Blow up in Hamilton

Sitting in the back of the GO bus


Fortinos the sign you're in Hamilton

Took a trip to Hamilton to see the movie "Blow up" with Melanie, Jackie and some of her other photographic friends. We were to meet at Mel's studio then go to the Hamilton Art Gallery from there.

At the time I didn't know much about the movie, Melanie convinced us all (all of us that went) that it was a great movie that we should all see. I found out later that this was an opinion she acquired from the literature from the Art Gallery advertising. I will get back to this fact later on in this blog entry.


The statue of Queen Victoria in Jackson Square

Before the movie ran, a person came out in front of the audience to give a little insight as to what we were about to see and how it was so ground breaking. She had lived through the years that the movie was released and gave us her personal view of what the times were like. While I'm sure most of what she was saying was interesting, I sat there trying not to pay too much attention to her as I really hate finding out things in a movie before seeing it. My brain will put all the pieces together and assemble the story while the filming is rolling thus taking me out of the movie and making my movie going experience less spectacular. I think I may have brought this topic up in a previous blog entry. If I have it's because it really does bug me.

According to the speaker "Blow up" came out in a time when fashion and the life of a photographer were not that well known as today. Supposedly the clothing and the storyline was ground breaking. Plus it was Antonioni's first British film.

I've always wanted to see an Antonioni film. Probably from watching "Free Enterprise". If anything, "Blow up" the film that really didn't seem to have any plot line, made me appreciate "Free Enterprise" that much more by the way the characters in that movie refer to Antonioni films.

If I had an image of Antonioni just based on this one film I'd say he was an incredibly bad story teller as the film was unfocused with some very interesting possible plots lines and characters. At the same time I'd say he was a master at selling the film and making it into a cult classic by introducing conservative types to nudity while making the movie so long and boring that people have to start thinking about what they are watching and interpret it into something that they could justify spending money on. But then isn't that what art is? Something that makes you think.


I had arrived in Hamilton early so I picked up a meal in the Jackson Square mall

About two hours into the movie, it was a long movie, Melanie whispered to us "Did you want to leave? Is anyone finding this interesting?" or something to that effect. A few of us left while a few stayed. The few that stayed were meeting with some people to pick them up after the movie. The poor bastards. My butt was really sore, a combination of an uncomfortable chair and a really long movie with no discernible plot.

We ended up at the Peasant Plucker, a local pub/bar in Hamilton, just south of the GO bus terminal. There, Melanie apologized for taking us to see the film. I spent a few hours there before it was time for me to get on a bus to return home.


Melanie at the Plucker


Jackie satisfied from eating pickle slices


The Hamilton GO bus terminal


Do not sprinkle things on to pigeon heads