bright red cardigans over printed dresses

Maru the cat

2010-04-15T22:56:00.002+02:00

My favourite internet celebrity is Maru the cat from Japan. He's the biggest cat I've ever seen, aside from the cat at my place of work -- I think they're each other's long lost brothers, they're so enormous. Maru is a Scottish Fold cat, the cutest breed of cat in my book (then again I love animals without pronounced ears, like meerkats and, uhm, seals).

Maru and my cat Ellie couldn't be more different; Ellie is teeny tiny and hates being brushed, whereas it looks like Maru relishes it:

Ellie does love having her belly rubbed (hence her Elliebelly nickname) and has a love for bags instead of Maru's well-documented love affair with boxes.

I'm glad my Ellie's tiny, though, she likes to sleep on my lower back when I sleep on my stomach and if she were Maru-sized, she might do me an injury.

Bert Monroy

2010-03-16T23:41:00.002+01:00

A twist on my favourite art movement, photorealism, Bert Monroy specialises in digital photorealism.

"Red Truck" 2004

"Peter's Ice Cream" 1991 (!!)

"Oakland" 2004

"Oakland" 2004 (detail)

"As a photo-realist painter, I have often been asked why I don’t just take a photograph. Good question, when you consider my paintings look like photographs. Well, for one thing, I’m not a photographer. To me, it is not the destination that is important—it is the journey.
The incredible challenge of recreating reality is my motivation." -- Bert Monroy

"Lunch In Tiburon" (date?)

"The Sidelines" 1999

Monroy started out in a career in advertising and since 1984 has been making what he calls "digital paintings". They're really quite something, and his website allows you to zoom in on some details and the thought that the image isn't actually there, it's all made up of random shapes and shadows, it's a trip.

"Damen" 2006

"Damen" 2006 (detail)

Here are some statistics for graphic design nerds like me:

"This is my latest and most ambitious digital painting of a Chicago scene unveiled at Photoshop World in Miami on March 22, 2006.
It is a panorama of the Damen Station on the Blue Line of the Chicago Transit Authority.
Adobe Illustrator was used for generating the majority of the basic shapes as well as all the buildings in the Chicago skyline.
The rest was created in Photoshop.
• The image size is 40 inches by 120 inches.
• The flattened file weighs in at 1.7 Gigabytes.
• It took eleven months (close to 2,000 hours) to create.
• The painting is comprised of close to fifty individual Photoshop files.
• Taking a cumulative total of all the files, the overall image contains over 15,000 layers.
• Over 500 alpha channels were used for various effects.
• Over 250,000 paths make up the multitude of shapes throughout the scene.

Serge Gainsbourg -- 'Vie Héroïque'

2010-03-14T15:05:00.000+01:00

My love for Serge Gainsbourg has been pretty well-documented on the internet so far; since 2006 it's pretty much been SergeSergeSerge all over, but I can't help but love and admire the man. I'd been waiting for Vie Héroïque since May 2008, and I was finally able to catch it this morning and it did not disappoint in the slightest.

Gainsbourg was a very complex figure and writer-director Joann Sfar did a great job of trying to bring all those nuances to the screen. Originally a comic book writer, Joann Sfar did quite an amazing job bringing all sorts of different media to the screen. Puppets, cartoons, they all help bring Gainsbourg's character to life in a way that few biopics do.

With all of his famous relationships with gorgeous women, Vie Héroïque could easily have turned into a complete raunchfest, but luckily it doesn't (Serge was rather "pudique", after all). Brigitte, Jane and Bambou are put on little pedestals, just like Serge put them on pedestals. As far as I could tell, the whole film was very much in Serge's spirit; the puppets and cartoons would have been misplaced in any other biopic, but since Gainsbourg often talked of himself (or parts of his personality) in third person (Gainsbarre was his mischievous alter ego), it only helps to accentuate his character.

Sfar did a good job on the script, going from Gainsbourg just before the Second World War started to Gainsbourg at the end of the 1980s, handling all the major events, but I found it contained a few too many "warnings"; whenever something big was going to happen (writing for France Gall, writing 'Je T'Aime..', meeting Jane) the scene before holds a few too many hints as to what's going to happen. Maybe it's less annoying when you're not a complete nut and haven't read all kinds of biographies on him, though.

Eric Elmosnino is otherworldly as Serge; give that man a César already! To play someone as a stumbling 20-something, to an artist at the top of his game, to a man completely ravaged by alcohol and cigarettes without it ever becoming a caricature, it's amazing. When you watch interviews with Gainsbourg, you immediately notice his little physical quirks; the way he holds his head and the particular gestures he makes with his hands -- Elmosnino incorporates it all into his performance without it coming off unnatural.

Happy Birthday, Abie Baby

2010-02-12T20:44:00.003+01:00

So, I have a totally thing about American Presidents; from their living room curtains to the effect they have on the rest of the world, I find them fascinating. I don't know he first thing about politics, but I like reading up on them on Wikipedia and learning more about America through the years.

One of my favourites (or: one of the presidents I most admire) is Abraham Lincoln. Not only did he cause major change in America, he was he first president I really knew about (through an episode of 'The Simpsons', no less!). I admire what he did and appreciate all the bad puns on his name, especially the one from Wayne's World: "If she were a president she would be Baberaham Lincoln."

Anyways, this post was just an excuse to post this video:

Happy Birthday, Abie Baby.

Flickr Favourites #14

2010-02-05T16:44:00.003+01:00

My favourite season, I'm already sad it's almost ending.

My Favourite Records of the Past Decade

2010-01-08T20:29:00.005+01:00

035. The Used, The Used (2002) favourite track: 'Buried Myself Alive'
034. Tegan and Sara, If It Was You (2003) favourite track: 'Living Room'
033. The Last Shadow Puppets, The Age Of the Understatement (2008) favourite track: 'The Time Has Come Again'
032. Fischerspooner, Oddyssey (2005) favourite track: 'Never Win'
031. Kings of Convenience, Riot on an Empty Street (2004) favourite track: 'Stay Out of Trouble'

030. Klaxons, Myths of the Near Future (2007) favourite track: 'Totem on the Timeline'
029. Fionn Regan, The End of History (2006) favourite track: 'Put a Penny in the Slot'
028. AFI, Sing the Sorrow (2003) favourite track: 'Silver and Cold'
027. the Libertines, the Libertines (2003) favourite track: 'The Man Who Would Be King'
026. the Kills, No Wow (2003) favourite track: 'Love is a Deserter'

025. Euros Childs, Chops (2006) favourite track: 'Costa Rita'
024. Gossip, Music For Men (2009) favourite track: 'Four Letter Word'
023. Private, My Secret Lover (2007) favourite track: 'Killer on the Dancefloor'
022. McAlmont & Butler, Bring it Back (2002) favourite track: 'Falling'
021. Bat for Lashes, Fur and Gold (2006) favourite track: 'Trophy'

020. Le Le, Flage (2008) favourite track: 'International Pants'
019. Superheroes, Superheroes (2003) favourite track: 'Someone's Watching Me'
018. Florence the Machine, Lungs (2009) favourite track: 'Howl'
017. Adam Green, Gemstones (2005) favourite track: 'Who's Your Boyfriend'
016. the Horrors, Strange House (2007) favourite track: 'Excellent Choice'

015. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, B.R.M.C. (2002) favourite track: 'Red Eyes and Tears'
014. the Arcade Fire, Funeral (2004) favourite track: 'Wake Up'
013. Patrick Wolf, Wind in the Wires (2005) favourite track: 'the Railway House'
012. Mystery Jets, Twenty One (2008) favourite track: 'Behind the Bunhouse'
011. Duffy, Rockferry (2007) favourite track: 'Rockferry'

010. Hope of the States, Left (2006)
I've always described this record as an emotional assault, and that's exactly what it is. Few bands have had to go through so much trauma and still went on. Their guitarist killed himself just months before their debut came out and this follow-up sounds like it's dealing with the aftermath of it. A few years after it happened the anger, regret, sadness and love just hit you 'round the ears. To think they went through so much and came out the other end with such a gorgeous record is amazing. They largely went under the radar but this is a great accomplishment, all the songs are so nuanced and in a strange way it's reassuring they broke up months after they released it. It's a heavy burden to carry, a friend's suicide; listen to this record and be thankful the Hope of the States carried on.
favourite track: 'Industry'

009. dEUS, Pocket Revolution (2005)
'Nothing Really Ends' with that line about Martin Sheen alone makes this album worthwhile, I never realised songs like that existed, little moments captured in time.
favourite track: 'Nothing Really Ends'

008. Interpol, Antics (2004)
For some reason (probably because I'm a snob and don't like sharing my favourite music with millions of others) I tried resisting Interpol for a long, long time. Turn On the Bright Lights didn't do much for me on the first couple of listens and I didn't really get what the fuss was about, but 'Evil' really worked itself into my head and then when I heard 'Take You On A Cruise' at 3.30 in the morning, everything just fell into place. This album was just a perfect collection of songs for that space in time, and I've yet to give any of their other albums a listen.
favourite track: 'Take You on a Cruise'

007. Delays, You See Colours (2006)
No other album manages to make me so deliriously happy as this one; 'Cavalry' and 'Winter's Memory of Summer' make my heart feel like it's going to swell out of my chest. When I saw the Delays open for the Veils in 2004, I immediately took to them; Greg Gilbert's beautiful sunny voice and his brother's quite sinister-sounding synthesizers -- 'Lost In A Melody' (a non-album single) steam-rollered right over you and You See Colours is such a great mix of both that sweetness and that.. sleaziness. An immense pop album.
favourite track: 'Cavalry'

006. Kasabian, Kasabian (2004)
I haven't gotten as much slack for liking Kasabian since I was a 12-year-old obsessed with Kula Shaker. Now, before you say I deserve that slack, let me just explain why I think Kasabian are the best band still together right now. They may come off as a bunch of football hooligans, but they dedicate videos to Jan Pallach, end another one with a black screen saying "dulce et decorum est pro patria mori" and all the while manage to look and sound as cool as the Rolling Stones probably did back in the day. This debut was a killer, could have done without the blatant psychedelics, but still. Tom Meighan's got an amazing voice, a lot of soul for a white boy.
favourite track: 'U Boat'

005. the Veils, the Runaway Found (2004)
The Veils first came to my attention because my darling Bernard Butler produced some tracks for them, and I proceeded to fall head over heels for them. This album was a godsend when I was 17 and a high-school drop-out. This album, which sounds so displaced, gave me back my optimism which I so badly needed. Just the idea of this skinny boy from New Zealand going out into the world to form a band in London and record this album and having it all nearly go down the drain, but then having it saved and having it sound so magically good.. damn. I really miss that feeling on the other Veils records, which is why I prefer to just stick to this album.
favourite track: 'The Leavers' Dance'

004. Foals, Antidotes (2008)
'Math rock' is quite possibly the shittest "genre" the music press has come up with, but as you listen to this album your head sort of fills with sharp angles and geometric shapes. It sounds sort of cold, distanced, because of it, but maybe because of that, it hits you a lot harder at the same time.
favourite track: 'Big Big Love (Fig. 2)'

003. the Dandy Warhols, Thirteen Tales from Ubran Bohemia (2000)
After 2003's Welcome to the Monkeyhouse they kind of lost their sense of coolness, but this album, from start to finish, is just so much fun. This album, more than any other Dandy record, sounds like a group of friends having fun and writing fantastic tunes. That sense of fun, and joy, just seeps from every song. Effortless cool.
favourite track: 'Get Off'

002. Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip, Angles (2008)
Thinking of indie snob favourite 'Thou Shalt Always Kill', I would never have thought Dan Le Sac and Scroobius Pip would deliver such a stunning album. With its killer, hilarious lyrics 'Thou Shalt Always Kill' kind of seemed like the perfect one-hit wonder, but instead we got this amazing album with great beats and lyrics on true love, self-mutilation and suicide, modern-day hip hop and Tommy Cooper. Can't wait for their next record, which is coming out some time this year.
favourite track: 'Magician's Assistant'

001. The Cooper Temple Clause, See This Through And Leave (2002)
Of course, it's quite easy (and tempting) to describe these albums using the biggest clichés imaginable, but I tried not to. I can't with See This Through and Leave, though, because this album changed my universe. I came into contact with so many great people through the Coopers, and they (the music and the people I met) saw me through some tough times. The Coopers have been playing in the background since I was 15-year-old and songs like 'Been Training Dogs' gave me the incentive to grow some proverbial balls.
favourite track: 'Did You Miss Me?'

Flickr Favourites #13

2010-01-03T09:53:00.002+01:00

It´s probably my Dad´s influence, but I really appreciate a good view. A nice city skyline or a misty morning in the fields surrounding our cottage; a sunrise, a sunset. I like 'em all, but especially those misty winter mornings. My wonderful friend Joanna posted photos of her Boxing Day in Norfolk, and I'm just going to sit here and wish I could be there for a little while.

Flickr Favourites #12

2009-12-19T22:46:00.001+01:00

true romance, originally uploaded by mxl.

Entitled 'true romance', just who make up the couple? A great unexpected gem from Flickr.

orla kiely is a hit with cats

2009-12-15T20:55:00.002+01:00

So, I have a tiny little bed linen-problem. As a tremendously lazy person, I spend a lot of time napping and watching films from the comfort of my bed, so I like to at least have it looking nice at all times. Starting out with IKEA, HEMA and discount Ralph Lauren sheets from trips abroad (15 bucks a pop, ILU Ross and Marshalls, I've now acquired a more expensive taste. One of my most favourite purchases this year has been my new Orla Kiely's signature Multi Stem Print duvet cover.

Not only is it a hit with my cat Elliot, but also with marfin's! I wonder what it is that attracts these lovelies to those bright colours..

P1050181, originally uploaded by marfin's.

my top 26 of films made in the 2000s

2009-12-07T20:22:00.003+01:00

So with the end of the year coming up, and the "end of the decade", there's all sorts of lists summing up the last ten years and I'm finding it a bit disconcerting! Until a week ago I hadn't even realised we were heading into a new decade, isn't that sad? It's depressing to think how much has changed in the last ten years; they were still making Home Alone-movies in 2002! A friend of mine posted an interesting list of The A.V. Club's top 20 films made in the past ten years and of course, this being the A.V. Club (aren't they affiliated with The Onion?) I didn't completely agree.. and, since my Photoshop is up and running again and I can never resist a good list, Here's my top 26 favourite films of the 2000s!

These are all movies that made an impression on me, especially after the first viewings. I'm not claiming they're the best movies ever made, but they hold a special place for me and I think they're some of the best films in their own genre. Yes, there are romantic comedies on this list! I am not ashamed! ~~well, only a little.~~

25. The United States of Leland (2004)
This film is like the cinematical equivalent of a Douglas Coupland novel and I have a bit of a love-hate relationship both with Coupland and this film. On the one hand it's awfully self-pitying and it has Jena Malone in it, on the other it's very moving and Ryan Gosling shows amazing promise.

24. I Am Dina (2002)
Can you blame me, going by that picture? I've sat through some terrible films just to see my darling Hans Matheson, but I Am Dina was definitely worth it; amazing landscapes, a great unexpected story and Maria Bonnevie kicks ass and takes names as this film's off-beat heroine.

23. Lost in Translation (2003)
Watching this film now is so different to the way I felt when I first saw it; like Brokeback Mountain a lot of Lost In Translation's "cinematical language" has been endlessly copied. Still, Scarlett is breathtaking, so pure and inexperienced, and Bill Murray is so genuine and generous in his acting.

22. Moonlight Mile (2002)
I saw this film at 10 in the morning which is just the oddest way to experience a film like that. A lot has been said about Donnie Darko, but as far as Jake Gyllenhaal's career goes, I think this is a far more interesting role, as the fiance who goes to live with his parents-in-law in the aftermath of his fiancee's death. Sarandon and Hoffman are genius.

21. Shelter (2007)
Gay and Lesbian cinema can be frightfully hit-and-miss. Because they're usually low budget independent productions, they can come off looking terribly shoddy and sometimes the actors aren't up to much either (Coffee Date was cringeworthy), but with Shelter everything comes together. An original storyline, great actors (how much do I love Tina Holmes?) and a refreshing setting. Trevor Wright and Brad Rowe give all they're worth and it pays off.

20. Love Actually (2003)
Cheesy as all hell but definitely one of the most satisfying romantic comedies of all time. I quite like that some of the romances don't work out. There are few things I enjoy more than a good romantic comedy, it just makes me feel fuzzy.

19. Control (2006)
Emotionally shattering, the way Anton Corbijn portrays Ian Curtis is just gorgeous, he takes him away from that ridiculous live-fast-die-young rockstar image and shows him as what he was, a troubled young father who didn't know how to do the right thing anymore.

18. Mean Girls (2004)
Wickedly, wickedly funny, one of the most quotable films ever made. Amanda Seyfried and Lacey Chabert are little gems tucked away. Along with John Hughes' films, the only high school film you need.

17. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Again, a film I don't like as much as I used to, but still it deserved a spot in my list because when I loved it, I watched it so many times a week.. I kind of stopped caring about Wes Anderson after The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou came out, but I do still very much like the story of the dysfunctional family and even in it's stylised manner, it makes more of an (emotional) impact than, say, The Squid and the Whale.

16. Atonement (2007)
The first time I saw this, I blubbered on for about an hour afterwards, Vanessa Redgrave kills me. Watching this now, for the third and fourth time, I can definitely see it's flaws but I think that's more down to Ian McEwan and director Joe Wright than the actors, who all give amazing performances.

15. Bend It Like Beckham (2002)
Parminder Nagra is pretty much the sweetest thing in the whole world and she and Keira Knightley kick this movie's butt, along with Juliet Stevenson as Keira's mum. It feels very honestly made and personal, which always great in feel-good comedies, there's always that threat of being too cutesy-wutesy.

14. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
I watched this in a cinema in Amsterdam with six other people and I was the only person laughing until it hurt at all the pop culture references. A zombie romantic comedy with Bill Nighy being evil and jokes about the Stone Roses' second album? Genius!

13. Zodiac (2007)
See, I'm not a fan of thrillers or long movies, but David Fincher made Zodiac's two-and-a-half hours absolutely fly by for me, it was just incredible. Definitely edge-of-your-seat viewing. The film starts out with the idea of finding this man committing gruesome murders, but ends up with incredible psychological insight into all these characters' minds, why they couldn't let it go after so many years. I slept with the light on after watching.

12. Venus (2006)
Hanif Kureishi, you marvellous bastard, how do you do it? My Beautiful Laundrette, The Mother, Venus, 'the Buddha of Suburbia'.. you could give Alan Bennett a run for his money. Peter O'Toole breaks your heart and is so criminally funny, it's a once-in-a-lifetime role.

11. The Family Stone (2005)
This has Luke Wilson and Rachel McAdams playing brother and sister, and the lovely Elizabeth Reaser as their older sister, how great is that casting? Basically, this is the loveliest family "dramedy" I've seen in a long time and the fact that it plays out over Christmas is just a bonus. The house is so well-lived in, the whole film feels really cosy and like a real family Christmas.

10. Milk (2008)
I read about Harvey Milk when I first heard that Gus Van Sant was planning a movie on his life, and was immediately intrigued. After watching 'The Times of Harvey Milk' I was completely taken in and my God, Van Sant did right with this movie, I can't tell you. There's so much love in this film, so much appreciation, but it doesn't turn soppy. James Franco and Sean Penn really love each other as Scott and Harvey, which is more than you can say about Heath and Jake as Ennis and Jack.

09. Me Without You (2001)
It's probably a personal thing, but this film's depiction of friendship rang so true with me. It's like someone wrote a romance novel with an idealised version of me in the lead: the music, the love interest, the steamroller-right-over-me-personality.. sadly, I'd be more like Holly than Scarlett O'Hara.

08. The History Boys (2006)
At times the actors fall into a stage-y kind of acting but it's no surprise since they played their characters around the world for.. nearly five years? The kind of familiarity it brings to the characters for the actors is amazing though, and in that way this movie is truly one of a kind. The characters of all these young boys, all the smartypants remarks and cultural references; just play-/screenwriting at it's very best.

07. Bobby (2006)
I should add that I'm judging this movie by feelings after I first watched it. I was blown away by it, of course it's a "who's who" of acting, with first-time director Emilio Estevez bringing in a lot of his old pals, but once you see past that, there's some amazing performances. The scene between Demi Moore and Sharon Stone is some of the best material I've ever seen both of them handle, and Laurence Fisburne is a powerhouse.

06. The Edge of Love (2008)
Maybe it's unfair to compare this film to Atonement, but this film is so much more about the characters, or even real people, with their flaws and quirks and insecurities. Vera and Caitlin were nowhere near as attractive as Keira and Sienna, but they nail it. It's not about getting people to look alike but to give the most sincere performances and Sienna Miller is beyond amazing. There's a look she gives Vera/Keira and it's heartbreak in one-two-three small steps.

05. An Education (2009)
Usually I only judge films after I've seen them at least twice, but I saw An Education in the cinema and I was just blown away by it. The odd thing was I didn't actually really care for Jenny, the lead character, because all the supporting characters were so strong. Her strict father, disappointed mother, disillusioned teacher and a new friend who's learnt that men will never be interested in her brains, just her looks. They were all far more interesting than Jenny and David, although their dynamic obviously was interesting enough to care enough about all these other people that somehow were involved.

04. 8 Femmes (2002)
There's two Francois Ozon films in my top five, he's my absolute favourite director of this decade. The detail to the costumes, the little references to other films (Sirk's All That Heaven Allows in this case), the over-the-top camp mixed in with really tender moments.. and eight of France's best actresses, this is a real treat.

03. The Mother (2003)
Again, Hanif Kureishi! Hanif Kureishi and Roger Michell made the Mother and Venus together, and the way the roles were written (and played) are unlike any other films I've ever seen. Really interesting character studies in both cases, but this film did more for me, maybe because I'm a woman? I wouldn't mind having Daniel Craig in my bed once I'm 60..

02. This Is England (2006)
To take on such a heavy subject, the skinhead National Front-type youth cultures in the early 80s, and show such different sides to it, was fantastically done. It starts out with little Shaun being "adopted" by a group of skinheads and it starts out as more of a fashion statement, hanging out in greasy spoons with Doc Martens and jeans rolled up. But then when Combo comes out of prison -- there's this one scene where the whole balance of the movie shifts and it's so superbly acted, it's immense.

01. Le Temps Qui Reste (2005)
Another Francois Ozon. I come off as a pretentious twat with two French films as my favourite, I don't know what happened. These two films are two of my absolute favourites, though, and Le Temps Qui Reste is refreshing in the way it handles death, disease and homosexuality. Only Ozon could make this film, so unapologetic and honest. Melvil Poupaud shines in this film, he's unbelievably good.

Ultimate favourite film of the 00s

Les Chansons d'Amour (2007)
Okay, so it's a top 25 with a seperate number one, so it's more like a top 26? I narrowed it down to 26 and then couldn't bear to take any of the movies off, so. When I watched this, I was expecting a fun musical about a young threesome-couple in modern day Paris; it started out that way but after about 20 minutes it turns into something completely unexpected. I don't want to spoil any of the film for anyone because it's great to just be taken on such a rollercoaster ride, but the actors are amazing, the songs are fantastic and the whole look of the film is just beyond beautiful.

a post for Pierre

2009-12-02T20:38:00.004+01:00

One of the things my bestest work pal Peter and I first bonded over, was Ray Conniff. A couple of years ago my parents brought home Ray's 'World of Hits'-album from a Salvation Army store in Massachusetts. I think they tried to subtly imply that I have very little taste, because look at the cover:

How wrong they were! That album soon grew to become of my favourites, and 'Try To Remember' and 'I Will Wait For You' are among the most played tracks on my iPod.

Any man that can make the theme to Les Parapluies de Cherbourg sound like the jingle of an ice cream truck is okay in my book, and Peter once told me about this little controversy:

Ray Conniff and political protest, whodathunkit?

Flickr Favourites #10

2009-11-15T22:43:00.005+01:00

Autumn according to Marcinéma. Marcinéma has long been one of my favourite people on Flickr, and I particularly love this set of autumnal shots she recently posted. Her autumn looks like the setting for Jules et Jim, just perfect.

Autumn = Rock Hudson, Rock Hudson = Autumn

2009-10-28T13:09:00.005+01:00

Autumn is by far my favourite season. While I love Christmas, that moment when the leaves start changing colours is without a doubt my favourite time of the year. As soon as it gets cold enough, I like to pile on the blankets and bury myself underneath them and watch endless Rock Hudson movies.

Though I have a long list of mandatory autumn viewing, my boxset of Douglas Sirk's movies is at the top of that list. His searing scores, post-war kitchen design and see-it-coming-from-afar plot "twists" just make my heart swell up. A cup of tea, my cat Elliot purring along and Rock Hudson's beautiful booming voice.. it's heaven.

Even though I do enjoy his films with Doris Day (how can you not?!), and he had a natural charm to him that most movie stars of today can only envy, to me Hudson was at his most appealing in All That Heaven Allows. Possibly the most gentle-hearted character ever to appear on screen -- a bit dull but you can't help thinking and hoping he was really like that.

Tom and Serge

2009-09-11T00:04:00.002+02:00

So, Tom Barman. I think my infatuation with the man has been pretty well-documented up until this point, and those who know me will know that I can't mention his name without blushing a bright shade of red, but that's kind of beside the point.

It looks like someone thought it would be a good idea to get a whole load of Belgian and Dutch artists to cover Serge Gainsbourg for a record called Gainsnord.. If it turns out anything like the Monsieur Gainsbourg Revisited-record, I'm not sure it's such a good idea but, hey, let's give it the benifit of the doubt. And one thing's for sure: Tom Barman + Serge Gainsbourg = match made in heaven. Ooh.

20081216_082, originally uploaded by stagedoorjohnny.

R.I.P. John Hughes

2009-08-07T00:42:00.001+02:00

Talk about creepy timing. On Tuesday I received a parcel from my great friend Katie which included this wonderful book and then about thirty minutes ago, during one of my many daily visits to the Internet Movie Database, I found out John Hughes died today. While it doesn't stir up as many immediate emotions as Heath Ledger's death or Michael Jackson's does, it does feel like the end of an era.

Even though I was born in 1986, by which time most of Hughes' films had come out already, his films (the ones he either directed or wrote) were a big part of my teenage years. From the age of 13 onwards, I submerged myself in 1980s pop culture. Duran Duran records, 80s teen films, suicide sodas and endless episodes of 'The Wonder Years' (okay, that doesn't really count as it started in 1989). It felt like double escapism, not only was I escaping my daily life through movies, I was travelling in time -- two for the price of one.

Deciding on what is my favourite John Hughes movie is near impossible. His sensitivity, excellent choice of soundtrack, great dialogue and inspired casting choices made his films unparalleled. I still don't know what caused him to pretty much vanish off the face of the earth after 'Uncle Buck', but John Hughes is immortal to anyone who loves 1980s films.. come to think of it, I'd go as far as to say that John Hughes is immortal to anyone who didn't really enjoy being a teenager.

While his sentimentality got the best of him at times, there was always this sense of victory for the underdog characters; Samantha got to kiss Jake, Brian and Allison realised they were better off without the pressures of popularity and Andie and Blane ("that's a major appliance, that's not a name!") got together.. and Duckie got his Duckette in the form of Kristy Swanson. It was win-win all 'round.

While there are worse things on earth than being a teenager, John Hughes' message that things could only get better as you got older (or as you got past being a teenager!) definitely rang true for me. For this great life lesson, I salute you, dear John Hughes.

Edit: Many great tributes have been posted in the last 24 hours, here are links to some of my favourites:

20 Reasons Why John Hughes Rocked the 80s
Ben Stein ("something-d-o-o economics") remembers John Hughes
John Hughes: the Soundtrack to a Generation
Video Retrospective: Top 10 Movie Moments
A tribute to John Hughes From the Desk of a Neo-Maxi-Zoom-Dweebie

Literal version

2009-07-25T21:22:00.002+02:00

My new favourite thing on YouTube: endless 'literal versions' of all of our favourite 80s videos. Apparently the trend was set by collegehumor.com with this genius version of A-ha's 'Take Me On' (you'll have to bear through the annoying internet-TV-personality):

The first one I ever saw, a couple months ago, was this literal version of the Rick roll:

And, since there's not enough Bonnie Tyler on this blog:

And finally, a Billy Idol bonus, just cos the vocals are pretty spot-on..

Now I gotta cut loose..

2009-07-15T20:32:00.002+02:00

In life, there are different types of frustration, and different ways to deal with them. After ten years of loving the film, it only occured to me this weekend to get myself the Footloose-soundtrack and I was once again reminded that sometimes, life just gets frustrating in that Footloose-kind of way, and all you can do is dance. In a deserted warehouse. While wearing white tennis shoes.

And then there's this genius parody//homage from Andy Samberg's Hot Rod:

Kevin Bacon should dance more. And Lori Singer should still have a career, even if she couldn't act worth a dime.

Oh, fun fact from the film's IMDb page: Daryl Hannah turned down the offer to play Ariel in order to play Madison in Splash (1984). Elizabeth McGovern turned down the role of Ariel in order to play Deborah Gelly in Once Upon a Time in America (1984). Melanie Griffith, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Rosanna Arquette, Meg Tilly, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Heather Locklear, Meg Ryan, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jodie Foster, Phoebe Cates, Tatum O'Neal, Bridget Fonda, Lori Loughlin, Diane Lane and Brooke Shields were all offered the role of Ariel, but turned it down.

Happy Birthday, Jennifer Saunders

2009-07-06T21:58:00.002+02:00

If you asked me, "quick, Vanina, who is the funniest person on the planet", I'd answer - without hesitation - Jennifer Saunders.

Her mix of great wit, physical humour and a great observational eye make her my absolute favourite. I suppose when, looking at Wikipedia's "comedic genres", I prefer sketch-based comedy to stand-up and her ability to pack so many great observations (on politics, fashion, pop culture, etc) into such a short time both amaze me and make me laugh so hard the neighbours hear. Like a really great pop album, most 'Absolutely Fabulous' episodes still have something new to pick up on even after the 20th viewing.

She's at her best in 'Ab Fab''s series four; it's like, after the five year wait between 'The Last Shout' and series four, Saunders was bursting with ideas. The season opener, 'Parralox', explodes from the screen and sums up every pop cultural obsession of the previous five years. "Stop clearing it up darling, I'm trying to Jamie Oliver it up a bit, y'know, 'Havin' me mates around, burnt pork chops, fresh 'erbs, fresh 'erbs'".

Though the last series of 'French & Saunders' felt a bit dire, I am lusting after this DVD boxset of their collected television series. This is why:

And just a clip to remind us why Eddie Monsoon is everyone's favourite perpettually-drunk-fashion-victim:

Happy Birthday, Jennifer. Oh, if you're reading, please consider writing an autobiography like Dawn did? I'll take a couple of copies off your hands, promise.

"my castle, doctor"

2009-07-05T10:52:00.002+02:00

Worst blogger in the world? Ahh, yes, that would be me. I have no excuse for neglecting you, sweet blog, I suppose I got a bit caught up in work and perfecting my little cocoon of a room, or as Bette Davis said in Now, Voyager, my castle.

A Sleepy Saturday

2009-05-02T10:29:00.002+02:00

originally uploaded by afeitar.

originally uploaded by i.anton.

originally uploaded by Lady Havisham.

originally uploaded by i.anton.

Happy Birthday, Max von Sydow

2009-04-10T21:06:00.002+02:00

A great scene from one of the best-ever spy thrillers (contains spoilers, duh), Three Days of the Condor, to celebrate the 80th birthday of one of the scariest (and exquisitely European) men on the planet -- Max von Sydow. You give me nightmares, Max, but still, any excuse to post some Scott Walker-related videos, eh? Here's to many more.

Empire mash-ups

2009-01-31T14:42:00.000+01:00

For someone with a love of bad puns, Empire Magazine's online poster mash-up competitions are a dream come true. My favourites from the sweets and shoe mash-ups:

And one last one because of this post:

Knotted, polka-dotted, twisted, beaded, braided

2009-01-18T14:57:00.001+01:00

Once again turning this blog into one about celebrity death, one thing that made sit up and notice this week was the death of Tom O'Horgan, the director of the original Broadway run of the musical 'Hair'.

Sometimes I jokingly say my life is like an episode of 'the Simpsons', with too many pop culture references packed in, but I'm afraid that's true in part. When I look back on years past, one of my ways of telling one year from another, is to think of what bands or films I liked during that time.

One of my first popular culture obsessions was Hair, the film. I was a bit of a musical-nut when I was little -- I have no idea why. It probably started with watching the Sound of Music and West Side Story on telly with my Mum, and grew from there. I loved the music from Singin' in the Rain (I still hum 'Good Morning' when I'm feeling particularly perky in the morning). This love for musicals, combined with the fact that my oldest brother played a lot of sixties stuff at home, led me to watch Hair as a eight or nine-year-old.

I feel a bit embarrassed to admit this now, but when I was smaller, all I wanted to be was a hippie. I loved the music and the clothes and the fun they all seemed to have. I think I must have rented Hair numerous times, I absolutely loved it. I had the soundtrack of the musical (with Diane Keaton singing!) and pretty much cried every time 'The Flesh Failures/Let the Sun Shine In' came on, thinking of poor Berger.

Reading up on Wikipedia while watching the movie last night, it struck me that the writers of the musical didn't approve of the film, saying that Milos Forman completely missed the plot. I've never been to see the musical (or any musical, period) but apparently there's a lot of differences between the film and musical; obviously I can't judge properly, but this scene alone makes it unfair to dismiss the film like James Rado and Gerome Ragni did:

A bit heavy on the symbolism, eh? It's always struck me as really odd that 'Let the Sun Shine In' is used for commercials and crap techno remixes these days; I always associate it with the ending of the film, where 'Let the Sun Shine In' is prefaced by 'The Flesh Failures', one of the most sucker-punchiest of musical songs:

I didn't realise until Baz Luhrman's Romeo + Juliet came out that the song uses Romeo's farewell speech as a backing choir. The Vietnam war took place long before I was born, but somehow, just because of 'The Flesh Failures', those marching soldiers (and the 'Wonder Years' television series) have always made that war feel the closest to home. It's strange what power film, television and music have in that way.

Anyways, rest assured, my dreams of becoming a hippie are long gone; these days when I watch Woodstock, I can only notice the bandwagon-y nature of the whole subculture and the role drugs played in it all. Sitting in a field while having drugged-out, partially-clad people crowd surf all over you (like in Gimme Shelter)? No thanks, I think I'll pass.

Finally, two more of my favourite songs:
· Black Boys / White Boys.
· Cheryl Barnes' beautiful rendition of Easy to Be Hard.

Mickey Rourke's Golden Globe

2009-01-12T22:15:00.001+01:00

While I didn't get to see the Golden Globe-award ceremony on telly last night, two things excited me very much when I woke up to the news on my radio alarm clock this morning: Kate Winslet's first two Golden Globe wins (finally!) for The Reader and Revolutionary Road, and Mickey Rourke winning 'Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama' for The Wrestler.

Even though I haven't seen the film yet, and I'm secretly rooting for Sean Penn to win an Oscar for Milk, Mickey Rourke's award excites me so much because he plays one of my all-time favourite characters on screen, The Motorcycle Boy in Francis Ford Coppola's Rumble Fish.

Based on S.E. Hinton's young adult novel novel, Rumble Fish focuses on Rusty James (played by Matt Dillon), who wants nothing more than to follow his brother's example in a world of youth gangs. However, his brother whom everyone calls The Motorcycle Boy, is heavily traumatised by his years as a gang leader, and as a result, is colour-blind and partially deaf. The Motorcycle Boy tries to warn Rusty James away from the gang world, telling him about Rumble Fish: Siamese fighting fish who will attack any other fish they encounter, even battling their own reflection to the death.

As you can tell, it's all very heavy on symbolism, but with a great cast (also including a stunning Diane Lane, Nicholas Cage, Tom Waits and Dennis Hopper as the brothers' Dad), it's a beautifully-made film. Coppola shot the film in black and white, only showing the Rumble Fish in colour and although at times the combination of the style of the film and the symbolism threaten to turn it into a self-important arthouse flick, Mickey Rourke's amazing performance saves it from becoming a charicature. To hear that strange, disembodied voice of his describe the way he sees the world ("it's like black and white tv with the sound turned low") is as good as it gets in cinema.

My good friend Katie runs a great website on both the book and the film Rumble Fish: The Wrong Side of the River, and she recently got the opportunity to attend a screening of The Wrestler followed by a Q&A with Mickey Rourke. She took some great clips of the Q&A; it's inspiring to hear him talk about his acting at such a leisurely pace - TV interviews are normally so rushed. You can see several clips on her YouTube-channel, my favourite clip (not least because I got a special dedication!) is of Mickey talking about how he got Bruce Springsteen to participate on the soundtrack.

It's a world of difference, looking at Mickey Rourke in 1983 and now, but it's really exciting to finally see him get such recognition for his acting, while a lot of people had written him off several years ago.

Wuthering, wuthering, wuthering heights

2009-01-07T11:44:00.003+01:00

If William Wyler's 1939 production of Wuthering Heights had been in colour, it probably would have looked a bit like this.

Heather Little Moor, originally uploaded by grahamramsden52.

, originally uploaded by marcinéma.

Heather , originally uploaded by grahamramsden52.

Covered, originally uploaded by erik.drost.

IMDb claims the producers had real heather imported from England to make the California landscape used in the film make more like authentic "Brontëesque" moors. I don't know if it's true, but it does sound like one of those romantically outlandish Old Hollywood-tidbits of information.

In a departure from the novel, there is an afterlife scene in which we see Heathcliff and Cathy walking hand in hand, visiting their favorite place, Penistone Crag. Wyler hated the scene and didn't want to do it but Samuel Goldwyn vetoed him on that score. Goldwyn subsequently claimed, "I made "Wuthering Heights", Wyler only directed it."

Cathy: Heathcliff, make the world stop right here. Make everything stop and stand still and never move again. Make the moors never change and you and I never change.
Heathcliff: The moors and I will never change. Don't you, Cathy.
Cathy: I can't. I can't. No matter what I ever do or say, Heathcliff, this is me now; standing on this hill with you. This is me forever.

To ring in the new year..

2009-01-06T22:21:00.002+01:00

..a classic from Sir David Attenborough.

The Edge Of Love (2008, John Maybury)

2008-12-11T23:37:00.001+01:00

Well, I certainly didn't mean to disappear from this blog for over a month. Sorry about that, I started a new job and rather got carried away in all the excitement, heh.

--

Last week, rather unexpectedly, I read about Richey James Edwards being officially declared dead after having been missing for nearly fourteen years. I should say the timing was unexpected, because ever since becoming a fan of the Manic Street Preachers in 1999, I didn't think there was much of a chance of Richey still being alive.

While it wasn't surprising, it did still make me feel rather uncomfortable. Whenever I think about the Manics, I think about that terrible quote from Nick Hornby's 'High Fidelity': "what came first, the music or the misery?". Let's not dwell on the misery-bit, there, but it's a strange thing to think about my personality would have been had I not become a fan of the Manics. They influenced me very much when I was a 12-year-old, and I'm happy that they did because without them, I wouldn't have known about Abraham Zapruder, S.E. Hinton and Harold Pinter when I did.

Coming from Wales, the Manic Street Preachers also introduced me to a whole range of Welsh literary heroes I'd never heard about, one of them being Dylan Thomas, most famous for writing the play for voices, 'Under Milk Wood'.

It was strange to hear about Richey James when I did, because the weekend before I had just seen The Edge of Love, a Dylan Thomas-biopic of sorts that focuses on his life during and shortly after the Second World War, when he lived with his wife, his childhood sweetheart and her soldier husband in Wales. Starring Matthew Rhys as Thomas, Sienna Miller and Keira Knightley fight for his affections as Caitlin MacNamara and Vera Phillips, Thomas' real-life wife and ex-lover.

It's very tempting to compare The Edge of Love to Atonement, since both are very British films, set in the 1940s and star Keira Knightley, but that would be an unfair comparison. While I did very much enjoy Atonement, The Edge of Love is more human and it's about the relationship between four people instead of Atonement's good versus evil; sensationalism aside, the viewer gets more emotionally involved with The Edge of Love. This film is about flawed people instead of angelic Robbie Turner, and it stays with you because of the great performances and beautiful locations.

Keira Knightley already won me over with her performance in Bend It Like Beckham and Atonement, but as the opening credit rolled, I felt unsure about Sienna Miller. To be honest, I always considered Sienna Miller to be one of those actresses who become famous by pretty much playing themselves in a few films that are released in the same year, launching them to flavour-of-the-month-fame. Steve Buscemi's take on Theo van Gogh's Interview already garnered Sienna Miller good reviews, but since I disliked the original, I found the film unbearable watch.

Not to give away too much, Miller gives an amazing performance, out-shining everyone else on the screen. Those last moments between Catty and Vera are just heart-wrenching; a great moment in 2008 cinema.

Mystery Jets, Twenty One

2008-10-20T18:28:00.000+02:00

Whenever autumn comes around, I start to think about my annual "top ten" lists. 2008 was a bit of a strange year, because even though I listened to quite a few new albums that came out in '08, very few of them actually stuck with me. Which ones stuck you'll probably find out in December (who can resist "best of"-lists in December? I sure can't!), but one of them will definitely be Twenty One by the Mystery Jets.

In 2006, I missed out on their debut Making Dens, but their single for 'Young Love', featuring the aggravatingly young and talented Laura Marling caught my ear and listening to Twenty One, I was definitely impressed. It gets said quite a lot since two of the band members are father and son, but the Mystery Jets are such an unusual, great band; the fact that they got their start on Eel Pie Island probably says enough.

Everyone probably has their own definition of what "pop music" is exactly, and a lot of people think "pop" is automatically a derogatory term, but when I say that Twenty One is perfect pop, I mean it as the biggest compliment. Beautifully crafted songs, with great lyrics and incredible heartache mixed in with deliriously happy bounce-around-the-room tunes; it's definitely one of the best albums this year.

As the saying goes, you should never judge a book by its cover, but a good record sleeve is an amazing thing, and Twenty One's got it:

I love the unusual colours and light in the photograph. A chap named Nacho Alegre created the artwork for the album, and you can check out his photographic diaries of the time he spent with the Jets during the recording of the album, which is a great bonus for curious music fans like me who love knowing how their favourite albums came to be.

Songs:
Mystery Jets, Behind the Bunhouse (amazon)
Mystery Jets, Two Doors Down (amazon)

More on the Mystery Jets:
· Mystery Jets on Wikipedia.
· 'Two Doors Down'-video on YouTube.
· 'Half In Love With Elizabeth'-video on YouTube.

Happy Belated Birthday, Nana

2008-10-15T20:22:00.002+02:00

I got all excited because I heard it was Nana Mouskouri's birthday today, but Wikipedia tells me that I'm two days late. Either way, a Happy belated Birthday to Nana, who should be a fashion icon to any bespectacled girl. For all of us, these are tough times what with Sarah Palin being the poster child for eyeglasses at the moment. To cheer you up, here's some Quincy Jones-produced excellence. Hang in there, girls, and Happy belated Birthday, Nana.

Rock those big frames, girl.

Flickr Favourites #7

2008-10-13T20:55:00.003+02:00

The beginning of my favourite season calls for a special post on here, so here it goes: Autumn in Asbury Park, New Jersey, shot by one of my favourite people on Flickr, Sister72, who I mentioned before.

originally uploaded by Sister72.

"it's not about Great Britain.."

2008-10-05T15:12:00.002+02:00

My brother sent me this YouTube clip of an advert John Lydon did for a British brand of butter; absolutely hilarious.

Cue everyone and their mother moaning about how John Lydon has "sold out", but how can John Lydon sell out?! When the former Johnny Rotten is cheering on the Royal Family and being chased by cows, I think it's safe to say this commercial is meant to be interpreted as satire. In recent years, punk and the Sex Pistols have become as much of a symbol of British culture as the Royal Family, Harrod's teaspoons and Beatle haircuts; in my opinion Lydon is merely poking fun at the fact that 30 years ago he was considered the scum of the earth by many, and now he's in the BBC's list of 100 Great British Heroes, along with Julie Andrews and William Chaucer.

All in all, another great Lydon-video on YouTube, to add to the long line of them.

A different take on nostalgia

2008-09-25T13:57:00.002+02:00

Last week, I wanted to show my brother the LEGO-reeanactment of the raising of the Titanic from the 1980 film Raise the Titanic, which I mentioned on this blog a few months ago. Sadly, the video had been removed by the user, but as it turns out there's a whole world out there of homemade LEGO-animations that depict the sinking of the Titanic, or that recreate scenes from James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster.

Call me crazy, but I was surprised at how unsettling I found those LEGO-videos. Completely unexpectedly, this 'LEGO Titanic'-video, with running commentary from the person who made it, really made me think of how harrowing it must have been for the 3rd class passengers who were locked in on the ship as it went down.

In a way, these videos remind me of Todd Haynes' Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story from 1987, a 43-minute film that tells the story of Karen Carpenter using Barbie dolls as actors. The outline sounds ridiculous and laughable but I found it incredibly moving. Richard Carpenter sued Haynes and prevented it from being released, but (hurrah for the internet), you can download it from here. If you have the time/internet connection to do so, I definitely recommend that you watch it; it's an interesting experiment from a great filmmaker, that recently made it onto Entertainment Weekly's list The Cult 25: The Essential Left-Field Movie Hits Since '83 (although the picture they use is from the 1989 movie The Karen Carpenter Story starring Cynthia Gibb of 'Fame'-uhh, fame).

PS: I won't mention the video that recreates the 'Beverly Hills 90210'-opening using stuffed Babar-dolls, or the one where Babar and Kermit sing 'SexyBack'. No, I won't mention those videos at all..

Flickr Favourites #6

2008-09-14T14:31:00.002+02:00

originally uploaded by ohad*.

originally uploaded by leosam.

originally uploaded by EncinoMan.

originally uploaded by pictureofthisvictory.

originally uploaded by hale_popoki.

originally uploaded by Robert McCreadie.

originally uploaded by Dave Gorman.

Saul Bass

2008-09-11T13:27:00.004+02:00

As I was walking home yesterday, I came across a poster for Pluk de Nacht, a film festival in Amsterdam that shows previously unreleased films. I was walking by and not paying much attention, but still the poster caught my eye and I immediately thought of Saul Bass.

Saul Bass was a graphic designer, most famous for his work on film posters for Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese; his most iconic poster might just be the one he made for Otto Preminger's The Man with the Golden Arm:

Bass was also very well known for his amazing animated title sequences for several films; Hitchcock's Vertigo and Psycho of course, but also 1991's GoodFellas and even The Age of Innocence - how's that for diversity? My favourite is the title sequence he made for North by Northwest, it's just genius:

Before he started working on films, Bass was already a sought-after graphic designer. In his lifetime he created corporate identities and logos for companies such as Continental Airlines, the Girl Scouts of the USA (!), Wesson Oil and Geffen Records. Wikipedia reports that at one point, his AT&T Bell System logo had a 93 percent recognition rate in the United States.

Saul Bass is a legend in graphic design, you can find an interesting biography with a timeline of his major works on the Design Museum's website.

More interesting websites and blogs on Saul Bass:
· saulbass.tv: a very stylish website dedicated to saul, focusing mostly on his poster designs.
· cinemacom.com/saul-bass: a collection of his film posters.
· a great post on Design*Sponge about Saul Bass' children's book, 'Henri's Walk To Paris'.

Plus, I highly recommend these YouTube-videos:
· a little gem that popped up on YouTube a few months ago: Saul Bass vs Star Wars
· opening sequence from Anatomy of a Murder
· opening sequence from The Man With the Golden Arm
· opening sequence from Vertigo

Harvey Milk, part ii

2008-09-06T17:48:00.003+02:00

As a follow-up to my previous post on Harvey Milk, the trailer to Gus Van Sant's Milk came out and it looks sensational:

I'm definitely excited about this film, it's impossible not to be with Gus Van Sant, Sean Penn and James Franco involved.

Bill Meléndez

2008-09-05T13:11:00.002+02:00

I realise this blog is soon becoming a blog of celebrity death, but I was sad to hear Bill Meléndez, the man responsible for the many 'Peanuts' and Charlie Brown TV animations, had died.

Growing up I was always a fan of Charles M. Schulz's cartoons, and I would cut the comic strips out of our newspaper and stick them in my notebooks. Linus and Lucy were (and still are) my favourite characters, and I love the way they're portrayed in the animation series. Apparently José "Bill" Meléndez was the only person Schulz would allow to work on the animation of his comic strips. He made five feature length Charlie Brown films (the most famous of which is the A Charlie Brown Christmas), and 75 half-hour cartoons.

Despite being best remembered for his work on bringing the 'Peanuts'-characters to the screen, Meléndez also worked on Walt Disney's Bambi, Fantasia and Dumbo, as well as several Bugs Bunny and 'Looney Tunes'-cartoons.

Here's one of my favourite scenes from A Boy Named Charlie Brown, the first feature length 'Peanuts'-film; every animation feature should contain one mind-bogglingly psychedelic scene (think of the elephant dance in Dumbo) -- here Schroeder plays Beethoven's 'Sonata Pathetique' (it starts about 45 seconds in):

Also, something I found really surprising and fun to find out: Meléndez was also the producer for Babar Comes to America, which is voiced by the late, great Peter Ustinov (who is unforgettable as King John in Disney's Robin Hood). Babar was my one great love as a little girl and I will be the first to admit I'm a bit of a Babar-purist (Jean de Brunhoff's books are the only real Babar-books in my mind, Laurent's were rubbish), and I was horrified to see the 1980s animation series as a semi-grown up a couple of years ago but, still, Laurent-Babar is better than no Babar at all!

Mr. Meléndez, I salute you.

Writers' Rooms

2008-09-02T16:10:00.003+02:00

Leave it to The Guardian to come up with greatest idea ever for a photo series: writers' rooms. There's a tonne of them over here, but I'll post some of my favourites. I really love the way you can tell how these writers go about their work; some have a neat desk with a fancy chair and their room ends up looking more like a corporate office, while others work surrounded by piles of paper and sit in disintegrating armchairs.

Rudyard Kipling

Hanif Kureishi

J.G. Ballard

Alan Sillitoe

Sue Townsend

Breakfast

2008-08-20T10:38:00.001+02:00

A great set of photos by Jon Huck, entitled Breakfast, portraying people and their choice of breakfast:

Looks like only two people had juice, though.

The Holy Trinity of Birthday Buddies

2008-08-18T16:49:00.000+02:00

On August 18th, I like to celebrate what I've unofficially dubbed 'The International Day Of Cheese' -- happy birthday to Robert Redford, Christian Slater and Patrick Swayze! The holy trinity of Birthday Buddies; here's to many more. Now, I ask you, what better way to celebrate this Day Of Cheese than to post pictures... of their feet? Seriously, you have got to love the internet: first the cinemorgue, then celebsmoking, girls with guns in
cinema and tv and (my fave) celebrities with phones -- now barefoot male celebs.

There's nothing quite like sitting behind your computer being slightly disturbed by other people's fetishes.

Christian Slater (1969)

Patrick Swayze (1952)

Robert Redford (1936)

Harvey Milk

2008-08-05T18:08:00.004+02:00

IMDb reports that Gus Van Sant's next film, Milk will be out in the U.S. in December 2008. It will tell the story of Harvey Milk, "the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office in the history of the planet" (according to Time-magazine), who was murdered, along with then-Mayor of San Fransisco, George Moscone, by their recently-resigned colleague Dan White.

Dan White only served seven years and some months for this double murder, and his trial became infamous for the Twinkie defense; despite having always been a health-nut, White had recently taken up eating Twinkies and drinking Coca-Cola, and White's attorney claimed he had murdered Harvey Milk and George Moscone because the junk food had worsened his depressed mental state.

If you have the time, I highly recommend the Academy Award-winning documentary The Times of Harvey Milk, which you can watch in parts on YouTube. It features a lot of archive footage of Milk, speaks with his campaign workers and it gives an insight into the emancipation of gay men and women in San Fransisco in the 1970s.

How I'll be spending my summer

2008-06-27T00:49:00.001+02:00

It's a shame 'Carpoolers' got cancelled, it made me have faith in the world again.... or y'know, maybe not, but it was pretty amazing to have a TV show about four grown men singing along to classic rock hits in a car.

And my last blog post was mainly in preparation for the genius that is this video:

Have a good summer, everyone, I'll be back in mid-August.

the most self-indulgent post ever (literally)

2008-06-26T18:24:00.001+02:00

When you have a slightly unusual name, there's nothing more fun than finding out there's songs or books bearing your name. When I was little, it was no problem being called 'Vanina'; oddly enough, it only became slightly annoying in my teens -- having my name changed to 'vagina' on school projects when I was sixteen was more distressing because it took kids so long to figure out, than that it was particularly offensive to me. Of course, there's better things in life than having people make fun of your name, but I've always liked being calling Vanina, mainly because of my darling Wouter Levenbach (fanwebsite), better known as Dave, a Dutch-French chanteur.

Y'see, Wouter and his bright blue eyes, manic smile and woolly scarf had a pretty big hit in the 1970s with 'Vanina', a song to the tune of Del Shannon's 'Runaway'. Patrick Loiseau wrote the lyrics, and Dave went on and on about how he'd have to wander the earth alone if I (and all the other Vaninas of the world, like Vanina Ickx and this Bulgarian (?) songstress) forgot about him, resulting in a chorus that stretches out the last syllable of my name for about half a minute. Great song-writing? I think so, yes.

All joking aside, I really enjoy Dave's records and if you're in the mood for some uplifting 70s/80s pop music, pick up any of his best of compilations. He always comes across as a genuine, nice guy and he's got a good set of pipes. Get ready for some dodgy lip-syncing!

The history of the song:

Apparently it's a big favourite for French webcammers to sing along to in YouTube videos (1, 2, 3, 4), but here are some of the more original 'Vanina'-videos on YouTube:

Karaoke!

A very original home-made animation set to the song:

'Vanina', 'Subterranean Homesick Blues'-stylee:

Thanks, YouTube, you don't disappoint.

Four Films to Watch this Summer

2008-06-26T13:52:00.004+02:00

Since I'm not really the person for summer blockbusters, here's four films I've seen recently that I can't recommend enough.

If.... (1968, Lindsay Anderson)
Starring: Malcolm McDowell, David Wood, Richard Warwick (IMDb // Wiki)

In an inditement of the British Boys School, we follow Mick and his friends through a series of indignities and occasionally abuse as any fond feelings toward these schools are destroyed. When Mick and his friends rebel, violently, the catch phrase, "which side would you be on" becomes quite stark. -- IMDb

I'd been waiting to see this ever since I could the documentary on Social Realism in British film during the BBC's Summer of British Film last year, and I was incredibly impressed by it. Incredible performances and it had an unexpected sensitivity to it. Pay close attention to the collages on the walls, not only do they tell you a lot of about the characters (a great detail), they were made by assistant-to-the-director Stephen Frears.

The Hours and Times (1991, Christopher Munch)
Starring: David Angus, Ian Hart (IMDb // Wiki)

Starring David Angus and Ian Hart, The Hours and Times is a fictionalized account of what might have happened during a real holiday taken by John Lennon and The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein in 1963. The film follows Lennon and Epstein as they take a holiday together in Barcelona and explores their intense, possibly sexual, relationship. -- Wikipedia

Among Beatles fans, that trip to Barcelona has been the subject of speculation for many years. John Lennon's first son had just been born, and he chose to go to Spain with Epstein for four days; Epstein's homosexuality was an open secret during his life, and several books have claimed Lennon was bisexual (see: books by Pauline Sutcliffe and Pete Shotton), with Lennon saying this about the relationship in 1980: "It was never consummated, but we had a pretty intense relationship."
I have to admit, I'm a sucker for these "historical fantasies", especially when they're music-related. The Hours and Times gives one version of what might have happened on that Spanish holiday, without it becoming sordid sensationalism. For those not interested in John Lennon or the Beatles, it's still an interesting film to see as it's not strictly about Lennon and Epstein (the actors don't look enough alike!) -- the film is more an interesting story of what might have happened between two men who had similar histories to Lennon and Epstein. No matter how you look at it, it's a very interesting character study.

This Is England (2006, Shane Meadows)
Starring: Thomas Turgoose, Stephen Graham, Jo Hartley (IMDb // Wiki)

Roland Rat, Margaret Thatcher; Rubik's Cubes, the Royal Wedding; aerobics, skinheads... It's 1983, and the schools are breaking up for summer. Shaun is 12 and a bit of a loner, growing up with his mum in a grim coastal town, his dad killed fighting in the Falklands War. On his way home from school where he's been tormented all day for wearing flares, he runs into a group of skinheads, who against expectations turn out to be friendly and take him under their wing. Soon Shaun discovers parties, girls and snappy dressing, and finds some role models in Woody, Milky and the rest of the gang. But when an older, overtly racist skinhead returns home from prison, the easy camaraderie of the group is broken, and Shaun is drawn into much more uncomfortable territory. Based largely on his own experience as a youngster, this is Shane Meadows' most mature and fully realised film. Handling the complexities of masculinity, violence and race with sensitivity and a lightness of touch, it's hard to imagine a film that would better capture the mood of the time, or that could have any greater an understanding of the allure of being part of a gang. -- IMDb

I hope that in 20 years time, people will look back on This Is England as a modern classic, and that in 40 years' time, it will be regarded in the same way as If..... A very subtle and delicate film, 11-year-old Thomas Turgoose is an absolute knock-out as Shaun. The tension in some scenes is unbearable, but at the same time the film is incredibly funny. You can tell Meadows drew from his own experience, because the care with which the subject matter is handled is just amazing, and the film just feels very real, very three-dimensional. Words don't do this film justice, or at least mine don't. Watch this, please!

Les Chansons d'Amour (2007, Christophe Honoré)
Starring: Louis Garrel, Ludivine Sagnier, Chiara Mastroianni (IMDb // Wiki)

Ismael lives with Julie. Alice, who works with Ismael, shares their bed and Alice's affections. When tragedy strikes, Erwann is the only one who can bring a shattered Ismael back to life. With rain-slicked streets, coffee and cigarettes, references to a dozen French classics, a haunting score and the best balcony scene since 'Romeo and Juliet', this low-budget charmer, which has become a cult favorite in France with the under-25 set, is a Les Parapluies de Cherbourg for the 21st Century. -- IMDb/Wiki

Best balcony-scene since 'Rome and Juliet'? That might be pushing it, but all-in-all, Les Chansons D'Amour is a memorable film. It shares a lot of qualities with Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, but it's not a rip-off in the slightest, I'd like to think of it as a mix between Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (and a bit of Les Demoiselles de Rochefort) and François Ozon's films. An interesting take on love, romance and relationships, with beautiful shots of Paris and great performances by all the actors involved. Also, the music is just wonderful, which is not unimportant for a musical..

"Mummy, can I have one?"

2008-06-23T16:16:00.005+02:00

What will they think of next?

I realise Barbie dolls aren't just for little children, and these special editions are purely marketed at adult collectors, but Mattel should learn from this little bit of IMDb-trivia:

Tippi Hedren's daughter Melanie Griffith was given a present by Alfred Hitchcock during the filming: a doll that looked exactly like Hedren, eerily so. The creepiness was compounded by the ornate wooden box it came in, which the young girl took to be a coffin.

[through Defamer]

typography on youtube

2008-06-19T21:43:00.002+02:00

For the most part, YouTube is what happens when people have too much time on their hands, but sometimes, you come across some really interesting home-made videos. A while back I read a blog (it might be by Empire magazine) on these odd videos that depict great scenes from films using only typography. As a graphic design student I absolutely loathed my typography classes, but I'm amazed at how creative some of these videos are. Some of my favourites:

Quentin Tarantino's films lend themselves very well to this sort of thing:

'Shouty Al' Pacino in the Devil's Advocate:

One of the great speeches from Patton:

All in all, Austin Powers: the Spy Who Shagged Me was utterly forgettable, except for this bit of dialogue:

Edit: original article which inspired this blog, alwayswatching.com's Great Scenes from TV and Film, Told Using Only Typography (and Sound)

Yves Saint Laurent

2008-06-02T22:19:00.002+02:00

As a great lover of all bespectacled people (especially ones who wear their frames as big as they come), I was sad to hear Yves Saint Laurent passed away. As a tribute, some of my favourite outfits from Belle de Jour.

flickr favourites #5

2008-06-01T21:53:00.006+02:00

originally uploaded by BrigitteChanson.

Le monument aux victimes civiles fusillées en 1914

Since I don't really take myself serious as a photographer (I like taking photos, but nothing more than that), I don't really take time to share my photos in the pools set up on Flickr, but yesterday I got a comment on one of my photos of a war memorial in Tourcoing, asking if I'd like to add it to a new Flickr pool dedicated to Monuments aux Morts -- French War Memorials, usually dedicated to those who died during the First World War.

There's some really striking images in this new pool, and I hate to make any generalisations as to why French memorials are so stunning, but please have a look through the photos. On the Wikipedia entry for War Memorials', you get an impression of all the different kinds of War Memorials different countries have erected over the years.

With 'On Passing the Menin Gate' by Siegfried Sassoon in mind, I have to say that those big plaques listing the names of those who died, make me feel terribly uncomfortable. I think that, in a way, those long, long lists of names do little to really focus on all of the lives lost -- the names are there, but that's it. I think the statues that really depict people, like the one in BrigitteChanson's photo, bring across a much stronger, universal image of grief and mourning, without being clichéd. It's important to honour the soldiers who died, of course, but memorials like the one in Tourcoing make you remember why it's important.

originally uploaded by stagedoorjohnny.

That memorial in Tourcoing is the most beautiful memorial I've ever seen, it reminded me of 'The Raft of the Medusa' by Théodore Géricault -- walking around the statue you go from seeing the wounded and dying soldiers at the base of the statue to the struggling, and as they get nearer to the top, the soldiers walk more upright and it ends with (I suppose) Victoria or Nike on her horse leading them to triumph. I suppose at the end of the day it's still a form of wartime propaganda, but still, it's quite immense.

Eurovision 2008

2008-05-25T13:14:00.006+02:00

Russia's entry won the Eurovision Song Contest last night, much to my chagrin. I thought the song was pretty mediocre, and I much prefered France's entry -- Richie Tenenbaum meets Pop Levi:

With all the televoting since the invention of 'Big Brother'- and 'Pop Idol'-type television programmes, I don't make a habit of sending text messages to cast a vote, but I'll make an exception for Eurovision (to my family reading this, please don't disown me!). Anyways, last night my vote went to Israel's Boaz Mauda:

Bonus points to any Eurovision entry sung in a country's native language, it's a genuinely beautiful song, co-written by Dana International. Israel have a fantastic Song Contest history, I hope they'll win again one day.

i showed you the answers, now here's the door

2008-05-21T13:15:00.005+02:00

Yes, I made a post about this same song by Duffy just a few months ago, but she deserves another post because the official video came out and, wait, someone showing actual emotion in a music video?!

For all the self-important crap on YouTube, I do love it when people randomly decide to lower the vocals on a Duffy song to "prove" her songs sound like they could have been sung by David McAlmont (a previous collaborator of one of Duffy's producers, Bernard Butler, check out some great McAlmont & Butler-videos here). I have to admit, my inner 14-year-old still gets excited when I see Bernard Butler get so much recognition because of his production work with Duffy, the Libertines and the Veils, to name but a few. Makes me feel a bit better about my terrible teenage obsession, haha.

happy early birthday, jim

2008-05-18T22:42:00.004+02:00

originally uploaded by stagedoorjohnny.

"I'd like people to remember me as someone who was good at his job and seemed to mean what he said."

The BBC's started celebrating James Stewart's 100th birthday a couple of days early (it's May 20th), and good on them. Often voted to be one of the best actors of all time, he's also one of my personal favourites. Mr. Stewart said of his own career, "I have my own rules and adhere to them. The rule is simple but inflexible. A James Stewart picture must have two vital ingredients: it will be clean and it will involve the triumph of the underdog over the bully." -- while that nice-guy formula does feel a bit tired after you've seen so many movies, Jimmy Stewart always got away with it because you got the impression that he was a genuinely nice fella.

Aside from being a successful actor, attending Princeton (he graduated with a degree in Architecture) and making a career out of being a nice guy (his IMDb biography boasts that he stayed faithful to his wife Gloria all throughout their 45-year marriage), he was the first moviestar to enter the service for World War II, in 1940. During the war he served in the Army Air Corps, and eventually rose to the rank of colonel; after the war he continued serving in the US Air Force Reserve, and he became Brigadier General, making him the actor with the highest active military rank of any actor -- only John Ford (Rear Admiral in the US Naval Reserve) and Ronald Reagan (Commander-in-Chief) outranked him, but Ford became a director (he was an actor from 1914 to 1917) and Reagan made his last TV appearance as an actor in 1965.

All his life long, Stewart was a conservative Republican, causing him to clash with his best friend, actor Henry Fonda, who was a liberal Democrat. Stewart said of his friendship with Fonda, "Our views never interfered with our feelings for each other, we just didn't talk about certain things." -- the two men met at acting camp and lived together when Fonda first came to Hollywood, during which time they earned a reputation of being two of Hollywood's biggest playboys. According to their children, after both men married and settled down, their favourite pasttime was to paint model airplanes together.

In 1947, Fonda and Stewart nearly fell out over an argument over blacklisting in Hollywood. Fonda, like Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall and John Huston, was of the opinion that the House Un-American Activities Committee should stop its anti-Communist investigations. Stewart was a strong supporter of J. Edgar Hoover -- Gloria Stewart: "Jim went barefoot up the mountain and saw the burning bush - only God's name was J. Edgar Hoover. When Hoover realized Jim was willing to fight he played on it. Jim would have done anything to get those gangsters out of town. But he was concerned about how it would turn out for friends like Cary Grant, who'd developed friendships with these people."

He was also a very strong supporter of the Vietnam war, even after his adopted son Ronald (the oldest of Gloria's two sons from a previous marriage) died in action. Years later, he went on to say this about teenagers who escaped their draft notices: "I hate them! I absolutely hate them! Whether right or wrong, their country was at war and their country asked them to serve, and they refused and ran away. Cowards, that's what they were."

Anyways, here are some more interesting facts (not necessarily fun) from his IMDb biography:

When he left to serve in WWII, his father gave him a letter which he kept in his pocket everyday until the war ended.

Deliberately exaggerated his accent in films after he returned from World War II, because several directors told him he needed to create a persona in order to sell his films to the public, particularly with the rising popularity of television.

His hair began receding during World War II. By the early 1950s, he was wearing a toupee for all his movie roles, though he often went without it in public. His baldness was made less obvious by wearing a gray toupee for many movie roles.

Stewart and Richard Widmark both wore toupees and had hearing problems. On the set of Two Rode Together (1961) director John Ford became frustrated with the two stars being unable to hear his instructions and exclaimed, "Fifty years in this goddamn business, and what do I end up doing? Directing two deaf hairpieces!"

Upon accepting his Honorary Oscar in 1985, the audience gave him a ten-minute standing ovation.

Often incorrectly noted as having achieved the highest rank in Boy Scouting, Eagle Scout, while in his youth in Indiana, Pennsylvania; he was a scout for four years, attaining Second Class. He appeared in a series of award-winning commercials promoting the Boy Scouts, and served as a volunteer with the Orange County and Los Angeles Area Councils. He was awarded the Silver Beaver, the highest adult award.

You can get a special James M. Stewart Good Citizenship-boyscout patch at the Jimmy Stewart Museum shop.

"I suppose people can relate to being me, while they dream about being John Wayne."

· the Jimmy Stewart Museum
· SFGate: Why Jimmy Stewart was the best movie star ever
· YouTube: Jim Carey's James Stewart imitation

dramatic animals are so fun

2008-04-27T20:40:00.006+02:00

I was searching YouTube for a semi-professional video of Sifaka lemurs 'dancing' (leaping) because I saw some on a BBC wildlife programme called 'Lemurs of Madagascar'; they looked like little furry Rudolf Nureyevs hopping around. Sadly, all dancing lemur-videos were accompanied by a soundtrack of snorting and laughing courtesy of the people taping the scene, so instead, have a dramatic lemur. Could this be the best animal-video since the manatee squash, or the kissing manatees?

Dramatic lemurs > dramatic chipmunks, remember that while I'm away for two weeks.

"I did an endive salad that knocked the critics on their ass"

2008-04-24T09:37:00.003+02:00

WENN - 24 April 2008:
Caan Quits Movie After Fight With Director Russell
Actor James Caan has quit new comedy Nailed after an on-set bust-up with director David O. Russell. The star was hired to join the movie's South Carolina set for just two days to shoot his role as a U.S. politician who chokes to death on a cookie. But Caan walked off the set on day one, after an argument with Russell. The director reportedly wanted Caan to cough and choke at the same time - but Caan refused, insisting he couldn't do both. According to Reuters, Russell offered to shoot the scene both ways - but Caan refused and quit. The movie's producer Douglas Wick insists the row was "part of an ongoing creative conversation between the actor and director." It's not the first time Russell has clashed with cast members. George Clooney reportedly punched him on the 1999 set of Three Kings, and Russell was captured on film involved in a screaming row with Lily Tomlin while shooting 2004's I Heart Huckabees.

"That's super, Michael, but I wonder if you could move centre stage on that speech, and then die."
"Why?"
"The left side of the house can't see you at all."
"You want me to stand up and walk to the centre of the stage.. while I'm dying?"
"I know it's awkward, but we'll just have to do it."
"Not with me as Tolstoy."

flickr favourites #4

2008-04-16T14:46:00.013+02:00

originally uploaded by Dave Gorman.

Dave Gorman is mostly known for his work on television, but as it turns out, he is also an avid photographer. He was one of the first people on Flickr that I added as a "contact" because what you really notice in his photos is his eye for detail. His patterns/shapes- and London details-photosets are favourites of mine - it may be the old Suede-fan in me (1 2 3), but there's few things I love more than enormous brutalist skyscrapers or decaying buildings. Focusing in on those architectural details, it's incredibly how inhuman and symmetrical those enormous buildings look.

originally uploaded by Dave Gorman.

he fills it only halfway and before i even argue

2008-04-13T09:46:00.006+02:00

Sunset Boulevard. is probably the film with the most amazing collection of fun trivia, and I could make a post with a number of fun facts; about how Gloria Swanson introduced Dirk Benedict to macrobiotic diets in the 70s, how Erich von Stroheim (who played Max the butler) directed the silent film Norma and Joe watch on the projector (Queen Kelly, which had signified the end of Gloria Swanson's career in real life, just as it did Norma's in the film), or how Cecil B. DeMille greets Gloria Swanson with his real-life nickname for her - "Young Fella" - because she was braver than any man..

Instead I'll make a post about Suzanne Vega because (am I the only person who knows 'Tom's Diner' word-for-word?), I always think of that song when I watch the film. The actor mentioned in the song - "I open up the paper // There's a story of an actor // Who had died while he was drinking // It was no one I had heard of" - was William Holden, who plays Joe Gillis in the film. Apparently Holden was a heavy drinker and at the age of 63 he was home alone when he slipped on a throw rug, cut his head open on a bedside table and bled to death. Poor guy.
Anyways, Suzanne Vega's official site actually has an entire section dedicated to "fun facts" which, quite frankly, is absolute genius. Everyone should have their own "fun facts"-section.

Suzanne has been referred to as the 'Mother of the MP3' as it was her voice that was used as the model for Karlheinz Brandenburg's compression algorithm. From Business 2.0 Magazine:
'To create MP3, Brandenburg had to appreciate how the human ear perceives sound. A key assist in this effort came from folk singer Suzanne Vega. "I was ready to fine-tune my compression algorithm", Brandenburg recalls. "Somewhere down the corridor a radio was playing [Vega's song] 'Tom's Diner'. I was electrified. I knew it would be nearly impossible to compress this warm a capella voice."
Because the song depends on very subtle nuances of Vega's inflection, the algorithm would have to be very, very good to select the most important parts of the sound file and discard the rest. So Brandenburg tested each refinement of his system with 'Tom's Diner'. He wound up listening to the song thousands of times, and the result was a code that was heard around the world. When an MP3 player compresses music by anyone from Courtney Love to Kenny G, it is replicating the way that Brandenburg heard Suzanne Vega.'

i say we all get dolled up and let it begin

2008-04-06T00:50:00.005+02:00

You know, I hate to be the kind of person to be all, "oh man, [name of band] were so good before [random, half-arsed reason to explain why you don't like a band anymore that's more down to your own hang-ups than anything else]", but I miss the old one-man Mellowdrone, with a drummer to back him during the more difficult songs. I saw Jonathan Bates open for Johnny Marr and the Healers in 2003, and it was just this one scrawny little fella with wobbling legs and too many effect pedals for his own good. Box was a good album, but with a full band the sound just got too full, too huge for my liking. I don't know if he still uses that sampling technique, but it's one of my best concert memories, seeing him on stage and gradually recording this enormous chorus of his own vocals.

Happy Birthday, Bette Davis

2008-04-05T13:03:00.014+02:00

originally uploaded by Alan Light.

Miss Bette Davis would have been 100-years-old today. I never saw any of her films until last year, when the BBC ran a 120-minute long documentary on her life and films, followed by Now, Voyager; it was an instant attraction. I've had some difficulties tracking down her films, but with the ones I've seen, I've always been so very impressed with her acting. The American Film Institute placed Bette second behind Katharine Hepburn in the female list of their 100 Stars in 1999, and while I can see why they went for Katharine, personally I prefer Bette Davis as an actress. It may just be their vocal stylings, but Bette Davis always comes across so much more natural. Of the films I've seen so far, Now, Voyager is my favourite of hers; who can resist Paul Henreid lighting two cigarettes?

Flickr user lisaburks has a great set of photographs of Bette Davis' crypt, with some more information on the gravesite (don't worry, it's not morbid) over on her website - apparently Bette Davis chose the statue because she thought it resembled her daughter. This is my favourite photograph from that set, I love how the shadow resembles a young Bette Davis with her beautiful wild, slightly curly hair.

originally uploaded by lisaburks.

flickr favourites #3

2008-04-01T22:08:00.007+02:00

originally uploaded by emmgee67.

When my parents and I were in Washington D.C. in 2006, visiting my brother, we were lucky enough to catch the Robert Bechtle retrospective at the Corcoran Gallery of Art. It was one of the most impressive art exhibitions I've ever seen, and Bechtle's photorealist paintings have stuck with me ever since.

Bechtle is a pretty big name when it comes to photorealism, and apparently his car "portraits" are well-known enough to spawn a (small) Flickr pool in homage. Aside from the car portraits, Bechtle used a lot of photographs of his family as inspiration for his paintings; walking around the exhibit it was a strange way of walking into someone's life - you started with him meeting his wife, went through their children's early childhood, and then it was like you were witness to the breakdown of their marriage and the subsequent remarriages.

"You can take photographs of something but you never possess it because it's too fast.. there's something very intense about the experience of sitting down and having to look at it in the way that you do in order to make a drawing of it, or to make a painting of it.. but by the time you've done that you feel that you've really understood what you were looking at and also that you've felt a little of yourself there, and somehow it becomes a way of.. possessing the experience in a way that another manner doesn't quite seem to do."

Quite heart-breaking to think that Bechtle painted his divorce, isn't it? Art critic Peter Schjeldahl wrote in the New Yorker magazine, "Life is incredibly complicated, and the proof is that when you confront any simple, stopped part of it you are stupefied."

william haines

2008-03-22T18:23:00.002+01:00

From Wikipedia:

William Haines was born to a wealthy family in Staunton, Virginia, left home at the age of 14 and moved to New York City. After winning a talent contest he moved to Hollywood where he played bit parts for several years until MGM Studios began casting him in more prominent roles.

By 1925 he was MGM's most important male star, and his films were very profitable for the studio. He was cultivated as a romantic leading man, and his combination of good looks and flair for comedy won him many fans. He made a career out of playing wise-cracking young athletic types whose large egos hold them back until an attitude adjustment leads to success.

He appeared in hits such as The Midnight Express (1924) with Elaine Hammerstein, and Sally, Irene and Mary (1926) with newcomers Joan Crawford and Constance Bennett. Haines scored his biggest personal successes with Brown of Harvard (1926) opposite Jack Pickford and Mary Brian, and Little Annie Rooney (1927) with Mary Pickford and Vola Vale, and Show People (1928), co-starring Marion Davies. Haines was a top-five box office star from 1928 to 1932. He made a successful transition into talking pictures in the part-talkie Alias Jimmy Valentine (1928). His first all-talkie, Navy Blues, was released the following year.

Haines lived openly as a homosexual. Starting in 1926, Haines lived with Jimmy Shields, whom he had met when Shields was his stand-in during the production of a film. Studio publicists were able to keep Haines' sexual orientation from the press.

In 1933, Haines was arrested in a YMCA with a sailor he had picked up in Los Angeles' Pershing Square. Louis B. Mayer, the studio head at MGM, delivered an ultimatum to Haines: choose between a sham marriage or lavender marriage, or his relationship with Shields. Haines chose Shields and were ultimately together for 50 years. Mayer subsequently fired Haines and terminated his contract, quickly recasting Robert Montgomery in roles that had been planned for Haines. Haines did make a few minor films at Poverty Row studios, then retired from film. His final films were made with Mascot Pictures, Young and Beautiful and The Marines Are Coming in 1934.

Haines and Shields began a successful career as interior designers and antique dealers. Among their early clients were friends such as Joan Crawford, Gloria Swanson, Carole Lombard, Marion Davies and George Cukor. Their lives were disrupted in 1936 when members of the Ku Klux Klan dragged the two men from their home and beat them, because a neighbor had accused the two of propositioning his son. Crawford, along with other stars such as Claudette Colbert, George Burns, Gracie Allen, Kay Francis and Charles Boyer urged the men to report this to the police. Marion Davies asked her lover William Randolph Hearst to use his influence to ensure the neighbors were prosecuted to the full extent of the law, but ultimately Haines and Shields chose not to report the incident.

The couple finally settled into the Hollywood community in Malibu, and their business prospered until their retirement in the early 1970s, except for a brief interruption when Haines served in World War II. Their long list of clients included Ronald and Nancy Reagan when Reagan was governor of California.

Haines never returned to films. Gloria Swanson (another lifelong friend) extended him a personal invitation to appear with her in the film Sunset Boulevard (1950) but he declined.

Haines and Shields remained together for the rest of their lives. Joan Crawford described them as "the happiest married couple in Hollywood".

Haines died from lung cancer in Santa Monica, California at the age of 73. Soon afterward, Shields, who suffered from what many believe to be Alzheimer's Disease, put on Haines' pajamas, took an overdose of pills, and crawled into their bed to die. They were interred side by side in the Woodlawn Memorial Cemetery.

William Haines has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at 7012 Hollywood Boulevard. His life was detailed in William J. Mann's critically-acclaimed 1998 biography, 'Wisecracker: The Life and Times of William Haines, Hollywood's First Openly Gay Star'.

happy birthday, angelo badalamenti

2008-03-22T11:34:00.004+01:00

I have a minor obsession with IMDb's birthday listings on the front page. I always shout out a little "happy birthday!" in my head when I come across someone I like, and this quiet, rainy Saturday morning was made a little better by knowing that today is Angelo Badalamenti's birthday. What great score has this man not been involved with? The scores he did for Twin Peaks (both for the series and the film, Fire Walk With Me) will probably always be my favourite of his, though. That simple intro (the longer version's called 'Laura's Theme') is one of the most haunting pieces of music. What I really like about his scores is that they're so minimalist and they bring across every mood possible - he can make one snip of the fingers sound slightly delirious, sinister, uplifting.. I advice everyone to buy the soundtrack to Fire Walk with Me. Anyways, here is a great interview with Angelo about working with David Lynch.

Happy birthday, Mr. Badalamenti, here's to many more.

PS: as a bonus, a gratuitous Bernard Butler-related tidbit: in 1995, Badalamenti did a collaboration with James' Tim Booth, which resulted in an album called Booth and the Bad Angel; Bernard Butler played guitar on some of the tracks.

Raise the Titanic (1980)

2008-03-17T11:00:00.003+01:00

Last night, my Dad and I got sucked into watching Raise the Titanic on the BBC and reading the reviews online now, I feel like we might have watched a different film because I really enjoyed it.

Based on the 1976 book by Clive Cussler, the film was released in 1980. The basic plot revolves around adventurer Dirk Pitt (Dirk Benedict! Dirk Bogarde! Dirk Diggler! An impressive list of Dirks on Wikipedia) who has to find a very rare mineral which, conveniently, is locked inside Cargo Nine on the Titanic. What ensues is this strange Cold War-espionage, deep sea-diving "thriller", with lots of heavy wool sweaters and beards all 'round.

What makes this film enjoyable, aside from the majestic John Barry-score, is the fact that the book was written nine years before the wreck of the Titanic was actually discovered. Since I was a 12-year-old girl back in 1998, of course I went to see Titanic in the theatres (February 22nd, ten years ago!) and became quite obsessed with all the National Geographic-y documentaries on the subject. It was really great to watch Raise the Titanic as a fantasy of what might have been; of course, watching it now, the whole plot is entirely implausible because the ship broke in two as it sank.

BBC teletext promised us Sir Alec Guinness, but he's in it for all of five minutes. The film flopped at the box office - it cost 36 million dollars to make, and the original US box office gross was only seven million - "When discussing the film's cost, producer Lew Grade famously said that it would have been cheaper to lower the Atlantic."

Another fun fact, courtesy of IMDb: "A model of the Titanic was built at a cost of $350,000. When it was finished, it was discovered that it was too big for the tank in which it was to be filmed. An additional, bigger tank had to be built, at a cost of $6 million."

Anyways, here's the best bit from the film:

And for those interested, a reenactment in LEGO can be found here.

Flickr Favourites #2

2008-03-15T13:04:00.008+01:00

originally uploaded by Sister72.

It's not quite up there with Christmas, but still, I love Easter, and apparently they love Easter in Asbury Park, NJ as well.

Asbury Park is one of my favourite places on earth. A couple years ago, my parents and I decided to drop off there on our way from Washington D.C. to Philadelphia as a kind of a joke: my Bruce Springsteen-fixation was only starting up then and so as a joke (because he named an album after the place) I said, "why don't we go to Asbury?". When we got there, we were in for a surprise - since the early 2000s, they've started up this whole regeneration-project around that area, but when we got to Asbury Park in May 2006, it was still all urban decay, demolished buildings and faded seaside glamour. When we returned in July 2006, they'd done some painting, cleared up the scrap metal from the Building C-8 demolishment and there was a new mini-golfcourse on the Boardwalk, but still. In the 1920s, it was one of the most popular seaside resorts, but after the Great Depression and World War II, it never quite recovered.

Sister72 is one of my other Flickr-favourites, she lives around the Asbury Park-area, and frequently posts photos of life around Monmouth County, NJ. It's great to see little snippets of every-day life of such a special place. There's a lot of history to Asbury Park (this is one of my favourite sites about the town), and it's great to read people's own histories of the place in the comments to Sister72's photos.

To end this post (I could go on and on), a video by EarlyFilms:

like black and white tv with the sound turned low

2008-03-12T22:58:00.007+01:00

"Your mother," he said distinctly, "is not crazy. Neither, contrary to popular belief, is your brother. He is merely miscast in a play. He would have made a perfect knight in a different century, or a very good pagan prince in a time of heroes. He was born in the wrong era, on the wrong side of the river, with the ability to do anything and finding nothing he wants to do."

"those guys would have followed you anywhere, they probably still would"

you would cry too if it happened to you

2008-03-06T22:21:00.001+01:00

How on earth do these things happen?

it hurts me, li'l darling

2008-03-06T09:51:00.004+01:00

The Fantastic Expedition of Dillard & Clark is one of my all-time favourite albums. It's a record that I remember playing in the background when I was about five, and a couple years ago Adam Green's Gemstones caused me to dig it out again. Dillard & Clark are mostly forgotten these days, which is such a shame. Fronted by ex-Byrds-founder Gene Clark and "banjo virtuoso" Doug Dillard (who apparently played on the Bonnie and Clyde-soundtrack), the band included ex-Byrds and Flying Burrito Brothers' Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke on mandolin and drums and Bernie Leadon (Flying Burrito Brother and later of the Eagles).

They released two brilliant records in the late sixties: Fantastic Expedition and Through the Morning, Through the Night. While Expedition consisted of mostly original songs, Through the Morning was a collection of country/folk standards such as 'Rocky Top' and 'Kansas City Southern'. One of the originals on the album, 'Polly', is one of their overall best tracks. I was surprised to find (through last.fm), that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss thought to cover it for their album together, Raising Sand. It goes without saying that I prefer Gene Clark's version, but I s'pose it's not half-bad.

Dillard & Clark, Polly (amazon)
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Polly Come Home (amazon)

While checking out Amazon, I noticed Robert Plant and Alison Krauss also did a cover of 'Through the Morning, Through the Night' (the song). I hope this'll generate some new interest in the Dillard and Clark-records, because nostalgia aside, they're beautiful and interesting records - with a guy named Sneaky Pete Kleinow on steel guitar, you really can't go wrong.

Dillard & Clark, Through the Morning, Through the Night (amazon)
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Through the Morning, Through the Night (amazon)

John Everett Millais

2008-03-05T22:29:00.004+01:00

John Everett Millais, A Huguenot, on St. Bartholomew's Day, Refusing to Shield Himself from Danger by Wearing the Roman Catholic Badge (1852)

From Wikipedia:

It depicts a pair of young lovers in an embrace. The familiar subject is given a dramatic twist because the "embrace" is in fact an attempt by the girl to get her beloved to wear a white armband, declaring his allegiance to Roman Catholicism. The young man gently pulls the armband off with the same hand with which he embraces the girl. The incident refers to the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 when French Protestants (Huguenots) were massacred in Paris, leading to other massacres elsewhere in France. A small number of Protestants escaped from the city by wearing white armbands.

I saw this painting at the Van Gogh Museum this afternoon - while at first look it appears to be just another painting of two young lovers, those three fingers hooked in that armband are so subtle that it turns the painting into one of the most heart-wrenching I've ever seen.

The detail in John Everett Millais' paintings is extraordinary - at times the leaves in his paintings look so realistic, it's like someone got a bit overzealous with the 'sharpen details'-tool in Adobe Photoshop. Most of the reproductions you find on the internet or in books are absolutely horrendous, though, they don't do Millais justice - that purple jacket is so vibrant; the colours he used caught your eye from across the room, they're impossible to reproduce.

meet me by the entrance of the tube

2008-03-03T12:40:00.004+01:00

The Dutch press has finally gotten wind of Adele and Duffy, but in their rave reviews of Adele's album, they only briefly mention Duffy. Duffy's album, Rockferry comes out today and I'm far more excited about it than Adele's album - none of the other songs I've heard by Adele come close to 'Chasing Pavements', and she comes off as the biggest chav ever (she spent the advance from her record company on Burberry clothing? Ehh). Of course, I'm biased because Bernard Butler (the, uhm, god of my idolatry, ages 12-19) helped write and record some songs on the Duffy album, but I really can't wait to get my hands on Rockferry; 'Mercy' was a perfect pop song, and I'm always partial to a wall-of-sound record about leaving on a ~~jetplane~~ train.

Funny Games

2008-03-02T19:56:00.007+01:00

A couple months ago, Cinematical posted this stunning movie poster for Michael Haneke's American remake of his own film, Funny Games. I've never seen the original and probably won't watch the remake either (here's the trailer; never mind the violence and 'terror', Michael Pitt's mouth is reason enough for me not to watch a film), but I really enjoy poster art and it always makes me a bit sad when movie bosses decide to go for a far less-interesting poster just because it'll pull the punters in.

I did a bit of a search for the designer who made the first poster, but I couldn't come up with any names. It's an absolutely stunning poster, with that photorealistic image of Naomi Watts and simple font - I sincerely hope that they'll at least use it for a fancy DVD release because it's too good to waste. If the IMDb-message board discussions are anything to go by, the whole promotional campaign is a case of mis-marketing; it'll be a very grim film and the second poster and trailer look like they'd be better suited for another Michael Pitt-film, Murder by Numbers.

flickr favourites #1

2008-03-02T15:10:00.006+01:00

originally uploaded by madeinsheffield.

I love the way you always come across the greatest photographs on flickr; from amateur snaps of family holidays to professional photographers, it's brilliant to just spend half an hour clicking away at all the little thumbnails, and ocassionally you'll find something really special.

madeinsheffield is one of my favourite people on flickr; street photography is not one of my favourite genres, but she's got a great eye for it. Isn't this portrait amazing? Be sure to check out the bigger version at the link.

to start things off..

2008-03-02T13:35:00.009+01:00

The Stranglers, La Folie (1981)

Moodiest-looking video in existence? Perfect for a sunny afternoon!

Fun fact: according to Wikipedia, this song was inspired by Issei Sagawa, a Japanese cannibal whom I share a birthday with. Jacques Cousteau, one of the Pointer Sisters, Issei and me, June 11th, mark your calendars.