Original "The Wizard of Oz" in 3D Imax

 

One of the favorite - if not THE favorite - children's movies of all times, "The Wizard of Oz" is being re-released for it's 75th anniversary in a new cleaned up, restored, high definition, 3D IMAX edition, before being released on Blu-Ray/DVD.

When I first heard about it, I was, in order: ecstatic, concerned, skeptical. How could I not be excited at seeing one of my all-time favorite movies again on the big screen (I've been lucky to see it five times in a theatre)? Then, I have to question, why? Isn't being one of the world's most popular films, that has won the test of time for almost a century, and filled with iconic characters that are immediately recognizable by most people, enough?! Does it need to be "modernized?" Then, will all the special bells and whistles overpower what is basically a small, simple story of a girl who just wants to go home?

 

Well, let's get the negatives out of the way first: this re-issue is only running for one week - which is not NEARLY enough time for all the people to see it who should see it. This definitely could have been a summer blockbuster!

From the opening black and white scenes, the cleaned up and restored print shows every stitch on the costumes and the 3D shows depth and adds interest in every scene. You see things you don't remember ever seeing before. The inside of Professor Marvel's caravan never looked as magical to me. You actually see/FEEL the cyclone moving closer to the farm, and Dorothy's visions out the window into the cyclone really seem to be flying past her - but behind her - as only 3D can achieve.

There is the legendary story of the studio execs who wanted to cut the number "Over the Rainbow" from the film because they felt the song slowed down the movie at that point. In this version, blasphemy though it may seem, I agree. There's lots of action - we're getting accustomed to the brilliant and clarity of the print - the 3D aspects and the IMAX larger-than-life images - and suddenly everything stops for this child to sing this plaintive - albeit gorgeous - song. I am a real Wizard of Oz purist and fan, so I'm not for a moment suggesting this song ever be cut! However, I'm wondering if perhaps later in the film might not be a better spot for it to show up (maybe after the Wizard's hot air balloon flies off without her?).

Then, of course, the moment we all wait for: when Dorothy opens the plain and simple door of her black and white world into the technicolor splendor of Oz. Well. It's there. Everything you hoped/wished for and more. It is amazing seeing every single prop and set piece set into 3D - and you can see that some of it is molded something-or-other, heavily lacquered to a sheen and some of it is formed fabric and organza, transparent and magical. 

Now the clarity becomes amazing. You can count the freckles on the young Garland's face and count the checks in her frock. Without seeing it, it's impossible to describe the feeling of seeing the movie for the first time, even though you know you've seen a hundred times before! When Glenda arrives in her shimmering magical bubble, you can see every single sequin sewn onto her gown, and see the shape of every design on her crown. Positively amazing. Again, all of this merely supports and enhances the story and doesn't distract from it.

  

Some mention must be given to the new awareness of the make up used in this filming - and how it has never really been able to be seen before.

 

  

 The Scarecrow's face actually looks as if it were made of burlap - at first I thought perhaps they had latexed burlap onto his face, but then realized that all Ray Bolgers' facial lines and expressions were perfectly clear, so this had to have been a special make-up procedure. Awesome result!

Jack Haley's silver make up wasn't quite as successful. Knowing that originally Buddy Ebsen was to play this part, until he became allergic to the aluminum dust that was being painted on him and had to be put into an iron lung to be kept alive, no doubt the studio went out of their way to protect their new Tinsman. But the make up was often smudged and his regular skin showed through clearly at times. It was not enough to be distracting - but, certainly was never visible before the enormity and clarity of IMAX. 

Alas, the witch just looked like she had on green make up. The upside of this is that every nuance of acting is visible on screen and nothing is obscured by the fact that she is green. But, nonetheless, she doesn't look like a green woman, she looks like a woman with green make up on. However, she's still as evil - or even more so - as ever and can scare the socks off of you!

  

Another thumbs up to the sound technicians who have cleaned up the soundtrack. Crystal clear and marvelously pitched to the story so that it always enhances the film and doesn't distract.

There are hundreds of other details that I just can't mention - there are too too many. The flying monkeys (oh, the faces!), the witch's crystal ball, the stunning costumes on the Winkies, the depth and fearsomeness of the great Wizard head in the Hall of the Wizard - even Aunt Em's yummy looking cruellers! Every scene has something you never really noticed - or were able to see - before.

A final shout out to the backdrops. Now that the screen is in 3D and has real "depth," you are really able to focus on the magical and fantastical backdrops used in the movie and all the props that are contained within the scenes!

This should be seen by every "The Wizard of Oz" fan. Find the nearest IMAX theatre and get tickets! We're lucky - we have an IMAX only 15-20 minutes from home - but for this I would have made a day trip out of it - it was that good! If you're not a "The Wizard of Oz" fan, this edition is not going to change  your mind. It's the same movie, enhanced lovingly beyond measure, but the same nonetheless.

Then, after you see it, go home and make something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

Giveaway News for All Cricut Users ...

Just click here to enter!    http://bit.ly/18NeaHe

... and now go make something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

Two For Tuesday Blog Hop! Altered Pages and Bombshell Stamps!

Today's the Two-for-One blog hop collaboration between

Bombshell Stamps 

and 

Altered Pages

More than likely, you're already familiar with these two fabulous supplies for the mixed media artist.

If not, Bombshell Stamps sells vintage art and stamps (both digital and rubber) - with attitude!

Altered Pages has long been a favorite supplier to artists and crafters with a wide array of artists supplies, materials, tools, media - and a bazillion-and-one collage sheets with something for everyone and every taste! Almost all the images I use in my work come from Altered Pages - and I'm proud to be on their design team!

Let's the get the blog-hop-business out of the way right now. There's some terrific prizes being provided by Bombshell Stamps and Altered Pages for the blog hop. I'm sure you've been reading about them on all the other blogs, so I won't bog you down with a list of the goodies - but there's some terrific stuff! All you have to do is follow Altered Pages on Facebook, and leave a comment on every artist's blog who is participating in the hop. That's it!

My western bombshell art is a mixture of vintage fabrics and handmade papers. The images are digital (Bombshell Stamps) using the digi-stamps 'Hearts of the Old West' and 'Wanted Poster'; and image transfers to coffee-stained fabric using photo images from the Altered Pages collage sheet 'Vintage Cowgirls AP250.' Of course, since it's me, it's overly embellished and heavily decorated with both vintage and aged new doo-dads and gee-gaws. As always, if you click an image it will enlarge and you will get a much closer view.

Thanks for stopping by! Time for you to mosey along to the next ranch on the hop! Please leave a comment - and come back to visit again, ya' hear?!

So what are you waiting for let's get hopping!

Start at

Bombshell Stamps Blog

and then hop onto our Design Teams Blogs

Kelli Green

Leslie Rahye

Katie Shanahan-Jones

Trisha Too

Alison Heikkila

Roni Johnson

Jodi Elam

Lyneen Jesse

Alaine Medio

Daniella Hayes

Kim Gaughan

Becky Voth

Sharon Rogers

Tristan Robin Blakeman

Jenn Cochran

Danie May

Marnie Bushmole

Stephanie Siatta

Kathi Rerek

Gia Lau

and finish back here at

Altered Pages Blog

Then, go make something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

Review: Stephen King's "Under the Dome"

Under the Dome by Stephen King
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Okay. I will admit that I got this book because I have been following the tv series and am enjoying it.

First things first: this book is NOTHING like the tv series. And that isn't a bad thing! It has been very freely adapted, and the plot, the characters, the general tone of the book and the program are totally different.

Now, for the basic second part: I found this boring as all get out. I did like the characters (nobody can write mean-spirited rednecks like Stephen King!). Two of the characters are basically the same in the book as the program (the newspaper woman and the newcomer to town), but almost everybody else is dramatically different - if not changed completely. The villain in the book is a villain - whereas on tv he's a little more well-rounded. I think the actor can be thanked for that.

Like all King's novels that I've read, there is blood and guts and gore aplenty. Some of the descriptions are downright disgusting, albeit realistic.

One final note - this book does not stop. It just goes like the Everready bunny! I read it on ColorNook and it was 1300+ pages. Frankly, other than "War and Peace," no book needs to be that long. And this one especially. The last 300 pages (yes, the last 300 pages) are the slowest and most drawn-out dramatic finale I've ever encountered. And the most absurd. But I won't get into that spoil for anybody who might be interested in reading it. But after reading 1000 pages of a book, I was SO disappointed (and, frankly, shocked!) by the sophomoric and obvious basis for the entire book.

So - very well-written and believable characters with some crackling good dialogue and humor, in the longest, poorest excuse for fantasy/horror/sci-fi I've run across in a long time. The best thing about it is that it was on sale at Barnes and Noble Nook Store - if I had paid full price for this I would be grumbling ... as it is, I'm only grumpy that I fell for the advertising hype!

You'd be much better off, going to make something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥ 

 

Feel Like a Bombshell at a Rodeo?

I have the blog hop for you!

Save August 27th for some rowdy - and bawdy! - art!

Now, go make something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

Provocative Overlooked and Forgotten 1980 Film

In 1901 Ed and Jack Biddle robbed a small store in Mt. Washington, Pennsylvania and the owner was fatally shot. After a blazing gun battle, the gang of two was captured and they were convicted and sentenced to hang. Kate Soffel was the wife of the warden at the jail and she took an interest in the prisoners and attempted to rehabilitate them ... an occupation not unusual for her. However, a romance flourished between her and Ed and with the help of a guard she smuggled a gun to him and they escaped shooting a guard in the process. They made their way north into Butler County to the Graham farm where McGovern had laid a trap for them. The Biddle's were killed in a shoot-out with police in which Ed shot Kate at her request. Kate survived to stand trial and served several years in prison. After her release she made a brief attempt at acting but the play was closed by the courts. She became a dressmaker and died of typhoid fever in Pittsburgh.

 the actual Kate Soffel in a tabloid story about the prison break-out and scandalous affair

This story is so sensational, it would seem that there would be lots written about it and lots of places to find facts. In actuality, little was actually written at the time, and most of that was in a piece called "Buck McGovern and the Biddle Boys" written by Arthur Forrest, who wrote for small, trashy magazines around the turn of the century  (similar to The National Enquirer, magazines which were not very accurate but were packed with information), so I'm not entirely sure how much of the film is a presentation of true events and how much was glamorized for the pulp magazines and re-glamorized again for the movie. One thing was clear: the Biddle brothers and Mrs. Soffel were all especially attractive, and though the brothers were criminals and Mrs. Soffel was married - to the jail warden no less! - they all had their admirers and would-be sweethearts.

So few facts are known that the actual last years of Kate Soffel's life are misty and unclear. One thing is clear - during the final shoot out with the police, Ed did shoot Mrs. Soffel at her request. Some recounts have her dying. Others have her surviving and serving a prison term. Some say she she lived a few more years as the owner of a seamstress shop before succumbing to tuberculosis - others say that before she became a seamstress, she took her biographical tale to the stage, until the authorities shut it down and it was banned.

So there was a plethora of material available - some bona fide, some questionable - in 1984, when Gillian Armstrong (Little Women, Oscar and Lucinda, My Brilliant Career, among many others) made her film version with Diane Keaton, Mel Gibson and Matthew Modine. And, in many ways, the film is as indefinite as the facts surrounding the story. There is no definite hardline that the brothers are guilty of the crime for which they are to hang (in real life, apparently there is no question about that part of the history); we never really know why Mrs. Soffel falls in love with Ed Biddle (beyond a heartbreakingly beautiful young Mel Gibson's face and physique); we don't know why Mrs. Soffel is so strangled and unhappy in her marriage to the average pleasant Mr Soffel (played by Edward Herrmann). These are all facts to be taken for granted by the viewer, and nothing more to be said about it. But, as in the hands of all master filmmakers, it works. I never questioned any of it for a moment (until the film was over and I thought about writing this piece about it LOL).

 The film is dark, moody, atmospheric, claustrophobic - and yet, oddly, beautiful to watch. It's as if the camera has been used to loving photograph every soot-covered slab of stone and rank puddle of water. The director also shoots the men, Gibson and Modine, in a manner usually reserved for men photographing the beauties of their day. Her languorously long close-ups of Gibson reminds one of the care taken when photographing Julie Christie in Doctor Zhivago or Faye Dunaway in Chinatown. To realize the care used in photographing him, one only has to remember that within two years, Gibson will make Mad Max and Lethal Weapon - when his handsome face is a roadmap of wrinkles; yet, in this film, his skin is absolutely flawless without even the hit of future wrinkles. Diane Keaton, of course, has always been a singular beauty, but even Matthew Modine, as the younger Biddle brother looks handsome and alluring. For two men living on gruel in a prison cell, their skin has the radiant glow of an inner light.

If you haven't seen this film since the 1980's, revisit it. It's a journey well taken. And if you have never seen it, grab a cup of something warm and comforting and settle in for two hours of atmospheric provocation. Measured and meandering, the film takes its time to get to where it's going (110 minutes), but you'll enjoy every step. There is time to ponder the questions posed (but never answered): is the three month illness Mrs. Soffel has at the beginning of the film a physical ailment, or is her recuperation the end of a bout of depression?; did the director intend for the prison to be symbolic as both Mrs. Soffel's physical and emotional incarceration?; Did Ed Biddle truly love Mrs. Soffel, or did he play her like a harp, seeing in her the possibility of getting the files and guns required for a prison break?; unlike Nora in A Doll's House, there is little distress at Mrs. Soffel leaving behind her children - is this a character point? an oversight? a point that has been glossed over for time's sake? Anyway, it is not addressed - and seems to be an important one. Again, these are questions to engage in after the film is over, and not to be taken as criticism, as I feel they add to the overall mystique and intrigue of the film.

It also should be noted that Diane Keaton was nominated for a Golden Globe award for her performance and Gillian Anderson was both nominated and won several European awards for her directing of the film.

 

I hope you enjoy the film - I don't know why it was so overlooked at the time of its release - and when it's finished, go make something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

Amazing $75 Giveaway From The Elli Blog!

 

Calling all brides and lovers of all things paper! You are not going to want to miss this fabulous giveaway. One lucky elli blog reader will win a $75 gift voucher to use towards our collection of personalized thank you cards on elli.com – 

perfect for sending wedding thank you notes or a sweet message to a friend.

 

To enter our custom thank you card $75 voucher giveaway, all you have to do is use the giveaway widget below (the widget is used to select the winner). Once you log in with your facebook account or email address, you will be shown 6 different ways to enter the contest – you can choose to do 1 or all of them. The more you do, the better your chances of winning!

 

Just click here to enter! Good luck!!!

and after you enter, go make something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

Have a bang-up Fourth of July!

Scorchin Hot Summer Steampunk Celebration Blog Hop!

Yes, indeed, it's time for another blog hop! This time we're playing with Leslie Rahye and her Scorchin' Hot Summer Steampunk Celebration Blog hop!

This is my contribution this time ... every year I send my mother a Fourth of July postcard, so this year I incorporated the themes of the blog hop into the postcard. I've been having a dickens of a time getting paint to dry and embossing powder to emboss - it's so humid here! I even tried turning off the air conditioner to see if that would help - but realized if I tried that experiment much longer, I would become a single man again. Here's my scorchin' hot steampunk babe 4th of July postcard contribution!

Now, be sure to visit all the blogs on the hop - and leave them a comment so they know that you were there! ... and then go make something beautiful! ♥´¨) ¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

International Fairy Day Blog Hop

Welcome to Leslie Rahye's 

International Fairy Day Blog Hop!

I realized that before I captured a fairy and put her in a special glass home, I had to actually

make the special glass home! Where does any self-respecting glass home for fairies come

from? Why...The Goodwill Store, of course! I found the perfect shaped jar to keep my fairy

comfortable in, and parted with my $1.29 and brought my future fairy abode home.

I started by making a lid for the jar from chipboard and Prima "Fairy Whisper" paper.

I added some gardener's left-over cuttings, crystal fringe velvet ribbon, sequins, and used polymer flowers and imported heavily decorated beads. Then I glittered some Dresden scrap and wrapped it around the edge of the lid.

I wrapped some bronze metal bead chain around the jar and dangled embellishments that I thought might intrigue my captured fairy - a miniature portrait, a miniture key, miniature brass leaves, miniature brass birdhouse and frame and some lovely fibers and ribbons.

To the inside of the jar, I added gilded branches, handmade mulberry roses, fairy glitter, moss and dyed dried vines. 

What a comfortable and elegant glass home for a fairy to live in!

I found my fairy fairly quickly in the freshly trimmed branches in the front yard. And what a fairy! A fairy queen - complete in 18th century Marie Antoinette garb and wings reminiscent of fine

German paper scrap renderings!

Quickly, I put my fairy into my glass fairy house before she could get away - and here is, ready to celebrate International Fairy Day with Leslie Rahye's International Fairy Blog Hop!

Now, it's time to hop to all the other participating blogs and see what they have in their clever and talented heads to celebrate International Fairy Day!

Participating in today's festivities are:

Catching Fairies on International Fairy Day ....

No! We're not grabbing our butterfly nets and setting out to entrap RuPaul! 

 

It's

leslierahye's International Fairy Day Blog Hop

On Monday, June 24, beginning at 2pm CST, join a talented group of artists celebrating

International Fairy Day by creating and sharing special fairy art, projects and crafts honoring

the mystical magic of fairies!

Be sure to mark your calendar - and go here to RSVP and let us know you'll be attending!

We'll all be waiting for you!

....now go make something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

It all began with a line of Persian poetry . . .

Anna and Nouri, both studying in Chicago, fall in love despite their very
different backgrounds. Anna, who has never been close to her parents, is
more than happy to return with Nouri to his native Iran, to be embraced by
his wealthy family. Beginning their married life together in 1978, their world
is abruptly turned upside down by the overthrow of the Shah, and the rise
of the Islamic Republic.

Under the Ayatollah Khomeini and the Republican Guard, life becomes
increasingly restricted and Anna must learn to exist in a transformed world,
where none of the familiar Western rules apply. Random arrests and torture
become the norm, women are required to wear hijab, and Anna discovers
that she is no longer free to leave the country.

As events reach a fevered pitch, Anna realizes that nothing is as she thought,
and no one can be trusted…not even her husband.

I though this was a fascinating book. I enjoyed discovering, along with the book's heroine,

the Iran and its customs both before, and after, the fall of the Shah and the to power of the 

Ayatollah Khomeini. The last fifth or so of the book, when it was supposed to get 

suspenseful and take a more standard path for thrillers, it didn't hold together for me. 

But the the first 80% was just terrific and I enjoyed and recommended it.

On Goodreads, I gave it four out of five stars.

Get yourself a copy - then go make some something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

 

Enter the "Dolls" Theme Altered Pages Challenge!

The Altered Pages Challenge Blog in June has a classic theme

Baby Dolls

Okay, I have to admit that I don't have much interest in baby dolls ... but I do 

like to participate in the challenges. So this was my take on the theme.

First, I used an image from the Altered Pages collage sheet that has always made me smile.

This girl just looks like the most unpleasant, greedy, piggy little girl ever. The kind who would never share or let another little girl play with her dolls. I love her. Isn't she great?!

Then I realized that I had a few miniature Paris flower buckets which I had filled with vintage dolls which might come into use. I like the idea of having these bizarre creatures used as bouquets, but anything for an Altered Pages Challenge contest!

For the inquiring minds, yes, I have several of these doll bouquets - they often get used after being steampunked beyond recognition on art pieces.

So with my Altered Pages collage image, some 3D Lacquer, the lettering from the Graphic 45 "French Country" collection, some Paris Trunk Eco-Friendly Ink (all available at Altered Pages!) and a few paper flowers and vintage crochet trim and Liquid Pearls, I created my contribution to the 

Baby Dolls challenge.

I hope you like her. I have titled it

"I Love My Dolls to Pieces"

Be sure to enter your Baby Dolls inspiration at Altered Pages Challenges Blog!

Terrific prizes go to the winners! (Trust me, you wanna win!)

... now go make something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥

Everyday Finery for the Discerning Gentlemen

For a long time, boutonnières have been thought of as archaic, and something reserved for formal occasions - weddings, proms, cotillions, and other events too few in most lifetimes to bother learning about.

And, though they were popular for men in daily wear during the Victorian times (and even earlier), they made a real come-back for the debonair well-dressed gentlemen mid 20th century, when popularized by some of the most suave and considered sophisticated men of the silver screen.

 
The boutonnière, also known as 'the button hole,' could be anything as humble as a daisy to as elegant as a rose. Most popular was the carnation - a flower readily available and sturdy enough to withstand a day without water in a buttonhole without wilting too badly and still looking nice.

Statice, or sea lavender, is another bloom that will withstand long periods with water and 

retain its freshness.

Roses have long been considered an elegant accessory to a fine suit - and add a splash of color to even the most conservative and dignified of suits.

However, the boutonnière is making a come-back for everyday wear, thanks to stylish and dare-to-be-elegant stars like Sean "Diddy" Combs,

 

frontman Chris (Coldplay) Martin

and movie star, Viggo Mortensen.

To learn more about the button hole from the tailor's point of view (most cheap suits don't have a button hole constructed sturdy enough to hold up a boutonnière today), click here. 

As the website "The Art of Manliness" states:

Why Wear a Boutonnière? 

Why should a man wear a flower on his lapel, especially when he is likely to be the only fellow sporting one?  I’ll give you three reasons: 

1.  It’s a great conversation starter – I guarantee someone will ask about it; the key is to be confident as to why you are wearing it. If a compliment is given, simply say thank you, and then move on with the conversation unless your conversation partner(s) wishes to dwell on it.  Nothing sours a conversation more than a man who displays arrogance and who talks about himself too much – the flower in your lapel should be like a spark….a conversation starter, not the subject of the conversation.

2.  You have something to give – How many times have you spent a wonderful evening with a woman you just met, and at the end of the night the only thing you can give her is your business card?  Try leaving her with something a bit more unique and memorable.  Or perhaps you want to make your aunt’s 70^th birthday even more special – there are few things nicer to receive than a sincere showing of love accompanied by a flower.

3.  It shows you pay attention to details – When wearing a boutonniere, it’s about realizing and showing that the little things matter.

...Now, go make something beautiful!

♥´¨)
¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*´¨)
(¸.•´ (¸.•´♥ Tristan ♥ 

Many of the images in this post have come from the website "The Art of Manliness"