km 11,280-11,285: walk around streets of Shaughnessy
Movie #2096: My Dinner With Jimi (2003, Bill Fishman)
Not much of a movie. They couldn't afford any 60s sets so everything is in close-up. A documentary would have probably been better. The guy who played Jimi Hendrix was impressive though.
Oh ya, they did forget one thing: Flo and Eddie did the "Blind Date" column for Phonograph Record Magazine - they never even mentioned that - I guess since Howard Kaylan wrote the script he didn't wanna brag.
Book #422: The Farm (1967, Clarence Cooper Jr)
Well, it's unique. A novel concerning a drug addict in a prison for drug addicts. Clarence Cooper was a drug addict who spent a good part of his life in prison. So he knows of what he speaks.
The book is written in the lingo of the drug addict. It has no plot.
Interesting but no page-turner.
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Day #22,128
Walk km 11,266-11,268: to Safeway
Walk km 11,268-11,274 (10,854 to go): streets between Broadway and 36th Ave
Thursday afternoon in suburbia
approx km 11,271 Angus Drive
Movie #2095: House Of Women (1962, Walter Doniger)
Another Crane Wilbur (screenplay) prison drama. This time he's upping the ante and making it a women's prison.
The plot doesn't really make any sense and the scenes are handled with no subtlety at all. In other words, it's kinda fun.
Walk km 11,268-11,274 (10,854 to go): streets between Broadway and 36th Ave
approx km 11,271 Angus Drive
Movie #2095: House Of Women (1962, Walter Doniger)
Another Crane Wilbur (screenplay) prison drama. This time he's upping the ante and making it a women's prison.
The plot doesn't really make any sense and the scenes are handled with no subtlety at all. In other words, it's kinda fun.
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Day #22,127
Walk km 11,258-11,266: streets between 37th and 51st avenues
Wednesday afternoon in suburbia
approx km 11,263 37th Avenue
Movie #2094: Outward Bound (1930, Robert Milton)
Laughable "life after death" drama as passengers on a luxury liner realize that they're actually dead. They all wonder what's to become of them. Far be it from me to give away the denouement.
Laughable is still quite a bit better than the usual fare from the early days of talkies.
approx km 11,263 37th Avenue
Movie #2094: Outward Bound (1930, Robert Milton)
Laughable "life after death" drama as passengers on a luxury liner realize that they're actually dead. They all wonder what's to become of them. Far be it from me to give away the denouement.
Laughable is still quite a bit better than the usual fare from the early days of talkies.
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Day #22,126
Walk km 11,249-11,258 (10,868 to go): 32nd and 24th Avenues
Tuesday afternoon in suburbia
approx km 11,254 Chaldecott Street
Tuesday afternoon in suburbia
approx km 11,254 Chaldecott Street
Monday, July 16, 2012
Day #22,125
Walk km 11,245-11,247: running errands
Walk km 11,247-11,249: to Safeway
Movie #2093: A Millionaire For Christy (1951, George Marshall)
The 3rd of the TCM "Fred MacMurray day" movies. In this one, Fred inherits $2M and is chased by Eleanor Parker.
It's a screwball comedy with a nice quick pace. Ms Parker is quite charming as the would-be golddigger. Fairly amusing.
Walk km 11,247-11,249: to Safeway
Movie #2093: A Millionaire For Christy (1951, George Marshall)
The 3rd of the TCM "Fred MacMurray day" movies. In this one, Fred inherits $2M and is chased by Eleanor Parker.
It's a screwball comedy with a nice quick pace. Ms Parker is quite charming as the would-be golddigger. Fairly amusing.
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Day #22,124
Walk km 11,233-11,245: Meetup walk along Lucille Starr Drive
Lucille Starr Drive sign
approx km 11,236 Lucille Starr Drive (Coquitlam)
Movie #2092: Kisses For My President (1964, Curtis Bernhardt)
Another movie from TCM's recent Fred MacMurray day. In this one Fred becomes America's first male "First Lady". Pure fluff.
approx km 11,236 Lucille Starr Drive (Coquitlam)
Movie #2092: Kisses For My President (1964, Curtis Bernhardt)
Another movie from TCM's recent Fred MacMurray day. In this one Fred becomes America's first male "First Lady". Pure fluff.
Saturday, July 14, 2012
Day #22,123
Walk km 11,218-11,230: Meetup walk in Stanley Park
Walk km 11,230-11,233 (10,890 to go): to T&T
Movie #2091: No Time For Love (Mitchell Leisen, 1943)
Any Leisen comedy can't be all bad but this one panders to the masses a bit too much. Claudette Colbert is a hoity toity artistic type who gets involved with physical labourer Fred MacMurray. Of couse, Claudette looks down her nose at Fred when all along she's really crazy about him. Why? Because he's a regular Joe just like the audience for this movie.
Walk km 11,230-11,233 (10,890 to go): to T&T
Movie #2091: No Time For Love (Mitchell Leisen, 1943)
Any Leisen comedy can't be all bad but this one panders to the masses a bit too much. Claudette Colbert is a hoity toity artistic type who gets involved with physical labourer Fred MacMurray. Of couse, Claudette looks down her nose at Fred when all along she's really crazy about him. Why? Because he's a regular Joe just like the audience for this movie.
Friday, July 13, 2012
Day #21,122
Movie #2089: Lars And The Real Girl (2007, Craig Gillespie)
Shy guy buys a lifesize doll to be his girlfriend. He takes her to church, the doctor, parties etc. But instead of making fun of him, everybody in the small town pitches in and goes along with his delusion that the doll is real.It's all very heartwarming.
It makes for an interesting story but they can't really pull it off completely: the woman who wants him as a boyfriend even after she finds out that he's nutso? I think not.
Movie #2090: Never Stop (1956, Xinshi Zhang & Guo Quan Lui)
It's more yak yak yak in a Chinese Communist propaganda movie. Should villages form farming co-operatives right away or should they wait for the time to be right? District Commie bigwig says wait but is overruled by regional Commie bigwig who says right away. Yawn..
Shy guy buys a lifesize doll to be his girlfriend. He takes her to church, the doctor, parties etc. But instead of making fun of him, everybody in the small town pitches in and goes along with his delusion that the doll is real.It's all very heartwarming.
It makes for an interesting story but they can't really pull it off completely: the woman who wants him as a boyfriend even after she finds out that he's nutso? I think not.
Movie #2090: Never Stop (1956, Xinshi Zhang & Guo Quan Lui)
It's more yak yak yak in a Chinese Communist propaganda movie. Should villages form farming co-operatives right away or should they wait for the time to be right? District Commie bigwig says wait but is overruled by regional Commie bigwig who says right away. Yawn..
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Day #22,121
Walk km 11,206-11,208: to Safeway
Walk km 11,208-11,218: Meetup walk around Simon Fraser University
vegetarian eagle
approx km 11,214 University High Street
Walk km 11,208-11,218: Meetup walk around Simon Fraser University
approx km 11,214 University High Street
Wednesday, July 11, 2012
Day #22,118-20
Walk km 11,187-11,189: running errands
Walk km 11,189-11,195: to RiverRock casino
Walk km 11,195-11,206: New Westminster Station to Annacis Island
Walk km 11,189-11,195: to RiverRock casino
Walk km 11,195-11,206: New Westminster Station to Annacis Island
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Day #22,117
Walk km 11,173-11,187 (10,930 to go): south Richmond to New Westminster
old truck
approx km 11,183 Dyke Road
Book #421: Barney's Version (1997, Mordecai Richler)
This certainly is a clever book. It seems to be some sort of an autobiography of Richer if his life were seen through one of those distorting mirrors at the carnival. I first thought that these characters represented actual people but when Duddy Kravitz made an appearance, I had to revise my thinking. I really don't know that much about Richler so I wouldn't be able to get as much out of this book as someone who is familiar with him and his work.
Be sure to read "Barney's Version", just be sure to read his other books first.
approx km 11,183 Dyke Road
Book #421: Barney's Version (1997, Mordecai Richler)
This certainly is a clever book. It seems to be some sort of an autobiography of Richer if his life were seen through one of those distorting mirrors at the carnival. I first thought that these characters represented actual people but when Duddy Kravitz made an appearance, I had to revise my thinking. I really don't know that much about Richler so I wouldn't be able to get as much out of this book as someone who is familiar with him and his work.
Be sure to read "Barney's Version", just be sure to read his other books first.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Day #22,116
Walk km 11,168-11,170 (10,946 km to go): to T&T
Walk km 11,170-11,173: to Denman @ Davie
Movie #2088: It Came From Beneath The Sea (1955, Robert Gordon)
Idiotic. A giant octopus attacks San Francisco. The trouble is that the octopus has to stay in the water so just staying away from the waterfront would appear to be the thing to do. However, since this is a giant hole in the plot, all the San Franciscans head straight to the ferry boat terminal to get onto a ferry!
Also, this is another of the "let's keep women in their place" movies. They have one female character who thinks she's just as good as any man. Whatta laugh! As soon as the octopus approaches she just screams her head off and has to be saved by the men. Won't those Hollywood women characters ever learn?
Walk km 11,170-11,173: to Denman @ Davie
Movie #2088: It Came From Beneath The Sea (1955, Robert Gordon)
Idiotic. A giant octopus attacks San Francisco. The trouble is that the octopus has to stay in the water so just staying away from the waterfront would appear to be the thing to do. However, since this is a giant hole in the plot, all the San Franciscans head straight to the ferry boat terminal to get onto a ferry!
Also, this is another of the "let's keep women in their place" movies. They have one female character who thinks she's just as good as any man. Whatta laugh! As soon as the octopus approaches she just screams her head off and has to be saved by the men. Won't those Hollywood women characters ever learn?
Friday, July 6, 2012
Day #22,115
Walk km 11,161-11,167: 49th @ Cambie to Knight @ King Edward
Kingcrest Park
approx km 11,167 Knight Street
approx km 11,167 Knight Street
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Day #22,114
Walk km 11,147-11,161: Meetup walk to Queen Elizabeth Park
vegetation
approx km 11,153 Queen Elizabeth Park
approx km 11,153 Queen Elizabeth Park
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Day #22,113
Walk km 11,132-11,145 (10,968 to go): Meetup walk at Burnaby Lake
Walk km 11,145-11,147: to the Safeway
a horse
approx km 11,138 Burnaby Lake Park
Movie #2087: Whistling In Dixie (1942, S Sylvan Simon)
SSS is back on track with this whodunit comedy. When I was a kid I couldn't stand that Red Skelton character but here he's quite effective as radio detective "The Fox" who bumbles his way through this murder mystery with actual funny gags and one liners. Fun stuff.
Walk km 11,145-11,147: to the Safeway
approx km 11,138 Burnaby Lake Park
Movie #2087: Whistling In Dixie (1942, S Sylvan Simon)
SSS is back on track with this whodunit comedy. When I was a kid I couldn't stand that Red Skelton character but here he's quite effective as radio detective "The Fox" who bumbles his way through this murder mystery with actual funny gags and one liners. Fun stuff.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Day #22,112
Walk km 11,127-11,129: to Denman & Davie
Walk km 11,129-11,132: to Denman & Davie
Movie #2086: Washington Melodrama (1941, S Sylvan Simon)
Wudda mess! The centrepiece of this one is a murder. Then they throw in a bunch of comic routines. A song and dance number anyone? How about some synchronized swimming? This is about as inept as a movie can possibly be. IMDB gives it a 65. What movie were they watching!
Walk km 11,129-11,132: to Denman & Davie
Movie #2086: Washington Melodrama (1941, S Sylvan Simon)
Wudda mess! The centrepiece of this one is a murder. Then they throw in a bunch of comic routines. A song and dance number anyone? How about some synchronized swimming? This is about as inept as a movie can possibly be. IMDB gives it a 65. What movie were they watching!
Sunday, July 1, 2012
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