Seattle: Visit to MoPOP! part four: Worlds of Fantasy

Once upon a time, when I was a wee little lass, I once proclaimed that The Wizard of Oz was my favorite movie. I was a baby at the time, essentially, and only said as much because my dear grandpa had told me how he enjoyed the movie and it had meant something to him. Over the years, I've come to realize that not only is this not my favorite movie, but it's one that really gets under my skin and makes me terribly uncomfortable. I'm not sure exactly what it is, but there was a brief point during my early 20's where I dabbled in magic mushrooms and had a very bad, very Wizard of Oz inspired psychedelic trip that further entrenched my disdain for the movie and it's world. The Wizard of Oz is a bit of a psychedelic feature, to be fair, and the more I learn about it's history (including an attempt at reading the book, once) the more I realize this sense of foreboding was justified. Not only was Judy Garland essentially forced into stardom by her overbearing stage mum, but she was fed amphetamines by the studio and routinely berated for her weight, not to mention alleged sexual and physical abuse. No wonder it gave me bad vibes! 

The Princess Bride, however, is one of my absolute favorite movies of all time, resolutely, without question. There are certainly some creepy moments and times of inconceivable peril, but between the rodents of unusual size (um, did they cast my pets? because I know quite a few rodents of unusual size) and Inigo Montoya's quest to avenge his father, it's a subversive ride that (as far as I know) didn't require the deaths of real, multiple lions or the abuse of its stars. Whatever your preference, the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle offers a fantasy display that includes such a diverse array of fantastical goods you're likely to find your favorite fandom represented!

The six-fingered man's glove! While we weren't able to spend an exorbitant amount of time in the exhibit on this particular visit, we were stoked to see how many different films and franchises were represented and impressed by the amount of detail involved in the design. Every exhibit in the museum was thematically designed to further that area's motif, and the Fantasy World's exhibit was no exception. From the brilliant colors and whimsical door, it felt like being transported to a world where dragons and wizards were as likely to be encountered at the next bend as a hobbit or cowardly lion. Did you know the Cowardly Lion's fur coat was made of real lions? Egads. I get the feeling that sort of thing wouldn't fly these days, but if you're going for authenticity when it comes to lion's coats I imagine you can't get much more authentic than ripping the skins from real lions. It was a different time then, to say the least. Yikes. There's a lot more to see than the macabre suit, though, and if fantasy is your bag you won't want to miss this!

Seattle: Visit to MoPOP! part two: Marvel Exhibit

Marvel's extended Cinematic Universe is a wide, expansive thing, and there are a lot of moving parts and pieces involved that means a lot of things to a lot of different people across the globe. It's also a massive creative undertaking that has spanned multiple decades, from the original pencil sketches of an artist's desk to the multi-million (or is it billions now?) media darling it's become. Marvel is nothing to sniff at and has become one of the most influential movie series in recent years. Initially, I have to admit that I was hesitant to get too involved and didn't see many of the early films in the theater, as most of the early movies revolved around some stereotypical white male protagonist and didn't feel particularly exciting or original to me.  Spider-man always held a special place in my heart, since I grew up watching the animated series, but rich Tony Stark? Uninteresting. Of course, some rich tech guy can invent or invest his way out of his problems... It took a couple of movies for Thor to evolve into the loveable oaf that he's become, and as the movies have rolled out the universe has expanded and evolved, bringing a richer, more varied tapestry along with ample humor and a modicum of self-awareness to the table. I've gotten much more invested in recent years if you haven't noticed, and while Marvel still has some work to do if it truly intends to be inclusive, they've made some progress over their many years now. I'm not gonna lie, Thor: Ragnarok and the more recent Spider-Man movies have been a blast, so while it may have taken me a minute to get on board I'm definitely one of the fans lining theaters for the newest releases.  

At the time of viewing this exhibition at Seattle's Museum of Pop Culture, we were in the interim between Infinity War and the as-of-yet unnamed Endgame. Seeing some of our heroes (and anti-heroes) again, or at least their armor (or weaponry) was bittersweet. One thing I especially enjoyed, though, and consider to be of note is that they were kind enough to label the materials used in the various costumes on display, so the ardent at-home-cosplayer may better attempt their own recreations with a bit of knowledge. Knowledge is power, after all!

The entire exhibit itself was massive, with areas dedicated to each Avenger and their associates, and we could have spent even more time exploring all the different installations if we'd had the time available. As it were, we spent hours in the museum wandering around, looping back and trying to take in as much as we could in the time allotted. No easy task with so much to see! 

  

There are a whole lot of photos ahead, so prepare yourselves!