The Hapless Fool

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Exhibition draw

Toronto must have honey overflowing from its ears because it has the talent of drawing some of the more interesting international exhibits. The Tim Burton exhibit currently at the MoMA will shuttle back to North America from November 22nd,2010 to April 27th 2011 after visiting the down under.

A few years back, during the huge hype of the Lord of the Rings trilogy an art/production display was exhibited in Toronto. Much to the grumbling of my friends from afar, the city even received an encore visit a year later. The initial exhibit took place in a very fitting castle Casa Loma, where some of the crew even recreated parts of the sets, showcased drawings, props and costumes. The second more elaborate exhibit was recreated at the ROM museum/Planetarium with great success.

This June the Royal Ontario Museum will be taking the reins as the place to see (after the Art Gallery of Ontario wraps up the Tut exhibit), and bring a bit of Asia to the masses. Fourteen of the life-size terra cotta soldiers from Xi'an will draw thousands of visitors in one of the most fascinating tombs of China's first emperor, Quin Shihuangdi.

A bit of history, a bit glamour, a bit of weird.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Coffee house

Sometimes it's really irritating moving to a new city, especially if it offers less than stellar brew in the morning. I love love love coffee of all sorts. Lattes, cappuccinos, espressos, and teas. When a particular independent coffee shop goes the full monty and takes great pride in their product it will only be a matter of time before the customers buzz in.

Variations (wiki) of what I can't wait to try...

Bombón ( "confection"): Espresso served with condensed milk. Served in South East Asia, Canary Islands, Cook Islands and Mainland Spain.

Bicerin ( "Little glass") Made of layers of espresso, drinking chocolate, and whole milk. Invented and served in Turin.

Guillermo: Originally one or two shots of hot espresso, poured over slices of lime. Can also be served on ice, sometimes with a touch of milk.

Black eye: A cup of drip coffee with two shots of espresso in it.

Carajillo: ( slang for "nothing"): Espresso with a shot of brandy.

Con hielo ("with ice"): Espresso with sugar immediately poured over two ice cubes.

Carving Perfection

Everyone points fingers to Hollywood for being plastic. If only people guessed what lengths many countries take to win a reputation in beauty. Venezuela, often equated with producing some of the most beautiful women in the world (other than Iceland and Brazil), takes obsession to new heights.

Ever watch Miss Universe? I found an intriguing documentary focusing on how unnatural steps are taken to attain a "Universal" perception of beauty. Produced by ABC Australia, Journeyman Pictures has researched a number of controversial issues around the globe. For China, it could be the issue of height, Africa, skin colour, and so on...

Beauty Obsession - Venezuela watch here

The Sexist Revolution - China watch here

Like Journeyman? I find their chosen subjects intriguing and well made...

Site here.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Clueless

Seen it all? Tired of all reality television, talent shows, singing contests? Stumped to find another new mystery series?

Lord Peter Wimsey, a fictional well to do sleuth created by Dorothy L. Sayers has been adapted a number of times in a similar Poirot/Miss Marple style by BBC. Born into the upper classes, Wimsey is the classic well bred, highly educated gentleman who helps solves crimes more as a hobby than livelihood. The series takes place in the 1920-30s, following his deductions of crime and murder with the occasional appearance of his family members (very different from Sherlock and Poirot) and help of Chief Inspector Charles Parker.

Here are a number of links to various episodes...

side note: Miss Marple Pocket full of Rye here

Festive Fun

Depending on the town or city you live in there are hopefully a number of cinephiles who have gathered together to share and enjoy new and old films.

In Canada, the Toronto Film Festival has blossomed into a mix of commercial fare and the small and obscure. Opening around mid September, it trails after Venice, Cannes and the Berlin Festival and is probably the closest gauge of what a North American audience prefers. I'll admit it's grown too large for my liking, the long lines, traffic, and mediocre theatre facilities have dampened my enthusiasm for many of the headliners.

I've been to the Halifax film Festival (very good), Vancouver Film Festivals, and a Calgary Film Festival. Unfortunately Halifax and Vancouver are plagued with bad timing, most filmmakers are only capable of submitting to a select few in the fall... and Toronto is the place to be. I've been greatly disappointed with the selection in Vancouver in the past few years, many of the most exciting films (ones that I would happily wait in line for) tend to move from Toronto to New York (New York timed to begin about a week after Toronto wraps up).

What many locals overlook are the smaller, less publicized, and specialized festivals that should always be given a chance.

Here are a few all across map (linked):

London

BFI London Film Festival (Oct 13-28, 2010)

British Urban Film Festival

The London International Documentary Festival (April 23- May 8, 2010)

Edinburgh

Edinburgh International Film Festival (June 16-27, 2010)

Toronto

TIFF (Toronto Film Festival - Sept 9 - 25, 2010)

Hot Docs (Best of Documentaries April 29 - May 9, 2010)

Sprockets (Children's Film Festival April 17-23, 2010)