Memorial Day Celebration, part 2

   I was at Screenland Crown Center this afternoon to see "The Secret of Kells," an Oscar-nominee for best animated picture by the makers of Persepolis. The character design was a dead give-away, and made the film worth seeing. Literally every frame was a work of art, beautifully composed, with rich textures and color palettes. I'll write more later, but for now I'll just say: it should have won the award!

Trailer  /  image downloads  /  Ghibli interview  /  review & poster

   Then I grabbed dinner at Panera & walked over to the lawn between Union Station & Liberty Memorial (WWI museum). Thousands of my closest friends were already there! This was the 8th annual Memorial Day Celebration with the KC symphony. They sounded great... or at least, they would have, if the sound system were more powerful.  It was worth going to see the spectacle, though. When I started seeing lightning, I headed home. They may not have gone ahead with the fireworks anyway. So, a slightly anti-climactic ending for both the movie & the concert!