2018 was “a year” in so many ways. Ups and downs, laughter and tears, dreams made and broken, and a renewed sense of worth. I made plans, formulated ideas, plotted with friends. If anything, I felt I took strides as a freelancer and wrote pieces I love and worked with some great editors, who I hope to continue working with. I have many interests, not just my academic discipline, and some of my long-term goals are based around these other areas.
This evening I created a Contentedly account so all my work can be found in a nice neat online portfolio:
Like a huge chunk of the population, I am counting down the days until Captain Marvel and Avengers 4 hit the cinemas. Ok, we can re-re-re watch the almost two dozen films and various television shows associated with the franchise, but who wouldn’t want more? Who would refuse the opportunity to become an Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. for an evening?
Therefore, on a cold, wet November evening, I was fortunate enough to have a run around the Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. at London’s Excel. It had been a long day, scuppered by train delays and appalling weather, but all of this fell away as soon as I set foot inside.
The exhibition is composed of a props, costumes, and interactive displays allowing you to try out and essentially become an Agent. This element of interaction, for me, is key to elevating this fantastic exhibition to something much more than a static installation.
All rooms are themed, and I was immediately captivated by the sight of all Iron Man suits on entry. This was one of my favourite rooms — maybe my favourite — the sight of Tony Stark’s numerous iron suits side-by-side is probably one of my favourite/most impressive cinematic displays I have seen exhibited. It’s endearing to see the suits subtly change, like a flip book or sorts, as you move back and forth between them; a shift from the tin can style suit that Tony welded together when he was captured during the first Iron Man film, to the Mark 7 of Infinity War. Although the opportunity to try out a flight stimulator was tempting, I couldn’t tear myself away from these magnificent figures.
The Captain America/Steve Rogers room was also tremendous fun, honouring his journey from the skinny bullied boy we see in 1940s Brooklyn to the strapping Captain we all know and love. It is, therefore, a very similar experience to watching The First Avenger — not a bad thing! — and the displays are tremendous. Plus, you get to sit on Cap’s Harley — who would refuse that?
However, I adored the holographic panels honouring the 1940s, particularly young Howard Stark and Agent Peggy Carter (my favourite). Images can’t quote capture those, so you gotta believe me not this one.
Also on display are props and items from Black Panther, Ant-Man (including a wonderful hologram display!) as well as props and customs belonging to Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Vision. However, all sides are catered for, and fans of Loki are not left out. The “hall of villains”, including the Dark Elves, is also great fun.
Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N is a wonderful event, and well worth a visit. The beauty of this exhibition is absolutely the interaction fans of all ages will have with the show — sitting the bike, posing with Cap’s shields, experiencing flight, touching Hulk’s massive hands, and battling Ultron. I had a ball running around taking photos and getting “in character”. What self-confessed superhero wouldn’t?
Details, tickets and more information can be found via the official website.
A little more behind the scenes details (including footage of yours truly) can be found on my saved Instagram stories.
It’s no secret that I enjoy superhero films. Sometimes, as in the case of my Hollywood visit, I am able to combine all my interests in one trip. I also don’t believe in singular interests. Those who know me well, know that I’m someone with many layers. I’m still not over Infinity War, am counting the days until Captain Marvel, and maintain that the future of the MCU is female.
Case in point, I want to alert some of you to this bit of news happening in London…
On November 29 2018, Marvel’s Avengers S.T.A.T.I.O.N. will open at London’s ExCel. This incredible experience will allow attendees to fully immerse themselves into the the backstories of each members of The Avengers, including:
The Thor Observatory – dedicated to Thor Odinson, King of Asgard and son of Odin — visitors are invited to lift Thor’s hammer, Mjölnir, view Thor’s outfits and study the universe and its current parameters using NASA’s EYE on the exoplanets program.
Also on display will be Captain America’s personnel file, allowing guests to explore the cutting-edge science that made Steve Rogers into Captain America.
Iron Man Engineering Bay – allowing trainee agents to get up close and personal with Iron Man’s iconic suits of armour and even experience what simulated flight flight inside the suit would feel like. Yes, you heard correct, SIMULATED FLIGHT.
There will also be the chance to explore Bruce Banner’s Lab.
I, for one, am incredibly excited about all of this, especially the world first character displays of Black Panther, The Wasp — yes, THE WASP! — and Thanos.
The exhibition runs from the end of November to March 2019, and you can find out more by visiting this link.
I’ll be reporting on the event when I visit — so suit up and stay tuned for more!
The night before the festival is always a magical experience. It’s an evening of dinner with friends, gatherings, and general low key revelry. You can feel something wonderful accumulating in the air, and indeed it is: the festival we have been waiting for all year long has finally arrived. Friends are together, familiar faces on the screen, and balmy spring evenings at The Hollywood Roosevelt. We take time out from our regular lives and fully immerse ourselves in the world — the location — of classic Hollywood stars and their movies for a few days. I put on my glitter heels, click three times, and know it’s real…it doesn’t get much better than this.
My early arrival in Hollywood really allowed me to savour the pre-festival excitement that hits at the beginning of festival week. It also allowed me to do something I had not done before: greet my out-of-town friends. As they started to trickle into town on Monday and Tuesday, plans started taking shape over texts, tweets, DMs and PMs for pre-festival adventures, dinners, and get-togethers.
Arriving into town the weekend before the festival also allowed me to attend Kimberly Truhler‘s marvellous fashion and film lecture (an event I would usually miss due to travel!) and a spend a sunny Burbank afternoon vintage clothes shopping with the lovely Danny and Aubrey. (We also met some sweet cats).
In a serendipitous occurrence, we ran into Beth and Karie. Following a quick drink and bite to eat, we popped into the fantastic Besame store to peruse and purchase a few items from their wonderful Agent Carter Collection, making our way to the Women’s Club of Hollywood en masse in time for Kim’s lecture.
Then it was onto The Women’s Club of Hollywood for a fabulous evening of fashion and film. It’s an incredible historical venue around the corner from The Roosevelt, and so under-represented that long-term L.A. natives — even those on historical committees —were not even aware of it’s existence. We all gasped after being told it was once The Hollywood School For Girls attended by Ginger Rogers! Now, it’s a lovely hall space and fantastic venue that needs to be seen to be believed. Check out it’s history and more details via the link above.
When the night was over it was over to The Roosevelt for the first time this trip and to meet up with my bestie Ms Marya Gates and the TCM/Filmstruck gang. It may not have officially started, but TCMFF was well and truly underway.
For the price of thirty dollars you can gain entry to three of the most touristy places on Hollywood Boulevard: The Hollywood Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe Ir Or Not, and The Guinness Book of World Records. I used to live a stone’s throw from the Ripley’s in London, and for three years never set foot inside. But when in Hollywood…
This may seem like an exaggeration, but the Wax Museum was once of the creepiest places I have ever visited. It started well—a pretty good section of horror figures (see above photos) greeted me—and went a little askew from there. I turned the corner and found myself staring at figures I recognised but only in an extremely vague sense—it was like they had travelled to a parallel universe and had melted a little from the planetary change in temperature. “That’s supposed to be…..???” was a sentence I kept exclaiming, and not always under my breath. I did that a lot during my visit, which was brief as the place is pretty small. Regardless, it is a truly bizarre, fun experience, and I recommend a visit just to prove I am not exaggerating.
The Guinness Book of records was fun but a quick buffer before the more vibrant Ripley’s. My pick of the three, you will find yourself navigating a series of rooms alternating in themes that take you on a journey from old Hollywood via occult trinkets and back again. The first space homes slabs from the original Chinese Theatre, Hitchcock’s Director’s Guild Medal (and a bronze death mask), samples of Mary Astor’s hair (hair or wig?), and framed newspaper cuttings, one being news of Mae West’s death.
I enjoyed the transition into the next room downstairs, which is a treat of magick and the occult. The items on display include Gerarld Gardner’s magician’s club, an ‘authentic’ vampire killing kit, an alter, and a porcelain phrenology head (exactly like the one residing on my desk).
The museum gains a bittersweet note as you weave your way through, culminating in the Marilyn Monroe Room. Her clothing, strewn make-up case and bikini do little to downplay her sex symbol status. “Marilyn’s Sexy Sleepwear” is not the ideal display card and does little to push past the glossy veneer of a person constantly striving to be seen for herself rather than the dizzy blonde characters she often portrayed on screen.
However, I was entranced by one particular item: the belted cardigan she wore in George Barris’ famous 1962 Santa Monica beach shoot. It captivates in a room of frippery and glamour where the visitor is still encouraged to view Monroe as a commodity.
This is emphasised when you glance the Monroe dresser that was owned by Anna Nicole Smith, the attached note emphasising the younger, but no less tragic, woman’s money value rather than her career.
I made my way out via a tribal themed room of ritualistic items, it stuck me how Ripley’s is the perfect metaphor for Hollywood: glamorous yet seedy, beautiful but tragic, dark and dangerous, yet captivating and magical. Some people will say both are crazy and bizarre. I left hypnotised.
(ps. I measured myself going in. Yes, I’m still short).
