Last Day At Zion

Last full day in Zion today, head out tomorrow morning for Vegas for the fly back. Went on a longer hike on the East Rim Trail for most of the morning, rolling desert surrounded by colorful crags, had the trail mostly to ourselves. In the afternoon we took one final spin around the park in the shuttle and walked around a bit saying our goodbyes. Capped it off with dinner at the tried and true Subway.

Coming into this I was somewhat apprehensive about how crowded the park would be because that's the warning in basically every review or write up. And it certainly was well attended even at the end of October but it seemed like most people were only there to do the two most well known hikes, Angel's Landing and The Narrows, and quite frankly most of the people weren't rude exactly but certainly weren't particularly friendly. A stark difference than most of the National Parks we've been to as far as the culture. It was more tourist destination than natural sanctuary. Which is fine, the park service needs the exposure, but the relief for me was that with a little research we could go off the beaten path, and be virtually alone. No matter where you are the park is breathtaking, vast, and stirring. There's an serene enormity to it, a graceful yet daunting beauty, that's really moving. Nicole and I had a wonderful time, we did a bit more planning this year and struck the perfect balance of activities and longer exertions. It's always nice to get away from work, get out of the city, but this was particularly needed and particularly special.

Ghost Town

After yesterday we took it pretty easy today, went to the Grafton ghost town which is a half hour or so outside the park. Pretty picturesque and eerie. We were the only visitors for most of the morning so that certainly enhanced the experience. In the afternoon we went on one of the more sedate hikes in the park, the paved trail that leads up to the Narrows.

Kolob Canyon Hike

Went to the Northern significantly less traveled part of the park today, Kolob Canyon, for our big hiking day. Made it pretty close to the Kolob Arch but had to turn back because we were losing daylight and the temp was dropping, did about 12 miles in all. Both of us were pretty burnt out by the end but it was gorgeous and felt great to push ourselves.

First Day In Zion

Nicole and I are spending the week in Zion National Park. Flew into Vegas yesterday and drove up towards the end of the afternoon. Today we hiked up most of the Angel's Landing trail then cut in towards the Zion interior for a couple miles. Really breathtaking. Went horseback riding(Nicole's first time) in the afternoon led by this aging grizzled cowboy Lance and took a guided tram tour at dusk with Zion enthusiast and retiree Jane. All in all an incredible day.

'JoJo Rabbit' A Review

JoJo Rabbit is a satirical dramedy set in Nazi Germany. The film follows a young zealous Hitler Youth JoJo(Roman Griffin Davis) during the waning days of WWII, he romps with his imaginary friend Hitler(Taika Waititi), and naively buys into the propaganda of his country. But after discovering his mother Rosie(Scarlett Johansson) is harboring a Jewish girl Elsa(Thomasin McKenzie) who he gradually befriends, his blind loyalty begins to breakdown.

Davis is an astonishing young actor able to be a child but also go through a complex and layered transformation through the course of the story. McKenzie is another supurb casting choice, conveying a startling edge but also a moving tenderness. Ultimately the story is framed around these two and they, justly, hold the bulk of the screentime but the supporting cast all have brief opportunities to light up the screen. Johansson particularly has an incredible scene with JoJo playing both herself and her absent husband. Waititi is always a pleasure to see on screen and is able to tread a bizarre and delicate line playing Hitler as the leads jolly almost foppish best friend. Sam Rockwell also has a nice supporting turn as a wounded German officer tasked with leading the HY and prepare for the inevitable arrival of American soldiers.

What's most thrilling about the film is it's wild and disparate tone, at times light and fun and others startling bleak, like Wes Anderson meets Herzog. And the way the film is shot and structured its as if we are perceving the world as JoJo does, from a child's perspective. It's a shockingly difficult thing to pull off and Waititi does effortlessly. The frequent pop soundtrack paired with grizzly war imagery all folds together to create this singular story, it works despite itself. And the actors are also performing these highwire acts of tone and emotion. It's irreverent and evocative and has heart to spare. Perhaps not for everyone but for those who can get on its frequency it's an inspiring heartbreaking adventure.

Don't Miss It.

A Meditation On Food

Cook as much as possible
don't deny yourself the service of restaurants
but cook when you can
endeavoring to do more
when considering what to cook
think about what you like
a solitary or contained item
and try to cook it
if its not successful
do not be discouraged
consider the faults of the dish
and make adjustments to alleviate those faults next time
if you repeat this process often enough
you will learn how to make a great dish that you enjoy
that knowledge you will never lose
and with that knowledge there is confidence
when inspiration is necessary
look to TV or restaurants
cook books can be too rigid
recipes too structured
from the nomads who first roasted meat
cooking has primarily functioned on intuition
and so
when selecting a dish to prepare
consider its component parts
imagine its construction
if necessary consult a recipe as a guide
to set parameters not prescriptions
execute
however successful, enjoy
because you have done this.

'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' A Review

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a fantasy movie, a follow up to 2014's Maleficent. Maleficent(Angelina Jolie) has given the governing of The Moors to her adopted daughter Aurora(Elle Fanning) but tensions with the surrounding human population remain high. When Prince Philip(Harris Dickinson) proposes to Aurora and she accepts it seems as if peace between the humans and faire is possible but Philip's mother Queen Ingrith(Michelle Pfeiffer) is intent on war.

Jolie brings her considerable presence to bear with more effective wryness in her return to the Disney villain come heroine although the material doesn't meet her performance. It's nice to see her as the past five years or so she's been doing work behind the camera or focusing on philanthropy and activism. She's an unequivocal moviestar and here's hoping we see her more often in the future. Something similar could be said of Pfeiffer who recently reemerged into the mainstream after 2017's Mother!. She doesn't quite chew the scenery but gives a deliciously evil performance that is incredibly pleasing if, as a result of the script, not quite dynamic. Against Pfeiffer and Jolie Fanning is simply outclassed and disappears in her paperthin approximation of a character. And ultimately the whole point of Maleficent is to tell her side of the story and the retcon of a retcon to make Aurora once again a lead misses the point.

Utilizing substantial CGI the visuals mostly err on the side of engaging with only a scene or two artificially rendered into lifelessness. The script is not as tight or clean as its predecessors and as such is bogged down by unnecessary plot convolutions with twists making so little sense as to be laughable.

An enjoyable if imperfect sequel to a significantly more trailblazing original.

Rent It.