Eleven Moving Pictures

A couple of years ago, I took a picture of dawn from the train leaving Montreal. This time it was sunset. Gazing out of moving windows is one of my favourite things to do. When the crescent moon appeared high up, I watched it almost all the way back to Toronto.

Quote of the Day

"Seldom, very seldom does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised, or a little mistaken."

Jane Austen, Emma

Here's a little disclosure... I'm blogging remotely from a train en route to Montreal for a weekend of much-needed pleasure and relaxation. And I've just started reading The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler.

Like Liver?

How about liver... with bacon? Mmmm... bacon. (Insert Homer Simpson drooling noise here).

I like liver in many forms, but - inspired by how I've had it in restaurants recently - I tried this technique and it's one of the best things I've ever tasted. The onions and bacon softened and cooked together, then were pushed aside in the pan to let the liver just cook through. So tasty and warming.

And I'm still in a soup mood, making the broccoli, ginger and lemongrass soup copied from The Sandwich Box. Yum. One of the benefits of cold weather is the warming food it inspires.

Good, Really Good

I'm a big fan of the films about James Bond, the mysterious, misogynistic MI6 operative created by Sir Ian Fleming and so captivatingly portrayed on film by several hunky actors over the last 50 years. And of course, deciding who is the best portrayer of Bond is a favoured topic for debate and disagreement in many circles. I'm saying it here: Daniel Craig is my favourite Bond. In fact, he's also the favourite Bond of my friend, John. It all happened quite quickly. We were at the movies before Casino Royale came out, we saw the trailer, and John turned to me quite seriously and said, "Ok, I've just seen the trailer of his first Bond film... and he's the best Bond ever."

So, after enjoying the Bond design exhibit at TIFF, and getting caught up by watching Casino Royale the same evening (I didn't bother with Quantum of Solace, preferring to pretend it never happened), I was pretty jazzed to see the latest Bond offering on opening night... Skyfall.

[Side story: The Tuesday before the Friday opening night in Toronto, I was online purchasing tickets, finding that as fast as I found screenings that weren't sold out... they sold out. We finally got tickets at my favourite cinema, the Beaches, and it happens to be the location that I've attended the two previous Bond openings. On the night, I lined up an hour early, as I waited for my friend, and a good thing too, as there were many people already in front of me. The theatre was sold out, packed solid with fans of all ages. And the audience deserves a mention in this review: they were excellent! The film had something to do with that, I guess, but they were silent and concentrated. Thanks, audience!]

From the thrilling opening sequence, through the credits, and into the story, this was an excellent action film, with many breathtaking moments. Director Sam Mendes would be expected to do something special with the Bond franchise and he did, bringing to the fore the relationships between the major players, in ways that enhanced their vulnerabilities. Sometimes, it was too much (see Spoiler section below). Now, Casino Royale still remains my firm favourite, but Skyfall comes close behind. There were irresistible throwbacks to the past (the Adele-sung opening credits with silhouettes under water; the Aston Martin!) and looks to the future (the adorable Ben Whishaw - who was also John Keats in Bright Star - as the new Q, and another surprise new/old character, but I won't ruin it for you).

Daniel Craig is six years older than he was in Casino Royale and the film plays up the notion of aging and retirement for both him and M (Judi Dench, still so fabulous). Craig's eyes are more icily blue than ever, his face more chiseled, but his body looks great. He was the harder Bond, who can still be slightly playful, but I love how the new Bond franchise has him more guarded than ever. Javier Bardem as the creepy, tragic villain only needed more screen time, as we couldn't get enough of him. Bérénice Marlohe as Sévérine, the ubiquitous Bond girl, was a surprise. At first glimpse, with her Vesper Lynd-worthy heavy eye makeup, I assumed she was just a pretty but silly character. But she carried off her controlled, sexy skittishness and fear really well. I'd love to see her in something else. The rest of the cast is made up of really excellent British actors, like Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear, and Helen McCrory. The soundtrack is all you might hope for, rife with those tight horn sections that are always sexy and powerful.

SPOILER ALERT:
The return to Bond's childhood home seemed to come a little out of nowhere, and, maybe I am jaded, but I like my Bond mysterious. I don't want to know his parents' names, but I do like that Albert Finney was the loyal retainer, and I also want to know where that road is in the Scottish highlands, unless it was digitally created?

There was some wry humour and plenty of action. There were also tears... but you'll have to see why for yourself.

I recommend!

Quote of the Day

"It takes a certain type of woman to wear a backless dress with a Beretta 70 strapped to her thigh."
Daniel Craig as Bond, James Bond, in Skyfall (2012).

Want to read what I thought of it? Visit my new blog to find out!

Nobody Does it Better

The TIFF Lightbox only opened a couple of years ago. It's the newish home of the Toronto International Film Festival, and year-round it's got great programming of films you're not likely to see in many other places. The building is excellently designed, the theatres are a pleasure to sit in, and some of them (for the Cinematheque showings) don't allow popcorn and drinks. This is in accordance with the old Cinematheque tradition, when showings took place in Jackman Hall in the Art Gallery of Ontario, where the only thing you could take in was bottled water. The lights always went down very low and the pre-show music was perfectly chosen for the film being shown. Rarely before had I lost myself so entirely in a movie experience.

Now, in time for the 50th anniversary of James Bond on film, the Lightbox is hosting Designing 007: 50 Years of Bond Style which unveiled earlier this year at London's Barbican Centre.

Now readers of my other blog will know that I get frustrated at exhibits, and tend to avoid the big, busy ones at all costs. There is one exhibit which still stands out to me as the finest of my experience, so in general I'm a bit of a fusspot when it comes to these sorts of events.

The good news is that Designing 007 is not very big, and they have sensible controls as to how many people can go through it at once. My only quibble was the very start of the exhibit where several large historical panels of information on Ian Fleming's life and contacts were crammed together quite tightly in a space that didn't let many people read without feeling rushed. But other than that, things were very good.

As the TIFF website tells us, the exhibit is... "the largest and most comprehensive exhibition ever devoted to Bond, featuring costumes, props, models, gadgets, concept artwork, storyboards and other fascinating artifacts from the series. Signature Bond items featured in the exhibition include the steel teeth worn by Richard “Jaws” Kiel in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977); the Anthony Sinclair overcoat worn by Sean Connery in Dr. No (1962); the poker table from Casino Royale (2006); and multiple gadgets from Q Branch."

Most of the items were original, with a few identified as replicas, especially the clothing. Special features included a wall of screens, all showing Bond opening credits (including the saucy ones by Maurice Binder) and a display cabinet with Halle Berry's bikini, Daniel Craig's blue trunks from Casino Royale (gulp), and replica's of Ursula Andress's bikini and Sean Connery's trunks from Dr. No. Gosh.

The highlight for me was the discovery of the sketches by Sir Ken Adam, the production designer for many Bond films. In simple mainly monochrome drawings, he conveyed the mad magnificence of Blofeld's lair or the Moonraker launch pad. They are stunning. The TIFF shop carries a book of his work, but I didn't indulge. I'm so hopelessly behind in reading, I'm almost giving up.

That evening, I had my friend Dave over, and we watched Casino Royale in preparation for the big opening night of the latest Bond film, Skyfall. I like to think I was only mildly annoying each time I said, "Oh, we saw that prop today!" I think plying him with the newly acquired Cardhu helped.

Designing 007 continues til January 20, 2013. I recommend!

Below you see a Ken Adams sketch for the volcano interior in You Only Live Twice; Sean Connery and the iconic Aston Martin during filming of Goldfinger; a TIFF website image.

Son of Blog, Part Deux

I've started a new blog! This one will continue, but I thought I needed a distinct place to ramble on about my experiences attending cultural and entertainment events in Toronto and further afield. Those posts tend to be a bit more long-winded and they certainly attract the least attention. It might make more sense for them to live elsewhere.

Check out the new one... over here!

Chili Against the Chilly

The nights are darker. The colour and light of a falling October are gone. The lights and busyness of Christmas are to come. The leaves are gone, and all is grey. And there is much rain. The cold is damp. I have to keep busy, and I do. I just took a request for 80 cupcakes. Note I say "request," not order. I don't have the regular time to make a business of this, and so it's a favour in honour of a very lovely woman.
We must keep warm and safe this month. There must be friendship and good food, and sometimes effort goes into making that happen. It's all to easy to fall towards retreat and hibernation.

Last week a friend came over and we ate lots of cheese... and then my vegetarian chili with guacamole, sour cream, grated strong cheddar and good nacho chips.

The conversation was so good and much needed. It warmed the cockles.

Stick close together. 

Tempest Times Two

(Damn, I love alliteration).

It's been years since I've attended a Cirque du Soleil performance. I figured it was time to make a return to the big yellow and blue tent.

















The little company that could has made big. Started in the early 1980s in Quebec as a medley of jugglers, stilt walkers, and other street performers, the circus-that-didn't-feature-animals has become a massive international success story. I love the fact that at one point, the two biggest acts in Las Vegas were from Quebec: Cirque du Soleil and Celine Dion.

The latest touring show to hit Toronto is Amaluna, a name that vaguely and playfully is meant to represent "loving the moon." And, as you might suspect, Amaluna is woman-oriented. Apparently the usual ratio in Cirque shows of male performers to female is 3:1. In Amaluna, it's reversed. The concept for the production, directed by Diane Paulus is taken from Shakespeare's The Tempest. Except, instead of a Prospero, you have a Prospera. There is more of a thread of a plot than in other Cirque shows I've seen and it works well. Cirque du Soleil never strays far from its roots (the opening act consists of two young women madly moving around on unicycles), and yet it takes those skills to incredible heights, sometimes literally. The acrobatics are breathtaking, but always with a little twist, an extra subtext. The duo of a man and a woman suspended in mid air, fighting and tumbling above our heads, becomes a battle of sorts and, ultimately, very erotic.The clowning isn't the creep show it is in traditional circuses, but a more genuinely goofy and charming reflection on the sillyiness of human nature.

The thing I've never enjoyed about Cirque is the music, and yet I must admit it isn't Cirque without it. Redolent of soundtracks to films set in historic, exotic pasts, the music usually features a single woman's voice wailing in vague Eastern-tinged melodies through a powerful sound system. It always puts my teeth on edge, but I can't suggest another option. It just makes sense for Cirque.

I'm glad I went. I'll be back.

Then, this past Saturday, I went to the Metropolitan Opera's HD transmission of Thomas Adès' The Tempest. This opera premiered in 2004 at Covent Garden, and the Met presented it this season in a Robert Lepage production... Lepage who has also worked with Cirque du Soleil. I love these little connections. I have to admit, I'm not a fan of The Tempest... yet. I don't know why but I've yet to see a production of the play that really engaged me. This opera performance came the closest. The hotness that is Simon Keenlyside was Prospero (Adès wrote the role for him), and the rest of the cast was without fault. It did occur to me towards the end, that if, for some reason, Miranda and Ferdinand couldn't leave the island, they would be able to people their little kingdom with the most gorgeous gene pool. They were played by Isabel Leonard and Alek Shrader. Lepage is consistently remarkable and revelatory. Through his vision, Prospero set the tale, through his powers, in a recreation of La Scala... the opera house in Milan, because, after all, Prospero is/was the Duke of Milan. The magical elements were all there, the young lovers were completely believeable, but ultimately it was Keenlyside's embittered Prospero, the angry, rejected man of power, whose magic is the focus for all that pointless rage, that really made the show. Adès's music is dense and layered and I need more listenings of it. There were moments that were so beautiful, like the Act II love duet. And Adès, who was also conducting the piece, was intriguing in the intermission interview; modest and thoughtful.

Prospero (Simon Keenlyside) and Ariel (Audrey Luna) in the Met production, a recreation of Milan's La Scala opera house. Photo: Ken Howard/Met Opera

A Breakfast

It was good. Bacon, scrambled eggs, little tomatoes that never made it into last night's salad softened with some oregano, all piled on top of sesame Ryvita.

For the Ladies, and the Men who Care

Check out this very clever idea. Le Parcel. "Every month without fail."

I love it!

Quote of the Day

"May you never go to hell, 
But always be on your way."

My hip flask (and maybe someone else, I don't know)


Was it coincidence that the week I purchased my first whiskey flask, I learned that Cardhu was back on sale in Canada? It is. And here's my flask, bearing the witty quote from above. I was standing on the platform waiting for a train last Wednesday evening when I saw a poster from the LCBO's new whisky campaign. Except... what the hell is with that colour? Cardhu doens't look like that! See below for what it does look like. Hey! LCBO! I'm willing to photograph your stuff for you, if you pay me in the good, single-malt stuff. Heh heh.

Remembering

I took these pictures in New York, last June, just by Central Park.

Quote of the Day

The more one judges, the less one loves.

Honoré de Balzac

(Picture taken in the Kawarthas this summer)

Fall Walk

A few weeks ago, I went out with two of my favourite people to walk through some fall colours. We visited the Mountsberg Raptor Centre, where they care for birds who cannot be released into the wild for one reason or another. It's an excellent opportunity for them to educate the public. Near Campbellville, on the Escarpment, it's a great day-trip from Toronto. We also walked trails, breathed deeply, saw my favourite Harry Potter/Lord of the Rings rooted trees, and ate well... a diner in Campbellville earlier in the day and then the Queen's Arms in Oakville for dinner. Got home feeling full and happy. Grateful.

Beautiful Thing

A return to the Apsley Fall Studio Tour yielded more beautiful items made by craftspeople in the beautiful Kawarthas.

Remember my leafy mug?

I bought another item from Cathy Pennaertz from Tallan Creek Pottery Studio. I love the elephantine feet and the mug sits comfortably cradled in my hand.

I Took a Little Refreshment. I Don't Remember Much After That

I ended up checking on some old posts I'd written, and found this reply I wrote in the comments section to a comment that a certain Dr. M. left on my blog. It still cracks me up. It's true. It started when I dined at the Star Trek Experience at the Las Vegas Hilton.

Well, when I was in Vegas, I indulged in the "Warp Core Breach", described thusly in the Quark's menu (which I bought a copy of):

"Red Alert! Order this drink and prepare to separate your saucer section [I read this as saucy section]! Sensors indicate Bacardi Lemon, Bacardi Light, Bacardi Select, Bacardi Spice, Bacardi 151, Razzmatazz, and So-Be Power Drink. We add pure ice crystals from the planet Exo III. You'll need more than one officer to handle this situation."

It came in a round large fishbowl kind of container, spilling over with what looked like dry ice. Yes, it was very strong. It was only after this that I had the incident at the gas station on the Strip, when I temporarily forgot how to pump gas into the rental car and had to ask two gentlemen to help me, explaining that "I'm from Canada and the gas pumps are different up there." They were delighted to help and especially after I informed them where Canada was located. "Oh it's north of here, right?"

Right, neighbours, we're north of you.

I love you crazy Americans. Hey! Don't forget to vote! (Gobama)

"Are you Ready for Your Soup?"

Time shifted, and when I woke this morning, I lay there watching the light get stronger, earlier. With it came the first really cold weather. I lost my gloves but retrieved my pea jacket from the lovely Iranian laundry, where they do excellent adjustments. They took my jacket in at the sides, and you'd never know.

Tonight I had to make warming, woodsy, fragrant soup: onions, mushrooms, organic stock, fresh thyme, salt, pepper, cream.

It's comforting and warming.

Sigh... winter is only just beginning. But, if we are lucky, we have love. And we have laughter. And there may even be espresso!

Quote of the Day

"Man is the only creature who refuses to be what he is."

Albert Camus

Shifts

I'm looking forward to the shift in Daylight Savings Time this Sunday morning. Early risings in the dark can be exciting when they are rare (early flights, and other adventures), but they are enervating when they are repetitious. We were lucky not to get battered more than we were by Storm Sandy, but I admit I'm tired of the week-long grey sky now. I need sun. I need light. Not this morning though, as I head into work a couple of hours earlier than normal, in preparation for an intense day.

Here is a recent dawn, and also two shots of a recent sunset, when I was at home still in daylight. The dragonfly was the result of a rainy day at the cottage and my desire to explore with wire, something I hadn't done since I was in my teens. His tail is made of crystals. Had to add a bit of sparkle... heh heh... mmmm... shiny.

You may recall I'm a fan of dragonflies and have a large one hanging in my bedroom.

Shifts are good and necessary, to keep things limber and flexible. I feel more shifts coming, and I'm looking forward to them, no matter how small.