The recent mysterious bird and fish kills in Arkansas and Louisiana have got to make you wonder. First thing for me is this: the way the stories are being reported doesn't quite add up (even the basic facts seem confused by various reporters). Beyond that, more may or may not be revealed. But for God's sake, why have so many people already forgotten the Deepwater Horizon oil spew disaster? Lead in their food? Collective amnesia? Other more important things going on?
In any case, scientists and artists have been attuned to these kinds of weird nightmarish events, risks and choices for a long time. Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (1962) is one example. A probably lesser known artifact of 1960s conciousuness raising is a movie that had a big impact on me as a kid (I still recall it vividly and would like to see it again now). Michael Cacoyannis / Mihalis Kakogiannis' The Day the Fish Came Out (1967), is not all that different from The Andromeda Strain (1971), except that it's more of a very dark comedy and it's by the same guy who directed Electra, Zorba the Greek and The Trojan Women. Candice Bergen is in it, too.
The basics of the film are this: a US military plane has to ditch its sealed but highly toxic cargo on a Greek island; the pilots bail out onto the island; locals discover the goods and try to open the seal; tourists and undercover agents overrun the island; the pilots are trained to elude capture and are trying to figure out what's going on. I found The Day the Fish Came Out highly entertaining as a kid and later as a teenager. Of course, the underlying message is a chilling one, full of gallows humor about the human condition (and human stupidity).
And now, any thoughts about The Days the Birds Dropped From the Sky?
Today's Rune: Signals. Den dag fisken flöt upp is the Swedish variation. Looks like "The Day the Fish Float Up" to me . . .
8 comments:
Good points for sure. I need to check out that film. Saw only part of it as a kid.
Belated Happy New Year!
Erik, we probably won't be satisfied till w eff the whole world up. Poor animals.
I love gallows humor, one of my favorite kinds. I hope these masses of animals dying does not get worse.
I remember reading Silent spring. I'm concerned about the birds and fish in arkans given that the fish kill only happyened about 20 miles from where I grew up and much of my family still lives.
We have treated this planet as a giant landfill forever. Nothing would surprise me--except that it was some Last Days scenario.
I am withholding judgment until I hear more.
Thanks all for the commentarios~
Cheers~
This also sounds up my alley. Like you, I worry about all of the recent reports of bird AND fish deaths. Something's not right...
I also don't forget things like Deepwater Horizon, tainted foods, etc. I'm one of the unfortunate few in that regard, I'm afraid. If everyone remembered such things, I bet we'd live in a different world. The media's got distraction down pat, however.
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