Monday, May 11, 2015

The Italian Trailer for "Il Racconto Dei Racconti " (Tales of Tales") Is Amazing!

Put everything on hold: I must see this NOW!

Here's the Italian trailer. It's more loigcal in terms of story progression than the other trailers so you get more of an idea of what's happening, especially if you took a good look at my previous Tale of Tales post on the weekend. 
Only problem is, it's in, well, Italian (obviously) so I have to listen super-closely to understand what's being said and I still haven't found all the words I don't know in an Italian-english dictionary. Never fear though: the film was made in English so the Italian is dubbed over the actors speaking English. You don't need many words to understand what's going on anyway.

It's just beautiful, with lots of footage not included in the other English ones. Enjoy!
Don't worry - I am keeping my eyes peeled for US andUK distribution and will share as soon as I know!

Giambattista Basile’s "Pentamerone" illustrated by Franz von Bayros


Since Matteo Garrone's Tale of Tales film is really beefing up the promotional material for Cannes, I thought you might like to see something a little older regarding The Pentamerone. Although Basile's book contains fifty tales the film is only (reportedly) using five (and I don't have my own copy - YET! - to check which exactly sorry! My library isn't being cooperative for copied either, sadly.)
These illustrations are by Austrian illustrator and painter Franz von Bayros from 1909. I don't recommend you look him up if you have delicate sensibilities. He is best known for his very lewd and explicit illustrations and paintings and that's putting it mildly (totally NSFW or kids). Perhaps because of this, he is, however, a master at the human form.

Anyway - these are quite lovely though and considering the source material, I'm sort of amazed they are as family friendly as they are... I haven't included all ten. You can see the rest on the Tumblr site HERE if you'd like.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Ask Baba Yaga: How Do I Form Female Bonds?

Maiden, Mother, Crone by Cate Simmons aka  SteeringForNorth (Baba Yaga, Rapunzel? & Little Red Riding Hood)

I thought I'd post a maiden, mother, crone pic today since it's Mother's Day. (Happy Mother's Day mamas!)

Female familial (and other) relationships can be so complicated it seems - a theme that's explored a lot in fairy tales via extremes (you can see a board I put together HERE of Motherhood in fairy tales - Frau Holle has her own board, as does Baba Yaga, of course). Despite how independent we can be, there comes a time when you realize, hey - it'd be GREAT to have a girl to talk to right now! But how do you get back into that groove when you've been swimming your own way for so long?

Today's timely question and answer (via poet and oracle Taisia Kitaiskaia* of The Hairpin):
(Originally posted at The Hairpin HERE)

Oh my goodness - ravenous wounds! What a great description. I have to say, my dearest friends are those who stand beside me and not opposite me as we go through things. So: no more wound stingers!

What do you think of Baba Yaga's advice?

Want to ask Baba Yaga a question of your own?
You can!
There's now an email address where you can send your questions
directly to Baba Yaga herself.
AskBabaYaga AT gmail DOT com
To encourage Baba Yaga to continue imparting her no-bones-about-it wisdom (ok, there may be some gristle in there... bones too), I suggest we not to leave her box empty... 

Thank you Baba Yaga (& Taisia).


Taisia Kitaiskaia is a poet, writer, and Michener Center for Writers fellow. Born in Russia and raised in America, she's had her poems and translations published in Narrative Magazine, Poetry International, and others.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

New "Tale of Tales" Trailers, Posters, Descriptions & TONS of Stills!


My goodness, this film looks more amazing every time I see more about it. This was going to be a short post: new trailers, new poster, few screen shots - done - but no. There is a TON of new stuff released about this movie and I have to share it all (ok - not all, this post would have been twice as long and I didn't include the gorier stuff so you can feel OK about scrolling if you have family or work mates around.)

These trailers ARE both safe for work and kids by the way, so no worries there (a little blood and dirt and some skin but nothing too terrible). Here they are:
There are also two new posters - I go back and forth between which one I like better, though the first one that looks like a labyrinth was completely stunning, and I'm glad I saw that first.
There is an interview with Garrone in the Italian Huffington Post HERE and I'm including a few badly translated excerpts for you:

"... the raw violence of the tales of Giambattista Basile, with its medieval matrix, it seems to narrow current. Back on top passions and desires, as in fairy tales, which are always true, as he said Italo Calvino, because they speak of the human being. And fairy tales are archetypes, and the archetypes are always modern and universal ", (says Director Matteo Garrone).
In  “Il racconto dei racconti”, which will be outside Italy "Tale of Tales" because it is shot in English, the horror regaining the dignity of the prototypes, the "fairy tales mothers" that is, fantasies for adults, not children, and all strings of passion made of flesh and blood, of dreams and nightmares, of wandering from ugly to sublime the popular imagination conspire to create an overflowing beauty. It is a film of excess, to Garrone, as were the 50 tales of "Lu cunto de cunti them", by the genius of Giambattista Basile, Neapolitan in the first '600 provided the source material to edulcorazioni most famous Grimm, of Perrault , of Andersen. A film of excesses to be enjoyed in awe as a child listening to a fairy scary, with those slimy monsters and carnal that no creature could match digital, joyfully stolen even those pre-crafts film special effects, even B-movies of yesteryear.
The excesses are straight from the imaginary popular and eternal sneer against the powerful. There is the all-consuming need maternity Queen Salma Hayek, who feeds a bloody dragon heart to give birth to the son of the victim will be coveted and exclusive passion. There is the paradoxical whim of Toby Jones, another sovereign, who stuffs a flea to the tonnage of an ox by sacrificing his only child. Vincent Cassel is the libertine who dazed by the orgies (and "that" orgies, chapeau) goes to bed by mistake, a poor old laundress, but the signs, you know ... because the magic is still there, and the genius of Basile was able to bring forward by four centuries satire of modern cosmetic surgery. So much so that the "cunto" original was titled "The old flayed", means the illusion of regaining youth and beauty. E'bello and important about B-movies, that Garrone cites among his sources of cinema, as well as the "Casanova" by Fellini, the "Pinocchio" by Comencini and all '"Armata Brancaleone" Monicelli, the legendary Mario Bava de "The mask of the devil."
I am so very curious to see what conversations and discussions this film inspires! (Or perhaps, incites would be a better word.)

Here's a bunch more stills which bring us more intriguing story information (I've left the most bloody and explicit ones out):






























I'm also including screen caps from the new WEBSITE HERE to give you more of an idea of the synopsis and different stories involved/included. (It's in Italian but if you use a translator you can understand most of it). I recommend clicking on the images so you can read the story descriptions. There's more on the website too, about the girl and the ogre. There are a TON MORE photos on the official website too - all the ones included in this post are just a sampling (seriously!).




And here are some costume designs...



A list of locations used, which was a closely guarded secret for the whole production (wow! They're going to have "Tale of Tales" tours around Italy in the future, I just know it!)...


And other random things I've found from Cannes reports and other places:



And my son ADORES this ridiculously cute giant flea (No he hasn't seen the trailers!, just the posters, and I also told him that there was a story about a man who raised a special giant flea he loved, being included in the film and wanted to see a photo):

And here's a bonus bunch of behind-the-scenes images (you can click to enlarge).
                         
                     

                     

                        
 
There is also the official Facebook page HERE if you want to like/ follow it as well.

What do you think? Is the film piquing your interest yet?