Those who follow this blog know my fondness for museums. My particular favorites are maritime, aerospace, and military museums. Exploring the great battleships of yesterday (Battleship Cove), the history of flight (New England Air Museum), and military history (American Heritage Museum), those types of museums never disappoint. Of course, with my passion for the space program, my two trips to Kennedy Space Center over the last few years were an experience like none other.

But then there are the more traditional museums. Growing up in central Massachusetts, my mother enrolled me in classes at the Worcester Art Museum (I think I’ll try my hand at painting again). When the museum featured a Rembrandt exhibit, my mother and I visited this unique showing of works by the Dutch artist. In addition, to enjoying the art, we also learned how he created it.

Two weeks ago, I traveled to Boston to visit the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA). Of course, I’ve been aware of this museum for years, but for some reason never visited it. This is one of those museums where I think you could spend a week—or more! From Ancient Greece, Dutch and Flemish Art, Egyptian Sculpture to Art of the Americas, the MFA is a museum enthusiast’s delight. The experience of touring the MFA is as exciting as it can be overwhelming but in a good way. I look forward to my next visit.

Yesterday I attended a presentation at the American Heritage Museum. The event was titled “Korea – The Now Remembered War.”  The two-part presentation first discussed how the conflict started and then featured how two battles were fought. The speaker was a Major in the United States Army who is an expert on this conflict. This “conflict” was sometimes referred to as the “forgotten war” as it was sandwiched between WWII and the Vietnam War. But that, as I learned, is no longer the case. In fact, “modern military professionals are now studying and learning from the Korean War.”

The one thing I always enjoy about my museum visits is the opportunity to learn something new while simultaneously experiencing it firsthand. Whenever I have the chance, I will return to a museum to further the experience. Museums like the American Heritage, Battleship Cove, and others are repeat visits as I enjoy the atmosphere and the people I meet who share the same interests. Many of my museum experiences have assisted my writing as it provides me with a variety of perspectives.

On the writing front, adaptions to the screenplay for SOS United States are generally complete. When I read the updated screenplay, I’m glad I incorporated the new elements from the novel. Yes, the film will be longer, but I believe it will be a more satisfying experience for the viewer. 

I have also noticed a trend that movies are no longer constraining themselves to 90 minutes or even 2 hours. Some movies just need time to tell a story, rather than leaving a plot point or character arc in the editing bay. Point in fact, a friend and I saw Dune: Part 2 last weekend and it ran for 2 hours and 45 minutes. When a film is good you don’t even notice the time. For the record, the second installment of Dune was excellent.

Finally, I’m pleased to see that First Launch continues to resonate in the festival circuit. I’ll be adding a page to First Signal’s website, to promote the sequel.

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