Through The Opera Glasses Archives

10 of My Favorite Vampires

2011-04-25T20:08:00.000-07:00

Day 22 of the A to Z Challenge brings us to a type of character for which I have a definite weakness.

V is for Vampire

I'm currently preparing to shoot the book trailer for my vampire book, which is now ready to start final revisions before I head to the writers' conference this summer.

If I'm writing about vampires, I must have some favorite vampires from films and television that inspire me - don't I?

Of course I do! Here are my top ten:

1 - Blade from the film series of the same name

2 - Viktor from the Underworld film series

3 - Professor Dracula from the 70's TV series Cliffhangers

4 - Louis from Interview With the Vampire

5 - Count Dracula from Bram Stoker's Dracula

6 - Count Dracula from Dracula 2000

7 - Dean Winchester for one episode of Supernatural

8 - Bill Compton from True Blood

9 - Eric Northman from True Blood

10 - Godric from True Blood

10 Questions For Kelly Boyce, Author of The Outlaw Bride

2011-04-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

Day 15 of the A to Z Challenge brings us to a very special celebration.

Because today O is for Outlaw Bride.

Whom do I spy through my little opera glasses this week? Oh there - I see her! Debut western historical romance author Kelly Boyce, whose first e-book hits an e-reader near you TODAY.

Quick - let's pick up our skirts and dash over to see her. I'll just wait until she's in between chatting with readers.

Kelly - thank you for making your first stop on your release week promo tour here at A Piece of My Mind.

1 - You've been writing with clearly-plotted writing and career goals since you began your writing journey.

Don't know why I know that...oh, I know why. Because you've been picking me up for the drive to our monthly Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada meetings for the past 8 years. Ha, ha...!

So, what role do you think concrete expectations have for writers, who have to create their own workdays?

For me, concrete expectations are essential.

Where I have a full-time job (like most writers!), I needed to be very strict with my time management to ensure I wrote every day. I put my writing on equal footing with my day job, and since I wouldn’t dream of not showing up for the day job (they frown on that), I also wouldn’t dream of not showing up for the writing gig.

It means hideously early mornings, starting at 5:30am, which allows me 1.5 hours of uninterrupted writing time. I generally write fast, so I’m able to get a fair bit done in that time (although never as much as I’d like).

I set weekly goals, monthly goals, give myself manuscript completion deadlines, etc. I’m pretty goal-oriented, so having those goals keeps me focused.

2 - If I was going to describe you with a quote, I would definitely pick this one by Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism:

"Anticipate the difficult by managing the easy."

I’m one with Lao.

How does this fit with your writing style?

Being a huge planner, I usually have back-up plans for my back-up plans. That way, if Plan A goes haywire, I have Plan B through G at the ready.

But overall, I’m more of a Nike girl. My motto is “Just Do It”. Tired on Monday morning and don’t want to get up? Too bad. Just do it.

Didn’t make my weekly goal by Friday but don’t want to work the weekend? Too bad. Just do it.

3 - Ha, ha! Exactly.

How long have you been a part of RWA?

I joined RWA (Romance Writers of America) and RWAC (Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada) in June 2003 and promptly realized I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.

What role do you think this played in your development as a writer?

RWAC is probably one of the most supportive groups of talented writers I have ever come across and they were essential at teaching me everything I didn’t know. I would not be where I am today with my writing had it not been for joining up with this crew.

4 - You served two terms as president of our chapter. How did you manage to balance your day job/RWAC exec/writing life/personal life?

I drank a lot.

Well…okay, not a lot.

I mean, not every day, or anything.

The key to being a great chapter president is having a great executive behind you, which I had during both my terms. They made me look good.

The rest of it – day job, personal life, writing - was sheer time management, but I’m a Capricorn, we thrive on schedules. I break out into a rash if I don’t have a calendar handy. It’s not pretty.

5 - What attracted you to the western historical romance genre, Kelly?

I grew up watching spaghetti westerns and have always been a huge Clint Eastwood fan. My early television viewing included Bonanza, Big Valley and of course Little House on the Prairie.

Me, too!

Added to this, as kids, my brother, Craig would devour books on cowboys, Indians and such, then regurgitate the stories back to me. Safe to say, I was fully immersed in the Old West from a very early age, so writing a western historical romance was an easy fit for me.

Who are your favorite western authors?

Maggie Osborne is at the top.
Cheryl St. John.
Linda Lael Miller is great.
I’ve also recently started reading Larry McMurtry’s Lonesome Dove.

6 - If you could set up the perfect western film marathon, what three films would have to be on the playbill?

Oh wow…that’s tough.

Unforgiven, definitely.

And I’m a huge Christian Bale fan and loved 3:10 to Yuma, so that’s definitely on the list.

And the entire series of Deadwood to round things out.

7 - Well, now I'm dying for a peek at what a Kelly Boyce western looks like. Tell us all about Connor Langston.

Aside from being the hottest thing to hit Fatal Bluff since the railway stop, Connor Langston is a good guy trying to do the best he can with the circumstances forced upon him after his brother’s death.

He is a man of honor, whether he likes it or not, and has an indelible sense of right and wrong. And did I mention stubborn and prideful? He starts the story seeing life strictly in black and white, but bit by bit learns things are often shadowed with shades of grey.

8 - And Katherine Slade?

Ah, Katherine…

If ever there was a woman with a streak of bad luck, she would be it. But God love her, that isn’t enough to stop her from trying to do the right thing.

Unfortunately, when a promise to a dead man brings her to Fatal Bluff, her need to make amends collides with her bad luck and she finds herself taking on an assumed identity.

Given that she can’t seem to lie her way out of a jam with any sense of finesse, this charade is destined to end badly. But Kate is never one to give up, and as the story goes along, her sense of justice and determination do not let her down.

9 - What's in store for The Brides of Fatal Bluffs series?

On her way to keep her promise, Katherine meets up with two other mail order brides on their way to Fatal Bluff to meet their intended husbands. Each of these brides will get their own book, and I am toying with an idea for a fourth in the series starring a certain bounty hunter you’ll meet in The Outlaw Bride.

10 - You'll be appearing all over the blogosphere this week - what other stops can readers find you on The Outlaw Bride train?

I am all over the blogosphere this week! Aside from hanging out with you and your lovely readers, I am also making the following appearances:

April 18th: ThePopCultureDivas

Manic Readers

April 19th: My blog!

April 20th: Carina Press Blog as well as Carina’s Facebook page

April 23rd: Petticoats & Pistols

Thank you, Kelly - and congratulations on this very special milestone.

Here is an exclusive excerpt from The Outlaw Bride:

Connor Langston dropped the wanted poster on his desk. He stood, the chair scraping across the floor behind him. Weariness settled into his bones. He placed both his hands on the small of his back and stretched the muscles.

“If the woman doesn’t want to marry Figg, I can’t force her, Oliver.”

“I understand, Sheriff. I just don’t want her to create a scene. I have my business reputation to consider.” Oliver Hewitt patted down the thin ridge of black hair that wound around his shiny head. A sly, hopeful expression blanketed his features. “You know, Sheriff, if she won’t marry Figg, perhaps you should marry her. Lord knows you could use a wife, what with your current predicament and all.”

Connor’s jaw prickled with warmth. He didn’t need anyone musing about his predicament, current or otherwise. It irritated the hell out of him that eight years later the people in this town still looked upon him with pity. He was tired of their sympathy doled out in the tragic clucking of tongues and heartfelt pats on the backs. He didn’t need the constant reminder. He just wanted to get on with his life.

“I don’t need a wife,” he bit out, glaring at the small man.

The sound of raised voices filtered through the half-open door.

“Oh dear…” Oliver’s shoulders hunched up to his ears as if he could block out the noise. “Sheriff, please!”

Connor’s patience snapped. “Dammit, Oliver! Can’t you ever take on a venture without it turning into a complete disaster?”

The deep baritone of Bart’s voice interrupted Connor’s outburst before Oliver could respond. “Why don’t you run along, Oliver. We’ll be right behind you.”

“Yes, yes. Perfect. Wonderful. Thank you, Sheriff!” Oliver spun around quickly and hustled out the door, reminding Connor of a waddling duck.

Bart pulled out a cheroot from the front pocket of his shirt and lit the end. “Stop glarin’ after the man, son, and let’s go break up the brouhaha.”

Connor stalked to the door and yanked his hat from the hook, jamming it onto his head. “Why am I getting dragged into this?”

Bart chuckled, a low rumble from deep within his chest. He slapped Connor on the back. “You’re getting dragged into this, son, because one day you woke up, rolled outta bed and said, ‘Today I think I wanna be sheriff.’”

Connor barely remembered that day. At the time there had been too many other things to think about.

A shriek interrupted his thoughts and he picked up the pace, running across the street toward the train depot, where a growing crowd waited to greet him.

Though he suspected there wasn’t much left in the world to surprise him, Connor had to admit finding a feisty red-headed woman dangling arse end up over Walter Figg’s shoulder was a bit startling.

“Put me down! I don’t care what you were expecting, I changed my mind. Now let me go this instant and go back under the rock you crawled out from! I will not marry you and you can’t make me.” Small fists pounded Walter’s back with all the fury of a cornered bobcat.

“Shut yer yap, woman.”

A string of colorful names rent the air. “Get your filthy hands off me, you flea-bitten warthog!”

Standing in the crowd, Clara Bates gasped and slapped her hands over her son’s ears. Several others snickered, the ruckus breaking up the monotonous routine of their day. Walter appeared the only one unmoved by the woman’s declaration, or her flailing limbs.

With a frustrated groan, Connor shouldered his way through the growing crowd to stand in front of the jilted groom. This was not how he had planned on spending his day, arguing with the slow-witted mountain man and kicking up a row for all the townsfolk to mull over and discuss for a week of Sundays.

For about the tenth time that day, Connor seriously questioned the new vocation he had acquired. With a weary shake of his head, he pointed to the boardwalk in front of him and addressed the would-be groom. “Walter, put the lady down.”

- Kelly Boyce, 2011

The Outlaw Bride is available from Carina Press TODAY - Click here for details

Jets vs Sharks at Neptune's West Side Story

2011-04-11T19:58:00.000-07:00

Day 10 of the A to Z Challenge brings us to J - and today that stands for Jerome Robbins, Jets vs Sharks, and Jim White.

When you're a dance freak like me, there are certain iconic dance moments that just give you shivers.

This Sharks moment is one of them.

The triad of Puerto Rican immigrants refusing to give up their stake in their New York neighborhood is a masculine thing of beauty, portrayed above by National Ballet of Canada dancers in West Side Story Suite, a second version of Robbins' choreography arranged for dance companies.

Here Jerome Robbins rehearses the moment where the three Sharks kick out at their rivals, the Jets, while reaching for the proverbial better life.

They do so in harmony, because their gang gives them strength in numbers in the unwelcoming streets of America.

What Jerome Robbins' staging of this groundbreaking piece of musical theatre did in 1957 was to elevate the dance portion of the musical triumverate. His steps weren't just a part of the story being told - his steps told the story on their own.

Canadian choreographer Jim White has adapted Mr. Robbins' work for Halifax's Neptune stage, ingeniously keeping the signature dance sequences while fitting entire gangs into a limited space.

With every production, I stand in awe of the ways that set designers make Neptune appear to be three times as big. But for West Side Story, the biggest challenge is the choreography - and Jim White has pulled off a minor miracle.

To see what I mean, try to imagine the following piece (from the 1961 film version) in an area 33 feet across and 17 feet high. Granted, set designer Geofrey Dinwiddie stretched his options to include the side entry doors bracketing the stage. Climbable scaffolding becomes tennement fire escapes and gives Mr. White extra space to place his dancers.

Oh, how I love that piece. Obviously, my favorite from this favorite of all musicals.

It can be both a joy and a hinderance to watch a performance of something so beloved, because there are certain things you want to see. Settling into my seat at Neptune, I had no idea what to expect - but I should have known they would pull off the seemingly impossible.

The opening 10-minute-long dance Prologue unfolded seamlessly, and when those three Sharks stepped into that side battements my heart thrilled with joy.

Tony

Liam Tobin's effortless tenor soared through difficult songs like Maria while delivering the lyrics with the immediacy of dialogue. I definitely enjoyed his confident performance, considering he's only beginning his musical theatre career.

Maria

Anwyn Musico handled equally challenging vocals with her fearless soprano. I can't tell you what a joy it was to hear these two sing their duets.

Bernardo

Stephenos Christou led that glorious Sharks moment for which I was waiting, as the leader of the Puerto Rican gang. His charismatic turn along with show standout Dayna Tietzen as Bernardo's girlfriend Anita might have overshadowed the youthful leads if they hadn't hit those notes with such bullseyes.

Anita

Dayna Tietzen managed to shine brightest among this large cast of solid performers. Her dancing burned brightly with exceptional technique, while her lovely alto caressed and her portrayal of Anita reached out to connect deeply with her audience.

Riff

Galen Johnson's voice was not in the same league as the other two parts of his triple threat, which were exceptional. I definitely enjoyed his nuanced performance as a gang leader struggling to keep the lid on the more excitable members of his crew.

Chino

Finally, Dani Jazzar, another third of that special Sharks moment, was a big favorite of mine as Bernardo's lieutenant and Maria's unrequited love. He prowled with fury, giving membership in a gang authenticity, while tugging my heartstrings when he realized Maria was lost to him.

West Side Story runs through May 29th at Neptune Theatre in Halifax.

A few more Jerome Robbins moments on J Day -

I once had the pinch-me-is-this-real moment of watching Jerome Robbins walk past me when I worked at a performing arts theatre in Toronto. His piece The Concert was premiering with The National Ballet of Canada, and he was at our theatre for the event.

I couldn't believe that the legend himself was walking along the aisle right in front of me.

CLICK HERE to listen to Peter Martins speak about how Jerome Robbins' West Side Story literally changed his life - inspiring him to emigrate to the US.

Finally, here's a brief interview of Mr. Robbins as he talks about Fancy Free, where you can see his fondness for using three males dancing in unison to represent a larger culture.

10 Questions For Deborah Hale, Author of the Gentlemen of Fortune Series

2011-04-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

Day 4 of the A to Z Challenge brings us to my arts feature, Through the Opera Glasses.

Whom do I spy through the crush?

Why, I do believe it's a Harlequin Historicals author and my fellow Romance Writers of Atlantic Canada member.

Because today, D is for Deborah Hale.

Oh, there she is! *waving my fan* Ms. Hale! Oh, Ms. Hale! Fancy meeting up - let's get out of this press. The A to Z crowd - they're very keen!

*phew* That's better. Here - let's take a glass of punch and sit over here.

1 - Deb, I was thinking about your first published book being a direct result of your Golden Heart win. Looking back - after 25 books! - how did your contest experiences benefit you as an emerging writer?

Let me count the ways!

For one thing, it was great training for meeting deadlines. It gave me a goal to work toward and an objective measure of my progress.

It also helped me to network before I had a local RWA chapter and the Internet was in its infancy. Through the Golden Heart I was able to connect with some wonderful mentors who taught me so much about the craft and business of romance writing.

2 - Do you work with a critique partner?

I have worked with a number of critique partners over the years and found it a terrific experience.

More recently, however, I’ve gotten much more editorial feedback from both my editor and my agent. So they’re kind of like my critique partners, except I don’t have to critique their work!

*hiding behind my fan* I know - it's a time thing. As in, I have someone waiting patiently for me to return his critiqued manuscript and I don't know why he hasn't set the dogs on me.

I still have a couple of trusted writing friends I can swap material with when I’m trying something different or need fresh eyes.

3 - You know, you have a natural gift for breaking down something that's rather complex, and then switching on the mental lightbulbs.

Thank you so much – you made my week!

But it's true! Your craft-of-writing workshops are so popular with our own Romance Writer of Atlantic Canada members, and beyond.

Photo by Lori Robitaille of Deb's Relationship Dynamics workshop at the 2006 writers' retreat

I love being able to share some of my own hard-learned lessons with other writers.

Did you always consider yourself a teacher by nature, or did you discover this through your writing career?

In my pre-writing life I was a teacher, so giving workshops and writing craft articles provides my teaching-fix these days. Often when I stop to plan a presentation or article, it helps remind me that I know more than I sometimes think I do!

4 - Do you like to write to music, or do you crave silence?

When I’m working on new material, the right instrumental music really helps me get into my story world. I wrote my two Luna fantasy novels to the score of Lord of the Rings.

Oh, I love that soundtrack.

Since I’ve been concentrating on Regencies, my favorite writing music is the soundtrack from the movie Casanova and an album called Two Upon a Ground by Chevari Agreable. If I’m writing a scene that takes place at a ball or assembly, I have a CD of Regency dance music that provides great atmosphere.

Do you have food-pitfalls that silence your creativity?

As for food, I’m much more productive and creative when I can wean myself off sugar and refined carbs – but that’s easier said than done! A cup of coffee first thing in the morning can jump-start my writing but much more than that affects my concentration.

Any food 'tools' that entice your muse?

A glass of wine late in the evening can put me in the right mood for writing love scenes!

5 - Have you ever written a book as a response to reader demand? You know, 'Please give us So-and-so's story...'

I had reader requests for Con ap Ifan’s story after he was introduced in The Elusive Bride. But I was keen to write Border Bride, anyway. I’ve had other requests, sometimes for the stories of my villains. Maybe one of these days I’ll figure out a way to reform them!

6 - How did the Gentlemen of Fortune series come about?

It was rather by accident, but later felt as if it was meant to be.

I had a proposal rejected by Harlequin Historical because it wasn’t emotionally intense enough, so I sent my editor three story ideas that I hoped would be a better fit. She chose the one that eventually became Married: The Virgin Widow.

Since I needed the hero to have made a lot of money, legally, in a short time, I did some research and discovered that the trading port of Singapore had been founded during the Regency and vast fortunes made there. HH accepted that proposal, and offered me a three-book contract.

When my editor suggested the second two books might be connected in some way, I said I could connect all three by giving Ford Barrett a couple of business partners. After that a lot of things just fell into place as I wrote the first book that led into the others.

7 - Tell us about Ford Barret.

Ford is the hero of Married: The Virgin Widow. He believes he was used and betrayed by the woman he loved and now he’s in a position to get a bit of his own back. But revenge isn’t nearly as sweet a dish as he thinks it will be.

And Laura Penrose?

Laura has been through a lot since her courtship with Ford fell apart. She’s coped with it all by numbing her heart. When Ford returns, that isn’t an option any more.

8 - What is Hadrian Northmore really like?

Hadrian is one of my favorite heroes from all my books. He has literally fought his way to the top from the lowest depths by refusing to let anyone stand in his way. He has a boulder-sized chip on his shoulder about social class, so Lady Artemis Dearing represents everything he despises. Yet he can’t resist his feelings for her.

What about Artemis Dearing?

Artemis comes from a prominent family that has lost everything but its pride. She resents upstarts like the Northmores…until she gets to know Hadrian and discovers how much alike they are beneath all their superficial differences.

9 - Would you enjoy meeting Simon Grimshaw in real life?

I would definitely want Simon to have my back in a tight spot, as happens to Bethan when they first meet. Like her, I would admire the way he uses his wits to defuse a volatile situation.

And Bethan Conway?

I would love to spend time with Bethan! She’s such a refreshingly direct country girl, but with a secret or two to make her intriguing.

10 - Deb, you've had quite a few books adapted into manga format. Who approached you about embarking in this new direction?

Actually, I didn’t know anything about it until they popped up on the Japan Harlequin website. When I sell my rights to Harlequin they want everything. That means if some cool new format for story delivery comes along – audio, e-books, book-based games, etc. they have the worldwide marketing muscle to run with it!

What was your initial response?

I love the fantastic job the Japanese illustrators have done with The Wizard’s Ward and Beauty and the Baron. I’ve heard they may be coming out in manga format in English, which I would love to see!

As a special treat for A Piece of My Mind readers, Deb is insisting we give away a copy of Married: The Virgin Widow to one lucky commenter. Contest closes at midnight Atlantic Standard Time, Tuesday, Apr. 5th.

Deb will draw the name and the winner will be announced here. Please leave us a way to find you in your comment, either a link to your blog or your email address.

Here's an exclusive excerpt from Bought: The Penniless Lady. Enjoy!

'Hadrian stretched out on the bed with a drowsy sigh. Artemis covered him with a light blanket. As she drew it up under his chin, a bewildering impulse compelled her to raise her hand and smooth a stray lock of dark hair back from his forehead.

"It feels quite pleasant, being tucked in like a wee lad. I’d almost forgotten." One corner of his mouth curled into a crooked smile that was dangerously endearing. “Do I get a kiss to sweeten my dreams?”

The word kiss caused Artemis a spasm of alarm mixed with a searing flare of desire. He did not mean that kind of kiss, she chided herself. All he wanted was the sort of innocent peck on the cheek or forehead she gave Lee when she put him to bed at night. Having caught a heartbreaking glimpse of Hadrian’s nightmares, she knew he needed something to sweeten his dreams, if anyone did.

“If you like.” The words came out in a tremulous whisper as she bent over him.

Her lips grazed over his brow, relishing the warm smoothness of his skin. She inhaled a deep draft of his spicy, smoky scent. Her well-honed sense of discretion warned her that she should not linger so close to Hadrian, but her body was slow to respond. After a brief struggle with herself, she tried to pull away, only to feel the hot mist of his breath and the velvet caress of his lips upon her throat. The unexpected thrill of those sensations held her captive there, hovering over him.

Though she could not break away, she was not entirely paralyzed either. His overture called forth an answer from her. Before caution had a chance to intervene, her lips grazed the outer corner of one devilish dark brow then trailed down to the crest of his high cheekbone. As she moved, his kisses swept along the sensitive flesh just below her jaw, moving over her chin and finally upward to meet her approaching lips.

She’d received enough kisses from Hadrian by now that this one had a deliciously familiar feel. But it held a subtle thrill of novelty, too. She sensed a tender restraint on his part, which appealed not only to her physical desires but also to her wary heart.

Her heart had good reason to be wary, painful memories reminded her – all the more because she had allowed herself to feel something for her husband. It was only a compound of compassion, curiosity and admiration, spiced with reluctant desire. But that could be more than enough to scorch her if she risked playing with fire.'

- Deborah Hale, 2011

My Top Ten Oscar Gowns From the 2011 Red Carpet

2011-03-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

Last weekend my very favorite night of the year - after Christmas Eve, of course - unfolded from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Continuing a three-year tradition here at A Piece of My Mind, here are my top ten gowns from the Oscar arrivals red carpet:

1 - My favorite: Co-host Anne Hathaway's scarlet strapless Valentino gown with Victorian-style train, complete with rose detailing.

Anne made a previous appearance on my 2008 list. You can check previous Oscar gown posts by clicking on my Weekly Look at the Arts tab just below the blog header.

Photo by John Shearer

2 - Hilary Swank's feathery strapless Gucci Premiere gown dazzled.

Hilary previously appeared on my 2008 list.

Photo by Lucy Nicholson

3 - I really loved this ethereal Monique Lhuillier crystal-encrusted gown with an illusion neckline worn by Mandy Moore.

Photo by Steve Granitz

4 - This ruby-red stunner was worn by an unnamed guest of supporting actor nominee John Hawkes.

Photo by Jason Merritt

5 - Helen Mirren makes her third appearance on my Top Ten Oscar Gowns list with this sculpted Vivienne Westwood gown.

Photo by Matt Sayles

6 - John Hawkes' Winter's Bone co-star Dale Dickey shimmered in this sequined off-the-shoulder blue sheath dress.

Photo by Lucy Nicholson

7 - Jennifer Hudson rocked in this fitted tangerine Versace mermaid gown.

Photo by Jason Merritt

8 - The incredibly stunning Aishwarya Rai shone by going for understatement with a bronze sequined Armani Privet gown.

9 - Michelle Williams was luminous in this short-sleeved beaded Chanel sheath dress.

Photo by Frazer Harrison

10 - Having made the Worst Dressed List for previous Oscars, Helena Bonham Carter's restraint with this custom-designed gown by Oscar-winner Colleen Atwood was a welcome surprise. I especially loved her fan-shaped clutch.

Photo by Jason Merritt

The Beauty Queen of Leenane

2011-02-27T19:44:00.000-08:00

Taking a break from an incredibly busy month, after putting in some over time at the office last Wednesday I headed across town to catch the evening performance of The Beauty Queen of Leenane at Neptune Theatre.

Because this is Halifax, my cross-town jaunt was a twenty-minute walk, which brought me past the open-air concert by The Stanfields at the Parade Grounds.

Part of the Canada Games mega event which has been taking place here in Halifax since Feb. 11th, and which concluded on the 27th, the open-air concert series has pulled in some big names from the East Coast music scene, including:

Great Big Sea
Joel Plaskett
Sloan
Hawksley Workman
Grand Derangement
Buck 65
Matt Mays
Rawlins Cross

But I had a theatre seat waiting for me over on Argyle Street. Leaving the happy revellers behind, I made my way to the theatre and settled in for a Fargo-like black comedy set in the West of Ireland.

The audience I was a part of laughed uproariously even while gasping in shock at some of the things the characters said to one another. There's a warning in the program about strong language and adult situations, and there are plenty of both.

Photo courtesy of Sean Mulcahy

As with the best sorts of stories, the very particular nature of the setting - a simple cottage in an economically depressed though visually breathtaking part of Ireland - in fact serves to deliver a universal experience.

Laura de Carteret plays 40-year-old Maureen, forced by a process of elimination to care for her aging mother, as her two sisters have flatly refused to do so. As we get to know her mother, it's not hard to imagine why Maureen's sisters fled, though why Maureen stayed to act as primary caregiver is a riddle.

Mary-Colin Chisholm plays Mag, whose fussy demands for the Ensure-like supplement called Complan, for tea, for porridge, for soup, stand in for several decades of leeching all spirit away from her daughter.

Many women in the audience laughed with recognition at the manipulative phrases used by Mag, as no doubt many people in the audience - like myself - have cared for an elderly family member at some point or another.

Even caring for my gram, who was in no way a difficult personality, could get trying at times when the old person wants her toast a certain way, her television program on at a certain time, and is too frail to do it for herself.

But in this relationship between Maureen and Mag, there is none of the laughter and love that made it all worthwhile for my mom and me as we cared for Gram together. These two women may as well be shackled in irons, their cozy cottage a prison where everyday items take on new and diabolical uses.

A highlight of the evening for me was Ryan Bondy's performance as Ray, younger brother of Maureen's potential love interest. As with the seemingly innocuous household items that become clues, that reveal themselves to be accomplices and mirrors to the truth, Ray begins the play as an apparent go-between but ends the play as a bigger figure than even he suspects.

Providing a welcome breath of hope to Maureen, Hugh Thompson's Pato shakes the women from their ritualized half-life when he returns to Leenane from a job in England. His no-frills working man takes us by surprise when he turns out to have more heart and vulnerability than anyone in this multilayered story.

My hat goes off to Sean Mulcahy for his design of the women's cottage. He very kindly provided the photo of the set, shown above.

I was attracted to it from the first moment the painted scrim with its scene of a soggy Irish road raised to reveal the well-worn interior. What I didn't realize was how integral to the story each ordinary kitchen piece would become: the sink, the cooking stove, the cast iron heating stove, the radio, the rocking chair. Not since Robert LePage's staging of Bluebeard's Castle and Erwartung for the Canadian Opera Company have I seen a set that was such an active ingredient of the whole production.

If you are in the Halifax area, the play runs until March 20th.

Share Your Love Story Linky Party

2011-02-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

Karen at My Desert Cottage is hosting a romantic Valentine's Day event over at her blog today.

If you'd like to take part, just post the story of how you and your sweetie came to be, and link it to her blog. Then dive into the sea of romantic tales.

Here's mine:

Once upon a time, I grew up in Halifax, Nova Scotia, a small eastern Canadian city perched on the Atlantic coast.

When I reached my early 20's, I headed for The Big City. I settled in Toronto, Ontario, where I worked as a live-in nanny for an incredibly cool family.

I also took an evening-and-weekends job as a way of meeting people and indulging in one of my great passions - film. In fact, on the day I was filling out applications at a few cinemas in the west end of the city, where I lived, I decided to take a short break and went to a psychic whose sign was on the sidewalk as I was passing by.

She told me: "your soul mate is very near. He's wearing a uniform."

As I was still very, very new to the city, I couldn't imagine anyone in my life that fit that description, especially as I was not seeing anyone at that time. However, the rest of her reading was very accurate, so I simply stored it away in the old noggin.

I kept walking along Bloor Street until I reached a cinema I hadn't come across before - the Runnymede Theatre, run by Famous Players.

I went in, filled out the application, got a call a few days later and started working there at the candy counter and in the box office.

One of the ushers was really cute. He was a student at The New School of Drama, and we hit it off immediately. We became very close friends for several years.

At the time, I wasn't looking to be involved with anyone, and neither was he. I had a history of having male friends, and he had a history of having female friends, so we just assumed we were going down that road and left it at that.

We spent most of our time together, and I often stayed over at his parents' place in the guest room on the weekends, as we would watch crazy cult films on TV till the wee hours of the morning.

Then one night, as I turned to head up the stairs, he stepped in front of me and kissed me.

Strangely enough, when I started telling my family and friends, "You'll never guess who I'm going out with!" everyone said, "Brad?" without hesitation.

Apparently the entire world knew we were in love with one another before we did.

Fast forward a few years, and this next shot was taken in our bridal suite at the hotel.

By that time, I was already working towards my Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in Film Studies at Ryerson.

Brad's acting chops came in handy throughout those four years, especially during my fourth year final project.

That's him in the doorway, and me operating the camera. It's also my dad at left operating the sound boom, and my main actor at right acting as sound recording technician (a job he had at Citytv.)

It doesn't matter that Brad and I have been a couple since 1989. Every time I see him, I get the same thrill, and the same smile lights up my face. The smile that is only for him.

Because my husband has bipolar disorder - and in particular experiences rapid cycling - we can never count on what he'll be going through on any given day. We have a sit-tight-and-hold-on-for-the-ride attitude when it comes to his condition. No elephants in the room for us - we feed ours peanuts.

What Brad's chronic illness has given us is the live-every-day-as-if-it's-your-last immediacy. When you never know if your husband is about to go on a months-long downward spiral, or when you hug your husband and feel him shaking like a leaf because he's got agoraphobia and has to go to work, you cherish each moment as if a bomb is about to take you and everything else with it.

It's impossible to take anything for granted, which for us has meant a marriage filled with "I love you"s.

Brad and I moved back to my hometown of Halifax in order to help out with my gram. We all lived together with my mom until Gram passed away in December, 2007.

Now it's Brad, myself, my mom and our dog Xena. The wild bunch!

On this Valentine's Day, I'd like to wish all of you the same joy I have found with my soul mate, the one who was truly very near that day when the psychic told me so. Even if the uniform in question was a blue polyester Famous Players usher's uniform.

Black Swan

2011-01-30T07:49:00.000-08:00

Black Swan opened in theatres over a month ago, yet I only saw it this past weekend due to scheduling challenges - because I simply had to see it with my co-ballet-freak sister.

I adored this film on multiple levels - but really, there's no other way to experience Black Swan.

The story in a nutshell: Soloist Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) takes on the notorious ballet roles of Odette, the White Swan and Odile, the Black Swan - a cavernous dramatic stretch for the same dancer to pull off both roles convincingly. Nina attempts to find the darker, seductive side to herself in a make-or-break grasp at the principal role brass ring. In a career that is brutally short, Nina has to fend off the expectations of her mother, the competition of her company members, and the unrelenting efforts of the artistic director who senses her untapped greatness. Can fragile Nina handle the considerable pressure?

In an inspired casting move, Barbara Hershey plays Natalie Portman's mom, a former dancer who now appears to devote herself to her daughter's career. They have a strong storyline centered on a delayed detachment between mother and daughter.

Vincent Cassel is a perfect choice for the artistic director of the New York ballet company staging a fresh version of Swan Lake. He's all slash-and-burn business when it comes to retiring the prima ballerina and courting funds for his company. He resorts to mind games without blinking if it will give him the performances he not only wants but needs, in order to woo new audiences to a rarified art form.

Another soloist in the company with just as much to win or lose as Nina, Lily (Mila Kunis) has the passion and easy seduction of the Black Swan but none of the purity of technique required of the White Swan. She's also one of the only company members willing to remain friends with Nina after her promotion, yet her casting as the alternate for Nina's role puts a strain on their relationship.

For obsessive perfectionists like dancers, the prospect of deconstructing their painstakingly-crafted signature dance styles in order to transform into something uncontrolled like the Black Swan character is a recipe for psychological disaster.

There are many, many real dancers in companies all over the world who possess all of the aspects of Odette and none of the untidy brilliance of Odile. To take on the challenge really does require these women to confront and wrestle with their Ballerina Princess identities. I'm certain there is a long history of mental anguish associated with dancing the Black Swan.

That is also why the role is not handed over lightly.

For me personally, as a lifelong devotee of dance, the sequences of transformation from dancer into Black Swan gave me incredible chills. It's a private moment that happens for every dancer as she stands in the wings, whether she is Odette or whether she's in the corps.

And the sequences where the steadicam brings us directly into the rehearsal movements and onstage during the performance bring me as close to the dancer's POV as I will ever get.

However, this film - often billed as a psychological thriller or even an art house horror film - also takes us along the disturbing descent into mental illness. Aronofsky's use of fractured mirror imagery, through-the-rabbit-hole mirror-upon-mirror imagery, and the donning and removal of identities via ballet roles makes the realization that we may be in the point of view of an unwell narrator sneak up on us.

Read clinical psychologist Dr. Villarreal's review of Black Swan as a journey through a mental health crisis HERE.

I have to say that Natalie Portman's courage in taking on a role where it was clearly herself dancing a difficult role for a professional dancer - let alone an actor portraying one - is nothing short of mindblowing.

*insert my standing ovation here*

She executes really impressive lifts, displays very respectable arms, and does honest-to-God fouettés. She's been a huge favorite of mine for years, but now...

Wow.

Check her out:

Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit at Neptune Theatre

2011-01-23T09:32:00.000-08:00

What do I spy through my opera glasses this week?

A sparkling comedy by Noel Coward, now playing at Neptune Theatre in Halifax and running from January 18th to February 13th.

Neptune is located at the corner of Argyle and Sackville streets. Bringing professional theatre productions to Halifax audiences since 1963, with a history of previous live performances including vaudeville in the same location since 1915, Neptune is a Maritime jewel and a cultural landmark for which any East Coast arts lover holds great affection.

Observe my contented visage as my husband and I made our way into the lobby. I'd picked up our tickets on my lunch hour, which gave us time to meet up after work for dinner before popping into a favorite haunt and then take in the show. As I've mentioned previously here at A Piece of My Mind, those are the ingredients of a perfect day:

- anticipation of a live performance
- dinner
- the show
- some wandering about the city for an added element of perfection

Both my husband Brad and I really enjoyed the play. Our current Supernatural obsession makes Blithe Spirit the perfect play to break up our daily doses of Dean and Sam Winchester.

The story in a nutshell: to research psychic mediums for his next novel, writer Charles Condomine invites Madame Arcati to his home for a seance. However, the medium successfully pulls the spirit of Charles' first wife Elvira back from the Other Side, leading to a territorial showdown between the past and present Mrs. Condomines.

Brad, being a graduate of Toronto's New School of Drama, enjoyed a taste of live theatre for a change from his regular cinephile screenings. He laughed out loud several times (he's not overly-prone to such giggling,) mentioning afterwards that the performances were all strong ones.

As for me, I already knew I would enjoy Blithe Spirit, having seen a production once before. Noel Coward's play is filled with enough wit to be entertaining even as a script-read-through, no sets/costumes/performances necessary.

But the joy of the theatre is settling into my seat to be transported into the story, and words alone don't make the theatre experience.

I'm always impressed by the set designers for Neptune productions - they work with a small stage and never fail to make it seem four times as big. Geofrey Dinwiddie has created an English country manor house that seems cozy enough for the romantic farce elements, and spooky enough for the ghost story to come with its Gothic arches hanging from the proscenium.

Mr. Dinwiddie must have had a great time rigging the set for its displays of otherworldly presences - a smashing good time, I dare say.

Check out the marvelous costume designs by Patrick Clark, showcased by blogging team Haute Halifax:

Spirited theatre fashion

I especially loved Elvira-the-Blithe-Spirit's frothy white Carole Lombard gown.

Here is the merest of tastes of the delightful wit of Mr. Coward:

Ivan Sherry as Charles Condamine

Ruth: You must promise not to catch my eye. If I giggle - and I'm very likely to - it will ruin everything.

Charles: You mustn't. You must be dead serious and if possible a little intense. We can't hurt the old girl's feelings, however funny she is.

Ruth: But why the Bradmans, darling? He's as sceptical as we are. He'll probably say the most dreadful things.

Charles: I've warned him. There must be more than three people and we couldn't have the Vicar and his wife because (a) they're dreary, and (b) they probably wouldn't have approved at all.

Martha Irving as Ruth Condomine

Margot Dionne as Madame Arcati

Madame Arcati: Fortunately an Elemental at this time of the year is unlikely.

Ruth: What do Elementals do?

Madame Arcati: Oh my dear, one can never tell. They're dreadfully unpredictable. Usually they take the form of a very cold wind.

Mrs. Bradman: I don't think I should like that.

Madame Arcati: Occasionally reaching almost hurricane velocity.

Ruth: You don't think it would be a good idea to take the more breakable ornaments off the mantlepiece before we start?

Marla McLean as Elvira Condomine,
the Blithe Spirit herself

There are still several weeks left of the Halifax run. Take a break from your normal everyday and treat yourself to a slice of my favorite taste of life: an audience settling in, the lights dimming, the first footsteps as the actors step onstage...

The Pillars of the Earth

2010-08-02T06:03:00.000-07:00

The Pillars of the Earth debuted on The Movie Network and Movie Central last week in Canada, and on Starz in the US.

Hooray! says I, who loves everything medieval. This series, based on the book by Ken Follett, has everything I love: life-or-death royal power mongering, salt-of-the-earth good guys, slippery Gray Character bad guys, several young male characters all trying to find their places in the world, strong and resourceful female characters who push the boundaries of what society allows them to be without zigzagging into anachronistic territory.

There's swords, horses, battles, kings, monks, a wise woman, castles, cathedrals, sins, secrets, and backstory waiting to change everything.

Not only that - there is:

Matthew Macfadyen

Ian McShane

Rufus Sewell

Eddie Redmayne

July Art Show - Red

2010-07-26T06:11:00.000-07:00

For the month of July my Sidebar Art Gallery featured a collection called Red, inspired by the color featured at my wedding eighteen July's ago.

Surfacing by Wayne Boucher

Spirit of the Sockeye by Blaine Billman

Black Mountain: B.C. by Emily Carr

Highbrush Cranberries - Cardinal by Robert Bateman

Montreal 1852 by Cornelius Krieghoff

Toll If You Please by Paul Peel

Jelly Shelf by Mary Pratt

Lacing Up by Ken Danby

June 1979 by Alex Colville

Shelley Munro says What a great selection, Julia. I like the Sockeye one and Lacing Up.

Akelamalu says Great pictures Julia I particularly like 'Spirit of the Sockeye' :)

To Blave

2010-07-19T17:03:00.000-07:00

One of the things that marks a long-lasting relationship, be it a friendship or a romantic partnership, is the inside joke.

My husband and I have our share. One of them comes from The Princess Bride, when Westley is brought to Miracle Max to be revived after he's mostly dead.

When he uses the bellows to find out what Westley considers worth living for, Westley says "True love."

But Miracle Max insists he said, "To blave."

For nearly 25 years now, Brad and I use that line to our unending delight. A two-word line in a film has provided us with an amazing amount of mileage.

Do you have a favorite in-joke with your honey or best buddy?

Courage to Climb Higher

2010-07-12T08:14:00.000-07:00

It's probably hard to imagine that orchestra conductors don't emerge fully-formed from the womb in white tie and tails.

However, these elite artists have to train like anyone else in order to harness the potential of a live performance.

While I was rooting around on You Tube some time ago for pieces from Stravinsky's Apollo, I came across this clip of a young conductor learning his craft. He takes the orchestra through the second Apollo variation, one of my favorite pieces of music, during a masterclass with Russian conductor Yuri Simonov.

Artists are forever fine-tuning their techniques. Learning and growing should never end for those of us who create. The key is to never confuse instruction with a message of not-good-enough. Embrace refinement of your craft. Find the courage to climb higher.

Scotia Festival of Music - Cellist Matt Haimovitz in Recital

2010-06-07T06:19:00.000-07:00

This past Friday I had a little sip from the nectar of the gods when my mom picked me up after work, we went out for dinner and then settled into our seats for a cello recital.

Halifax is currently in its second week of hosting the Scotia Festival of Music. With my mom being a new cello student, she bought herself a senior's pass to the festival and has been attending open dress rehearsals and master classes (where audiences can observe advanced students taking class from master teachers.)

For a treat, she snagged the tickets to Friday night's packed performance at The Music Room, a newer venue I'd never been to before and absolutely adored.

There we sat enraptured by a solo performance by Matt Haimovitz. Mom had watched him give a master class earlier in the week, and pointed out the young musician he'd been teaching, who joined Friday night's audience along with quite a number of young musicians.

Photo by Bette Marshall

For some folks, kicking back after a long week at work means heading for the pub for a couple of draft beer. For others, meeting for coffee and conversation does the trick, or gathering for drinks at a soothing dark bar.

For me - other than grabbing a bite and going to see a movie, which is the other perfect thing to do - going for dinner and then to see a concert or dance performance is the closest thing to heaven I can find.

Halifax music critic Stephen Pedersen wrote in The Chronicle Herald:

"Cellist Matt Haimovitz goes his own way.

That is true of all the Scotia Festival of Music master artists, in a way. But Friday night, in his solo recital in The Music Room, Haimovitz carved his path so expertly and with such unhesitating self-confidence and momentum that he could be said to have graded it, widened it, paved it and invited the sold-out audience to roll along down its broad avenue with him.

His Bach was a masterful, unique, almost unimaginably right performance in which, rather than maintain a steady pulse, he went with the flow, following the dynamic curve of each passage, revealing the architectural design of each of its six movements, echoing the improvisational style he had so cleverly set up with the Gabrieli earlier in the program."

Here's a little peek at what we enjoyed:

May Art Show - The Prodigal Son's Return

2010-05-31T06:24:00.000-07:00

Last month I was prompted to put this art show up on my Sidebar Art Gallery because of the third piece, The Prodigal Son in Modern Life: The Return by James Tissot. I have that one in my Scorpius picture file, which I gather like a storyboard. I grab lots of images from the web that put me in the middle of my story, and I have a picture file for all of my stories.

I also have several physical collages of my stories because my writers' group does collage workshops every now and then. I love doing them.

I was drawn to the art inspired by the Prodigal Son's story because of the dynamic between the father and son. Particularly for Scorpius, who isn't a Prodigal sort in any way, but who longs for his father because he was abandoned and never claimed.

In my Weekend Writer's Retreat serial fiction, this longing for a father figure finds refuge in his falconer master, Richolf.

Detail from The Prodigal Son by Duane Michals

Prodigal son sketch by Charlie Mackesy

The Prodigal Son in Modern Life: The Return by James Tissot

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Guercino

The Return of The Prodigal Son by Pompeo Batoni

The Return of the Prodigal Son by J-L Stapleaux

The Return of the Prodigal Son by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

The Prodigal's Return by Edward John Poynter

The Prodigal Son by Edward Stott

Never Give Up

2010-05-17T17:30:00.000-07:00

You may know I've had a wonderful run of great luck in winning blog contests. I have had untold packages arrive at my house in the four years I've been blogging, all from fellow bloggers who have offered prizes on their blogs.

A little while ago, I received How I Got Published from Claudia at On a Limb With Claudia.

It's a really inspirational collection of stories from published writers on what it took for them personally to finally hold their books in their hands.

I'd like to share this passage with you, written by one of the editors of the book, Ray White:

"Never surrender, never give up, never quit. Those aren't just words to get published by; they're words to live by.

Less than one percent of writers get published in book-length fiction or nonfiction. Now I am absolutely, positively making these statistics up (though I did extrapolate them from all those agent Web sites where they claim to reject 99 percent of all submissions.)

As Yoda said, 'Do, or do not. There is no try.'

Let rejection roll off your back and even go so far as to see each rejection as another step toward success."

The Royal Shakespeare Company's Hamlet

2010-05-03T08:43:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday, one of those glorious, serendipitous moments happened to bring me to a production that has excited my spirit ever since.

As I sat tapping away at my keyboard, my husband scrolled through the menu on TV when he bumped into Great Performances. Knowing I wouldn't want to miss ballet if it was on, he checked out the upcoming broadcast.

I was disappointed for a fleeting second when it turned out to be a play. But only for a second.

Hamlet! My favorite of the Bard's plays. Yes, I have a movie poster from Zeffirelli's Hamlet in my living room.

This Hamlet is played by David Tennant, who helped me hear new things in Shakespeare's lines, in a play I love dearly and have seen in many incarnations.

Ecstasy of ecstacies - both the Ghost of the slain king and Claudius are played by Patrick Stewart.

There is a highly imaginative use of different cameras as metaphor throughout the production, including security cameras that don't register the ghost of Hamlet's father.

I was always impressed by Glen Close's version of Hamlet's mother, Gertrude - but this interpretation by Penny Downie is my favorite by far.

I quite like the real concern for the state of the soul in this production. There is a compassionate motivation to the Ghost's distressing appearances, as he seeks to spare his wife from paying for a sin she's not aware she's committing. Often the Ghost comes across as merely being consumed by sibling rivalry from beyond the grave. But not Patrick Stewart's version.

This Queen of Denmark is genuinely moving on from the death of her first husband, finding solace in her former brother-in-law, a far stronger woman than we normally see. Instead of playing Gertrude as a pawn between heads of state, Penny Downie gives us someone evolving past widowhood into an optimistic bride. Hamlet's revelations splinter Gertrude's world more intimately than I've seen done elsewhere, because this is played as a true family drama and less as a clash of royal titans.

The happy news - if you missed the broadcast, the film will be available on DVD on Tuesday, May 4th.

Until then, here is the trailer:

And here is my favorite scene from every version of Hamlet, the one I wait impatiently for - the scene in Hamlet's mother's room. It's posted here in two segments:

April Art Show - A Lady's Fan

2010-04-26T19:02:00.000-07:00

Here is a look at the art I've featured this month in my Sidebar Art Gallery:

The Fan by James Tissot

Geisha With Orchids by Takayuki Harada

Spanish Woman With Fan, a 1920's bookplate

Victorian fashion plate, 1877, from An Englishwoman's domestic magazine

Lady With the Fan by Charles Soulacroix

The Japanese Fan by William Strang

Donna con ventaglio (Woman with fan) by Gustav Klimt

Lady With a Fan (or Portrait of Ann Charlotte Gaillard) by Mary Cassatt

At the Ball by Berthe Morisot

Blogosphere Event - National Poetry Month

2010-04-12T19:28:00.001-07:00

And what do our opera glasses light upon today?

I do believe it's another wonderful Blogosphere event I've come across at several blogs I frequent.

Apparently, April is National Poetry Month all across North America. A few brave souls have taken up the challenge of writing poetry every day for the month of April, a National Poetry Writing Month marathon.

For more details, check out the links below:

National Poetry Month in Canada

National Poetry Month in the US

Read Write Poem, where the poetry marathon originates

For myself, I shall keep this event front and center in my mind for next April. Until then, I shall continue my bliss with my weekly poetry peeps at Monday Poetry Train Revisited.

For those of you not usually prone to poetics, why not switch hats this month and give a poem a spin?

Sharpe's Challenge and Sharpe's Peril

2010-04-05T09:00:00.000-07:00

For a 5 on Friday I did a few weeks ago, I mentioned that the opening theme music to the Sharpe series is way up there on my list of favorites. In fact, everything about the Sharpe series is way up there on my list of favorites.

Sharpe is based on the series of books which follow Napoleonic-era British soldier Richard Sharpe, written by the awesome Bernard Cornwell.

Tom Clegg directed all sixteen of the 2-hour film adaptations of Cornwell's books, starring the sigh-worthy Sean Bean and Daragh O'Malley.

I've been so grateful, these past two weekends, for PBS Masterpiece's broadcasts of the latest two Sharpe's.

Sharpe's Challenge, 2006

This one I'd seen before, but I can never get enough of Sharpe.

It features Toby Stephens in a rather dastardly role, whom I've also enjoyed in many other productions, including his role as the rotten Prince John in season 3 of BBC's Robin Hood.

It also introduces the very handsome Karan Panthaky as a rajah not quite of age, and who is at the mercy of his regent, his late father's foremost concubine and her lover, played by Toby Stephens.

Here's the trailer:

Sharpe's Peril, 2008

I was delighted to find Raza Jaffrey in this one, who played Zaf in seasons 4-6 of Spooks/MI-5.

I was also happy to see David Robb appearing as Major Tredinnick. He looks like this when you can get a close-up:

I saw him in another PBS Masterpiece broadcast back in grade 11 (that's 1981, if you're wondering) in The Flame Trees of Thika and have always admired him since then - especially his gorgeous voice, which is why he obviously does a lot of voice work.

And you can't beat the joy of seeing a recurring character like Simmerson show up, played with elitist relish by Michael Cochrane. He has appeared in 5 of the 16 Sharpe films.

There's lots of challenge in these two stories for our intrepid hero. And amazing stuntwork by dreamy Sean.

And did I mention peril? Did I mention I can never resist a hero in chains?

NOTE: There is a 30-second leader at the beginning of this trailer.

Both of these films are available on DVD, and Sharpe's Peril will be rebroadcast on Saturday on PBS.

March Art Show - The Art of the Celts

2010-03-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

Here is a closer look at the art I've featured this month in my Sidebar Art Gallery:

Dragon Shield, a contemporary piece by Kevin Dyer

The Tara Brooch of the Irish Insular style, 700 CE

Bronze horse artifact, honoring Epona the Horse Goddess

Pentre ifan, a Welsh cromlech

Celtic mermaid, from their mythological traditions

The Battersea shield, Iron Age ceremonial piece, 3rd to 1st century BCE

Celtic ring featuring Epona, the Horse Goddess, Late Iron Age

Celtic zoomorphic art, from the rich animal symbolism of the Celtic culture

The Ardagh Chalice, 8th century metalwork

He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

2010-03-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

After my overtime shift at the office this evening, I walked over to wait for the bus, only to stop dead in my tracks.

A headline on the front of the Chronicle Herald caught my eye from the newspaper box at the edge of the sidewalk.

Historic U.S. Health Bill Passes

As you know, I am a proud Canadian. But I am also a proud American. I was born at the Fort Hood army hospital in Killeen, Texas, where my dad served in the U.S. army.

As I stood on the sidewalk reading words I never thought I would, my heart absolutely swelled inside my chest. It's a wonder I didn't burst out crying right there at the bus stop.

For today's Through the Opera Glasses, I dedicate this song to all of the Americans who have bravely voted this bill into existence.

I also dedicate this song to the Americans who have fought against this bill.

"Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." - Matthew 25:45

New Moon

2010-03-15T16:50:00.000-07:00

As you may know, my husband works for Blockbuster and we enjoy his one and only perk - free DVD rentals. Especially the new releases, which staff are encouraged to watch one week before they go on sale, so they can inform customers about the films.

My husband is a film buff extraordinaire. He don't need no encouragement, girlfriend. He watches everything. This weekend he watched Astroboy and The Fourth Kind, among other things.

Yesterday I piled onto the couch with The Pack - my husband, the Alpha Male; yours truly, the Alpha Female and our dog Xena - and settled in to watch the second instalment of The Twilight Saga, New Moon.

Both Brad and I enjoyed it, which we can't say about the first one. It's rare for an origin story to be the weakest of a film series, but that's definitely the case with The Twilight Saga. The change in directors most assuredly helped. Chris Weitz made character-driven About a Boy as well as the suitably sinister Golden Compass, and his handling of the love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob in New Moon brings the strengths from both previous films to the fore in this one.

What I enjoyed most was the exploration of a particularly female lament throughout history. Bella has two love interests who insist 'It's not you, it's me', breaking their previous promises never to hurt her, by wounding her deeply. The men in her life make decisions on her behalf despite her protests about how she actually feels.

Given the particular problems these two men in the love triangle are dealing with, their desire to protect her from themselves makes sense and gives the love triangle more pathos. I do so love romantic triangles where each participant is attractive to the audience, where there is no clear bad choice.

What I was truly looking forward to, however, was the supporting role of Aro, played by Michael Sheen. I couldn't help but laugh when I read this review of New Moon from Rolling Stone:

"Late in the film, a real actor, Michael Sheen shows up as the mind-reading Aro, of the Italian Volturi vampires, and sparks things up. You can almost hear the young cast thinking, 'Is that acting? It looks hard.' So Sheen is quickly ushered out, and New Moon begins swanning toward certain box-office glory." - Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

LOL! Burn.

Here's the trailer that showed more Volturi and less beefcake. Enjoy.

My Top Ten Oscar Gowns From The 2010 Red Carpet

2010-03-08T10:00:00.000-08:00

'It's a wonderful night for Oscar! Oscar, Oscar! Who will win...?'

Last night's Oscar broadcast, another red carpet. My second favorite night of the year, after Christmas Eve. Besides all the film industry celebration, of which I can never get enough, besides all the sacrifice suddenly being worth it for the artists and craftspeople who heft the statuette in their hands, the red carpet event at the Oscars is my favorite thing of all.

Here are my personal favorite gowns from the 2010 walk towards the 82nd Academy Awards.

1 - My favorite: Penelope Cruz took my breath away in this dramatic, deep red Donna Karan creation.

2 - Sandra Bullock shimmered in this feminine velvet gown with exquisite lace, by Marchesa.

3 - Anna Kendrick glowed in this ultra-feminine frothy blush-pink gown by Elie Saab.

4 - Helen Mirren sparkled in this soft-gray Badgley Mishka gown.

5 - Luciana Pedraza, wife of Crazy Heart producer Robert Duval, impressed me with this understated blush-pink slip gown.

6 - Jane Seymour radiated joie de vivre in her brilliant red, sculpted-bodice, strapless sheath.

7 - Cameron Diaz gleams in golden Oscar de la Renta.

8 - Amanda Seyfried entranced me with her sweeping white Armani Privé gown.

9 - Kate Winslet knocked me out with this elegant silver full-length sheath skirt and streamlined bodice from Yves Saint Laurent.

10 - Kathy Ireland wore this stretch-sequined sheath with fearless poise.

CLICK HERE to see my favorite Oscar gowns from 2009.

CLICK HERE to see my favorite Oscar gowns from 2008.

Shaun Majumder Called the Olympic Hockey Victory Back in November

2010-03-01T06:31:00.000-08:00

Shaun Majumder from This Hour Has 22 Minutes - a Canadian current affairs and political satire program modelled after a news broadcast - which preceded Jon Stewart's similar The Daily Show by three years - caught up with hockey phenom Sidney Crosby back in November when Crosby was in Halifax to carry the Olympic torch.

Photo by Paul Darrow

Canadian politicians and celebrities know the cast of 22 Minutes can ambush them at any moment. So when Crosby recognizes Shaun Majumder, you can see he's preparing himself for anything.

What he gets is an amazingly accurate prediction for how the Olympics will turn out for him.

Olympic Men's Figure Skating Costumes Invaded by Blades of Glory

2010-02-22T06:20:00.000-08:00

As a ballet freak, it's no stretch for me to be enraptured by men's figure skating. It's another great showcase for masculine athleticism and panther-like grace.

But I couldn't get over the costumes.

They seemed lifted en masse from the wardrobe racks on the set of Blades of Glory.

American Johnny Weir's toned-down long program costume seems to pay homage to Jon Heder's costume from the film.

But what the heck is this? Belgium's Kevin van der Perren's homage to Skeletor?

I was shocked to discover that a favorite designer of mine - not that I've ever worn a garment by her, you understand - purely admiration for her design sense - is responsible for gold medal-winner Evan Lysacek's short program costume. His outstanding performance aside, I was a fan of Evan's choice of sleek black one-piece costumes, but not of the bird features, even if he skated to The Firebird, a favorite piece of mine.

Sorry, Vera Wang. This one didn't do it for me.

I liked the snake suit even less. Vera - say it ain't so!

Call me crazy, but a skater like Evan needs gimmicky flair like a hole in the head. Just let us watch his incredible skating. Don't distract me with feathers and reptiles.

As for Canada's Patrick Chan - why did you wear your grandmother's Sears sale rack vest to the Olympics?

Japan's bronze medal-winner Daisuke Takahashi - why did you wrap yourself in the paper that holds my fish and chips order?

Picky, picky. Yes, I know I am. When it comes to costumes, I'm very, very picky. It's probably why I fought with my university so I could take a History of Costume course, even though it was a Fashion course and I was in the Film program. I finally got permission to take it and got a credit for it in fourth year. Yahoo! Loved every moment of it.

So whose costume did I not despise? For some reason, the men's costumes in the Ice Dancing pairs have not had anything like the Blades of Glory vibe going on. But in the men's figure skating competion, there were only a couple of costumes that I liked. Florent Amodio of France had a nicely understated costume with the right amount of flourish. But I would prefer it without the black gloves.

Swiss sweetie Stephane Lambiel had the almost perfect costume, but the lacey epaulettes should not be there. *slapping forehead*

My favorite, nothing-wrong-with-it costume was worn by Russian Super Snob Evgeni Plushenko. I adored his haughty I-knew-I-could-land-that-quad expression during the short program. Too bad he choked during the long program, but Evan Lysacek couldn't be stopped.

C'est la vie, Evgeni. A real man may land quads, but a true champion would accept his silver medal graciously and save his sour griping till he was behind closed doors.

Numerology Giveaway For the One World One Heart Blogosphere Event

2010-02-15T06:12:00.000-08:00

I never could have imagined that joining this incredible blog event would have resulted in a record-breaking 145 comments here at A Piece of My Mind.

All I can say is...wow.

I haven't the slightest clue as to how many blogs I visited myself. Probably in the 200 range. I joined the event in the final week, and discovered blogs which posted on the official start date of Jan. 25th with over 500 comments for the One World One Heart event.

I have to say this was one of the most exciting blog events I've ever taken part in. Because the originator of this around-the-world-through-blogs tour is an artist, most of the bloggers I met were also artists, or jewelry makers, or crafters, knitters and crocheters. Some, like me, were writers and poets, and there was even one film blog!

My magic carpet took me to all corners of Canada and the US, Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Germany, Slovenia, Spain, Italy, Serbia, Lithuania, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Israel, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico. That means there were 17 countries I didn't get a chance to visit, if you can believe that.

In a fabulous gesture of encouragement, the blogger who started it all - Lisa Swifka - has arranged every participating blog in alphabetical order, indicating the country of origin. We can all continue to travel around the globe, which I definitely plan to do. To meet new bloggers, CLICK HERE for your passport.

And now...the moment you've all been waiting for...

If you're the owner of this blog header, you're the lucky winner of a Numerology!

Valrie, come on down!

Blogosphere Event - One World One Heart

2010-02-08T13:30:00.000-08:00

I just love stumbling upon blog events. I came upon this one when I popped over to Robin's blog, Around the Island, last week.

Robin started the Summer Stock Sunday series last year, which of course is something for which I can't wait to start up again. I'm already thinking about photos I can post.

So I was enchanted by her Magic Carpet Ride post for the One World One Heart event, which I'm just squeaking in under the wire to join, as sign-up time ends at 11:50 PM Pacific time tonight.

Lisa at A Whimsical Bohemian "feels it is imperative to have a 'tribe' of kindred spirits to help feed one's soul." As I begin my fourth year of blogging, I marvel and cherish the friendships I've made through my blog, and look forward to many more years of laughter, sharing and amazement with all of you.

As of this posting, Lisa has nearly 1000 bloggers signed up to this event. "This international event transcends geographical location, socio economics, political affiliation, religious beliefs......it's a coming together like the giant community we are on this planet."

Lisa - all I can say is - AWESOME.

In a spirit of giving, participants offer something to give away to a lucky winner, whose name shall be drawn on FEBRUARY 15th. Check back next week to see if it might be you!

All you need to do is leave a comment, with a way to reach you in case you are chosen. If you post a comment as Anonymous, please include your email address so I can get back to you.

My prize offering is A Numerology. What's a numerology, you may ask? It's very similar to a horoscope, but the information comes from your name and birthdate.

Good luck to everyone playing, and I hope to see lots of wonderful new blogs in the coming week as I roam the blogosphere, visiting bloggers who cherish the idea of One World One Heart.

I have made many dear blog friends from four previous blog events I've joined: Kailana's Advent Blog Tour, Mimi Lenox's Blog Blast For Peace, Kim's Blog Improvement Project and 5 Minutes For Mom's Ultimate Blog Party.

Who knows where One World One Heart will lead me?

Spartacus: Blood and Sand

2010-02-01T18:34:00.000-08:00

Hmm...what do we see through our opera glasses today...?

Spartacus: Blood and Sand

This series debuted here in Canada on the Movie Network last week, and tonight I settled in for the second episode.

After a Thracian warrior rebels against his Roman commander, his wife is taken into slavery and our hero is condemned to die in the arena. But he fights like the fabled Thracian king of old, and is now renamed Spartacus.

Spartacus refuses to believe his wife is lost to him forever. He'll kill for his Roman master in the hope of wrapping her in his arms once more.

I'm liking Andy Whitfield, I can tell you that much.

WARNING: This trailer includes graphic scenes of violence.

La Dessalinienne

2010-01-19T06:05:00.000-08:00

As is surely the case with all of you, my mind is on Haiti this week, as I go about my days.

I'd like to share with you the national anthem of Haiti.

La Dessalinienne was written in honor of Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Haiti's first Haitian-born, non-colonial ruler. At a time like this, when their country lays in ruins, the melody and words of their anthem pulses within the hearts of Haitians, burning with the strength of what can never crumble or shatter into dust.

In the clip it's being sung in French:

Pour le Pays, Pour les ancêtres,
Marchons unis, Marchons unis.
Dans nos rangs point de traîtres!
Du sol soyons seuls maîtres.
Marchons unis, Marchons unis
Pour le Pays, Pour les ancêtres,
Marchons, marchons, marchons unis,
Pour le Pays, Pour les ancêtres.

The English translation:

For our country,
For our forefathers,
United let us march.
Let there be no traitors in our ranks!
Let us be masters of our soil.
United let us march
For our country,
For our forefathers.

The Haitian anthem is also sung in Creole:

Pou Ayiti peyi Zansèt yo
Se pou-n mache men nan lamen.
Nan mitan-n pa fèt pou gen trèt
Nou fèt pou-n sèl mèt tèt nou.
Annou mache men nan lamen
Pou Ayiti ka vin pi bèl.
Annou, annou, met tèt ansanm
Pou Ayiti onon tout Zansèt yo.

- lyrics by Justin Lhérisson, music by Nicolas Geffrard

Carousel Sing Off

2010-01-11T06:09:00.000-08:00

Last Friday my mom and I chanced upon a broadcast of Rodgers and Hammerstein's Carousel on TV, so I ended a tiring work week with an unexpected joy.

I was completely crushing on Gordon MacRae, who played carnival barker Billy Bigelow.

On the weekend, I found several versions of If I Loved You on You Tube and ooo-ed and aahh-ed over all of them - which gave me the idea to have a sing-off here at my Through the Opera Glasses post.

First up:

Patrick Wilson, shown here at an intimate performance space in New York known as Seth's Broadway Chatterbox.

Next, we have Hugh Jackman in concert at Carnegie Hall. Keep in mind the audio recording leaves something to be desired. If I Loved You begins at the 2:50 mark:

Our final contender - Gordon MacRae, from the 1956 film. His version starts at 5:08 (with a sigh-worthy kiss preceded by a gaze of desire starting at 7:21) :

What say you?

UPDATE

And the winner is....Hugh Jackman! Thanks for voting.

January Art Show - Self-portrait

2010-01-04T06:29:00.000-08:00

A brand new year, and the second year for my Sidebar Art Gallery. You'll find it in the sidebar of my main blog, A Piece of My Mind, to the right of my blog posts. I install a new show every month, along with information on each artist I've featured.

For today's Through the Opera Glasses, take a stroll through the January show, Self-portrait.

Self-portrait by José Ferraz de Almeida Júnior, 19th century Brazilian painter

Self-portrait by Zinaida Serebryakova, early 20th century Ukrainian painter

Self-portrait by Bertalan Székely, 19th century Hungarian Romantic painter

Self-portrait by Doris Clare Zinkeisen, 20th century Scottish costume designer and painter

Self-portrait by Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo, 19th century Italian neo-impressionist painter

Self-portrait by Angelica Kauffman, 18th century Swiss-Austrian neo-classical painter.

Self-portrait/Desperate Man by Gustave Courbet, 19th century French Realist painter

Self-portrait by Marie Bashkirtseff, 19th century Russian diarist and painter

Self-portrait by Émile Friant, late 19th/early 20th century French Realist painter

Virtual Advent Tour 2009

2009-12-22T15:35:00.000-08:00

Welcome to today's special post for my Through the Opera Glasses arts feature.

Today is my offering on the Virtual Blog Tour, hosted by Kailana and Marg.

My stop on the tour takes us to the ballet that started it all for me, as it does for so many other people - The Nutcracker.

This is the double album that my sister and I discovered under the Christmas tree in the early 70's. The full ballet score - no Nutcracker Suite, no sirree. I can't tell you how many hours I sat crosslegged on the rug in front of the stereo, gazing endlessly at this illustration on the album's front cover while I listened to every note of this magical work.

When I grew up and moved from Canada's east coast to Toronto, I somehow managed to get a job as an usher at the theatre where The National Ballet of Canada then performed. I started work in November, during the run of Swan Lake, so I was just in time for my first season of working the Nutcracker.

During my eight years at the theatre, I watched nearly every performance of the Nutcracker. The other ushers would get sick of it after the initial novelty wore off, but not me. Even when I was stationed somewhere outside the theatre, like the front doors to rip tickets or at the bottom of the lobby stairs to cover a reception, I would spend my break inside watching the performance.

These are my dear friends Alan and Jacquie, who can vouch for the depth of my ballet passion.

We're sitting at the pass door, which an usher would guard and allow only theatre or company members to pass through, while showing - you guessed it - an official pass.

For today's Advent post, I want to share a simply heartrending and exquisite piece of music from the Nutcracker, the adagio from the grand pas de deux which comes near the end of the ballet.

This is one of my favorite pieces of music. I'd always wondered what it was doing in the middle of a children's holiday ballet, but Tchaikovsky wrote it only a few years before his death, with only ten more works to follow. During the spring of 1891 as he worked on the music for Act II, where the grand pas de deux takes place, Tchaikovsky lost his sister, with whom he was very close. This gorgeous adagio so filled with adoration and longing makes more sense when viewed in that context.

Before we get to the Nutcracker adagio, I'll let two dancers from the Anaheim Ballet describe the process of creating a seamless dance partnership which shines during the pas de deux.

And here is the piece itself, choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev for the Paris Opera Ballet.

The Prince is danced by Laurent Hilaire. I saw him dance in person when he partnered Karen Kain during her retirement season. He was a strong actor, an instinctive partner and had the perfect blend of masculine grace.

Dancing the role of Clara is Elisabeth Maurin. Her technique and balance are absolute perfection.

The ballet was first performed in St. Petersberg, Russia at the Mariinsky Theatre on December 18, 1892.

Note: The volume is very, very low on this clip. You'll have to turn it wa-a-y-y up.

"Tchaikovsky's (initial) skeptical attitude towards a lowly genre was ousted by an attentive interest in its unused creative possibilities.

Given Tchaikovsky's unusual thinking which created dancing poetry, his tendency to portray action in musical-scenic works, and a desire to embody real and eternal feelings in the world of art, this could not but find an outlet in the genre of ballet music." - Olga Gerdt, History of Russian Ballet

To visit the other bloggers posting on the Tour today, visit:

Annabel at Gaskella

Heather at Book Obsessed

Sprite at Sprite Writes

Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)

2009-12-14T06:03:00.000-08:00

Everyone has a favorite Christmas song. For my husband Brad, it's Christmas (Baby Please Come Home) by Darlene Love.

This song is from the classic album A Christmas Gift For You, written and produced by the legendary current felon Phil Spector.

What's your favorite Christmas song?

White Christmas

2009-12-07T08:12:00.000-08:00

My sister has been staying with us for the past week while she's had her allergy needle from the clinic in Fall River. This is not your ordinary needle or allergy treatment. The allergy shots require her to keep everything in her environment as allergen-free as possible, which used to mean a week spent by herself at her house, eating a very restricted diet, not reading newspapers or magazines, no contact with animals, etc., etc.

But she sold her house since her last needle, and needed a place to crash during this treatment, so home again, home again, jiggety jig she came. It's been fun. Especially tonight, when we watched White Christmas with Mom in front of the newly-put-up Christmas tree.

This is one of those films I'd never seen until tonight.

Believe it.

It was so much fun to watch it with my mom and sister. We love musicals. We loved the costumes by Edith Head, loved the music by Irving Berlin, loved the dancing, loved Danny Kaye (a big favorite of my mom) and loved Bing's lovely voice.

Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen

If you haven't seen it before, why not take a breather from all the hubbub and watch this 1954 Hollywood musical? And if you've enjoyed it before, here's a reminder to rent it or pull it off your DVD shelf and settle in.

Lucas North Faces His Torturer on Spooks

2009-11-23T06:04:00.000-08:00

For lucky TV viewers in the UK, Spooks season 8 has already begun airing. And the latest episode - 4 - focuses on Lucas North's literal torturous past.

For viewers in North America, where Spooks season 8 won't be airing for awhile yet, try this link on You Tube.

In this episode, Lucas (Richard Armitage) faces down the man who was his torturer for four of the eight years he survived in a Russian prison.

Truly the stuff of both nightmares and fantasies, to once again stand before someone who tortured you would take 'mindblowing experience' and totally redefine it.

Torture scenes in films and television put me in a cold sweat. I feel physically sick when I sense one is coming in the story, and sitting through one is an ordeal.

If it's real news footage, like the scene in the Vancouver airport of Robert Dziekański's last excruciating moments after being Tasered by RCMP officers - I can't watch and I have to put my hands over my ears. I can't stand the screaming.

The handling of the Lucas North torture storyline on Spooks thoroughly examines the post-traumatic effects this has on the remainder of that person's life. Lucas is shown as being unable to sleep unless he returns to the hard floor, unable to prevent unrelated stimuli from provoking break-through memories from surfacing, and struggling to prove to his MI-5 superiors that he doesn't retain any Stockholm Syndrome feelings towards his former Russian captors.

CLICK HERE to watch a clip from Spooks season 7 featuring our first glimpse into Lucas' torture memories. WARNING: contains waterboarding footage.

The Silver Chair

2009-11-16T16:42:00.000-08:00

Today on my bus ride home from work, I found myself dreaming of The Silver Chair.

After The Horse and His Boy, it's my favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia. And if all goes well, it will be the fourth of the film adaptations of that series.

Of course, in my dreams Prince Rilian and his enchanted persona, the Black Knight would be played by Richard Armitage.

What say you?

ZOS - Zone of Separation

2009-11-09T16:27:00.000-08:00

As we head towards Remembrance Day, I'd like to mention a Canadian series we just started watching on The Movie Network.

ZOS follows 'the absurdist reality of living in a violent Zone of Separation, as well as the real costs to the peacekeepers dropped in to police it.'

A Canadian production, this series features top Canadian talent as well as featuring an international cast in the spirit of United Nations peacekeeping.

Canadians Enrico Colantoni
Lolita Davidovich
Nick Mancuso
and Nicholas Campbell

join Irish Colm Meaney
and Slovenian Larissa Drekonja
plus many Canadian actors born in other countries such as Portugal, Latvia and the actual setting for the series, the former Yugoslavia.

This is an extremely gritty series with copious amounts of swearing, blown-off body parts in living colour as well as frank depictions of battle zone prostitution and drug dealing.

It paints a transparent picture of the lunacy faced by so many Canadian peacekeepers who served in Bosnia, only to return home suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It was a combination of exposure to gruesome combat conditions as well as the frustrations of trying to serve a mission with contradictory goals and chains of command.

For anyone familiar with the story of Romeo Dallaire and his doomed Rwandan peacekeeping mission, the warning signs of what was to come are woven eerily throughout this series.

Spartacus Ballet

2009-11-02T06:14:00.000-08:00

For today's Through the Opera Glasses, here are two scenes from Spartacus, performed by the Bolshoi Ballet.

This is part of the lead-up to Thursday's Blogblast For Peace event.

Spartacus tells the story of a Roman slave who leads an uprising against the empire. In the first scene, a duel between a consul and Spartacus results in a show of mercy for one who has never shown mercy to others.

The following scene shows how wounded pride can fuel not only personal vendettas, but often lead to full-scale war.

October Art Show - Spooky

2009-10-26T06:06:00.000-07:00

Just in time for Halloween, I draw your attention to the October show I've featured in my Sidebar Art Gallery.

This collection is called Spooky.

Flying Dutchman illustration - Unknown artist

Notre Dames gargoyle - Victor-Joseph Pyanet

Duel after the Masquerade Ball - Jean Leon Gerome

The Gashlycrumb Tinies - Edward Gorey

The Apotheosis of War - Vasily Vereshchagin

From Paradise Lost - Gustav Dore

Macbeth, The Meeting with the Witches on the Heath - Joseph Kronheim

The Ride of the Valkyries - William T. Maud

Asmorod - Zdzislaw Beksinski

Happy Haunting...

Law Abiding Citizen

2009-10-19T19:07:00.000-07:00

Just went to see Law Abiding Citizen tonight with my cousin and fellow Gerard Butler admirer Julianne MacLean.

Bruce McGill, Leslie Bibb and Jamie Foxx play a team of lawyers who prosecute the murderer of Clyde Shelton's wife and daughter.

Clyde (Gerard Butler) is distraught when he learns the case will not go to trial - and that a deal has been struck, letting one of the attackers off with only a few years in prison.

He does not go quietly into a grieving future. A decade later, Clyde returns to address the the injustices he has suffered.

He holds Nick (Jamie Foxx) personally responsible, but the entire justice system will feel Clyde's wrath as his devious revenge gets underway.

Detective Dunnigan (Colm Meaney) and Nick attempt to stop Clyde from continuing with his hit list, but Clyde has been planning this for quite some time. Not even the prison walls can contain his calculated fury.

As I mentioned in a previous post over at Popculturedivas, when it comes to Gerry, I'm completely incapable of remaining objective when it comes to reviewing his work. If he's in it, I'm there, baby.

Especially if he's in chains, on his knees and on the edge of sanity.

Of course, Gerry wielding brutal force, intimidating opponents and gazing out with his Scorpio intensity is never discouraged.

More objectively, IMDB users give Law Abiding Citizen a 7.6/10 rating.

Pryvit, the Ukrainian Bread Dance

2009-10-12T19:01:00.000-07:00

For this Thanksgiving, I'd like to share my deep feelings of gratitude to you all through this piece of dance, known as Pryvit.

Pryvit is a Ukrainian dance of welcome, where the honored guests are offered bread, salt and wheat.

Canada has a large Ukrainian population, mainly settled in the prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, with other large populations on the west coast in British Columbia, and in central Canada in Ontario.

When I worked as an usher at the live theatre in Toronto, we had a Ukrainian dance troupe who performed there, and I was so touched by this dance I welled up with tears. If you recall my story of the summer adventure with Russian sailors my sister and I had in 1984, you'll no doubt guess why.

While we were on board the ship, the sailors brought us several loaves of bread from below decks. This was their own food that they were sharing with my sister and me, who could have bought any number of loaves at the store anytime we wanted. I'm certain the stores of a Soviet ship were not quite as plentiful as all that.

So on this Thanksgiving, I'll let these dancers say for me what I hold deep in my heart for you.

The Yevshan Ukrainian Folk Ballet Ensemble, performing at the Vesna Festival in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Season 3 of Robin Hood at Last

2009-10-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

After an agony of waiting, BBC's Robin Hood finally began broadcasting across the pond on BBC America and BBC Canada.

I freely admit I've already watched the entire season 3 on You Tube. When it was first broadcast in the UK in the spring, kindly souls uploaded it for those of us who were frothing at the bit to get a look at Sir Guy.

The season 3 uploads disappeared from You Tube as the North American broadcast neared.

But there's nothing like being able to watch the full episode on TV, as opposed to the tiny version in ten-minute segments on You Tube. However, I am eternally grateful to those angels who allowed me to see it when it first aired. *kiss*

Things have gotten a lot darker in Nottingham since our heroes and villains returned from the Holy Land. Gisborne has a lot of mental sorting out to do after taking Lady Marian's life at the end of season 2.

"Frankly, I sort of despise him for what he did," the actor says. "But it's also interesting when a character can start to take responsibility for his actions and have an opinion of himself, almost as if he is stepping outside his body, and that's really what Gisborne does this season: He steps out of his old shell and starts to become somebody new because of that action." - John Crook, No more Mr. Nice Guy

Robin is understandably out for revenge.

The sheriff puts Much through the mill when Prince John demands more tax money.

Guy is not so easily bullied now that he's looked into his own abyss.

Not so easy being sheriff, is it, Vasey?

Robin's band acquires Friar Tuck and villager Kate.

Little John and Allen a Dale soldier on despite their own sorrows.

What becomes of Guy when his father figure turns his back on him? You'll have to catch the next episode to find out.

Roman Polanski's Lifetime Achievement Award

2009-09-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

Film director Roman Polanski flew to Zurich, Switzerland on September 26th to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Zurich Film Festival. Instead, he was arrested after fleeing a conviction for felony thirty years ago in California.

I can't help but imagine the hope of prosecuters as they waited to see if the filmmaker would show up for such a celebration. He'd always been careful to avoid picking up an Oscar, but surely within Europe he would be left alone to reflect on an astounding career.

I'm actually an admirer of his films. We studied Knife in the Water at Ryerson, as well as Chinatown in my screenwriting class.

His version of Oliver Twist is absolutely heartbreaking and haunting.

And The Pianist is unrelenting, searing and somehow hopeful amid all the horror of war.

It is my belief, however, that a man who flees justice is saying more by that act than any one of his celluloid masterpieces will ever hope to do.

What was the felony he was charged with?

Statutory rape of a 13-year-old girl.

Using sedative drugs to disarm the girl and ensure the victim's compliance.

Let's stop for a moment and recall a few statistics about pedophile predators:

"Al Carlisle, former prison psychologist, estimates that a pedophile may molest as many as 100 children before he is caught." - Stephen T. Holmes, Ronald M. Holmes, Sex Crimes: Patterns and Behaviour

"Ego-psychologists assert that pedophiles have never developed a well-defined sense of self. Having sexual contact with children enables the pedophile to surmount the sense of shame, humiliation or powerlessness experienced during victimization as a child." - Juliann Whetsell-Mitchell, Rape of the Innocent

Now let's look at Roman Polanski's early childhood:

At age 6 he was herded into the Krakow Ghetto in Poland, where he lost his parents to imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps. His mother perished, his father survived.

Roman escaped the ghetto and was taken in by Polish Catholics until he was reunited with his father.

Sufficiently traumatic for anyone.

For those wondering why a 76-year-old man should face charges dating back thirty years, would anyone ask the same question if he was a priest who had raped a child in the 70's? The public is generally eager to prosecute priests. Is it because they don't direct incredibly remarkable films?

For those remembering that in addition to Polanski's nightmarish childhood, his thirties were marred by the gruesome murder of his wife Sharon Tate, eight months pregnant, by Charles Manson's Family - surely one might think the man has suffered enough for one lifetime.

Certainly his films are colored by his losses and emotional pain: Repulsion, The Tenant and Rosemary's Baby.

I still return to the knowledge that he fled a conviction to which he pleaded guilty by jumping bail, and returning to France where there is a firm refusal to give up its citizens to foreign governments. Moreover, Polanski curtailed all travel plans if there included any chance of being returned to face US authorities.

Until this last decision to attend the Zurich Film Festival.

His lifetime achievement award became a jail cell.

Anticipation

2009-09-21T17:49:00.001-07:00

Kim's year-long Blog Improvement Project at Sophisticated Dorkiness encouraged us to "look for blogging inspiration somewhere new.

There’s no real way to do this. If you’ve got a laptop, take it out of the house and write up a post somewhere different. If you don’t have a laptop, grab a pen and paper and do some brainstorming outside the house.

Go to the park, a local coffee shop, the library, a friend’s house, your backyard, wherever you feel like it. Just get away from where you usually blog to see what inspiration you might get from a change of scene."

I did this in a movie theatre while I was waiting for Gamer to start.

It wasn't hard to see that I was immediately drawing on sense memory for this exercise.

Many of you already know that one of my favorite places in the world - and favorite moment in life - is taking my place in a theatre seat, waiting for the show to begin.

It can be any kind of theatre, any kind of performance.

It can be a spot snagged among an outdoor crowd for the Busker Festival.

It can be a hardy sports stadium seat built to withstand drunken disappointment in a game, but serving me as a seat at the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.

The hockey arena can be tucked out of sight so I can sit in surging anticipation for Lenny Kravitz and an amazing night of music.

It can be a no-frills wooden chair on homemade risers, awaiting a Fringe Festival performance.

It can be a seen-better-days upholstered seat scavenged from a renovated theatre as I sit just feet away from Michael Mahonen (Road to Avonlea's Gus) as he shows his acting chops in Salt Water Moon, a play by Newfoundland-born David French.

But there are two types of theatre seats that thrill me more than any other.

The basic cinema seat - where I have willingly whiled away countless sunny days in a darkened theatre. No matter how far technology takes us, no matter that I can watch films in an increasingly sophisticated home setting, I will always cherish viewing films as they are meant to be screened - in a theatre surrounded by other film lovers.

And the other one?

Why, a seat at the ballet, of course.

Where the orchestra tunes up as the lights go down to a quarter...

September Art Show - Autumn

2009-08-31T12:10:00.000-07:00

With the beginning of the new month, I've changed my Sidebar Art Gallery for my September show. So far I've had nine shows: Winter, The Kiss, Green, Rebirth, Women, Men, Children and Roses.

I've called this newest show Autumn.

Fall is my favorite season of all. When you scroll along the art work, you'll see why.

A Vase of Chrysanthemums

Alfred Ruytinx

Les Amoureux (Soir d'automne) / The Lovers (Autumn Evening)

Emile Friant

Autumn Morning

John Atkinson Grimshaw

Golden Autumn, Brittany

Frits Thaulow

A Wooded Path in Autumn

Hans Andersen Brendekilde

The Departure of the Hunting Party

Raffaelo Sorbi

A Rest From the Harvest

Leon-Augustin L'hermitte

An Apple-gathering

Frederick Morgan

Pump and Pumpkin

J. E. H. MacDonald

Les Paul 1915 - 2009

2009-08-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

Guitarist Les Paul helped to change the musical landscape when he designed a solid-body electric guitar in the mid-1940's.

Last week at the age of 94, Les Paul passed away. But his legacy is so enormous and his influence so great, you are assured of hearing his guitars wherever rock music is played.

Photo Michael Ochs Archives/Corbis

Les Paul was what psychologist George Swede refers to as a Universal 2 Creator. In Creativity: A New Psychology, Swede defines Universal 2 creativity as "any collaborative works that affect large numbers, being unique and having value."

Without Les Paul's risk-taking innovation - before his solid-body design, all guitars were hollow-body - how would the crucial sound of the electric rock guitar have developed? Though Les Paul is sometimes referred to as the celebrity endorser of the Gibson guitar company's design, Les Paul had already built a solid-body prototype called The Log in his own workshop. In true Universal 2 Creator style, Les Paul collaborated with Gibson guitar makers to fashion an electric guitar he could passionately stand behind, push its physical limits and make personal modifications on.

Paul also experimented with early versions of laying tracks in the recording process - again by himself in his own workshop.

Here is just a sampling of guitarists who use Les Pauls as their instruments of choice:

Billie Joe Armstrong / Green Day

The Edge / U2

Robin Finck / Nine Inch Nails

Kirk Hammett / Metallica

George Harrison / The Beatles

Mick Jones / The Clash / Big Audio Dynamite

Lenny Kravitz

John Lennon / solo career

Alex Lifeson / Rush

Paul McCartney / The Beatles and solo career

Jimmy Page / Led Zeppelin

Keith Richards / The Rolling Stones

Pete Townshend / The Who

Neil Young

Here's Billie Joe Armstrong playing his Les Paul.

And here's Les Paul with his wife Mary Ford, playing his creation - the solid-body electric guitar.

I'd Like to Be Trapped In Spooks For a Month

2009-08-10T11:46:00.000-07:00

Fleur de Lisa has a prompt blog called Manic Monday. Her prompt from last week is still up, and I thought I'd use one of her two questions:

If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which show would you choose?

Hmm...

Let me think.

Spooks. Definitely Spooks.

MI-5 for those of us in North America.

First of all, I can never get enough of the opening credits.

It's so subtle.

You have to watch closely.

The good guys are dark and the bad guys are gray.

And for three seasons, it featured one of my favorite characters ever:

Adam Carter, played by Rupert Penry-Jones.

And let's not forget one of my favorite female characters ever:

Ros Myers, played by Hermione Norris.

It Could Happen to You

2009-08-03T11:32:00.000-07:00

Geraldine over at My Poetic Path has a monthly prompt inspired by film titles.

"I’ve always been intrigued by movie titles," she writes. "Obviously, Hollywood and other film-makers work hard to weave their magic with the teaser that is the title. But what other roads could be explored with that very same phrase or word?"

The prompt for August is:

It Could Happen to You

This is actually a movie I haven't seen. There are a lot of those, which tends to confuse people who know that I went to film school. I wrote about this phenomenon over at my group blog, Popculturedivas:

The True Jaw Dropper - Films I Have Yet to See

It Could Happen to You follows the story of a Queens, New York cop (Nicolas Cage) who tips a diner waitress (Bridget Fonda) with the promise of half his lottery winnings - which turns out to be $4,000,000.00.

Could happen.

For Through the Opera Glasses today, I thought I'd take Geraldine's prompt and share with you some favorite TV shows and films that put my kind of quirky twist on the premise: It could happen to you...

1 - The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe

It could happen to you...you're sent to live in the British countryside during the Blitz, and a game of hide-and-seek finds you hiding in a wardrobe that empties out into a land called Narnia. And the first person that you meet is a faun carrying an umbrella and an assortment of packages.

2 - Local Hero

It could happen to you...your boss sends you to a small coastal Scottish town to convince the residents to sell out for Houston oil interests, and oh yes, to watch the sky for a comet which the boss wants named for himself. And a hot marine research scientist seems not only interested in you, but may be a mermaid.

3 - Splash

It could happen to you...a respectable fruit and vegetable retailer should be able to find love in the Big City, but your heart belongs to the mermaid who saved you from drowning when you were a kid. And the naked woman who shows up at the Statue of Liberty reminds you of that haunting connection you once felt, but isn't this woman an obvious human, a frustrating one that you discover you finally can't live without?

4 - After Hours

It could happen to you...one night your trip home from downtown gets sidetracked, until you are seriously caught in the surreal zone between the last train and the first one for the next day. Will anything ever resemble normality again?

5 - True Blood

It could happen to you...you waitress in the diner of your small Louisiana town, trying not to hear the thoughts in other people's minds - because you're a telepath. Finally the most attractive man you've ever met enters the diner. You can't hear a thought from him at all. Because he's a vampire...who could ask for a more perfect boyfriend?

6 - The Phantom of The Opera

It could happen to you...your mysterious music teacher suddenly reveals himself when you show interest in a former suitor. Not only is your mentor irresistably hot, but he's also a homicidal stalker who retreats to his wind-up monkey music box when he gets upset.

7 - Night Watch (Nochnoy dozor)

It could happen to you...you seek the counsel of an old woman whom you've been told can get your unfaithful wife to return to you. When she casts a spell, you can see the sudden raid on her apartment by shapeshifters and officials arresting her for unauthorized use of magic. You discover you're a Light Other, and go to work for a secret service organization dedicated to watching over the activities of the Dark Others in an uneasy Cold War-like truce.

8 - An American Werewolf in London

It could happen to you...you packpack across the Yorkshire moors with your college buddy, stumbling upon the creepiest pub in all of England. A nightmarish attack by a werewolf turns out not to be a nightmare at all, and your romantic chances with the hot nurse who tended you in hospital get seriously jeopardized every time the moon comes out.

9 - MI-5/Spooks

It could happen to you...you find things heating up between yourself and a former fellow journalist, but you've hit on a monster story about British spy shop MI-5 and have to follow it. Arms-length objectivity flies out the window when you're pulled into a deadly hostage situation at a TV station and you end up working alongside MI-5 agents to sort things out. Why report on the news when you can make the stories that must be covered up yourself?

10 - The Bourne Identity

It could happen to you...you can't remember who you are or why high-powered killers are after you. Or why you are capable of dispatching an attacker with your bare hands. Or why these killers appear to be government officials.

The Ugly Truth

2009-07-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

As some of you may know by now, when it comes to Gerard Butler, I react to him on a cellular level.

This may skew my reaction to a film like The Ugly Truth, which is getting stinkeroo reviews from critics - and enthusiastic endorsement from filmgoers.

Katherine Heigl plays Abby, a successful TV producer but unsuccessful dater.

She inherits Mike (Gerard Butler,) a low-rent shock jock who tells The Ugly Truth on his call-in show. The truth as he sees it regarding the battle of the sexes, that is.

Abby's boss wants the ratings Mike is guaranteed to pull in.

Abby wants to date her new neighbor, hunky doctor Colin (Eric Winter) without destroying her chances before they even begin.

Mike offers to coach her past her own dismal track record if she'll give his show a chance.

Here's the thing. Even though we follow Abby more than we follow Mike, the film is really presented from Mike's male point of view. This is a how-to-find-true-love romantic comedy told through a jaded man's focus - an outlook that is raunchy, obnoxious and unrepentent.

What I find really strange is the derision handed out to The Ugly Truth by critics, when I laughed throughout the movie - and so did everyone in the theatre.

So here's a battle of the critics versus the filmgoers.

Peter Travers from Rolling Stone gives it half a star out of four stars.

"Katherine Heigl once complained that Judd Apatow's Knocked Up, in which she starred, was way too guy-centric and made the women humorless shrews. Heigl owes Apatow an apology. The Ugly Truth, Heigl's new romcom, is the real sexist swill."

Internet Movie Data Base user michelem3 says, "I saw this movie at a preview event last Friday night and it was hilarious. The sold out cinema was laughing hysterically throughout the movie. Butler has great comedic timing complimenting his tough guy persona. If you are expecting to see a typical romantic comedy you will be surprised, because this R rated film is geared toward the men in the audience as well as the ladies. Grab your significant other and be prepared to laugh and enjoy the movie together."

Jason Anderson for The Toronto Star gives it one and a half stars out of four.

"These reluctant co-workers declare a truce when a hunky surgeon moves into Abby's apartment complex and she solicits Mike's advice on how to land him. Imagine what follows as George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion except with a potty-mouthed Henry Higgins instructing Eliza Doolittle on how to dress more like a stripper."

From IMDB user LadyMacbeth75:

"I haven't laughed so hard in a long time. My husband was happy to watch a romantic comedy from the male perspective as well as the female for a change. The typical fairy tale elements seem to go by the wayside here and we're left with a harsher but very funny battle-of-the-sexes comedy for the times in which we now live."

Manohla Dargis from the New York Times writes:

"That tap-tap-tapping sound you hear is another nail being driven into the coffin of the romantic comedy. Which leads to The Ugly Truth, a cynical, clumsy, aptly titled attempt to cross the female-oriented romantic comedy with the male-oriented gross-out comedy that is interesting on several levels, none having to do with cinema."

IMDB user tomjanjess says:

"I have not laughed so much over a movie as I did watching The Ugly Truth. This film was hysterical. It is a must see movie for both men and women. The scene in the restaurant just about sent me into a fit. I could not stop laughing. The baseball scene was just as funny. Guys would relate to a lot of the scenes in this movie. I cannot understand how the critics rate a movie poorly when the audience was roaring with laughter from beginning to end."

Liam Lacey from the Globe and Mail gives it one star out of four:

"If Doris Day and Rock Hudson had made jokes about vibrating panties and fellatio at the ballpark, just think how much funnier their romantic comedies would have been. That appears to have been the brainwave behind The Ugly Truth. The script was written by three women. They try desperately to copy Judd Apatow's recipe for romantic raunch but succeed only in reversing his snigger-to-flinch ratio."

IMDB user tabuno says:

"This romantic comedy had two gut wrenching belly laugh scenes, along with a more in-your-face sexist look at the differences between men and women which in some ways could be closer to the truth than more 'enlightened' people may want to admit. It is understandable why most critics didn't have much positive to say, but these politically-incorrect sexist comments have at their core some resonance in how men and women actually feel and think. This is a movie that says what many of us want to say, but are afraid to admit, but also enlightens the mass audience with some actual relationship truths by the end of the movie. Katherine Heigl and Gerard Butler do have their own chemistry and there is a hidden playfulness that comes out that for some critics might seem childishly crude, but in many respects is so real."

As for myself...well...I could watch Gerry on the dance floor for hours but had to settle for a mere few minutes...sigh...

CLICK HERE to watch the set-up scene from The Ugly Truth

First Kiss, Destiny and Meeting God

2009-07-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

Michelle Johnson over at Poefusion takes part in Manic Monday, hosted by Fleur de Lisa - and for today's Through the Opera Glasses I thought I'd focus my sights on her prompt.

As you may recall, I'm taking part in Kim's Blog Improvement Project, and the latest challenge is to once again shake up our normal offerings. We're encouraged to post as many different types of blog posts as we can by July 24th.

"It’s easy to get into a pattern of writing the same kinds of posts over and over again," Kim reminds us. "But sometimes it can be fun to spice it up."

Here are Michelle's prompts:

When and with whom was your first kiss?

Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?

What would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

I'm going to put an arts twist on this prompt, since this is my arts feature.

First kiss - My own first kiss was with my first boyfriend, Philip. For more details, check out my story in my Naughty Meme of Firsts.

When I think of a perfect depiction of a first kiss, I can't help but think of the final scene in 1995's Persuasion.

It occurs at the 5:50 mark in the clip below.

But of course, I can't rule out the kiss in North & South.

Warning ladies - watching this scene may turn you into a puddle of goo...

Does everything happen for a reason? - Well, let's see. When I first moved to Toronto 23 years ago, I worked as a live-in nanny in the west end of the city. I went over to a movie theatre to fill out an application for evening and weekend work - at the Humber theatre - and began walking east along Bloor Street. Not west. East.

I wanted to start meeting people with similar interests to mine. I figured movie theatre people would be a good start.

Not too far along I saw a sign for psychic readings. I thought, what the heck? So I went up. I didn't keep going along the storefronts as I normally did.

The young woman read my palm, and among her observations she was adamant that my soul mate was very near. She mentioned that he wore a uniform. Since I was brand new to the city with only two friends from home also in Toronto, plus the family for whom I worked, I thought, don't know how that can be.

When I was done, I went down the stairs to the street. I kept walking east along Bloor Street until I got to another movie theater I hadn't even known about. It was the Runnymede Theatre. So I went in and applied.

I was called to start work there not long after. One of my co-workers was a very handsome usher named Brad Smith. To whom I'm now married.

I absolutely think everything does happen for a reason. In the same way that thousands of people gather for a performance at the same place at the same time, the universe arranges significant events in order to facilitate each person's potential for growth. The universe has the ticket with the date and time. It's our job to sense when the curtain is about to go up.

A wonderful film with this outlook is Serendipity.

What would I like to hear God say when I cross over? - I would like to hear: Rest, now.

A truly chills-inspiring meeting-up-with-God scene for me is the ending of The Fountain. The music really thrills me.

So... What about you?

The Rise of Green Screen Technology

2009-06-22T09:30:00.000-07:00

Did you ever wonder why blue screens seem to have turned into green screens for film effects?

The reason is the simple march of time - and technology.

Blue screen continues to be used in film, as we can see in these composite shots from 300.

"Until the the 1990s most blue screen for films was done optically, and all television composites were done using analog real time hardware." - Bob Kertesz

Optical effects are expensive, exacting and have to be done in post-production, which is the time used by the production after the principal photography is completed. This is the time when music is recorded for the soundtrack, dialogue is replaced through looping, and sound and visual effects are created.

Before the advance of digital technology, the only way to get a realistic-looking visual effect was through blue screen optical matting, which replaced a background component - the blue screen - with a second visual component - usually a risky location such as a cliff.

The process of traditional travelling matte optics is time consuming. Each frame of the actor has to be made into a negative. The blue background is replaced by the new location footage, then photographed again with the negative of the actor superimposed, then the images photographed once again replacing the negative of the actor with the actual actor.

Graphic by Tech On

The television industry has always opted for green screen technology, due to the way TV cameras work to a basic three-color spectrum: Blue, Green and Red. Often the superimposed images are created on the spot in the studio at the mixing console by the video switcher.

"Chroma-Key is a television process only, based on the luminance key. Video cameras are usually most sensitive in the green channel, and often have the best resolution and detail in that channel. Green paint has greater reflectance than blue paint, which can make matting easier." - Bob Kertesz

Because cameras have gradually moved over to digital, even for full-length motion pictures, the effects have moved with them. The green background works best in digital format and has the added benefit of not interfering with actors' blue eyes or blue clothing.

The trick with green screen is knowing how your other colors will behave when you shoot them. Notice how on-set for Sin City, Marv's bandages are red, but in the finished effect shot, the red becomes white. Also notice how a slight blue tinge on Marv's white T-shirt turns the shirt into a truer white in the effect shot.

Actors today can be assured of having to act in front of either a blue or a green screen at some point in their careers. A major challenge for them, but green screen has changed the way film and television is shot. I personally love this technology, especially when it brings me back through time to ancient Rome or to Middle Earth.

Graphic from Make Movies or Die

True Blood Season 2

2009-06-15T09:07:00.000-07:00

On Sunday night my husband and I settled in to watch the second season of True Blood, another delicious series from HBO. Here's a trailer for season 2.

How could I resist a series featuring a melancholy vampire like Bill Compton?

Vampire Bill is an American Civil War vet who has taken up residence in Bon Temps, Louisiana, the setting for Charlaine Harris' series of books on which the series is based.

This is the only kind of TV show that can capture my attention - one with quirky, edgy characters and writing that really pushes the envelope.

Although having uber amazing Viking leader Eric doesn't hurt.

The blundering bad luck of Jason Stackhouse - as well as his racy sexcapades - are a favorite part of the show for me.

And I really love supporting character Terry Bellefleur, the post traumatic stress disorder Gulf War vet. He has a scene in season 1 where he sees something while out fishing, and flips into battlefield mode, communicating with military hand signals. I just love that scene. His befuddled civilian persona gives way to the soldier within and I love that glimpse of him.

Can't get enough of gay cook Lafayette, either. He tells it like it is, girlfriend.

And who can resist the rivalry between Bill and diner/bar owner Sam? Especially since Sam keeps a secret of his own...

Not every character in True Blood is male - just my favorite ones. Except for Sookie Stackhouse herself, the main character for the series.

She's fast becoming one of my favorite female characters ever.

Here's the original trailer for season 1. If you haven't discovered True Blood yet, and if you love vampires, oddball towns and superior writing, give this series a look.

You'll pinch yourself to see if you're dreaming.