Monthly Archives: May 2019

The NeverEnding Story: The Great and Terrible Power of the Imagination

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In 1984, “the NeverEnding Story” posited that human imagination was being destroyed by a power that brought “the Nothing” on Fantasia. The hench-Gmork doesn’t reveal the power that is behind him before Atreyu kills him. Fantasia is saved by the wishes and imagination of one little boy and his Luck Dragon.

How would it fair now when the dark side of the imagination is called upon to foster fear and create lies? Imagination is a double-edged sword. For as much as someone can imagine all the good things that can happen, it is easier and far more likely for people to imagine all of the bad things that could happen. You can imagine being rich and poor, but what do you imagine more often?

Imagination is a tool that you can harness or let run wild. You have to choose the scenarios that you will give power over your life. The more you think about the bad things, the more power they will have. The more you think about the good, the more power they will gain, and each will manifest itself in Fantasia and in your life.

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2 Episodes in: ‘Dead to Me’ and the M-word

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To avoid any spoilers for “Dead to Me,” I have intentionally kept the subject of this post out of the title. That may mean fewer page views, but ultimately, it means better viewer service. If you’ve already seen “Dead to Me,” then feel free to scroll past the trailer. If you haven’t, I’m not sure what you’re waiting for. Go watch it and then come back to this article. You can book mark it. It’ll be here when you come back.

According to the Mayo Clinic, between 10 and 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. Miscarriages are rarely addressed in American culture. It’s almost as if superior medical practices and technology have made miscarriages a thing of the past. As an overlooked problem, and one that is often attributed to the woman and her lack of womanhood, it may be difficult for women to find a place that can help deal with the emotions a miscarriage may instill.

Judy (Linda Cardellini) has had five miscarriages, but this isn’t sufficient enough loss for some members of the grief support group to accept her after she has lied about her fiancé. It’s clear from a flashback that Judy’s grief comes from another place as well, but the group members don’t know about it. They just know she lied.

Not everyone handles their grief in the same way, and when something as personal as a fifth miscarriage is the cause, the woman may displace her feelings and choose to deceive to get the help she needs without exposing the reality of her situation. “Dead to Me” does a beautiful job of dealing with this emotional situation, touchy subject, and the psychology that comes with it.

Speakers’ Club May 11, 2019: ‘The Twilight Zone’

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Rules:

For this Speakers’ Club, time willing, we’ll discuss three episodes of “The Twilight Zone”: ‘To Serve Man,’ ‘Eye of the Beholder’ and ‘Monsters on Maple Street.’

Rod Serling’s seminal series ran for five years from 1959 to 1964 and perfected the art of the twist ending. Be prepared to take a trip to the fourth dimension.

Bring the popcorn and be ready to think about what you see, hear and feel.

Grim, Grinning Ghosts:

Episode 5: ‘The Twilight Zone’ Walking Distance

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You can’t go home again. People try to return home, to their past, to their roots, but life doesn’t work that way. Sometimes, however, you do have to find its memory to improve your life today. Martin Sloan arrives near his home town and walks right into “the Twilight Zone” and his 11th summer. Once he realizes when he is, he tries to find his younger self, Marty, and reconnect with his mother and father.

The consequences are drastic and enervating, but his father comes to Martin to return his wallet. Dad knows who the older Martin is, but he urges Martin to leave. There’s only one summer per customer and this summer belongs to Marty, who shouldn’t have to share it.

Dad hypothesizes that Martin is wrong. Maybe, there are calliopes and merry-go-rounds near Martin, but he hasn’t been able to see them because he’s been too focused on the past and looking backwards. Dad says that Martin needs to start looking forward in his current life to enjoy his future.

Like Martin, we need to live in the present to enjoy the future. We can look to the past to draw strength, but it would be foolish to attempt to go back there… because you can’t go home again, even in “the Twilight Zone.”

7 Episodes in: ‘Instant Hotel,’ Creativity and the Power of Critique

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It doesn’t take any special qualifications to be rated one of the top one percent of TripAdvisor raters. The only thing you really have to do is write a lot of reviews about places you’ve been. You don’t need to have any expertise in what you’re writing about, you don’t have to take into account anything but your own opinion. There are no other qualifications for being a reviewer.

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2 Episodes In: ‘Dead to Me’

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When Jen (Christina Applegate) goes to a grief counseling circle, Judy (Linda Cardellini) tries too hard to become her friend. Jen holds onto her anger at her husband’s killer, a hit and run driver, and she is left alone with her two boys. Judy comes across as flaky, weird and possibly crazy. She says she lost her fiancé eight weeks ago.

“Dead to Me” deals with grief and other social issues. When the twist is revealed, it’s not because it’s obvious; it’s because of the acting skills of Cardellini and possibly the director’s skills.

There’s only one way this series can end, but much like watching a train wreck, you won’t be able to look away as the characters become more entwined and make choices that, while poor, make sense in what we as viewers know about the situation. The acting is great. Cardellini and Applegate make for an odd couple that fit just right. The situations are funny, and the dialogue is spot on. The characters are sympathetic and the script is well-written.

Don’t be put off by the stated subject matter of the series. “Dead to Me” is funny, smart and deserves to be in queue and binged at the first possible moment. Discover something you didn’t know you were missing.

Episode 4: ‘The Twilight Zone’ Sixteen Millimeter Shrine

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When faced with the reality of aging and the passage of time 20 to 25 years after her last big movie, Barbara Jean Trenton retreats in to her study. Curtains drawn, she sits in a chair watching her old movies and drinking – day after day, week after week. While she would welcome a starring role as a leading lady, she cannot accept that her star has faded in Hollywood.

When reality finally catches up with her, she rejects it and claims her home as a sanctuary returned to the 1930s. She escapes into the past, watching her movies and wishing for a better day, one that probably never existed but looked sweeter with time. When she returns to the past, it’s two-dimensional, but it fits her because she herself is shallow. She values looks over substance, and status over possibility.

Barbara Jean Trenton gets her wish and is seemingly none the worse for wear, but the days past aren’t always what they a cracked up to be. Should we move backward toward the comfort of our nostalgia, or should we look forward to a better tomorrow? A theme that the Twilight Zone explores further in “Walking Distance.”

5 Episodes in: ‘Instant Hotel,’ Criticism and Creativity

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By the time the fifth episode has rolled around, everyone has drawn lines. It’s the fussy couple vs. the mother-daughter team. Who will win is really beside the point. Throughout the course of “Instant Hotel,” each team has received criticism about their hotel, and each has acted predictably. Criticism makes people defensive. It hurts even when it comes from a place of love, and it rarely makes people think about the actual problem.

It’s difficult to hear when people are raising valid concerns about the results of your passion, and it’s harder to tell the difference between genuine criticism and jealousy or gamesmanship. So, when the teams are facing the Instant Hotel owners, a lot of the criticisms are dismissed.

Some of the criticism deserves to be dismissed. A difference in taste or opinion is no reason for someone to change something. If the hotel is designed for quiet contemplation, and that’s not someone’s idea of a good time, then that hotel isn’t for him or her. It doesn’t mean the owner should change the hotel; it just means that the hotel needs to be marketed to those looking for that type of vacation.

However, there are other concerns that are justified. If the criticism is that there are no curtains on the bathroom windows, that probably needs to be taken care of. If people don’t like the number of mosquitoes, you should at least try to come up with a solution (citronella candles, bug killing light) because sometimes trying is more important than succeeding. If, instead, you decide that people are telling you these things so they can deduct points from your score and don’t take them as valid, then your real guests are going to have to face the issues, and probably won’t say anything.

“Instant Hotel” provides us all with a way to think about how we can deal better with criticism by taking what’s valid for us and using it to our advantage, even if it is said with malice, and leaving behind what won’t serve us or our vision. As a creative person, it’s the same thing. If someone doesn’t like your book because its science fiction and they don’t like westerns, well, you know, whatever. However, when they tell you about the typos they spotted or ask about a plot hole, it may be time to revisit the writing.

For more on creativity, get “Disneyland Is Creativity.” Order “Penguinate! Essays and Short Stories.” Preorder “The Haunted Mansion Is Creativity.”

How ‘Avengers: Endgame’ is helping Netflix

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“Avengers: Endgame” is smashing records like Hulk smashed everything in his many movie and TV appearances. Above all, it’s performing well in China where it’s close enough to all-time records to be mentioned in the same breath as homegrown favorites like “The Wandering Earth.”

The fact that “The Wandering Earth debuted in February and had the highest IMAX gross, which was then beaten by Avengers, creates an interest in seeing the movie. Endgame could gross more in China than “The Wandering Earth” and creating an even greater interest in seeing the Chinese film. If it was that good, it must be worth seeing, and for those who want to be able to say anything intelligent about the heavyweight duel overseas, they’ll have to find a way to see ‘The Wandering Earth” and find out what made it such a huge hit in China. In steps Netflix to fill the gap.

By promoting it as something people can see, Netflix is effectively able to use the free advertising generated by the comparison between “The Wandering Earth” and Endgame to get views of a Chinese film most wouldn’t ordinarily even find to watch much less consider. If Netflix or other streaming services begin to capitalize on the comparisons that go on with box office incomes, we could see a slew of international films gaining steam first through streaming. Once Americans get used to seeing foreign films with subtitles, there’ll be no stopping the influx of new and better films.

Even if those foreign film studios are as mired in sequel-itis as U.S. studios are, the stories and concepts will be new and more original to U.S. audiences. That’s good for storytelling and creativity because foreign films can introduce different ideas and viewpoints into American culture. For now, Netflix gains with having “The Wandering Earth” available to stream, and having one more way to create buzz through using another studios success.