Quantcast
Channel: Paper RSS Feed
Viewing all 7783 articles
Browse latest View live

Portlandia Recap! Episode Eight: "Feminist Bookstore 10th Anniversary"

0
0
During a commercial break during "Feminist Bookstore 10th Anniversary," this week's installment of Portlandia, there was a promo for an online chat with the show's director, Jonathan Krisel. In the spot, Krisel says, "There's no definition of what a Portlandia sketch is. We try to do some experimental sketches, and if they fail, so what?" This week's episode felt like a string of experimental sketches that all slightly missed the mark, and you could almost feel Fred and Carrie shrugging their shoulders and thinking, "So what?"

Portlandia's second season, thus far, has been consistently funny but this week's show was the first to completely misfire. The episode's failure was mostly because the structure of the sketches and the performances were almost entirely experimental, not because they were lackluster bits. And, even though the laughs were few and far between this week, "Feminist Bookstore 10th Anniversary" could easily be an episode that Portlandia geeks come to love in the future, much in the same way that hardcore Bob Dylan fans insist his obscure, under-appreciated 1983 album Infidels is a work of genius.

Fred and Carrie definitely inserted a heavy dose of odd moments into this episode; there's a bizarre cameo by Portland Trail Blazer LaMarcus Aldridge (who scored four points in last night's NBA All-Star game) as Penny Marshall's boyfriend. Oh, and Fred ends up making out with Marshall at the end of the show. 

Another high point was a sketch where Fred and Carrie (as Peter and Nance) design a sign to hold at a Portland Timbers soccer game. You can't help but love Portlandia when it incorporates points of civic pride (like the Timbers) into the show.

Check it out below:





Whitney Biennial 2102 -- Take a Sneak Peek

0
0
The 76th Annual Whitney Biennial returns this Thursday, March 1st with sculpture, painting, installations, photography, dance, theater and music filling the museum's galleries for nearly three months.  Moreover, for the first time, the entire fourth floor will be reserved for rotating performances and events.   

Curated by Elisabeth Sussman and Jay Sanders, the Biennial features works that looks at "the breakdown of boundaries between art forms."  Pieces include paintings and archival materials by Forrest Bess (a painter/fisherman who theorized about the unification of the two genders, which led him to perform surgery on his own genitals that made him a semi-hermaphrodite); a multimedia installation by Werner Herzog that combines etchings from Dutch landscape painter/printmaker Hercules Segers and music by Ernst Reijeseger; and dance pieces by British choreographer/dancer Michael Clark.


Take a peek at some of the art on display below:



Thom Andersen, Still from Get Out of the Car, 2010

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 4.44.50 PM.png
Charles Atlas, Still from Turning (live mix) with Antony and the Johnsons, 2004

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 5.04.12 PM.png
Moyra Davey, Darling, 2011

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 4.40.41 PM.png
Latoya Ruby Frazier, Corporate Exploitation and Economic Inequality!, 2011

2012Biennial06.jpg
Jerome Hiler, Still from Words of Mercury, 2011

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 5.00.16 PM.png
Mike Kelley, The Mobile Homestead in front of the abandoned Detroit Central Train Station, 2010

2012biennial08_800.jpg
Laida Lertxundi, Still from Cry When It Happens, 2010

2012Biennial09.jpg
Kate Levant, hive.tangle.jpg, 2011

2012Biennial10.jpg
Sam Lewitt, Untitled (material for Fluid Employment), 2012

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 4.41.03 PM.png
Andrew Masullo, 5030, 2008-10

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 4.42.33 PM.png
Nick Mauss, Material Studies, 2008-11 (detail)

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 4.42.43 PM.png
Michael Robinson, Still from These Hammers Don't Hurt Us, 2010

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 4.44.21 PM.png
Wu Tsang, Production still from WILDNESS, 2012 (in progress)

2012Biennial18.jpg
Frederick Wiseman, Still from Boxing Gym, 2010

Hoyt_005.jpg
Matt Hoyt, Component Object, 2010

CooperVienne_006.jpg
Gisèle Vienne with Dennis Cooper, LAST SPRING: A Prequel, 2011

2Reichek_006.jpg
Elaine Reichek, Ariadne's Lament, 2009 (detail)

Oscars Best Dressed and Worst Dressed According to Mr. Mickey

0
0
While Mr. Mickey wasn't wooing Sacha Baron Cohen and Tom Hanks via Twitter during the Oscars, he was keeping careful notes on which starlets and screen sirens looked pretty amazing, pretty OK, and not so great. Here's his roundup of the best looks, the worst looks and ones he was conflicted about at last night's ceremony.

BEST DRESSED:

Rooney-Mara.jpgRooney Mara always looks flawless on the red carpet and she looked amazing in Givenchy Haute Couture. Some people think she's 'too fashion' -- an expression I hate. The pale skin, the hair, the strong lip and the stronger point-of-view always knock my socks off. She hasn't had a red carpet misstep yet.

emma-stone-head-600.png I'm deeply in love with Emma Stone and thought her Giambattista Valli dress was major. You can tell she's really feeling it because it's tough to make a giant bow like that work unless you believe in the look. Nobody wears color like Emma and she was wonderful on stage teasing that drippy Ben Stiller.

Gwyneth-Paltrow-Oscars-Pictures-2012.jpgGwyneth Paltrow looked like a real movie star and I love that someone major wore Tom Ford. He's so Hollywood glamour! She was fun as a presenter, too, although often my problem with Gwynnie is everyone's problem with Gwynnie -- she's so great to look at, but when she opens her mouth she says something very 'clueless rich girl.' It's too bad because I think she's amazing and she can wear ANYthing.

angelina-jolie-oscars-2012.jpgMy jaded NYC friends and I squealed with delight when Angelina Jolie strode onto the stage in Atelier Versace (our only other squeal of delight came when Meryl Streep won for Best Actress). Say what you will about her arms being too skinny (they are), this is what a fucking superstar looks like. The hair! The makeup! Totally gorgeous.

viola-davis-335-1.jpgI adore Viola Davis' natural hair! The Vera Wang gown is great too. Sexy and glamorous but wearable. She's never looked better.


meryl-streep-oscars-2012-dress.jpgI thought Meryl Streep looked so great in Lanvin. The metallic made her look super fancy and the color was great for her complexion. My favorite look on her in a while.

octavia-spencer-white-gown-oscars-2012-pictures.jpgOctavia Spencer looked amazing. The dress was so flattering and so glamorous and I love that she sticks with designer Tadashi Shoji.

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 2.10.54 PM.pngTina Fey has always loved a peplum and that's SO the look right now. I loved her in her Carolina Herrera dress with her hair all up. She obviously feels so comfortable on the red carpet after doing hundreds of these awards shows.

oscars-GlennClose-_2151413i.jpgI love that Glenn Close had a jacket with this Zac Posen dress. She looked super sexy but without the jacket it would have been too much! Pretty hair and makeup. Good for Glenn.

Shailene-Woodley-Pictures-Oscars-2012.jpgShailene Woodley looked fabulous in Valentino. She proves that covered-up is the new sexy and the look isn't fussy but still super put-together. This is how young actresses should look.


ellie-kemper-armani-prive-oscar-2012-dress.jpegrose_byrne_2012_oscars.jpg

I don't get why every actress loves strapless, but I thought Ellie Kemper wore her strapless Armani Prive best. And those bangs are so cute! Rose Byrne, in Vivienne Westwood, also looked super adorable with her sparkles and bangs.

anna-faris-oscars-2012-red-carpet.jpgThere's nothing like a simple, sequined long-sleeved shell to make you look amazing. Although black is tough at an awards show, Anna Faris really pulled off this Diane Von Fursternberg dress.

WORST DRESSED:

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 2.49.20 PM.png I didn't like the cut-outs on Jennifer Lopez's Zuhair Murad dress, but it was glamorous despite them. Still, she seems like such a phony bitch to me.

Melissa-McCarthy-Pink-Gown-Oscars-2012.jpgI worship Melissa McCarthy, but I think everything about her look was a mistake. So much was going on with the Marina Rinaldi dress that it wasn't flattering at all.

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 2.02.16 PM.pngSandra Bullock seemed really depressed to me. It made me sad. (Dress by Marchesa.)

6a00d8341c5e0053ef0167630add93970b-800wi.jpgSherri Shepherd and I went to the same high school and that's the only nice thing I can think of to say about this. The bra peeking out is the worst. Still, it's fun to see someone working a bananas look.

Penelope-Cruz-Oscars-Pictures-2012.jpg
Penelope Cruz is one of the most gorgeous movie stars alive but this Giorgio Armani dress was not my favorite look on her. (Although she looked much better on stage than she did on the red carpet.)

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 2.09.43 PM.pngI'm not sure who Missi Pyle is [Ed note: She's in The Artist]. She's very pretty in a Miss Alabama way. The Valentina Delfina dress is festive but has about three too many drapes, ruches and ruffles for my taste.

24-6j00k.St.74.jpgLouise Roe, who did red carpet interviews for ABC, was the worst. Everything she wore distracted from the people she was talking to! This look was a mess and she was horribly annoying. She made Giuliana Rancic look like Christiane Amanpour.

I'M CONFLICTED:


239451-cameron-diaz-oscars-2012.jpgCameron Diaz in Gucci Premiere. She seems fun and the dress was cute but her hair was a disaster. What happened?


Kristen-Wiig-at-the-2012-Oscars-5-1972x3000.jpgI loved Kristen Wiig in J. Mendel and I think she's so pretty, but nude colored dresses are pretty tough on a red carpet. Everything just kind of gets washed out.

michelle-williams-_2151417a.jpgMichelle Williams looked good in Louis Vuitton, but I'm bored with the pixie haircut. I'd love to see her in something super sexy! Versace! Dolce! Alaia!

melissa-leo-140008812.jpgI like that Melissa Leo's Reem Acra dress was covered up but her hair was a little too casual daytime for me. Her general vibe is pretty crazy, but she could pass for a normal person in this outfit.

239526-natalie-portman.jpgNatalie Portman looked amazing from a beauty perspective -- great hair and makeup. The vintage Dior dress was nice, and Portman in a spokesperson for the brand, but it felt a bit safe. I would have loved her more in a wild Rodarte moment.

Parts and Labor's Last Hurrah

0
0
Friday's Parts and Labor show at the 285 Kent warehouse, with Oneida and Neptune, marked both their 10th anniversary and their final show before an indefinite hiatus. After the release of more than 5 Pitchfork-lauded albums, a long string of international tours, and even a stint covering Kanye West for the Onion, audience expectations for this final she-bang were high.

In addition to being notable for their output, Parts and Labor were frontiersman and frequent faces in a now-storied chapter in NY music history, that of Brooklyn's experimental d.i.y. rock scene, a vibrant community that sprouted bands like the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio and later, Matt and Kim, bred in warehouses, parking lots, and rooftops. Impose Magazine, in the wake of the show, offers an entertaining selection of Parts and Labors' show posters from the past 10 years.

This weekend, the band went out not with a bang, but with a horn section, bagpipes, and lots of double, sometimes even triple or quadruple-drumming. BJ Warshaw and Dan Friel, the band's core and founding members, who met in the early aughts while working at the Knitting Factory, invited all of the group's previous members (they've had four drummers, two guitarists) to guest-appear in the finale, and their frequent creative collaborator Nick Chatfield-Taylor created a site-specific installation made of roadside-ad ephemera. It was a farewell fitting to the singular sound they've developed: noisy, colorful, chaotic and emotional.

Model-Turned-Musician Hannah Cohen Talks New Album Child Bride, the Curse of Lana Del Rey and the Fashion Industry

0
0
Hannah-PA283225(1).jpgSome time last summer, former model and rising New York free spirit Hannah Cohen released a music video so evocative it demanded a double take. The nearly underwater visuals accompanied "The Crying Game,"  a haunting confessional of lost love and betrayal, sung by a voice that sounds like a cross between the weeping Sirens of Greek myth meets Lana Del Rey. Twenty-five-year-old Cohen, originally from San Francisco, has only been performing for about four years, after a whirlwind stint as a model on runways from Milan to Malaysia.  (She first took off for New York at age 17.) On stage, Cohen is both ethereal and endearing, as evidenced by last Friday's intimate Le Poisson Rouge show. There, Cohen, cloaked in a green poncho, her long brown hair framing her porcelain-like face, sang a stripped down set of tear-soaked songs -- just her on guitar, collaborator Thomas Bartlett (he of Doveman) on piano -- to a crowd illuminated by candles and soft lavender lighting, occasionally bursting into nervous laughter. "I'm waiting for the big applause," she once tells the crowd charmingly. "Like, yeaahhhh!"   The songs are from her upcoming buzzed-about debut, Child Bride, a self-described coded soundtrack to her life recorded over the past year in a half. Cohen met me at West Village eatery Gottino the next day for peppermint tea to discuss stage fright, the album, how modeling prepared her for her budding music career, and her love of animals.

Tell me about "The Crying Game" and the concept for the video:

I became acquainted with photographer Matthu Placek over the last year and a half, who directed the video and came up with the concept.  I started sharing my songs with him and I was in the process of recording. We had actually gone out to San Francisco to shoot and we were playing around, making videos, running around naked in the forest... well, that was just me: I was running around naked, he wasn't. Next time I played him 'The Crying Game" from the record, he fell in love with it, so he imagined, "I wanna submerge you in a huge water tank." He was calling people and they were like, that's gonna be $40,000.  Who knew water was so expensive? Anyway, we build a tank for me on the ground, and it took us eight shots, all one take, in a 17-hour day. They would drown me each time and I had to act like I wasn't holding my breath, and I would just let the water go up in my nose. They had to do my dry and curl my hair and do my makeup in between takes of course, and I was like, "I'm not touching my hair for a month."  I had an emotional hangover the next day, and they were blasting the music. The song is really heavy, so it's just like, water torture.

Were you wearing a life jacket in the tank, or were you just lying there, like swimming lessons 101?

No, I just had my bathing suit on. There's some behind-the-scenes video circulating around on the interwebs. My friend filmed those scenes, and at the end, she just was like, "I just wanna have all the takes of you with snot coming out your nose." You can see me in this video, kind of not that happy.

Tell me about the song.

The song is about a lot of people. I kind of write songs and I think it's a secret code to myself. The tone of the record is pretty heavy.

Tell me about the song "California."

Well, I'm from San Francisco. I moved to New York at 17 to model and the song is just about home, and missing it, and it's my love letter to California. I wish I could be there everyday, but I can't. I hope I could be bicoastal one day. It's my sanctuary, California. But you can't replace New York, either.

Do you like New York?

I do! Now it's my home, but I can be out of sight, out of mind, so I could honestly be anywhere and make it work.


Child Bride is kind of a provocative title for a debut album. What's behind that?

I understand that it is provocative, but my interest in it is being kind of obsessed with how much power those words have. In essence, a child bride is powerless, and I was in a place and a time where I felt powerless.

Did you feel powerless when you were making the record? The songs certainly take on a darker tone and have a sense of longing and heartbreak throughout.

I think the tone that the music was being written from was feeling powerless then, a year and a half ago. When I was making the record, I felt like I hadn't been. I knew what I was doing and I had the support of a lot of really great musicians.  So that part --the making of the record -- was a really positive thing. Just writing the songs is painful.

How long have you actually been writing music?

I've always been around musicians my entire life. My father's a jazz musician; I grew up with a lot of West Coast jazz cats, old guys.  But not until four years did I pick up a guitar and I never really sang before either. I was singing along to like, Billie Holiday songs, but I listened to everyone. These are all my very first songs.

I know you're just getting started, in a way. But it seems to be perilous these days for young, talented female musicians these days, especially in light of the backlash to Lana Del Rey.

I'm a big fan of her work.Her performance on Saturday Night Live was kind of hard to watch because I don't think she was ready, but I think in these times, with records, if there's any attention for it, people are trying to push it. Maybe she wasn't ready to go that far so quickly, but people are like, "Go," and just pushed her too hard. And now she's (allegedly) canceled her shows.  She is probably sick of reading horrible, really nasty things about her.

With that in mind, do you fear anything like that for yourself?

I don't think so, because I hope people don't hate me (laughs). I think the way it's been has been a very natural, organic progression. I read this thing once though, that was like, "People are getting sick of Lana Del Rey, so here, check out Hannah Cohen," and I was like oh my God! The only thing I've gotten close to with that is people have called me Hannah Del Rey.

How did you get into modeling?

I was an athlete, a soccer player. I started playing when I was four, and I was on a competitive traveling league by age 11, then I was traveling all over California training for four to six hours a day. Super jock. Then in high school, I got scouted in the parking lot of Whole Foods. So those people started booking me and I starting working San Francisco, around my senior year of high school, just doing commercial stuff. I didn't want to be a model; I wanted to be a vet. My whole entire life I had leopard geckos and cats and dogs and miniature horses. I still have a miniature horse named B.B. from when I was 10 (short for Black Bandit), who is all black. I used to walk him downtown and people would like, crash their cars everywhere. I would take him into Macy's (laughs). I wanted to be a vet or an athlete, but when I graduated high school at 17, and I moved to New York, where I was with Major and then Wilhemina Models. I lived in Milan, London, Australia, all over the place. It wasn't for me, and I never got to the point where I was a huge high-fashion model. Then I started working with artists once I came back to New York to make my life here, because a lot of my friends were in the art world.

So what was your first show like?

My boyfriend at the time, who does music, invited like, 50 people in this small room at Rockwood Music Hall.  There were music people and I was not ready yet. I was wearing tights and boots and a sweater dress, and I was sweating and shaking. My friend was sitting in the front and was like, "It was so cute, you were shaking!" I was so upset, so nervous. Not cute.  My ex just thought he was helping me and he was but I was just so not ready.  I had taught myself how to play guitar and I know basic chord changes, but I had to make sure I knew what I playing.

Any upcoming collaborations that you're excited about?

 I worked with Thomas (Bartlett, of Doveman), when I recorded a cover of his song "Boy + Angel" for my record, but the next thing we're probably gonna do is this electro-pop-disco-funk thing. I wanna be in a silver jumpsuit and big hair. Or maybe just a high-waisted silver contraption. I'm actually a really up person, though my songs are really sad.

What music serves as mood music for you?

 The last Grizzly Bear album, from a few summers ago,Veckatimest, was the soundtrack to my summer, which was a really heavy summer. I went through a lot of stuff and I put that on. I should send you some Brazilian vinyl records, I get super vibes from that sort of stuff.

What made you decide that fashion wasn't an ideal industry for you to be a part of?

I love fashion but I don't wanna be a hanger. I wanted to be in the high-fashion stuff but I wasn't that girl. So, at that time, I was a sunny blonde, California girl who was also a jock. I was too young and I don't think I was ready for it. Maybe it goes back to the whole child bride thing: not being ready for a very adult world that you're being forced into. I continue to be involved in fashion somewhat but it got a little too dark and I had to go home and reset. Charge my batteries. I loved it but it can suck your blood a little bit. Being 17 and your agency will tell you to lose weight, but just in your legs. But don't run, your legs will get big if you run. So basically, you're telling me to not eat and that some of the girls like to triple-layer their clothes to go running. And it was like, summer and 95 degrees out. They were taking tips from jockeys who immerse themselves in the manure piles and sweat. I felt like that's what they wanted me to do. I think that it got to my head a lot. I've pretty much come out of modeling unscathed, but I don't wish that upon any 16-year-old. Not everyone's so bad, I had positive experiences and met a lot of great people but I had a hard time. It's hard going out when you're 17 and you move to Milan. I remember my 18th birthday, I was in Milan by myself. I went to a café and had a Diet Coke and smoked a pack of cigarettes. It was a solitary moment and I was feeling so sorry for myself.  I had some moments though -- I was once on the cover of Travel + Leisure, and I got to go to Malaysia and Paris for over two-and-a-half weeks: just me, a makeup artist, a photographer, and a stylist going to five-star hotels. It was vacation!

Do you think the fashion industry prepared you for music?

I've learned to be able to relax and just have all eyes on me.  It's a free-for-all for everyone to be looking right at you, which can seem creepy, but modeling has definitely helped me.

Sounds like the rigor of fashion definitely helped you with your experience shooting "The Crying Game."

I was never propelled from a 25-story building. I actually find shows like America's Next Top Model a bit offensive for that sort of thing. I do think what Tyra does is amazing, especially for body positivity, the idea of "the big girl." When you think about it, aren't all the models big girls? They're these tall, huge beings.

Anything else on TV fascinate you?

I don't really watch much TV, it kind of creeps me out. It pisses me off when I watch commercials, and they're so sexist and weird. I watched the Super Bowl and the commercials are so testosterone-driven, I was just -- horrified. I'm horrified by America. I don't mean to sound snobby, I'd just rather read a book, hang out of my friends, or hang out with my cat, Mr. Crabby Tabby. He's really cute. When I play guitar he just sits there and listens.

Photo by Isca Greenfield-Sanders

Breaking: Wes Anderson's Hyundai Azera Ads Are Utterly Charming

Scenes from YACHT's Sold Out Music Hall of Williamsburg Show

0
0
YACHT was in town for one sold-out night Sunday at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. Preternaturally cute duo Claire Evans and Jona Bechtolt's disco-pop art project involves powerpoints, photography, iconography, a sharp all-black-and-white wardrobe, serious dance moves and a commanding live show. Call it the cult of Yacht. Or don't, actually -- the first thing the band says on it's Myspace page: "YACHT IS NOT A CULT. YACHT is a Band, Belief System, and Business." Either way, we're buying into it.

Katy Perry Channels Liz Taylor + Idiot Photobombs Engagement = Eight Items Or Less

0
0
Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 6.54.33 PM.png1.  Oh gawd.  Some asshole (literally, har har) photobombed a couple's engagement photo. [Buzzfeed]

2. Jonah Hill is teaming up with James Franco in a new movie produced by his Moneyball co-star, Brad Pitt.  In "True Story," Franco will play a wanted killer, Christian Longo, who uses the alias Michael Finkel while Jonah Hill plays the real Michael Finkel, a journalist who winds up being the only member of the press that Longo agrees to speak to.  Count us in.  [Indiewire]

3. The Whitney Museum got punk'd!  A website called whitney2012.org alleged that the museum decided to sever ties with two of its Biennial sponsors due to the "firms' corporate conduct" but it turns out it was all a hoax.  Where's Ashton Kutcher when you need him? [NYTimes]


Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 7.10.40 PM.png4. Check out these dystopian photos of the Second Ave. subway site. [Gothamist]

5.  Natalie Portman was all over her fiancé hubby at the Oscars.  The two sported telltale rings on their ring fingers leading observers to wonder whether they've secretly gotten hitched. [US Weekly]

6. Not everyone had a good time last night at Oscars parties.  Blade Runner actress Sean Young, who has a history of erratic behavior, was arrested outside an after-party.  For her part, Young claims she was sober and that the security guard went "postal" and that she may sue the Academy. [NY Daily News]

Screen shot 2012-02-27 at 7.25.10 PM.png
7. Woah!  A sultry, Liz Taylor-esque Katy Perry looks unrecognizable on the new cover of Interview magazine.  Russell Brand who? [Huff Post Style]

8. The Brucennial opens on Wednesday, February 29th and word is that Cindy Sherman, Richard Prince and Jean-Michel Basquiat will have works on display amidst the slew of unknown, up-and-coming artists the Whitney Biennial alternative is famous for. [ArtInfo]


Tips for Today: School of Seven Bells + Rent the Runway Sample Sale + The Tobolowsky Files

0
0
sviib.jpgSchool of Seven Bells + EXITMUSIC at Mercury Lounge

Electro-pop trio-turned-duo, School of Seven Bells, or SVIIB for those in the know, celebrate the release of their third LP, Ghostory, tonight at Mercury Lounge. They play alongside another boy-girl duo, the haunting EXITMUSIC, who are getting set to embark alongside SVIIB on a national tour.

Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St. 6:30 p.m. $15.

Rent the Runway Sample Sale

RentheRunway.com -- the website where gals-on-the-go who have too many fancy events to attend, and not enough cash to spend, can log on to rent dresses for the night -- is having a sample sale. Gently used frocks and accessories from the likes of Badgley Mishka, Catherine Malandrino, D&G, et. al. are up to 95% off, starting today. 

260 Fifth Ave., nr. 28th St. (212) 725-5400. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Through Mar. 4. 

The Tobolowsky Files at The Bell House

Legendary character actor Stephen Tobolowsky has appeared in over 200 films (most notably in Groundhog Day) and TV shows. His podcast, The Tobolowsky Files, wherein he shares amusing stories about his life and adventures, has amassed quite the cult following. Tonight, he performs at the Bell House.

The Bell House, 149 7th St., Gowanus, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. $15 in advance, $18 at the door. 


The Morning Funnies: Jeremy Lin's Boxer Briefs + 19 Skrillex Songs Played at the Same Time

0
0
enhanced-buzz-29673-1330440746-40.jpg
Jeremy Lin's boxer briefs = for sale. [via Buzz Feed]



Need a little more deafening noise in your life? Listen to 19 Skrillex songs played at the same time. [via Vulture]

tumblr_lz2qsv82wH1qjyasqo1_500.jpg
Getchyer bloodied gartered legs! [via Laughing Squid]

6198471.jpgApparently, Slovakians are rallying to name a bridge in Bratislava after Walker, Texas Ranger star Chuck Norris. [via Us Weekly]

SAM_1357.JPGBuppets are a thing now. [via Gawker]



You watched Movie: the Movie. Now watch the making of Movie: the Movie. [via Huffpo]

Johnny-Depp-Leaves-Apartment-Building-in-NYC-5-435x580.jpgHere's Johnny Depp wearing a crazy-bananas outfit leaving an apartment in New York yesterday. [via Celebuzz]

Peter Hoffman On Back Forty West, Fracking and Bloomberg's 'Insane' Grading System

0
0
0U7G0335-vi.jpg

Peter Hoffman's Back Forty West, in the former Savoy space, is now open for lunch. Dinner will start in mid-March. The grass-fed burger made famous at Back Forty's East Village location will be on hand, as well as smoked items (slow-smoked pork shoulder) and suckling pig for big parties. Hoffman has long had a reputation as an environmental crusader and took some time this morning to talk about food, fracking and the changes -- good and bad -- under Mayor Bloomberg.

 
You were a pioneer of the farm-to-table movement. What was the spark?

I was always interested in the natural world and curious about where things come from and how they grow. In many ways the spark was going to France and studying with a woman named Madeleine Kamman and her showing me the regional foods of France and Italy, dishes based on what was growing in the region and what was seasonal. Diving into that culture was fascinating. When I came back to New York in 1981 I wanted to see what was growing here. I realized that we didn't need to buy Dover sole from France anymore, or truffles, and that we should look at what's growing in our region. I wasn't the only one thinking that at the time. There were a tremendous number of people who were going back to the land, asking how to grow great strawberries, how to grow a great pig.

Now everyone's caught up with you, but did people think you were a little crazy at first?

Everybody likes good food. It was the beginning of New American cuisine. I take some satisfaction in knowing how many people care about it now. I didn't feel like an outcast or a pioneer. We were just doing what we were doing.

You're famous for riding your bike everywhere. Have you had any wrecks or lettuce flying out of your basket?

Not for a while. The bike lanes are great. We all have to learn how to share the space better. I used to feel bikers were the gladiators of the streets but you don't have to have that kind of mentality now. With more people riding there's more awareness. It's one of the best steps forward under the Bloomberg administration.

What do you think of the grading system he's instituted?

The grading system is a double-edged sword. There's a lot of craziness involved in it. The number of points assigned to certain violations is really high. We got points for serving pickles that were out of temperature, for using straws that weren't wrapped in paper. I can be a bartender and shake your hand, but if I put a straw in your drink or touch a lime with my hands, even if I just washed them, it's a health hazard. There's all kinds of stuff that's insane. They're dreaming up ways to be concerned about protecting us from things that are not making us sick.

A lot of it seems to be about generating revenue.

Crosby Street had commercial parking for the 20 years I've been here. You could come and do work for two hours, but now it's restricted to 30 minutes. If my refrigerator guy is parked for 35 minutes, he gets a ticket. You can't fix a refrigerator in 30 minutes. He's supposed to leave and re-park the car every 30 minutes? And the fines are large. It makes it harder to do business.

What happened with Savoy? It lasted for how long?

1990-2011. I signed a new lease in 2011 and the rent went up. That's what prompted the change. The neighborhood's different now and we had to offer a new type of dining experience. We knew that it was a great location and we still wanted to be there rather than start over somewhere else.

Is Back Forty West more green than Savoy was?

Yes, we've put in LED lights. Since we'll be doing breakfast and coffee and takeaway we had to source compostable containers and flatware.

Do you still keep bees on your rooftop? Have you seen colony collapse disorder?

The hives are on our rooftop where we live. There were several years in a row where the queen died and the bees didn't come back. I haven't seen yet if our bees made it through the winter.

Are you involved in the anti-fracking movement?

I did a fundraiser, a gumbo cook-off, last week for Chefs for the Marcellus. The organization is named for the Marcellus Shale region upstate that covers a large area of farms and a clean water supply that's endangered. Fracking is not a good thing for any of us, not just New Yorkers. We continue to not really want to pursue conservation and alternate energy sources. We're still looking for that cheap fix and now want to get at it by digging into rock. Governor Cuomo is a smart guy, but he's still on the fence about approving it, there's so much money involved. People say it's about jobs, blah, blah, blah. It's bullshit thinking that gas drilling is the answer for economic stimulus. It's ridiculous.

backfortysmall.jpg

Back Forty West
70 Prince Street (at Crosby St.)
212-219-8570


Magic Wands' "Space" Is Our Music Video of the Day

0
0



Fittingly, the new video for Magic Wands' "Space," starts off with soaring, 80s-style electro, reminiscent of what you might hear before watching a light show at the planetarium.  The drum machines and synths continue building tension as the duo emerge wearing medieval crowns, with Chris Valentine gesturing like a possessed orchestral conductor.  The rest of the video alternates between night shots, the bandmates illuminated in spotlights, strobes and what could pass for flashbulbs, and hazy, purple-y-lit daybreak clips.  Though the twosome's serious expressions never cease, their costumes and gestures make the video feel like they've been playing a game of dress up in Andy Wahol's Factory before scampering outside to the woods.

8 Photos of Dogs Wearing Turtlenecks

0
0
Our site was down for about five hours today, which, while totally nerve-wracking, also left us with plenty of time to do nothing but look up photos of dogs wearing turtlenecks. Keep in mind that we were really looking for unique looks with this roundup and not just a bunch of photos of your run-of-the-mill turtleneck sweaters for dogs. (College students: run, don't walk, to get those Journalism degrees!)

 poodle-tutrleneck.jpg
Poodle in a turtleneck with smart blazer (aka Rocky Balboa from Saturday Night Live's "Dog Show" skit.). Photo via Papermag Twitter follower @JemimaPaloczi


6277066427_af479db0bd_o.jpgArty cable knit shot. (Via SusanMarie2s' Flickr.)

 
Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 5.37.51 PM.png
Dog dressed as Steve Jobs. (via Madeinslant)

Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 5.57.08 PM.pngStripes. (Via Sjmcdonough's Flickr)

il_570xN.96907138.jpgItalian Greyhound Leopard Fleece Turtlneck by RebelWear. (Photo via Etsy.)


Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 5.59.38 PM.png
Tech turtleneck by Hoverfly. (Photo via Etsy and Flickr.)

69880514_a0a7c1c9be_o.jpgYoung pup in baby blue. (Photo via trrpngirl's Flickr account.)


337763114_e98118c6ac_o.jpgVintage dog in turtleneck. (Photo via Miss Retro Modern's Flickr account.)

Lady Gaga's First Photo Shoot + Downton Abbey's Lady Sybil Modeling = Eight Items Or Less

0
0
1. L.A.-based artist Glenn Kaino will represent the U.S. at the 13th annual Cairo Biennale, which runs from December 2012-February 2013. [GalleristNY]

Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 5.36.24 PM.png2. We love the Victorian Gothic look that Downton Abbey's Lady Sybil (a.k.a. Jessica Brown Findlay) models in jewelry designer Dominic Jones' new ad campaign. [Telegraph]



3. Check out Evan Rachel Wood covering Bob Dylan and George Harrison's "I'd Have You Anytime" from Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International. [Indiewire]

Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 6.32.36 PM.png
4.  Look at these photos from Lady Gaga's first photo shoot when she was still Stefani Germanotta working in a restaurant. [Buzzfeed]

5. Azealia Banks took to Twitter to lambast XXL Magazine for including Iggy Azalea in their Freshman Class List saying "How can you endorse a white woman who called herself a 'runaway slave master'?"  The line in question comes from Azalea's (not to be confused with Azealia's!) track "D.R.U.G.S." [Pitchfork]

Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 6.44.34 PM.png6.  It's a baked potato bean bag chair! [Laughing Squid]


7.  Watch Sophia Grace and Rosie (of Ellen and "Super Bass" fame) have a Disneyland adventure! [Vulture]

8. Don't mess with Oscars gifting suite people--they'll send nasty emails with mispellings, apparently. [Gawker]


Tips for Today: Michael Ian Black + Craig Finn + The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye

0
0
MichaelIBCOVERweb.jpg
Michael Ian Black at WORD Brooklyn

Head Greenpoint-ward young comedy-lover, and catch Michael Ian Black in the cozy confines of neighborhood bookstore WORD, where he'll be reading from his latest tome You're Not Doing It Right. The book, which covers everything from meeting his wife, having kids and essentially becoming an adult, in addition to being hilarious, is apparently also quite touching. 

WORD Brooklyn, 126 Franklin St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn. 7 p.m. $24 (includes copy of the book).

Craig Finn at Mercury Lounge

Craig Finn, he of Hold Steady fame, has gone at it alone, releasing Clear Eyes, Full Heart (yes, that's a FNL reference) a collection of slightly less frenetic, quieter, more introspective tunes. He plays alongside New York singer-songwriter Marcellus Hall tonight.

Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St. 6:30 p.m. $15.

The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye at the 92Y Tribeca

Marie Losier's wonderful yet slightly disturbing documentary, which premiered at last year's Tribeca Film Festival, follows Genesis P. Orridge, the legendary frontman of Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV, as he and the love of his life, (the late) artist Lady Jaye, attempt to become the same person. Following the screening, Losier will be on hand for a Q&A.

92Y Tribeca, 200 Hudson St. 7:30 p.m. $12.



The Morning Funnies: Steve Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow's Conflicting Feelings + Maya Rudolph's Un-aired Oprah Impression

0
0
  

Here's Maya Rudolph appearing as Oprah in a SNL Weekend Update segment that didn't make the cut. Rudolph is always amazing as Winfrey and Seth Meyers and Amy Poehler's uncontrollable giggling make the whole thing even better.  [Buzzfeed via Jezebel]



A cat intently watching Star Wars. [Via The Laughing Squid]

posters_AwwHailNoV2-thumb-500x590-27759.jpgFriday, Paul Rudd was on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, where he showed off some never-before-seen movie posters for his and Jimmy's buddy movies. [via Videogum]



Betty White talks about her birthday joke from President Obama on Conan. [Splitsider]

enhanced-buzz-32236-1330249036-0.jpgGoing to the vet is rough stuff. [Buzzfeed]

Screen shot 2012-02-29 at 11.21.59 AM.pngReason number 50 million to love Steve Martin. [The Daily What]

Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 5.59.38 PM.pngWe added some extra photos to our hard-hitting dogs-in-turtlenecks blog from yesterday.


Ten Unlikely Celebrities Who've Endorsed Republican Candidates

0
0
With news today that Mitt Romney barely eked out a win over Rick Santorum in his native Michigan, we wonder what would've happened had Romney not recruited fellow Michigander (and supporter) Kid Rock to boost morale?  Kid Rock, who publicly endorsed Romney during a rally the other day, joins several other unlikely celebs who've pitched their tents in the Republican camp.  Ahead of Super Tuesday, we've rounded up the ten most unlikely celebrity endorsements, based both on whom the celebrity is and whom they endorsed (for instance, we've included well-known Republican Kelsey Grammer for his endorsement of the DOA Michele Bachmann campaign but we've kept Chuck Norris' endorsement of Newt Gingrich off the list because, well, that's not so surprising).   


Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 11.50.23 AM.png1. Cindy Crawford Endorsed Mitt Romney
The supermodel appeared in a video demonstrating how to use Romney's fundraising software [Ed. note: What?].


Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 12.00.08 PM.png2. Dean Cain Endorsed Rick Perry
The former Superman actor told Fox News, "I undoubtedly like Rick Perry."


Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 12.59.52 PM.png3. Kelly Clarkson Endorsed Ron Paul
Clarkson recently took a lot of heat when she Tweeted, "I love Ron Paul."


Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 12.08.30 PM.png
4. Kelsey Grammer Endorsed Michele Bachmann
Like Crawford, the Frasier star also contributed his star wattage to a campaign video, this time for Bachmann's "Troopathon" fundraiser.


Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 12.14.41 PM.png5. Rapper Prodigy Endorsed Ron Paul
The rapper said of Ron Paul
"I love what he represents. I read his books while I was locked up, End the Fed, and all that. I would like to see [him win the presidential election] because I would like to see him shake things up a little bit. I like that type of shit."


Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 12.20.11 PM.png
6. Megadeth's Dave Mustaine Endorsed Rick Santorum
Mustaine said of the candidate, "
Earlier in the election, I was completely oblivious as to who Rick Santorum was, but when the dude went home to be with his daughter when she was sick, that was very commendable."  But, in one of many instances of celebrity back-tracking, Mustaine alleged he hadn't actually "endorsed" Santorum.  Whatever.


Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 12.30.57 PM.png7.Gene Simmons Endorsed Rick Perry
Simmons tweeted, "
The next president will be Gov Rick Perry...I've never been wrong." Oops.


Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 1.53.33 PM.png8. Snoop Dogg Endorsed Ron Paul
Though not an official endorsement, we're counting this because coming from Snoop, this is all a candidate could hope for.


Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 12.39.38 PM.png
9. Gary Busey Endorsed Newt Gingrich
Busey said of Gingrich, "I've never met the guy but I know what he stands for" but, like Mustaine, rescinded his support a few days later.


Screen shot 2012-02-28 at 12.48.02 PM.png
10. Juliette Lewis Endorsed Ron Paul
The actress/singer tweeted,
"Let me be clear I AM NOT A REPUBLICAN or a Democrat even.  But I like #RonPaul #PresidentPaul. He is anti DefenseAct and 4ConstitutionRights."



MyBlockNYC's Video of the Week: "Firmes"

0
0

USER
: ArmandoCroda 
TITLE: "Firmes" 
LOCATION
: Grand Concourse, Bronx 
DESCRIPTION: "Firmes" is an on-going film project documenting low rider community "Firme Ridaz" in the Bronx including their art, their ideals and their devotion to their Mexican heritage.

Hollywood Hunx: On the Boulevard with Seth Bogart

0
0
Yesterday, Hunx and His Punx frontman Seth Bogart debuted his first solo LP Hairdresser Blues. (We hear it was also his birthday -- happy birthday, Seth!). We're celebrating by sharing these amazing photos Rebecca Smeyne recently took of Bogart hunxing around on Hollywood Boulevard, hanging out at a wig shop, meeting Spiderman and eating a Skooby's hot dog with a pal. Looks like it was a really fun day.

 01.jpg

View image full-size
 02.jpg
 
View image full-size

03.jpg

View image full-size

04.jpg

View image full-size
 05.jpg

View image full-size
 06.jpg

View image full-size
 07.jpg

View image full-size

08.jpg

View image full-size

09.jpg

View image full-size

10.jpg

View image full-size

11.jpg

View image full-size

12.jpg

View image full-size


Hairdresser Blues is out now on Hardly Art. Hunx and His Punx play Mercury Lounge 4/4. 

Watch the video for Hairdresser Blues single "Private Room" filmed at the Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo. [Via IFC]



RELATED:
Hunx and His Punx at Sled Island
Hunx and His Punx + K Holes at Mercury Lounge
Aaron Ruell Shoots the Madonna Inn

RIP Davy Jones

0
0

We here at Paper were saddened to hear news today that Davy Jones, the cutest and most charming member of the Monkees, had died from a heart attack at the age of 66.  He brought us hours of childhood joy with his vocals on Monkees' hit "Daydream Believer" as well as his fine maracas back-up on "Last Train to Clarksville" and more. He also made a delightful appearance on an episode of the Brady Bunch singing "Girl" -- a scene that's burned into our brains from hours of after-school TV watching and still makes us swoon like Marcia Brady. Watch the clip above.
Viewing all 7783 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images