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Max Fish Is Going to Close Its Original Space in July

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max-fish.jpgThe good news is that Max Fish is moving to a bigger space in Williamsburg. But owner Uli Rimkus told The Low-Down that the iconic LES art-bar will be closing on Ludlow Street at the end of July. What happened, in short, was that Max Fish -- which was the only place to go for the late-'90s downtown crowd -- soon became surrounded by boutiques, restaurants and more bars. Then, of course, rents went way up. Rimkus said she was not able to negotiate a satisfactory new lease on the space, and the construction of a big hotel next door disrupted the business. No word yet on the grand-opening date for the new spot at 130 Metropolitan Avenue. While we're happy it's found a new home, we'll miss the original.


PS1 Has a New "Party Wall," Announces Its Warm Up 2013 Music Schedule

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yap2013_view01_entry.jpgyap2013_view02_southside.jpg MoMA PS1 just announced the full schedule for their 2013 summer music series. They'll be celebrating 16 years of the annual "Warm Up" event and, once again, the fun takes place in the courtyard of the Long Island City museum every Saturday from June 29-September 17. Ithaca architecture firm CODA won the design competition for the "temporary urban landscape." Their entry, called "Party Wall," will be a big feature of the courtyard (and should look like the renderings above). Over 60 artists and DJs will be playing including Juan Atkins on June 29th, Ryan Hemsworth on July 13th, Majical Cloudz on July 27th, and J. Cole on August 17th. The complete list is HERE and $15 advance tickets go on sale HERE on June 5 at noon.

Arcimboldo in the Round: Exploring the New Sculptures at the New York Botanical Garden

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Autumn Spring Winter Summer_IVO8106.jpg Philip Haas, who began his career by making documentaries of celebrated contemporary artists before going on to make a number of feature films, has given up the medium to become a sculptor. As ambitious as any cinematic epic, Haas' new installation of four monumental sculptures that just opened at The New York Botanical Garden has all the spectacle of the 3-D effects and larger-than-life iconography of any picture currently up on the screen. Haas tells us that the project started "as an idea for an idea" to make a sculpture in a garden. His inclination to make art based in historical terms led him to explore a suite of paintings called The Four Seasons by the enigmatic Renaissance painter Guiseppe Arcimboldo -- a series of uncanny heads rendered in trompe l'oeil vegetables, flowers and other horticulture. The sculpture garden truly reflects Haas' ability to rework on a grand scale: what were two-foot paintings are now 15-foot-tall sculptures made of resins and fiberglass.

Long ago forgotten by history, and only brought back to some esoteric degree of appreciation in the past century by the Surrealists, little is known of this Arcimboldo today. Historians remain uncertain whether he was a true visionary or simply a sly trickster. Since Haas prides all his work on the level of scholarship he brings to representation, we put the riddle to him: is the daft work of a lunatic, or a kind of super-rational formalism in the Renaissance tradition of constructing elaborate visual puzzles? To which he didn't hesitate in the least when he surmised, "probably both."

Four Seasons by Philip Haas will be on view through October 27, 2013

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Lucille Bluth Throwing Shade at Disney Princesses

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An EW reporter proved her genius with Vine by splicing clips of Disney Princesses being Disney Princess-y with the best of Lucille Bluth throwing shade. The results are spectacular.



Someone matched up the Kenny Cosgrove tap-dancing scene from last week's Mad Men to Daft Punk. Thank you, someone. Don's face at the 0:27 mark is magic. [H/T Jessica Suarez]


tumblr_mn4r46zB5X1ra5r2go1_500.pngMorning Sads (but probably a good thing for everyone in the end): Intervention is done for good after 13 seasons and 243 interventions. The final 5 episodes will air starting June 13th. [via Dlisted]



Here's Arrested Godfather -- The Godfather dubbed with Arrested Development dialogue. It is great. [via Vulture]



We know this clip is from 2010, but it's worth it to meet Lala, the "traveling" penguin who lives in a house in Japan and likes to walk around town with a backpack! Our hearts exploded. [via knusprig.titten.hitler]


tumblr_mmrwpowVEH1qavqqoo1_500.gifThis is the entire plot of Baz Luhrmann's The Great Gatsby, right? [via Afternoon Snooze Button]


tumblr_mm10j8scXU1qz6f9yo1_500.jpgStory of my life. [via whatthecurtains]


tumblr_m5wk5kWGhj1ryx8r5o1_500.pngAlso story of my life. [via The Clearly Dope]


Outkast Re-Creates a '60s Variety Show for "Hey Ya!"

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When Outkast's Grammy-winning, double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below came out in 2003, André 3000 and Big Boi both released separate singles: "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move." For his accompanying video -- today's oldie-but-goodie -- André decided to re-create the look and feel of a '60s TV variety show with hundreds of screaming girls (hmm, sounds familiar), Ryan Phillippe as the show's host and himself as all 8 members of the band. The clip was directed by Bryan Barber and it was a huge hit (to put it mildly). Sadly, the use of the phrase "shake it like a Polaroid picture" was not enough to bring the camera/film company out of bankruptcy.

Here Are Lesbians Reacting to Lesbian Porn (Made for Straight Men)

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YouTube user Davey Wavey is at it again with his new video survey of real lesbians watching "lesbian porn" -- which, as the video demonstrates, is really porn made for straight men starring straight women. As with all of these videos, the reactions are great. Let's all hope that the popularity of porn for women, made by women grows.

New Gallery Alert: Bleecker Street Arts Club in the West Village

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Screen shot 2013-05-24 at 12.44.41 PM.pngOn June 6th, the West Village will become the home of a new art gallery called Bleecker Street Arts Club. It's the brainchild of Stephen Werther and Daniel Benedict, who told the Wall Street Journal, "We didn't want to be a Chelsea white box. We wanted a more social experience for art. People can come in and see what they react to. It's not a Soho House or a Norwood, but we definitely want a club-like feel." They plan to show both new and more established artists in the two-floor space at 305 Bleecker Street. Their public opening is June 6th from 6-8pm. It includes two shows, including a group show called "Flat Field" curated by Halsey McKay Gallery, with works by Patrick Brennan, Cris Duncan, Joseph Hart, Lauren Luloff and more, and an exhibition of new works by Matt Mignanelli and Ryan Wallace. Electronic music artist Kodomo will will perform.


The Boozy Long Island City Special at Sweetleaf

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lic-special-sweetleaf.JPG"Coffee and booze are two of the world's oldest vices. So why would we not put them together," muses Colin Bryson, bartender at the second outpost of Long Island City coffee shrine, Sweetleaf. Beyond serving impeccable frothy cappuccinos and New Orleans-style iced coffee, this new locale, hidden among the neighborhood's swirl of glossy condos, offers a Weezer-heavy soundtrack and cocktails -- some invitingly featuring bitter java -- all night long. One of those drinks is Bryson's refreshing Long Island City Special.

Inspired by non-boozy espresso soda the Manhattan Special, it pairs Cruzan Blackstrap rum with Sweetleaf's housemade coffee liqueur, and is brightened by lemon and agave. "I was drinking Blackstrap daiquiris with agave syrup as the sweetener a while back, so I brought that combo to the table for this drink," he explains. A generous-sized mint garnish helps balance the sweetness.

"I guess," Bryson says, "it's my artisanal homage to the vodka and Red Bull."


Long Island City Special:

1/2 oz. fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz. agave syrup
1 oz. Sweetleaf coffee liqueur
1 oz. Cruzan Blackstrap rum

Serve long over a Collins spear. Top with soda. Garnish with a healthy bouquet of mint.


A Brief History of Ladies Loving Liberace

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536cfc4599_634x797.jpgLiberace
On the cusp of watching Michael Douglas and Matt Damon get it on doggie-style (or so we hear) as the late Liberace and his former lover, Scott Thorson, in Behind the Candelabra, it seems shocking -- laughable, even -- that there was ever any doubt about the orientation of a man made famous for such glittery flamboyance he'd put a peacock to shame. But, either out of denial, willful ignorance or some combination thereof, the ladies loved Liberace. And for many, their crushes were just as romantically-inclined and verged on such over-the-top antics as what we've come to associate with bands like The Beatles or the Rolling Stones.

Mr. Mickey's grandmother was one such Liberace groupie. He tells us:

My grandma Boardman lived in Anderson, Indiana, and I never saw her be enthusiastic about anything ever in her entire life. My dad was an only child and no one else in her extended family spoke to her. Interestingly enough, she was a groupie for Liberace. She would drive cross-country to see him perform. She would even drive five or six hours to see him perform at the Rosemont Horizon, which was fifteen minutes from my house. She didn't tell us she was coming or stop to see us. I never got to talk to her about her Liberace fascination because I think it would have brought us closer together. I have a sinking suspicion that she had no idea he was gay.
From the get-go, female fans were passionate about the pianist and even a publicized libel suit against a British journalist who had implied in an article that the entertainer was homosexual (a suit Liberace won), didn't diminish his allure in the eyes of female fans. Below, a historical look back at women having irrational crushes on the king of glitter. 


Michael-Douglas-as-Libera-006.jpgMichael Douglas in character as Liberace in Behind the Candelabra

Ladies Love Cool Liberace.

"Liberace, a piano player in Hollywood, has been described as the 'Casanova of the keyboards' and, according to assorted reports, makes some feminine hearts go flutter flutter." -- New York Times, August 14, 1953

"I recently took a trip to New Jersey to see Liberace, and the two buses were filled with women." -- New York Times, May 24, 1973

Oddly, Dudes Didn't Immediately Warm Up to Him.

"Nor have I seen elderly men show any performer the worshipful attention the ladies give Liberace or Arthur Godfrey." -- New York Times, May 1, 1955

One Girl Even Fainted When She Met Him
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"As Liberace emerged from London's Palladium after his triumphant first show, a 17-year-old girl distinguished herself by fainting; when she came to, he was solicitously kneeling over her. She promptly fainted again." -- Time Magazine, October 15, 1956

And You Needed to Dress to Impress:
 

"A 21-year-old woman is found guilty of stealing $14 to buy a pair of shoes so she can look 'nice' at the stage door waiting for her idol, Liberace." -- Chicago Tribune, April 26, 1985


Screen shot 2013-05-23 at 10.57.59 AM.pngMichael Douglas and Matt Damon in character as Liberace and Scott Thorson in Behind the Candelabra

It Wasn't Only the Young Women, Either -- Grandmothers Like Mr. Mickey's Had Crushes, Too.

"My grandmother had little time for, still less patience with, the frivolities of popular entertainment. A woman of fierce opinions, deep faith and formidable girth, she'd badgered her way out of Czarist Lithuania shortly after the turn of the century...But she loved television. Adored it. Paid it rapt homage at weekly trysts with New York variety show host Ed Sullivan, veteran comic Milton Berle, Roman Catholic Bishop Fulton J. Sheen -- and, most of all, Liberace." -- Baltimore Sun, June 11, 2000


So...Why?

"'Women especially loved him because he was the right combination of glamour and sensitivity,' says singer Julie Budd, a friend since 1975, when she toured with him as a 17-year-old prodigy." -- People Magazine, February 16, 1987

"You are the man all mothers would like their sons to be," one woman wrote. "Loving and artistic, you take care of your mother. You are nice, warm, gentle, polite, considerate and still have a sense of humor."...Liberace's Good Son persona overlapped with that of Model Man, but this icon, in turn, conjured images, willy-nilly, of Ideal Lover. Thus, a vaguely incestuous devotion simmered behind the affection of the mother and grandmother fans.
-- From Liberace: An American Boy by Darden Asbury Pyron

Of course it's not so crazy to think that fifty years ago, many were willing to play into the myth that Liberace was straight. Obviously it was taboo and potentially career/life-ruining to be openly gay during Liberace's era, but it was also a period where both fans and media had more respect for the privacy of celebrities than we do today. Whether that respect had to do with a comparatively tamer, pre-Internet, pre-TMZ media culture or because celebrities still maintained a deity-like status left over from Hollywood's Golden Age, it was easier for stars to keep their private lives private and to have more control over the information about them that was released to the public. It's not difficult then to imagine many fans thinking, "if Liberace says he's straight and even won a libel lawsuit that suggested otherwise, why should we think any differently?"

Similarly, Liberace asserting his "straight-ness" in interviews or with beards gave women permission to continue idolizing him without having to support someone whose life was at odds with the normative values of the time, which, in turn, might have "reflected poorly" on the fans themselves and their values.

Moreover, even in more recent, tolerant times, there have been performers whose charisma and talent have incited massive fangirl crushes despite obvious hints that the non-threatening dreamboat might be batting for the other team (Exhibit A: Late '90s Ricky Martin).

Celebrity-dom is also ultimately about artifice and the creation of a persona. And, sometimes, with a persona as outrageous as Liberace's, the fantasy created onstage may be able to subsume any curiosity about what happens off it. Delving too deeply into Liberace's personal life would only have exposed him as a flawed person, which would've spoiled the crystal-encrusted fairytale. (Gay or straight, who wants to imagine someone known for being chauffeured onstage in a bejeweled Rolls-Royce engaging in such mortal behaviors as fighting with a lover about infidelity or watching lots of porn?) And so, ultimately, it was likely a perfect storm that created this Liberace phenomenon, one that mixed a bygone era of celebrity media culture and homosexuality taboos with fantasy, the result of which Grandma Boardmans everywhere drove six hours to get a glimpse of their precious Liberace without stopping to say 'hi' to their grandkids.  

And yet. Those diamond mink capes. C'mon!

14 Fun Ways to Spend Memorial Day Weekend In NYC

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Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Beacon Theatre
Calling all you American girls! Spend your weekend with the legendary Tom Petty, who will be playing a string of shows with his band at the Beacon Theatre tonight, tomorrow and Sunday.
The Beacon Theatre, 2124 Broadway, Manhattan; Fri, Sat, Sun. Get tickets HERE.

YACHT and Prinzhorn Dance School at Shea Stadium
For those who weren't able to snag a ticket to the DFA-a-palooza this weekend, you can catch three acts from the party -- YACHT, Larry Gus and Prinzhorn Dance School -- at Shea Stadium. And, heads up, the concert will also be Prinzhorn Dance School's U.S. debut.
20 Meadow St., Brooklyn; Doors at 8pm; Friday, May 24, Tickets are $17 advanced, $20 at the door

Escort at the Music Hall of Williamsburg
If you've ever wondered what a seventeen-member disco orchestra group sounds like live ( one word: funky), head to Music Hall of Williamsburg on Friday to catch Escort. The band just released a new single, "Barbarians," which you can listen to HERE.
Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 N. 6th St., Brooklyn; Friday, May 24 at 8pm, Tickets HERE

Last Chance to See NYC 1993: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star
Head over to the New Museum to catch NYC 1993: Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star, an exhibit that examines the socio-cultural impact of one pivotal year, before it closes on Sunday, May 26.
The New Museum, 235 Bowery, Manhattan; Fri, Sat, Sun (closes Sunday, May 26)

Brooklyn Flea Docks Temporarily at the South Street Seaport
Starting Memorial Day weekend, the Brooklyn Flea is docking across the East River and bringing commerce back to an area that was hard hit by Hurricane Sandy. At their newest location at South Street Seaport, they'll have non-food vendors and a bar nestled inside old shipping containers (a second bar will also be open on the street) along with ten of Smorgasburg's most popular food stalls like Asia Dog and Blue Marble Ice Cream. There will also be art installations and a stage for live performances and film screenings to boot. And, unlike its Brooklyn counterpart, this flea will be open seven days a week. 
South Street Seaport, Beekman and Fulton streets; Opens Friday, May 24 and continues Sun-Thurs, 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-11pm

9th Annual Bike Fetish Day with City Reliquary
The museum of oddities is putting on their annual day-long contest to celebrate Brooklyn's favorite form of transportation. Judging starts at 2 p.m. when you can enter your two-wheeled baby in competitions from best vintage bike to best mutant one.
Havemeyer St. between Hope & Grand Sts.; Saturday, May 25, noon - 6pm

Monster Prom
Was your prom a disaster? Avenge the night by heading to a prom filled with monsters (of the fantasy, as opposed to the bitchy cheerleader clique, variety) and dance to tunes by bands named Slime Boyz and Potty Mouth. And, for all those wallflowers, there'll be monster-inspired art to admire on the wall. Rawwrr!
Big Snow Buffalo Lounge, 89 Varet St., Brooklyn; Saturday, May 25, 6:00 pm-2am; $7

DFA Records' Anniversary Party at Grand Prospect Hall
DFA records is puttin' on the ritz for their 12th anniversary party, with a night of DJ sets and live performances by everyone from James Murphy and Juan MacLean to YACHT and The Crystal Ark. As if that wasn't incentive enough, if the venue's commercials are everything they promise, spending your Saturday at Grand Prospect Hall will make all your dreams come true.
Grand Prospect Hall, 263 Prospect Ave., Brooklyn; Saturday, May 25, 9pm-4am

Depeche Mode Screening and Karaoke Party at (Le) Poisson Rouge
Head to (le) Poisson Rouge to catch a screening of documentary film The Posters Came from the Walls, which follows Depeche Mode fans around the world and shares their stories of devotion to the band. Thus inspired (and inebriated), partake in some DM karaoke while you listen to LPR DJs spinning some of the band's greatest hits.
(le) Poisson Rouge, 158 Bleecker St., Manhattan; Saturday, May 25, 11pm; Tickets are $10 advanced, $15 at the door

Black Bar Mitzvah at Tammany Hall
Make like Drake in "HYFR" and have yourself a "black bar mitzvah" at Tammany Hall. We're not totally sure what that will entail -- hip-hop hora? gin and Manischewitz? -- but we do know they're throwing down one hell of a dance party with DJs Stretch Armstrong and Beautiful Person 2013 DJ Mess Kid.
Tammany Hall, 152 Orchard St., Manhattan; Saturday, May 25, 10pm

Memorial Day Weekend at the King & Grove
Williamsburg's own slice of South Beach, the King & Grove Hotel, will re-open their saltwater pool on Saturday for guests and day pass-holders to enjoy before heading up to their rooftop bar, Upper Elm, for drinking and dancing to tunes by DJ May Kwok. Head back on Sunday to Upper Elm when DJ Justine D is on deck.
King & Grove Williamsburg, 160 N. 12th St., Brooklyn; DJ sets from 9pm-midnight

Zombie Group Show Opening at Last Rites Gallery
Last Rites Gallery asked 50 artists to interpret the word "zombie" and will showcase their work in a group show that opens Saturday night. Just try not to party so hard that you feel like a zombie the next day. (Sorry, had to.)
Last Rites Gallery, 511 W. 33rd St., Manhattan; Opening reception is Saturday, May 25, 7pm-11pm; Show runs through June 26

The Arrested Development Premiere
All we can say is thank god there's no work on Monday because now we can all binge watch the entire 15-episode Arrested Development season on Netflix with impunity.
Sunday May 26

The Dutch's All-Day Luau
When was the last time you went to a luau party that wasn't at a sorority? Now's your chance for a more grown-up faux-Hawaiian experience. Head to The Dutch for a special menu that includes suckling pig and teriyaki-fried chicken wings, among other delectable island-style dishes.
The Dutch, 131 Sullivan St., Manhattan; Monday, May 27th, noon-9pm



A Rainy Book-Filled Memorial Day Weekend Meets The Weeknd

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weekndbooks1.pngHesta Prynn memorial weeknd .jpgIn this weekly column, MC/DJ Hesta Prynn pairs pop culture stories with an original playlist.









Memorial Day Weekend usually makes me think of the beach, booze and (vegan) BBQs. However, it's been raining in New York City since the late 80s, so this year's Memorial Day Weekend has me thinking board games, booze and books. But what to read/listen to while trapped indoors? This week's Five n Five pairs some of my personal favorite Memorial Day reading suggestions with chilled out tracks from The Weeknd.

Apron Anxiety by Alyssa Shelasky: "One of Those Nights" by Juicy J ft. The Weeknd

Ever wonder what it's like to be on the inside of the celebrity chef world? Shelasky's memoir centers on her experiences dating a hot Top Chef alum and confronting her fear of cooking. It's the perfect reading material for a rainy summer day and rumor is that a sequel is on the way.

Daily Rituals: How Artists Work by Mason Currey: "Wicked Games" by The Weeknd

Amphetemines, excessive coffee consumption, masturbating -- I'm looking at you Thomas Wolfe. Daily Rituals is a new book that outlines the day-to-day work routines of some of our favorite artists. See? You're not the only one procrastinating!

This Perfect Day by Ira Levin: "The Zone" by The Weeknd ft. Drake

This book, by the author of Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives, is, in my opinion, the greatest "negative utopia" book ever written. It was my favorite sci-fi book all through high school and college and definitely holds up. Read and enjoy (if you can find a copy).

China in Ten Words by Yu Hua: "Kiss Land" by The Weeknd

If you're at all curious about this defining moment in Chinese history I'd suggest you read this collection of personal essays by this very successful Chinese novelist. When you're done, tear through his novels starting with Chronicle of a Blood Merchant.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself by Harriet Jacobs: "Marry the Night" (The Weeknd and Illangelo Remix) by Lady Gaga

This non-fiction work is exactly as the title describes it. It is one of the most compelling, shocking, disturbing and eye-opening books I've ever read. It's certainly not light reading, but if you pick it up this weekend you won't put it down until you've finished. Right now it's free in the Kindle store.

Anamanaguchi Launch a Pizza Into Space In "Endless Fantasy"

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Nintendo dance punkers Anamanaguchi are back with a new video for "Endless Fantasy," a song title that gets us thinking about some dreams of our own. Pizza doesn't figure prominently in any of them but that's not the case for the female protagonist in this video. The clip opens with a shot of a girl in her bedroom before showing her riding a bike through the streets of Brooklyn to a pizza parlor where the camera focuses hypnotically on some spinning dough. Later, the girl buys a pie, takes it up to a rooftop, and launches it into space with the help of a massive balloon and other assorted contraptions. (And, yes, they really did launch the pizza into space with the help of Kickstarter funding.) The video perspective shifts and we start following a slice as it leaves Earth before landing in a dark rave-y party. Pizza for all!

"Endless Fantasy" is the title track off of the band's new album of the same name, out now


LaQuan Smith's Bold Designs Have Taken Him From the Five Boroughs to Lagos

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ppv_fashion.jpgLaQuan Smith (center) with models (l-r): Andrea Tanner and Natalia Solovieva at MUSE / Hair: Jawara Wauchope Makeup: Alana J

Discovered when he was only 21 by former Vogue editor-at-large André Leon Talley, self-taught fashion designer LaQuan Smith sewed his first collection at his grandmother's home in St. Albans, Queens, on a Kenmore sewing machine. "It's not anything out of the ordinary for me," Smith, who's now 24, says. "I've been designing since I was 12. My grandmother taught me how to sew, so that's always just been in the family, creating and designing."

More recently, Smith has developed a reputation for bold, sexy designs and unabashedly unusual shapes. "Some people consider my clothes to be a little bit provocative. I would say so, but that's not my goal. It's about feeling comfortable within your own skin," he says. In February, he showed his 007-inspired "Bond" collection for Fall 2013, one he's especially proud of. "I haven't seen anybody do what I'm doing," he boasts. "I'm not trying to be cocky. I'm just trying to say that at least what I'm doing is something different." That sense of adventure has led Smith all over the globe. He's even shown work as far afield as Lagos, where he participated in Arise Magazine Fashion Week. It's also helped him find renewed creativity at home. "I think that's been the ultimate inspiration...travel," he says.

Now at work on his next collection, Smith hasn't lost touch with what has made him successful so far. "When I'm home, around family, friends, music, my culture, I'm really inspired," he says. He even still lives with his family and isn't afraid to rep a borough that isn't Brooklyn or Manhattan. "I love Queens. I think it's just so diverse and beautiful."

Watch Lady Gaga In Her First-Ever Film Role

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Lady Gaga makes her big screen debut this September in Robert Rodriguez's Machete Kills, the follow-up to 2010's Machete (which, in turn, was based off a fake trailer seen in 2007's Grindhouse). And now, thanks to the teaser trailer released today, we can catch of glimpse of Gaga in character as La Chameleón. The film follows Machete (Danny Trejo), an ex-Federale who gets recruited by the U.S. president -- played by Charlie Sheen, who, in an inspired move by Rodriguez, gets billed by his birth name Carlos Estevez -- to hunt down arms dealers in Mexico that are threatening to send a weapon into space. Besides, uh, Estevez, Gaga and Trejo, Rodriguez has lined up more stars than you can find getting free shit at a Golden Globes gifting suite: Antonio Banderas, Michelle Rodriguez, Jessica Alba, Sofía Vergara, Amber Heard, Cuba Gooding Jr., Vanessa Hudgens and...Mel Gibson all make appearances in the film. It's an eclectic group to say the least. Check out the teaser above.

Machete Kills opens on September 13th

Betsey Johnson, Issa Rae, Mr. Mickey & More Share Their Best Prom Stories

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Now that prom season is in full-swing, we decided to ask some of our favorite people to share their best, worst, and, as it turns out, grossest stories from prom. Read on to hear how Betsey Johnson, Mr. Mickey, Julie Klausner, Lesley Arfin and more spent that "magical night."

juliek_prom.jpgJulie Klausner, Comedian & Writer 
"I went to my senior prom -- I have no idea why. I didn't give a shit about any high school-sanctioned activities. Bake sales, homecoming, plays. It was all gibberish to me. I guess Pretty in Pink brainwashed my generation in terms of "prom's" importance. I went with my 23-year-old boyfriend, and the actual event was a joke. We literally made an appearance, said "hi" to three people I knew well enough to say hi to, and then we went back to his place to make out while the town car driver my dad hired for the night waited outside. I later found out that the driver, whose name was Fred, had a gun in his glove compartment. Good thinking, dad."

dave nadelberg tuxedo 2.jpeg
Dave Nadelberg, Creator, Mortified
While making the upcoming teen angst documentary, Mortified Nation, I spoke to lots of people about their prom memories. And the number one thing that took me off guard was how many people mentioned their prom song. The prom song is a pop culture oddity. It's supposed to be the big, sweeping slow dance ballad that plays at your prom's finale. If the prom song's placement in movies is an indication, it's the kind of song that should torture teenage hormones and taint your perception of romance for years to come. (I'm looking at you, OMD's "If You Leave" from Pretty in Pink.) For whatever reason, that was not my experience. Maybe it was because I came of age in the era of grunge, but my high school's prom song was the un-syrupy, un-sentimental, brooding, Pearl Jam ballad, "Black." Sure, it's a powerful and poetic anthem. But it's just not really the slow dance grinder that the Prom Gods likely envisioned. Needless to say, no one made out on the dance floor at the end of my prom. Maybe everyone was just too depressed. It's the only moment of the dance I remember. And whenever I hear it on the radio, I love imagining of a bunch of teenagers in tuxes and gowns suddenly staring at one another, awkwardly mouthing the lyrics, unsure of what to do. 

issa_rae_prom.jpgIssa Rae, Writer/Producer/Actress, Awkward Black Girl
"I didn't go to prom because it felt like a waste of money, and I just didn't care enough to put ALL of that effort into a high school dance. The dress, the hair, the make-up, the champagne party, the after-party outfit, the limo, the fuss, the pressure. My boyfriend, at the time, wanted to go but I convinced him that I really didn't want to (plus he was a year older and had already done the prom thing, so it wouldn't have felt as special). I don't regret not going at all, but my mom really wanted to be involved in the prom process and was disappointed that I didn't go. I kind of felt bad for taking that mother/daughter experience away from her...but then she got the chance with my younger sister 5 years later so, regret OVER." [Photo by Christopher Dibble]

BFA_5788_660786.jpgPeter Davis, Editor-in-Chief, SCENE 
"I went to a preppy boarding school in Connecticut and they didn't have a "prom" -- instead it was called "Senior Dinner Dance." Since it took place on campus, which was in the boondocks of northern Connecticut, I missed out on limousines, corsages, parents taking photographs and hotel after-parties with drugs, booze and sex. I went to the dance once (I was kicked out of school the next year). My sophomore year, a senior asked me. All year she had supplied me with weed and schooled me in the Grateful Dead and Joni Mitchell. I went to her dorm (in a blue blazer and khakis -- again, no fun Carrie-style powder blue prom tux) and we got very baked in the woods before going to the dining hall where the dance went down. I was too stoned to remember anything about the dance except eating a lot, but it was considered very cool that a senior had asked me." [Photo by Benjamin Lozovsky/BFAnyc.com]

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Shareen Mitchell, Owner of NYC/LA vintage stores, Shareen 
I designed the dress myself, of course. I was a control freak even then and clearly was already very fussy on the design front. (My poor mom. God.) The dress was to be a halter with a deep v-neck and collar and a grand sweeping skirt. By this moment in my life I had discovered hair straightening. The crazy curly hair I grew up with was past my shoulders and was to be blown out and smooth. And, I had a very hot boyfriend who was a year older and was coming back from college to take me to my prom. He drove a vintage Mercedes convertible and looked like Sylvester Stallone only blonde. Seriously. The dress turned out perfectly, my hair was divine and, by the time I was putting on my mascara, I was feeling pretty fabulous about my whole situation. "We are going to be the King and Queen of the ball. No doubt." Hands down. I had this one in the bag. And then, at the prom, before dinner, he began drinking and drinking and finally was found passed out in his own vomit on the floor of the men's room. Oh yes, child. It was like, 9 o'clock. And then I saw a bunch of guys carrying him out to his car. Not pretty. I remember sitting in the car, staring straight ahead, wondering how this had happened. How had it gone so wrong? From the parking lot I heard the music and laughter and wondered how long I would have to sit there with him. Nightmare. I had to drive us to the after party. He slept the entire time we were there. And my best friend's date, Jimmy drove me home. I have no idea what happened to the blue dress. I may have set it on fire.

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Betsey Johnson, Designer
"I went to every one possible. Constant petticoat drama...figuring out how to puff the dress out as far as it could go and getting my strapless dress stuffed in the bust while hiding the kleenex. I got caught 'parking' with my prom date by my parents. They pulled the car up and caught us 'necking.'" [Photo by Shannon Sinclair]

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Lesley Arfin, Writer
"My prom was held at the Waldorf and I had to leave early. One of the dudes in our limo got kicked out for peeing in the corner of the room. He was wasted. It didn't matter because we all knew the good stuff happens after prom, which was true in my case. Prom itself was pretty boring. I remember a lot of 'I love your dress!' and 'Smile!'"

mickey_prom2.jpgMr. Mickey, Editorial Director, PAPER
"I feel about prom the way I feel about New Year's Eve and Halloween. It's amateur night. There is so much pressure to have fun and be fabulous and usually it ends up not being fun. At Hoffman Estates High School in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, we had one prom for both juniors and seniors. I only went my junior year. That was MORE than enough for me! I went with my dear friend Suzi Ostos. Suzi is now a super successful makeup artist for movies and TV although you'd never know it by looking at her hair and makeup on prom night...We had a great time but unfortunately my brother ended up punching out my drug dealer on the dance floor so I would say overall the night was a bit of a flop. But it will make a fun scene in the Lifetime TV movie of my life!" 

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Sloane Crosley, Author
By the time my own prom rolled around, I had developed a crush on the class clown. He was all I thought about when not thinking about college applications. I knew he knew nothing of my feelings, and so I got up the courage to ask him myself. Alas, he was already going with someone else. Rejected, I adopted a This-Guy-or-Bust stance and decided to go stag. I had a great time -- despite the fact that our prom anthem was Celine Dion's "Because You Loved Me." My last memory of the night is walking across Broadway in Manhattan, barefoot because my shoes had hurt, running to grab pizza and bring it back to the limo. Broadway is no Virgin Suicides-esque football field, but one can't have everything one imagines, can one? My only moment of classic awkwardness, when the traditions of the American prom butted heads with the reality of my choice to be dateless, came while in line for the photographer, when my group of friends split into couples. As I write this, there is a shoe box in my closet containing three versions of that photograph. In the first, I am standing alone. In the second, a male friend kindly jumped in to pose with me. But the third is my favorite. I am laughing and reaching out for someone's hand. I have no recollection of whose hand it was.
[A longer version of this piece originally appeared in Smithsonian Magazine. Photo by David X Prutting/BFAnyc.com]

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Cat Marnell, Writer
I'm sixteen in this picture! A year into Ritalin-gobbling and a year and a half into peroxide, my oh my. Anyway, PROM: junior year it was on this BOAT in Boston Harbor. I was at boarding school in Massachusetts at Lawrence Academy. So the day of the prom I still didn't have a dress! I am a mess that way. I never do anything when I'm supposed to. And I wound up going to Newbury Street with my "for emergencies only" credit card (FACT: from ages 15-25, my entire life was an emergency) and buying this black...stripper gown! With cut-out panels and a slit up the thigh and no label in it -- definitely an exotic dancer dress. I had no idea! I rushed into this stupid Eurotrash store and bought the thing; you know, high school girls are into sleaze. I weighed like 80 pounds with no boobs or anything and didn't look sexy at all...well, maybe I looked pedo-sexy, which is a good look. Anyway, after the boat my boyfriend Robbie and I got drunk on rum and Hawaiian Punch in the basement of his parents' weekend cottage in the White Mountains in New Hampshire or some New England shit like that; I don't know. It was cute! I got kicked out a few weeks before senior prom the next year...but I had this fierce hot pink sequined Bebe miniskirt to wear to that. I wish I still had that skirt!

AndrewAndrewProm.jpgAndrewAndrew, DJs
Obviously we're from the future, where they don't have proms, but when times are tough we do hire ourselves out to escort wealthy people's embarrassing kids to their proms and make sure they don't violate the terms of their parole.



Nail Art Becomes Performance Art

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Manicure #11 alongside its official certificate

Inspired by the intimate (but often unusual) interaction a client has with their manicurist, Wassaic, New York-based artist Breanne Trammell went to school to become a certified nail technician and decided to travel across the United States, giving manicures to the public as an act of performance art. The project, Nails Across America, will make its home in a renovated 1968 Shasta "canned ham" travel trailer that functions as Trammell's roving nail salon. Aiming to turn the act of getting a manicure into a platform for interesting and diverse conversation, Nails Across America will ofter services to as many different kinds of people as possible, from mechanics to gallerists, doctors to farmers.

Clients can choose nail designs and colors like doughnut sprinkles, number two pencils, and Cheeto Orange, to name a few, which reflect many of the aesthetic themes such as junk food and pop culture found in Trammell's previous work. After each manicure the client receives a certificate of authenticity, signed and numbered by the artist herself, making your one of a kind manicure a certifiable work of art. Social media also plays a big part in the project, as Trammell has been documenting her work on Instagram, Twitter, and Vine accounts since she first began attending nail school.

The project kicks off in New York City with an event tonight at Mixed Greens Gallery (531 W. 26th St.) at 6pm. For a complete list of Trammell's stops, go HERE. In the meantime, check out some of Trammell's Instagrams from the project above and below:


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The mobile nail salon

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Inside the "canned ham" trailer: a client getting ready to get his nails done alongside Trammell's corgi named Tiny Tim Riggins

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Blue nails with mozzarella pizza accents (with a gold glitter crust)

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A zine included with your manicure

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Pastel Cheetah print

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All of Michael Kors' Amazing Quotes from Project Runway

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Someone who is a genius has amassed all of Michael Kors' fabulously insane one-liners from his 10 seasons on Project Runway. "She just looked like Rigatoni Mad Max," "it's crazy disco turkey" and "unless you are going to a Joan Crawford St. Patty's Day party, who is wearing this blouse" are our favorites. But really, they're all gems. [ImWithKanye

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Here's a University of Wisconsin dialect survey of how the nation pronounces the word "pecan." Go team "pick-ahn!" "Pee-can" is some East Coast b.s.! [ParisReview



Here's is a video of a parrot JAMM-ING to "Gangnam Style." Parrots shall inherit the earth. [TastefullyOffensive]



Steve Carrell went on Ellen dressed as his character from Despicable Me.

tumblr_mnkvu8fs2v1r24z09o1_500.giftumblr_mnkvu8fs2v1r24z09o2_r1_500.gifSWOON. [LaughterKey]

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Murdering Amanda Bynes' vagina is still on Drake's to-do list. [JuliaSegal]

tumblr_mnkwpsXkpZ1qblzy9o1_500.png tumblr_mnkwpsXkpZ1qblzy9o2_500.pngEnjoy these photos of Leo having "me time" on some rocks. [RatsOff]

tumblr_mnnccoJrrD1qewacoo1_500.jpgAlso, this. [RatsOff]

tumblr_mnmphxv5501qiavcao1_500.gifFor all of your Prancercising GIF needs. [DailyDot]

tumblr_mnhtziGmg11qcnueyo2_250.giftumblr_mnhtziGmg11qcnueyo4_250.gifThank you and goodnight! [OldFilmsFlicker]


Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer In the City" Is Our Oldie But Goodie Friday Video

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There's not a whole lot of complicated logic behind this Oldie But Goodie Friday choice -- it's really effin' hot out now that's it's officially summer... in the city. Music videos as we know them didn't exist yet when Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer In the City" came out in 1966 so we'll have to settle for a live performance of the OG summer jam. Check out those glorious mutton chops on lead singer John Sebastian!

Vevo President Rio Caraeff Is Bringing Back Music Television

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  Self-portrait photographed by Rio Caraeff

"Man, remember when MTV actually..."

Yes, even those raised on The Real World know that there once was something called "music television," which guzzled record labels' marketing dollars and destroyed the attention span of Generation X. But for a younger generation more likely to stream their entertainment over the Web, the television part of music television has become anachronistic.

In comes Vevo TV. This March, the three-year-old online music video platform announced a 24-hour programmed channel, with music-themed original shows supplementing blocks of videos grouped by genre. The service is already available on desktops, mobile devices and Internet TV receivers like Roku and Xbox; executives hope to eventually move into cable TV. "There are times when you don't know what you want and choice is paralyzing," explains Vevo's president Rio Caraeff. "Being programmed to -- whether it's on radio, whether it's on television or whether it's with videos online -- is something I think we all crave."

The Los Angeles native founded his company as a teenager, doing visual effects for commercials and films. ("I did some of the ice falling off the rocket on Apollo 13.") But Caraeff, whose father is an accomplished rock photographer, says, "At the end of the day music and technology are my passions." He claims to have sold the first music download, Duran Duran's "Electric Barbarella," while working at Capitol Records in 1997. Vevo started as Universal Music's in-house project; EMI and Sony soon signed on to share content and advertising revenue. "Music videos used to be the movie trailers of the music business -- to get people to buy the album," says Caraeff. "Now they're promotional, but they're inherently revenue-generating."

As Caraeff imagines Vevo soundtracking house parties and trips to the gym, you start to wonder whether his ambition for music distribution transcends video. "We're not trying to be the best audio experience. We think the video's alive and well," Caraeff asserts. "Artists spend more time than ever before on making videos, and we think that more people are watching them than when they were only on television."

Weird, Smart, Funny, Yummy: 10 Food Blogs to Know Now

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We round up some of the best food blogs making us hungry right now...

foodsurf1.jpgmonicatramos.tumblr.com

This illustrator's blog is fixated on food, placing it in playful contexts with human figures (who ride Asian eggplants, or float on Cheerios). The impulse to interject food into non-eating activities is a recurring theme in her work, just as it is in our lives and popular culture.

foodsurf2.jpgweirdvegetables.blogspot.com

Part scrapbook of images, part diary of encounters with preposterous plants, this blog adds rich chapters to our awareness of the vegetable world. Scroll through to find vintage seed packet artwork or a review of artichoke tea.

foodsurf3.jpgeverylastmorsel.com

This start-up lets you interact with others who are also growing gardens all season long. By pinpointing your location, you can read about the trials and tribulations of nearby gardeners, share resources or bumper crops or build a community. It's a modern resource for the tech-savvy green thumb.

foodsurf4.jpgRafael Rozendaal's Twitter

This artist is on a quest to tweet (@RRfood) everything he eats. By recording every morsel that goes into his mouth, from peanut M&M's to bulgur and grilled red snapper, in succinct, real-time bursts, he gives a genuine account of the modern diet.

foodsurf5.jpgscanwiches.com

Who doesn't love sandwiches? And we can probably all agree that a cross-section shot is the best way to view them. In this gallery of such snapshots, meaty, colorful sandwiches get their appropriate spotlight, with information on where to find them and what they're made of.

foodsurf6.jpgdancretu.tumblr.com

Artist Dan Cretu swaps in food for pop culture concepts (a sneaker made of orange peel) or replaces food with other objects (like a rose blooming from an ice cream cone) throughout his gallery of photos. Highly orchestrated, with nary a description attached to any project, it presents "food for thought" in a literal sense.

foodsurf7.jpgprettyfoods.tumblr.com

If there's such a thing as food porn, then this site is like a penthouse orgy of supermodels. Equally unafraid to fix its gaze on french fries or sushi, this gallery of insanely gorgeous (and unblurbed) food photos is unbelievably gratifying.

foodsurf8.jpgNoodle Soup Oracle

It works like whatthefuckshouldimakefordinner.com, only it's focused on noodles. With suggestions boiled down to single sentences rather than verbose recipes, it's best for the noodle enthusiast with endless wonder and an appetite for variety.

foodsurf9.jpg@CatFoodBreath on Twitter

This fat Siamese cat is a narcissistic sushi gourmand with a bombastic swagger and a penchant for sleeping all day. Couldn't we all be one?

foodsurf10.jpgscandybars.tumblr.com

The sweet tooth's answer to scanwiches.com, this blog dissects candy in all its gooey glory. There are many more exotic candy bar varieties scanned on this site than the expectable renditions from Mars.

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