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MONDAY in Minnesota 

By Alex Ness
September 8, 2025

RUNNING BEHIND

I've recently been sick and it began to effect my sleep. It is almost certainly my fault, or due to my habits. But it has slowed me down, and on one or more occasions I was dizzy enough to have to nap to deal with it. So this is a very small entry here, but I will hope to catch up soon. Perhaps it is a hiatus, but I'll post whatever arrives in my review pile and numerous interviews that are in orbit. One interview is with a person I am not allowed to name until it is authorized to be released. Cannot explain or say more, it is exciting if it happens.

MOVIES I RECENTLY WATCHED

Dark Star

Dark Star isn't what I'd call serious science fiction. But was it intended to be? Those who judge it as bad sci fi, confuse it by the genre, and then label it as bad sci fi. As a movie from John Carpenter and Dan O'Bannon, you'd not be wrong in the present to assume it has a theme of horror or a straight forward tone. Wrong. But it was an early work, so imagine two young bucks right out of film school and free to imagine and create. They told a humorous story, that required absolute suspension of belief and disbelief, and told about an alien that looked like a beach ball, an astronaut entering the atmosphere of a planet, riding a piece of metal like a surfer, and it was generally a fun ride, if not altogether meaningful. Hyper critical reviews are cast as shooting fish in a barrel. The work wasn't intended to be a doctoral thesis.

Capricorn One

This film in the present plays entirely different than it did in the era of its release. In the 70s it was a fun and dark look at a fake space mission, filmed on earth, and meant to deceive the world.  The three astronauts find out they are now targets for assassination, so the number of people aware of what is going on is fewer, and fewer. I have heard baloney false Moon landing conspiracies.  I have heard anti NASA rumors meant to deny the truth of the space program, in the present era of every theory being lies, this movie would play well. For me, this film works better now than it did upon release, even with OJ Simpson as an actor.

Apollo 18

This is a more recent work, so comparing it to the earlier era of space flight isn't an apt angle of review. It has a theme of horror, but it also fits many current outlooks about conspiracy, about cover ups, and suggestion of reasons for why the later space shots never happened. Or in fact, did they? The special effects, are ok, the story might be better as a prose short story, but you consider the work placed before you. The overall film suggests a different world power went to the moon prior to NASA's return... and they didn't come back to earth in glory and fame. It was a fun idea, somewhat clumsily created. I'd watch it again, but not for great enlightenment. 

2001 A Space Odyssey

2001 A Space Odyssey is Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece of humanity's intellectual evolution. Some call this science fiction, but it is much more. A complex surface human story showing moments in the higher thought of humans, and where that will take humanity. And within, is a story about what humans experiencing in Alien thought, and Artificial thought. It is a story more about the events happening than the lives of humans involved in the events. It is a metaphor of evolving human intelligence is connected to outside actors offering clues to a leap in technology of even greater power. Alien intelligence and artificial technology have a role in the rise of overall human intellectual. Some will rightfully consider the movie beautiful. But aspects of the story are still debated, 50 years since. 

Silent Running

Some viewers of Silent Running see/saw it as a hippie kind of space movie. It has a huge environmental aim. Humans have polluted and destroyed areas of their planet. The humans are piloting and working upon large cargo ships, far from Earth. They are carrying acres of land from various climate based domes of endangered environments of earth. All of the human crews, but one single member, see their time in space as foolish waste of cost and time. The one mentioned, grows his own food, and the rest of the crew think his natural food smells and is awful. They eat fake processed foods, everything from boxes. Eventually Earth command ends the mission, and will pick up the crew and then destroy the domes. Much more would lead to spoilers, but there is a conflict brewing. Background music through out the film utilized the work of Joan Baez, and sounds odd to the present viewers mind. I see this work as having an outlook to teach or share and was one that was taken in the fear of, and experience of extreme loss of nature and the wild, as a cost of technology and human development.

Arrival

This last work moved me deeply, and has a very important but important message to share. Humans have been challenged to solve the mystery of the impact of alien craft entering Earth's atmosphere. Powerful rivals attempt in their particular way to interface with the visitors, but only shared efforts can solve the codes, symbols and attempts at contact. The character interplay as well as memories of the main character deepen the mystery, as well as attempt to demonstrate the need to solve personal mysteries and the mystery at hand

MY BIG EVENT: The Spoken word Poetry accompanied by original music

As I discussed in articles prior, I had a big moment in my own creative life. I gave a reading of my work, as accompanied by Aaron Kerr, a highly talented cellist and composer, as well as Laura Harada, an excellent violinist. I had reasons to worry regarding my work being read by me out loud, as my Summer had a number of issues. I was to have all my teeth out, and my ability to speak without lisping or getting stymied by difficult pronunciation. But various dental set backs led me to me to still be awaiting a procedure that was scheduled to be done by end of June.

My experience however, was by far one of the best in all my life. Those who attended to support my work, and that of Aaron and Laura, I cannot be thankful enough.

 

LINKS

My Poetry AlexNessPoetry.Blogspot.Com 
This place Poplitiko.Blogspot.Com
My published WORKS 

Social Media
https://bsky.app/profile/alexanderness63.bsky.social 
https://x.com/alexnesspoetry

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