Top Three Renaissance Inspired Movies

Like I said a few posts ago, I'm already looking forward to the renaissance season. This weather is giving me serious cabin fever, and all I want is to don my skirts, chemise and bodice and parade around outside in the warm sunlight.

Since that is still several months away, however, I'll have to content myself with some good, renaissance/fantasy inspired films. Obviously the Lord of the Rings and the Chronicles of Narnia are good go-tos, but here are three, lesser-known fixes for your fantasy/renaissance inspired film craving.

1. Ever After (1998)

This movie - staring Drew Barrymore - is set in the the time of the French Renaissance, and centers around Daniel and the Henry, the prince of France, in a more realist Cinderella story. Obviously it's not 100% historically accurate, because a prince in the renaissance would never fall in love with - much less marry - a commoner, but it's a cute story with good character development and great acting. And the costumes are very well done - which is a huge plus for me!

2. The Court Jester (1956)

This movie is a quirky comedy rife with stereotypes and cliches (and more color than was ever seen outside of a rainbow in the time of the middle ages), but that's what makes it so lovable. Danny Kay is perfect (as usual), Basil Rathbone's fencing is flawless, and the songs are so catchy you'll find ourself singing them all day. Definitely worth a watch!

3. Stardust (2007)

This movie is more of a fantasy than renaissance inspired, but isn't that part of the fun of a renaissance faire, anyway?? It stars Charlie Cox (who you may recogize from the first episode of Downton Abbey) as Tristan Thorn, who ends up on the adventure of his life when he ventures into an unknown, fantasy world in search of his birth mother. Full of adventure, humor, and romance, you're sure to like this film! Be advised, however, that there are one or two brief sex scenes that may need to be skipped for younger viewers. Other than that it's completely clean as far as I remember (but I haven't seen it in the past few months). For a full parental guide please see PluggedIn.com

Dos and Don'ts of the Renaissance Faire

Having gone to the renaissance faire five years in a row, there are a few things I've picked up. Here are some of my "dos" and "don'ts" of the renaissance faire:

DO stay hydrated

Most renaissance faires in the United States take place outside in the summer with little to no air conditioning available. Not drinking enough water will not only be very dangerous, but it will effect your fun. A hydrated body is a healthy, happy, pain-free body ready to have fun. I've found the best way to make sure I stay hydrated is to bring a container for water so I don't have to limit myself to quick sips at the drinking fountain. (I also found that when I brought something to drink from, I spent a lot less on soda.) I go in costume, so I chose to bring a wooden tankard that hung from my belt last year, and it worked really well. I just filled it up at the drinking fountain every time I passed, and carried it around with me while I finished it off. If you don't go in costume you can always just bring a water bottle. And while we're on the subject of water, some faires have a special, members only garden that comes with bottomless Gatorade and filtered water. The one at Bristol Ren Faire is $35 for the year, or - if you're only going one day - $5 to test it out. I did that last year and it was well worth it in my experience.

DON'T try to cram everything you want to do into one day

If you're just a casual faire goer, and everything you want to see/do will fit into one day nicely, than great! All the power to you! But if there is a lot of stuff that you're interested in and/or some of it overlaps each other, take the extra day and go a whole weekend. You won't feel as pressured to rush from here to there so you don't miss x, which will leave you more relaxed, and more able to enjoy your time at the faire. Trust me. I've done it both ways and learned from my mistakes.

DO role play

This is something that I was really hesitant to do the first four years I went, but after reading Easy Street by AE last year I decided to give it a go, and I've never had so much fun at the faire before! For those of you who might be unfamiliar with the term "role play," it basically just means to get into character - to walk, talk, eat, etc. like your character would. For street performers at the faire this is a big part of their day, for playtrons (patrons that go in costume) it's not as important to stay in character, but it can be fun to play along as a character every now and then.

On my last visit to the renaissance faire I saw a gentleman in a shirt that looked like the Doctor's suit and tie. Unable to resist the temptation I went up to him and - in my best Elizabethan speech - asked him if he was "the man they call the Doctor." He decided to play along, and said yes, then -when I inquired as to where his blue box was - he told me that it was parked in the parking lot. Lol! It was just a brief moment, but things like that is what makes the renaissance faire so much fun! So definately don't be afraid to role play.

DON'T over do it on the junk food

I cannot stress this one enough! It's right up there with "stay hydrated." On one of my trips last year me and my group made the unfortunate mistake of not drinking enough water and eating too much fried food. The result was not a stomach ache or anything like that, we just felt super tired, groggy and all around "blah!" all day. So my advice is to definitely go slow on the fried stuff, and maybe pack some veggies in a cooler in the car. You can get your hand stamped to so you can come back in if you run out to your car, and then you will be properly fueled for a day of fun.

Well, those are some of biggest, best, and most important tips as far the the glorious ren faire is concerned. If you have any other tips I'd love to hear them! One of the fun things about the faire is that you're never done learning. *winks*

Why I Love the Renaissance Faire

As soon as the new year hits I always start day dreaming for summer - more specifically, the renaissance faire. And since I'm doing a 30 day blog challenge with Anna, I thought this would be a perfect time to do a series of renaissance faire-themed posts. Today I'm going to talk about just why I love the renaissance faire so much.

1. The Atmosphere

Right from the moment you step into a faire you'll know that it's different. It's far enough back from the road that there are no sounds of cars. There's no blinking, or flashing, or electronics sounds. The loudest sounds are of people talking, yelling, shouting or singing; and the quieter sounds are of birds, the wind through the trees, and footsteps in the dirt. It seems completely shut off from the modern world, and I love that. There's nothing like spending a day away from the 21st century.

2. The Clothing

While we're on the subject of getting away from the 21st century, there's just nothing like slipping into a bodice and long skirts, with your chemise sleeves adding a good six inches to each side of your arm. It just makes you feel like a new person - like you've stepped into the body of your favorite fantasy or sci-fi character.

3. The Pretend

After you slip on your lovely garb comes the fun part - actually stepping into the life of your character! At the renaissance faire you can be anybody, and it is so much fun - especially when the employees help you out! Every time I go to the renaissance faire there are at least a few gentlemen who will stop and bow and offer up a "good day, my lady" it makes the whole experience so much more real. It makes it even more fun when you play back. Last year - for reasons we won't get into now - my sister and my cousins and I decided to cheer for the "villains" instead of the "heroes" of Bristol. After the last show when they, inevitably, lost to the heroes, I went up to the lead villain and - in my best English accent - told him how sorry I was to see his lordship lose. The actor was a total gem, kissed my hand and told me that my support meant the world to him. Seriously - it was one of the highlights of my day.

4. The Drama

I've always been a sci-fi/fantasy girl. Growing up the Lord of the Rings was my favorite movie/book and the soundtrack was my favorite music. I couldn't begin to count how many hours I spent watching/reading/daydreaming about kings and archers, quests and sword fights. And when I was fifteen I found a place that was as close as I could get to that in real life. Where else can  you sit next to Robin Hood right before Guy of Gisborne shows up and the duel it out??

5. The Food

Everybody knows about the renaissance faire's long-standing tradition of serving turkey legs, but there's a lot of other great food to be had there, too! Some of my favorites are:

• the cornish dogs (know as "bagel dogs" in the 21st century)
• the whole pickles on a popsicle stick
• the butterfly potatoes (a fun twist on kettle cooked crisps)
• and the pretzels which are sold by a man wondering the faire with a tall wooden pole full of them.

My favorite, most anticipated part of the faire, however, is sasafras! For you poor souls who don't know what sassafras is, it's root beer with black licorice flavoring. Even my little sister who hates both root beer and black licorice loves it! Maybe it's the intense sun and heat of the faire every year, but I swear there is not a cooler, more refreshing drink on the planet.

6. The People

My last, and most favorite thing about the renaissance faire is the people. Never before in my life have a met a nicer, more welcoming, more ready to get down and have fun group of people. From the moment you walk in and there are people waiting to give you directions; to the gentleman who asks you if you're a princess because you're wearing the royal color, purple; to the last song on the balcony above the exit, these people show up to work every day determined to make sure that you and I have the best time there that we possibly can.