Go, Speed Racer, GO!

“Ford v. Ferrari” is my second favorite buddy movie this year with two superstars that’s set in 1960’s Los Angeles. Well, mostly in L.A., as the last third is the 1966 Le Mans Grand Prix in France.

With the Millennial generation bringing with it the sudden death of America’s car culture, “Ford v. Ferrari” proves it’s still possible to enjoy the roar of an internal combustion engine and the screech of tires. Especially in IMAX, and without it being the fantasy of “The Fast and the Furious”. Oh, for the days before pollution controls, when leaded gas cost pennies per gallon!

What’s my favorite buddy movie this year — or any year — with two superstars set in 1960’s Los Angeles? Heck, it’s one of my favorite movies period.

Snow Job

After 20 years of reliable winter service, it’s time to let go of my trusty and somewhat rusty MTD Yard Machines snow thrower. Those loose bottom belts are for the auger, but the problem that prompted me to open up the gearbox was the difficulty in pushing the snow blower when the traction control isn’t engaged. It keeps grabbing, with a “chug, chug, chug” effect. The gear plate has seen a lot of wear, and it’s covered with fine metal shavings.

The new snow thrower is, like my old one was, a Consumer Reports Best Buy, the Troy-Bilt 2410. It’s currently on sale for $629, which isn’t the lowest price it’s ever been, but I can’t risk waiting for a better deal. You can pretend the two snow blowers are cats or dogs looking up at the camera, like the countless pet pictures everywhere online.

The tires are smaller and closer together than on the old beast, which is good for moving around in the garage. The engine is equivalent to 6.5 HP, compared to the 8 HP Tecumseh on the old one, which still starts and runs great, but a 24-inch model with a more powerful engine costs $900. I’m not praying for snow, but I’m looking forward to giving the Troy-Bilt its first run.

Tezuka Tales

Osamu Tezuka’s creation “Mighty Atom” became “Astro Boy” in America. Along with Bob Clampett’s “Beany & Cecil,” Astro was the TV cartoon that influenced me the most as a kid.

A Tezuka cartoon that didn’t appear in America was the astounding and disturbing “Dororo.” The story is as medieval as Astro is futuristic. The premise of Astro is dark, being the death of a little boy, and Dororo takes an even darker twist. It begins with the birth of a horribly deformed baby boy.

https://youtu.be/bbbHrOK6xfc

The complete original Dororo series on DVD currently costs $50 on Amazon, but Dororo was recently remade and it’s available on Amazon Prime.