Frost Flowers: Beautiful but Rare Wonders of Nature

Back in 2012 we published a feature about frost flowers - you can read the original here (which includes all the science!).  Created in the autumn or early winter, the frost flower is a morning phenomenon.  Ice is pushed through in extremely thin layers through the stems of plants, creating and astounding whirl of beautiful patterns.  We thought we would take a look and see whether any new frost flowers had been caught on camera since then.  We weren’t disappointed.  So here is a collection for you, embedded from the photographers' pages on Flickr.

Bad Night for the Blues

If you are having one of those Christmases where you have the nightmare relatives around (you have to do your duty) then spare a thought for Chris (played by Kieran Lynn) who has Aunty Glad (Jean Boht, a marvelous British institution if ever there was one) to cope with for an evening.  You may think, to begin with, that Chris is not a terribly good nephew – doing his once a year duty to an aunty who surely deserves more. Yet on their entry to the South Norwood Conservative Club Christmas Dinner, Aunty Glad helps herself to the wine and a monster is unleashed…

Bad Night for the Blues is one of those car crash comedies that, despite or because of the nature of the lead character, makes for compulsive viewing.  If you are offended by strong language, then it is advisable not to watch! Bad Night for the Blues is a Slinky Pictures Production for the BBC Film Network and UK Film Council in association with Vision+Media. It was directed and written by Chris Shepherd.

The Saga Of Biorn

Boxing Day always meant Norsemen for me! The main reason was because in my youth there were only three TV stations in the UK and the biggest, BBC1 always used to insist on putting The Vikings on their airwaves the day after Christmas.

Now, this isn’t Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis et al, but it is a Viking tale nevertheless and one of our Boxing Day treats for you at Kuriositas.

Biorn is an old Viking warrior who, to get to Valhalla, must die in battle. Unfortunately every conflict he enter seems to end with the quick dispatch of his opponent. Until, one day a convent is attacked by a giant troll!

This is immense fun, brought to you by the combined talent of The Animated Workshop. Does Biorn succeed and get to Valhalla? Watch and see!

Drink Along with Martin - Animated Christmas Card

I knew I would have to acknowledge the coming of Christmas at some point so it is with some relief that I can do so by sharing with you this wonderful animated Christmas card which popped in to my inbox a short time ago. It is from London based animation production studio Trunk and it celebrates the most important aspect of Christmas to any self-respecting Brit – drinking.

Created by Layla Atkinson, this awesome animation features Martin who I am guessing is a rabbit (with an English accent no doubt). He likes to drink, but not just alcohol – anything that can pass between his leporine lips does so. Plus it comes with a soundtrack by the gone but fondly remembered Bow Wow Wow. Altogether this makes for one of the more unusual Christmas cards I have received this year -so thank you to Layla and all the folks at Trunk. Enjoy – and remember to drink sensibly: the contents of a potty does not qualify.

24 Days of Torture

If you're already feeling overwhelmed by the holiday rush, imagine being an advent calendar. It never occurred to me before that these little festive companions endure a level of abuse and neglect that would make any charity advocate for their rights. OK, maybe not, but this animated short, directed by VIK & NES, reveals a hilarious yet surprisingly dark truth.

In this animated tale, we follow Christopher, an advent calendar, as he desperately tries to protect his precious chocolates throughout the 24 days leading up to Christmas. Each day, the window opens, and one of the little treats is snatched away, often with no regard for Christopher's feelings or well-being. The calendar, who has become attached to each individual chocolate, faces a range of comical but increasingly dramatic challenges as the days unfold. From mischievous children to overzealous adults, Christopher does everything in his power to keep the chocolates intact, but with each passing day, his resolve weakens.

The short cleverly highlights the daily "torture" advent calendars face during the holiday season in a lighthearted, yet thought-provoking way. It’s a humorous take on something we usually take for granted, reminding us that even the simplest holiday traditions can have a hidden struggle behind them.

The Monastery Built on a Volcanic Plug

Yes, that’s right. A volcanic plug. Take a look at this amazing place. Taung Kalat, located in central Burma, thirty miles or so from the ancient city of Bagan towers above the earth like some sort of giant’s sand castle. Atop it there is a Buddhist monastery which rests upon the precipitous volcanic plug.

Image Credit Flickr User Pigalle

Yes, that’s right a volcanic plug. It sounds dangerous but at this stage in its life, Taung Kalat poses no threat. A volcanic plug (sometimes called a ‘neck’) is formed when magma, on its way up through a vent on an active volcano, hardens inside the vent. While the volcano is active this could well lead to the mother of all explosions and it would, you have to admit, be a shame if this beautiful monastery was to be catapulted in to the stratosphere. However, the volcano is thought (perhaps we should say hoped) to be extinct.

If You Have Never Wanted to Visit Morocco, You Will After You Watch This

There will be times, as you watch Morocco Arise, that you wonder how exactly the shots were done (or at the very least edited) but things move on so quickly that you have little time to reflect on the technical feats on display here.  Created by filmmaker and global nomad Brandon Li, this is more than just a love letter to the country, its landscapes, people, architecture and cuisine – it’s a declaration of undying adoration. 

Royal Ontario Museum - Nature's Symphony

This promotional video created for the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) is truly a masterpiece of creative storytelling. It's one of those rare pieces of marketing that you simply have to see to believe. The concept defies conventional expectations, presenting an opera-singing chimpanzee as its central character - a surprising choice that instantly grabs attention and leaves a lasting impression. 

The three-minute video is packed with jaw-dropping visuals that seamlessly intertwine with the music, creating an immersive and unforgettable experience. These visuals are not just eye-catching; they are thought-provoking, aligning beautifully with the theme, “We live on in what we leave behind.” 

This poignant message speaks to the ROM's mission of preserving history and knowledge for future generations. Produced by Revolver Films and shot by Director of Photography Paul Meyers, the cinematography is nothing short of stunning. This promotional video is a bold and innovative approach to museum advertising, standing out for its creativity and depth. It’s a brilliant example of how art, performance, and storytelling can come together to communicate a powerful message.

Russ Tamblyn's Dance Moves still Astonish almost 70 Years Later

 

Sometimes, you just have to sit back, chin down and mouth open, while you watch somebody do something that the vast  majority of humanity could never do even if given a hundred years in which to try.  So it is with Russ Tamblyn's dancing.  Tamblyn's star rose in the 1950s with performances in blockbusters such as Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and West Side Story - although he has always seen himself as an actor who danced rather than the other way around.  True enough - I have vivid memories of watching him in The Long Ships  - one of Hollywood's many forays into viking myth - and loving his performance in that film.

This clip, however, shows Tamblyn's moves off to perfection.  It is from his 1956 movie The Fastest Gun in the West.  He does almost everything with them except use them as shovels!  His energy is seemingly unlimited, his joie de vivre contagious.  Little wonder that some people of a certain age say they don't make them like they used to!  That applies as equally to Tamblyn as to his dance moves. 

The Devil in the Cathedral: the Lucifer of Liège

The Cathedral of Saint Paul in the Belgian city of Liège was founded in the tenth century.  As one might expect from a Catholic place of worship it is full of representations of the men and women from the history – Biblical and otherwise – of Christianity.  Yet as the pulpit is approached, a striking white marble sculpture arrests the eye: a beautiful young man in an agony of thought. Which venerable icon of the church might this be?  A martyr? A disciple? Or even an angel? It is the latter but this angel is notorious, despised, fallen. It transpires that there is a sinner – and a significant one at that - in the midst of the saints.