Luminous Landscape Forum

Site & Board Matters => About This Site => Topic started by: Rand47 on December 31, 2018, 12:03:15 am

Title: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Rand47 on December 31, 2018, 12:03:15 am
The gestalt of this essay is sublime.  The prose, ephemeral.  Both exceeded only by the excellence of the images.  Meaning upon meaning.

Bravo!

Rand
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: David Sutton on December 31, 2018, 01:45:58 am
.... and a masterclass on how to take up the gauntlet.
David
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: OmerV on December 31, 2018, 07:19:03 am
In the documentary Cutie and the Boxer, there is moment in which Ushio Shinohara says, to the effect, that being an artist is sacrificial and ruinous. The film is revealing in its portrayal of what being an artist can be like.

Impressive work by Michael Leblanc. A great post, Josh. A breath of fresh air.
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Rado on December 31, 2018, 07:29:19 am
I welcome more attention to cinematographers here (if that's going to be a trend) - for years they have been more interesting and inspirational to me than still photographers.
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: petermfiore on December 31, 2018, 08:15:28 am
Josh,

A great article. The why of all art is paramount. Tech, in itself is boring. I teach painting at a New York city art school. Students often confuse craft as the goal of being an artist. It takes time to learn the craft and more time to learn what it is the individual has to say...Much harder. Often elusive.

One can learn the craft within a year of hard work. Then spend the rest of their life searching for themselves. If smart, one learns to accept the voyage and to relish the unknown. That's an Artist. That's the Why!

Peter
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Patricia Sheley on December 31, 2018, 09:24:04 am
 Clouds overhead painting the change of wind from southeast to north. By the sea reflected light and shaped by unrecorded memory and that very sea I would sometimes share a discovered path,  but learned that with the exception of a few here, the measure of their reception was not from behind the eyes and from open minds.  That was good though as it reassured that the path was worth exploring. 

I can't possibly know the what of all that has taken place, but I opened Michaels book and his last note to me this morning and smiled seeing him watch this unfold.  Good winds and deep breaths.
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: elliot_n on December 31, 2018, 09:38:26 am
Patricia - a beautiful response to an interesting article. And that image is genuinely awesome.
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: bcooter on December 31, 2018, 10:33:19 am
Patricia - a beautiful response to an interesting article. And that image is genuinely awesome.

+1 of many.

__________

In the same spirit.

Forgive my post as I’m a little foggy after a 11 hour flight where we start pre production Wednesday.

Nobody knows where this site will go, though Josh just published an interesting article, on a film makers career, how he got there.  Josh’s article looked like he knew what he was talking about, so I think we can cut some slack until we see where this all goes.  Let’s hope it goes well.

Other than new daily content like Redshark, which just posted it’s 6,000th article, https://www.redsharknews.com/business/item/6011-we-ve-just-had-our-six-thousandth-birthday

This type of daily articles and news makes it easy to check on the Redshark site where many articles are broken down to series that are short but go on in multiple parts, multiple days.   That way I can read what I want, without losing an hour of time.

I’d love to see less bickering between posters on the forum.  I’ve done it in the past, even done it when I never knew I was doing it.  (I know sounds strange), but somehow I struck a cord with one of the participants.

But on this thread I see a few bickering that goes nowhere, nobody learns anything and I’d bet dollars to donuts that if the protagonists actually met in person, I am mostly sure the conversation would be very different with a much more positive turn, but maybe on the inter-web there is no cure for human nature.

I am also sure if the tone changed from negative to positive and the posters showed their favorite photograph, gave a brief history of why they shot it, where they shot it and what was the result.  Does it hang in their living room, hang in a gallery or shown around the world?

Something like this:

(http://www.russellrutherford.com/blonde_on_set_black_jeans.jpg)

This is a simple image for jeans wear and it looks simple though I tried something I’ve never done before with light and I use a lot of lighting and fixtures.

Rather than use a standard umbrella, or beauty dish, I used a profoto ring light mounted on a stand about 25 degrees to the left of the subject, (rather than over the lens) filled with large 4x8 white foam core flats.

The beauty dish without a modeling light is a little difficult to fine tune, but produces a directional but soft light that opens the skin up and still offers some contrast.   The only post worked included cleaning up the background, a change in coloration and just a couple of very, very slight blemishes.   The onset talent had beautiful skin but nobody is perfect so the way the light opened her up and then fell off, gave a very smooth look.

I know this isn’t the most complicated photograph and many people here don’t shoot fashion, but this would work for portraits, lifestyle, a shot of your kids.

IMO

BC
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Rob C on December 31, 2018, 11:27:53 am
A very appealing start to the new LuLa!

Nice to find something that has an actual base in applied photography rather than just applied button-pushing.

Let's hope the momentum doesn't go south.

Happy New Year to all you folks!

Rob
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Rand47 on December 31, 2018, 11:51:33 am

(https://photos.smugmug.com/Still-Life/Still-LIfe/i-N3MwC5w/0/61d89acf/L/marine%20dreams-L.jpg)


’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
      And the mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
      The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
      The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand;
      Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
      And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
      The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
      And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
      The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
      He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
      Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
      He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
      Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
      And the mome raths outgrabe.
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: fdisilvestro on December 31, 2018, 11:58:05 am

I am also sure if the tone changed from negative to positive and the posters showed their favorite photograph, gave a brief history of why they shot it, where they shot it and what was the result.  Does it hang in their living room, hang in a gallery or shown around the world?

Something like this:

(http://www.russellrutherford.com/blonde_on_set_black_jeans.jpg)

This is a simple image for jeans wear and it looks simple though I tried something I’ve never done before with light and I use a lot of lighting and fixtures.

Rather than use a standard umbrella, or beauty dish, I used a profoto ring light mounted on a stand about 25 degrees to the left of the subject, (rather than over the lens) filled with large 4x8 white foam core flats.

The beauty dish without a modeling light is a little difficult to fine tune, but produces a directional but soft light that opens the skin up and still offers some contrast.   The only post worked included cleaning up the background, a change in coloration and just a couple of very, very slight blemishes.   The onset talent had beautiful skin but nobody is perfect so the way the light opened her up and then fell off, gave a very smooth look.

I know this isn’t the most complicated photograph and many people here don’t shoot fashion, but this would work for portraits, lifestyle, a shot of your kids.

IMO

BC

Another splendid image of yours. Just wanted to mention that this idea actually was started a few months ago, inviting members to post their best image and tell the story behind it

https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=126217.0

Unfortunately, it died out pretty soon
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: bcooter on December 31, 2018, 12:51:35 pm

snip

Unfortunately, it died out pretty soon

Well hopefully it will stay.   

It's kind of a shame the web-o-sphere works.   We all professionals to advanced enthusiasts have many stories to tell, but so much you can never mention.  Maybe it would hurt a subjects feelings, or commercially make a client upset and once it's on the web, there is always someone that will take it out of context and then the damage is done. 

On one of the DOP roundtables on you tube, the group was going rather protective and not offering up much until one DOP said "you know on the first take of the first scene of every movie he works on, he looks through the lens and thinks to himself "How the hell am I going to do this", then you start, the adrenaline rush kicks in and your on, usually right on."  Once the first DOP opened up, the other DOPs all opened up, because when you shoot a lot of things are going through your head.  The 20 conference calls, the weeks of pre production, the crew looking to you for direction, the AD, CD or director positive you know what your doing and you also have that clock ticking in your head knowing you have so many set ups to do within a given time period, not to mention staying on or under budget. 

IMO

BC
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Rado on December 31, 2018, 01:37:38 pm
Just wanted to mention that this idea actually was started a few months ago, inviting members to post their best image and tell the story behind it

https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=126217.0

Unfortunately, it died out pretty soon
It's a cool idea for a thread and perhaps more people would know about it if it wasn't buried in the Coffee Corner. Maybe some sort of "Thread of the week" spotlight article could be published on the main site to point people to interesting stuff as I'm pretty sure nobody reads all 35(!) of the subforums here.
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Rob C on December 31, 2018, 04:41:54 pm
It's a cool idea for a thread and perhaps more people would know about it if it wasn't buried in the Coffee Corner. Maybe some sort of "Thread of the week" spotlight article could be published on the main site to point people to interesting stuff as I'm pretty sure nobody reads all 35(!) of the subforums here.


There was a brief chat at the time about moving it elsewhere on the forum, but as nobody really had a better idea, it was left as was.

Maybe that was a mistake after all.

Of course, it becomes awkward for anyone to post more than one shot, or else how could one think the first shot the favourite one?

For myself, there are other shots that have their moments and meanings to me too, but to post them as well runs the risk of converting the thread into a personal portfolio!

One nice thing about the thread idea, is that it permits all sorts of genres to get equal space; that helps prevent too strong a sense of competition, I suppose, but as this isn't a contest, everybody should be able to feel free to show what they like best of their own efforts without feeling they will be judged. My own shot is pretty ancient, and by today's ideas, a bit "quiet" which of course, is a refection of my personal likes.

It would be interesting to see what the new breezes would blow in....

Rob


Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Alan Klein on December 31, 2018, 10:00:21 pm
What's a DOP?
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: alainbriot on December 31, 2018, 11:56:01 pm
DOP = Director Of Photography  :)
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: KLaban on January 01, 2019, 04:49:56 am
Another splendid image of yours. Just wanted to mention that this idea actually was started a few months ago, inviting members to post their best image and tell the story behind it

https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=126217.0

Unfortunately, it died out pretty soon

I thought the Coffee Corner was the right place and would be more inclusive but if others feel differently then let's get it moved.

Best shot is essentially a subjective selection and is inevitably a moving target. If anyone has had a change of mind since posting then they're free to add another image at any time.

Give us your best shots (https://forum.luminous-landscape.com/index.php?topic=126217.0)
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: alainbriot on January 01, 2019, 12:23:50 pm
Students often confuse craft as the goal of being an artist. It takes time to learn the craft and more time to learn what it is the individual has to say...Much harder. Often elusive.

One can learn the craft within a year of hard work. Then spend the rest of their life searching for themselves. If smart, one learns to accept the voyage and to relish the unknown. That's an Artist. That's the Why!

Very true and very well worded Peter.
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: josh.reichmann on January 01, 2019, 01:26:50 pm
Thank you to those who offered such positive feedback on the Michael LeBlanc piece so far.

I'll be checking in on the forums as I can, I am encouraged that people benefited from the film industry angle and more importantly the DOP as a subject. It will be a reoccurring topic (though not a dominant one) and I thought it fun, if not a touch daring to launch with.
 
Check Mike's site to dive deeper into his work. As well, I will be posting a filmed interview between the two of us where I will discuss my own feature film which he co-wrote and directed with me. We are about to finish sound on the movie at Delux in Toronto this month and head into color correction, a rough cut has been submitted to the big festivals.

Much more en route.

Happy New Year to all.

Josh
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on January 01, 2019, 01:31:43 pm
Very true and very well worded Peter.
I agree totally.
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: amolitor on January 01, 2019, 02:45:32 pm
I have to say I am a bit hesitant about this particular piece. On the one hand, it is exactly the kind of thing I write.

On the other hand, it does have a couple typos, a sentence or two which don't necessarily make sense, and I am not certain that the whole thing hangs together coherently. Which, you know, is how these things go. It's hard to copy-edit your own work, and it's hard to make a think piece come out somewhere coherent. Sometimes, it just doesn't work.

On a scale of 1 to 10, I dunno, this is like a 7 or an 8, maybe.

I will make on concrete suggestion: copy-editing services can be had at quite reasonably rates, over the internet. If I were trying to lead a web site into a brave new world, with long-form writing, I would probably use such a service. Honestly, I'd probably develop a style guide and share that with both my contributors and my copy-editing service. These things could go a long ways toward raising the overall tone, at, I think, fairly modest cost.
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Patricia Sheley on January 01, 2019, 03:05:18 pm
"I will make on concrete suggestion: copy-editing services can be had at quite reasonably rates, over the
 internet. "

(Example of their work?)
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: amolitor on January 01, 2019, 03:20:43 pm
I am not one of those copy-editing services, nor do i use them for my internet forum postings ;)
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: JeffS on January 01, 2019, 04:51:59 pm
Three articles now.  Not just typos, but grammatical errors, sentences unnecessarily running near 60 words, awkward phrasing, and more.  Michael Reichmann he is not.  Search any of Michael’s articles and the contrast is immediately apparent; in style, content, clarity and professionalism. I’m not encouraged.

Jeff
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Rob C on January 01, 2019, 04:54:45 pm
Talk about going all anal!

It's a photography article, not a contribution to Emmerson's Essays! As far as I'm concerned, if the material is photographically cool, that's all it really needs to be.

Bailey didn't even get into art college because they wanted school certificates! Reminds me of my only night school course (supposedly obligatory) where the lecturer told me he'd give up photography if his work looked like Bailey's. I never went back. My employers apparently didn't give a damn because I kept right on being employed...

Let's be frank here: photography is about imagination and learning the techniques you need to know to get the job done. Grammar isn't a part of the deal, and even good diction has gone out of fashion - or so it seems, and why should that matter anyway in this context? I'd prefer reading something that reveals some real experience, perhaps not perfectly written, over the most wonderful prose that reeks of ignorance and is nothing more than a transcript of some theoretical bullshit read in a how-to manual somewhere.

It's silly to want working photographers to come across like school teachers. The job requires different skill sets.

:-)
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Alan Goldhammer on January 01, 2019, 05:05:50 pm

It's a photography article, not a contribution to Emmerson's Essays! As far as I'm concerned, if the material is photographically cool, that's all it really needs to be.
Then just run the pictures.  If one cannot write well he/she should not write for public consumption

Quote
Let's be frank here: photography is about imagination and learning the techniques you need to know to get the job done. Grammar isn't a part of the deal, and even good diction has gone out of fashion - or so it seems, and why should that matter anyway in this context? I'd prefer reading something that reveals some real experience, perhaps not perfectly written, over the most wonderful prose that reeks of ignorance and is nothing more than a transcript of some theoretical bullshit read in a how-to manual somewhere.

It's silly to want working photographers to come across like school teachers. The job requires different skill sets.

Working photographers and website owners have two different jobs.  Sometimes they can combine the jobs and sometimes not.  Back in the day  I was an instructor for the introductory chemistry course.  I was appalled when the first laboratory reports were turned in replete with spelling errors and poor grammar.  I announced at the next session that reports would be graded for spelling and grammar as well as scientific content.  I had no further problems with those students.  Strunk and White's "The Elements of Style" (https://faculty.washington.edu/heagerty/Courses/b572/public/StrunkWhite.pdf) is a short yet concise book on how to write correctly. 
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: alainbriot on January 01, 2019, 05:13:13 pm
"The Elements of Style"[/url] is a short yet concise book on how to write correctly.
On my night table, figuratively speaking (I don't read in bed).  It was required reading during my PhD studies. So is On Writing by Stephen King.  A fantastic book on the craft and the art of writing (not just fiction).
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Slobodan Blagojevic on January 01, 2019, 05:23:34 pm
... It's silly to want working photographers to come across like school teachers...

Perhaps.

Especially relevant for great working photographers, where people can forgive the lack of proper grammar. The emphasis, however, is on three words. Great. Working. Photographer.

P.S. The irony is that the above quote comes from a great photographer with great writing skills.

Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: amolitor on January 01, 2019, 05:41:21 pm
If you want to write casually, then sure, whatever. If you want the web site you've recently assumed leadership of to have a casual, uneven, tone then by all means copy-edit yourself and don't have a style guide. That's fine, that is a perfectly legitimate tone to strike. There are lots of web sites that do that.

ETA: I maintain a blog myself, that has a lot of writing on it, and it hits exactly this note. It's uneven, casual, kinda sloppy. It works fine for my purposes. So, I am not kidding when I say "that's fine."
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Rob C on January 02, 2019, 05:54:43 am
Perhaps.

Especially relevant for great working photographers, where people can forgive the lack of proper grammar. The emphasis, however, is on three words. Great. Working. Photographer.

P.S. The irony is that the above quote comes from a great photographer with great writing skills.


Well, on the assumption that your comment about me might fit, then could that not also just add some point to what I was remarking? I do get a little disappointed reading badly composed stuff, but if the meaning and the content come through well enough, especially if, as you indicate, both are strong, then the faults in the writing become less than secondary - for me.

Now this may be conditioning: for years and years I used to buy French PHOTO, and though I did study the language in school, like many things, lack of use made it a very rusty skill indeed, resulting in it sinking to a similar level as my present Italian, which I spoke quite freely along with English until I started to go to school, at which time English obviously became the dominant voice. Then decades later, we settled in Spain. The upshot of that has been for the three continental languages to morph into one unreliable Mediterraneo, made even more complicated recently by the discovery of a little carry-out shop run by an Italian couple, which is where I now find my gnocchi. I speak to them in what I think is Italian and not Spanish, then discover that some of it is actually Veneto, an entirely different - but similar - northern Italian language of the 1800s. (I'm not sure why, but apparently it's not considered a dialect.) Yet, when that Italian couple speaks with me, it's as if they are both speaking English: I understand it all; the problem is that my own Italian, as my French, has become terribly passive and I find myself tongue-tied, which annoys the hell out of me! But the thing is, I still enjoyed French PHOTO and I don't think much of it went over my head; my wife and I were able to drive through France many times, find and check in to hotels en route, get fed, find whatever we wanted to find, all without even retaining the level of our school skills... and today I can buy gnocchi!

I suppose the thing is that unless you are working as a contracts lawyer, detail is largely gloss, and gold remains gold, so to speak.

Anyway, I had to bleach the rubbish bin before I came online: I noticed that the thing was looking a bit more speckled than normal, which I'd fondly though was its natural "look". On taking it outside into the sunlight, I realised that no, only parts of the thing were so detailed, so out came the bleach and now it's all blindingly white again. I hope my late wife forgives me for letting things reach such a sorry state! How do women manage to stretch time so elastically, accomplish so much all at once? Maybe they don't go online as much; mine never did.

Rob
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Robert Roaldi on January 02, 2019, 08:40:17 am
Grammatical errors can be an issue, especially when they result in ambiguity of meaning. But sometimes they don't matter at all. One good way of dealing with them is to send a note to the author suggesting improvements.

Complaining about the errors publicly, especially after another contentious thread about the changeover is winding down, seems a little petulant. Is the intent to point out or solve the problem, or is it to complain and embarrass the new guys?

The complaints are more or less meaningless unless one can show a deterioration from what was before. I don't remember this issue coming up before, but I could easily have missed it as I don't read everything on the site. For all I know, it's possible that the grammar has improved from what was before. I'm not saying it has, I'm saying I don't know because I never paid any attention to it. Has anyone else?

This is a molehill, not a mountain.
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: FMueller on January 02, 2019, 08:50:44 am
Excuse me?

Was I just advised that if I feel I have a “genuine voice” I should start reading (er, I mean *re-reading*?) New Age self-help books?
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Rob C on January 02, 2019, 09:43:35 am
My voice is genuine: it can't make singing sounds.

Truth to tell, without two fingers in my mouth it can't even produce a whistle you'd hear across the road, never mind even enough volume to assault a politically correct lady passing by on the same pavement; she'd mistake it for an incipient seizure and perhaps ask if she should help call a doctor.

Apart from such little inconveniences, I might have been a singing star of stage, screen and the assorted airways.

;-(
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Robert Roaldi on January 02, 2019, 09:54:12 am
I speak to them in what I think is Italian and not Spanish, then discover that some of it is actually Veneto, an entirely different - but similar - northern Italian language of the 1800s. (I'm not sure why, but apparently it's not considered a dialect.)

Same with Sicilian, I believe, that is it's not considered a dialect of Italian. Is Welsh a dialect of English? Is Scot a dialect? (And of which English anyway, the BBC English, Cockney, American English?)

I don't know how the linguists decide what is a dialect or what is a separate language. Does it depend on how far back the root language goes or for how long they've diverged? I don't have any friends or acquaintances in the business. Maybe the Google knows.
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: adias on January 02, 2019, 01:03:57 pm
It's interesting to note that after direct posts pointing out grammatical errors, they are still there today...
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Rob C on January 02, 2019, 02:06:52 pm
Same with Sicilian, I believe, that is it's not considered a dialect of Italian. Is Welsh a dialect of English? Is Scot a dialect? (And of which English anyway, the BBC English, Cockney, American English?)

I don't know how the linguists decide what is a dialect or what is a separate language. Does it depend on how far back the root language goes or for how long they've diverged? I don't have any friends or acquaintances in the business. Maybe the Google knows.

I'm currently watching Gomorrah which is a Neapolitan gang tale. I find that some of the guys speak a more straight Italian than others, and that a lot just goes in one and out t'other. For some reason, the females are more clear, which was also the case with Montalbano which was about the Sicilian police (rural, sometimes comedy? branch) and which has influenced the kind of diet that I try to provide myself with whenever I think seafood and pasta. Who would have thought?

In contrast, La Dolce Vita used very clear language and was a gift from above. La Grande Bellezza is another Roman movie with a great Roman setting that offers a mix of official and dialect language. Sadly, I can't access that one anymore. Wish I'd remembered how to work the video recorder; there's never a woman or a bright child around when you need one.


It just struck me: maybe the fault actually lies in my hearing. Sheesh!
Title: Re: The Still Life Of Cinema: Michael Leblanc
Post by: Eric Myrvaagnes on January 02, 2019, 03:53:07 pm
It just struck me: maybe the fault actually lies in my hearing. Sheesh!
My hearing has been bad for over 60 years, but I still love Montalbano. That is, the novels (in excellent English translation), not the TV series, which we can't get here.

If you feed yourself the way Montalbano's housekeeper feeds him, you'd better get some exercise now and then, so youll be able to keep on commenting on LuLa for many more years.

Cheers,
Eric