Computer animation and 3-D technology have bestowed upon the public a bevy of blockbusters and dozers of disasters. Some soared atop the box office charts while others faded quickly out of sight. 3-D is capable of more than merely blowing up every landmark in the world; it can also transport the views to locations they would have otherwise been unable to visit. Cave of Forgotten Dreams is one of those films which endeavours to transport the audience where no man has gone before. Filmed in Chauvet Cave, in southern France, a series of Lascaux-like caverns which had been concealed for …
Mindnight in Paris
It seems odd that the poster of Midnight in Paris, a seemingly postmodernist film which glorifies cubist and surrealist art movements, features a photograph of Owen Wilson walking along the Seine River which dissolves into an impressionist painting. Perhaps it is meant as a nod towards the inner conflict experienced by protagonist Gil Pender, a victim of a contradiction in that he is engaged to a woman that he increasingly cannot tolerate. Initially Pender alleviates his anxiety by falling in love with the City of Lights and allowing his mind to escape to a time period which suits him better …
Chambord: François I’s Hunting Lodge and Home
In 1513, a wild boar entered the chateau in Ambois and raced through its halls. Lords and ladies were terrified as the beast charged towards them. The only person in the Royal Court who could stop the four-legged marauder was the Dauphin, François. The future king slew the animal with his sword, exhibiting his hunting prowess and gallantry. When he became King of France in 1515, François I remained an avid hunter. Following his campaigns in Italy, he ordered the construction of a new chateau in Chambord to serve as a royal hunting lodge. Not only did François I seek …
Thoughts from the T.G.V.
Notre-Dame et la Foule Finished Paris Weekend: Cinématheque Française (who knew Dr. Fu-Manchu would go on to become Count Dooku?), Museé national d’art moderne (a cogent history of modern art – sans surrealists for the most part for some reason – that is physically and mentally tiring), and walking around during Bastille Day (apparently it takes a while for the serious parades to get started). How do real Parisians manage? Tourists attack the town like locusts, there’s excessive inflation (not Phil Graham-like “mental inflation”), and traffic is poor. It gets worse in a couple of weeks when bicyclists flood the …
Fish in a Flock and Sheep in a School
Natural Light Visit to Paris so far this weekend has included: Musée du Louvre, Tour d’Eiffel, Musée d’Orsay, Espace Dali, and Musée Picasso. At the Louvre, everyone packed certain exhibition halls to see the Mona Lisa, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, the Venus de Milo, and a few other prominent pieces. At Orsay, everyone crowded the Vincent Van Gogh rooms. Why? Works such as Liberty Leading the People by Delacroix because of its cultural commentary about the French Revolution or Hommage to Cézanne by Denis because of its ironical retelling of impressionism. Or countless other individual pieces. Art is for …
The Finishing Flourish of the Brush or the Canvas?
Vince Carter are his dunks are featured in a new add where he says that “Coach says a dunk is only worth two points” before disagreeing. “Coach” is presumably Dean Smith, winner of two National Championships and an Olympic Gold Medal. It’s true that dunks can change the game in a way that a lay-up cannot but their effect is over-rated by players with limited skill sets. After VC crowned Fréderic Weis in the 2000 Olympics, France was not coming back to win the game (they weren’t going to win in the first place). However, Lithuania wasn’t intimidated in the …
Sport=Art
When you play sports, you are the work of art. The show is ongoing; there is always another chance to perform. You can always improve what you have to offer. Play sports for fun but take advantage of the opportunity to set new personal bests. Push yourselves and push your team-mates to get better. Don’t set low expectations; don’t expect to finish last. I was an athletics banquet and “at least we didn’t finish last” was a refrain. Anyone can do better than last. I could take up any sport tomorrow and finish last (or better). If it were my …