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Sofia Coppola's Hypnotic New Video for Phoenix's "Chloroform"

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Can't say that we blame them -- or that she's not qualified -- but Phoenix decided to keep it in the family for their latest video. They've asked singer Thomas Mars' wife Sofia Coppola to directed this clip for "Chloroform" and the result is a slo-mo, black and white performance piece -- except that here the audience is the star of the show. New York MoMA's Inside/Out blog asked Coppola to explain: "I wanted the video to be about the girls losing it over the band, and that feeling you have when you think a band is romantic."

Morrissey Is a Nurd

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tumblr_mvl4p160tU1rhl0hoo1_500.jpgNurd alert! Nurd alert! [via Trill Adam Clark]

Screen shot 2013-11-13 at 7.20.32 PM.pngGod bless Larry David making the ne plus ultra Larry David face at a Knicks game, sitting courtside with Justin Bartha and...Nelly! [via Uproxx]

tumblr_lu0vfn29Hm1qzi48xo1_400.pngH/t to cheeseprincessa for pointing out that Khloe's mugshot is sitting in a frame inside Kim's house. [via Tall Whitney]

tumblr_mjfnfxE5vk1qdlh1io1_400.gifGentlemen, we've reached an impasse. [via Afternoon Snooze Button]

tumblr_mw3xkhko6Q1rn7bzro1_1280.jpgBut dipshits are okay. [via Knusprig Titten Hitler]

tumblr_mw836blLpC1qbv2c5o1_500.gifUs every time our blogging software isn't working. [via Coin Farts]



Here's an awesome compilation of white people dancing. It'll make you squirm. [via World Wide Interweb]

tumblr_mw7u0uUwOS1qe0wclo1_500.jpgCan you come in for a free estimate this Friday? We'll be home alone. [via Rats Off]

fedoraflowchart.PNGJust say no. [via Instagram]

Comedian Rob Delaney Gets Serious In His New Memoir

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Rob Delaney's a rapid-fire joke machine. So you'd be forgiven for expecting the stand-up comedian and Twitter Grand Poobah's new book to read something like Milton Berle's Private Joke File.

Yet his debut memoir, Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage., poignantly tackles his battles with alcoholism and depression, the joys of being a father, and his 13th birthday party, when he got angry at his mom for baking him a Danzig cake (by his kid logic, Danzig was too badass to be rendered in frosting). Followers of Delaney's Twitter feed (there are almost one million of them) may be caught off guard by the book's heartfelt honesty.

"I almost get off sexually by defying expectations," Delaney, 36, says over coffee near Venice Beach. "Anybody who does me the amazing kindness of reading my book, I mean, fuck me if I didn't put my best into it. I'm a sinner and a bad man if I didn't."

Although Delaney's been performing as a stand-up for more than a decade, it wasn't until he began churning out crude bon mots on Twitter that he stepped into the national spotlight. "Twitter is a diversion and a silly thing. And a waste of time," he says. "I don't think that people other than comedians or poets need to be putting stuff on Twitter. That said, it can make you a better writer. You learn the way various words work percussively in sentences."

Delaney's memoir confronts several dark chapters in his life, including a drunk-driving accident that got him two broken arms and a stint in jail and rehab, but ultimately saved his life. Now sober for 11 years and a happily married father of two young children, Delaney says he's not worried about his kids picking up his memoir one day.

"I'm not afraid for my kids to know that their dad has fears or sexual impulses," he says. "Hopefully, they won't be too horrified. If they are, they can go write a book about it."


Our Favorite @RobDelaney Tweets

"I love gay people. Or as I sometimes call them, 'people.'"

"Guns don't kill people. People who say 'Guns don't kill people' kill people. With guns."

"Which Mumford is the dad?"

"You've really got to hand it to short people. Because they often can't reach it."

"The story of the Titanic speaks to me because I once tripped over a bag of ice at a party & then killed over 1,500 people."

Mother. Wife. Sister. Human. Warrior. Falcon. Yardstick. Turban. Cabbage. is out now via Spiegel & Grau.

Grooming by Kelly Hunt

Our Mega Guide to Art Basel Miami 2013: Part 4

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Welcome to part four of our ongoing mega-guide to Art Basel Miami Beach 2013 (here are parts one, two and three). Tons of new events and parties have been coming in all week, so lets get started:

fullsize-1383681987.JPGStreet art and graffiti are going to be all over town again this year in the fairs and galleries and, of course, on the walls of Wynwood.  The Miami neighborhood has been filled with incredible murals by international artists since 2007 when Primary Flight invited 35 artists to paint on strategically located walls.  By 2009, the late Tony Goldman joined the party with his "Wynwood Walls" project centered around 25th and 26th Streets. The whole Wynwood Arts District has grown so large that it is hard to keep track of all the incredible works, but now there's a great interactive map that shows who painted what, plus there's a photo of each piece. Check it out here.

GeoffMcFetridge.jpgCool underground art magazine Juxtapoz -- they've covered the scene for two decades -- is moving into a private beach house at the Shore Club (1901 Collins Avenue, South Beach) for a four-day series of parties and events with San Francisco's Chandran Gallery. They've scheduled art installations by Geoff McFetridge, Andrew Shoultz,  Monica Canilao and SWOON, brunches, BBQs, performances and DJs and there's even an evening hosted by Shepard Fairey. The spot will be happening from December 4 until the 7th, but many of the parties are invite only.

HARING_PISTON_HEAD.1.jpegArt cars and luxury cars are another big theme this year, with an exhibition, "Piston Head," of 14 cars transformed into art since 1970 happening on the top floor of the Herzog & de Meuron-designed parking garage at 111 Lincoln Road in South Beach, sponsored by Ferrari.  And Maserati will be celebrating the debut of its new Ghibli, and they're driving VIPs and collectors around all during the week, plus sponsoring a VIP lounge in the new Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) and another lounge at Art Miami. Yo, we're arriving on the 2nd, so pick us up at MIA.

The official program of AB/MB 2013 artist conversations and talks are happening daily in the Hall C auditorium of the Convention Center. Highlights include Doug Aitken, the creator of the "Station To Station" train project, on December 5;  Olafur Eliasson on the 5th from 3 to 4 p.m. and Tracey Emin on the same day from 6 to 7 p.m.; John Baldessari on the 7th from 3 to 4 p.m. and, our fave, a talk called "The Bar as An Oasis" with Naomi Fisher, Jim Drain and more on the 8th from 2 to 3 p.m.  The complete list is here.


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Flaunt magazine, 3P Productions and Mana Wynwood (Mana is a big film and photo production studio in Miami related to Milk Studios and Moishes Moving) are hosting a three-day music series that launches on December 5th with the Nicolas Jaar and Dave Harrington supergroup Darkside and an art installation by Children of the Light.  The huge space is located at 318 NW 23rd Street in Miami and tickets plus more info are here.

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The Art Production Fund announced that Ryan McGinley and Yayoi Kusama have designed this year's beach towels and that the towels will be available for purchase during AB/MB in the Standard Shop (40 Island Avenue, Miami Beach) at the Standard Hotel in Miami. They've producing the series of towels since 2007 with artists including John Baldessari, Cecily Brown and Yoko Ono; with the money raised going toward the non-profit org's various projects.

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A giant floating, fabric sculpture by the German artist Angela Glajcar called "Light and Paper" will be on view in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton (One Lincoln Road, South Beach).  While you're there, check out the hotel's collection of contemporary Latin American and European works on loan from Miami's Diana Lowenstein Gallery.

RUINART_EEK_342_Ambiance-Oeuvre-LArche-Ruinart-Par-Piet-Hein-Eek-copie.jpgDutch designer Piet Hein Eek will create a large-scale installation using recycled wood and champagne boxes provided by Ruinart Champagne.  The work will be on view all week in the AB/MB Art Collector's Lounge.

Red Bull's "Canvas Cooler Project" is now on a national tour and will be on view at SCOPE's Miami pavilion all week.  You're invited to choose one lucky artist to join the exhibit by casting your vote here.

Seven artists including Daniel Arsham and Wim Delvoye are designing limited-edition yoga mats for classes at the Delano, Mondrian and Shore Club hotels.

New York gallery The Hole is having their big, Basel blow-out at the Shore Club (1901 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach) on December 4th and the Delano hosts their third MoMA PS1 pool party on December 6th.

vcsPRAsset_1086691_133538_c11498bf-1a14-41ff-8452-78e0469a65a9_0.jpg1976: Arnold Lehman/Brooklyn Museum

The Mayfair Hotel (3000 Florida Avenue, Coconut Grove) is hosting "Miami Says Art II" with Martin Kreloff's series of portraits of some of Miami's art pioneers (see Arnold Lehman above).  There's also an installation called "Art Euphoria" that Kreloff put together with Miami artist Gustavo Oviedo.  It's all on view December 2nd to the 8th, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and admission is free.

Richie Hawtin spins at Story nightclub (136 Collins Avenue, South Beach) on Friday, December 6; RJD2 is at Bardot (3456 North Miami Avenue, Miami) on December 4; Alabama Shakes are playing the Fillmore (aka Jackie Gleason Theater) in the Convention Center also on the 4th; Luciano and Pete Tong spin at LIV in the Fontainbleau Hotel (4441 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach) on the 5th and Steve Angello is playing on the 7th, also at LIV.

The annual Jack Shainman Gallery (cocktail party is on Friday, December 6, at the South Seas Hotel (1751 Collins Avenue, South Beach).  Invite only.

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A branch of L.A.'s Redbury Hotel is opening on December 1 at 1776 Collins Avenue, South Beach, with an Italian restaurant called Lorenzo featuring Chef Tony Mantuano.

The first East Coast branch of Billionaire Italian Couture is opening on December 3rd in Miami's Design District.

See you next week!

Check out our other Mega Guide to Art Basel Miami Beach 2013! Here are parts one, two and three











Mr. Mickey's Cuckoo Crazy Trip to Lagos Fashion Week

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Screen Shot 2013-11-14 at 3.05.17 PM.pngMr. Mickey hanging out with some male models backstage during Lagos Fashion Week

I consider myself an adventurous traveler on some level. I'm a middle-aged gay American and I like a nice hotel with a comfortable toilet and a minibar but I'm a big cheerleader for traveling to exotic places, and Africa especially. I'm an African Queen! I've been to Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Angola and this fall, a publicist friend emailed me about going to Lagos for their fashion week. I only had two questions: Is it business class? and Can the flight be from a SkyTeam airline because I'm platinum on Delta.

After a fourteen-hour flight, and an autobiography about Margaret, the Duchess of Argyll -- who, by the way, was supposedly a famous nymphomaniac -- I landed in Lagos. The city was sprawling and the traffic was crazy. But the roads were basically great and for such a big city, it was very clean. My hotel was in a part of the city called Victoria Island and was a two-minute walk to where all of the fashion week stuff was happening. I also learned that there's going to be a big, manmade island like the kind they have in Dubai built in that area. It just looked like a slab of sand in a funny shape.

Screen Shot 2013-11-14 at 2.44.35 PM.pngLooks from the Tae show

The fashion shows were at night and my favorite designers mixed traditional African fabrics and prints with more Western silhouettes. There was a line called Tae that uses very African fabrics but super Western shapes. That was one of my favorites. I also loved Samson Soboye, Orange Culture, Ituen Basi, Mai Atafo and Iconic Ivanity. There were tons of Nigerian movies stars and tons of photographers at the shows but one thing that was different from the shows in New York or Paris was that some people were able to pay to get in.

Off the runways, I really liked the fashion I saw on the street. People seemed to have great looks wherever we went. There were tons of women with long, straight hair, parted down the middle, and I loved all of the headwraps I saw. I've also never seen so many Céline bags in my life. There were men in traditional outfits but the fabrics would have sequins. Everyone loves, loves, loves color. Bright, bright colors. Even the women in super Western clothes were in bright yellow or orange. There weren't a lot of people in black. I met this guy who owns a great concept store called Stranger and he only wore Yohji Yamamoto and he stood out like a reverse clown. He looked amazing but it was the opposite of what everyone else was doing.

Screen Shot 2013-11-14 at 2.43.32 PM.pngBaby on board, Lagos-style

I saw a lot of fabulous style when we went out at night, too. We went to this club, Sip, with some locals. It was literally like walking into the craziest hip-hop video you've ever seen. There were big, muscle-y guys grinding with sexy girls in sailor-type hot pants.The girls do love to dress up - there were a lot of girls in tight, tight dresses that barely covered their butts. They really went there. I was impressed that the city has such a vibrant, fun nightlife.

I also went to this new, hipster lounge/club called Privé that was super fancy and had dinner some nights at locals' homes, which was amazing. One night, I went to the home of this woman who's on the board of directors of Fashion Week for dinner. Nigerian food is not super vegetarian-friendly - they love fish and lamb - but I had great rice and beans and plantains. I'm embarrassed to admit this but on other occasions, the group that I was with ate at Johnny Rockets. That was one of the only restaurants near the hotel and where the shows were and we went there twice.

Screen Shot 2013-11-14 at 2.43.47 PM.pngCute guys  spotted on the street

On my last day in Lagos, I went to some fabulous stores. I went to this place called Temple Muse, which is like the Colette of Lagos. Like a lot of the best stores in Lagos, it was in a very nice neighborhoods in, like, a house. It feels like you're going to someone's house behind a gate and the fancy neighborhoods all feel very Beverly Hills or Bel Air. Temple Muse had candy and books and Cire Trudon candles and Lladró figurines - which sound horrifying but were actually fabulous - downstairs. Then upstairs they had home items and clothing. They had a mix of African designers like Iconic Ivanity, Tebazile and Ituen Basi and international brands like Pucci and Givenchy. They also carried one of my favorite African lines, Iconic Invanity, which is designed by this woman that gives off a Tina Knowles vibe. The line is very sparkly and there's a lot of embroidery. Stranger, the store owned by the guy who wears head-to-toe Yohji, was also very cute. It was very 'concept' because I was a bit like, "I don't know what's for sale." They had a coffee bar in the back and a cute little room full of vintage.

Even though young creatives told me that they wish the government would do more to support the arts, it seems like it's a good time for them to make things happen and a lot are coming back to Lagos after spending time abroad. Cities like Lagos remind me of New York in that they're big, energetic centers of fun and glamour and craziness and insanity. But I come back to New York - and I love New York - and I feel like it is what is while places like Lagos are zooming. They're the headed towards the future.

All photos via Instagram






French Duo Acid Washed On The Breakfast Club and Miley Cyrus

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Press Pictures Marco Dos Santos2.jpgAcid Washed

Pause Daft Punk this season and go for French duo Acid Washed. You won't regret it.

Remember back in the 1980's when music seemed to always celebrate freedom of expression? "Second best is never enough. You'll do much better baby on your own," Madonna sang to us while wearing a boxy Jean Paul Gaultier pinstripe suit. Fast-forward to today, and music seems to be re-imagining that carefree moment. Enter the imperious and glamorous French duo Acid Washed.

What's fresh about Acid Washed is how the duo blends unbounded confidence with a frisky synth-pop edge: It's a kind of tweaked '80s/millennial sound met with a euphoric futurism. The group's made up of Parisians Richard d'Alpert and Andrew Claristidge, who seem to balance each other -- Andrew is the more optimistic of the two, and Richard appears drenched in a dark -- and somewhat erotic -- creativity. The duo refers to themselves as "people of tributes" with their musical lineage paying homage to cities around the world. Their first album honored the city of Detroit, with tracks like "General Motors," "Detroit," and "Snake," and their second, the city of Chicago. Their latest album, "House of Melancholy," is more stylized and refers back to iconic '80s moments (their "Fire N' Rain" music video brilliantly recreates coming-of-age favorite, The Breakfast Club). I caught up with these chic, French music manipulators to talk about their new album, inspiration, and Miley Cyrus.

What did you feel inspired you whilst you were creating your latest album?


RD: Things that struck me on tour, while we were already composing our second opus: the 19th century Western Europe industrial landscapes, Eastern Europe cities, USSR ghost towns, and the sea in the haven of Hamburg. I don't know why but I was constantly thinking about the waves in the harbor of Hamburg. And empty clubs after they close forever.

How would you describe your sound?

RD: Melancholic. Definitely melancholic. 

How has your music changed from 2009?

AC: I don't think our music matured over time because if music matures it becomes lame. Our music instead became more personal and unique.

RD: We changed. And so did the music. But always in the same direction -- the older you get, the better you know yourself, and so does the music we make.


"Fire N' Rain" video

For your video "Fire N' Rain" you did a tribute to the cult teen movie The Breakfast Club. What inspired that idea?

RD: We are "people of tributes" and I guess it's only natural for us to pay a tribute to one of the most iconic movies of the 80's, when we were kids and when house music was rising.

Do you feel like your music encourages fans to get trippy?

RD: If once in my lifetime, two teenagers choose our music to roll a huge joint and then to make love for the first time together, I'll die a happy man. So please, let me know.

Retro or future?

AC: FUTURE with a strong knowledge of the past.

What do you feel is the next step for your music?

AC: We are working with great musicians from Mexico, Grenoble, Paris, Saint-Brieuc... We are currently recording "dance tracks" -- our music will still be epic, maybe even more than epic!

What did you do before making music?

AC: I was a graphic designer and an antiques retailer and Richard was a radio journalist, working as a reporter for the public radio station -- the French BBC, if you'd like.

What kind of music do you like to listen to?

RD: Classical and contemporary music only. I never listen to anything else. There's no time for the rest -- it's less interesting -- so I'd rather stay focused on what really matters. Some soundtracks deserve a listen as well. For instance, I recently discovered [film composer] John Ottman.

Miley Cyrus or Madonna?

AC: Well I find Miley Cyrus and Madonna too vulgar and too obvious. I prefer Gwen Stefani.

RD: Madonna is one of the most fascinating woman of the 20th century. You can't even compare.

What is something no one knows about you?

AC: That I'm currently wearing pink & blue socks with a donut on them.

RD: I feel great joy reading Hassidic tales.

Photo by Marco Dos Santos

Saturday Night Fever 2013

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Screen Shot 2013-11-14 at 4.04.36 PM.pngI feel like renting a bus and taking all the people that think New York City "isn't what it used to be" and "not as much fun as it was in the '80s" out to Brooklyn on Saturday night, November 16, for a little reality-check.

First we'll stop at Banzai! (893 Bergen Street, Brooklyn), the incredible "art & performance melange" that returns for another go-round showcasing over 50 artists and performers in a six-hour event presented by Eric Schmalenberger and Muffinhead. Scott Ewalt from The Cock is DJing and there are performances from Amanda Lepore, Dee Dee Luxe, Shan Shane, Kembra Pfahler, Johanna Constantine and more. Plus works by visual artists including Kenny Scharf, Ms. Fitz, Eric Foss, Max Steiner, Cindy Waters and too many more to mention here. AND, there's a late night show by Teen Pussy and the world premier of a new video called "Cake Show" by Casey Spooner and Adam Dugas. Advance tickets for only $10 are available HERE.

Next, we'll head to a top-secret location -- RSVP HERE to find out or go to the VFILES store at 12 Mercer Street after 11 and they'll take you there -- for SHADE: Detropia, presented by Ladyfag & Seva Granik with DJ Assault, Mess Kid and Michael Magnan and lighting by Nightmind. Hosts for this one include Friends' frontwoman Samantha Urbani, Santana Williams, Ric Leichtung, Daniel Garofali, Humphrey & Katsu, De Se and VFILES.

And, finally, our magic bus heads out to Steel Drums (35 Beadel Street, Williamsburg) for the latest incarnation of The Carry Nation hosted by Gage of the Boone, Patrick Crough and Casey Kenyon. This party will be off-the-hook and it's only $7 after midnight; plus it's open until 5:30 a.m. DJs include -- all the way from London -- Hannah Holland & Josh Caffe, and Will Automatic and DJ Nita.

Still wanna return to the 80s?

The Legendary Bruce Weber talks Jazz Icon Chet Baker and Iowa Wrestlin'

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Starting his career working for Diane Arbus, photographer and filmmaker Bruce Weber revolutionized fashion photography in the 1980s with his erotically-tinged black and white portraits of all-American masculinity. (He's also the guy behind the images in those Abercrombie & Fitch 'catalogs'.) The legendary Weber, who regularly shoots for major magazines like Vogue and Vanity Fair is rarely seen without a handkerchief atop his head or one to six of his golden retrievers at his side. Starting November 15 and running through Thursday, November 21, The Film Forum is hosting a retrospective of Weber's films including completed feature films, short subjects and a selection of his commercials, music videos and works in progress.The festival opens tomorrow with a new 35mm print of Let's Get Lost (1988), Weber's Oscar nominated portrait of jazz icon Chet Baker, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary. Here Weber revels behind the scenes stories from Let's Get Lost and his time spent in Iowa.  

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What first drew you to Chet?
I was drawn to his music, and I was really drawn to the way that he looked. I knew he was a bad boy, but when people --men and women -- would hear that little innocent voice singing, they felt that if they fell in love with him, or he fell in love with them, that they could change him. Change him from a bad boy to a guy that lives in the white house, with a picket fence, two kids and a dog. But, of course that was never the case. I always laugh at that because when we first started going to film festivals with Let's Get Lost, women especially would say, 'Why aren't I in the film?' and I would say 'Oh well, I'm sorry. I am just meeting you right now,' and they would say something like "Chet stayed at my house for six months," or, "He was our babysitter." Can you imagine hiring Chet to be your babysitter?

Was he good with their kids? He didn't have a great relationship with his own.
Chet strangely was really great with kids -- not his own kids -- but kids, and especially dogs. He just had a knack for dogs. Diane, his girlfriend, told us a story once where Chet was carrying all these drugs coming into Germany. When they got off the plane there was a German Sheppard there waiting to sniff for drugs but when he got to Chet, he laid down and turned on his back to have his stomach be rubbed. And Chet -- who was carrying all these drugs -- bent down to pet it. The rest of the band were freaking out, their hearts beating so fast, but the dog just got up and left.

Did he know he had that sort of power?
He had a way with animals. Well, he had a way with people too. We all knew he was a con artist, but he was so great at it that you couldn't help loving him for it. Nothing is worse then a con artist who isn't so good at it.

A lot of people felt manipulated by him. Did you ever feel he manipulated you?
I think at first he really manipulated us, but I expected that. I knew that was going to happen. The more he got to know us, the more he relied on us. Near the end, like in Cannes, he started manipulating us again because we were really trying to keep him on Methadone and not have him get high, which was hard for him. Agnès B made this really nice suit for him, and I got him a tie and a shirt. We were expecting that to be his suit, and then he lost hit. Nan,my wife and the producer, felt so bad and wanted to call Agnès B in Paris to get another one. I was certain he pawned it. We always had an argument about it. It was finally settled when Let's Get Lost was entered into the Cannes Film Festival Hall of Fame, and Nicola Stilo, who played bass with him, came for the film. We had to ask him if Chet really lost the suit or if he pawned it, and of course it takes a woman to know ... he'd really lost it. 

I thought his romances -- the three wives, mistress Regina and girlfriend Diane -- had a really interesting dynamic in the film. He had so many women in love with him, and they all had opinions of each other. Why do you think he ever committed at all?
He liked people to take care of him. When he first arrived in Los Angeles at the Shangri La Hotel, he probably had a quarter in his pocket. I don't even know if he had that. All of a sudden it was like, 'Do I have a car, and a driver?' and we were like, 'We only have enough money to make the movie!' but we knew someone who had a brother who worked at a dealership, and he ended up giving us this Cadillac, which you see in the film. But Chet thought it was his. That was his car, and he could do what he wanted with it. He really had that kept boy quality. He was kind of illusive sometimes and sometimes it would get so crazy that I couldn't deal with it.
 
Did you ever get into it with him during filming?
We only had one fight. It was in Paris. We were walking to a restaurant, and Chet said 'Hey, man...' --  and when Chet would talk to you, he would get really close to you. Like he was going to kiss you. Because he believed, even at that age, he could seduce you into doing anything. And he could, he was really great at it -- so he said, 'Hey, man I need you to rent me a car, and I want to drive to Rome to pick up another car and have you drive this one back, and I'll drive the other.' I said, 'No, I am not going to rent you a car. You are always getting into accidents, you are always getting into trouble.' He got really close to me, and it was the first time where he really had the look of a guy who had been in prison, and I think if he would have had a gun, he would of shot me. But he didn't have a gun, and ten minutes later he was like a lost boy. I really thought my film was over at that point, but I wasn't going to let him die because I was making a film.

Where are you from?

I am from Des Moines, Iowa.
Oh wow, I love Iowa. It is such a great place.

When were you there?
I was there a few years ago doing a story on Dan Gable the wrestling coach at University of Iowa. It was just amazing. I just loved Iowa so much. I always thought about going back there. The boys there are very Bruce Weber - corn fed, athletic, all-American. I know, yeah. There were these two guys, twins, the Brands brothers. Really great wrestlers. One of them was carrying 'Bill' -- which is what they call a wresting dummy -- while the other one was chasing him on a four-wheeler. They were racing up and down the hills. I couldn't believe it. It was so incredible and such characters. I had to photographer them. My wrestling friend told me, 'Oh Bruce, they are so crazy. I don't know if you should ask them,' but of course I was going to, so I walked up to them and said, 'Excuse me fellas, I am here taking some pictures. Do you mind if I take a portrait of both of you?' And they said 'What took you so long to ask us?' Iowa.

How do you approach subjects you want to photograph -- do you always ask permission?
You have to just make the decision. It is a very decisive moment. When you decide to just take the photo or to ask them. Sometimes when you ask them, you can ruin the picture. You have to feel it out a bit, you know? I try to be really respectful. For example, when I was down in Bethesda, Maryland taking photos of guys back from Iraq and Iran in wheelchairs and without limbs. That's an experience I have imprinted in my mind.

Those photos were beautiful -- for your holiday book a couple years ago, right? Who did you photograph this year?
We've picked a kind of crazy title. It's called Born Ready. It's about people that just go for it.  Sherman Alexie, he's a Native American poet and teaches up in the state of Washington. He wrote a really great poem about basketball and why men play basketball, and it runs with pictures of the Heat playing in the NBA finals last year. We did a lot of stuff we believe in, which is the fun part of working on it.

It's like these films, everybody thinks you live by a program, that everything is written down and you follow this outline. But when I begin working on a film, it sometimes starts with me taking pictures. After that is when we start filming, and sometimes even then I'll keep taking more pictures, but we still don't even know if it is going to be a film. Because you never know how something is going to turn out. What I learned about doing documentaries is that you really get married to your subject. You date, you get married, you have kids, and sometimes you have a divorce and get back together again. Kind of like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton.



A$AP Rocky's new video for "Phoenix" stars Joan Smalls and The Wire's Michael K. Williams

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We showed a new Phoenix video yesterday, today we'll check out the new clip for "Phoenix" by A$AP Rocky. Not sure why he decided to try another video for this track -- check out the first here -- but this time around there's an Emmy-nominated director, Francesco Carrozzini, and guest appearances by Michael K. Williams and 2011 PAPER Beautiful Person Joan Smalls. It sort reminds us of Mr. and Mrs. Smith with some serious domestic violence, but you'd expect that from Rocky, right?

Jean-Claude Van Damme Did An Incredible Split Between Two Trucks

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Here's Jean-Claude Van Damme doing the splits in between two trucks going in reverse. It's incredible! And the whole thing is set to Enya music because sure why not! [via Tastefully Offensive]

The Daily Show 




ICYMI Jon Stewart went on a massive rant against Chicago-style deep dish pizza and, though as a native Chicagoan I take mild offense to some of his attacks, I have to hand it to him that he does have a point when he says, "I have to know that when I get drunk and pass out on my pizza that I'm not gonna drown." [via Uproxx]

tumblr_m6ldn6h7rl1qdm4l2o1_400.pngHow can we redeem this LivingSocial deal? [via The Clearly Dope]



Here's a crazy clip of a waiter in Portugal showing off his 'echo chamber' vocal skills. [via Tastefully Offensive]

tumblr_mwa6nuzgrK1rbrhnko1_500.gifThis gymnast with a bowl cut is our spirit guide. [via Coin Farts]
This video of a little girl's first time on ice is everything we've ever wanted and more. Where do we get that snow suit in an adult size? [Gawker]


tumblr_m4m120DCUx1rurubqo1_500.jpgOur favorite flavor. [via Afternoon Snooze Button]

tumblr_mvleyokfnc1qh5rcwo1_500.pngCute couple alert! [via Rats Off]

tumblr_mvm2u7A8B21qzhnmco1_500.jpgYour weekend is brought to you by this super cozy, sleeping pineapple. [via F Yeah Dementia]

Hot Chocolate's "Everyone 1's a Winner" Is an Epic Jam

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One of the things you probably didn't know about today's oldie-but-goodie, Hot Chocolate, is that they were British.  Signed to the Beatles' record label, they had an incredible string of hits starting in the early 70s, with at least one hit song every year from 1970 to 1984.  "Every 1's a Winner" was released in 1978 and went all the way to #6 on the pop chart.  Those with sharp ears -- i.e. our editor Elizabeth -- may have recognized a snippet of the track in the latest trailer for Anchorman 2, and it was also featured in Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig's Francis Ha, out this week on DVD.  What was Hot Chocolate's biggest hit?  That was "You Sexy Thing," released three years before "Winner".

Get Your Weekend Started With Larry Tee's "Boys That Go Woot"

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Where is Larry Tee?  Glad you asked, because the man that invented "electroclash" is alive and well and lives in London where he hosts a weekly club night called Super Electric Party Machine.  Just in time for your holiday shopping, he's releasing an album of the same name that he co-produced with Attackattackattack.  The first single and video is "Boys That Go Woot!" and it stars PAPER's 2007 Nightlife Award winner Roxy Cottontail.  I feel like we forgot something.  Oh, right, it's a PAPER exclusive.  Say "Hi" to Mr. Tee if you're going to SEPM tonight.

Ace Hotel Founder Alex Calderwood Has Passed Away

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We at Paper were deeply saddened to learn of the death of our good friend Alex Calderwood, owner and founder of the Ace Hotel. Alex was, and will continue to be, an inspiration to us. We'll miss him a lot. 

Below, we've re-posted our August 2008 profile of Alex.

-- PAPER

Seattle-born and raised Alex Calderwood must know something we don't. How else to explain his rise from all-around schlepper and assistant for a small sportswear company to hotelier with the soon-to-open 247-room Ace Hotel in Manhattan's hotly competitive boutique hotel category? Early on, Calderwood had the good sense to spot an opportunity in, of all things, barbershops -- some 17 of them, most visible in the Standard Hotels owned by André Balazs. As Calderwood recalls: "André came to town to meet with Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman of Sub Pop to advise them about a building they were considering for development into a hotel." While walking through the neighborhood they passed Rudy's Barbershop, which caught the attention of the astute Balazs, who invited Calderwood to open one in the first Standard Hotel he was then developing on L.A.'s Sunset Strip.

If the word "barbershop" conjures up images of a place where your grandfather would get a shave and a trim, think again. This was Sub Pop and Kurt Cobain, grunge, tattoos and hip haircuts. When choosing their first location, they opted for grit -- deciding on a not-yet-gentrified side street over a more highly trafficked, higher rent option. "In hindsight, it turned out to be the best decision, one that became integral to rolling out most of the others that followed," says Calderwood. "When we opened Rudy's, it was just an idea we liked. We never envisioned opening more. I remember a lot of people whose opinion I trusted telling me it would never work. It took off immediately." And in much the same way that black barbershops have served as neighborhood hubs throughout history, Calderwood discovered Rudy's would quickly transcend haircuts and tats. "What we learned is that it was more of a social experience, like a bar without drinking. People would gossip, talk about a movie they had seen. It became a community cultural center."

As a principal in several companies with various partners, Calderwood was able to integrate his ventures even as he kept their operations separate with different offices. "All the companies at different times tend to interface nicely with each other. Neverstop would be producing an event, the key people would be staying at the hotel, we might be doing a party at the bar, and we'd sell tickets at Rudy's."

The first Ace Hotel opened in Seattle in 1999, the same year as The Standard in L.A. As one of its original guests, I witnessed first hand Calderwood mix-mastering culture, business, people and style. Artwork by KAWS along with kitschy wallpaper in the rooms gave it the patina of a hip hotel run by genuinely hip people. A second hotel followed in Portland and one in Palm Springs is in the works.

Along the way, Calderwood has been approached -- and has rejected --offers to open 100 Rudy's around the country. But when a New York hotel developer extended a hand, he accepted. With the goal of a new hotel every one to two years, he has San Francisco and L.A. in sight. Being hip is not something Calderwood thinks about -- it's just part of the package. "It's [about] being involved in the culture of being like-minded, doing things in the way our customers would feel and emotionally connect with."

Photograph by Jeffery Jones

Philippines Recovery and Relief: How You Can Help In NYC

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Relief and recovery for the Philippines is in full effect after Typhoon Haiyan left the country and its citizens in utter devastation earlier this week. There are more than 4,400 confirmed dead and 500,000 survivors who are running out of supplies fast. There are endless ways to help. You can donate to the Philippine Red Cross, who is providing a family-tracking service for those looking for missing family members, or to Habitat for Humanity, Catholic Relief Services, Direct Relief or Médecins Sans Frontières. You can also give to Paper contributor Jessica Suarez's fundraiser for Oxfam, who has emergency responders on the ground. There are also benefits happening around town this weekend and in the coming days. If you have listings for benefits/fundraisers you'd like us to post, just email vip@papermag.com. See below for all the opportunities you can show support around NYC this weekend and in the coming days.

Screen Shot 2013-11-15 at 3.49.54 PM.pngPaper contributor and lovely Filipino Jessica Suarez is accepting donations for OxFam. She is trying to raise $2,000 by Thanksgiving. Help her go way beyond her goal here.



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At Smorgasburg this weekend, Lumpia Shack's owner Neil Syham will be collecting non-perishable goods, clothing, hygiene kits, blankets, and monetary donations for typhoon relief in the Philippines. Syham says he'll be personally delivering the donations to a drop off site in Woodside, NY. Both the Williamsburg and Pier 5 Smorgasburg locations will be accepting donations this weekend. [via EaterWire]

1424445_545148715576376_1506796517_n.jpgThe Filipino American Museum is holding a fundraiser for typhoon relief efforts on November 21st at Galapagos. More info on the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns website.


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The Fashion For Relief: Clothing Sale to Help the Philippines Rebuild is being held at the Philippine Consulate General tomorrow from 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
The sale will feature "styles from Diane von Furstenberg and other style icons, refreshments, DJ sets, and more." All proceeds raised will go directly to relief support.

 
544146_10200772478298723_1336772055_n.jpgDitmas Park's Purple Yam is having a fundraising Sunday brunch on the 17th and 24th. Meals are fixed at $40 and all funds raised will be donated to relief efforts.


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NextDayBetter, an organization that holds talks and events promoting Filipino entrepreneurship, is hosting a disaster-relief hackathon on the Lower East Side this weekend. More info here. [Via BedfordandBowery]

TYPHOON HAIYAN RELIEF.jpgCocktail den Randolph Brooklyn is holding a fundraiser on Thursday night with a suggested donation of $20 at the door going to benefiting Filipinos suffering from post-disaster trauma and violence. DJ sets by Mark Holcomb and Steven Rojas. Canned food, clothes and bedding donations will also be accepted and donated to the Philippine Red Cross.

1453493_10100549102690710_1515139483_n.jpgThere's a fundraising happy hour at Professor Thom's next Friday, November 24th. All proceeds raised will be donated to Unicef's hurricane relief work. More info here. [Via BedfordandBowery]






"Waking Up With Kimye" Needs to Be a Reality

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Lady Gaga hosted Saturday Night Live this weekend and really knocked it out of the park. It was such a good episode! There were so many good sketches, including the nightmarish hellscape that would be a morning show hosted by Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. Just kidding, we'd tune into Waking Up With Kanye every day of our lives. [Jezebel]



SNL's final sketch of the night envisioned what the future holds for an elderly Lady Gaga and skewered the low sales numbers of her new album, ArtPop. [TastefullyOffensive]



This Weekend Update segment featuring Taran Killam as Jebidiah Atkinson, bitchiest critic of history's most famous speeches, was hilarious and perfect.



Here's a tender little clip of Steve Martin accepting an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards this weekend in L.A. Can he and Tom Hanks please, please host this year's Oscars? [Reddit]

tumblr_mwc9de9VLQ1swzl52o1_250.jpgtumblr_mwc9de9VLQ1swzl52o2_1280.jpgOver it. [Tastefullyoffensive]

rob-ford-middle-school.jpgCan you spot Rob Ford in his middle school class photo? It will take you all of half a second. [Uproxx]


Malcolm in the Middle
co-stars Jane Kaczmarek and Bryan Cranston re-united to make this fantastic video that asks: What if Breaking Bad was all just Hal's bad dream? [PopCultureBrain]

Jane-Austen-Temp-Tats-2.pngJust some Jane Asusten temporary tattoos for your Christmas list. [LaughingSquid]

VK0D.gif Why hello there. [Mlkshk]




Solange Made a Beautiful, Cowbell-Heavy Jam "Cash In"

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Saint-Heron1.jpgLast week, Solange released Saint Heron, the first compilation from her recently-launched boutique record label, Saint Records. The album features a collection of genre-blending, neo-R&B artists like Kelela, Jade de LaFleur, BC Kingdom, Cassie and Jhene Aiko along with a track by Solange herself. The song, "Cash In", is a luminous, romantic jam that features Solange's expressive falsetto over synths and cowbells. You can listen to it, below, and can hear more tracks off of Saint Heron HERE.




There's a Memorial Fundraiser Tonight for The Yellow Dogs at Brooklyn Bowl

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yellowdogs_benefit.pngNada Surf, TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone, Habibi, Helado Negro, The Rapture's Vito & Druzzi, DJ Jonathan Toubin and more will be playing a memorial fundraiser at the Brooklyn Bowl (61 Wythe Ave., Williamsburg) tonight in honor of Brooklyn-based Iranian band, The Yellow Dogs, who lost three of its members in a devastating murder last week. The post-punk band, who had moved from Iran to Brooklyn in 2010 had released two EPs and was working on their first full-length album when the murders occurred. All proceeds from the benefit tonight will go the victims and their families to help pay for the costs incurred during the tragedy.

Doors open at 6pm/show starts at 7pm; Tickets are $15-$30 and can be purchased HERE.

Alexa Chung's New Guide to Life Puts The "It" In Wit.

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alexachung1.jpg"It isn't beauty, so to speak, nor good talk necessarily. It's just 'It'," recites Alexa Chung over the phone from Fuse Studios in New York where she films her nightly music and entertainment TV show, Fuse News. That line is from a Rudyard Kipling short story, and she knows it by rote since being crowned with that fickle word "It" a few years ago when she became a stylish staple in London's nightlife scene, known for wearing Peter Pan collars, Converse with Valentino lace shifts and Barbour coats. It is also the title of her new book, out this fall from Penguin, which is part diary, part sketchbook and part DIY guide that feels more like a girlfriend's Instagram feed than a Trinny and Susannah How-To tome. It's a visual and verbal stream of consciousness that might read something like James Joyce, if Joyce had a thing for Jane Birkin and great tips for bed head.

In the book, Chung gives her fans style inspirations (Edie Sedgwick, her Grandpa Kwan), personal anecdotes (bum-rushing Marianne Faithfull in Paris for break-up advice), helpful beauty tips (keep nail varnish in the fridge) and recreational advice ("Get a balloon and a best friend. Go to a festival in a desert. Be 24.").

alexachung2.jpgBut what saves Chung from the vacancy of "It" -- a frankly dangerous title for maintaining any intellectual credibility -- is her smart, trigger-quick wit and an insidiously inviting quality that a TV host must possess to interview celebrity guests and navigate conversations that cover R. Kelly, Robyn and Riccardo Tisci with humor and effortless timing before throwing to commercial.

Her quips come in handy when recalling some of the darker moments of her modeling days back in London. "At one point they suggested I change my name to Poppy -- Poppy C! Can you imagine? They're like, 'Oh, darling, we've got so many Alexas at the agency.' It was like Ab Fab, but it was also so depressing. You'd have a friend who's named Clara or something and then they come back one day and they'd be like, 'They want me to change my name to Storm.' It was always like something really naff, like, 'Oh, they want me to be called Eden now.'"

alexachung3.jpgThough her Poppy and Storm days are long behind her, clothes are still what make her specific demimonde go round. "The business is selling clothes to people, and although I didn't always love the people, I've certainly always loved clothes," she says. She designed two of her own very popular collections with J.Crew for their hipper brand Madewell and counts Karl Lagerfeld and Christopher Kane as a few of her high-fashion fans. Despite the manipulations, egos and cynicism rampant in fashion, Chung is still able to have fun with it. "You can't take anything that only lasts three months very seriously," she says. "In the epicenter, you've got the person with the talent that's actually an artist and amazing, and then the further away you get from the middle, people get a bit meaner because they don't get the opportunity to express themselves or they get more insecure. If you have a direct dialogue with the designer, then you often find that they're just like, 'Fuck it, it's just clothes.'"

alexachung4.jpgQuipping with Kaiser Karl is a far cry from the Hampshire village Chung comes from. "Growing up in the countryside, I wanted to be as far away from that as I possibly could because I thought it was incredibly boring. I just would walk around fields dreaming of this future life I might have in the middle of the excitement. Wherever the fun was, I wanted to be like slap-bang in the middle of it because I felt like I had spent so many years just like drifting around on my own in corn." For the moment, that slap-bang middle is in New York, where Chung's survived a big chunk of her 20s (she turns 30 this month), though not without the requisite heartbreak and professional redirections. (She originally moved across the pond with her then-boyfriend Alex Turner from the Arctic Monkeys to host a short-lived show on MTV.) But Chung wavers on a permanent residence. Like most 20-somethings in the last decade, the city was revealed to her through the divine oracles of Friends and Sex and the City, with Candace Bushnell as Emma Lazarus, welcoming the stylishly tempest-tossed. "Even when I was writing the book," Chung says, "I'm like, 'Oh my god, I'm actually Carrie Bradshaw, but in a vest.'"


Blouse Performs in the Paper Kitchen

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Dreamy, synth-poppers Blouse came by Paper HQ to play a few songs for our kitchen session series. Watch the trio play "A Thousand Years" and "No Shelter," below.


"A Thousand Years"




"No Shelter"


La Cenita's Akhtar Nawab Raves About Great NY Noodletown's Special Ginger Scallion Sauce

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AkhtarNawab_Photo_Antoinette_Bruno.jpgPhoto by Antoinette Bruno

Each week in our Chefs Off Duty series, we talk to some of our favorite chefs and industry folk around the country to find out their secret late-night spots where they like to grab a bite and a pint when their kitchens are finally closed. Next up: Akhtar Nawab, executive chef of La Cenita and formerly of La Esquina.

Where is your under-the-radar place to go grab a bite to eat after you're leaving your own restaurant?

I am a creature of habit. I still love Great NY Noodletown. It is becoming more and more rare for me to eat late night; however, when I do, it's nearly always here. I was working at Gramercy Tavern when I went here for the first time. I was just a young impressionable cook back then, but what an impression. 15 years later and I still destroy it over there.

What are their specialties?


The specialties are noodles, of course, roasted meats (hanging in the window) and clay pot dishes.

Screen Shot 2013-11-18 at 2.08.14 PM.pngGreat NY Noodletown

What are your favorite things to eat there?

They have a jellyfish salad that I am into, salt and pepper squid, roast pork, ginger scallion lo mein, roast duck, salty fish fried rice, and the money piece is the ginger scallion sauce. It is good on anything. Everyone has tried to duplicate it, and is never successful. An equally important part of the food is the staff that works there. I have seen the same faces for 15 years -- amazing. They also have a number of items written on the wall in native tongue. I haven't had the guts to order blindly there yet, as I may end up with pig bladder congee...maybe next year.

Any fun stories or anecdotes from nights at Great NY Noodletown?


So many. When I was at Craft, we used to go there with the crew. It was so much fun with the jefe Marco Canora, Jonathan and Liz Benno, David Chang, Damon Wise, and a few others. We would work hard all day, drink after work and be starving by 2 a.m. Countless times, we would talk about work, who wrecked it and who didn't that night, who the money piece went out to and always about food. It was kind of like Thanksgiving all the time back then -- just a delicious way for us all to spend time together.

Great NY Noodletown, 28 Bowery, New York; open daily, 9am-4am

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