Here are some snacks that celebrate all that is this gloriously beautiful day:
Vampire's Lunch courtesy of Stinky Brooklyn
Hibiscus tea and Annie's Cheddar Bunnies on an inspirational writing desk tray
Happy Friday!
Natalie Portman will be at Soho's Apple Store this afternoon to talk about her new web project, MakingOf.com. In short, it's a website all about the making of movies. In a word, it's AWESOME.
Portman, along with her partner and CEO Christine Aylward, has created a behind-the-scenes Web portal that gives an in-depth look into how movies are made. Everything from a writer's initial idea (and how to get it to the page) all the way through to the casting, production, and post-production editing process is casually discussed in an accessible way by some of Hollywood's hardest working insiders. There are interviews with actors (including a fantastically candid one from Ms. Portman herself), writing tips from screenwriting champions like Don Roos, casting insight from the always inspiring Todd Thaler, and directing discussions from a who's who of Hollywood's best--we're talking names like Ron Howard, Michel Gondry, and Marc Forster. In addition to interviews with producers and cinematographers, MakingOf promises to cover all areas of the filmmaking process and will also give voice to the often unsung heroes of a production such as assistant directors, production designers, lighting designers, and special effects and make up teams.
Whether you're a student or a fan, MakingOf.com gives an unprecedented and intimate peek inside the inner workings of the filmmaking machine. So check out the new Fame trailer or sit down with Aaron Sorkin. You're guaranteed VIP access every time.
An expanded edition of Jane Austen's literary masterpiece Pride and Prejudice, only with the walking dead and a whole lot of British brain eating? Elizabeth Bennet as a Buffy-esque zombie slayer? NINJAS?!
OMG, I can't wait to read this.
Mr. H and I just got back from our ancestral homeland of Scotland. We visited our favorite chain restaurant Pizza Express, browsed through Old Town looking for vintage delights, and did our fair share of spirited imbibing (Czech beer and whisky respectively). We also attended a beautiful wedding in a castle just outside of Edinburgh, where we spent time sitting very close to a gregarious bagpiper and I did my traditional bum-on-dance-floor routine. What a glorious time! Here are a few pics from the trip taken with the ol' iPhone (more photos over at The Tourist):
A quiet evening in Edinburgh as the fog rolls in.
Flowers in bloom at the Bank.
A stylish gent through a hidden doorway.
Retail score! Vintage tea towel.
I have decreed SXSW 2009 as the Year of the Woman after seeing some truly amazing performances by a handful of mighty talented women (and you're welcome to read all about it over at VanityFair.com). The one performer I can't stop talking about, though, is Janelle Monae. She's my current obsession and a most FANTASTIC WOMAN!™
I first heard about her last Thursday when I arrived at the Levi's/FADER Fort to see what was cookin'. It felt like a Brooklyn village up in there complete with a blogging tent, multiple Ray Ban outlets, and long-limbed ladies lazily fingering their neon headbands as they waited in line for the Port-a-Potty. Artist Shepard Fairey was spinning some tunes on an Obama adorned laptop, displaced Williamsburg-ers were crowding the free beer bar, and there was a distinct buzz in the air that something big had just happened.
It was then that I ran into fellow New York compatriot, Andrew, who immediately insisted that I check out "this AMAZING girl" by the name of Janelle Monae. It wasn't a suggestion, it was a demand. Everyone it seemed--from the lackadaisical hipsters on the bleachers to the security guards manning the exits--was talking about this pompadoured girl and her tuxedo clad backing band who had apparently "killed it" at 1:00 that afternoon. She was described as new and original, stylish, explosive, energetic, theatrical, and insane (in a good way) with a killer set of pipes and dance moves unseen since the heyday of Michael Jackson. Apparently, she was also a self-proclaimed "alien from outer space, a cyber girl without a face."
The next evening, I ran into my Austin-based chum, Marc, a music writer covering a large number of shows at the fest. Now, let me just say that Marc is a calm guy. I've rarely seen him raise his voice or go ballistic about anything. When he speaks passionately about something, it comes through in the words he chooses. When the words "Janelle Monae" popped out of my mouth, Marc's eyes exploded, his head flew back, and a sound from deep within exploded with this proclamation: "Janelle Monae is the SHHHH-EEEEE-IIIII-TTTT!!!!" The very thought of her kept a smile on his face for the next half hour.
I then did some research and discovered that Janelle Monae is from Kansas City, Kansas, but is now based in Atlanta. She moved to New York to conquer the world of Broadway musical theatre only to find (like the rest of us) that typecasting can often kill originality. Later, during a layover in Atlanta, she felt an intuition that she was supposed to stay and "start a movement." So, she did, and ended up creating her own musical universe and record label called The Wondaland Arts Society. The collective is heavily influenced by Fritz Lang's 1929 cinematic masterpiece Metropolis, and soon, through her own marketing and chutzpah, people like Big Boi from Outkast and Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs started taking notice. Combs contacted her through MySpace where he listened to her single--which was heating up by word-of-mouth--and offered her a contract with Bad Boy Records where she would have creative control. He proclaimed her "a visionary."
So, on Saturday evening at approximately 6:30 p.m., in a tented parking lot in downtown Austin located directly in front of the Hilton hotel, I finally took in a performance by Janelle Monae at the Atlantic Records showcase. There was a joyous feeling within the assembled crowd. Industry people who had already seen her twice were there for a third time. Solange Knowles (Beyonce's sister and an amazing performer in her own right) and a group of friends excitedly wedged themselves up against the small stage. Then, a dapper gentleman in black and white announced Janelle's arrival as two other musicians in tuxedos emerged. Smoke filled the air, bombastic beats pummeled our hearts, and Janelle Monae's otherworldly tornado of fantasticness commenced onstage.
Folks, it's one of the best concerts I've seen. Ever. And it was only three songs.
She surpassed the hype and left me speechless, hands clapped over my cheeks. Bouncing from hyperactive dancing and perfectly belted cyber-punk show tunes to a classic rendition of Nat King Cole's song "Smile", Janelle Monae single handedly resurrected my love of music performance. There's no one like her, and I predict that she's going to be HUGE, so start checking your local listings to catch one of her upcoming shows opening for No Doubt this spring. That's a demand, not a suggestion.
In the meantime, check out her EP Metropolis: the Chase Suite on iTunes. Also, here's a little taste of the world of Janelle Monae, a most FANTASTIC WOMAN!™
SXSW wiped me out! I've got so much to say about the sunshine madness down in Texas, so please bear with my procrastination. I think I've still got too much Lone Star in my system. For now, ponder this: Ina Garten's hair.
I don't know why, but it freaks me out. Catch it in action, and you'll see. Every time I've tried to watch her show on the Food Network, the movement of that silken bob both distracts and hypnotizes me. Her food always looks really fantastic, though.
This New York Doll has high tailed it down to her ol' stomping grounds in Austin, Texas for the South By Southwest Music Festival. I've already had Casino el Camino's famous Amarillo Burger (it burns so good) and am about to get this party started! Stay tuned for more highlights including Playboy Bunny chasing, taco tasting, cocktails with the Vanity Fair crew, and one night with Perez Hilton.
"The Little Star Dweller" by Yoshitomo Nara
Japanese art wizard, Yoshitomo Nara, opened his new show at the Marianne Boesky Gallery this past Saturday night with a colorful cacophony that reverberated from the walls right into crowd (which included the wandering and seemingly undetected artist KAWS - thanks, CBS Sunday Morning). Viewing the artwork itself--a collection of new drawings on envelopes, large-scale paintings, and two massive tannenbaum sculptures that felt like they belonged in a more sophisticated Smurf village--meant that you had to tap and rub numerous shoulders for a glimpse. With vanishing buckets of beer, a trio of toddlers in tutus, and live music provided by DJ OORUTAICHI and the hyperkinetic Japanese girl duo M.A.G.O., the energy in the various rooms exploded with a kooky rainbow fantastic-ness. Here's hoping it's even more magically raucous at his solo exhibition at the Asia Society in 2010.
I've been a fan of Nara's since discovering his artwork on the cover of Shonen Knife's 1998 album Happy Hour. Mr. H and I trekked from Harajuku to Aoyama last year just to have a bite at the A to Z Cafe, a cozy Tokyo eatery Nara designed with graf media. While I've yet to come up with the funds to afford one of his tinier drawings, I ended up receiving something to hold on to for now directly from the man himself...
More from the gallery show:
DJ OORUTAICHI conjuring some digital magic:
A to Z Cafe...ah, deliciousness!
The "home" within a home at A to Z:
Milky green tea:
Cream cake:
Interior of A to Z's "home studio":
My partner in crime, "Mr. H", just returned from a wild adventure in the trenches of glittery Hollywood. Lucky for me, he brought gifts back with him. Here are some new additions to our cabinet of curiosities courtesy of the always awesome LA stores, Time Travel Mart, Family and Ooga Booga.
A vintage book:
Mono Kultur magazine featuring Miranda July:
Back of Mono Kultur:
A book Jen recommended:
Here and There magazine:
Cosmic Wonder Free Press:
And some vinyl for the ol' collection:
Ah, The Sads. So fantastic!
This album from The Sads is designed by Mike Mills:
I plan to sit cross-legged on the floor to feed my brain and ears with these West Coast delights. Mr. H may have gone on an intergalactic flashbulb ride with James Bond and Princess Leia's mom, but I'm gonna come out of the sticks with new tunes to hum and new quotes to strum.
"Glad you're back. Next time, I'm a comin'."
I've used the word random sparsely in conversation for the past few years. Lately, I find I'm using it a lot more.
"THAT was random."
"Look, it's 5:55. Random."
"I'm making a random band with a random album name and random cover on Facebook." (an answer to "What are you doing right now?")
Also, "Everything just feels so random right now."
That last one sums it all up. Maybe it's the lingering winter--the current climate so to speak--or maybe it's my age, but randomness has always fueled me and lately it has me all confused. This could be because I'm indoors all of the time. Either way, I'm randomly thinking about randomness right now. Here are 10 random things:
1. Keys open doors; ___ unlock ideas.
2. Are metal lunchboxes really going to be worth something someday?
3. Beetles under glass.
4. If the Mayans are right, the world will end in 2012.
5. Umbrellas, socks, and mittens have wanderlust.
6. Where do you go in New York City when you want to scream at the top of your lungs?
7. Bare feet on polished concrete, a ginger ale on ice, sunlight through an open window.
8. Focus means focusing, sometimes on the random.
9. Turkey or eagle?
10. Exercise in any form - either for the body or the brain - is always good.
As per usual, Marc Jacobs trumps all with his super-fun, neu-wave, hyper-eighties slash fest of ribboned dresses, tuck n' tapered trousers, and pseudo-kilts. The man can do no wrong. He's the only designer that has any fun during New York Fashion Week (with the exception of Betsey Johnson's whimsy and Vena Cava's lovely tableaus). Marc is the one we all wait for, and he's the one that never disappoints. At this point, I've completely overlooked the fact that he never made eye-contact with me all of those years when I made sure the kitchen had enough of his favorite chocolate pudding in stock. But that's another story for another day. Today, cheers to you Mr. Jacobs! You Stinky Rat, you.
Here's what I want to wear come fall (still debating on whether to attempt the Flock hair...could be fun!):
