tristesse

a sad and beautiful song for a sad and beautiful time

Film Festivals- Venice and Toronto

The Venice International Film happened 2 weeks and the Toronto International Film Festival just ended! in my personal opinion the Venice Film Festival is THE most glamorous, because there isn't all the hooplah and insanity that surrounds Cannes, but more than anything it gives you an idea of what's going to be the serious Oscar bait for the fall. the brilliant, amazing and utterly genius Darren Aronofsky, the guy who did "Requiem for a Dream" (but more importantly "The Fountain") won The Golden Lion for Best Film for "The Wrestler." Darren is a huge proponent in why i'm so crazy about the film industry and movies. he always makes very intelligent, exciting and brutally honest films, and i can only imagine that "The Wrestler" is all of those things and much more, it actually just got a US release date.

While at Toronto the glamour is a considerably less, but the in terms of star power it lacks nothing. Anne Hathaway for "Rachel at the Wedding" has gotten rave reviews for her performance at both festivals. I'm just excited for both of these films from an a director I adore and a commercial actress who is actually willing to challenge herself.

trailer trash- blindness

"Blindness" stars Juilanne Moore and Mark Ruffalo and is directed by the incredible and always brilliant Fernando Meirelles. it was the opening night officia selection at Cannes this past may and opens nationwide on october 3rd. i am a huge fan of the major players in the cast, that also includes luminous gael garcia bernal and danny glover, and fernando mereilles is a genius, but i don't know if i'm going to see this movie. i kind of feel the way about it the way i felt about children of men, and babel when they first came out. i just don't think i'm in the mood for a post modern, intensely vivid cinematic aesthetic of chaotic beauty Alejandro González Iñárritu, Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro and Meirelles belong to. though after typing that last sentence i know i'll eventually see this movie and think it's utterly beautiful and be moved by it's power and truth and blah blah blah, to be honest, i'm just sad the summer is over. i'm not usually ready for Oscar bait until Halloween.

a closer look at "the odd couple"

one of my oldest friends recently sent me this Gnarls Barkely cover of Radiohead's "The Reckoner." this is one of my favorite songs off "In Rainbows," and the band certainly knows how to play the track, but Cee-Lo sure as hell ain't Thom Yorke.



this video in turn lead me to "who's gonna save my soul?" a beautiful track off their 2nd album "the odd couple."


which in my opinon is a stark contrast to "st. elsewhere" only because it is so mature comparatively. each track is much darker than the upbeat fun house that was "st. elsewhere." "going on" is a perfect example of such. though it's at a fast tempo, it certiainly isn't as frenetic as "transformer" or familiar as "crazy"



maybe that's why they chose "run" as the 1st single, because it's the most accessible.

Lego celebrates it's 30th with even more awesomeness

not too long ago i posted about Lego turning 30. well it turns out to commemorate that they've made Lego "Men" out of some famous people, including Miss Amy Winehouse. it's kind of sad that this little toy looks better than that little woman.

art in motion - "one pure thought"

please enjoy Hot Chip's "One Pure Thought"

i've been thinking about you...

Mad Men is the greatest show on TV right now

I have absolutely no idea why it took me so long to post about "Mad Men," because it just happens to be the best show on TV. it premiered last summer on AMC, and was up against USA's highly publicized spy-dramedy "Burn Notice," which one the ratings race, but certainly not the superior reviews. not until right before the 2nd season premiered this July did I fully emerse myself in this gem of a show. not only did it win the Golden Globe for Best Dramatic Television Series, the actor the show is centered around, Jon Hamm, (my boyfriend) won the award for Best Lead Actor in a Dramatic Television Series. though because of the Writer's Strike, the ceremony wasn't broadcast so most people had no idea, but now more and more most certainly do.
i recommend this show over everything else that's on TV right now. since "The Wire" ended this past spring, i've been desperate to find a program as rewarding, enriching, and well executed, and "Mad Men" is most definitely it.

the show takes place in Manhattan on Madison Avenue in the early 60's at the Sterling-Cooper Advertising Agenvy. "mad men" is a term that advertising execs coined about themselves and their high flying, hard working, 3 martini lunch lives. every aspect and detail of the show is impeccable, from the the scripts to the costumes, the entire cast and crew is dedicated to transporting the audience to a different era and they most certainly succeed. yes it is a drama, but the show has a great many comedic moments that hold their own against the gut-wrenching situations that unfold. for those of you desperate to catch up on what's happening Entertainment Weekly has created "10 Things New Viewers Need to Know" or the " Episode Guides" to fill you in. though i recommend buying the first season immediately and then somehow trying to dive into the second as soon as possible. i must warn you, while watching you'll desperately want to drink and smoke cigarettes, even if you're not a drinker or a smoker. i've posted a LOT of pictures of below, hoping to capture the beauty, elegance and sheer brilliance of this show. once you've enjoyed them, START WATCHING "MAD MEN!"

Jon Hamm as Donald Draper

Don Draper and John Slattery as Roger Sterling

Vincent Kartheiser as Pete Campbell

Peggy Olsen and Pete Campbell

Elisabeth Moss as Peggy Olsen

Michael Gladis as Paul Kinsey and Aaron Staton as Ken Cosgrove

Christina Hendricks as Joan Holloway

January Jones as Betty Draper

cloud coverage

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it is my pleasure to introduce you to Alexander Skarsgård

Alexander Skarsgård is an actor you need to take notice of now! not only is he incredibly talented, and captivating to watch on screen, but he was born to act (his father is Sweden's most famous actor ever Stellan Skarsgard.) if you have HBO you've probably seen him in the previews for "Generation Kill" where he played Brad"Iceman" Colbert, to amazing effect and even better reviews. he's also in the new Alan Ball show "True Blood." though his most famous role for American audiences is Meekus in "Zoolander".
anyway Alexander is definitely an actor to look out for in the coming years. he was fantastic in "Generation Kill" and will most likely be just as great or better in "True Blood" once his episodes start to air this Sunday.

this is an HBO interview with Alexander on the set of "Generation Kill" and with the real Brad Colbert. if you listen closely you can hear his English slip a little, which would be the only giveaway that he's actually Swedish.

i wish i spoke Swedish so i knew wtf was going on in this scene, that lead to him getting on stage and singing like Barry Gibb. it's pretty ridiculous and entertaining, and the highlight of it all is at 3:21.

oh and did i mention he was voted the sexiest man in Sweden in 1999. that's completely irrelevant but very entertaining...and believable.

i'm on a "love lockdown"

so i've been meaning to post about Kanye since he got arrested on 9/11 for vandalism. it's not that surprising, that someone as high-profile as mr. west, whose relationship with the media has always been tenuous, could make september 11th even more relevant. isn't/shouldn't airport security be so tight that shenanigans like what occurred shouldn't be allowed to go down?

i guess not. what if the paparazzi was actually a terrorist posing as a paparazzo? i won't get into a rant about national security here, but seriously, isn't an airport the 1 place where the Department of Homeland Security should be kicking ass and taking names? because Kanye certainly was.

anyhoo Kanye latest single is called "Love Lockdown." it's not "officially" out yet since he wrote it all of 2 weeks ago and then premiered it on the MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday by closing the show. i didn't see the performance live, but you can watch it below to see Kanye sing. yes i just wrote "sing" and not rap. for better quality you can click here to listen to an actual recording of it, but i have to say it's already stuck in my head.

"The Greatest Show on Earth" - The Runway

Heidis dress is fabulous as always
Ugh Joe. Its so charter club meets ING or whatever that department store line is called.
Nice work Leann.
Korto you're outfit is meh because you're always great, but you're in.
AMAZING job Jerrel. Though that gay would look better on me.
I like the back of suedes dress that's it.
Kenley quite adorable.
MK is the shit! And it is a cliché
I'm wearing Jerrel outfit to everywhere!
Suede you're out. When Nina has nothing to say you're cooked

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Project Runway

Joes girl looks old.
Leann always pulls it out.
Ooh I like suedes nonsense on the form. Bonus!
Cut your hair Avital! Screw your bf its tour body!
Bye bye Joe.
I thought thered be more color Jerrel!
Kenley don't you dare disrespect Tim Gunn!
Korto's daughter is gorgeous!
"I'm not into the whole pants thing."
Selena! They mean J. Lo!
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Top Chef NY! I'm so excited!

In my mind Richard Blais is a superstar. I can't wait to see who'll enter his ranks, along side Sam, Tre & Harold.
I love Jerrel! Big N Tasty baby! Plus a banging too.
Joe is going home! That's going to make her look even more voluptuous.
Hedda Lettuce!
I need more Tim in my life.
Leann's always safe. (like not eliminated) ooh cute plaid top Le.
Bye bye Suede?
Gross Joe, gross. So Wall Street "greed is good!"
I love Nancy Reagan's style...ye i just typed that.
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"The Greatest Show on Earth"- Project Runway live blooging

Based on the pairings alone:
Joe Blows
And I love Jerrel (I never thought I'd ever say)
Kenley and her girl are sisters from different misters.
Kortos girl needs to loosen up.
Jerrels girl is the female version of him! "Kinda awkward just like her and me!"
Leann's "mom" is slowly strangling me.
Suede's pants are gonna suck.
Joe's girl is the "middle America" version of Whitney meets Kelly Osbourne.
"LEATHA!" I miss Stella. I wonder how Ratbones is?
Pucci-esque I need more of that in my life.
Bye Swatch! what a cute dog
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that's what she said

is it septmeber 25th yet?

ArtWalk September '08

"blinded by the light. revved up like a douche, another runner in the night!"

"hey your shirt matches your scooter!"

Kevin Bruk Project

Gallery Diet

Pan American Projects

no this is not a "moving installation" or a "performance piece" it's someone's dog

up close, the piece in the background was incredible.

Clifton Childree's "Dream-Cum-Tru"

the police were out in full force keeping the streets of the City of Miami safe...from drunk patrons of the art

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street gold

I'm clearly of the "point and shoot" school of photography. I just saw this car while I was coming back from my lunch break. Idk what the make or model is but I thought it was awesome. If anyone has half a clue let me know.
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according to Fred, Jon Hamm and I are "dating"

...but i don't really like to talk about it, but he does. and he did on Jimmy Kimmel last Friday night. the first mention of "me" - according to Mr. Moffat - is around 5:05, but to get a better idea of what he's talking about start at the beginning or go to 4:00 or 8:00.

from the interview it's obvious he's a likeable, genial, funny guy; which is everything Don Draper is not, which is probably why he's nominated for Best Actor in a Television Drama at the Emmy Awards which air this Sunday, and why he won the Golden Globe in January. Jon and Jimmy are clearly friends so the interview is certainly not the typical stale rigamarole you get from most actors who aren't marquis names.

"Don" (Jon's character on Mad Men) also reminds me of the first boy i was ever in love with, who was a strong, conservative, . granted he didn't look 30 when we met, but he looks like the more mature, older (moviestar version) of him and that's kinda nice. not to mention a few of their mannerisms are eerily similar and they share the same name.

blonde on blonde

Gabby went on a date on Friday & Lauren wanted to spy. so I agreed, but only if we could wear disguises!

...utter and complete absurdity ensued.

oh hey look it's Britney Spears

"i'm not that innocent"

"hmm maybe they won't see us in these." ye if we were at a David Bowie or maybe even a Heart show 30 years ago

Lauren then opted for the afro and pig nose...

...and Nathan walked out of the room in disgust, embarassment and shock.

the night was so silly that some woman decided to walk her kitten...

yes her kitten

Nathan walks 10 feet ahead of us, so not to be associated with our awesomeness!

Lauren: so what's your fake name going to be?

Me: I want to be Beyonce

Lauren:I want to be Foxy Cleopatra

(and no those aren't the same people)

2 wigs in a Chloe bag...not to be confused with the David Spade jem "8 Heads in a Duffle Bag"

Lauren went home, and I ended up at the Cuda, where coincidentally Gabby's dare continued.

and i decided to take a picture to actually justify walking around "The Cheesecake Factory" looking like a "tramp" according to Nathan. (i thought i looked awesome...to blind people)

it turns out the night was crazy all around. John Lee bet $100 on a beer pong game (i don't know if he won.)

and Robby actuallly thought camo would hide him in the bar...oh what a night

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