Reykjavík Grapevine - 10.08.2012, Qupperneq 42

Another Side Of The
God Of Thunder
Both draw on the same source material
(the latter more faithfully), the stories
and poems written down by Snorri Stur-
luson and scribes unnamed right here in
Iceland. Even Neil Gaiman wrote a book
on the subject, although he decided to
call it ‘American Gods.’ It seems every-
one has been pilfering our mythology
except ourselves. This is beginning to
change, though. In 2010, writer Gerður
Kristný won the Icelandic literature
award for her book ‘Blóðhófnir,’ about
Frey’s “supposed” rape of Jötun maiden
Gerður, and last year brought us Óskar
Jónasson’s ‘Legends of Valhalla: Thor,’
a cartoon about the exploits of a young
God of Thunder.
This version is glaringly different than
the Marvel version. Thor no longer looks
as if he stepped out of a Nazi poster, in-
stead regaining his red hair. Loki, side-
kick in the Danish version and nemesis
in the American one, is entirely missing.
Instead, the enemy here is Hel, the God-
dess of Death. Ironically, Hel looks rather
like an American Cruella de Vil dressed
up like Cate Blanchett in ‘Elizabeth,’ rid-
ing a dog that looks like it stepped out of
‘Ice Age.’
Nevertheless, there is fun to be had,
and references to the old literature
abound. We get Thor’s dance with old
age and Þrymur’s pilfering of the ham-
mer, although the thunder god’s trans-
vestite scene is sadly missing. Then
again, it might be more fun to see the
Marvel Thor in a dress. Most amusingly,
we get a mix of mythologies, with a lep-
rechaun trying to cross the famous rain-
bow bridge looking for his pot of gold.
‘Legends of Valhalla’ is on at six every
weekday this summer at Bíó Paradís.
It’s part of the Cool Cuts festival, which
showcases classic Icelandic films with
English subtitles. But there’s more.
Starting with the reggae festival in mid-
June, every Thursday will showcase a lo-
cal band. Coming up soon are Sudden
Weather Change, who will also debut
their documentary.
Meanwhile, there is the new Jack
Black comedy ‘Bernie,’ shown three
times daily. French films are a staple in
any arthouse cinema, but it has to be
said that the two on offer here, ‘Sum-
mer Hours’ and ‘Goodbye First Love,’
plod along rather slowly, even by such
standards. Far more exciting is the local
crime thriller ‘Black’s Game,’ also with
English subtitles. See it while you can.
- VALUR GUNNARSSON
The Norse gods have certainly made their mark on pop-
ular culture. Just look at last year’s ‘Thor’ or this year’s
‘Avengers,’ where it takes a whole gang of superheroes to
defeat one old god (ok, Hulk eventually does it with one
hand, but still). The American version of ‘Thor’ is predict-
ably black and white, dividing everyone up into gods, good
or bad. Stressing the subtle shades of grey that make the
mythology so fascinating is the Danish comic book series
‘Valhalla,’ which was also made into a cartoon.
42 The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 12 — 2012FILM
Reykjavík’s Gay Pride festivi-ties will be well under way
by the time you read this (unless
you read this
kind of late,
in which case
they will be
over). Who
won the drag
contest? Who
had (or will
have) the coolest float? Did the
leathermen show up this year?
Where were the best parties? Did
any awesome new gay clubs magi-
cally appear out of thin air, ending
2012’s notorious gay club drought?
These questions (and more!) will be
answered in our NEXT ISSUE. But if
you’re reading this bright and early
on publication Friday, go check out
the programme at www.gaypride.is
Prog-folk band Múgsefjun have been very active
this summer,
promoting
their self-titled
sophomore
LP, which has
been winning
them fans and
followers all
summer with its proggy, kreppa-
themed folk songs. Unfazed by
their recent success, the band have
announced they are taking a break
due to the fact that their drummer
is moving abroad to study. Catch
their farewell show at Rósenberg on
Monday August 13 at 22:00—tickets
are 1,500 ISK and since Rósenberg
is a long-time haunt of the band
and the occasion is momentous, the
event promises to be a special one.
Runners, joggers, athletes and our very own Bob Clu-
ness are all getting geared up for
the upcoming Reykjavík Marathon,
which takes place (guess where!)
on August 18. The marathon itself
is of course an event for the whole
family, with kiddie-runs, half-
marathons and ‘fun jogs’ all on the
list of activities. Of special note is
a new website meant to promote
the event, www.reykjavikruns.
us. Described as “a love letter
to Reykjavík,” the site is indeed
ingeniously designed, with photos,
videos, animation and all sorts of
‘social media’ ‘web 2.0’ ‘widgets’
all coming together to make for an
interesting visit, even for super lazy
folks that don’t like the idea of ‘run-
ning’ one bit.
The Reykjavík Marathon isn’t the only notable thing
happening in the city on August
18. Yup, it’s CULTURE NIGHT time
again, when
downtown
Reykjavík fills
with punters
eager to lap
up every last
bit of culture
(and waffles)
on offer. Be on the lookout for
impromptu concerts, food stalls,
exhibits, parades, knitting sit-ins
and lots and lots of waffles. A full
Menningarnótt programme may
be found right in the centre of this
magazine, so do try to familiarize
yourself with the schedule and
enjoy it (and the waffles) as best
you can. Menningarnótt insiders
tell us to look out for some special
events, like HúsÓnæði on Njálsgata
48 (where artists Hrund Atladóttir
and Eva Gunnbjörnsdóttir will stage
an interactive ‘housewarming party’
that questions the nature of ‘rules’
and order), Mayor Jón Gnarr’s
opening appearance at
Continues over
August
WhAT ThE
EFF IS GOING

ON???
Legends Of Valhalla: Thor
Directed by: Óskar Jónasson
('Sódóma Reykjavík,' 'Reykjavík-
Rotterdam')
Icelandic premiere: October 2011
Fun Fact: This is Iceland's first
ever animated 3D movie!
Film
Bíó Paradís
Hverfisgata 54
bioparadis
Sponsored by the
City of Reykjavík
and The Icelandic
Film Centre, Bíó
Paradís ("Para-
dise Cinema"
-- "Cinema Paradiso") is Iceland's
only art-house cinema. They show
movies you won't find in other
Icelandic theatres, and run a special
programme for tourists and travel-
lers interested in Icelandic culture.
They also sell beer, and have a
pretty sweet lounge to chill out in.
www.bioparadis.is
Venue
Tel: +354 411 5000 • www.itr.is • www.itr.is
500 is
k.
120 isk
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DULTS
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ONLY
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Reykjavik's Thermal Pools
A source of health
Thermal pools and baths in Reykjavik are a source of health,
relaxation and pureness. All of the city´s swimming pools
have several hot pot´s with temperatures ranging from
37˚ to 42˚C (98˚–111˚F). The pools are kept at an average
temperature of 29˚ C (84˚ F).
Thermal
swimming
pools
Saunas,
steambathsand showers
Hot tubs
and
jacuzzi