“Be afraid. Be very afraid.”*

The Fly (1986)

Directed: David Cronenberg

https://realgroovy.co.nz/product/9337369011202/the-fly-
1986-dvd-digitally-remastered-special-edition

It is reminiscent of the big hair days of the 80s, when being hirsute was fashionable and everyone had broad shoulders thanks to shoulder pads under their tops. It was also set to be a fantastic period for romcoms. Almost immediately after this film, we saw a series of classic romantic comedies, with 'When Harry Met Sally' (1989) and 'Sleepless in Seattle' (1993) as frequently cited examples. The timeless sitcom 'Friends' (1994 onwards) likely originated from a similar concept, blending awkward moments with romance to become a coming-of-age reference for 90s kids as they transitioned into adulthood. 

The movie must have escaped my notice when it first arrived in our country. It was that period of my life when I was isolated from civilisation and focused on building something of my own.

People have long been captivated by the idea of time travel. The notion of time travel and time dilation even sparked the curiosity of ancient India. In Hindu Puranas, written nearly 2,400 years ago, there is a story of King Kakudmi who could not find a suitable suitor for his talented daughter, Revathi. The king journeyed to Brahmalok (Brahma's realm) to seek an audience with him and request an appropriate husband. While travelling to Brahma's realm, 117 million years passed, and all the suitors they had in mind had died. Humans also changed in appearance over time. Nevertheless, Revathi returned to Earth to marry Krishna's brother, Balarama. Since Revathi and Balarama belonged to different eras, they looked physically different. Revathi was said to be taller and more robust than Balarama.

Some may argue that not enough credence was given to these imaginary stories, but the fact remains that they were aware of time travel and time dilation. That merits further exploration. Teleportation is a form of time travel. For it to occur, extreme gravitational manipulation—possibly through wormholes—is necessary. The subject will need to be transferred via quantum entanglement at the speed of light. All of these concepts are still theoretical. 

The film 'Fly' depicts the story of an eccentric scientist experimenting with teleportation. His love interest is a journalist who documents his progress. During a moment of weakness, the scientist teleports himself. Unfortunately, a fly accidentally enters his telepod chamber. The teleportation succeeds, but the scientist's DNA and the fly's DNA become mixed. Initially, the scientist feels energetic and powerful. Over time, he begins to degenerate, losing his limbs one by one and transforming into a gruesome hybrid monster. 

The film also depicts how the lovers manage the drastic changes in their relationship, and things become even more complicated when the journalist becomes pregnant. She has to deal with a potentially deformed baby, as his gamete must also be a hybrid. 

Although the story is predictable, it still manages to captivate viewers with its graphic content and impressive makeup effects. Is this accident a warning about playing God, or is it part of the learning process? Society must establish its rules as scientists delve deeper into cellular biology and cloning, and the twisting of genetic material becomes mainstream. Playing God may have its consequences.

* "Be afraid. Be very afraid." is a renowned line from the film The Fly, spoken by the character played by Geena Davis as she observes the horrifying transformation of the scientist (Jeff Goldblum) into a grotesque insect-like creature. The line has become iconic, frequently used to convey overwhelming fear and dread.

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Against the grain

Sister Midnight (Hindi; 2024)

Written & Directed: Karan Kandhari

This is a peculiar film. Peculiar in a way that feels intriguing. It is a dark comedy, but it keeps viewers unsure about where the story will go. With minimal dialogue in most scenes, we often see the actors simply staring at each other in many shots. These awkward moments heighten the comedy. Then, suddenly, a rock song blares in the background—not in Hindi, the film's spoken language, but a psychedelic Cambodian tune.

A mismatched couple, married through arranged means, moved into the not-so-affluent, or rather, slum area of Mumbai. The groom, a painfully timid man, failed to fulfil his conjugal desires for his newlywed bride. In fact, he does not even come close to her. He even leaves the room when she is changing clothes. Being a good wife, the bride just waits for her husband to do what is needed. On her part, she is clueless about what to do at home. She neither knows how to cook nor manage the household. Her neighbours do not seem so unapproachable either. The husband leaves early in the morning, takes care of his meals, and returns late, often drunk. His reason for not telling her before leaving is that he is afraid of waking her.

The story continues with the bored housewife taking a job as a cleaner, experiencing fainting spells, developing a taste for eating live birds, and having vivid hallucinations. When the couple finally makes love, the husband suffers a heart attack and dies during the act. Interestingly, the wife simply keeps the husband in the house without arranging a funeral.

While watching this film, I was reminded of quirky classic comedies like Stephen Chow's 'Kung Fu Hustle' - nonsensical yet entertaining. This debutante director suddenly decided to include a clip from Akira Kurosawa's 'Seven Samurai', where a ronin (a masterless samurai) roams aimlessly, trying to do the right thing. In 'Sister Midnight', the protagonist is trapped in a similar situation—in her case, a marriage—and must explore the correct path with a future lying ahead. Symbolically, this reflects the story of life. We are parachuted into this existence, given some survival tools, and expected to forge a future—rightly or wrongly. We must discover ourselves, chart a course, and rebel against the currents to make it work.

That, my friend, is the profound take-home message from this strange movie.

Good show, 4.5/5.

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Sandwiched!

https://davisfinancialllc.com/financial-planning-in-the-sandwich-generation/

The other day, I had a long chat with an old secondary school friend of mine. It was simply an ordinary conversation covering various topics of mutual interest, like many times before. We fondly recalled the carefree days of a bygone era when the future was a blank sheet of paper eagerly waiting to be coloured with our choices and imagination, guided by our family and friends, whether positively or negatively.

So, during the last phone call, my friend went on a rant about one of our mutual friends who had no control over his children. He claimed they had him wrapped around their fingers. This common friend, let's call him Joe, is a widower who lost his wife ten years ago to cancer. He had to play both mother and father to his two teenage girls then. Over the years, despite the ups and downs of their adolescence, he managed to raise them into independent women who have carved out their own futures. 

What is Joe's problem, then? He feels that his common friend's daughters are not sympathetic to his situation and do whatever they please without considering his feelings. He worries that Joe will be left alone in his twilight years to fend for himself. The daughters are already planning to live their lives abroad. 

I wanted to tell my schoolmate, "What's your problem? You are in no position to comment. You don't have children. You don't talk!”

 

Being the nice person I am, I didn't say that. I just told him it was complicated. 

You see, my classmate was so full of himself that he never hitched up to anyone until he was 50; that too in a long-distance relationship with someone beyond the prime of her youth. 

What my schoolmate feels right now is no different from how my wife and I felt before we had children. We had such grand ideas about how we wanted to shape our children to perfection when the time came. We once scorned tantrum-throwing kids and promised our children would not behave that way. Of course, all of that proved to be false in real life. Many compromises had to be made, and ideal parenting only existed beautifully in our imaginations. 

Then there were the external influences in the form of TV, especially sitcoms, which gave a composite picture of what ideal parents should be like. These TV parents never raise their voices. They take in all abuses and forgive them in the spirit of learning. They allow dating and weekend sleepovers. A bear hug resolves all uncertainties. 

After that, Oprah and her new wave of human empowerment strode in. Suddenly, traditional values disappeared. In came Dr Oz and his quackery. Everyone at some stage believed they had PTSD of some sort and felt they had to speak out against the cruelty of the world. If the boomers thought they would be strong, they were mistaken. They saw the world as hostile and threatened to retreat into a safe space they would create for themselves. The rest of the world would be shut out, and time would seem to stand still for them.  

The internet crept in, which no gatekeeper could hold, throwing parental control into disarray. What parents had aimed to teach through their example over the years was shattered as an unseen force, from God knows where, rattled everything overnight. There was no turning back.

 

My classmate would never realise that people of my generation are part of the sandwich generation, meaning those with both children and elderly parents. We have to kowtow to our parents and bend backwards to meet the whims and fancies of our children, sandwiched between two dominant generations. One demands its way or no way. The other wants things not now, but yesterday!

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Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

Lord of the Flies

The Book (1954)

(Based on the 1954 novel by William Golding)
(1963 movie, directed by Peter Brook)
(1990 movie, directed by Harry Hook)

This book is a popular choice among English literature students. It fosters engaging debate on the darker aspects of human nature, leadership, and the evil that resides within us. There is a fine line between remaining civilised and succumbing to savagery.

It was the period after WW2; the world must have been perplexed by the scale of the atrocities that took place during the war. The level of violence and destruction, especially after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, must have prompted questions about the evil that resides within each person. The 1950s still likely were not among the most peaceful times, as Russians had learned to produce the A-bomb and the US was moving into H-bombs.

Golding's story depicts a group of preteen boys stranded on an isolated island after their plane crashes. With limited resources, they attempt to survive until rescue arrives. The boys try to establish law and order by choosing a leader. Gradually, a rebel group forms among them, who would eventually go to great lengths to enforce their own ways.

1963 film

Even though they are just boys, it is interesting to see how they summon the animal savagery that lies dormant within their souls to harm and even kill the other party when competing. The dangers of unleashed energies driven by mob mentality cannot be overstated. At first glance, the narration portrays all people as inherently evil. We tend to see people as unthinking automatons with no agency. However, upon closer examination, some individuals do care for each other's safety. The boys initially cooperate to use what they have learned at school, like starting a fire and protecting themselves. They are willing to accept laws and follow them gladly. It is only when circumstances become tough that they retreat to their animal, primal instincts, revealing their ugly side. 

1990 film

People have to be kept contented and preoccupied with something to do. They need to be told what to do. Some amongst us are leaders material, the majority are mere followers and are easily malleable to rhetoric. An idle mind is the devil's workshop and the commentary of resentment and rebellion. When the piece of pie becomes smaller, tempers flare. There is a thin line between orderliness and mayhem.

Both the 1963 and 1990 versions feature mainly young characters, but I prefer the 1963 one. Maybe I am a fan of 'black-and-white'; it has more depth and gives the surreal feel of being trapped on an island. However, it also evoked a sense of watching a secondary school drama.

Both good and evil reside in the human soul. As individuals, we must remind ourselves to stay on the right path and not stray into darkness. Human history has shown that no single form of governance can withstand the test of time. When humans first began living in communities, they believed that autocratic rule by a monarch with demigod-like status would suffice. Resentment grew when divisive rulership became evident. Revolution was then justified. They thought that communism was the answer. However, human greed eventually overshadowed the desire for equality. It too collapsed. The free market often degenerated into vulture capitalism, and human follies permeated all systems. In a world darkened by terrible deeds, regular self-questioning and reasoning seem to be the only way social justice can prevail. Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.

P.S. 'Lord of the Flies' is another reference to Satan (Beelzebub).

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When two tribes go to war...

Tehran University students, 1971.
https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/comments/xmjn15/
tehran_university_students_iran_1971/

Persia's love affair with the Jews dates back to 593 BCE, when Nebuchadnezzar plundered Jerusalem and took the Jews as slaves to Baghdad. He attacked Jerusalem again ten years later, destroying the First Temple and completing their captivity. After spending seventy years in exile in Baghdad, Cyrus liberated them, allowing their return to their homeland. In gratitude for helping the Babylonians, Cyrus enabled the construction of their Second Temple.

Throughout the generations, as Persia was overrun by various empires, including the Abbasid Islamic Dynasty, the Jews remained part of the Persian diaspora during the glorious days of Islam. The Islamic invasion did cause some Jews and Parsees to flee their homeland to various places, including India. Nevertheless, the Persian-Jewish relationship persisted into modern times. The Islamic Empire would claim that the Jews were very content living under the Empire. However, in reality, it is anybody's guess if the present-day opinion of Muslims about Jews is anything to go by.

Iran opposed the Palestine Mandate that aimed to establish the Jewish state of Israel in 1948. Many Persian Jews migrated to the newly formed country of Israel. Interactions between Iran and Israel remained cordial, though they were mainly transactional. Iran was among the first countries in the world to recognise Israel as a sovereign nation. Israel secured oil and finances from Iran, as maintaining a friendly relationship with Iran made considerable sense. It is important to note that the Israelis' neighbours, all of whom were Arabs, were quite hostile. The Persians have always held a sense of superiority, believing themselves to be one step above the Arabs. Therefore, maintaining a good relationship with a major non-Arab, non-Sunni country was crucial.

In the early 1950s, Iranian Islamists criticised Iran's diplomatic relations with Israel and actively collected donations for the Palestinians. They were unhappy with the Shah's close connections to Israel. The Iranian defence system used Israeli arms and was involved in their wars with Iraq. Both countries were also deeply engaged in developing each other's nuclear facilities. All of this changed after the Islamic Revolution in 1979. 

Suddenly, Israel became a 'cancerous tumour' as mentioned by Ayatollah Ali Khameini in 2000 and should be wiped off the surface of the Earth, according to President Ahmadinejad in 2005. Iranian hostility towards Israel grew over the years, mainly via proxies, in Hezbollah, Hamas and Houthis. The climax of all these must surely be Hamas's kidnapping of Israelis at a music festival on October 7, 2023. Finally, a full-scale war between Iran and Israel broke out on June 13, 2025, when Israel conducted strikes against Iranian nuclear and military targets. The world is once again at risk of a nuclear meltdown.

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What wakes you up?

It has been over two years since our small exercise group disbanded. It is often said that familiarity breeds contempt. Everyone took each other for granted, or they grew too big for their boots. In the eagerness to self-motivate and right the wrongs, ego got in the way. The bottom line is that everyone has flown the nest in pursuit of other things in life. 

So, what is the difference between exercising in a group and alone? For one, the fun factor is eliminated. There is nothing like having many people with the same mental illness flock together to do the same thing week in and week out and expecting a different outcome, to quote Einstein, if he actually said that. 

I take a special kind of motivation to push the sorry ass up in the early mornings to start the exercise. If previously the motivation was to keep up with the rest of the gang, now it is just you, yourselves and your sorry ass. 

During training, there is a push and pull factor that tickles the ego to outperform oneself. Sadly, when one is training alone, this is missing. The worst part is that the inner demons remind us to slow down and not to overdo it. It takes a different kind of something to slay that beast. 

Given that background, I registered for this year's Powerman duathlon, as I have been doing since 2020. This will be my fourth participation, having been shelved for a couple of years due to COVID.

After sending and parking my bicycle in Putrajaya and moving around with the competition wristband, my wife asked me, "So, all running and torturing your body gives you happiness?”

“Oh yes,” was my reply. "As much as you enjoy going to the temple, meeting the same friends, updating the obituary list, doing the same rituals, eating the same vegetarian food and coming back in bliss, feeling blessed."

As for me, the competition went smoothly. A 5 km run was followed by a 30 km cycle around Putrajaya, then it concluded with another 5 km run. Over the years, my speed has been steadily declining. It could be due to the ageing process or perhaps a lack of peer pressure to motivate me. 

Come to think of it, even at the finishing line, finishers were served the same snacks that the organisers had been providing for donkey's years - a dry O'Brien sandwich, a Cavendish banana, and 100-plus isotonic drinks to wash it down, along with a finisher's medal.

https://www.riflerangeboy.com/2022/11/the-things-you-do.html

https://www.riflerangeboy.com/2023/06/life-is-battlefield.html

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We are just inventory?

Asteroid City (2023)

Director: Wes Anderson

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/296207471307

This film received mixed reviews. One either loved it or hated it. The trouble is that it needed to be viewed more than once to grasp the essence of the story it attempts to tell. Even most film critics conceded to watching the film multiple times before putting pen to paper to share their two cents' worth.

Wes Anderson films have cult followings. As with all Wes Anderson movies, the most striking aspect is the deliberate choice of comforting light colours, which evoke specific emotions and imbue the story with a nostalgic feel. The images presented on screen are symmetrical; the colours selected come from a particular spectrum; the characters are quirky; and the scenes are interspersed with moments of awkward silence.

This time around, the film centres on two concurrent sets. One, presented in black and white, is a play as narrated by the screenplay and director. The second is set in the present (i.e. 1950s), where nuclear tests are taking place in a remote desert town, Asteroid City. Meanwhile, a stage announcer is seen, seemingly breaking the fourth wall, and perhaps the actors do the same. The actors move between sets, as if everything is merely a continuum, blending the past and the future. This leaves viewers wondering about its true meaning. One must make one's own judgment about the narration. 

The present set features a fictional town in the desert, with its landmark icon being an asteroid allegedly left behind by an alien, hence its name, Asteroid City. It serves as a stopover point for science enthusiasts eager to view a particular constellation in the sky. Coincidentally, a junior astronomy award presentation is also taking place there. 

Angus Steenbeck, a recently widowed war photographer, arrives with his prodigy son, Woodrow, and his three young daughters in Asteroid City. Woodrow is to receive an award. Their car breaks down, forcing all five to stay behind. Although their mother passed away three months prior, Angus has not yet told his children the bad news. Their neighbours at the chalet are Midge Campbell, a weary star, and her teenage daughter, Dinah. Dinah is also to be honoured at a grand ceremony, which will be attended by renowned scientists and high-ranking military officials.

During the event, something strange occurs. An alien spacecraft hovers over the town, and an alien descends to collect the asteroid before disappearing into the night’s darkness. A quarantine is imposed, and a media blackout is enforced, treating the city as a danger zone.

Nestled within this narration is the 'black and white' stage play, where the director recounts the story.

At the end of the day, the key lessons from this film include managing grief, the uncertainty of life, how people often dictate to others how life should be lived, perhaps the question of what is truly presented to us, and likely the question of divinity. We convince ourselves that life ought to be lived in a certain way, as if we possess that knowledge. As if someone has crossed to the other side and returned to tell the tale. What the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us is that nobody truly knows anything. The loudest and most charismatic among us lead, while the rest simply follow. Sometimes, the truth is suppressed to further their personal agendas. The person who controls the news controls the world. No matter how much the truth is buried, it has a way of resurfacing.

Lest remains the unanswered, burning question: Why are we here? What is the plan? Are we merely to create the inventory?

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