Henri Murger - The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter (Novel)

The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter - Scènes de la vie de bohème - Henri Murger
The Bohemians in question are Marcel, the artist, Rodolphe, the poet, Colline, the philosopher, and Schaunard, the musician. The four friends form a group in which they are (supposedly) the heads of their fields in the Bohemian world.
The stories are so quaint and romanticised - what I believe Paris to be like when influenced by my own Paris Syndrome (though, thankfully this hasn't been ruined, as I haven't been in the city for more then a few hours).
The romanticism covers the bohemians poverty from lack of food and wood for the fire, even resulting in burning old manuscripts of plays to keep warm. Finding love and muses whom they entice with their poet nonsensical language and their heartbreak when they realise their love wasn't the divine.
Even though they lived through hard times, often not having money to eat for days, Murger's stories are written in such a captivating way that I crave to experience the bohemian life.
The chapters, which are more like scenes, focus on the players at different times if their journey. For someone with pretty bad concentration when it comes to ready a hefty book and remembering every detail, this style is really useful. Though originally that stories didn't hit off past a certain circle, until a young, up-and-coming playwright Barrière combined the stories into a play, citing Murger as co-author.
This was later turned into the brilliant opera La Boheme by Puccini which has been a very popular opera for many years now.

Summer Favourites

Things I have really enjoyed this whole summer long.


Things You Put On Your Skin
Korres perfume - velvet orris, violet and white pepper
Korres Aftersun Cooling - the yoghurt vibe is strong with this one, which is really cooling. Good for "sunharassed skin" and burning sensations. Not that this would cure an actual ailments.

TV
American Horror Story - all series in sweet anticipation of series four.
Arrow - also in anticipation of the next series and of the spinoff The Flash.

Film
Godzilla - crying from joy throughout feature film.
Sofia Coppola's Little Mermaid for Funny Or Die - Evan Peters smoking underwater whilst wearing sunnies, a cast on his arm and a crown makes me happy.

Music
The Xcerts - Shaking in the Water
Eddy Atlantis (website) - (soundcloud)
Kendrick Lamar - Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe

 

(can't find full track but it does exists in full here)

Drink
Peach and apricot juice drink.
Pimms
Ouzo
Βεργινα beer


Book
The Bohemians of the Latin Quarter by Henri Murger.

Things
Greek beards - especially that of model Dimitris Alexandrou.
Country retreats

Attire
Bershka top "Who Cares"
Urban Outfitters sunglasses

American Horror Story TV Series

Big on horror vibes - 18+.
Violent acts, bloody deaths, self harm, sex scenes - and that's all in the first series.

I haven't borrowed a laptop at three in the morning to binge watch a TV show in ages - but golly gosh is this one to watch. And the only real reason I didn't finish the series that morning was the laptop passed out.
Brad Falchuk and Ryan Murphy are the creators and producers of this FX show. Each series takes place in a different setting, with different characters played by the same major cast. The main players are Jessica Lange, Evan Peters (XMen - Days of Future Past), Taissa Farmiga (The Bling Ring), Jamie Brewer, Frances Conroy, Lily Rabe and Sarah Paulson to name a few.
The first series is set in the "Murder House", so named after the tragedies that occurred inside (of which the audience sees throughout the series through flashbacks).
With the series opening with Evan Peters' character introduced simultaneously as Rico-the-Zombie-fied, sensitive psych patient, and awful no-spoilers-inteaded pastimes, this series knows exactly how to draw you in. He can really pull off crazy-eyes. During the Rico the Zombie scene, the "Twisted Nerve" whistling song is playing (vibe setter) - throughout the series, horror soundtracks are played, adding to the series' suspenseful vibe.
Farmiga does a brilliant job of being badass/damaged teen child of a family who move into the "Murder House", with Lange as one of their neighbours. Lange has won the most awards for her performance in AHS out of the other cast members. The show as a whole has won twenty awards and been nominated ninety seven.
Another part I really love, which was vibed throughout series one, is Frances Conroy's character Moira- those who see the truth see Conroy, and weak men (infidelity wise), would see the über sexy Alexandra Breckendridge in the most ridiculous maid's getup. It was really interesting seeing the scenes in which the characters saw different Moiras.
Hayden M: "Grow a pair. She's not into you. You're not getting back in her, she'll never talk to you again
Tate L: "I'll wait... forever if I have to."


 
From the beginning, Murphy and Falchuk knew they wanted each series to be set in a different place. This really prove the actors worth, as they play quite different characters each series. The second series is based in an institution for the criminally insane in 1964, entitled "Asylum".

The main players are Peters, as Kit Walker, Zachary Quinto, as Dr Oliver Thredson, Paulson, as Lana Winters, Rabe, as Sister Mary, Lange, as Sister Jude, and Lizzie Brocheré, as Grace Bertrand.

This series, like the first, involves violent acts, bloody deaths, and general adult scenes. It also involves nuns and devils and aliens, which I'm not sure how many would respond to. Lange plays Sister Jude impeccably.


The third series takes place between the eighteen hundreds and modern day with Emma Roberts among others joining the cast, entitled "Coven". Farmiga yet again does a great job as one of the young witches of the coven. Conroy returns yet again as a ginger babe, Myrtle, doing anther fantastic job. This series is a slightly more lighthearted vibe than the others, and lets not forget the babe that is Lange. 

(Whilst watching the episodes, I can't help but sing the Name Game).

 The fourth series, which will air later this year, is entitled "Freak Show".

Concert at the Port

For summer holiday this year I went to Greece. Away from the tourists, in a small village, with its white beaches and little else, there was to be a concert. The concert took place at the port, an idyllic spot if ever I saw one.
Arriving just before nine, when the concert was due to start, we found some chairs and waited, vaguely looking at the sky and watching the moon (which I believe was full) arch into the sky.
As we commandeered our chairs I walked a little way to the stall selling booze and bought a βεργινα (Vergina) - if you are ever in Greece, this beer is a babe and should really be tried.
Nine hit, but I was too busy drinking my beer and chatting with my companions.
The band tuned several times and generally chatted on stage for a bit, as casual as you like, rolling their fags and wandering about.
Nine thirty- amongst the Greek audience, I seemed to be the only one painfully aware of the time passing. Is that To ease this passage of time, I walked a little way from the stage to a stall set up (on the opposite side of the audience to the booze stall) and bought candyfloss and popcorn. The Greek for candyfloss is the incredibly cute "μαλλί της γριάς" which translates as "Granny's Hair". And apparently asking for specifically salted popcorn is nonsense, what other popcorn would you have?! - There was something strangely satisfying about buying pink candyfloss off of a man with dyed pink fingers.
Now this is where it got remarkably different to gigs in England. As the band warmed up and played members of the audience, including my companions shouted to the players complaining that it was too loud, and that if it were any louder they would have to push their chairs back until they were standing in the sea! I say there quietly nibbling my candy floss in as much a casual manner as I could muster. The band complied, and turned the music down accordingly.
They walked on and off stage at the point, with their fags and going to the booze stall.
It wasn't until nine fifty-three post meridiem that the hosts walked on the the stage and gave a little speech, and the music started at ten.
The music was genius, and extremely well played, with the musicians inviting their other musical friends onto the stage to play and sing with them - the audience shouted out songs for them to play and sang along (which is where I found particular interest in my candyfloss and couldn't possibly try and sing along to songs everyone else knew and I had never heard before).
This went on for sometime, with either all players playing, or casual unplanned solos. For a few songs, some friends got up and clapped in time for another friend to dance (very Greek). Baring in mind I had not eaten any substantial meal since midday, the arrival of midnight did make me feel rather cheeky-grumpy, but as the players were nowhere near finished I calmed down (after about half an hour of grumpy noises). The band finished playing "officially" at five to one ante meridiem. The encore went on until five passed the hour. My companions and I began to sit up and be on our merry way, when the main singer came down us audience peeps, asked us to choose a song, and sang with all that knew it. We left after her first song down in the pit, but heard later (news of the concert buzzed round the village) that they sang for much longer.
It really was a beautiful vibe, sitting at the port with good beer and company, with the night's sky - free of light pollution - and the sea gentle lapping at the boats and marina.

 

Fright Night films

Summer has come about again - time for Fright Night - Rated out of five based on horror-film vibe.
Use of expletives throughout.

First on the list is Stitches (2012). To see Ross Noble in this completely insane, ridiculous film is bizarre to say the least. When a clown is slighted and subsequently dies at a child's party, he returns to finish the party some six years later. How ghoulish. This was clearly made as a pisstake film, and so any utter bullshit is bettered by not-so-bullshit bullshit. What this film really does is confirm that clowns can be terrifying. Prepare for ridiculous use of fake blood and gore, as well as hyperbolised deaths. Oh my, it must have taken a long time to clean up. 3.0/5

Now for a film which is a tad more scary/they actually wanted a proper horror film is Open Grave (2012), starring Sharlto Copley (District 9, Maleficent). A man wakes up in a mass grave with no memory of who he is or how he got there, and finds five others of equal memory loss. This film could be considered a new take on the zombie virus but does jump about the place. Very bloody different from Stitches. 3.3/5

One of my favourite S.Korean films is Hansel and Gretel. A mixture of Grimm tales and superpowers all beautifully coloured and filmed, though it's not all pretty rainbows - this film goes to many a dark place. Violence of all natures present, so not for the light hearted with abuse and revenge - but a positive enough ending to be able to sleep at night. 4.8/5
Another good S.Korean film is Thirst, which goes through about three major style changes but the overall vibe is a vampire story. At the end of this film, you'll probably be wary of white recorders, miracle priests and anyone who doesn't come out in sunlight. 4.3/5
If you've over watched the classics, a by so classic but still pretty good vampire film is 30 Days of Night starring Josh Hartnett (Lucky Number Slevin), the sexy New Zealander, Manu Bennett (Arrow) and sexy Aussie, Melissa George (Hunted). A freighter lands near a small Alaskan town full of crazy-shit vampires who take advantage of the month without sunlight and the its remoteness. Gory violence and strong language - and the failing marriage of protagonists just to add a soppy vibe to the mostly-dark vampire takeover vibe. 4.2/5
For a fun, not exactly scary vampire substitute, go for Blade - who doesn't love Deacon Frost ? 3.9/5
Eden Lake (2008), starring Kelly Reilly and a then barely known Michael Fassbender. When this film came out, chatter about it passed through my school like wildfire. It was the hardcore choice of film - I can't actually remember if I watched it straight to the end, which makes suggesting it rather strange. The premise may seem boring, but the film was pulled together really well and is one of the British horror films actually worth watching as many are crud. 3.7/5
A classic and a must watch marvel is The Wicker Man (1973) which is so much better than the half-arsed American version it's unreal. Set in an imaginary island off of mainland Scotland, a police officer is called in to investigate the report of a missing child, whom everyone on the island refuses to recognise. Some nudity... in fact, quite a lot, but no modern-day horror traits. 4.8/5
Another foreign horror film, though not so scary, is the "documentary" film on trolls called Troll Hunter (2010). Set in Norway, three students vibe off across the country following someone they believe to be a bear poacher and recording their journey along the way. This film is more of a laugh than a nail biter, but still has the ability to scare the willies out of you at certain moments. Kudos to SFX. 3.7/5
The Purge (2013) starring Lena Headey (GoT, Dredd, 300) and Ethan Hawke (Boyhood, Before Midnight, Sinister) in a dystopian not-so-distant future. The government of USA has assigned one day of each year to "purging" the anger from peoples' souls - violence, crime, even murder will go unpunished for twelve hours - in these twelve hours emergency services will not answer any calls. This in itself is an ingenious film idea, and just thinking that it could be true makes one sick to the bone. - As the family lock up, they run until ... A little bit of trouble when they get in the way of Rhys Wakefield (The Black Balloon) and his gangs' purge. Crazy bloody violence, loud noises and hushed tones. Suspenseful to say the least. A sequel will be out later this summer. 3.9/5
Out of all these, The Purge is probably the closest style of horror film and is well worth a watch.

The 100 (TV series)

The CW has been responsible for a great many awesome fantasy series, such as Supernatural, Vampire Diaries, the spinoff The Originals and Arrow among others. 

A new series of their's called The 100 is about to air on British television on Monday (E4 on 7th July). It is one of the most viewed series of it's time-slot on The CW since 2010's Life Unexpected.

The earth has been abandoned after nuclear war- but after time in space stations overpopulation has become a real problem and many are executed for the most minor of crimes. To see if the earth is ready for habitation, one hundred of these young offenders have been sent down to earth.

Based on the book series of the same name by author Kass Morgan, the thirteen part series focuses on the offenders fighting for survival and trying to create a working community after being banished from their own.

The sequel will be published in early September of this year.

The stars of the show are Eliza Taylor (Neighbours), Eli Goree (Godzilla), Thomas McDonell (Suburgatory) and Bob Morley (Neighbours, Road Kill). All relatively new faces, this show seems to be used to introduce them to our tv screens in a sci-fi drama series. It has recently been confirmed for a second series.

 

 

Henri Matisse - The Cut Outs

Tate Modern: Exhibition

17 April – 7 September 2014

This exhibition looks at the work Matisse created in the last seventeen years of his life, in which his art form moved to predominantly cut-outs.

The exhibition includes short videos, Matisse's notebooks, canvas pieces, including an exit through the gift shop.

Matisse first used cut-outs to work out the ideal composition of this paintings (the exhibition includes some of these testers) and then somehow found the correct vibe of cutting and tearing paper.

Comparing these pieces made in the last seventeen years of his life to his earlier work, there is a lot more movement shown in the cuts - this seems to display the need for physical, bodily movement. I personally found this quite sad, as I interpreted it as an ageing, less-mobile human seeking movement.


The vibe of the people

25% art students
20% people wandering around with knowing smiles like Natalie Dormer
20% young families
15% casual punters
10% elderly with similar knowing smiles
10% Tate members


Adult £18 (without donation £16.30)
Concession £16 (without donation £14.50)
Under 12s go free 
Free for Members

Story Time

Once upon a time, in a quite liberal yet still Victorian setting, a shy chappy walks into a ballroom. The party has already started, and after glancing around for a few moments he finally spots the belle.

She turns as he approaches and accepts the single viscaria he hands over.

In turn, she places in his still outstretched hand a cheeky little walnut.

Another hopeful hands her a red rose, thinking he can charm her after having seen the previous gent try his hand.

Very cheekily, she takes a leaf from the flower and keeps the rest after putting the leaf in his breast pocket.

The hopefuls form an orderly queue.

The belle starts to form her own little bouquet of roses, tulips and
camellias, and proceeds to make them into a rather fetching Frida Kahlo-esque headdress.

At this point everyone at the ball are getting right confused as this cheeky belle is refusing all these gents.

[Enter the champion, stage left]

In an elegant, if flamboyant manner, he throws a tuft of grass over the belle.

The belle leaves her ego vibe for a compliant gorm-face whilst picking grass from the top of her head and nibbling it.

She very graciously knows when she's beat.

Nottingham BrewDog

For a fairly busy city, Nottingham has its nice, quiet areas such as the BrewDog, full of people who like a good pint of no-nonsense craft beer and a happy vibe. The BrewDog in Nottingham is right next to the Broadway cinema, known for its foreign films and live streaming of The Metropolitan Opera shows. This placement sets the tone of the establishment, as it is classy with its beers and situated next to an arty-farty centre without looking out of place.




A nice place for beer and Bourbons.



It also catered extremely well to the demands of a friend I met who didn't actually drink beer - this really did feel quite amusing, as I'd already ordered two pints of their beautiful craft beers. The gentleman-server at the bar offered a range of testers for my friend, describing the quality and similarity of it in comparison to heavy red wines. Having chosen the drink she wanted (Shipwrecker Circus) he then poured it into an elegant glass, which though was standard for a 1/3 pint seemed to cheer said friend up as the glass was "elegant", unlike what her first thoughts were when we spoke of beer. This place really is a happy vibe for all who love good beer and good company. - And the occasional board game.
Some of BrewDog's craft
Punk IPA - Light and hoppy - overall, a nice pint. Try this pale ale, 'tis delicious.
Cocoa Psycho - Fucking insane - As dark and heavy as the death of Dumbledore yet sweet at the same time. Cocoa-y vibe mixed with "I've eaten your soul" afters. Really did go well with the eating Bourbon biscuit vibe.
Shipwrecker Circus - Sweetie and quite heavy (wasn't my 1/3Pt so don't completely remember, but was suggested as my friend normally frequents a glass of wine).
5AM Saint - My heart skips a beat for you - Light and tasty - Like emerging from your tent after a stormy night and seeing the sun shine.