Friday, May 16, 2014

Poppy Wizardry Along My Way

TECHNICOLOR arrived just in time to show off the charms of the poppy in the 1939 movie
Wizard Of Oz.

Fields upon fields of vivid blooms lulled Dorothy to sleep and reawakened interest in the glorious flower.

Translucent orange petals washed by the sun turned sunset gold during my recent visit to Crescent Beach. The papaver orientale grows profusely in the southwest gardens of BC and in much of North America.

Although this type of poppy does not produce opium or put you to sleep, it is hypnotic. The magnetic center of purplish-blue and ebony hues is a bottomless well that whisks you away (as the song says) somewhere over the rainbow.

The fragrant-free flower with fluttery wing-like petals has always enchanted me.

Find more tantalizing blooms from around the world at Today's Flower.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms

Monday, May 5, 2014

Web Fest Kicks Off At Imperial In Vancouver

WITH SPARKLING lounge, state-of-the-art sound, cushy seats and a red carpet, it was a pleasure to view some of the top web series from around the globe on Saturday.

The international festival was held at the Imperial on Main Street in Vancouver’s eastside. The décor in this recently rejuvenated multi-purpose facility reflected its Asian roots.

When Kung Fu movies were the rage in the early 70s they were shown at what was then called the Golden Harvest Cinema.

Since then, the theatre (located near Vancouver's historic Chinatown) gained increased functionality along with its new name.

This was the perfect venue for a new generation of storytellers developing content innovatively through webisodes. A large screen showed off their selected works with elegant flair.

Modern technology and video streaming opened the door to a community of independent artists, producers and directors.

Although creative pioneers can now use digital palettes to help the process bloom, age-old challenges all moviemakers have faced still exist. Topics of financing and marketing were included during a question period after the screenings. The background screen (photo below) showed some sponsors of the festival.

This was mostly a laugh-filled Saturday since comedies were the focus during my visit to the inaugural event. Outside it was raining and a more dramatic performance was going on.

A man took off his shirt and tried to start a confrontation near where I parked the car at Main & East Hastings. Thankfully, no Kung Fu kicks ensued because the larger men did their best to ignore the man who eventually settled down.

Similar scenes possibly happen regularly in this small corner of the city where the neglected past struggles to transition into a more hopeful future.

Personal stories that make you laugh or cry can be discovered anywhere. They are great fodder and inspiration for the movies.

Visit Postcards From Penelope Puddle to view more BC scenes.

To see more sights from around the globe visit Our World at the sidebar.

Copyright by Penelope Puddlisms