Outarde en vol / Geese in flight
[ Nikon D3300, Jardin botanique, 2019/05/24 ]
Vendredi nature
Author: Clodjee
Image du mer-fleuri
Muscari d’Arménie / Armenian grape hyacinth
Muscari : Muscari armeniacum
[ Nikon D3300, Ottawa tulips festival, 2019/05/14 ]
Revue de zines (02.19.167)
Encore une fois, je passe en revue quelques récents périodiques consacrés à la bande dessinée et au manga…
AnimeLand #226 (mars-mai 2019)
Un autre superbe numéro de AnimeLand très riche en information. Comme le note l’éditorial, si l’on se fit aux récents titres, l’air est à la nostalgie. Ce numéro nous présente donc la couverture des films de Dragon Ball Super: Broly et de City Hunter: Shinjuku Private Eyes, de la nouvelle série de Saint Seiya: Saintia Shô, et souligne la consécration de Rumiko Takahashi à Angoulème avec un article qui analyse une scène de Maison Ikkuku! Tout cela ravive des souvenirs vieux de plusieurs décennies…
Ce qui rend ce numéro particulièrement intéressant c’est surtout l’interview avec Akemi Takada (character design de Urusei Yatsura et Kimagure Orange Road) et les articles sur le genre shôjo (“la vie quotidienne d’une héroïne de shôjo: du premier amour à la survie de l’humanité” un article de huit pages [rare dans AL] tout à fait fascinant!), sur “Comment éditer un manga part. 2: Édito, traduction et maquette” et sur le film “live” de Lady Oscar (pour souligner son quarantième anniversaire!).
Ce numéro m’a également permis de découvrir la série télé Révisions (12 eps, sur Netflix) ainsi que les mangas Félin Pour l’autre! (un shônen nekketsu par Wataru Nadatani chez Doki Doki où un garçon tente de sauver des chats errants) et Magus of the Library (par Mitsu Izumi chez Ki-oon où Shino est passionné par les livres et échappe à la réalité en se réfugiant dans leur pages!). 
dBD #133 (mai 2019)
En couverture, dBD nous offre un interview avec Olivier Dupont qui s’est associé au scénariste Régis Loisel pour Un putain de salopard (Rue de Sèvres), l’histoire d’un jeune homme qui part à la recherche de son père en Amazonie. On retrouve également des interviews avec Jean-Marc Rochette (Le loup, chez Casterman), François Boucq (Jérôme Moucherot t.6, chez Lombard), Philippe Richelle (Algérie, une guerre française t.1 chez Glénat), Oscar Martin & Alvaro Iglesias (Solo t.4 chez Delcourt, une histoire anthropomorphique qui met en scène des tribus de rats, chats, chiens, hyènes, etc.), et Julien Lambert (VilleVermine t.2 chez Sarbacane).
Côté manga, dans le cahier critiques, on y parle de The red rat in Hollywood t.1 (Osamu Yamamoto, chez Vega), Les liens du sang t.1 (Shuzo Oshimi chez Ki-oon), Buchimaru chaos t.1 (Tsutomu Ohno chez Doki Doki), Genocidal organ t.2 (Gatô Asô chez Pika), Le bateau de Thésée t.1 (Higashimoto Toshiya chez Vega, qui offre une sorte de Quartier lointain en thriller avec “un scénario solide à rebondissements multiples”), et Contamination t.3 (Ao Acato chez Kana, un seinen catastrophe qui “maintient le lecteur en haleine”). Intéressant mais rien de bien excitant… 
dBD #134 (juin 2019)
À la une, dBD nous offre une interview avec François Schuiten, Laurent Durieux, Jaco van Dormael & Thomas Gunzig qui proposent une aventure avec des Blake & Mortimer “vieillis, séparés par le temps et mis en péril” (Le dernier Pharaon, aux Éd. Blake & Mortimer). On en profite pour parler de l’exposition consacré à cette BD au musée des Arts et Métiers. On retrouve également des interviews avec Jean-Luc Istin (Mages t.1, avec K. Duarte chez Soleil), Tillie Walden (Spinning, Dans un rayon de soleil et J’adore ce passage, chez Gallimard), Inès Léraud (Algues vertes: l’histoire interdite, chez La revue dessinée/Delcourt), Gani Jakupi (Enquête sur El Comandante Yankee, chez La table ronde/Aire Libre).
Dans les actualités, on mentionne brièvement le décès de Kazuo Koike en avril, l’adaptation cinématographique de La Quête de l’oiseau du temps (Le Tendre & Loisel) par le réalisateur Danois Anders Walter, et la tenu du 20e Japan Expo au Parc d’exposition Paris-Nord Villepinte du 4 au 7 juillet.
Côté manga, dans le cahier critiques, on y parle de Jusqu’à ce que nos os pourrissent t.7 (Yae Utsumi, chez Pika), Versailles of the dead t.1 (Rumiko Suekane, chez Kana — Marie-Antoinette contre les zombies, “tant d’incohérences et d’absurdités”), Echoes t.1 (Kei Sanbe, chez Ki-oon — “thriller plus sombre (…) l’horreur de la folie humaine”). Ce numéro m’offre peu de découvertes intéressantes mais demeure tout même assez informatif…
Étrangement, aucun de ces deux récents numéros de dBD ne mentionne le deuxième tome de Bug par Enki Bilal, paru chez Casterman en avril et que j’attendais avec impatience! dBD en a probablement parlé dans une numéro que je n’ai pas lu…
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Vanille
[ Nikon D3300, 2019/05/19 ]
Manga Chats
Pots de colle, acrobates, bavards, gourmands… les chats sont comme ça !
Tamako Tamagoyama brosse avec tendresse et humour le portrait de ses 2 chattes, Ton et Shino. L’une est introvertie et très gourmande, l’autre vive et bruyante, alors il se passe toujours quelque chose !
Avec son style simple très expressif, Tamagoya croque les comportements amusants de ses « enfants » gâtés à qui elle passe tout. Ronfler la nuit, préférer un carton à une jolie panière, se vautrer sur la télécommande et zapper, s’installer sur le linge propre à peine plié… : quand Ton et Shino n’en font qu’à leur tête, on adore !
Tamako Tamagoyama est une illustratrice japonaise dont la série de mangas 100% chats a rapidement trouvé un large public. Ton et Shino sont une source inépuisable d’inspiration !
[Texte du site de l’éditeur; voir aussi la couverture arrière]
Manga Chats (うちの猫がまた変なことしてる。 / Uchi no neko ga mata henna koto shiteru / Lit. “Mon chat fait encore des choses étranges”) est sérialisé dans le magazine culinaire レタスクラブ (Retasukurabu / lit. “Club de laitue”) et le premier volume a été publié au Japon en février 2016 par Kadokawa. Quatre volumes sont paru jusqu’à maintenant (dernière parution en février 2019).
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Ce livre tiens plus du documentaire que de la bande dessinée. La dessinatrice nous présente ce manga biographique et humoristique où elle raconte le aventures de ses deux chattes, Ton et Shino, en y ajoutant quelques conseils sur le toilettage, la diète ou la psychologie féline. Le livre est divisé en sept chapitres et comporte cent-vingt-et-une petites histoires en quatre cases (aussi appelé “Yonkoma” au Japon) — souvent accompagnés de photos des chats dans des situations qui ont inspirés l’histoire, trente-et-une histoires pleine page (d’environ cinq cases chacune), une histoire de trois pages et une douzaine de planches d’explications et de conseils.
C’est amusant mais sans plus. Le dessin, simple et primitif, ne m’apparait pas très esthétique. Je crois que le livre a de l’intérêt surtout pour les amateurs et les propriétaires de chats qui vont volontiers sympathiser avec les mésaventures de l’auteur et se dire “c’est bien vrai, mon chat fait ça aussi.” Ceci dit, ce style de dessin et d’histoire est typique des magazines d’opinion japonais. C’est un ouvrage très ordinaire qui offre tout de même de l’intérêt pour le fanas de chats ou les gens curieux de cet aspect de la culture japonaise.
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Manga Chats: ces deux chats vont vous faire craquer !, par Tamako Tamagoyama. Paris: Larousse, juillet 2018. 174 pages, 15.0 x 21.0 cm, 8.95 € / $C 14.95 (version numérique: 6.99 €). ISBN: 9782035946447. 
Vous trouverez plus d’information sur les sites suivants:
© 2016 Tamako Tamagoyama / KADOKAWA
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Image du mer-fleuri [02.19.163]
Magnolia
Magnoliaceae : Magnolia : “Maxine Merrill”
[ Nikon D3300, Jardin botanique, 2019/05/24 ]
Gentleman Jack
This is another fascinating TV series that I am compelled to introduce to my readership. HBO has finally realized what PBS knew for a long time: well produced costume drama British TV series can be very popular in America too! They are now starting to co-produced Brit TV series in order to bring them over this side of the Atlantic, but their choice of titles is more edgy or controversial than what PBS is doing. And I am very grateful for that.
Gentleman Jack tells the story of Anne Lister, a landowner and industrialist from Halifax, West Yorkshire. She is known for being the first well-documented “modern lesbian”, as she left coded diaries chronicling in details her daily life, including her romantic relationships and the workings of her Shibden Hall estate and business. Set in 1832, the series mostly tells about her venture in coal mining and her relationship with Ann Walker. It started mainly for the challenge of the conquest and partly for financial interest, but she quickly becomes quite fond of the wealthy heiress. First, I was shocked by how she was planning to win her affection, but I quickly realized that if a man would have been doing the same thing it would have appeared totally normal!
The acting is excellent (Lister is played by Suranne Jones and Walker by Sophie Rundle) and the story (created by Sally Wainwright) is well written and quite funny. The series is interesting not only because it displays the beautiful English countryside and makes us discover the eccentricity, boldness and modernity of Anne Lister, but above all because it opens a window on the way of life of the English country folks and small nobility at a time when everything is about the change.
Gentleman Jack is an excellent historical drama that deserves your attention. It was well received by the critics (with ratings of 8.0 on IMDb and of 87% / 93% on Rotten Tomatoes). The first eight-episode season just ended, but it is still streaming on HBO. A second season has already been announced. I can’t wait to hear again the ending credits’ catchy tune by O’Hooley & Tidow!
To learn more about this title you can consult the following web sites:
[ Traduire ]
Chernobyl
I really must bring this TV mini-series to your attention. Chernobyl is a superb five-part historical TV drama co-produced by HBO and Sky UK. It is about the events that led to and the aftermath of the nuclear reactor disaster that occurred in north Ukraine on April 26th 1986. The story focuses mostly on the scientist Valery Legasov (played by Jared Harris) who is sent to the site of the disaster, along with the Council of Ministers’ deputy chairman Boris Shcherbina (played by Stellan Skarsgård), to assess the damage and oversee the cleanup effort. Legasov also ask his colleague Ulana Khomyuk to investigate the cause of the reactor explosion.
The storytelling is surprisingly accurate (although a few facts were tweeked for dramatization purpose). It tells a dark, somber story but, on top of that, the ambiance of the show itself (the sets that look like you were really in the 80s soviet era, the solemn music, the slow pace of the show) create a dark, oppressive (almost horrific) feeling that is quite depressive. However, that’s what makes the show so spot on.
The accuracy is such that even the selected actors looks like the part (although they are — and speak — mostly British English, but the acting is so good that you don’t really care). The only character that didn’t historically exist was Ulana Khomyuk (played by Emily Watson) which was created as a composite character representing all the scientists that worked along Valery Legasov. They even shot in Ukraine and Lithuania to get the soviet vibe of the location. The last episode concludes with a “where are they now”-style epilogue that explains what happened after and shows real footage of the characters and events (on a backdrop of gloomy Russian chorus). It is really chilling!
It is an incredible miniseries, very well crafted, visually stunning in how everything look so drab and grey, quite compelling and that rings so true. It shows the extent of the human stupidity and the deep flaws of the USSR society and political system. However, the message is also extremely pertinent for today as it poses the question “What is the cost of lies?” (in an obvious reference to the Trump White House)… A must see.
I am not the only one who greatly appreciated this series as it was very well received by the critics (ratings of 9.6 on IMDb and of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes). To learn more about this series you can check the accompanying podcast where screenwriter Craig Mazin discuss the production (available on Youtube, Spotify or Apple) and the series is still available for streaming on HBO.
To learn more about this title you can consult the following web sites:
[ Traduire ]
Pictorial chronicle [02.19.160]
lire un manga de chat au jardin
reading cat manga in the garden
Cabinets of curiosities
My nephew, Sébastien, has just started a blog (in French) about how he is building and assembling his own cabinet of curiosities. It is very interesting. He is suggesting lots of crafty and thrifty ways to create such cabinet. I particularly like his entry about old books. He is very creative (he is a writer after all) and has a very strong background in science (molecular biology); he really succeeds to combine both aspects with great ingenuity. With this blog he is sharing his passion for the scientific wonders and natural oddities of the past. I am quite impressed. It is fascinating and I recommend to have a look.
My nephew also reminds us that my great friend Mario Tessier, the venerable and learned scholar known as the “Futurible”, had introduced us to the history of the cabinet of curiosities in one of his famous “Carnets” published in Solaris #191 (p. 111-125). It is quite an edifying article that I encourage you to read if you want to push further your knowledge on this subject.
Athenian Tetradrachma (5th c. BCE)
I have myself been collecting such curiosities since I am a child. When I settled in my home I placed a glass case in the center of the library room where I gathered a few of those items collected over the years. Unfortunately, for lack of space, it is a small display and most of my collection is still in boxes, spread around the house on top of bookshelves or even (for my most precious items like my Athenian tetradrachma, my Marc Antony or Lucius Verus denarii or my Leo I the Thracian solidus) in a safe. I have already introduced my collection in an entry about old books. However, inspired by my nephew, let me now elaborate a little more about my own cabinet of curiosities.
Aesope’s Fables [1593]
Left side
Top: my collection of cups and (plated) silver plates; note the authentic 4th c. roman terracotta on the left. Bottom: my oldest books (16th-17th c.), some fossils, amethyst and native copper samples, a few coins, more metal cups and some Japanese-style tea cups (on top of a portable Go board).
My oldest books
Detail of the fossils and old books (Svmma Omnivm Conciliorvm et Pontificvm [1633], Lucien [of Samosata] [1664], Valerius Maximus Factotum ac dictorum memorabilium libri IX [1659], Qvinti Horatii Flacci Poemata [1643], Aesopi Phrygis: Fabulae [1593], and [Iustiniani Augusti] Digestorum sev pandectarum (Pars quarto [liber XX-XXVII]), De Pignoribvs et hypothecis [1581]).
Right side
More old books (18th-19th c.), metallic gobelets, non-metallic cups (the smallest is in walrus ivory), a pair of small wooden masks of unknown origins (Balinese? Malaysian?), an (half-hidden) incised Malian knife with leather scabbard, some Inuit art, a false skull (an ashtray in pottery) and various mementos.
On top of the shelves: a metronome, my grandpa’s French horn, an 18th c. tradesman’s balance scale, Chinese art reproductions, fake katanas, an original Rubik’s Cube and an authentic (undated) Chinese ding (ritual bronzes).
On top of the shelves: a 70s helicopter’s pilot helmet, an (African? Undated) bronze mortar & pestle, a transportable Lumex microscope, an old 1-A Kodak Jr folding camera [1912] and a terrestrial globe (60s or 70s).
I have many more interesting items that I could display. Following my nephew’s example, I will do my best in the future to find clever ways to share them with visitors (and seek to acquire — or make — new ones; although I am far less creative than Sébastien). And you, do you have a cabinet of curiosities?
To be continued?
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Lilou & Vanille
[ iPhone 8+, 2019/05/19 ]
Image du mer-fleuri [02.19.156]
Haïku to begin June
A cold and wet spring —
Busy with the minutiae of life
I couldn’t walk in the park
[ Traduire ]
Le vieil homme et son chat 1
Comment prendre le temps de vivre et de vieillir en faisant de chaque moment un trésor d’humour, de tendresse et de nostalgie? Le vieil homme et son chat pourrait bien connaître le secret du bonheur.
Dans une petite ville côtière du Japon, loin des mégalopoles, Daikichi, instituteur à la retraite et veuf, vit avec Tama, un chat âgé de 10 ans. Ou alors est-ce le matou qui veille sur son maître pour honorer une promesse faite à son épouse disparue ? Difficile à dire, tant les deux compères sont inséparables.
Au fil des saisons, entre les promenades, les repas entre voisins de toujours et le souvenir ému des années passées, Daikichi et Tama se serrent les coudes, se chamaillent… et s’adorent.
(Texte du site de l’éditeur; voir aussi la couverture arrière)
Le vieil homme et son chat (ねことじいちゃん / Neko to Jii-chan) est un manga seinen publié en feuilletons dans Comic Essay Gekijou (Media Factory) et qui a été compilé en volume chez Kadokawa depuis septembre 2015. La série est toujours en cours au Japon avec cinq volumes de parus jusqu’à maintenant (le vol. 5 est paru en janvier 2019).
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Ce manga est l’histoire d’un vieil instituteur à la retraite et de son chat, Tama. Au travers de seize histoires courtes, divisés selon les quatre saisons, nous découvrons sa vie quotidienne, sa relation avec Tama, son entourage, le village, et même quelques recettes de cuisine. Le récit se déroule principalement de nos jours, mais on y retrouve aussi quelques flashback qui développent un peu les personnages. C’est un manga plein d’humour et de tendresse qui est très agréable à lire. Il est dessiné dans un style inhabituel, un peu brouillon mais colorié à l’aquarelle. C’est très beau.
Ce genre de “tranche de vie” racontée avec un rythme lent et une atmosphère sereine me rappelle un peu le style du regretté Taniguchi. Cela nous fait découvrir la vie quotidienne d’une petite ville côtière japonaise tout en nous divertissant avec des anecdotes amusantes. C’est donc une lecture enrichissante et chaleureuse que je recommande à tous mais surtout aux amateurs de chats et du Japon.
Le tome 2, Le vieil homme et son chat se font les griffes, devrait paraître en juin 2019. Chose amusante, le manga a été adapté au cinéma sous le titre The Island of cats, qui est sortie en salle au Japon en février 2019 (le film de 103 min. est réalisé par IWAGŌ Mitsuaki sur un scénario de TSUBOTA Fumi et met en vedette TATEKAWA Shinosuke, SHIBASAKI Kō, EMOTO Tasuku, YAMANAKA Takashi, HAYAMA Shōno, TANAKA Yūko et KOBAYASHI Kaoru; pour plus d’information voir le site officiel ainsi que les sites suivants: ANN • AsianWiki • IMDb • Youtube).
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Le vieil homme et son chat tome 1: n’ont plus peur des chiens, par Nekomaki. Paris: Casterman, septembre 2018. 176 pages, 15.2 x 21.1 cm, 15,00 € / $C 28.95, ISBN 978-2-203-15566-4. Pour lectorat adolescent (12+).
Vous trouverez plus d’information sur les sites suivants:
[ Amazon — Biblio — Goodreads — Google — Wikipedia — WorldCat ]
© Nekomaki / ms-work 2015.
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Cendrine
[ Nikon D3300, 2019/05/19 ]
Image du mer-fleuri
Red Baron
Magnoliaceae : Magnolia
[ Nikon D3300, Jardin botanique, 2019/05/24 ]
Crapule 2
Crapule est un chat, un vrai. Le genre qui porte bien son nom. Une catastrophe sur pattes, mais tellement mignon qu’on lui pardonne tout. Il a d’ailleurs un succès fou, au point que Jean-Luc Deglin lui a consacré un nouveau tome pour ses péripéties félines : câlins griffus, accidents de litière, bêtises en pagaille… Mais comment Crapule réagira-t-il face au nouveau compagnon de sa maîtresse ?
Du “100 % vécu” par tous les propriétaires de machines à ronrons, dont on raffole !
(Texte du site de l’éditeur)
Crapule c’est une bande dessinée toute simple qui offre des histoires en 4 cases et en bichromie (noir et bleu), ce qui n’est pas sans rappeler les yonkoma japonais ou les comic strips américains à la différence que les premiers sont présentés verticalement et que les seconds sont généralement horizontaux, alors que Crapule lui est dans un format carré (2 / 2).
Ce second volume nous présente la suite de la relation parfois difficile entre le juste nommé Crapule et sa maîtresse. Si la présence d’un chaton aidait à adoucir sa solitude, celle-ci recherche maintenant un compagnon humain ce qui fait qu’elle “semble moins pressée de remplir sa gamelle et de changer sa litière” et cela mènera à “de précieux moment d’incompréhension et de jalousie” ! (Voir couverture arrière)
Tout ceux qui ont (ou ont déjà eut) un chat trouveront ces situations plutôt familières et hilarantes. Toutefois c’est pas mal la même chose que le premier volume (que j’ai déjà commenté) et la pléthore de récits anecdotiques sur les chats en bande dessinée en font un sujet surexploité au point que c’est difficile d’y trouver de l’originalité. Crapule s’avère donc un peu répétitif mais cela reste fascinant et amusant tout à la fois. C’est cent-vingt-quatre charmantes petites histoires qui offrent une lecture rapide et agréable. À lire, surtout pour les amateurs de chats.
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Crapule 2, par Jean-Luc Deglin. Marcinelle: Dupuis, novembre 2018. 128 pages (en bichromie), 20.8 x 16.7 cm, 14,50 € / $25.95 Can (ePub / PDF $19.99 Can). ISBN 979-1-0347-3357-6. Pour lectorat jeune (6+). Extraits disponible sur le site de l’éditeur.
Vous trouverez plus d’information sur les sites suivants:
© Dupuis 2017. Touts droits réservés.
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Cat-urday’s picture
Friendly cat in Ottawa
[ Nikon D3300, Ottawa Tulip Festival, 2019/05/14 ]
Image du mer-fleuri
Fly away
[ Nikon D3300, Ottawa Tulip Festival, 2019/05/14 ]
Game of Thrones
The epic fantasy TV series Game of Thrones has ended after eight seasons.
Somehow I feel very sad because it is finished and I don’t know what will come next — if anything. However, I am NOT disappointed. To me the end seems to be a fitting one. In some aspects, I am not even surprised. People were expecting that an epic series would have an epic ending, but life is rarely like that. It is the perfect “all evil was defeated and they lived unhappily ever after” type of ending. What else were they expecting? Evidently, the millennials who are not used to not have their way will demand a new ending. What a silly thought! That’s almost funny if it wasn’t so stupid…
Now, without giving away any spoilers, we can only ask that — if all surviving heroes appear to be going on new adventures — what will come next? The very end of the series clearly calls for something more and we know that many sequels / prequels could be in the works. I can hardly wait to see what it will be.
In the meantime, HBO will not leave us hanging dry as they have been announcing several new series of interest. I am particularly curious about the Watchmen TV series (in Fall), the third season of Westworld (announced for 2020) and a TV series adaptation of His Dark Materials (based on Philip Pullman’s young adult novel series and due to premiere in late 2019). The visuals I’ve seen for the first one seem a little disappointing, so I am quite apprehensive about it, but the latter looks incredibly promising. We’ll see…
Game of Thrones has given us a good run and we should be grateful for it. Our collective popular culture shall be much richer for it. And, beside the possible pre/sequels, there is still those two final books (A Song of Ice and Fire #6: The Winds of Winter and #7: A Dream of Spring) that will certainly add a lot to the story as told by the TV series. We just have to be a little more patient…
Amusingly, the controversial last episode of the eight season, “The Iron Throne”, had the highest ever audience (nearly 14 millions of viewers in the U.S. alone, according to Nielsen, more than the final of The Sopranos) but the lowest critical response (a rating of 4.4 on IMDb down from an overall ratings of 9.4 and a critical / audience rating of 67% / 36% on Rotten Tomatoes, down from an overall average of 90% / 82% !!).
The final season of the series was plagued by controversies. First, many fans were very disappointed with the ending, some (nearly two millions!) even starting a petition demanding a rewrite of the entire last season! On top of that, not only a Starbucks coffee cup could be spotted in episode 8.4 (#71) sitting on the table in front of Daenerys, but also plastic water bottles could be seen at the feet of both Samwell Tarly and Ser Davos Seaworth during the “council of the Seven Kingdoms” in episode 8.6 (#73)!
Television will never be the same…
To learn more about this title you can consult the following web sites:
Press review:
- Game of Thrones Season 8 Picture Gallery (ICv2)
- ‘Game of Thrones‘ Trailer and Premiere Date (ICv2)
- ‘Game of Thrones‘ Season 8 premiere recap: Secrets, Starks and spirals in ‘Winterfell’ (USA Today)
- 10 “Game Of Thrones” Podcasts You Should Listen To This Season (BuzzFeed)
- Growing up Game of Thrones (RollingStone)
- Behind the sounds of ‘Game of Thrones‘ (NBC)
- “Game of Thrones” season 8: Ramin Djawadi’s piano music key to HBO show’s greatness (Quartz)
- Games of Thrones‘ coffee cup and 6 other TV and film bloopers (BBC)
- Sophie Turner Names ‘The Culprit’ Behind ‘Game Of Thrones’ Rogue Cup Goof (HuffPost)
- HBO Releases ‘Game of Thrones’ Documentary ‘The Last Watch’ Trailer (Cosmopolitan)
- Apple just gave you the best way to watch ‘Game of Thrones‘ without an internet connection (CNBC)
- Someone Is Rewriting The Ending Of ‘Game Of Thrones,’ George RR Martin (Forbes)
- ‘Game of Thrones‘ series finale: who won the Iron Throne? (The Hollywood Reporter)
- ‘Game of Thrones’ Spoiler Alert: A Spanish Doctor Will Tell You How It Ends (WSJ)
- ‘Game of Thrones’ Season 8 Finale Recap: All Hail King Who? (The New York Times)
- The Game of Thrones Finale Was a Big Womp Womp, According to the Internet (Vogue)
- Game of Thrones finale gets mixed response (BBC)
- A Game of Thrones do-over? Now that’s a fantasy (The Star)
- 3 Reasons Why ‘Game of Thrones‘ Had the Best Ending Possible (Men’s Health)
- Game of Thrones: Why That Final, Tragic Twist Felt So Inevitable (Vanity Fair)
- After Game of Thrones, what’s the next must-see fantasy epic? (The Guardian)
- George R.R. Martin reacts to that Game of Thrones finale (EW)
- George RR Martin (sort of) reveals whether the end of his ‘Game of Thrones‘ book will match the show (CNN)
- Plastic water bottle appears in ‘Game of Thrones‘ finale (Mashable)
[ Traduire ]
The Predator
Is this a comedy or an action flick? A little of both, I guess… It has great action scenes, although not always believable. In a nutshell, it tells the story of a group of misfit soldiers fighting against an alien monster in pursuit of another alien monster. They get help from an unsuspected genius and one of the bad guys is not what it seems. The story is not really original but it is entertaining enough. In fact, the whole movie is just setting up the ground for the next one (or two — but no release date has been announced yet). It might push the Predator franchise into superheroes territory ! Powersuit, yeah! I can’t wait to see that!
The movie did relatively well at the box office (returning nearly twice its investment) but disappointed the fans of the franchise and the critics (getting only a 5.4 on IMDb and a 32% / 35% on Rotten Tomatoes ). It’s an average sci-fi action movie which remains nevertheless fun to watch.
To learn more about this title you can consult the following web sites:
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Image du chat-medi
Vanille
[ Nikon D3300, 2019/04/21 ]
Image du mer-fleuri
Akebono
[ Nikon D3300, Ottawa Tulips Festival, 2019/05/14 ]
Ottawa Tulips Festival 2019
This year, my visit at the festival was VERY disappointing. It was more of a festival of unopened tulips!
![[Not] Pretty Woman](https://clodjee.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/img_4586.jpeg)
Several flower beds had almost no flowers in bloom!
According to the Ottawa Citizen, the organizers of the 67th annual Tulip Festival were saying that the “Visitors (…) didn’t seem deterred by warnings of later blooms.” The article, published after the opening week-end, explains: “The wet, cool spring has pushed back the tulip blooms. Glenn [Janna Glenn, a spokeswoman for the Tulip Festival] said the gardens are between 50 per cent and 60 per cent blooming right now. While that means the gardens might not be at their most stunning on opening weekend, there will still be blooms for visitors to see later into the festival, she said.” This is clearly false advertising since five days later, at best, 40% of the tulips were blooming. In this Trumpian era I understand that a spokesperson would lie to promote their event, but a respectable journalist should know better than to repeat and validate such blatant lie (but, hey, it’s the Ottawa Citizen… unprofessionally hiding the truth in order to favour a profitable event and please the local merchants association is really not beyond them!)
Which is which ?
My main complain (beside the weather, obviously) is that many varieties of tulips are mixed inside each flowers beds (to make nice, colourful arrangements) and the identification tags are spread along the beds in a manner that makes it impossible to know which flower goes with each tag. Therefore we cannot know the name of each tulips for sure. This problem seems to have always plagued the festival. I am sure it could be possible to make labeling tags that include a small picture of the tulip so it could easily be identified in the flower bed — or at least provide a brochure that list all the tulips displayed with a picture and a small description. It would be so much nicer to be able to name each tulip (particularly when you take pictures) — without having to spend hours afterward googling each one!
Anyway, even if I took less pictures than in the previous years, we found ways to make the visit interesting despite the disappointment (and deception). There was still some tulips to be enjoyed (even if many had not bloomed) so it was not a total waste of time (although taking a six hours trip — roughly three hours of driving to go and three hours to come back — for a three hours visit is certainly not an optimum use of my time; but the landscape on the way [flooded in some places] was interesting to look at and I had made a good playlist of classic French pop songs to listen to on the way)…
The 67th edition of the Ottawa Tulip Festival is centred on only one venue: the Commissioners Park near Dows Lake. The park’s 30 flower beds are offering more than 250,000 tulips to enjoy. There is also many other activities like the Tulip legacy walking tour, or visiting the Tulip Plaza’s marketplace, or the Heritage pavillon with its Canadian Tulip Festival Museum, etc. The festival, which was established to celebrate the historic Royal gift of tulips from the Dutch to Canadians in the wake of the Second World War, is held until May 20th.
Sun Lover & Yellow Pomponette
Canadian Tulip Festival
Heritage Pavilion
Ivory floradale
Princess Irene
Christmas orange
Foxtrot ???
Pink Emperor
Hot Honey Rag
Pretty Princess
Double gudoshnik
Spryng break
Dows Lake Pavilion
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The Walking Dead Compendium Three
After watching the ninth season of the Walking Dead TV series, I wanted to go back to the comic book to compare the storytelling. I was not sure with which volume I stopped reading so I borrowed the latest big compendium at the library. The third compendium (published in October 2015) covers volumes 17-24 (issues #97-144). According to my borrowing history at the library, I should have read until vol. 25, but I don’t remember any of it so it is good that I read all that again to refresh my memory before going on with the next volumes. I still have seven volumes to catch up on (since the latest issue [in May] is #191 and the latest compilation is vol. 31 [#181-186, released last March — although vol. 32 (#187-192) is coming in August 2019]…
Page 3
This third compilation covers the Negan story arc (vol. 17-21) and the beginning of the whisperers story arc (vol. 22-24). Reading the comic after having seen the TV series provide quite a strange experience: some events happen on TV, but not in the comic and vice versa. Which is more troubling is that some events happen in both but not to the same characters and some characters are dead on the TV series but not in the comic (and vice versa). Really weird. It’s like having a peek into a parallel universe! Very confusing…
I don’t want to talk much about the story itself, to avoid spoilers, and anyway detailed synopses can be found on fan sites. The storytelling is excellent. It is fluid, easy to follow and has lots of twists, downturns and surprises. Of course, in such epic like the Walking Dead or Game of thrones, you cannot have any real “happily ever-after”. If not there wouldn’t be any story. And, when you are dealing with the end of the world as we know it, bad stuff keeps happening and you have to expect the worse case scenario.
Page 264
I like Kirkman & Adlard black and white art. It is realistic and dark, detailed and fluid enough so you can clearly understand what’s happening and follow the action. It has improved considerably since the beginning. However, there is something I don’t like in the way they draw the characters’ faces (I am not sure what: is it a little static? Too much shadow?). And, of course, there is a lot of graphical violence, although less as the story progress (or is it that we notice it less?). Anyway, overall, it is a well-written and interesting story that makes for a great comic.
I have never been a big fan of zombies but what interested me into this story is its post cataclysmic aspect. It is a setting that not only has good story potential but also allows to push the human psyche to its limits and reveal our true nature. In the beginning it was a story of survival, but now it becomes more and more a story about rebuilding a society. I can’t wait to see what will happen in the next volume, what will be the differences with the TV series. From now on, I’ll go back to read the comic volume by volume, as the next big compendium (#4, covering vol. 25-32) will only be released in October 2019.
You can also read my comment on the TV series and the first eleven volumes of the comic — which I wrote in January 2011 !
The Walking Dead Compendium Three, by Robert Kirkman (story) and Charlie Adlard (art) [with inking by Stefano Gaudiano, gray tones by Cliff Rathburn and lettering by Rus Wooton]. Berkeley: Image Comics (Skybound imprint), October 2015. 1088 pages, 25.9 x 16.9 cm, $US 59.99 / $C 79.50. ISBN 978-1-63215-456-9. For mature readers (18+). See the back cover.
For more information you can consult the following web sites:
[ Amazon — BAnQ — Goodreads — Google — Wikipedia — WorldCat ]
© 2015 Robert Kirkman, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Bohemian Rhapsody
I never considered myself a fan of Queen (but my wife was one), however, as I was watching this movie, I realized that I knew (or had heard) all the songs featured in the movie. Bohemian Rhapsody is, of course, a biopic about the music band Queen — telling us how would-be graphic designer (lead vocalist & songwriter Freddy Mercury), electronician (bass guitarist John Deacon), dentist (drummer Roger Taylor) and astrophysician (guitarist & songwriter Brian May) got together to make musical history. It seems a relatively faithful depiction of their collective life — or at least its highlights in fast-forward — focusing on the dynamic of the group interaction, the fact that they created music that allowed the audience to participate in their live performances, and giving some interesting insight on the genesis of some of the most iconic songs. As it is to be expected, the movie is centred mostly around Freddy Mercury and his bisexuality.
The choice of actors is excellent as they really look like the part. The acting is also good and their stage and musical performances are particularly remarquable. This movie will certainly get an entirely new generation to discover Queen’s music. It is rather uneven, far from being perfect, but it is well-made and the musical number makes it quite entertaining. It was well received (with a 8.1 rating on IMDb — although there is an interesting discrepancy on Rotten Tomatoes between the critics’ rating, 61%, and the audience’s rating, 86%). In any case, it certainly deserves to be seen, wether you like Queen or not.
To learn more about this title you can consult the following web sites:
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Image du chat-midi [02.019.131]
Cendrine
[ Nikon D3300, 2019/04/21 ]
Image du mer-fleuri [02.019.128]
Viorne obier / European cranberrybush
Caprifoliaceae : Viburnum : Viburnum opulus
[ Nikon D3300, Jardin botanique, 2018/06/03 ]
Solde de livres 2019
Comme tout les ans, les Amis de la Bibliothèque de Montréal organisent leur solde de livres pour offrir à petits prix aux Montréalais les livres dont les bibliothèques ne veulent plus (mais qui sont encore en très bon état). Vous y trouverez tout les genres de livres (plus de cent milles romans, documentaires, bandes dessinées, magazines, pour adultes, pour enfants, en français, en anglais et même parfois dans d’autres langues!) à très bon prix: 0,50 $ (livres jeunesse et magazines), 1,00 $ (livres adultes), 2,00 $ (BD et manga), et 3,00 $ (Dictionnaires, encyclopédies et « beaux livres »).
Le Solde de livres 2019 se tiendra du samedi 25 mai au dimanche 2 juin, de 13h00 à 19h00, à l’aréna Martin Brodeur (300, boulevard Robert, Montréal, juste à côté de la bibliothèque de St-Léonard). Les quantités sont limités sur certains types de documents (BD, dictionnaires). Le paiement doit être comptant seulement; il y a pas d’échange ou de remboursement possible. Et, S.V.P., veuillez apporter vos propres sacs. Pour plus d’information vous pouvez visiter la page Facebook.
Le but de cet événement est “de prolonger la vie utile de ces livres, d’aider à répandre le goût de la lecture et de permettre aux citoyens de Montréal d’enrichir leur bibliothèque personnelle à faible coût.” De plus, les revenus de la vente serviront à financer des activités d’animation dans les bibliothèques. Les documents invendus seront ensuite offert à des associations sans but lucratif et organismes communautaires, puis à Renaissance et finalement à la Fondation des parlementaires / Cultures à partager (qui les expédie dans des pays en voie de développement — comme en Afrique francophone et en Haïti). Ultimement, les livres qui restent après tout ça sont recyclés pour le papier. Rien ne se perd! Quelle entreprise louable…
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Mai, mois de la BD
Mai, c’est le mois le plus beau mais, au Québec, c’est aussi le mois de la BD. Celui-ci s’exprime au travers de deux événements distincts.
D’une part, les bibliothèques de Montréal organisent de nombreuses activités (conférences, rencontres, ateliers, etc.), expositions et concours autour du thème de la bande dessinée. La programmation de cette soixantaine d’activités est disponible en ligne.
Cette année la BD se décline au féminin dans les bibliothèques. En effet, avec la participation de son personnel et de treize personnalités publiques féminines, les bibliothèques ont produit une brochure qui offre un peu plus d’une cinquantaine de suggestions de lecture BD (une infime partie des 400 000 BD de ses collections) créées par des femmes. La brochure est disponible dans les bibliothèques mais aussi en ligne.
Malheureusement, on y retrouve que deux manga: Nana par Ai Yazawa chez Declourt/Akata et Isabella Bird, femme exploratrice par Taiga Sassa chez Ki-oon — que j’ai lu et recommande moi-même très chaudement. C’est avec honte que j’avoue n’avoir lu qu’un seul autre des titres recommandés: Persepolis de Marjane SATRAPI (que j’ai également très apprécié). Un autre titre se trouve cependant sur ma liste de lecture: Cet été-là par Mariko et Jillian TAMAKI chez Rue de Sèvres.
L’autre événement de ce mois de la BD, c’est le FBDM. La 8e édition du Festival BD de Montréal sera orientée sur l’international. Avec des volets francophone et anglophone, le festival se veut un carrefour entre l’Europe et l’Amérique, en y faisant la promotion des talents tant québécois que canadiens. L’événement, qui est tout public, bilingue, et gratuit, se tiendra du vendredi 24 au dimanche 26 mai 2019, à L’Espace La Fontaine (Parc Lafontaine).
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Clodjee's Safe-House 