Happy Sunday!
Poor Vincent. He and we have been told that we have to start wearing masks when we are out of the house. Missing an ear makes it a bit more difficult for Van Gogh (by the way, note that the original work was changed to put the full ear on the left side).
A few random and only loosely connected musings for Sunday…the mind wanders…
THE VAN GOGH MUSEUM
While on the topic of Van Gogh, this is such a cool tour of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. You literally can walk around the museum: https://artsandculture.google.com/streetview/van-gogh-museum-groundfloor/2QHwyv_Y6gueAw?sv_lng=4.881046786523673&sv_lat=52.35838412991535&sv_h=338.66&sv_p=-13.299999999999997&sv_pid=MKMJk8yf0lEzHxPymORW_A&sv_z=1.2957645
Here, also, is the main link to the Museum and its other “remote museum” options, including art, letters, and activities for kids: https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/whats-on/we-bring-the-museum-to-you
T.S. ELIOT—SOMETHING TO PONDER…
This quote (provided by Adam Torson) seems to speak about our current moment:
"The majority of mankind is lazy-minded, incurious, absorbed in vanities, and tepid in emotion, and is therefore incapable of either much doubt or much faith; and when the ordinary man calls himself a sceptic or an unbeliever, that is ordinarily a simple pose, cloaking a disinclination to think anything out to a conclusion."
-- T. S. Eliot, Introduction to Pascal’s Pensées
Sometimes I feel we live in a world of skeptics and non-believers, where people are disinclined to think anything out to a conclusion.
AND THEN THERE’S CATS…
By now most people have read of the debacle that was the movie, Cats, based on T.S. Eliot’s Old Possum’s Book of Practical Cats. This movie may stand as the most overwhelming rejection of a movie seen by the fewest attendees. It was universally panned by critics so far in advance of its opening that most people felt no need to experience the pain directly. For a truly cringe-worthy trailer of the movie, here it is:
It sorta turns the great Churchillian phrase on its head: “Never have so many great talents labored so vigorously to entertain so few…”
Some thought the movie didn’t do justice to the play. While many of the same critics who were repulsed by the movie felt a fondness for the stage production, I was not among them. As a young lawyer, early in the play’s run I visited New York with a fellow theatre buff. We were able to scalp two single tickets. At intermission, we both independently concluded that we didn’t get the hubbub, thinking it the most pointless, plot-less musical ever. And this from two people who love musical theatre.
Tomorrow I’m sharing some of my favorite “over-rated” movies. I’ll be curious to hear how my list agrees and disagrees with yours. What play or movie that other people liked did you find terrible?
STOCKING UP…
I’m not going to try to “suit up” for the markets. We’ve been patronizing the delivery business. I feel like that business must be booming. These folks are working hard. In addition to tips, think about gifts. We’ve started doing that (it was our kids’ suggestion) and it has been met with a smile.
Have a great Sunday and coming week,
Glenn
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