Goodbye, 2022

Buster Keaton

I have to be honest. In many ways 2022 was a rough year, but not necessarily an entirely bad one. More so than most years, it seemed as if we lost several beloved stars. The world of classic film blogging lost one of its most popular bloggers. As for myself, I lost my beloved cat Malcolm and then this month, December, I came down with the flu for the first time in years. Still, there were a few bright spots in the year, so that I cannot say that 2022 was all bad.

Of course, many classic film bloggers are still grieving the loss of Patricia Nolan, known as Paddy Lee to her friends. Paddy wrote the blog Caftan Woman and was very prolific when it came to commenting on other classic film and television blogs. Her knowledge of classic movies and classic television was encyclopaedic. What is more, Paddy had a sunny disposition and could cheer up anyone, no matter how bad things may be going. She truly loved classic movies and classic TV shows, and she loved her fellow fans as well. She died on March 7 2022.

My cat Malcolm died in September. He arrived on our porch as a kitten one hot summer day. He couldn't have been more than three months old. We kept him and he quickly became one of the family. He was possibly the most loving, most cuddly cat I ever had. He always slept with me and loved sitting on my lap. When Vanessa died, he would not leave my side, even as I was crying my eyes out. He loved being groomed and petted. I don't know that I ever loved any cat more than Malcolm, and I am still grieving him three months later.

Of course, many celebrities died this year. Perhaps the most famous person to die was Her Royal Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Regardless of what one thinks of the British monarchy, there is no denying the impact that she had on the United Kingdom and the world. The world of film also lost royalty this year. Sir Sidney Poitier died not long after 2022 began. Later in the year Dame Angela Lansbury died. The legendary Marsha Hunt also died this year. I cannot begin to list every actor that died this year, but here is a list of some that did. Please forgive me if I have left your favourite out, as so many actors died this year it is hard to include all of them. Any, here they are: Dwayne Hickman,  Howard Hesseman, Veronica Carlson, Robert Morse, Joe Turkel, Larry Storch, L. Q. Jones, Lenny Von Dohlen, David Warner, Nichelle Nichols, Bernard Cribbins, Paul Sorvino, Pat Carroll, Clu Gulager, Robbie Coltrane, and Robert Clary. We also lost the esteemed directors Peter Bogdonovich, Bob Rafelson, Jean-Luc Godard, and Mike Hodges. Many people from the world of music died this year, including Don Wilson of The Ventures, Bobby Rydell Ronnie Hawkins, Alan White of Yes, Andy Fletcher of Depeche Mode, Manny Carlton of Nazareth, Olivia Newton John, Dan Mcafferty of Nazareth, and Terry Hall of the Specials. The world of comic books lost legendary artists Neal Adams and George Pérez, as well as writer Alan Grant. Artist James Bama, known for the covers of the Bantam reprints of the Doc Savage novels, the illustrations on the boxes of Aurora's classic movie monster model kits, and Western art, also died this year.

For once this year I actually watched new movies and new television shows. I watched  Guillermo del Toro's new adaptation of Nightmare Alley and I was impressed. I can't say it is as good as the 1947 adaptation, but it is almost as good. It was a very fine adaptation of the novel. I also watched Steven Spielberg's remake of West Side Story. West Side Story (2021) is a well done movie, although I do not think it is quite as good as the 1961 film, even with Latinos playing the roles of the Puerto Rican characters. I also watched The Batman (2022), which may be the best movie featuring the Caped Crusader short of The Dark Knight (2008). One of the things I love about the movie is that, unlike other Batman movies, we actually get to see Batman function as a director. The cast did an excellent job, with Robert Pattinson ranking among the best Batman actors in my opinion. Prey (2022) is the first Predator movie I have loved since the first. The movie is set in the 18th Century and features a young Comanche woman battling a predator. It treated the Comanche with dignity and, near as I can tell, was accurate to their culture.

As far as television shows go, I got caught up on Reservation Dogs. The show is the first to have a writing and directing staff that is entirely Native American. It centres on four Native American characters living on a reservation in rural Oklahoma. The show is well written and notable for the accuracy with which it portrays life on a reservation. I also watched Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. It is the best new Star Trek series since Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (which itself was the best new Star Trek series since the original). It follows the adventures of Captain Pike, the captain of the Enterprise before Captain Kirk, and his crew (which includes a young Mr. Spock). They did a very good job of capturing the feel of the original series, and I must admit I am a big fan of Strange New Worlds.

With regards to 2023, I will continue writing A Shroud of Thoughts, which will turn 19 this coming June. I also hope to get more books out next year. I am also hoping that 2023 will be better than 2022. I hope as few beloved celebrities die as possible, and I lose no dear friends or pets. I also hope your 2023 will be a happy one.