Katrina Kaif looked stunning in T-shirt jean, 05 more images after the break...
Saturday, October 1, 2011
World's Tallest Female Dog Is Nova
World's Tallest Female Dog Is Nova, A Great Dane — Nova, a Great Dane, who's 2 feet, 11.51 inches tall is the world's tallest female dog, according to Guinness World Records. That's 35.51 inches from paw to shoulder for Nova, who takes up a lot of space in her owner's house in Addison, Ill. and there's 160 pounds packed onto that frame. She eats through 50 pounds per week. Owner Ann Suplee said strangers often say her dog looks like "a horse galloping" and ask her "Are you getting ready for the Kentucky Derby?" according to a statement from Guinness. But super Nova is a pipsqueak compared to Giant George of Tucson, the tallest male dog, who's 43 inches tall. 03 more images after the break...
The Tata Nano — Navaratna
One for the jewel carriageway: World's cheapest new car coated in £3m of gold, silver and gems. The world's cheapest new car has been turned into one of the planet's most expensive after it was covered with £3 million worth of bling. The Tata Nano, which normally sells for under £2,000, has been coated in gold, silver and gems in recognition of India's booming economy and 5,000 year-old jewellery trade. Thirty artists were employed to decorate the tiny car in 80kg of 22 carat gold, 15kg of silver and 10,000 semi precious stones and gems. 03 more images after the break...
Eco-House — Naomi Campbell
Billionaire Vladislav Doronin gave to his black girlfriend, supermodel house on one of the Turkish islands. He repeats their outlines an ancient Egyptian symbol - the eye of Horus.
The house was designed by Spanish architect Luis de Garrido. According to de Garrido, he was not restricted in any media or in the imagination., 05 more images after the break...
10 Interesting Facts about the Countries and Peoples of the World
01. In Siena, Italy, Girls who named Mary cannot be a pr0stitute.
Another dozen interesting facts of different countries and peoples …09 more after the break...
Library Essentials Month: The Classic Fairy Tales by Peter and Iona Opie
October is here and I have decided on a new theme for the month. It's so much easier to insure a daily post if I have a theme, so I hope you enjoy these. Each day I will share a book that I consider to be a "library essential." Often these will be some of the most important books in the genre of fairy tale studies. Some will be sentimental favorites. Others will be picked for some other reason as yet to be determined.
To begin, I thought I would start with one of the books that first inspired SurLaLune, The Classic Fairy Tales by Peter and Iona Opie. This was one of the first fairy tale books I acquired beyond my basic fairy tale collections I had owned since childhood, one of the first to open my eyes to the world of fairy tale studies. I was somewhat familiar with the book when I decided to annotate a fairy tale for an HTML programming class and thus acquired it with an eye to gathering more information about Bluebeard, the fairy tale I had chosen.
The rest is SurLaLune early history and The Classic Fairy Tales from the Opies has remained a mainstay in my library ever since. I admit most of the information contained within is very familiar to me, ingrained knowledge even, but I first picked up much within these pages and still keep two copies of the book--one hardcover, one soft--on my shelves even if I don't consult it as often as I did in the beginning. I still refer to it though and always enjoy the time I spend engrossed in its pages.
Here is the book description:
This volume contains twenty-four of the best known fairy tales in the English language, presented here in the exact words of their first English publication or of the earliest surviving text. Including "Sleeping Beauty," "Bluebeard," "Cinderella," "Thumbelina," and "Hansel and Gretel," as well as many others, this collection provides a historical introduction for each tale and a general Introduction which traces the history of fairy tales collected in Asia and Europe long before they appeared in English.
But the book is much more (and a little less) than that. First of all, it collects many illustrations of various tales, too, enchancing the varied history of the tales. Also the volume as well as each tale are given a solid introduction, providing historical background and some analysis of the tales. However, when the volume states that these are the first English versions of the tales, that is mostly true. It offers the first English translations of the most well-known versions of the popular tales, such as Perrault's Cinderella and the Grimms' Hansel and Gretel. In other words, this doesn't mean that the earliest versions of the tales are present in the book, such as the early Italian variants, for less popular variants usually existed previously to Perrault and Grimms. That said, the translations are intriguing and the Opies will often explain the liberties taken with the translations and compare the tales to other variants, too. What they offer is educational and unique in its context.
Overall, the book is a great introduction and thus start to creating a fairy tale apologist. It worked for me. Of course, several other books have helped to make me and SurLaLune what we are today. Those will be discussed thoughout October.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Realms of Fantasy: Fairytale Cinema and Spectatorship by Alison Tedman
Today's the last day of the month and thus the last day of Fairy Tale Film Month here on SurLaLune. As one of the final posts in the theme for this month, I wanted to share an upcoming book of which I know very little. That is Realms of Fantasy: Fairytale Cinema and Spectatorship by Alison Tedman. Now I haven't been able to find very reliable information on this title. The cover image comes from Columbia University Press's website with a 2009 publication date listed for a cloth edition, but I can't find any record of this book actually having been in print yet. (I can, of course, always be wrong, but it's not in WorldCat which is rather telling.) Now it is listed on Amazon with a January 2012 release date.
Here's the description from the publisher:
This volume brings together critical approaches from fairytale studies, film studies, and feminist studies, including philosophical and psychoanalytic methodologies. It analyzes fairytale strategies and enunciation, explores the role of fantasy in the spectatorship of fairytale cinema, and considers the potential for the feminine voice.I can't wait to see the table of contents.
And since this is one of my pet topics, I am intrigued. I find myself overall bored with most of Hollywood's offerings these days. I find the portrayal of women to be way behind what exists in the real world, in books and even on television where women are given a wider range of roles and characters. Thus the reason I rarely go to the movies anymore but spend the time and money on TV series for my entertainment with my husband who is an avid tv and film watcher. So I am curious to see what this book offers when it is released.
I'll post more about this in the future when I learn more...
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Happy Michaelmas!
Well, today is Michaelmas. If you celebrate, enjoy! If you don't and want to know more, there's a helpful entry on Wikipedia. Yes, it has been primarily a religious holiday, but it is also strongly associated with the autumnal equinox--which I neglected to post about last week--and is often observed along with that, too.
I also found this website helpful about Michaelmas where you can read about customs, history, etc. And yes, I count this as pertinent to SurLaLune as part of customs and traditions with associated folklore, albeit they are primarily religious traditions which have a heavy influence on folklore.
Cinderella (1899): A Film by George Méliès
It just wouldn't be fairy tale film month if we didn't salute Georges Méliès, one of the fathers of fairy tale film. You can find many of his films on YouTube as well as several DVDs, of which the highest recommended is Georges Melies: First Wizard of Cinema 1896-1913.
Here is a video of his 1899 Cinderella film. Be warned that you need the neweset version of the Adobe Flash Player to view it. (Or at least I did. Annoying thing, software upgrades.)
Yes, I know fairy tale film month has been Cinderella heavy, but then so is the fairy tale world. I can't help that Méliès was inspired by Cinderella instead of say, Little Red Riding Hood, a perfectly popular French fairy tale, too. He was acactually so fascinated with the story that he made another film of it in 1912 although I didn't find that one online in my quick searches. He also explored the Arabian Nights which I will also embed in two parts below.
Shrinky Dinks!
Shrinky Dinks! I reveal my age when I say I adored Shrinky Dinks when I would color and bake them with my best friend Keri in fourth grade during our Friday night sleepovers. I stumbled across these when looking for something else a while back and have been flirting with them in my cart ever since. With a nephew and niece coming to visit in the coming months, I am tempted to get some and try them out again. No, there are no fairy tale ones, but there are mermaids and fairies which we discuss enough around here to merit their appearance. There are also aliens and pirates and monsters, oh my! I really wish there were dragons since that is what my niece is most fascinated with these days. Oh well. There's always the make your own kits and we do have a resident artist on hand with John. (He drew Leighton as an elfin archer last time she was here which totally made her night.)
Shruti Hassan on set of Oh My Friends
Shruti Hassan Beautiful Photos at Oh My Friend pm, 09 more images after the break...
Ritemail Picdump — 51 Pics
Rritemail Picdump, 49 more images after the break...
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Arnold Schwarzenegger Daughter
If Arnold Schwarzenegger and ex-wife Maria Shriver haven’t been very talkative about their divorce, not the same can be said about their eldest daughter. Katherine Schwarzenegger spoke about her parents’ divorce for the first time of in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar. 09 more after the break...
Attraction of Banknotes
Many countries in the world, causing banknotes cultural heritage sites and various attractions. 13 more after the break...
10 Facts about America and Americans
01. The average American consumes 800 grams per year of chewing gum. 50% of the gum is spit out on the sidewalks, park benches and under the seats in public transport.
About residents of the United States there are so many stereotypes and misconceptions. And there are simple – the bare facts. A dozen of them today, I have decided to share with you …09 more after the break...
Now in eBook Format: Bluebeard Tales From Around the World
Bluebeard Tales From Around the World
is now available as an ebook. It is priced $9.99 compared to $39.99 for the paper version (although Amazon has the paper discounted to $31.57 for now). I'll be reading from the book at the Southern Festival of Books, too. If you happen to be in the Nashville area that weekend. I'll be appearing Sunday, October 16, 12:00pm - 1:00pm on the Chapter 16 Stage.
Jim Henson's The Frog Prince and Hey Cinderella and Bremen and Others
And, yes, while we have Jim Henson on the brain, I might as well post about his Frog Prince film, too. This is another fan/cult favorite. This time I will link to one of the videos on YouTube since this one has never been released to DVD to my knowledge. There are VHS tapes around, but how many people even have a VHS player anymore? I do, but I am a rarity. And I don't own this.
And while we're here, I'll add Henson's Hey Cinderella and Muppet Musicians of Bremen. All of these were made for tv, but that's film and they are charming. I didn't go hunting for the shorts available in Muppet Classic Theater,
but I am sure you can find those, too, if you look. They include "The Three Little Pigs", "King Midas", "Rumplestiltskin", "The Boy Who Cried Wolf", "The Elves & The Shoemaker", and "The Emperor's New Clothes". The Frog Prince:
Hey Cinderella:
Muppet Musicians of Bremen:
Jim Henson's The Storyteller
Last month when my niece was visiting, I pulled out Jim Henson's the Storyteller - The Definitive Collection
when we had exhausted our supply of Merlin
. (Leighton adores Merlin
!) Alas, I started with one that disturbed her a little due to the thought of babies in jeopardy--The Three Ravens--and after that she was done. So, no, this is most likely not for most kids under age 10. Leighton is 8.5 and has read Harry Potter, Rick Riordan and the Eragon series multiple times so she is not a shrinking violet. And, of course, I was inspired by John Hurt's voice over as the dragon in Merlin to pull out Storyteller and show him in action to Leighton. He does have a wonderful voice for both roles.But I hadn't watched an episode in years and wow, John and I were charmed all over again and wished I'd picked another to initiate Leighton. Jim Henson's 75th birthday just passed last week and I was reminded how he is one of the few celebrities whose death made me cry. I still wish we had been able to keep him longer, but I'm grateful for his body of work and legacy. Storyteller is one of the pinnacles of his career, cut too short. And now we're also missing the Storyteller writer Anthony Minghella who died a few years ago, too.
With the Muppets getting a big publicity push again with the upcoming movie this holiday season, don't forget Henson's other work with fairy tales. Unfortunately, the DVDs are out of print again, but there are videos on YouTube. I won't link them since they are copyrighted--I know other things I sometimes link probably are, too, but these are available in other ways, so I won't this time. For one thing, I imagine they will eventually be taken down, so I hate to link and the video quality isn't as wonderful as a DVD. Hopefully these will be released again soon.
Fairy Tale Films: Visions of Ambiguity
This is a slightly edited repost of another fairy tale film book. The readership has almost doubled since this was posted, so I wanted to make it sure it was highlighted again for fairy tale film month.
Fairy Tale Films: Visions of Ambiguity
edited by Pauline Greenhill and Sidney Eve Matrix with an introduction by Jack Zipes was released in August 2010. This is another great resource for the theme, especially if any of the films discussed are of interest to the reader.Description from the publisher:
In this, the first collection of essays to address the development of fairy tale film as a genre, Pauline Greenhill and Sidney Eve Matrix stress, "the mirror of fairy-tale film reflects not so much what its audience members actually are but how they see themselves and their potential to develop (or, likewise, to regress)." As Jack Zipes says further in the foreword, “Folk and fairy tales pervade our lives constantly through television soap operas and commercials, in comic books and cartoons, in school plays and storytelling performances, in our superstitions and prayers for miracles, and in our dreams and daydreams. The artistic re-creations of fairy-tale plots and characters in film—the parodies, the aesthetic experimentation, and the mixing of genres to engender new insights into art and life— mirror possibilities of estranging ourselves from designated roles, along with the conventional patterns of the classical tales.”
Here, scholars from film, folklore, and cultural studies move discussion beyond the well-known Disney movies to the many other filmic adaptations of fairy tales and to the widespread use of fairy tale tropes, themes, and motifs in cinema.
And from Zipes' introduction:
The essays in Fairy Tale Film seek to keep our eyes open and sharpen our perspective. Folk and fairy tales pervade our lives constantly through television soap operas and commercials, in comic books and cartoons, in school plays and storytelling performances, in our superstitions and prayers for miracles, and in our dreams and daydreams. The artistic re-creations of fairy-tale plots and characters in filmýthe parodies, the aesthetic experimentation, and the mixing of genres to engender new insights into art and lifeýare significant because they mirror possibilities of estranging ourselves from designated roles and the conventional patterns of the classical tales. As Greenhill and Matrix stress in their introduction, "the mirror of fairy-tale film reflects not so much what its audience members actually are but how they see themselves and their potential to develop (or, likewise, to regress)."
You can also see the table of contents with a strange bookviewer on the press page for the book. (It was too long to try to reformat for this post.) Overall, it appears to be discussing the usual suspects--Company of Wolves
, Pan's Labyrinth
, the Harry Potter movies with Ever After
and Enchanted
thrown in this time. And Eyes Wide Shut
? Okay then. :)What will be interesting is the literature that will arrive in a few years after the new slew of fairy tale movies we are being promised by the media, most of them not from Disney. I'm so glad that SurLaLune is a perennial project...
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