Tidbits from 2010

There hasn't been enough eye-related content in a single film to warrant its own entry, but I think we have enough piecemeal content from a few current movies to make a mash-up post.

Sherolock Holmes - Did you know that the author, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, received a medical degree from the University of Edinburgh in 1885, and later studied ophthalmology in Vienna?  His failure to develop a successful ophthalmology practice in London allowed him to use his spare time to write "A Study in Scarlet", which introduced the character Sherlock Holmes.

The Princess and the Frog - In this Jazz Age fairy tale, Mama Odie is a 200 year old voodoo queen afflicted with bilateral blindness.  The etiology of her ocular condition remains unspecified in the movie.  Given her age and ethnicity, I would list glaucoma, cataracts, and age-related macular degeneration as contenders.  I actually saw this movie with Sydney and her cousin, and I would give it a B+ .  The character Mama Odie has generated a bit of controversy- check out this quote and link from Movie Line:

Meet Mama Odie, the blind, 200-year-old “magical fairy godmother” with a “seeing-eye snake” who might have easily been the mascot for popular turn-of-the-century pantry product, Mama Odie’s Sambocakes and Waffle Batter.

Did You Hear About the Morgans? - Chances are nil that I will watch this abortion of a movie (at least in the theater), but the previews show scenes of Hugh Grant spraying himself in the face with bear repellent.  We've covered ocular pepper spray injuries here a few times already, but I was interested to read the claim that "bear repellent is the only proven way to prevent a grizzly bear attack. In fact, bear spray has a 90% success rate in preventing injury, making it more effective than guns in deterring an aggressive grizzly bear."

... and finally,

The Blind Side -  Despite the title, let me give you fans of ophthalmology in film a heads-up- this movie probably contains little to no eye-related content.  The term "blind side" in football refers to the side opposite the direction a player is facing.  For example, when a right-handed quarterback sets up for a pass, the left tackle is responsible for protecting his blind side.  I haven't seen the movie, but I have heard good things from people.  Wussy people.

OK peeps, that's your round-up for this month.  Happy viewing!