Ian McKellen and Judi Dench Share Tea and Memories of Their Legendary Macbeth

Back in 1979, Judy Dench and Ian McKellen (then without the Dame and the Sir in front of their names) gave me one of life’s Uh huh moments, when I sat down to watch them star in a TV production of Macbeth.  I had studied the play at school and, frankly, it hadn’t lit my candle, let alone fire.  I think I struggled to relate to Macbeth and his wife – and although I didn’t find the text impenetrable, I think the fact that the “performances” were left to me and my classmates (we didn’t have a video player in my school) – not to mention my frazzled English teacher, the real power of the dialogue did not hit home. 

Shakespeare didn’t write his plays for them to be read, let alone by (fairly) bored schoolchildren many centuries later.  He wrote them to be performed, and so the experience of watching McKellen and Dench immerse themselves in these roles – accompanied by very few props – was transformative.  That uh huh moment was realising that not only were their performances brilliant, but the play was too.  Staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company with Trevor Nunn at the helm, the production began with all the characters sitting on blocks around a dark circle – immediately catching my attention.  From there, Dame Judy and Sir Ian took centre stage and the rest (along with my love of Shakespeare) is history.

Cut to today, and it’s great to see these two giants of acting sitting together for a cup of tea and a chat.  Watch the video below.

Oh, and if you are interested in watching the Shakespeare production that entirely changed my view of Shakespeare in two hours, here is the 1979 production of Macbeth, starring Ian McKellen and Judy Dench in its entirety – it was remastered this year.

Plus, here they are reminiscing about the prodction of Macbeth. THey are obviously the best of friends!

 

How Do You Restore a 600-Year-Old Painting? Jan van Eyck’s Portrait of a Man

 
Portrait of a Man by Jan van Eyk was painted in 1433, and it is believed to be a self-portrait.  If that is the case, then van Eyk would probably reject the idea of the filters we use on our everyday snaps – his painting is unsparing to say the least, stubble, wrinkles and bloodshot eyes all infer that Jan was probably not a vain man.  But the execution is exquisite – no wonder, then, that it has been prized for so long.

It is staggering, sometimes, to look at an old painting and come to the realisation that it is over 600 years old.  The very fact that it still exists is a triumph not only over time, but with the social changes it brings with it – so much stuff ends up in bins because it is out of fashion, but wait a few decades and it would probably bounce right back into our hearts and minds.  Then, of course, there are things like war, which make the likelihood of something surviving for so long even slimmer. 

Then there is the introduction of tobacco, the smoke from which has covered many a fine piece of art with a layer of dirt that is very difficult for an “amateur” to successfully remove.  Finally, there is the attempts at restoration – or even the decision to add elements to a painting – which often make things worse rather than better.  The infamous example of Ecce Homo (look it up!) serves as a warning to the well-meaning but effectively inept hand of the untrained.  Thank goodness, then, that there are people like conservator Jill Dunkerton, who works for The National Gallery in London.  Here, she takes us through the processes involved in restoring and conserving Jan van Eyk’s sublime Portrait of a Man (the painting has resided at The National since 1851). Watch the fascinating video below.

Pearl: A Moving Animated Short About Drag, Family Rejection and Finding Acceptance

Pearl is a drag queen – and a young one at that.  And even though she has managed to bloom into her drag persona there is still one thing that hurts inside.  That is the rejection that she has faced from her mother.   One night, during her performance, she notices a familiar face in the audience…

Parental rejection is still something that impacts a lot of young people, which is a great shame in this day and age.  This animated short from a group of students tells the story of just one young person – who fortunately seems to have created their own support network already.  It’s bright, gaudy and irrepressible in its depiction of the drag queen, but carries something of a sombre message below the bright lights and the makeup. Bravo to the students (Aurélien David, Lisa Soulie; Meïssan Couren, Sabine Fabbiani, Erwan Barhmi, Julien Commercon, Yaël Balanca, Thomas Corvalan, Emma Ohlicher) who directed the film and all the others involved in this entertaining and worthy project.

Visiting Skellig Michael: Tommy Tiernan Explores Ireland’s Ancient Monastery

We have “visited” Skellig Michael before at Kuriositas, but this video is a wonderful, personal tour of the island and its famous monastery (as featured in Star Wars!).  Nine miles off the coast of County Kerry in what most people would call the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, the island is home to lots and lots of birds and, of course, the monastery, which operated for 800 years.  Irish comedian, actor and writer Tommy Tiernan takes a trip to the island, and it has a profound effect on him.  One of the first things he realises is how steep the stairs up to the monastery are – and it’s not a pleasant walk up, but he is astounded by the sheer beauty of the place.  I can’t get over how cold the place must have been in the winter – I am unsure whether I could survive a day or tow there at any time of the year, but in the middle of our coldest season… it must have been brutal. image

Watch Tommy visit Skellig Michael below.

The Monument for a Dead Parrot and Other “Hidden” London Landmarks

London is quite big – and most people have heard of Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, the Tower of London – and so on.  Yet there are numerous other landmarks in London that often go unnoticed by the throngs of tourists.  Perhaps that isn’t such a bad thing, but some must be seen to be believed and others make you scratch your head about why they exist in the first place.  Take the Monument for a Dead Parrot, situated in the grounds of Devonport House in Greenwich.  It is thought to be a homage to Monty Python’s Dead Parrot sketch (look it up if you don’t know it), even though it is a sulfur-crested cockatoo rather than the entirely fictitious Norwegian Blue which featured in the infamous comedy sketch.  Created by artist Jon Reardon, it was placed in the grounds in 2009, with a short holiday away for the London Olympics in 2012. Image

YouTuber JackSucksAtLife gives us a tour of a number of strange, sometimes bewildering – even occasionally touching – London landmarks that you may not know exist.  They include the Cornhill Devils (the origins of which Jack explains in the video below), the stretcher railings, the grave of an unknown Roman girl, the dead parrot (of course) and many others.  Jack has a nice way of presenting, and if you want a guided tour of London’s more peculiar and less known landmarks and monuments, then Jack’s the lad for you…

Georgia’s Apkhazeti: Traditional Dance Meets Modern Music | Born from Culture

Born from Culture travels the world and tells stories of culture, told through movement. As part of its global film series created by James Fenwick, it recently travelled to Georgia, where this video was made.  It features the State Academic Song and Dance Ensemble “Apkhazeti” which is one of the most prominent folk ensembles associated with Abkhazia (part of Georgia, not part of Georgia – very much depends who you ask). The ensemble was founded in 1931 in Sukhumi and is dedicated to preserving and performing the traditional songs, dances, and folklore of the Abkhazian region. Following the conflict in Abkhazia in the early 1990s, the ensemble relocated to Tbilisi, Georgia. 

And it is Tbilisi where this remarkable film was made.  Combining the ancient traditions of Georgian dance with modern music, I love the way that this has been filmed.  It’s a great showcase for the spectacular folk dance performances of the country, featuring its trademark athletic leaps, precise footwork, and colourful traditional costumes - not to mention the Georgian dance acrobatic pyramid.  Have a watch below.

Godzilla Rocks

Do you see what I see? Utoro is a minor working fishing port on Japan’s second largest island, Hokkaido. It attracts a number of a tourists in its own right but for travellers it is best known as the principle access point for the beautiful Shiretoko Peninsula National Park.  However, as you can see from these pictures there is a rather large rock formation in the town which bears a close resemblance to an even larger creature of modern Japanese mythology – Godzilla.

Image Credit Flickr User alberth2

Jungle Race: A Blood-Soaked Planet of the Apes Meets Wacky Races

If you cross Planet of the Apes (featuring more simian species than usual) with Wacky Races and get Quentin Tarantino to direct, then I am pretty sure the result would be something like Jungle Race in all its blood and guts brilliance.  It is set at some point in the near future (love the city backdrops, overtaken by nature) where humanity has disappeared, leaving behind the ruins and a few parting gifts -cars that still work is the one the monkeys most prize (and there are even some motorbikes too).  There’s even a little homage to Herbie inside here – the Volkswagen one chimp character is driving has the number 53 painted on its rear (yay!).

This is gloriously gory stuff – please don’t watch it if you are of a delicate disposition.  Its mindless violence is something that will keep you up at night.  On the other hand, Jungle Race is also a fierce satire of our spectacle-driven society, where violence becomes entertainment, driven by an energetic, fast-paced edit, colourful art direction and a succession of spectacular action scenes.  Jungle Race was created by ten little monkeys from Brassart Grenoble (I spent a wonderful exchange visit there when I was 15), Nathan Stefen, Thomas Marsaudon, Tristan Forcheron, Justine Perrin, Loïc Noailhat, Charles Lardenois, Cyprien Cotton, Ezvin Manhes, Quentin Steinhilber, and Camille Tessier. Music is by Rémi Dutriez and Axel Leclère “Dogma”, with sound design by Coline ColombeT, Dan Ravot, and Benjamin Macé.

Titanic Recreated by Drones in Belfast to the Sound of “Nearer My God to Thee”

The Titanic tragedy continues to fascinate people around the world, and in March the ghost of the ship returned to Belfast – recreated by drones and a multitude of coloured lights.  This particular footage, which has only recently been released, allows us to witness the sheer scale of the Titanic as it was built.  It must have been a glorious sight, watching it sail out of Belfast Harbour on April 2, 1912.  The full-scale drone Titanic looks amazing in the video.  I am not sure how much this cost, or how many hours it collectively took to set this up, but bravo to everyone involved.

The drone display is accompanied by the complete performance of 'Nearer My God to Thee', arranged by Garth McConaghie, featuring Miadhachlughain (how do you pronounce that name?) O’Donnell on vocals and David McCann on cello. The hymn became strongly associated with the Titanic because of reports that the ship’s musicians played it as the vessel was sinking.  As such, it has become one of the most famous pieces of music connected with the disaster.  It is certainly a moving accompaniment to the drone display.

Radiohead’s Creep Covered by The Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones: Brilliant or Too Polished?

Radiohead’s Creep is one of my favourite songs, so when a cover pops up in my feed, I feel obliged to give it a listen (even though that word seems to have been permanently excised from the song, which makes it lose half its power).  Here’s another version by The Harvard-Radcliffe Veritones – it’s done a cappella and, well I’m not sure.  You make up your own mind.  I did enjoy it – I have to say, but perhaps it’s just a little too smooth for such an angsty song. There is no doubt that the execution of the song, from a technical perspective, is as near perfect as you can get.  The singers, too, are giving it all they have (and more), but I am not sure that the song’s lyrics lend themselves to this kind of style.  Still, I thought I would share it with you as it’s interesting.  My jury is out.  What do you think?

Unproductive: The AI Assistant That Takes Motivation Too Far

We all need a little prod, sometimes.  Motivation can wane, productivity can fall – and as for organisation – forget it.  So, when the hero of Unproductive, a science-fiction comedy short from Black Elk Films, discovers MOTIV AI, it seems like a panacea for all his human frailties (or at least his natural inclination to slob around the house).  Email – tick, exercise – tick, a glass of water – also a tick.  However, like that well-meaning friend who always seems to remind you of your shortcomings, MOTIV AI doesn’t quite know when to stop…

Written by and starring Jason Farries (who we last saw as an unhinged home-help android in Andy), this short has no pretension but a number of chuckles along the way.  The app is voiced by Ruby Izzard. If you feel under constant pressure to do more, feel more, be more, then Unproductive will quite likely resonate with you on a number of levels.  If you don’t feel motivated enough to watch it, then I think there may be an app to help you with that…

Go get yourself a glass of water and enjoy the film.

Football Picture Prompts & Story Scaffolds for GCSE English Language

I don’t really like football, to be honest – but many of my students do.  So much so, in fact, that I have been forced, coerced and badgered into creating a new resource about a soccer match and the final penalty shoot-out to get my reluctant creative writers to… write creatively!  Although you can see screenshots in this article, you can get hold of it here.

I created the resource a few months ago, and it has worked very well. Best of all – the learners have been very happy with the resulting complete stories that they have written.  Strangely, too, they have shown a much greater interest in reading each other’s work – even though they know what is going to happen in the story, they want to know how their friends have approached the writing of it.

Welcome to “The Final Kick”. This is an editable set of resources which, as you already know,  has gone down very well with my students, both male and female.  It is focused entirely on a few moments in a football match – the penalty shoot-out.  It may seem like it’s not going to go down too well with those who don’t like football, but I have found that these students have enjoyed it, and the soccer-mad boys and girls love it.

Sans-Souci – Carefree Palace of a Self-Made Monarch

The Haitian Revolution (1791 – 1804) had left Haiti independent from its old colonial master, France which itself had only recently felt the convulsions of civil insurgency itself. Yet it also left the country divided in to north and south. In the north, a remarkable yet despotic man came to be known as Henry I, King of Haiti (left) and held sway for a number of years. He decreed that a palace be constructed to be the centerpiece of his power. Sans-Souci, as it was named, was to be his Versailles.

This was a palace meant to display power, wealth and prestige – a slap in the face to the old colonial overlords. It was propaganda in the form of bricks and mortar. In modern day terms, you could even call it something of a spin palace.

Image Credit Flickr User AmbaFranceht

Image Credit Flickr User Le Corrigan

How Buffalo Slots Became a Casino Gaming Icon

For as long as we have had a casino culture – offline or online, animal-themed slot games have occupied a unique space there.  We could say that they combine our natural fascination with wildlife and the mythology that surrounds it – and of course there is the added excitement of the spinning reels.  Yes, modern slots feature so many different things – from outer space and its aliens to blockbuster movies but animal inspired games are among the most enduring motifs in the industry. At the risk of making a bad joke (too late!), animals have left a huge footprint on animal themed games.  The buffalo is, of course, at the forefront.

In North America, the buffalo is one of the most recognisable symbols in casino gaming – but its fame has spread around the world, too.  Long before today’s sophisticated graphic – not to mention things like bonus rounds – games designers looked for culturally relevant symbols.  The buffalo, of course, is something that people around the world saw in movies and TV shows – it represents strength and resilience – and the untamed spirit of the frontier.  Of course, this made it a great fit for slot machines as players are often drawn to symbols that they can associate with good fortune and abundance.

You Can Hide but You Can’t Run - The Brockley Cone Caper

 
My walk to work takes me through Brockley, in South East London. It’s quite a pleasant walk and I often notice the birds, the trees and the gentle turning of the seasons (OK, perhaps not so gentle these days).  However today, atop of the bus stop pictured above I noticed not one, two or three, but four traffic cones.  Perhaps they had heard that the Cone Catchers of Catford were making run-ins to their post code, and knowing full well that their ability to run was somewhat limited, decided to hide.  They say there is safety in numbers, after all.

Enough of the visual metaphor. Far more likely, perhaps, is that some local teeny mandem (I suspect they were probably male and had perhaps been squiffing or sniffing things not quite legal for their age) placed them there.  Now, I think the odds of chucking four traffic cones on top of a bus stop and all of them landing perfectly straight is slim.  So, I think that this coney caper must have involved one or more inebriate youngers climbing on top of the bus stop and having the cones passed up to them, proceeding to them arrange them in a rectangular pattern (milord).  However it was done, it must have taken some organisation and perhaps some kind of artistic statement is being made, after all?  Whoever planned and executed this installation have, I hope, done well in their GCSEs, as this shows initiative, spatial awareness, and a commendable commitment to seeing a project through to completion.

Now, of course, I am wondering how long they will be up there for!  I would place my bet on 30 days.

Postscipt: It was gone the next day.  Looks like it was just a pop-up exhibition!

The Web of Science: How Great Discoveries Build on Earlier Ideas

I suppose now we’re very used to the idea of the World Wide Web, that creating a title like that doesn’t demand a huge leap of the imagination, but the interconnectedness of ideas, theories and developments in science is something that could be overlooked, with the giants of science sometimes being considered as – metaphorically – isolated islands of genius with nothing coming before their great breakthroughs.  This couldn’t be further from the truth – without Nicolaus Copernicus, Galileo Galilei, and Johannes Kepler, for example, it would have been very difficult for Einstein to come up with his theories all on his own.

This fascinating video delves into this idea and shows – with some remarkable graphics – how four major Nobel Prize-winning scientific breakthroughs were connected to what went before. The video starts with Isaac Newton, whose idea that it was the same force that made apples fall and planets move was built on the works of the three gentlemen I mentioned previously.  And it builds from there.  The video examines carbon dating, the photoelectric effect, x-ray crystallography and microwaves.  That’s quite a lot to get through in eight minutes, so fasten your seatbelt and watch the video (a coproduction between the BBC and Nobel Prize Outreach) below.  It is narrated by Natashe Peach and written by Carol Olona. The outstanding motion design and SFX is by Kako Abraham