My first attempt at a movie review.

It’s been about 2 years since I’ve been to a movie theatre, mostly due to the pandemic, but partly it’s been a lack of films that I’ve been inspired to see. I was intrigued by the release of a sequel to “Ghostbusters”, and the pull of “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” finally got me into a theatre seat. The original “Ghostbusters” came out in 1984 and was an instant hit. The film was original, funny, and well paced. The characters were a good contrast, and nearly 40 years later, it’s accepted as a cult classic. It has been a difficult formula to follow though, after a lackluster follow-up in 1989 and a controversial reboot in 2016.

I noticed that the film received generally poor reviews from critics, but enthusiastic reviews from fans who saw it before it was released to the public. This was the opposite of the reception for the 2016 reboot, which critics praised but audiences disliked. Reading the critics, I think they wanted to defend their praise of the 2016 reboot, and Afterlife makes it an orphan in the Ghostbusters film history. They dismissed Afterlife as pandering to fans of the original. Yet fans found it appealing. Perhaps they want to be pandered to?

This left me thinking – should I believe the practiced eye of the professional critic, or the approval of the kind of fan who attends conventions? Both can be ruthless in their reviews. Sequels and reboots rarely live up to their promise. The Ghostbusters franchise has had 1 disappointing sequel, 1989’s Ghostbusters 2, and the 2016 reboot was considered a failure. The problem with the all female reboot was that it came during a controversial election year. Either criticizing it or supporting it became linked with the candidates. Liking (or not liking) the film got political. When you insert politics into it, you get people polarized for reasons unrelated to the film itself. I think that explains the differences between critics and audiences. It’s the shadow of politics. I decided not to go into the theatre with high expectations.

Count me as pleasantly surprised.
I won’t indulge in spoilers here and it’s difficult not to, but my impression of Afterlife is that it clearly wants the audience to remember its roots in the original 1984 classic. Scene after scene will show something familiar. (Watch the 1984 original before you go, and see how many of these things you notice!) The original cast made brief appearances, and the film paid homage to the late Harold Ramis, who played Egon in the original. The story required a lot of character development, and centers around Phoebe, Egon’s granddaughter, a scientifically gifted girl living with her mother, who clearly isn’t anything like her. The actress, McKenna Grace, was brilliant. She and her family find themselves at her grandfather’s farm, which is full of clues about his ghostbusting past. Phoebe’s brother Trevor, his love interest Lucky, and Phoebe’s new friend “Podcast” become the focus of the story.

The cast, particularly Phoebe, are good. Podcast is a quirky character whose enthusiasm was his strength. I thought Trevor and Lucky could have had more character development though. They felt under-used to me. The film plods through the early phase with Phoebe discovering her heritage, but begins to gain momentum as these characters discover why their grandfather lived there, and the secret of his farm and the nearby mine. Then it builds to a strong finish. The film doesn’t beat you over the head with pratfalls. The comedy is well written. The action sequences are good, and the plot follows on from the 1984 film, giving it a familiar vibe. There is also room for more sequels, but we’ll have to see how it does at the box office before that discussion can start. At this writing, Afterlife has out-performed expectations, and unless interest collapses, it should turn a profit. It’s definitely worth seeing, and while it isn’t as good as the 1984 original, it is definitely better than Ghostbusters 2 and the 2016 reboot. This one is worth buying a ticket for – and also worth watching for the mid credit and after credit scenes! This isn’t the kind of film that keeps you guessing or makes you think, but it does exactly what a film should do: it entertains.

Motivation is a tricky business. Getting yourself started when there are other priorities or when doing those things isn’t an attractive or easy notion can be the hardest part of getting something done. What has helped me when I wanted to motivate myself are the concepts of “Pull” and “Push”. The concepts transfer well to many situations and define a style of leadership as well as a personal motivational tool. Push is a command. Pull is an incentive. Between the two, I prefer “pull”.  There is nothing you can do that doesn’t include a little bit of both, but the style of pull is a style with positive connotations. The more you use “pull” the less demanding you are.

A reward for reaching your goal is both a good feeling and incentive to keep going!

In many ways, Push is easier. We are all self contained individuals and since we are all at the center of our own awareness and direct our own actions, it can be very easy to make demands of ourselves and others. That isn’t to say it’s always wrong to push. There are times when it is the only option. The mistake that so many people make is that they leap to it as their FIRST option.  Given any kind of authority, a measure of push is implied, but the drawback of push is that eventually there is resistance to push that can overwhelm you. In short, the more push you use, the more push you need to use.

Pull is a far more interesting concept. Pull is an incentive to act – a reward that feeds back on the person who is “pulled”.  This is a positive experience. It takes more planning, more trust in yourself and others, and more commitment to the goal when you use a “pull” style.  It doesn’t always work, but it does make achieving a goal different by emphasizing the reward. For pull to work, the reward has to be realistic. A goal that moves is not achievable, no matter what the incentives are.

Part of pull is creating good habits. Those include good management of time and a good attention to detail. If you have a good plan and follow it, the goal can pull you along. If you fail to keep to your plan, often the only way to get back on track is to push. Flexibility in planning and reaching a goal is important. The better the plan, the less push is required to reach your goal.

Commitment is important. Pull isn’t possible without it. Keep the goal in focus. Constant pushing can lead to avoidance, which is self defeating. If you’re constantly nagging yourself to do something, that task will take on a very negative connotation, and nobody likes to be pushed constantly or can consistently push themselves. There are times when you have to build a rest or a change into your plans. That is part of pull.

Push and pull are evident in how we interact with other people.  Everyone has a personal style that they’ve learned over their lifetime.  Part of that is the language and tone you choose when you talk to others. Good leaders pull. They share positives. They welcome input and ideas. That’s pull. Bad leaders push. They are not open to new ideas, and they lean on procedures. It’s said that people don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses.   I think much of that has to do with the overuse of push!

Sometimes you need to push, but in my opinion, the best way to move yourself forward is to employ incentives and goals and pull yourself along.  Often the good feelings you generate by achieving goals will feed back and make continuing that good behavior easier!

My favorite season just may be autumn.  Autumn is the time of year that is perfect for getting outside. The start of September is the unofficial beginning, though Autumn officially begins 3 weeks into September, and as I write this, my calendar says Autumn is now official. I thought I’d list a few of the things that I look forward to as the season changes.

Cycling. This is “Century Season” for me, when event rides are commonly held. Autumn is when the combination of riding conditions and rider conditioning are the best. Riders like myself have spent the spring getting themselves into condition, and summer training in the heat. Summer rides tend to start early to keep you out of the heat. When the weather cools and the sun gets up later in the morning, the rides start a little later, and feel much more relaxed.  It’s still comfortable to ride without extra layers of clothing into November here. It feels great to ride in comfort.  After I ride my events, I’m still in good condition to ride. I can find my favorite local rides, include friends, and ride “for the soul”. Soul riding is important to me. I can enjoy the scenery more; I can take in the sights and smells of autumn, and share it in comfort with good friends.  If I want to go fast, it’s entirely on the spur of the moment. What I want is the pure enjoyment of cycling.  I remember Autumn rides more often than rides in any other season.

Beer.  I’ve been known to seek out a good brew and share with friends. (I do not drink alone. That is important.  Drinking to drink is not enjoyable to me.) Post ride beer has become a kind of tradition among my friends and I. Autumn seasonal brews are my favorites. he flavors come to the fore. The hoppy IPAs of summer give way to toasted malts, with richer and darker seasonal varieties.  In autumn, the brews tend to get more malty and dark and complex. They include ales and porters that agree with my palate. Even the trend to “pumpkin” ales isn’t a bad thing; if you find a good one, they can be a good change of pace. However, the “Octoberfest” traditions create the kinds of beer I look forward to.  Brew pubs are flush with dark and creamy varieties that don’t have a hoppy sting.  There are new beers to try and enjoy and pass around. Autumn and beer are a great combination.

Produce. Fall harvest produce is wonderful. Combined with the cool temperatures that make spending time in the kitchen less of a concern, autumn seasonal produce creates a new burst of flavors and colors and enjoyable mealtimes.

Whether cycling or walking or driving, autumn is the most interesting time of year. Regardless of where you are and what you’re doing, there is always something to see. While winter must eventually arrive and chase away this brief, colorful and enjoyable season, I treasure autumn days.

It’s a mid January Sunday, 2018.  A little after 10am. It’s 18 degrees outside my windows.  I’ve already finished my daily workout. Arsenal and Bournemouth are finishing a game in the background as I write this. (Bournemouth won 2-1. David has beaten Goliath today.) I’ve run out of household jobs to do. If this were a perfect day (That is to say warm enough to ride any respectable distance even when wearing all the heavy bike clothing I have available to me), I’d be miles away on my bicycle.

So writing is my refuge for the moment. I’ll go to the bookstore and find something new to read perhaps, or I’ll get out for a walk later, but what my heart would have me do is not the least bit comfortable in sub freezing temperatures. Being single, I don’t have anyone else to make claims on my time. I don’t see that as a disadvantage. I’m not necessarily quiet, but I have some fairly quiet habits. People all over on this cold day have the same problems that I do.  So I’m even done paying bills, and I’m thinking about what else to do, and I’m happy that I’m in a place in my life where my biggest worry is what to write today.

I’ve got a little bike maintenance I can do, but what I really need to do is take my bike to the shop and get a yearly service.  I’ll get the cables replaced, re-tape the bars, get the drivetrain adjusted, and probably replace the chain.  For now, here at home, the best I can do is keep the bike clean and the drivetrain in good condition. It’s days like this that make me think of things to do.  Chores get put off when the weather allows me to be more active. So this is the kind of cold, antiseptic day that makes chores interesting.

As I write this, I’ve been unable to ride for nearly two weeks. My last substantial ride was the 6 Pillars Century in Cambridge Maryland last week. It was a great ride, despite what I would describe as a lack of good preparation. It’s amazing what you can accomplish when your mind is in trim.  Having done that, the following Tuesday I went in for surgery on my deviated septum.

In the end, I had my sinuses opened, my septum straightened, and a benign blockage removed. Breathing hasn’t been my strong suit for years. Despite the pain, as soon as the swelling started to go down, I began to breathe better.  I sleep better.  I’m sure that as soon as I’m cleared to cycle again, and I regain some of the form I’ve lost, I’ll cycle better as a result.

I’ve been dealing with my poor airflow for a long time, and I didn’t have to. I made a decision for my quality of life.  Even though I’m not nearly healed yet, I already feel better. I can tell the difference, and I’m told that things will only get better still.  If you have to make a choice that can improve your quality of life, it’s certainly worth doing.

It’s the only life you get.  Do what you can to make the most of it.