Of Machines And Dinosaurs

Just got finished watching Metropolis (the original silent film) and The Lost World (ditto), which are both still…well, “great” isn’t exactly the right word. They don’t fully hold up to the test of time. Some of the acting is terrible, and a lot of the F/X are basic at best.

But they were so impressive for their time. They’re so influential. Metropolis is inventive even by modern standards; the explicit symbolism in the film is still striking and thought-provoking (particularly the oppressive machine dials, which turn into the hands of the clock signalling the beginning and end of the shift).

I was also struck by the disclaimer at the beginning of Metropolis: That this is not a story of the future or the present; merely a story with a moral. I liked that. I liked that it explicitly isn’t a prediction of the future, nor a fable about a specific modern situation. It’s just a cautionary story, told with robots and machines.

I also like that, in the end, both sides did things wrong.

That was the enjoyable culmination of an ultimately enjoyable day. I spent the morning running errands—Antifreeze! Yay!—and in the afternoon went on a long walk along a local trail.

I walked much further than I’d ever walked before, because the torrential rain last night blew out the mugginess, leaving us with a perfect day: mostly sunny and comfortable, with an occasional cool breeze. I stumbled upon a spot where the trees, now cloaked in heavy summer leaves, hung low over a swollen river that burbled and bubbled beneath the trail. I wish I could live there.

Got back, and played some Gundam War online. Been trying to get into that game, and…well, that’s a long story that I’ll save for later.

Then dinner, which was a failure (but an instructive one), followed by the aforementioned movies.

And I feel good. I don’t feel like I’ve wasted the day, despite not being “productive.” I did do some important maintenance things, and I do need this recharge time.

Now I can really unleash my creativity on the world.

Comments:

Cantnever Unleash away! The world is waiting. :o)

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