Burton at the MoMA
So what’s better than a Burton Christas? Tim Burton at the fricken’ MoMA!
Over 700 examples of work by Burton are being exhibited in a five month long retrospective at the MoMA in New York before moving on to Melbourne and then Toronto. The works on display include sketchbooks, drawings, paintings, concept art, photos, fillms, and sculptures. There is also a film retrospective that includes both films by Burton and those that served as inspiration.
The exhibit opened November 22, 2009 and will run until April 26, 2010. [Via: MocoLoco]
Visit the exhibition page at the MoMA for the Tim Burton exhibition.
Paranormal Activity
Home is where the horror is. At least for writer-director Oren Peli. Photographed at his home in a seven-day marathon sprint in 2006 with a crew of three that included Peli’s then girlfriend and his bestfriend, Paranormal Activity is slated to be the scariest, nightmare inducing movie of all time.
Read more on the movie, how it came to be, and a bit of history on the director here.
Kinda Sutra
This is hilarious, the tales as explanations that the adults were told about sex and the mystery of birth when they were children. Then to have the children of this generations youth have a fairly high school level of education on the same conundrum — its just plain funny. On another note, it is a little sad that these children won’t have those same or different hilarious tales to reflect on when they are grown. It sort of obliterates the age of innocence with that of enlightenment; its hard to know which is better — is there a better?
A Burton Alice in Wonderland
Disney released pictures last week of their upcoming film adaptation of Alice in Wonderland, due to be released next year. And what better team for this film than to pair up once again Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, and Helena Boham Carter…although, admittedly, Gilding rather likes their perverse and warped perception of all things child.
As with all things Burton, Alice in Wonderland will be a re-imagining of Burton’s own freakish imagination, which picks up the story in a kind of sequel sort of way. The film begins at a party where Alice, now 17, finds out that she is about to be proposed to in front of hundreds of snooty high society types. Making a run for it, Alice, of course, ends up following the White Rabbit down a hole, back to Wonderland. A decade has thusly past, and though the White Rabbit is convinced that she is the right girl, Alice doesn’t remember her past visit to the wonderous Wonderland. But the creatures she has forgotten are ready to revolt and been waiting –hoping– for Alice to help them.
And, another marvelous bit of candy to roll around on the back of your tongue, the film will be in 3D.
Along with Johnny Depp playing the Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen, Anne Hathaway will be playing the White Queen. Check out these gorgeous official pics released from Disney as well as some still of the film itself.
More details on the film are revealed in this article by slashfilm or you can go straight to their source and read it from USA Today.
House of Chanel’s Sinister Fashion Soft-core of Lagerfeld Confection
OoooKaaay…this is a fashion WTF moment. A fan of Karl Lagerfeld’s clothes but never of his attitude, and both a lover of the photographic beauty of his ads but hater of his hateful and subjegated portrayal of women, Lagerfeld has really just be-fucking-fuddled Gilding with this tidbit of fashion soft-core porn.
Now, as if the foul language and questionable content often put on this blog weren’t enough of an indication that Gilding is no prude, then lets get that tidbit out of the way now and never let it be said that Gilding didn’t warn you that she’s no prude, in fact, she can be down right raunchy. But there is something just sooooo wrong with this film created by Lagerfeld for the house of Chanel and featuring model Lara Stone. Maybe its just knowing what Lagerfeld looks like that does it for Gilding, for it is admittable that if Steven Meisel had shot it, while it would still be on the creep-factor side, it probably wouldn’t ick Gilding out so much. But what really drives that creep-factor home is Lagerfeld’s sinister and just down-right disturbing voice of his in the background giving Stone and her companion model direction.
Oh, and it can’t help but be noted that the “film” has no basis to it other than to have the models parade around in admittedly gorgeous clothing, act snide and snotty and, well, spoiled, and make-out with one another. Ok…that part’s kinda hot, but not enough so to sway Gilding into liking it…Those clothes really were gorgeous though…
Oh, and between being creeped out, check out the guys trench. That is one badass jacket. Marvelous even, simply marvelous.
[Via FashionIndie
Artemis Eternal
Straight from the mouth of Artemis Eternal: “Artemis Eternal is a professional sci-fi fantasy short intended for film festivals and traveling screenings. The film is the premier crowd-funded, professionally-led, studio-quality film with absolutely no studio intervention, and the way production is approached tackles issues of media consolidation, independence and a lack of diversity in cinema as well as eliminating the middle-man and connecting artist to audience in a direct, meaningful way.”
The central idea to this SCi-Fi/Fantasy motion picture short is that of “crowd funded.” The project is being financed entirely by micro-donations from individuals who contribute to the cause for nothingmore than the opportunity to see, and in some way be a part of, the creation of a professional level film but outside the absurd and broken studio system industry. Basically, with no obligations to a studio, the filmmaker can make their story the way it was intended and without the interference or influence of studio economics.
[Via the escapist]
Sea Creature Feature Causing About the Only Frenzy its Ever Going to Get
Lorenzo Lamas. Deborah Gibson. The schlocky sci-fi thriller destined for the discount bin (it’s direct to DVD). Giant prehistoric sea creatures destroying the California coast? And Deborah Gibson (yes, that Deborah Gibson) is the only one who can save the world? Be afraid. Be very afraid. (Source)
By the way, its been viewed at least 250,000 times on YouTube already causing a veritable web buzz.
Grey Gardens
Grey Gardens, Art Direction: Steve Motzenbecker; from NY Magazine.
HBO premiered their version of the classic documentary, Grey Gardens, by the Maysles Brothers. The film tells the story of the everyday lives of reclusive socialite “Big Edie” Beale and her daughter “Little Edie” as they live in a decrpit Hamptons mansion called Grey Gardens. The documentary film depicts the unique bond that is forged between the two women while living in their ramshackle home.
Mother and daughter, Edith “Big Edie” Ewing Bouvier Beale Edith “Little Edie” Bouvier Beale, were the auntand first cousin of Jackie O’. The two women actually lived for decades in the mansion after husband and father Phelan Beale left, leaving them with limited funds and resulting in squalor and almost total isolation.
The house was called Grey Gardens because of the color of the dunes, the cement garden walls, and the sea mist.
In 1971, as a result of several exposes written in the National Enquirer and New York Magazine, the derilect conditions of the home that the two women were living in brought forth a series of inspections (which the Beale’s called “raids”) by the Suffolk County Health Department. The house was flea-infested, inhabited by innumerable cats and raccoons, lacked running water, and was full of garbage and decay. Facing eviction and the razing of their home, in the summer of 1972, Jackie O and her sister Lee Radziwill provided the necessary funds to stabilize and repair the dilapidated house so that it would meet village codes.
The brothers Albert and David Maysles became interested in the women’s story and received permission to film a documentary about the two women. Released in 1976, the film received wide critical acclaim and was ranked number two by the World Film Academy in its “100 Greatest Documentaries of the 20th Century.” Their cinema vérité technique allowed the women to tell their own stories.
The HBO film version, which premiered April 18th, stars Jessica Lang, as “Big Edie,” and Drew Barrymore, as “Little Edie.”
Link: HBO | Wikipedia — Grey Gardens
Stripper Cricket in Andrea’s Angsty High School Walls
This is brilliant. Gilding hates to admit that she’s old enough that her own highschool reunion has just past — she just won’t tell you which one it was though. But as you Lilies have probably already perceived, Gilding didn’t go. Truthfully, there was no point in going. Thanks to the dismal size of Gilding’s own home town, she’s never more than one public place away from running into one of her old classmates, and (as what proved true with the umpteen posted pictures on the interent of that night) the reunion would have been no different than any other Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday Saturday night — and/or Sunday afternoon — of keg standing and overall drunken debauchery for her classmates of yore. Yes, Tuesday is the day of rest for these perpetual Spring Breakers of our Redneck Riviera. Factor in online communities like Myspace and Facebook and there’s no such thing as hiding anymore.
But as one High school reunioner dreaded her upcoming evening of recalled teenage torture, she decided to one-up the snots that humiliated her all while proving that high school wasn’t a stage for cliche fakeness that was at once replaced with sudden maturity of the adult world upon the day of graduating its cinder block halls. No…it is merely a breeding ground meant for perfecting what will become a lifetime of snobby fakes and their world of conformed one-upping.
In this six-minute short, “I Remember Andrea,” once angsty nerd now angsty adult nerd emphasizes the snobbishness of her high school. Beginning with a trip through the parking lot full of BMW’s, Benzes, and Hummers, the real action begins with Andrea’s hired stripper doppelganger — tatted up and fishnet wearing — does what she does best while playing Andrea…with a bit of a backstory for the known shy girl of her high school classmates, now this vision of Suicide Girl after a trip down amnesia lane and some plastic surgery.
The hilarity of this video isn’t just how accurate it shows the snobbishness that perpetuates after high school, but its how it comes about as the doppelganger Andrea plays quick on her feet, pretending to know these classmates of the real Andrea while egging on their sad pathetic lives of conformity within the veneer of their cliched roles defined in high school. Enjoy.
Racebending
So Mr. Gilding is particularly up in arms about this newest cinema development, and even Gilding has to agree that his outrage isn’t the ramblings of a crazed artist, but is in fact justified.
M Night Shyamalan has taken up filming the wildly popular animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, originally a Nickelodeon show. The show, of which Shyamalan’s film is based, featured Asian characters in a fantasy setting inspired by and following some cultural aspects of a variety of Asian cultures. The characters fight with East Asian martial arts style, have Asian features, dress in clothing from Asian cultures, and write with Chinese characters. In short, it was an inspiring cartoon for many Asian American children as it broke from the predominantly white American media. The Gilded Duo’s own niece and nephews found a particular kinship with the animated series being that the characters looked like them and held to many of the Asian traditions that they themselves grow up in, even living in America.
But on December 9th, 2008 the lead roles were cast for Shyamalan’s upcoming film The Last Airbender and all of them were cast as white actors. That started a barrage of protests, from the creation of websites like RACEBENDING.COM to outraged blog posts like the one written by Margaret Cho.
And to add insult to injury, here’s some comparison pics for you:
Above, the characters from the animated series: Katara and Sokka, siblings from the peaceful and oppressed Water Tribe; and Zuko, prince of the tyrannical and genocidal Fire Fire Nation.
Above, the most recent casting form the film: Nicola Peltz as Katara, Jackson Rathbone as Sokka, and Dev Patel as Zuko (though originally the role of Zuko was cast as Jesse McCartney, a blond haired, blue-eyed pop singer).
Gilding has to agree with the ensuing protests. Movie houses have been notoriously spoken of in Asian communities for their inaccuracy in casting Asian specific roles with any ole Asian culture — such as casting Korean of Thai extras to play the parts of Vietnamese actors in Vietnam War era films — you know, because hiring locals of the film’s location is so much easier than actually hiring Vietnamese people, showing no understanding of the cultural relativeness that they are all different peoples and don’t look as much alike as they think they do. While this is most certainly a slight, casting white for Asian is a serious offense.
Efforts to stop or delay the film’s production until casting is changed to accurately reflect the culturally relevant necessity of casting Asians for Asian roles is underway. Petitions are circulating; even one available at RACEBENDING.COM. Paramount, and other movie houses, need to understand that perpetuating stereotypes and denying the cultures of the world are not acceptable. The message being sent is that being Asian isn’t OK, it’s somehow less. That’s not the message Gilding wants sent to her niece and nephews.
There are some amazing responses by Asian Americans on Margaret Cho’s blog that Gilding encourages reading.
Bitter and Betrayed, Those Slumdogs of Millionaires
The children of the multi-Oscar winning and $300 million earning film Slumdog Millionaire have yet to be able to escape their station in the caste system of India as they and their families still live in abject poverty in the dregs of Mumbai.
Director Danny Boyle had made claims that the families would be given apartments and that trusts were set up for the children to be turned over to them when they completed school. Some six weeks after the Oscars, the families remain living in the slums — one child’s family lives under a tarp while another’s still has raw sewage running directly in front of her family’s ramshackle shack. The families say no one has contacted them and the financial support provided by producers has barely extended past the meager acting fees initially paid.
Past controversies around the children’s treatment has focused on the children’s meager incomes, each having been paid less than $3,000.
James Nye at Barcroft Media writes:
Dressed in the most expensive clothes they had ever worn, Slumdog Millionaire’s child stars thought their life of poverty and deprivation was over after the film’s haul of eight Oscars. They had been promised new homes, money and an education. But six weeks after being flown to Hollywood and lavished with praise Rubina Ali and Azharuddin Ismail feel angry, bitter and betrayed.
Mention the name of Danny Boyle, once seen as the hero who would rescue them from the slums, and disappointment is etched across the face of the two children plucked from poverty to star in his hit film. ..
While it is arguable that its not the producers responsibility to purchase the families apartments, or set up trust funds, or pay for the children’s education, the argument becomes moot when those are the exact things the producer himself guarenteed to give. At the least, he made a verbal contract, whether the families knew or understood that. Furthermore, the verbal contract was sealed with millions of witnesses as the Director Danny Boyle made the verbal proclomation in the records of public press at the time of the Oscars.
Just because you can get away with that kind of shitty treatment because you’re in another country that allows this kind of abject poverty for even its children in a social and religious system that justifies it, doesn’t mean you — who are not of that faith or society — should be allowed to. This isn’t an arguement for cultural relativism, for if it was, then for the sake of that sociological ethic those children wouldn’t have been cast in the film to begin with. But the producers own actions set a bad precedent. Don’t believe, then take for example since the film’s huge sucess, nine-year old Rubina Ali recently earned thousands for shooting a soft drink commercial with Nicole Kidman — a fair slightly better than her filming comrade has gotten, but certainly its not the fair value of stock, advertising rights, and overall gross payment that an American child would have received.
Perhaps enough bad press will pressure the producers to keeping their end of the contractual promise they made to these families and to the media they so proclaimed their bleeding hearts to.
Via: cele|bitchy
Gossamer Slight
At 60 she still rocks the gossamer tunics and shaws that have seduced and bespelled two generations of the hippy sorceress’s acolytes. And while audiences have rocked to, aged with, newly discovered from the records hidden in their parents basements the music of Fleetwood Mac, it is invariable Stevie Nicks, the love child goddess that they are besotted with. Ruth La Ferla said in this New York Times article that “the rock star is no sylph. She is the anti-Madonna — fragile and ethereal — and as constant as the tides” and isn’t that but a bit of the magic that so encapsulates us in Nicks’ gossamer embrace.
Today Nicks remains a legend encompassed in the romantic eyre layers of chiffon and lace and speculations of the relationship she had with long ago lover Lindsey Buckingham — and her phoenix rising-like saga, a rebirth from the ashes of drug abuse and rehabilitation.
And now Lindsay Lohan reportedly wants to buy the rights to the singer’s life story and play her on the big screen.
Nicks told New York Times “Over my dead body.” Just the kind of candor that has endeared fans for generations.
And now Gilding is going to go dig her shaw and cotton handkerchief cut skirt out of her closet and dance about the apartment blaring some Sweet Angel and Bella Donna.
You’ve Been X-ed
This guys a real dipshit. Fox cloumnist Roger Friedman of “Fox 411″ last week featured a review of the yet to be released film “X-Men Origins: Wolverine.” The blockbuster film is set to be released next month, but as everyone knows by now, a leaked work-print of the film was released last Wednesday.
Though Freidman denies any action has taken place, Fox news reportedly fired the columnist for his review, swiftly condemning Friedman’s actions as promoting piracy.
Rumor has it that this isn’t the first time Friedman has committed such an act, as he has also written a review of the yet released to DVD film “Yes Man” to which Friedman admits that he watched a pirated copy of the DVD online.
Piracy issue aside, what kind of dipshit would announce to something still obviously illegal in a mass media publication. This guy is the white collar version of those dumbasses you see on cops filing a complaint with their local police department for being ripped off by their crack dealer.
Link: abc News
Taking Woodstock
A man working at this parent’s motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in the motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969 — Woodstock. From “Important Things with Demetri”, aired 03/25/09.
