Contains Themes Of A Sexual Nature
Hoho. Gotcha. No porno here.
Actually, I’m talking about the new temporary exhibition at the Natural History Museum, entitled “Sexual Nature“, which opened recently.
As I said in my post yesterday, I went to visit the NHM with my friend Vin last Thursday, with the express intention of seeing this temporary exhibition (and going the gift shop, ofc.)
I’ve read mixed reviews of “Sexual Nature”, so wasn’t sure what to expect, but at only £4 for students, it’s not really money wasted, regardless.
Image from NHM website
I have to say, I was really pleasantly surprised by the exhibition – if a little weirded out, too.
You see, when you pass through the big, frosted glass doors behind the ticket desk, it feels a bit like you’ve just walked into a seedy sex shop: there are long curtains to walk around, and what I can only describe as “mood music” softly playing in the background. But do not be alarmed: behind the curtains awaits a wonderland of facts and figures, with slightly unnerving multimedia support. First up is the giant video screen showing chimps fornicating (and my lord, some of them look bored), which you can’t fail to notice as you walk in.
All around you are display cabinets with bizarre artefacts: penis bones, insects “caught in the act”, and even a pair of unfortunate locked foxes (if you don’t know what I mean by this, please go and look it up).
I think the strength of the exhibition lies in its variety: there are a multitude of of different ways the information is displayed, from the written boards (which are very readable), to the pictures, videos, display cabinets and even the slightly disturbing “Green Porno” – the image of Isabella Rosellini dressed as a snail will stay with me always (for good or for ill).
I don’t want to say much more, as it’ll spoil the surprises in store. In conclusion: I loved it. £4 well spent.
Sexual Nature is on display from now until 2nd October.
Open 10.00-17.50 daily, last admission 17.15.
Adult £8, Child and concessions £4, Family £21
Free to Members, Patrons and children aged 3 and under.
This exhibition contains frank information and imagery about sex.
Films: The Men Who Stare at Goats
Mighty unusual film, this. Yes, there is a degree of goat-staring, but that is not the entire plot.
A dark comedy, based around true events (Americans are weeeeeird), we follow the story of the PSYOP movement. Some of it is frighteningly believable (and historically ineffective in terms of interrogation methods) such as the brainwashing techniques (Barney the Dinosaur, anyone?), but some of it, I find hard to swallow (I’m not into the whole “psychic” thing. Although I know people who are, so I will not pass judgement).
However, believable or not, this film is very fast-paced, pretty whacky (Clooney seems to be doing a lot of whacky at the moment) and very entertaining.
Drugs! Goats! Moustache! And dancing. Lots of dancing.
Get with it.
Films: Tangled
HAH. Weren’t expecting that one, were you? Well, think again. I’m not all angst and darkness. No, contrary to popular belief, I love Disney films. Well, some of them, at any rate.
And Tangled is definitely one of those that I love. I was beginning to get a bit jaded as far as “modern” Disney was concerned, but Rapunzel, her “magic hair that glows when she sings”, the charming Flynn Rider (who, trust me, has more depth than he originally lets on), the brave horse Maximus and the BRILLIANT chameleon Pascal, have most certainly won me over.
OK, OK, this is a pretty saccharine twist on the original Brothers Grimm incarnation, but then, that is the fate of the fairy tale in the modern age – it must be sweet and light (with some mild peril), and of course, it must be moral.
And I’m happy to say, Tangled ticks all the boxes. The goodies are good, the baddies are bad, there are reformed criminals and heroic animals. Someone is called Eugene (a name that has sadly been too long forgotten). There are a lot of very well written songs (yes, it’s semi-musical) including the fantaaaaastic “Mother Knows Best” (brilliant, as I was at the cinema with my mum). I’m still confused as to why Rapunzel had no shoes, but I’m willing to overlook that. It is all beautifully animated (works well in 3D!) and the script is very sweet.
Oh, and there is lots of hair. That’s a given.
Cheers for more reminders that long hair is, in fact, awesome.
Chinese New Year in London
Those of you who follow me on Twitter will know that I was determined to get in to central London on Sunday, in order to experience Chinese New Year 2011, London style.
You will also be aware that I was sadly disappointed.
Whilst there was food in abundance, lion dances parading from shop to shop, and lanterns laced above our heads, Chinatown was rammed with people (prams = BAD IDEA, people), so good luck actually seeing over heads.
Oh, and to the chap behind me who shoved me in the back whilst we were all trying to get out of New Loon Moon – Yes, you were pushing me, no, pushing didn’t help, and no, threats don’t work on me either. Yes, you were right to feel embarrassed and shut up after I pulled you up on that one. Weren’t expecting that from a girl half your size, were you? Jerk.
I know what you’re thinking, because I thought it too at first: Why can’t people just put their rubbish in the bin?!! Well, maybe it’s because…
Quite. Good luck with that one, Westminster City Council.
My other major irritation with Chinese New Year in London is that there was advertising EVERYWHERE. The paper lanterns were sponsored by Lebara mobile, children carried red balloons festooned with Lyca Mobile logos, and lo and behold – Kung Fu Panda 2 fortune cookies. It all just felt a bit tacky and was, in my honest opinion, a massive anticlimax. On the upside, I managed to get three buffet box take-aways for £9. With that in hand, I bustled through the insanely large crowds (well, that’s what you get when you have a completely free event) and retreated to home.
What about you? Maybe you aren’t as jaded about your Chinatown Chinese New Year experience as I was. Maybe you are 6’5” and therefore actually managed to see a lion dance. Maybe you were one of the many pushchair-users that rammed me in the ankles – we need to talk.
Films: Sinbad: Legend Of The Seven Seas
I love DreamWorks films. Big time. The Road to El Dorado is one of my favourite films of all time. But Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas is one I haven’t seen quite so many times. In fact, before today, I had only seen it once, in 2003, when it came out in the cinema.
So I was overjoyed when I had the opportunity to watch it at my leisure in my own home. DreamWorks films have a dry sense of humour that sets them above Disney in my eyes. Plus, they have adopted a particular, angular drawing style which I get on quite well.
I have no idea how true this incarnation is to the original Sinbad tale. Probably not at all. But you know what? I don’t really care. It is an exciting, cartoon romp, which is good fun for kids and adults alike. There are sexy sirens, an exciting chase scene with the Roc (not the wrestler), an unlikely and begrudging love interest, a moral tale, a charming crew on the ship, a delightfully comic dog, and of course, a token “strong but gentle” muscley, shirtless black guy. Oh, yes.
Nothing earth-shattering, and I still prefer Road to El Dorado, but still a welcome, enjoyable distraction.
Films: Hidalgo
Oh dear lord – I am stuck in some horrid Chrimbo Limbo. And the worst thing about staying with family? Good luck hearing the telly, should you actually want to watch anything. Between the kids and their new toys (WTH with Dave The Funky Shoulder Monkey?), the dog who is SO happy to see Ben that it is almost SHOUTING, and the verbal diarrhoea brought about by either booze or age (or both), you may have to make up your own dialogue.
That said, I did manage to pick up most of Hidalgo yesterday. It helps that a lot of the dialogue was subtitled (as it had a lot of Native American and Arabic speech), and the rest was just epic swooping shots of running horses.
It’s hard not to love this film. It is not a fantastic film, plot wise, dialogue wise, etc. But it has a charming horse and a charming cowboy, played by the enchanting Viggo Mortensen. And it is a feel-good Christmas sort of thing, where an animal basically thinks it’s people, we root for the underdog, the baddies consist of a load of foreigners and a pretty lady, and we ultimately see a lot of pretty landscape.
Viggo – I mean, Frank Hopkins – defies the impossible and wins a desert race in the Middle East, with an American horse. Whilst he’s at it, he makes friends with a sheikh (despite himself being a “filthy infidel”), saves the sheikh’s only daughter and shooting a lot of bad guys.
Ultimately, a film with more style than substance, but if you just need to kick back and watch some moving pictures, Hidalgo is pretty enough. Especially if you like horses and deserts. Which I do.
Films: Fantastic Mr. Fox
I wasn’t sure what to expect from this. I basically grew up on Roald Dahl and was therefore dreading an awful Americanised film adaptation. And while it’s true that this film strays from the original story, it builds on, rather than discards, its roots.
It’s a fast-paced, and at times incredibly weird film: the stop animation is very rough around the edges, but that in itself adds to the charm. Thankfully, the story still revolves around Mr Fox’s big heist on Boggis, Bunce and Bean (one fat, one short, one lean, respectively), and this acts as an anchor to my childhood in an otherwise manic film. And for the amusement of the adults in the audience, the scriptwriters have replaced every available opportunity for a swear word with just the word “cuss”, e.g. “What the cuss are you talking about?”, “If you’re gonna cuss with somebody, you’re not gonna cuss with me, you little cuss!”, etc.
It’s not perfect (my own bug bears lie with the question of where the film is actually set – why do the animals have American accents whilst the farmers are British? It looks to be set in England… so where the hell is the opossum from?) – but it is funny, and cute, and has morals, and, given that you don’t take it TOO seriously, it is a really good film.
