“Red Nose” just meant a reindeer named Rudolph to Karen Mallet until she bought a print by that name for $12.34 at a Goodwill store in Milwaukee. It turned out to be a lithograph by American artist Alexander Calder worth $9,000. Mallet#39;s good fortune is at least the fourth time in six months that valuable art has turned up at Goodwill, where bargain-hunters search for hidden treasure among the coffee cups, jewelry, lamps and other household cast-offs. Last month, a Salvador Dali sketch fou
I realize I may have given away some of these choices with my utterly correct listing of the year’s ten best performances , but no matter! 2011′s finest cinema, specifically the top three choices on my list, gifted us with bleak, but comprehensive glimpses into personal isolation. I love when a movie is resolutely grim — reminds me of home. Here are my top ten films of 2011. 10. Win Win Director Thomas McCarthy’s understated, thoughtful look at a suburban wrestling coach’s (Paul Giamatti) dubious business dealings dredges up your pity and empathy at different moments, but it mostly acquaints you with one of the best teenage performances of the past few years in newcomer and real-life wrestling prodigy Alex Shaffer. It helps that his character is well-written too. As McCarthy explained to us about the emotional lives of teenagers, “They’re struggling with all kinds of things — who they are, what they are, what they want to be. That, for many of those kids, is a very private and scary struggle. A lot of times how that manifests itself is a very deadpan approach to the world: ‘I’m not going to let you see what I’m feeling until I’m ready to really show that.’” When Shaffer is ready to show, it’s a poignant sight. 9. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I knew I was in for a treat the minute I heard Trent Reznor and Karen O’s cover of “Immigrant Song,” but David Fincher’s Dragon Tattoo so improves upon the original Swedish film trilogy thanks to two fantastic assets: blisteringly chilly cinematography and the commanding work of Rooney Mara as well-pierced heroine Lisbeth Salander. It may drag in parts, but Mara’s conviction merits a 160-minute runtime. 8. Weekend Tom Cullen and Chris New play the most insightful lovers of the year in Andrew Haigh’s low-key story of one lonely gay man’s short affair with a candid, self-possessed artist. The movie is especially incisive in its depiction of two men who relate both romantically and — in an empathetic way — fraternally. There’s not a pretentious or cloying moment in this wholly believable story. 7. Midnight in Paris Whimsy: I’m usually not a fan! But Midnight in Paris ‘s droll journey back to the heyday of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and Salvador Dali makes a wonderful protagonist out of Owen Wilson, a gorgeous backdrop for Marion Cotillard’s all-consuming charisma, and a weirdly perfect scene for the film’s moral. You either go with this movie’s kooky historical lark or you don’t, but every actor in that post-midnight time portal is just so fun. My favorite: Kathy Bates as a staunchly supportive Gertrude Stein. 6. Young Adult Forget the hype about “unlikable” heroine Mavis Gary, the grizzled authoress Charlize Theron plays in the new Jason Reitman/Diablo Cody joint Young Adult — She’s an imperturbable, amazingly deluded woman-child whose self-assured mania is more engrossing and “likable” than most characters you’ll encounter this year. I’d like to offer a new tagline for this cranky, suburban comedy: Assholes are Awesome .
Posted onDecember 17, 2010by|Comments Off on 90 Seconds of Fame: Create Your Own Andy Warhol-Style Screen Test
Between 1964 and 1966, Andy Warhol filmed a series of silent, black and white 16mm short films called “Screen Tests” that featured his hip friends like Lou Reed and Yoko Ono sitting around and doing very little for seven-minute uninterrupted takes. In celebration of their new exhibition of the Screen Tests, the Museum of Modern Art has a launched nifty interactive feature that allows you to create your own 90-second version of these screen tests. Check out some clips from the original tests for Dennis Hopper, Salvador Dali (in all of his upside-down glory) and Nico for inspiration after the jump, then go wild! And by “go wild” I mean just sit there.
Posted onDecember 17, 2010by|Comments Off on 90 Seconds of Fame: Create Your Own Andy Warhol-Style Screen Test
Between 1964 and 1966, Andy Warhol filmed a series of silent, black and white 16mm short films called “Screen Tests” that featured his hip friends like Lou Reed and Yoko Ono sitting around and doing very little for seven-minute uninterrupted takes. In celebration of their new exhibition of the Screen Tests, the Museum of Modern Art has a launched nifty interactive feature that allows you to create your own 90-second version of these screen tests. Check out some clips from the original tests for Dennis Hopper, Salvador Dali (in all of his upside-down glory) and Nico for inspiration after the jump, then go wild! And by “go wild” I mean just sit there.
This is a series of quirky, fun-filled vintage photographs taken by Philippe Halsman five decades ago of movie stars, politicians, royalty, entertainers, artists and authors. Halsman had the bold and unconventional idea back in the 1950’s to ask the famous and prominent people he was commissioned to photograph once the formal sessions were over, to jump! The results were amazing, as each subject interpreted this bizarre request in their own unique way, often defying their typical public image. Marilyn Monroe, Lena Horne, Merce Cunningham, Salvador Dali, Weegee, Richard Nixon, and even the Duke and Duchess of Windsor agreed to take the leap of faith. This piece includes a number of wonderful vintage photographs, a slide show and a video. http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2010/08/07/photos-of-the-day-famous-and-promine… added by: disembedded
We're all familiar with the stereotype of the tortured artist. Salvador Dali's various disorders and Sylvia Plath's depression spring to mind. Now new research seems to show why: a genetic mutation linked to psychosis and schizophrenia also influences creativity
