Black Panther opens tomorrow! I am so excite! I’ve been looking forward to it since forever. Ok, not forever even if it feels like it; something to the effect of July last year is more like it.
To me, visuals have been one of the most interesting aspects of this installation of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Here are a few of the costume design articles I found most useful.
After a 6-day headache, I could use something cheerful today. Lo, and the world delivered. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you, via the Internet, a turtle sneeze video:
turtle sneeze! via toll lion
If you had asked me, I wouldn’t have expected turtles to have the need to sneeze, nor it to be cute. Boy, was I wrong.
Day made. đ
Found via Good Stuff Happened Today.
P.S. For my U.S. readers: I hope your July 4th is exactly as fun and relaxing as you’d wish!
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies opens tomorrow!
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Via IMDB.
Now, I donât typically go for horror or zombies, but Iâm actually looking forward to this one: the trailers and clips make PPZ look kick-ass. Check âem out:
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies | official trailer #1 US (2016) Lily James Matt Smith via moviemaniacsDE
âMy daughters were trained for battle, sir, not the kitchen.â â Mr. Bennet
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Official Trailer #1 (2016) – Lily James Horror Movie HD via Movieclips Trailers
(There seems to be a bit of perv cam action going on. I hope this is as much as there is.)
I know nothing of the 2009 novel by Seth Grahame-Smith, but I do love some of the movie adaptationâs stars: Lily James as Elizabeth Bennet (James is no stranger to elegance based on her work in Downton Abbey) and Matt Smith (of the 11th Doctor fame) as Mr. Collins, and, finally, Charles Dance and Lena Headey (most lately, in genre interest, of the Game of Thrones excellence) as Mr. Bennet and Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Movie Clip – Admire via Sony Pictures Entertainment
âI do not know what I admire more, Elizabeth Bennet, your skill as a warrior or your resolve as a woman.â â Lady Catherine de Bourgh
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies – Bloody Good Sneak Peek via Sony Pictures Entertainment
Ugh, pretty gruesome. Then again, it is a truth universally acknowledged, that to see and enjoy Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, one must be in a suitable frame of mind.
Bennet sisters in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Via Showbiz Junkies.
There will be murder and mayhem, surelyâŠ
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Movie Clip – Enviable Talent via Sony Pictures Entertainment
âŠaaand apparently everything ends in a double wedding:
Double wedding in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Via Entertainment Weekly.
Seems like a combination of very silly and very kick-ass â âhopefully magnificently so,â to quote Husband. đ
Images: Poster via IMDB. Bennet sisters by CTMG Inc. via Showbizjunkies. Double wedding by Jay Maidment via Entertainment Weekly.
Note: I wasnât paid or perked to mention this; just passing along a good thing.
The Girl King. Via Lark Theater.
Iâve been vaguely aware of the Swedish-Finnish movie production The Girl King (Finnish title Tyttökuningas), which is remarkable for having been largely (according to some sources, almost entirely) filmed in Turku, Finland, including the local castle. Itâs one week from opening night now, and reviews and interviews are starting to roll out. Yay!
The movie is about Queen Kristina of Sweden (1626-1689), of the Vasa lineage, directed by Finlandâs famous Mika KaurismĂ€ki. In the main roles weâll see Malin Buska, Sarah Gadon (whom I liked in Belle), and Michael Nyqvist (familiar from the Swedish version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo series). A description from KaurismĂ€kiâs website says:
âMika KaurismĂ€ki is currently developing a feature film project about the Swedish Queen Kristina, starring Swedish actress Malin Buska. Set in the 17th century, the film paints a portrait of an extravagant and atypical queen, who was the ruler of her country from the age of seven until her startling abdication at 28.
âThe film is scripted by Canadian award-winning screenwriter Michel Marc Bouchard and the cinematography will be by renowned Christopher Doyle (In the Mood for Love, Hero).â
The Girl King: Queen Kristina and René Descartes. Via Frock Flicks.
At the time of Kristinaâs life, Finland was a part of Sweden, and Turku (Ă bo in Swedish) was the oldest and largest city in Finland. The Turku Castle dates from late 13th century, but it was still inhabited and garrisoned at the time; in the modern period, itâs been restored to its Renaissance state, so itâs an appropriate location even though Kristina didnât actually live there. (Tidbit gleaned from a news article in Yle uutiset: Kristinaâs parents visited Turku early in 1626, and itâs said that she was conceived at the Turku Castle.) Also, kuningatar Kristiina has a special place in the Finnish memory because of her efforts to end the 30 yearsâ war which was hard on Finland, and because she at the suggestion of one of her statesmen (and twice Governor General of Finland), Per Brahe, founded the first Finnish university in 1640.
The official trailer (with Finnish subtitles) is out, and looking gorgeous:
Tyttökuningas (The Girl King) -elokuvan virallinen traileri from LeffatByFSFilm
Frock Flicks has a interview with the costume designer, Marjatta Nissinen, and a review that includes insights into the costuming. Thereâs also a documentary on the costuming, with background information from KaurismĂ€ki and closeups of some of the outfits in the latter half (Finnish with English subtitles):
Dressing The Girl King -documentary by Film City Turku and LĂ€nsi-Suomen elokuvakomissio
As an early history geek who lived in Turku for a number of years, Iâm very curious to see The Girl King â for freaking once I get the native advantage in location spotting! đ
Turku historical mashup, clockwise from top: 1700s-1800s houses at LuostarinmÀki; bell tower of the cathedral seen from the river Aura; Vanha Suurtori with empire style and neoclassical houses; closeup of the cathedral bell tower. Center: Turku Castle.
But seriously, what I can see of the sets and locations, especially the Renaissance floor of the castle, looks fantastic. Hereâs hoping that The Girl King will have a reasonably wide release in the U.S.!
Images: poster via Lark Theater; Queen Kristina & René Decartes via Frock Flicks; Turku historical mashup by Eppu Jensen.
Note: I wasnât paid or perked to mention this; just passing along a good thing.
Black Widow fans must be out in force: not only is there a great title sequence (by Christopher Haley) for an imagined Black Widow movie, a fantastic trailer for an imagined origins movie has surfaced:
The unknown creator did a great job pasting various movie clips together into an arc and forming a cohesive trailer with music and everything. Like Haley’s title sequence, this is professional grade work. I’d go see that movie! I recognize snippets from at least Iron Man 1 and 2 [oops, not the first IM], Winter Soldier, Avengers, Age of Ultron and Lucy. I haven’t seen other Jeremy Renner movies besides his Marvel work, so I couldn’t I.D. any of those. What did I miss?
P.S. The end âcreditsâ are a hoot! Definitely pause the vid to read through.
Note: I wasnât paid or perked to mention this; just passing along a good thing.
For his After Effects class final project, Christopher Haley created an incredible title sequence for an imagined Black Widow movie. He writes in the YouTube intro:
“Cut off one head, two more shall take it’s place… For this speculative title sequence of a Black Widow film I decided Black Widow’s villain would be… Black Widow. Yelena Belova, to be specific. Belova believes herself to be the superior Black Widow, and in some ways she is right. Swift and ruthless, Belova is the most talented assassin to graduate from the Red Room–and now she is Hydra’s most deadly weapon. At Belova’s side is a super-soldier of her own, Alexi Shostakov–the Red Guardian, who also happens to be Natasha’s former lover. When the new heads of Hydra make a play for the power of the infinity stones it is up to S.H.I.E.L.D.’s top agent to stop them.”
I just love it! Besides containing obvious homages to older James Bond title sequences, which work really great, it also seems to nod to the Captain America: Winter Soldier titles. The music selection (Sour Times by Portishead) is fantastic, too â apprehensive and a little threatening, befitting the world of spy games. Great job all around, Christopher!
And a small neat note: actor Samuli Edelmann, whom was cast as Alexi Shostakov (Red Guardian), is a fellow Finn. I also like Rosamund Pike a lot. Seeing her in a Black Widow movie would be awesome. đ
Note: I wasnât paid or perked to mention this; just passing along a good thing.
Composer and pianist Sonya Belousova and director Tom Grey staged a version of the Doctor Who theme with cosplay:
Sonya not only steps out of the Tardis, we see her play a Tardis-blue grand piano in a multitide of Doctor outfits in just over two minutes. Neat!
Note: I wasnât paid or perked to mention this; just passing along a good thing.
Happy Holidays to one and all! I’ll close off this blogging year with an appropriately Dwarvish-sounding and utterly, delightfully nerdy version of the 19th century carol We Three Kings:
We Three Kings of the Lonely Mountain, performed by author Max Gladstone and biophysicist / musician (what a great combo of interests!) Dan Jordan.
Have a great new year!
Something Doctor-ish must be in the air this week! First, BBC released the Doctor Who series 8 official full length trailer last Sunday.
Not only that, I ran into this fabulous fan composition: Who Am I? (12th Doctor’s theme by James Jarvis).
It went straight into my geeky playlist! One of the comments called the theme âdark yet mysterious.â I’d add that it has potential for contemplation or reflection, even melancholy. Even though we still don’t know much about this incarnation of the Doctor, it sounds like reflection of the past is the theme (or one of the themes) for season 8. The official trailer gives some clues (at approx. 0:25-0:35) when the Doctor says:
Doctor: I’ve lived for over 2,000 years. I’ve made many mistakes. It’s about time I did something about that.
And later, on the Tardis steps (at approx. 0:45-0:55), there is this exchange between Doctor and Clara:
Doctor: Clara, tell me: am I a good man?
Clara: I… don’t know.
Jenna Coleman’s hesitant delivery of Clara’s line is brilliant, as are Peter Capaldi’s pensive facial expressions picked for the trailer. James Jarvis’s composition captures the attitude of the trailer very well â try playing the trailer without sound with Jarvis’s theme in the background.
Can’t wait for season 8!
Note: I wasnât paid or perked to mention this; just passing along a good thing.
There are many definitions of creativity. Despite the differences, most include originality or novelty and imagination, and the creation of something new. However you parse it, this video by MIDIDesaster of playing âEye of the Tigerâ through a dot matrix printer(!) definitely counts.
“Eye of the tiger” on dot matrix printer from MIDIDesaster on Vimeo.
MIDIDesaster explains:
âThis old 24-pin dot matrix printer has been converted into a MIDI compatible sound generator. Up to 21 notes can be played simultaneously. It features up to 16 MIDI channels with individual volume and pitch.â
The rest of the technical information is way beyond me. However, I cannot but admire the effort that went into this project, starting from the concept (I. Cannot. Even!) and all the way to solving the pragmatic issues.
The curiosity, creativity and imagination of us humans never ceases to amaze me. It’s thrilling to see what we’re capable of!
