I have really been meaning to finish up these photos for a long time and I am happy to say the Versailles set is done at last!
Here is the photo above in larger format.
See the whole photoset (26 images) on flickr. w00t
This is actually the first video I have ever uploaded to YouTube. Jenny Lewis last Weds at Spaceland. She was fantastic and I was CLOSE!!
Am I really 2 months late on this promo for Gentlemen Broncos??
Site (check out the audio book excerpt of Cyborg Harpies)
Nyce Derbs
With Toronto currently unspooling, the festival season is now in full swing – and there are quite a few offerings from big name Japanese filmmakers.
Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea – Hayao Miyazaki
This new Ghibli film directed by the one and only Hayao Miyazaki opened in Japan in July and made its international debut at the Venice Film Fest a few weeks ago. I’ve loved everything Miyazaki has ever touched – so no surprise I am highly anticipating this – which has so far received pretty positive reviews.
Official Site (JP – but some good pics)
Achilles and the Tortoise – Takeshi Kitano
I’ve missed Beat Takeshi’s last couple films (Takeshis’ and Glory to the Filmmaker!) but from all accounts that is a good thing. This seems to be another personal film about an artist with no real talent and features a good deal of his own paintings (like a number of his past films). I’m all for deeply personal (Kikujiro is one of my favorites of his) but how awesome would a new Takeshi gangster flick be?
TIFF writeup (also at Venice)
The Sky Crawlers – Mamoru Oshii
A new anime from the acclaimed director of Ghost in the Shell, Innocence, Patlabor, and Jin-Roh – this sounds like an interesting diversion from his normal world of red-eyed villains and mechsuits. Best described in the TIFF writeup:
Dwelling in a pneumatic void of memories live the Kildren, teenagers destined never to grow up. Unless they are killed in action, they persist forever in a dull adolescence. The Kildren are a human breed of fighter pilots; created to play the much-needed game of war in a world that keeps real conflicts at bay, they are hired to entertain the citizens of Europe with their celestial battles.
TIFF writeup (also at Venice)
Still Walking – Hirokazu Kore-eda
Kore-eda is back with a story of life, death and family in modern Japan. Those who have never seen his 1998 classic After Life (Wandâfuru raifu) should really check it out. The English language remake is in the works right now in H.wood.
Tiff writeup
Tokyo Sonata – Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Kiyoshi tries his hand at family drama with a story that follows a man who loses his job but can’t admit it to his family. Familiar territory perhaps, but Kiyoshi is fantastic with his characters and this will be an interesting examination of honor in Japanese society no doubt.
Tiff writeup
Detroit Metal City – Toshio Lee
I don’t know much about Lee (apparently most of his work has been in TV), but this adaptation of a famous manga has all the ingredients for some great JP wackery. Not to mention the fact that it co-stars Gene Simmons!
Souichi is a timid, sensitive and innately polite music geek who moves from the Japanese countryside to Tokyo with big dreams: he aspires to sing sugary love ballads and become a chart-topping sensation. But life does not turn out the way Souichi had hoped, and the only gig he can get is that of front man for the notorious band Detroit Metal City (DMC). Wearing a cape, tights and ghostly demon makeup, Souichi storms the stage each night as Johannes Klauser II, smashing guitars and spewing verbal filth in songs about murder and rape.
Hmmm, no Miike films at Toronto this year, though his English language western hit Sukiyaki Western Django is coming out in theaters this week. Be sure to catch it if you can. Also, I just finally caught Yoji Yamada’s beautiful Love and Honor (in the theater – two years after it was at Toronto) and it was everything I had hoped it would be.
Check out this awesome hi-res 3D View from inside the Watercube (actually from the top of the 10M platform). You can spin around, up and down in every direction while you listen to a few seconds of commentary from USA diver Thomas Finchum.
Do you think this sort of 3D thing is cool? Microsoft does. They have just released a web app specifically designed to allow you to create your own fully 3D image panos. Microsoft Photosynth is online (more info here) and allows you to upload your own images. I haven’t tried it out yet but plan to soon.
Originally from BGR
The Shepard Fairey designed Obama is quickly becoming the iconic image of this election (posted here back in Feb). It is definitely all over LA and I am guessing most of Obama country. A local hair salon was rocking an image along these lines and I had to do my best to reproduce it. Add mine to the growing collection of rips/mods (let’s just call it a mash up for buzz sake).
Cuz it has prolly been a couple years since you cooked yer brefast fer somebody.
I think I saw Bubb Rubb on a commercial for EA’s NCAA Football.
I was lucky enough to get hooked up with a pass (thx La) for the X Games this weekend and we nabbed an amazing spot on the deck for the Skateboard Superpark Comp. Check out the photoset on flickr.
Worth1000, a website of photoshop contests, recently concluded a site of strange animal manipulations. Unfortunately, Batbear did not win.
Thx ADK
One Day As A Lion (sick site) is a musical project by Rage’s Zach de la Rocha and The Mars Volta’s Jon Theodore. Hard hitting drums and def lyrics mean anyone who likes either of those bands will dig this sound. The EP is out and it does not disappoint. From the site:
One Day As A Lion is both a warning delivered and a promise kept.
a defiant affirmation of the possibilities that exist in the space between kick and snare. its a sonic reflection of the visceral tension between a picturesque fabricated cultural landscape, and the brutal socioeconomic realities it attempts to mask.
…
the name taken from the infamous 1970 black and white, captured by legendary chicano photographer george rodriguez featuring a center framed tag on a white wall in an unspecified section of Boyle Heights. it reads “it’s better to live one day as a lion, than a thousand years as a lamb.” this record is a stripped down attempt to realize that sentiment in sound.
As the story goes, Joss Whedon (creator of Buffy & Firefly) was out walking the WGA picket lines when inspiration struck him. He would make a musical web series about a villain trying to take over the world and impress the girl (haven’t we all felt that way). Well he made it and it is truly wonderful. So good that apparently it crashed its servers within moments of being posted. But you can see it now on itunes (if you can’t find it other *wink* places)… and see it you should!
Can’t we all just sing-along?
You know, those wiseguys that make a funny face or lewd gesture in the back of a posed photo. Here is a hilarious gallery of them.
Link
Great blog of strange flickr party pics and pretty funny commentary.
Link
PsD loves to make fun of botched head replacements, shoddy reflections, oddly sized appendages, horrible movie poster, and girls without nipples – but my favorites are the images that just have extra body parts just hanging out – like this rather lonely hand.
Another fave – Kinda makes you think you could do it better yourself, huh?
Great site – mediocre writing.
Pretty weird. Check it out.
Just happens I’ve been reading a bit of Bukowski lately. This made me chuckle.
When I was about halfway through the bottle, Schroeder came by and leaned with me. We sat there for a few minutes, not talking. I gave him a pull from the bottle. We passed it back and forth and watched the morning together.
“You’re a piece of work, Charlie Branaski,” Schroeder said.
“How do you mean?”
“Well, it’s always the same with you. You try to fly your kite, you play baseball, you drink all night and you’re lousy at all of it.”
I thought about it and took another swallow. “I guess someone needs to be lousy at everything. Otherwise you’d get no perspective.”
Schroeder laughed and sucked at the bottle. “I guess you’re right. I guess we need you after all.”
“We won’t be eight years old forever, you know. Good grief, these are the best years we’ve got.”
We went on drinking, celebrating the day. In a little while I’d go out again, try to fly that kite. Try to strike out the other team. Just keep trying, that’s all I can do.
***
Patty barged her way into the apartment. Charlie shut the door behind her and they sat down on a couple of chairs in the living room.
“Got anything to drink? I’m dying of thirst here, Chuck.”
“I’ve got whiskey.”
“Sure, Chuck. Whatever you’re drinking.”
Charlie poured a couple of tall drinks of whiskey. Patty knocked hers back in a single, prolonged swallow. “Jesus, but that hits the spot! You got any beer, Chuck? Nothing like a good cold beer. God o mighty, I’m thirsty!”
Charlie had some beer in the icebox. Patty pulled one out and started sucking at it. They went ahead and drank, it was as good a night as any. She was a real piece of work, all right. Everyone said she made it with the ladies, but Charlie didn’t care. She had this one dyke piece down at the factory named Marcie. Marcie and Charlie didn’t get along okay because Patty was sweet on Charlie as well.
Pretty soon Patty was drunk, and she was letting Charlie know she wanted it. “Look here, Chuck, I know you want to give me that thing.”
“Listen, Patty. It’s getting pretty late. I’ve got too much work to do.”
“Work! Work! You’re real dull, Chuck! Let’s screw!”
“Sorry, babe, but tonight’s not the best. Listen, I’m sick. I think you’d better go.”
Charlie stood up and went to the door and opened it.
“You’re an asshole, Chuck,” she said.
That’s about the best of it – but hey, here’s the rest.
