If you would like to see more images from the Victoriana album just click below to link or go to the Gallery tab at the top of the homepage (www.lilywight.com).
You can friend/follow Lily Wight on Facebook or follow @Lily_Wight on Twitter xxx
Posted in Art, Victoriana, tagged Art, Arts, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Images, Pre-Raphaelite, Victorian Paintings on June 30, 2012| 4 Comments »
Posted in Movies, Music, tagged Art, Arts, Darth Vader, Entertainment, film, George Lucas, Gotye, Humour, Movies, Music, Parody, Science Fiction, Somebody That I Used to Know, Star Wars, Videos on June 29, 2012| 8 Comments »
Click the link above to view an inspired Star Wars themed video that you used to know…
David J Rodger ¦ Science Fiction & Dark Fantasy
Once in a while somebody comes along with a custom-crafted video that just hits the mark. This one by teddiefilms brings together the superb combination of sound and visuals of Gotye (Somebody That I Used To Know) – and some quirky one-liners to give George Lucus and his prequels a highly qualified pasting. I love the stand-in for the ft.Kimbra role. It ain’t a woman. The actor really plays (him) well. :o)
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You treat me like a Bantha and I feel so low
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What Happened to the Star Wars that I used to know?
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And what’s the deal with having me be dubbed over (Noooooooooo!)
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CREDITS
DARTH GOTYE: Tyson Apostol
GEORGE L: Mike Loveland (http://www.ollibird.com)
MUSIC ARRANGED BY: Israel Curtis, http://Somakat.com
ADDITIONAL INSTRUMENTS: Josh Aker, http://Somakat.com
DARTH VOCALS BY: Israel Curtis
GEORGE VOCALS BY: Ryan Richardson
LYRICS BY:
View original post 74 more words
Posted in TV, tagged BBC, Blackadder, Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff, Charles Dickens, comedy, humor, Mitchell and Webb, Stephen Fry, Victorian on June 29, 2012| 5 Comments »
Please don’t be concerned Blogsprites! The title quote comes from the BBC’s superlative little series The Bleak Old Shop Of Stuff.
The show was first broadcast on the radio and was bumped-up to television status with a Christmas Special in 2011.
Heavily influenced by the searing wit and irreverent comedy of Blackadder The Bleak Old Shop is a must-see for Dickens’ fans or anyone with a taste for Victoriana and a sense of humour.
Watch wherever you can!
Posted in Books, Victoriana, tagged Arts, books, British, Culture, Great Britain, History, humor, Humour, Queen Victoria, Review, Reviews, Robert Hull, The Victorians, Victorian on June 27, 2012| 8 Comments »
*Postage stamps, matches, refrigerators, lightbulbs, antiseptic, inflatable tyres, cars, buses, telephones, iron bridges, railways, cameras, bandstands and promenades are all Victorian inventions.
*After the death of Prince Albert (1861) Queen Victoria dressed in black and had fresh clothes and a wash-stand prepared for Albert every day.
*She also spoke of “the mad, wicked folly of women’s rights”. No comment.
*Only two British monarchs have reached their Diamond Jubilee. Victoria celebrated hers in 1897.
*Britain and China went to war… over Opium trafficking!
*A large part of the world still speaks English today because of Victoria’s empire.
*The Commonwealth is made up of countries which were once under British rule.
*The River Thames was so thick with sewage that paddle-steamers could hardly move. After 30 years of work a new improved sewage system was completed in 1875. It is still in use today.
*Victorian architecture favoured Medieval Gothic and Classical Roman or Greek styles.
*The first Victorian computer was called the “analytic engine”.
All facts borrowed from The Victorians by Robert Hull.
Posted in Books, Victoriana, tagged Arts, books, British History, Facts, History, James Harrison, The Victorian Age, Trivia, Victorian, Victorian era, Writing on June 25, 2012| Leave a Comment »
Updated 17/06/2014
Here at The Arcade of Arts & Arcana we are not ashamed to trawl kids’ books for fascinating factoids. Here are few of our findings…
*Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital opened in 1852. If you scroll down the sidebar you will find a link to Children With Cancer UK, this site’s nominated charity 🙂
*Edward Jenner helped to wipe out smallpox in just 40 years when free vaccinations became available in 1840.
*The bell residing in the Houses of Parliament clock tower was cast in 1858 and named for building supervisor Sir Benjamin Hall. Big Ben of course.
*Building ships from steel instead of heavy iron was a very good idea.
*Charles Kingsley’s The Water Babies (1863) influenced Parliament to pass the Chimney Sweeps Act. The use of children as sweeps was finally stamped out in 1875.
*Today southeast Asia produces 90% of the world’s rubber. Rubber seeds were originally sourced in South America, shipped to the UK for cultivation at Kew Gardens and re-distributed to Malaysia and Indonesia.
*The first bicycle, the Penny Farthing, was made in 1883 with solid tyres and no brakes.
*The first electric underground railway opened in London in 1890. The system soon became known as “The Tube”.
*Many UK newspapers were founded in the Victorian era. The Times rose to prominence by reporting on the blunders of The Crimean War.
*Many Scots families emigrated to Canada (settling Nova Scotia or New Scotland) due to their own, less well-known potato famine.
All these facts are borrowed from The Victorian Age 1837-1914 by James Harrison.
Posted in Movies, tagged Art, Corellian, Entertainment, Fashion, film, Han Solo, Han Solo Costume, Harrison Ford, Humour, I Take Orders From Just One Person, Millenium Falcon, Nerf Herder, People, Photography, Science Fiction, Scoundrel, Star Wars, Star Wars Costumes on June 23, 2012| 7 Comments »
Posted in Books, Macabre, Reviews, tagged Arts, books, Fevre Dream, Game of Thrones, George R R Martin, Review, Reviews, Vampire, vampires, Writers on June 23, 2012| 10 Comments »
Updated 14/06/2014
It takes a writer as bold as Game of Throne’s George R.R. Martin to pen a Southern Gothic vampire novel just three years after the publication of Anne Rice’s genre-bending Interview With The Vampire.
Martin’s Fevre Dream includes plenty of Rice’s familiar tropes – such as setting, era and two bickering immortal dandies – but Fevre Dream has less romance and more grit, as though two writers used the same remit to inspire very different tales.
Posted in Books, Victoriana, tagged Arts, books, History, humor, Humour, John Guy, Pre-Raphaelite, Prince Albert, Victorian, Victorian era, Victorian Life on June 22, 2012| 16 Comments »
Updated 09/06/2014
All these amazing facts have been borrowed from the Snapping-Turtle Guide, Victorian Life by John Guy.
*The average life expectancy for a Victorian city-dweller was a measly 40 years!
*At the beginning of Victoria’s reign (1837) 20% of the population lived in towns. By the end of her reign (1901) this figure had risen to 75%.
*Beer was less than a penny a pint causing problems with drunkenness… especially amongst children.
*This was probably because both boys and girls wore dresses until they reached about five years old.
*Thomas Edison didn’t just invent the phonograph (1877) he suggested talking-books for the blind.
*The Railway Age created affordable travel for all and inspired that Great British pursuit: a day-trip to the seaside!
*Victorian Artists and Poets reacted against The Industrial Age by incorporating romanticised Myths, Legends and The Natural World into their work. (Click the Gallery tab for an album of Pre-Raphaelite paintings.)
*Thank whatever gods you believe in for the invention of chloroform! Available for use on patients as an anaesthetic from 1847.
*According to royal protocol no one is allowed to propose to a queen so Victoria had to ask for Albert’s hand in marriage (and we all know where he kept the ring *warning* this link features adult content)!
*Women (and anything they earned or owned) were considered the property of their husbands or fathers until legal amendments beginning 1882.
Posted in Tarot, tagged Art, Arts, deviant moon, Johnny Depp, Litha, Longest Day, New Age, Patrick Valenza, Summer Solstice, Tarot, Vanessa Paradis on June 21, 2012| 27 Comments »
It is the longest (and quite possibly the wettest) day of the year and a fine time to treat myself to some free therapy with a personal Tarot reading. I have a very pragmatic and distinctly non-mystical approach to The Tarot and you can click this smiley link for a post outlining my views 🙂
As always I use Patrick Valenza’s Deviant Moon Tarot (Lunatic Spread… how appropriate!). You will find a link to Patrick’s website if you scroll down the sidebar on my homepage.
I looked for insights into the period between the current Summer Solstice and Lughnasadh (1st August 2012).
Read cards anti-clockwise (widdershins) from left centre;
1. The Inquirer/Present Day ~ The Hanged Man (Major Arcana)
2. Past Influences ~ The Six of Wands
3. Subconscious Influences ~ The Queen of Pentacles
4. Secret Desires & Wishes ~ The King of Pentacles
5. Hidden (External) Forces ~ The Nine of Swords
6. Events Yet To Come ~ The Star (Major Arcana)
7. Surrounding Environment ~ The Six of Pentacles
8. Influence Of Others ~ The Seven of Wands
9. Spiritual Forces ~ The Two of Swords
10. Final Outcome ~ The Page of Wands
I would be grateful for any insights, you don’t have to be a Tarot reader: every picture tells a story! My own interpretation is very detailed but I have included some highlights below;
Overview
There are only two Major Arcana cards so this is not a particularly auspicious time but the placing of the cards suggests I am in a fixed and specific state with an important, fortunate and enlightening event to come. These cards are opposite each other in the spread, suggesting an obstacle-strewn shift from one place to the other.
There are no Cup cards! My previous Beltane (May 2012) spread was devoid of Swords so my former lack of action has evolved into a lack of emotional fulfillment.
Back in May The Page of Wands appeared in position 7. He has been loitering in my environment and will finally become my main focus at the beginning of August. (There are two males, one from my close family and one from my professional life who are suggested by this card so business, home-life or perhaps both will dominate my Summer).
The Six of Wands also stood out for me because this card appeared in exactly the same position in my Vernal Equinox spread (March 2012). It is reminding me of a personal heroic emergence after a period of struggle. The blooming celebrant is holding an illuminating wand, a symbol of intuition and hope, something I’ll use again to escape the unexpected events and negative influences implied by the tangled forest at position 8!
I don’t need the Tarot to tell me I can be my own worst enemy. As The Hangman (position 1) I am trapped in a state of suspension (taunted by that little ticking pocket-watch) and The Nine of Swords (the very embodiment of obstacles!) reveals my own personal demons (I like to call them Stress, Anxiety, Depression and Self-Doubt) pictorially gnawing away at me. Those swords however make a ladder because challenges can be the making of us and opportunity can be born of failure. The Hangman is serene and full of grace despite his dilemma so I aspire to be more like him. It’s a time to just live in the present and work on getting some Cup cards back into future spreads.
I rely on Tarot readings to clarify what I feel I already know but there is always a surprise. Just look at that power-couple: The King and Queen of Pentacles side-by-side and buried deep in my subconscious. No matter how evolved and esoteric we like to think we are practical primal desires for security, wealth and all the good things in life bubble beneath. It’s all about balance (I guess if I ever achieve that it will be the end of my Tarot journey).
Deviant Moon is a cheeky deck. Mine often makes a joke at my expense. A very straightforward, traditional Gypsy-style, reading would suggest The King of Pentacles, my secret desire, is a rich, powerful and influential mature man with dark hair and eyes, perhaps a Gemini. I laid the spread the spread the same day I discovered that Johnny Depp had officially confirmed his split from long-term partner Vanessa Paradis. You work it out 😉
Posted in Movies, tagged Arts, Benedict Cumberbatch, Blog, Entertainment, film, Movies, Reviews, Robert Downey Jr, Sherlock Holmes, Steven Spielberg, video, Videos, Young Sherlock Holmes on June 17, 2012| 18 Comments »
If you checked-in for yesterday’s post you will already know that Sherlock Holmes is Dracula’s only significant rival when it comes to literary characters with the most big and small screen adaptations to their credit.
An alternative world mash-up featuring Robert Downey Jr.’s movie detective versus the BBC’s Benedict Cumberbatch (with an army of self-styled “Cumberbabes” in tow) would be quite a spectacle. In the meantime I’m recommending the Stephen Spielberg produced Young Sherlock Holmes as the perfect accompaniment for a Father’s Day afternoon nap.
The arcane and occult plot-stylings undoubtedly influenced Guy Ritchie’s Twenty-First Century Holmes reboot and (although plaudits go elsewhere) Young Sherlock Holmes is a film that utilised groundbreaking CGI effects; just check-out the stained glass knight in one of the movie’s many not-so-family-friendly moments!
Indiana Jones meets Gothic Victoriana. What’s not to like?
You can view the whole film part by part on YouTube!
Click for another post you may enjoy :)
Posted in Art, Victoriana, tagged Art, Arts, Clockwork Insects, Crafts, Steampunk on June 16, 2012| 10 Comments »
Posted in Movies, tagged Anne Rice, Dracula, Francis Ford Coppola, Gary Oldman, Gothic, Johnny Depp, Keanu Reeves, vampires, Victorian, Winona Ryder on June 16, 2012| 35 Comments »
Count Dracula (alongside fellow Victorian gentleman, Sherlock Holmes) holds the dubious honour of being the Movie World’s hardest working (and most abused) literary character.
Francis Ford Coppola’s 1992 adaptation is a gloriously bombastic mountain of soft-focus eroto-nonsense but a highly recommended guilty pleasure.
Coppola claimed that his version would be the closest ever interpretation of Stoker’s classic novel but his attempts to include every character whilst frequently switching narrative perspective makes for a cluttered and unfocused movie. Dracula is depicted in his numerous evolving guises but the inclusion of a psuedo-historical prologue forces a new reincarnation theme on the tale.
Dracula was released just prior to Neil Jordan’s adaptation of Interview With The Vampire and has too much in common with Anne Rice’s genre-changing interpretation of vampire archetypes as immortal dreamboats. Coppola’s film oozes lush Freudian imagery; sinking suns, blood cells, eyes, nipples and fragrant blooms are everywhere.
Oldman himself admitted to essaying Dracula as “a Fallen Angel” and the beloved actor deserves much credit for creating a tour-de-force (and cohesive) performance with a role that required him to play a medieval relic, a romantic Victorian Prince, a wolfman, a bat and just about every stage in between.
His Eastern European accent is sublime or ridiculous but unforgettable either way. Many have forgotten that he was nominated for an Oscar for this role. As a Fantasy character he was never likely to win (even The Lord Of The Rings failed to gain plaudits for its cast) but his creation is every bit as unique as Depp’s Jack Sparrow.
Rumour has it that Winona Ryder petitioned hard to have her then boyfriend Johnny Depp cast as Jonathan Harker. Depp fans would no doubt love to have seen this but it is hard to imagine how he could have improved or altered the end result. Some films are actually enhanced by unintentional comedy moments. Keanu Reeves is one long comedy moment. It is enough that Reeves is simply awful and memorable (with a grey streak that turns into a continuity nightmare and helpfully distracts from his lack of performance).
Perhaps it is time to watch Coppola’s Dracula again. The set and costume designs are lavish, Lucy’s beheading has genuine chills, Antony Hopkins goes all out to match Oldman’s Method mania and the orchestral score is magnificent.
It’s guilty, yes…but pleasurable.
Click for another post you might like 🙂
Posted in Videos, tagged Animals, cute animals, Dogs, funny, gif, humor, Humour, Nature, video, Wolf on June 16, 2012| 3 Comments »
I think I just let out some wee! LMFAO.
Posted in Macabre, tagged Apocalypse, Candy, Confectionery, Entertainment, food, Horror, Humour, Sweet Zombie Survival Kit, Sweets, Zombie Gifts, Zombie Survival Kit, Zombies on June 16, 2012| 5 Comments »
Utter brilliance!
A dad makes a gift for his son who loves zombies AND sweets, and this is what he came up with. In summary: coolest dad ever! Click on image to see where I got it from.
*******ATTENTION: I just got this picture from another blog. I don’t have the templates. However, this person does on DeviantArt http://kerrichan.deviantart.com/art/Zombie-Servival-Kit-Part-2-Serum-and-Aquatabs-360799357********
Posted in Movies, tagged Arts, Blackadder, EadweardMuybridge, History, humor, nude, People, Photography, Pornography, Victorian, Zoopraxiscope on June 15, 2012| 6 Comments »
According to Blackadder the only thing Dr. Johnson’s Dictionary is good for is looking-up rude words (how true). So, when Victorian Era photographer and film-maker Eadweard Muybridge invented Bullet Time it was inevitable he would use his remarkable new-fangled equipment to capture images of naughty ladies (and a few game gentlemen too)!
It’s old. It’s black and white, so it’s Art 😉
*Warning* Adult Content.
Okay, he did a few other amazing and groundbreaking things too…
Victorian Era Bullet Time!
Click for a post you may enjoy 🙂
Posted in Macabre, tagged Animals, H P Lovecraft, lilywight, Nature, News, octopus, offbeat, People, Squid, travel, vacation, Weird on June 15, 2012| 4 Comments »
By the power of Grey Skull!!! It’s the End of Days, people!
Just click the pic for the full story :0
Posted in Art, Books, Victoriana, tagged Alice in Wonderland, Alice Through The Looking Glass, Art, Arts, Illustrations, Images, John Tenniel, Lewis Carroll, Victorian on June 14, 2012| 9 Comments »
Posted in Books, Macabre, Reviews, tagged Arts, books, Denied, Fiction, Horror, Nostferatu, Pat Brien, Review, Reviews, Vampire, vampires, werewolf, Werewolves on June 13, 2012| 4 Comments »
Updated 05/06/2014
Pat Brien’s Denied is a refreshingly old-school vampire yarn that owes more to Hammer era Dracula than Twilight style teen romance (cheer or boo here as you prefer).
Posted in Art, Macabre, tagged Art, Arts, Day of The Dead, Dia de los Muertos, Gothic, Illustrations, Images on June 10, 2012| 8 Comments »
love this group, follow the link for more info on them
“La Luz De Jesus Gallery proudly rebrands our annual juried group exhibition, LALUZAPALOOZA. This gigantic, no-theme show features works from some of the freshest and most relevant artists working today. Over 9,000 submissions from commercial illustrators, graphic designers, tattooists, scenics, students, animators and working gallery artists had to be sorted-through, and we’ve finally narrowed it down to 125 or so artists. The official piece count is awaiting verification, but you can bet that it will be another (tastefully) jam-packed, salon-style exhibition. There are some familiar names from our ever-growing roster of feature artists, but an overwhelming percentage of the work comes from a brand new batch of undiscovered, emerging talent.!
http://www.laluzdejesus.com/shows/2012/Kitschen-Sync/Laluzapalooza2012-index.htm
Posted in Writing, tagged Art, Blog, books, Design, Goth, Steampunk, Versatile Blogger Award, WordPress on June 9, 2012| 5 Comments »
I was very grateful to receive The Versatile Blogger Award last month and it is my solemn duty *ahem* to present further accolades to the following fine Blogsprites.
Well done, everyone xx
http://stilldark.wordpress.com/
For darkly romantic grown-up Goths.
http://victoriannightsblog.wordpress.com/
Keeping The Age of Empire alive!
http://inkashlings.wordpress.com/
Awarding inky stars hither and thither 🙂
http://steamart.wordpress.com/
Sexy, sexy Steampunk goodies.
http://bohemianromance.wordpress.com/
You haven’t seen jewellery until you’ve seen this site!
http://professormaelstromme.wordpress.com/
Craft and curios from The Age of Steam.
Posted in Books, Macabre, Reviews, Victoriana, tagged Arts, books, Bram Stoker, Dacre Stoker, Dracula, Dracula The Un-dead, Fiction, Gothic, History, Review, Reviews, Victorian on June 8, 2012| 25 Comments »
Updated 03/06/2014
Despite obvious extensive research and the Stoker seal of approval belated Dracula sequel Dracula The Un-Dead is a wasted opportunity which panders to modern tastes instead of keeping faith with the original vampire classic.
Dacre Stoker and collaborator Ian Holt throw in everything from Elizabeth Bathory and Jack The Ripper to The Titanic creating a convoluted yarn which, although fast paced, struggles to find themes and focus.
This sort of Victorian Gothic Alternative History, or Literary Re-imagining, has been done far more successfully before by author Kim Newman whose Anno Dracula series is both effortless and ingenious in its use of similar settings and characters.
The Un-Dead reads more like a sequel to Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula movie and when Dracula intones to Mina’s son “I am your father!!!” you may just die laughing.
Posted in Art, tagged Art, Arts, Crafts, Fantasy, Illustration, Image, Steampunk on June 7, 2012| 4 Comments »
Posted in Macabre, tagged Archaeology, Bulgaria, Burial, History, vampires on June 6, 2012| 14 Comments »
Thank you http://myvoyagethroughtime.wordpress.com/
For this amazing link!
Posted in Macabre, Puppets/Dolls/Automata, tagged cute, Goth, plushies, toys, Vampire on June 6, 2012| 12 Comments »
I shall acquire one erst I die!!!
They’re the most adorable plushy’s I’ve seen along side Skelanimals. (Vamplets) These little blood suckers, werewolves, monsters, etc., make me want to hug my skully to death.
o,.,o Wait no! If I do that then my poor skelanimal bat will then be left without a head. Now if only I could fall into a bed of my Diego skelanimal bat with little vamplets.
Here’s the link to the shop: http://www.vamplets.com/