Tag: Steampunk

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Brazil: retro-futurism, Steampunk and much more

Brazil is a 1985 science fiction, black comedy film directed by Terry Gilliam and it is a variation of George Orwell’s 1984.

When I selected the movies I wanted to bring with me during this trip, Brazil came out in evidence I had to take it. I love the “retro-futurism” a la Jean-Pierre Jeunet, with a hint of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis.

Here is what Roger Ebert wrote about the movie:

The movie is very hard to follow. I have seen it twice, and am still not sure exactly who all the characters are, or how they fit.

Perhaps it is not supposed to be clear; perhaps the movie’s air of confusion is part of its paranoid vision. There are individual moments that create sharp images (shock troops drilling through a ceiling, De Niro wrestling with the almost obscene wiring and tubing inside a wall, the movie’s obsession with bizarre duct work), but there seems to be no sure hand at the controls.

The best scene in the movie is one of the simplest, as Sam moves into half an office and finds himself engaged in a tug-of-war over his desk with the man through the wall. I was reminded of a Chaplin film, “Modern Times,” and reminded, too, that in Chaplin economy and simplicity were virtues, not the enemy.

If you still wonder what is this movie about, then you have to watch it. And let me know what you think of it!

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Dishonored, a Neo-Victorian, Steampunk video game

I love playing video games and the least I can say is that Steampunk is not a common genre. But it will change soon with Dishonored, developed by Arkane Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks.

Dishonored is a Neo-Victorian/steampunk stealth, action game that will be launched on October 9th 2012 for the PC, PS3, and XBox 360.

Shaun McInnis, Editor at Gamespot had the opportunity to try the game at the E3 and he posted his hands-on impressions:

Playing Dishonored for the first time, you can’t help but feel sorry for Sam Fisher. The hero of the Splinter Cell franchise has probably spent half his life lurking in the shadows, going from one stealth operation to the next desperately trying to avoid being seen. Poor Sam. He probably could have gotten out into the sunlight once in a while if only he had supernatural powers.

Then again, not everyone can be like Corvo, the stealthy assassin you navigate through Dishonored’s dystopian world of eerie technologies and royal corruption. Corvo is an assassin with access to exotic weaponry and even more exotic supernatural abilities. Using these tools, you realize that actively deceiving your enemies is every bit as important as hiding from them. In other words, creeping through the shadows isn’t always the most effective tactic.

Promising, isn’t it? Watch the video below to learn more about this exciting game!

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The Steampunk Bible by J.VanderMeer, S.J.Chambers

On my first day, I posted about The Chap Mag. Among the many books I took with me, there is The Steampunk Bible by Jeff VanderMeer and S. J. Chambers. If you ever wondered what is Steampunk about, this is the book you need to buy. For everyone else, this book lives up to its name.

The photography and art are great, and the book is an excellent overview of Steampunk filled with interesting information introducing different aspects of the Steampunk culture like music, movies and books.

The presentation on Amazon:

Steampunk—a grafting of Victorian aesthetic and punk rock attitude onto various forms of science-fiction culture—is a phenomenon that has come to influence film, literature, art, music, fashion, and more. The Steampunk Bible is the first compendium about the movement, tracing its roots in the works of Jules Verne and H. G. Wells through its most recent expression in movies such as Sherlock Holmes. Its adherents celebrate the inventor as an artist and hero, re-envisioning and crafting retro technologies including antiquated airships and robots. A burgeoning DIY community has brought a distinctive Victorian-fantasy style to their crafts and art. Steampunk evokes a sense of adventure and discovery, and embraces extinct technologies as a way of talking about the future. This ultimate manual will appeal to aficionados and novices alike as author Jeff VanderMeer takes the reader on a wild ride through the clockwork corridors of Steampunk history.

Note that the complete title is: The Steampunk Bible : An Illustrated Guide to the World of Imaginary Airships, Corsets and Goggles, Mad Scientists, and Strange Literature. You’d better write it down.

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Beautiful corsets made by LaBelleFairy

Corsets are sexy, and classy. You can choose your style: Burlesque, Victorian or Steampunk, you are sure to catch everyone’s attention.

While I was browsing Etsy, I saw La Belle Fairy’s store: she has been creating corsets for over 9 years. Her real name is Jenny (but her clients like to call her ‘Labelle‘) and she is a corset maker living in the rural BC Rocky mountains in Canada. Jenny is inspired by Coco Chanel (who died the same day she was born) and she loves Jean-Paul Gaultier.

The corset pictured below is a classic underbust corset in red satin with black overlay. You can find more of her handmade corsets and gowns here.

 

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The Chap Mag goes all Victorian and Steampunk

My first post far from the Earth! I took with me many books and magazines I will mention them once in a while, and I wanted to start with the April/May 2012 edition of The Chap Mag.

About The Chap: The Chap takes a wry look at the modern world through the steamed-up monocle of a more refined age, occasionally getting its sock suspenders into a twist at the unspeakable vulgarity of the twenty-first century. Since 1999, the Chap has been championing the rights of that increasingly marginalised and discredited species of Englishman – the gentleman. The Chap believes that a society without courteous behaviour and proper headwear is a society on the brink of moral and sartorial collapse, and it seeks to reinstate such outmoded but indispensable gestures as hat doffing, giving up one’s seat to a lady and regularly using a trouser press.

They organize many events such like the Chap Olympiad and they participate to many events. When I will back on Earth, I have to go to London and meet with them!

Anyway. Here is what you will read about in The Chap’s April/May 2012 edition – Issue #62.

• Cover story: we sent two time travellers on a journey to modern-day Bromley, birthplace of H.G. Wells
• Interview: Robert Rankin, thrice marrried (to the same lady) eccentric steampunk author and raconteur
• Full Steam Ahead: the continuing rise of Steampunk as a subculture
• Gambling: our new Turf correspondent on how to pick a winner at the Grand National
• Brief Encounters: Fleur de Guerre’s brand-new matcmaking column, with personal ads from lovelorn chaps and chapettes
• Benjamin Disraeli, the dandy prime minister of the Victorian age
• Cricket: Steve Pittard lchronicles some of the game’s silliest injuries
• Biography: H.G. Wells, the grandfather of science fiction
• The Bon Vivant: Neil Ridley investigates some pyrotechnic cocktails
• Grooming – our expert in the bathroom on how to shave with a safety razor
• The Lip Weasel: Michael “Atters” Attree’s new moustache and paranormal column
• Youth Tribes – Donald Twain assesses young people’s attempts to cut a dash
• Lapse of Panache: Daniel Radcliffe vs Sydney Greenstreet
• Capes and Cloaks – the history of these noble gentleman’s coverings
• Mr. Bell the Butler dishes out sound advice on sunglasses, trousers and death
• Eccentric Emporia – curious shopping destinations for Chaps
• Plus: Am I Chap?, Chap of the Month and news of the Chap Olympiad 2012