FIRST FRIDAY GROP

FIRST FRIDAY group attended a memorial luncheon Monday for Gregg Iverson, 73, Minneapolis, who died sometime over the Thanksgiving holiday at his family’s home.  We were members of Business and Professional Singles of which Gregg was a pioneer long before I joined in the mid 80s.

I didn’t know Gregg well but was reminded of his colorful history by others who spoke at the event in the Richfield American Legion Hall.  Iverson loved a good time and attended frat parties at the University long after many of us disdained any fraternal allegiances.

He may have facilitated the election of Keith Ellison to Congress when he sidelined the leading contender, a protege of then Rep. Martin Sabo, at a debate.  “Real DFLers don’t live on Lake of the Isles,” said Iverson of the Sabo protege at the event where Gregg was one of the contenders for the job.  He continued to run for office until last month. 

One of his cousins recalled a Tom Sawyer-like housing painting event at the Iverson home that was organized by Gregg’s dad Arnie who the cousin described as a “cheap SOB.”

Iverson was “real Minnesota” Norwegian and there are fewer as the Gopher State is now more culturally diverse.

Iverson was an Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War, taught high school and worked in the state highway department administrative offices before retiring in recent years.

TRAGIC QUEEN

Watching the art house flick “Favourite” was like being inside the Trump White House madness, Rick Notch and I agreed halfway through Olivia Colman’s outstanding performance as England’s Queen Anne, a desolate and fading monarch.

Acting against sound advice, she decides to pursue a winless war that pushes the economy near bankruptcy — call it Anne’s “border wall.”  Meanwhile, the knives are out among her palace aides as they jockey for power.

You will either love or hate director Yorgos Lanthoms’ pretentious touches like the fish eye lens that suggest surrealism and the mostly dimly lit scenes that foretell death.

We agreed that “Favourite” won’t play well in Pipestone and Eveleth, but it’s one of several potential award winners debuting at the Lagoon, Uptown and Edina.  With all the choices at the theaters and online streaming it almost makes us forget about the miserably cold weather here. https://www.theguardian.com/film/2018/dec/30/the-favourite-review-olivia-colman-emma-stone-rachel-weisz-yorgos-lanthimos

WINTER READING

With the James Baldwin novel “Giovanni’s Room” I am challenged this weekend about the cost and consequences of love and desire.  This past week I finished a second read of “Call Me By Your Name” while watching James Ivory’s “Maurice” and “Room with a View.”  I came to some conclusions about the impact of music and the marvel of nature with this sensory overload.  So I have signed up to retake Dr. Resch’s music class this winter in St. Paul.

“I, Jane Doe,” a 1948 court room drama, is a fantastic lost film from Republic Pictures, directed by John Auer.  The cinemaphotography and segues are artistic.  This gem has been restored with 4K technology in black and white — stunning!