Van Gogh: Lume Melbourne

Exhibiton: Vincent Van Gogh

The Lume, Melbourne Exhibition Centre

As humans, we need art. We need it to sooth our souls. To pacify us. To touch our hearts. To make us think. To transport us to other times and places. Then there are our favourite artists, who can get to the core of our beings at the stroke of a brush. For me, spending half an hour with Vermeer's Girl with the Pearl Earring will go down as one of the best days of my life. I always go back to the Wilton Diptych any time I'm in London. Those angels are amazing. 

What Lume have done is made the words Vincent van Gogh accessible to a larger group by taking his paintings, blowing them up and presenting them as a light, sound and smell installation at the Melbourne Convention Centre.

And it is wonderful.

Lume is an immersive experience. The price of the ticket gets you into the exhibition where you can wander around walls illuminated with Van Gogh's most famous, and not so famous paintings. Accompanying the light show is a curated sound scape with music from recognisable famous composers. 

And it is just delightful. 

After a quick trip around an intial display providing facts abut Van Gogh and his life, you enter the auditorium proper, and from there, it's up to you how you take it in, how long you spend in there and where you take it in from. 

We had a quick wander around before settling on a bench to take in the 45 minute show. 

It's delightful. 

Although not the real thing, seeing these painting blown up as a light show provides and opportunity to experience the paintings on another level. You can sit or like or walk around, taking your time as you view these paintings in another way. Adding to this, some of the illuminations have movement involved, like the Starry Night painiting, which tooks the stars and made them move, or a French town which has a train driving through it. It's magical. 

In addition to this, the exhibition has a smellscape, not that you could smell much from behind the mask, but there was a lovely pumped in scent to the whole auditorium. 

This exhibtion is a joyous interactive experience. We stayed for two showings of the light display, moving from our oriinal position. I sat on the floor in front of a large wall to take it in the second time around. It didn't get old. In between viewings, some smaller clips, one of an indiginous dancer and a story, as well as some other digital art displayed - also breathtaking. 

The only thing I'd change is the booking system - it uses Ticketmaster, and the experience we had booking wasn't great - so you've been warned. There is a phone line you can call. But the earlier you get in and book your time, the cheaper it is. 

My only question is why so many people brought very young children to the exhibition - other than they were a distraction, and loud, I'm not sure what kids under four would get out of this. We were also there around the "Witching Hour" and kids might have been a bit more fractious than usual. 

Another good thing, marshalls were enforcing mask wearing in the auditorium. Most people were compliance, but leave it off too long and you were asked to put it back on. 

But for me, I want to go again. Maybe get a coffee in the exhibition cafe, or just lie on the floor and take it all in. 

And as it uses the senses of sight, touch and taste, it would be lovely to have somebody to go with and hold their hand,  or sit on the ground and snuggle up, just to bring touch into the experience. 

Lume is exhibiting in Melbourne until the end of June 2022, most days  from 10 am until around 9 pm. Tickets sit around the $40 mark depending on availability. It's worth every cent to have your senses delighted in such a awe-inspiring way. 

Today's song:

Movie Review: West Side Story

 Movie: West Side Story (2021)

The Cinema: Hoyts Victoria Gardens

Stars: 4

I walked into this thinking,'Why would they want to mess with something which was already wonderful?' I was also wondering if Stephen Sondheim would be rolling in his freshly dug grave. 

But I should not have worried too much. For once, this remake is as good, in ways better than the original. 

West Side Story, for those who have never seen it, is re-telling of Romeo and Juliet, set in the 1950s in New York. Gone are the Capulets and the Montagues, and bring on the Sharks and the Jets. The Jets are a gang of Irish / Polish  street kids, the Shark are made up of fresh off the boat Latino kids, mainly of Puerto Rican persuasion. They really don't like each other, forever fighthing for turf of what now stands as the Lincoln Centre in New York. 

There was plenty to keep me occupied with this film. First of all, it remains faithful to the original - not that I've seen the original in many years, but I know the music like the back of my hand. The script has had some updates thanks to Tony Kuschner of Angels in America fame (and if you haven't seen the television version of this, please do yourself a favour). Leonard Bernstein's music remains on point and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics have not be messed with for fear of World War III. 

On the great side of things, in this version, the Sharks are all played by Latino actors - not something that happened in 1961, when Natalie Wood played Maria. In this retelling, David Alvarez's Bernardo and Ariana DeBose's Anita were excellent. I wouldn't be surprised if either were nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Newcomer, Rachel Zegler is wonderful as Maria, with a voice, the look and the spunk to pull off the lead role. I wasn't overly convinced about Ansel Elgort's Tony - though is voice and dancing are up to par, he just didn't sit well with me in the other lead role. But as it was pointed out to me, can anybody name the bloke who played Tony in the original movie? 

Other stand outs for me was Rita Moreno's Valentina. She won the Best Supporting Oscar as Anita over fifty years ago - the first Hispanic actor to get that nod. This gives a wonderful link back to the original film. 

Iris Menas's Anybodys and Mike Faist's Riff were also excellent. 

Steven Speilberg's direction is assured and the sets and cinamatography are excellent - in that regard, no not a wrong foot has been set. 

I say go see this. It is wonderful. I'm not a lover of musicals, but this is done so well. 

It's a great film for which you can take your Mum as a treat. 

It's there to be savoured and enjoyed. It also sets right the wrongs of the 1961 version which would never have been considered at the time. 

Today's song: 

Sunday Stealing: Holiday Questions

 Well, that's Christmas done for another year. I have some leftover ham in the fridge and half a cassata sitting in the freezer, and that is my Christmas commitments done for the year. Now, as it;'s Boxing Day (or St Stephen's Day as Blarney calls it) I've been for a walk and I've been to the cinema and life is fine.

Now it's time for the Sunday questions, provided as always, by Bev at Sunday Stealing. 

1. What’s the most important thing about the holidays for you?

Getting some time off to relax. The thing about Christmas in Australia is that everything shuts down on Christmas Eve and nothing really starts up again until the 15th of January. This year, I have the three days off between Christmas and New Year, giving me 10 days off work. And I really, really need this. 

2.  What’s the most annoying thing about this time of year?

In no apparent order: 

• The heat
• Having to go to parties and be nice to people
• The rushing around
• Other people's expectations
• People in general
• Too many Christmas carols
• Getting asked "What are you doing for Christmas?" every five minutes, then dealing with people's sympathising looks when you tell them you're not going back to Adelaide. 

3.  Who do you celebrate the holidays with?

Normally, and this year, Blarney, Barney, the Units and whoever else comes along. Every five years or so I'll go back to Adelaide for Christmas - COVID made it hard this year. Interstate travel is a bit hard at the moment.

4. Do you travel during the holidays?

I have done in the past. Whether that be going to Tasmania to visit Barney's family or going back to Adelaide. One year I went to Thailand and I was riding elephants on Christmas Day. That was really cool. 

5. Do you prefer giving or receiving gifts?

I really like giving gifts. I'm not great at receiving. It feels weird. 

6. Who is the hardest person to buy a gift for?

I'm of an age where everybody has everything they need and want. Jay is really hard to buy for - she ended up with a small garden gnome to sit under her ficus plant. The gnome will look good under her ficus. 

7. What is your traditional holiday meal?

In Adelaide, we always do seafood and salad for Christmas - and have a really good feed of prawns, oysters and lobster. My job is to make the seafood sauce, which consists of cream, tomato sauce, some mustard, tabasco and a few other secret ingredents. I love prawns. As we had an Irish Christmas this year, there were no prawns - but a lovely ham.

I also made my annual Christmas cassata, in honour of my aunt, who had a birthday on Christmas day. It went down well, but I'm asking a lot of friends over to help me finish it. 

8. Does your town get decorated for the holidays?

Melbourne does to a point. There are traditions like the Myer Christmas windows, which are always pretty but just a little bit creepy. 

9. Do you have a Christmas tree?

No. I don't decorate the house. Never seen the point. I have a Christmas gin bottle which is filled with lights. That will do. 

10. If you have a tree, what is on top of it?

I dont have a tree. If I had one, I'd probably put a star on the top - not an angel - I think they look tacky. 

11. Do you decorate the outside of your house with lights?    

Oh hell no - waste of electricity. It's something other people do. One of my old bosses used to do up his house and garden - I hate to think what his power bill was like. But it made him happy, and that is the mail thing. 

12. What is your favorite holiday memory as a child?

I can't really think of one. Christmas is not my favourite time. I do remember playing cricket in the beach after a ham sandwich was a kid. Beach cricket and ham sandwiches on Christmas Day, especially when it was hot, was a good thing. 

13. What is your favorite holiday dessert?

Other than cassata? I'm very fond of Christmas pudding, topped with my mother's hard sauce, which is really just whipped butter, icing sugar and a hell of a lot of brandy. 

14. Do you have a favorite holiday movie?

Diehard. And don't tell anybody, but I'm quite fond of Love, Actually. And It's a Wonderful Life. And While You Were Sleeping.  And Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang. 

And my favourite Christmas song is today's song of the day. The Pogues do a great Christmas song. 

15. What is your favorite holiday tradition?

Having some downtime and spending time with friends. That will do.

Today's song: 

Over for another year

 I don't have the greatest relationship with Christmas, and when it gets to about this time on Christmas Day, if I've got here without tears, it's a good thing. 

No tears. A few were threatened earlier today. I let them pass. 

In all, it was a nice mellow day with Blarney, Barney, the Units and a couple of Blarney's good friends, Aine and Grainne. We had glazed ham, some roast vegetables and quite a bit of cassata. At 6.30 pm, I excused myself and went home to Lucifer, my foam roller and yoga mat. It's going to take a lot help from the last two things on the list to get my body back to feeling like normal. 

Blarney and Barney introduced me to the Moody family on Netflix. We spent the morning whatching this old ABC series. It's hilarious - and probably only accessable to Australians. It's the funniest thing I've seen for a while.

I'm not going go on about why I hate Christmas.It's not the time or place for it. 

But as Christmases go, this was a nice, easly mellow one.

I hope you've all had a pleasant one too. Mellow, quiet, pleasant, calm are good adjectives.

And tomorrow, I can start the holiday proper. 

Today's song: 

Movie Review: Spiderman: No Way Home

 The Film: Spiderman: No Way Home

Stars: 4.5

The Cinema: Hoyts Victoria Gardens

In need of some respite from work and a total time out, after a quick dinner at the Loi Loi, Jay and I made an early session of Spiderman: No Way Home last night. We both like Marvel films and I've been hanging out for a new entry to the MCU. 

Needless to say, we both loved every minute of it. 

I was wrapped from the first song, Talking Heads I Zimbra started playing, but Talking Heads does that to me. 

So, what is this film about? Basically, it takes place in the weeks after the last Spiderman film, set in London, where Spiderman's identity was revealed to the world by Mysterio. And Peter is in a bit of a pickle. Needing his anonymnity back, he enlists Dr Stephen Strange to make this take place, with with disastrous results. A crack in the Multiverse occurs bringing back a number of Spiderman's enemies. Peter has to overcome his greatest challenges to bring the world back to order once again.

I won't say much more than this - I don't want to give any spoilers. 

This is a great movie, especially if you're up on the whole Marvel Universe. I'm not sure younger kids would get a lot of the references and there is a bit of mind bending to work out what is going on some of the time. But I enjoyed every second of it, even down to the two clips which came with the titles - and one at the very end which we had to sit down for while the ushers started to sweep out the spilled popcorn. 

It's got everything. Action: tick. Fun: tick. Emotional stuff: tick. (And yes, I shed a tear in a few places). Brilliant action: tick. Unexpected bits: tick. 

I didn't look at my watch once through the film, which is a guide to me for how much I enjoy a film. 

Jay commented that Tom Holland is getting a little old to play Spiderman - and it will be interesting to see if in further iterations he's playing the titular role, but as a soon to be college student, I think he's just about right. His boyishness and athleticism are fantastic. 

Zendaya is radiant as MJ, Spiderman's ever-present girlfriend and Jacob Batalon is wonderful as Ned, Peter's best mate. And of course, Benedict Cumberbatch reprises his role as Dr Strange with necessary humour and aplomb. The verbal sparring between Dr Strange and Spiderman brings a lot of the humour to the film. 

On a more emotional level, Marisa Tomei returns as Aunt May. Harvey Weinstein really did a number on the world when he blacklisted Tomei - she's as wonderful in this as in the rest of her films. 

Add to this some great cameos, which I'm not going to say anything  about for those who haven't seen this. There are some top flight  actors joining this film. 

And yes, I did need a bit of a break from reality, but I think even if I wasn't exhausted, I would have loved this. 

It's not just a film for Marvel fans, but I reckon younger kids would get bored and a lot of the nuances would go over their heads. 

It's great holiday watching. Chuck on a mask and go see it. 

Today's song: 

The To Do List

 Things to get done:

• Not throw a spaz attack at work. 
• Get in Barney's Christmas beer. 
• See Spiderman: No Way Home (Done - will write about it tomorrow)
• Shut down the work computer before 6 pm (2 pm tomorrow)
• Once work computer is shut down tomorrow, shove it in the back of the cupboard for ten days. 
• Use my foam roller every day for the next ten days to unkink my back
• Buy some ice cream
• Toast the almonds for the cassata
• Finish the last layer of the cassata for Saturday
  
• Tidy up
• Find somebody to help me finish the cassata after Boxing Day
• Do the ironing
• Hoover 
• Mop the floors
• Write stuff that doesn't involve work
• Read
• Try and relax (the movie did help)

I'm again, that tired nothing is really sticking. 

But tomorrow I knock off for nine or ten days. 

And this is a good thing. 

Today's song: 

Cassata Time

I'm making cassata for our Christmas celebrations. 

The cherries are soaking in brandy. 

The cream is about to be whipped. 

There's ice crream in the freezer, ready to be smoshed through with a melted block of Lindt chocolate. I wonder if my mum still uses Ice Magic. 

There are slivered almonds waiting to be toasted.

But all of this can be done tomorrow, because I've just come back from dinner and I'm knackered. 

Today's Song: