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

Let the Title Track From Janet Jackson's New Album Take You Into the Long Weekend

0
0
We've been eagerly anticipating the return of Janet Jackson with her upcoming record Unbreakable which, remember, comes out October 2 (and you can pre-order it right now). But now there's even more music from the album -- Jackson has released the title track, which continues to meet expectations set by first song "No Sleep." From "No Sleep" and "Unbreakable," it seems like Unbreakable will be delightfully dusty, sounding just enough like a throwback to warm and comfort listeners while surprising them with just how immediate and powerful the music actually sounds. It's delightful, and we can't think of a better way to spend your long weekend. Listen to "Unbreakable" below.


Welcome to Loveland: Everything You Need to Know About One of Ptown's Chicest Boutiques

0
0
loveland 3.jpg
Loveland is the type of store that may make you stop in your tracks. You may be en route to a very important appointment but then something in their window -- perhaps a one-of-a-kind ceramic, a strange-looking toy or a beautifully crafted linen -- catches your eye and takes priority. It's a kind of force that is all part of the "bohemian marine," as coined by owner Josh Patner. Like many in the Provincetown retail landscape Patner had an illustrious career in New York (including being the women's fashion coordinator at Bergdorf Goodman's, co-founder of cult fashion label Tuleh, and a fashion journalist for Vanity Fair), before ultimately living out a new dream in Provincetown. His high-fashion background meets the local landscape perfectly in a selection of goods, clothing and curiosities that are all too desirable no matter where you reside.

Can you give us a brief history of Loveland? How did it come about?

I had a varied, 25-year-career in fashion and loved every minute of it. Prior to opening Loveland, I was a fashion journalist. But I felt New York belonged to a younger generation and I wanted to do something that I could touch and feel, and something social after 10 years of the solitude of a writer's life.

loveland 1.jpgHow would you describe your store to someone visiting for the first time?
 

Loveland "The Bohemian Marine" is a pirate ship, filled with treasure big and small, from near and far, costly and inexpensive. I'm the pirate captain, so the ship is filled with different things I love -- handmade ceramics, men's shirts in beautiful fabrics, vintage nautical décor, fine paintings, books, art supplies and an enticing apothecary. Loveland also features selected work made in Provincetown.

loveland 2.jpgWhat are some of your favorite items currently in the store? What are some of the most popular?

I love paisley shirts made in Southwestern France, Royal Daulton Toby porcelain heads, the lemony fragrance of Agua de Colonia Concentrada from Alvarez-Gomez and Gail Browne's linoleum block prints, made here in town.

loveland 4.jpgHave you had any memorable customer experiences? Is there a typical Loveland shopper?

At Loveland, all interactions are memorable and personal, but I am surprised when people ask me if I make everything in the shop!

loveland 5.jpgWhat's unique about having a store in Provincetown? Why did you decide on this location?

I've loved Provincetown for 15 years -- small town life, good people, the spectacularly colorful skies, and being so near the shore. I think Commercial Street is a theater, and the shops here are part of that theater. That means that whether you're an exhibitionistic tourist, the Town Crier, a drag queen or a shop owner, every day is a performance.

Loveland, 120 Commercial St, Provincetown, MA 02657, (508) 413-9500

Photos from Loveland at 120 Commercial St.

For more on Provincetown, check out PAPERMAG.com/ptown

A Tale of Two Cities: Notes from a Ptown/NYC Dual Citizen, Mickey Sery

0
0
3_700.jpg
It's said that if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere, but making it in Provincetown as a seasonal resident isn't easy either. But Mickey Sery has made it work in both locales; the New Yorker's found a home in Provincetown and a job managing one of Ptown's coolest boutiques, MAP. He gives PAPER an insider perspective on how he navigates both the city we love and our new favorite vacation spot.

How long have you lived in New York and how long have you been coming to Provincetown? What initially brought you up?

I've been in New York City for 15 years and I live in Manhattan under the 59th Street Bridge. The specific area of town I live in doesn't have a name so I started calling it BEast for Bloomingdales East. I first visited Provincetown in 2012 when my friend Chris dragged me there for a summer trip. I had never heard of Provincetown before but I love an adventure so I said yes. I fell in love with the magical little town on my first visit and started making annual weekly trips out there.

5_700.jpgWhen did you start splitting your time between the two locations?

In 2014 I was bartending in NYC and was itching to escape the city for the summer. I was tired of the heat and the anger levels of all the city inhabitants on those brutal summer days. On a whim I applied for a bartending job in Provincetown. I was lucky enough to get hired at a popular bar. When I arrived all my coworkers asked me where else in town I was working. I found out most people in Provincetown have two or three jobs so they won't have to work as much during the winter. I figured the only other place I'd work in town was at my favorite store, MAP. The owner, Pauline, has an amazing memory of her customers and she remembered me from my previous visits. I asked if she needed extra help and she said no. I left her my number and a few weeks later I got a call that she needed someone. Pauline and I just kind of clicked and now I'm a manager at MAP. I work at the shop in the mornings until I have to go over to bartend.

What's the best part of living in both "cities"? What do you tend to miss about New York when you're in Provincetown and vise-versa?

I love living in two different cities because it makes me appreciate the other one more. When I'm in Provincetown I miss the small amenities New York has to offer like late night food deliveries and dropping off your laundry. When I'm in New York I miss the laid-back vibe Provincetown has and being around nature, especially being able to take evening rides on my friend Maria's boat.

2_700.jpgBiggest differences between the two places or populations? Unexpected similarities?

The bars in NYC close at 4am while bars in Provincetown close at 1am. It might seem annoying but there's usually an after-hours party happening. Provincetown gets a lot of visitors from all over the world, including New York. I get to meet and hang out with people who I may never have gotten to known in the "big city." Provincetown, like New York, also has a huge entertainment scene. I've gotten to see some amazing shows in Provincetown from acts that I might have missed in New York.

Photos are from Mickey Sery's Instagram.

For more on Provincetown, check out PAPERMAG.com/ptown

Talking Fischer-Price DJing, Gayngels, and Bearmania with Provincetown Nightlife Guru Mark Louque

0
0
mark_700.jpg
Staking your claim on the Provincetown nightlife is not an easy task. The drag queens that host regular nights are at the top of their form and work for years to craft a unique persona that cements their individuality amongst all the rest. The bartenders have to not only be able to handle the waves of tourists but be the caliber of person suitable for more permanent Provincetown residence: a little weird and very welcoming. One person who's been able to make a mark on the scene is Mark Louque, a local legend whose built up the fringes of Provincetown nightlife for over 8 years. He's the personal gatekeeper to the most memorable events on the Provincetown scene.

Mark's most legendary party, FAGBASH, has been a Wednesday night thrill fest for nearly a decade. The party is a bacchanalian queer rage, a small party riot burning brightly each week amidst the quieter Provincetown landscape. The name refers to an explosive party rather than any violence -- in fact, it's a queer club where any and all on the LGBTQ spectrum can feel like they've been given access to a strange, wonderful world inaccessible to the mainstream. It's an event that alone would earn him star status on the scene, but he's also created a wildly popular calendar of events during one of Provincetown's busiest weeks, Bear Week (mid July annually), called BEARMANIA. It includes alternative discos, bear poolside parties and more. He'll also DJ or promote a cool art gallery reception or work a Carnival week event, if they hit on the right mix of alternative and unforgettable. Part of an underground network of DJs who hit the road for different festivals, parties and woodland raves, Louque has DJ'd in cities like London, Berlin, Paris, Lisbon, Montreal and more. We caught up with him after a Ptown Carnival event just before he jetted off to a gig in Pittsburgh to hear a little insight into his party regimen.

How did FAGBASH come about?

FAGBASH began out of necessity, not just for the local fags and weirdos of Provincetown but because our global community was begging for something new. I had secretly been collecting rare disco records and other aural obscurities for years and decided I should share these sounds with others. I started with a podcast called "The Crave Club" (see if you can spot the Showgirls reference), which I broadcast live from the Cape 8 years ago -- this was when I realized I was a DJ. Ok that's a lie....I've know I was a DJ since I was 3 years-old playing the 7" of Cher's "Dark Lady" on my Fisher Price turntable. So anyway... myself and a few locals got together with the intention of creating a safe, creative space with an underground soundtrack -- that's when our party was born.

What should someone expect when they come to the party?

Here you'll find everything from drag terrorists to leather daddies in gowns and wigs. We set a VERY loose theme each week so no one ever really knows what to expect. The idea is to provide a space and vibe then lets attendees be the ones to color the event. What I CAN say is that each week for 8 years I have been blown away. As long as that keeps happening we will keep doing this party. LONG LIVE FAGBASH.   

What's unique about the nightlife in Provincetown?

Provincetown is not reality and no one wants it to be. It's where we go to escape for a moment or in some cases permanently. Overall, the nightlife in Provincetown is what you might call mainstream but historically the freaks and misfits also flock to our little speck of land and that's who we cater to and exist for. We are channeling the 'Gayngels' of generations past (as Leo Herrera would put it). People often leave our event thinking they've gone back in time....this is the highest compliment.

What have been some of the highlights of the party this past summer? What's still to come?

All of this year has been a highlight! Special guests Include (but are not limited to): Bouffant Bouffant, Aaron Clark, NARK (Kevin Kauer) & Ambrosia Salad, Vicki Powell & Sindri, TNX (Bil Todd, Tommy Cornelis, Baronhawk), LeFox, Christeene, The Carry Nation, Sparber, Deejayzero, and Steamy Brown.

Follow Mark Louque and FAGBASH on Facebook for all upcoming events and details, including where and when to go.

Photo from Mark Louque's Facebook

For more on Provincetown, check out PAPERMAG.com/ptown

YBAs 2.0: 10 Rising British Art Stars You Should Know

0
0
It may be over twenty years since everyone started gagging over a group of British artists like Tracey Emin, Damian Hirst, Sarah Lucas and more who were dubbed the YBAs (or Young British Artists) but the UK -- and London specifically -- remains home to one of the world's most thriving art scenes, with an ever-expanding portfolio of artists and galleries that never ceases to surprise with inventive concepts and honest wit. Here, we cherry-pick a selection of the most inspiring artists to recently emerge from the creative capital, from guerrilla graffiti and pioneering filmmakers to performance, sculpture and provocative collage.

Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 11.56.00 AM.pngBen Woodeson, Clamptastic, 2013

Ben Woodeson
Kicking off our list with a bang, quite literally, Woodeson is renowned for creating work that shakes, spins, shatters and even ignites, challenging our perception of everyday materials. From precarious glass sheets and neon beams to clusters of surplus metal, his minimalist sculptures pull on both strength and fragility, exploring the equally unpredictable nature of man and material. He most recently exhibited his shock factor at the BERLONI Gallery in London, with a series of high-voltage glass and brass plates titled 'I love you, I want you, I need you... (Hot for Carl)' so-called after another inspirational and controversial minimalist artist, Carl Andre.

63215-8179828-1_jpg3.jpgA piece from Hannah Farrell's Close Your Eyes and Think of England series

Hannah Farrell
Playing with found imagery and objects, Hannah Farrell's provocative surrealist photography and collage pull on pop culture and consumerism, ranging from erotic magazines of the 1960s to the alluring work of French actresses such as Jeanne Mauro and Catherine Deneuve. Like these women, her work is elegantly mysterious, racing with sexually-charged undertones.

 
Lawrence Lek
Frankfurt-born Malaysian-Chinese artist, Lawrence Lek is a sculptor, artist and writer based in London. He won the Dazed Emerging Artist Award 2015 for his dystopian virtual simulation, titled 'Unreal Estate', which used video game software to imagine a future in which the Royal Academy of Arts has been sold off as a privately-owned luxury estate. His multimedia work uses installation, performance and audio-visuals to create an immersive world of art and technology, which explores modern culture through a virtual lens.
 
JesseWine-youngmanred2.jpgJesse Wine, Young man red

Jesse Wine
Jesse Wine's beguiling glazed ceramics range from abstract goblets and Mediterranean fish to Young man red, in which clothing comes alive in the form of suspended garments and ceramic footwear. Responding to the quirks of modern life, his colorful cartoon approach bursts with personality and humor, drawing on the rich history of ceramic art.

ZhuTian-Babe3.jpgZhu Tian, Babe, 2013

Zhu Tian
Chinese-born, London-based artist Zhu Tian won the 2015 Caitlin prize for Dirty, a sculpture featuring colorful hanging torsos connected by pipes. She has previously sewn human hair onto fleshy high heels (Babe, 2013, commissioned by ELLE China), and bound herself to gallery curators using Clingfilm (Cling to a Curator, 2015), an installation that depicted young artists' desperation and dependency on gallery curators. Her provocative work is candidly honest, amusing and inventive, fast gaining her the reputation for one of the most original artists to emerge in the last few years. Tian describes herself as a 'Hiccup' -- unexpected, reactive and inappropriate -- which, incidentally, is also the name of a sculpture that won her the Broomhill National Sculpture Prize in 2014.

JackStrange-Metaphorical Vegetables.jpgJack Strange, Metaphorical Vegetables

Jack Strange
From plastic bags and cross-sectioned vegetables to twiglets encased in glass plinths, Jack Strange's playful laboratory transforms discarded and everyday objects into abstract sculptures. Laced with humor, his imaginative mixed-media installations have been exhibited internationally across Berlin and New York turning the mundane into the marvelous.

JoeCruz1.jpgJoe Cruz
Armed with a photocopier and a stash of pastels, artist and illustrator Joe Cruz has already attracted commercial attention for his bold marks and tropical color schemes, applying chalky scribbles and expressive streaks to vintage fashion editorials, jazz record sleeves and photography of renaissance sculptures to create his surrealist cultural remixes. Inspired by the Brutalist architecture of the city, an oeuvre of his work over the past three years is currently in display at the Book Club, London.

Emma Corrall - Bamboolino.jpgEmma Corrall, Bamboolino

Emma Corrall
Recent Central Saint Martins graduate Emma Corrall uses performance and sculpture to create hypnotic, surrealist videos. Her conceptual mop-heads, harlequin prints and bamboo backdrops sit somewhere between Leigh Bowery and Where the Wild Things Are, as she brings inanimate objects to life through her theatrical dance rituals. She was selected for the Helen Scott Lidgett Studio Award and the Caitlin Guide 2015, and has an upcoming solo show at the Acme Project Space, East London, where she currently holds residency.
 
Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 12.16.30 PM.pngMary Stephenson
If everything Midas touched turned to gold, everything Mary Stephenson touches turns to paper. Hailing from Scotland and now based in London, she creates intimate 'paper portraits' through an intricate process of prop-making, painting and photography. Call it the original Paper Towns, her cut-out narrative captures everyday life, from her daily routine to a butcher's shop.
 
Stik, Pitfield Street, Hoxton.jpgStik, Pitfield Street, Hoxton

Stik
Dubbed 'the next Banksy,' Stik's distinctive black-and-white figurative street art can be spotted across London, climbing down buildings in Hoxton or leaning on tower blocks in Ealing. He created his cartoon character while living homeless in the city -- a basic stick figure born out of necessity, as it was quick to draw, meaning he wouldn't be easily caught, and required only basic spray paint. His work has since traveled to the bricks of Berlin and New York and gained a celebrity following from the likes of Bono, Brian May and Elton John, as well as a collaboration with Berlin Wall artist Thierry Noir. While you can't readily buy a piece of his handiwork, you can now have it on your coffee table with the release of his first, self-titled book.

Chrissie Hynde Defends Her Rape Comments In New Interview

0
0
crissy.jpg
[photo by Eamonn M McCormack/Getty]

Last week, Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde got in some hot water for her controversial comments re: rape. Speaking with The Sunday Times, Hynde said her own sexual assault was, "all my doing and I take full responsibility," and that, "If I'm walking around in my underwear and I'm drunk? Who else's fault can it be?" -- a stance many have derided as victim blaming, including former Runaways bassist Jackie Fuchs

Now in a new interview with The Washington Post, Hynde says she stands by her comments, telling the paper that people are, "entitled to say whatever they want. Do I regret saying it? I don't know. I haven't really thought about it." She then goes on to reiterate that what she said, "sounds like common sense," deflecting her statements by bringing up the Syrian refugee crisis, stating, "families have been destroyed and we're talking about comments that I allegedly made about girls in their underwear."

Even when asked about the implications this line of thinking may have for her own daughter's future, Hynde simply says, "Most people aren't as stupid as me. I wouldn't expect most people to do some of the stuff I did. But then again, most people don't get to be a rock star, either. We have to walk the plank. I don't think that's a sign of intelligence, I don't know what it is a sign of. I'm not saying I was asking for it. It wasn't the same as walking down a street in the middle of a nice evening and somebody dragging you into a bush with a knife in your throat." Ok.

Hayao Miyazaki Is Creating A Kiddie Nature Retreat

0
0
hayao_miyazaki_-_h_-_2013.jpg
photo via Getty Images

Many of legendary animator Hayao Miyazaki's films operate on ideas of environmentalism and peace, so it makes sense that his first post-retirement project should be a nature retreat for children. 

Spending approximately $2.5 million of his own money to develop a forest clearing on a remote Japanese island called Kumejima, construction is not set to begin until next April -- but we can't wait to see what this Ghibli-shipped summer camp is going to look like.

Intended to help children develop an appreciation for the natural world through first-hand experience, the retreat will include a two-story dormitory designed by local firms and using local materials. Check out a drawing of the sanctuary plan below. And then start saving for flights.

miyazaki_nature_sanctuary.jpg

Beyoncé Gave You a "Crazy in Love" Remix for Her Own Birthday

0
0
It's Beyoncé's birthday, which usually would mean an excuse to revisit the entire Bey catalogue, but today means it's time to listen to some newly available music. A slow, brooding remix of "Crazy in Love" that sounds like it should be on the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack -- and, spoiler alert, actually was on the 50 Shades of Grey soundtrack -- is now easy to listen to via Spotify and Apple Music. Check out the Spotify stream (and wonder with us why this didn't go up on Tidal). [via Billboard]


Alex Ross Perry: License to Confuse

0
0
Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 3.04.24 PM.pngAlex Ross Perry and Elisabeth Moss

Alex Ross Perry's new film Queen of Earth is a portrait of two friends growing apart, struggling to reconnect while vacationing together at a lake house, but ultimately unable to move past old resentments. At least, that's how the film starts.

But in one of the most unexpected narrative mutations in recent American cinema (extremely vague spoilers ahead, but seriously just go watch it for yourself), a character does something you absolutely don't see coming, a party gets unnervingly out of hand, and you're then left with an ending that actively refuses to resolve any of the questions that you have accumulated. It's the sort of late act twist that indicates you weren't watching the movie that you thought you were, but something much bolder and more ambitious.  

The same could be said for your preconceptions about the writer-director behind all this. Not that completely upending the idea of an Alex Ross Perry film was his plan going in, mind you.

"There was a scene that made what is happening very explicit. But it was like, 'you know what would be more fun? Let's get out of this scene right here, let's skip the next scene and jump ahead in order to really make sure this is a mysterious moment,'" Perry says. "Most independent films would narratively copy the storytelling formula of the biggest Hollywood films and just be like 'Don't worry about it, let me tell you what's happening.' My instinct is to inch a little bit away from that."

Perry is sitting in the New York offices of IFC, sporting a light glaze of stubble and a chipper but not too-chipper attitude. A long afternoon of interviews alongside his star Elisabeth Moss, who just left the building, hasn't dampened his enthusiasm, and he's not even annoyed that someone brought him a chicken salad for lunch even though he specifically asked for something meat free. He's an urbane, witty guy known for making urbane, witty films, and he is here to talk about a mood piece-turned-psychological thriller that is quite sophisticated but most assuredly lacking in quips.

A crackling origin story isn't mandatory for a young filmmaker looking to establish a foothold, but it certainly helps, and Perry's is better than most. He moved from Pennsylvania to attend New York University's film program, and also worked as a clerk at the iconic cinephile hub Kim's Video, an experience that helped make him agnostic to genre snobbery. "You can take home a cheap Italian horror movie and a masterpiece of French cinema on the same night and watch them both, and each has its own experience," he says. "But to say that one is more valuable than the other, I don't agree with that and I don't plan to implement that in the movies that I want to make."

His first two features, 2009's Impolex and 2011's The Color Wheel, were made on the cheap, acclaimed by the critics who saw them and barely distributed outside of a handful of New York theaters and bittorrent sites. His third film, last year's Listen Up Philip, attracted not just national distribution but a high-profile cast and even better reviews, many of which used some variation on the term "Philip Roth-ian." It starred Jason Schwartzman as a difficult young novelist and Moss as his girlfriend who begins to realize that she deserves better, and it seemed to cement Perry as a filmmaker firmly in the witty, world-weary lineage of Woody Allen and Noah Baumbach.

Queen of Earth features no jokes, no ruminations on the indignities of urban life or the anxieties of the modern beta male. He insists that he wasn't consciously trying to avoid being pigeonholed with the tonal shifts of Queen of Earth, but it's a welcome side benefit.

"If this was my first movie and it was received well, and then I wanted to make a literary comedy, people would be like 'that doesn't make any sense'" he says. "It's just a challenge to myself to see if I had learned as much as I thought I had learned about making movies that I could do something fairly different than what I had made before. Can I put something very familiar inside of a totally different box, using a lot of these people that I trust and work with?

"I knew everyone else could pull this off," he says. "The only person who was at risk of failing to do this was me."

Queen of Earth, which also stars Katherine Waterston and a surprisingly unlikable Patrick Fugit ("I hope to have a whole career where I just endlessly prove I can take any actor and turn them into a repellant monster of a character"), was written in the aftermath of Philip premiering to rave reviews at Sundance. After more than a year of constant work to get his breakthrough off the ground, Perry wanted nothing more than some time alone. "I thought 'I've earned the right to sit at home and do nothing for the rest of the winter, and people said 'You didn't earn anything. You aren't entitled to your own privacy, you aren't the King of England.'"

The "difference between what you're saying you want and what you remotely could have" informed the journey of Moss' character, who claims she just wants to be left alone in the wake of a break-up and death in the family, but then immediately goes on a vacation with a difficult friend. As for why she does this, and what she might see or do later in the film, you'll have to figure it out on your own, as Perry refuses to make things easy on himself, his characters or his audience.

You could easily say that Moss' character is suffering from depression, but Perry would never say that himself, he says, because "Then it's just a factual movie, instead of a very mysterious movie that takes place in a sense of logic between real and fantasy, dreams and nightmares and all that stuff." He wanted to let the tone of the movie "be very neutral, instead of saying 'I've diagnosed this character. Here's what they have. Here's how you should treat them.' And most independent movies do say 'here's how you should treat these characters.' That's very uninteresting to me. The only characters I want to be that black and white about are superheroes."

It should be noted here that Perry's remarks should, in no way, be interpreted as a slam against superhero films. He's as liable to reference Roman Polanski and "Eastern European-style black humor" when discussing his film as he is to posit that "the subjective experience of what we're doing doesn't have to be any different than the subjective experience of the thrill ride you get from watching Mad Max." Perry loves himself some mainstream popcorn filmmaking, and if anything seems to hold it in higher esteem than the majority of current independent cinema, which he deems too safe and television-like.
 
"If I'm going to give a film 90 minutes of my time, there should be something to it that goes above and beyond what an episode of my favorite show does," he says. "A lot of people toiling in the trenches and making independent movies ... prefer to really manipulate you with their script and not even bother to take you on a ride with their camera. And for me, I want to manipulate you with the camera and let the script suggest things to you that are yours now."

This summer has seen two of the more young and adventurous voices in relatively low-budget cinema get promoted to the Hollywood big leagues with decidedly mixed results. Colin Trevorrow, who won raves for 2012's Safety Not Guaranteed, had one of the biggest hits of the summer in Jurassic World. Josh Trank, who won raves for 2012's Chronicle, had one of the biggest flops of the summer in Fantastic Four. For his part, Perry is currently "inching into that world" beyond just being an avid fan. Once the promotional tour for Queen of Earth wraps up, he will return to his Brooklyn apartment and get back to work on a script for a live action-remake of Winnie the Pooh that he is writing for Disney. Perhaps you find yourself surprised by this development. Perry does not. "I really felt from the very beginning, absolutely beyond a doubt, that I was the best person for this job."

The idea that independent cinema types are inherently obligated to sneer and renounce the mainstream world is an old and inaccurate one (Quentin Tarantino script-doctored The Rock and Crimson Tide and John Sayles wrote for Roger Corman, to name but two examples). But it's still an idea with enough institutional weight that, much like musical poptimists that love Taylor Swift and Godspeed You! Black Emperor with equal fervor, Perry feels emblematic of a new generation of filmmakers who are actively looking to deconstruct outdated binaries, and do away with the "90s idea," he says, of selling out.

The notion of selling out, he says, is "based on a system where there are opportunities to keep going without selling out. And that system doesn't really exist anymore. I could make three movies like Queen of Earth every year, and I wouldn't have enough money to live for more than four months. The system where an independent filmmaker doesn't, financially, chase bigger jobs really doesn't exist," he says. "At this point, everyone knows you gotta do what you gotta do, and they know with the diminishing audiences and the diminishing theatrical opportunities and just diminishing returns, everyone knows that from journalists to critics to filmmakers and musicians, if you're putting out stuff that you care about, you're scrapping by.

"I could make Queen of Earth and write for Disney, or I could just write for Disney. But I can't just make Queen of Earth."

Perry is relaxed and confident in conversation, happy to discuss his aesthetic and commercial choices but never once hinting that he feels the need to justify them. Why should he feel bad about working for Disney, after all, when unlike many of his indie-minded peers, they can actually deliver on their end of the bargain?

"When I go see The Avengers I don't want to debate what the ending means for 90 minutes. I want to have a good time, I want to go for a ride with the superheroes and I want to watch stuff explode, and I buy a ticket and I have that experience and that's why those movies make hundreds of millions of dollars," he says. "On a certain kind of movie, that's exactly the experience that I love.

"But you buy a ticket for a film like this, the deal should be: challenge me."

Queen of Earth is playing at some of our nation's finest independent theaters and is also currently available on video on demand. 

Sign The Petition To Make Beyoncé's Birthday A National Holiday

0
0
BFA_12170_1497737.jpg
photo by Joe Schildhorn/BFA

The BeyHive is finally getting their act together and petitioning the Obama administration to make September 4th an officially recognized holiday called B'Day, in honor of our Beyoncé's birthday. 

After all, according to the petition, she's made "numerous positive contributions to the betterment of both the musical landscape and society as a whole" -- fittingly followed by a list of ways to celebrate, which include acknowledging who run the world (girls), reminding those around them that they woke up like this, informing past romantic partners that if they liked it, they should have put a ring on it, flexing while their hands are up, and, of course, feeling themselves (wink). 

And while the petition will need 100K+ signatures within the next 30 days to make it onto Obama's desk, looks like Michelle could grease the wheels a bit. Talk about prime lobbyist.


[h/t Uproxx]

The 10 Most Hellish Movie Musicals Of All Time

0
0
Growing up, we knew a child who would run screaming out of the room every time we put on Ethel Merman singing. It was an almost Pavlovian response that used to amuse us greatly but something about her singing scared the shit out of that kid.  I assure you this- the ten movies on this list will have the same effect on you.


Mame (1974)

Lucille Ball's sad attempt to play the beloved Auntie Mame is a joyless affair, noted more for the fact that every time the aged actress appears, the hazy screen looks like it was shot through a keg of KY Jelly. When she dons a transparent mask and croaks "We need a little Christmas" she's more frightening than Freddy of "A Nightmare On Elm Street" fame.

Diana Ross The Wiz Toto.JPGThe Wiz (1978)

"Mama, why is Dorothy so old?" I heard a child ask during the 1978 remake of "The Wizard Of Oz" in which a mature Diana Ross plays the tornado-transported tot that made Judy Garland famous. It's hard to say what's scariest: the sweat stains under her arms as she eases on down the road, the tacky sets, the hideous costumes, the awful choreography, or Michael Jackson as the Scarecrow.


Lost Horizon (1973)

A ludicrous musical version of Frank Capra's mythical tale of the survivors of a Himalayan plane crash who discover the secret kingdom of Shangri-La, where no one grows old...or can carry a tune. The low point is watching famed Ingmar Bergman actress Liv Ullmann leading a group of unattractive children over a hill in an arm swinging, mind-numbing, ditty entitled "The World is A Circle".


Paint Your Wagon (1969)

Three words: Clint Eastwood sings.

Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 4.18.33 PM.pngAt Long Last Love (1975)
Peter Bogdanovich's painfully charmless, big budget, disaster attempting to re-create the spirit of the Fred Astaire/Ginger Rogers musicals by employing the unlikely crooners Cybill Shepherd and Burt Reynolds to belt out 16 Cole Porter Tunes. The one saving grace is the sublime Madeline Kahn.

music_robin_gibb_career_gallery_4.jpgSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band(1978)

The Bee Gees star in this lame attempt to weave 29 Beatles songs in a whimsical fantasia. Peter Frampton stars as Billy Shears, who lives in Heartland and is in love with Strawberry Fields. The stars suckered into this fiasco include Tina Turner, Billy Preston, George Burns and Alice Cooper. Halfway through you'll want to swallow ant poison.


Can't Stop The Music (1980)

This camp, idiotic, film capitalizes on the marginal popularity of the heterosexually challenged disco group The Village People. It features a jaw-dropping Busby Berkeley-like number set in a locker room in which partially nude men whip towels at each other and dive into a pool to "YMCA". Oh yes, and before Caitlyn here is a young Bruce Jenner in short shorts.


The Apple (1980)

Set in the future- 1994- this movie posits the devil is a record producer named Mr. Boogalow who has started a dance craze called "The Bim". He uses drugs and sex to seduce a sweet, folk-sing, duo (Alphie & Bibi), until an old hippie named Mr. Tops saves the day by taking everyone to a new planet to start over. This beats out other musical turds like "Godspell" and "Jesus Christ, Superstar" in terms of hippie horror film.

The-Phynx.jpgThe Phynx (1970)
This rock comedy was so bad that Warner Brothers, who made the film, never released it. It's now out on Warner Archive DVD and it will scar you for life. It's about a dastardly dictator in Albania who has kidnapped several American celebrities (Pat O'Brien, Colonel Sanders, Xavier Cugat, Dorothy Lamour, Butterfly McQueen, Ruby Keeler etc.) and a CIA computer called MOTHA that creates a four-member rock band called The Phynx who will become so popular they will be invited to Albania so they can rescue the stars. The awful songs the Monkees-like group sings: "What's Your Sign?" and "Nearly Blew My Mind" were written by famed team Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoler. But you'd be better off jamming pencils in your eardrums.

03ce10a757958888b9a206e565436f7c.gif
Xanadu (1980)

Almost fascinating in its awfulness, the moronic premise is that Zeus has sent one of his daughters (Olivia Newton-John) to Earth to inspire an artist (handsome Michael Beck) and a retired musician (Gene Kelly) to open a giant glitzy disco roller rink called Xanadu. Really? The worst of 80s flash, with garish costumes, klutzy choreography and even baffling animated sequences. Watching people roller skate on screen is so irritating you fantasize throwing out a bag of marbles. The great Gene Kelly tries to retain his dignity even during a cringe-inducing segment where he is dragged to a clothes store and dressed in silly outfits. Olivia Newton-John, God bless her, sings her Aussie ass off. And the finale is so God-awful you want to scream "Xana-don't!"

The Best, Worst, and Weirdest of the Week

0
0
Most DGAF President: Okay, so this is image is definitely edited from an actual photo posted by the White House. But given all of the crazy fun stuff President Obama has been up to in the past few months, you sort of kind of actually started to believe maybe he did this mess with the internet, didn't you? Just let yourself laugh. -- Eric Thurm 

Screen_Shot_2015-09-02_at_12.07.57_PM.0.png
Most Sorely Missed Internet Relic: RIP Time Cube, one of the strangest, most beautiful parts of the internet for many, many years. If you've never heard of the weird philosophy of the Time Cube, check out this primer at The Verge, and cry for what you have lost. -- E.T.

Most Terrifying Photo Capturing Otherwise Inhuman Monsters Evincing Possibly Relatable Characteristics and Tastes: Self-explanatory. Yikes. -- E.T.

Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 4.03.16 PM.pngAngel That Was Sent From Heaven Above of the Week:
Kevin Spacey's older brother, Randy, who happens to be a Rod Stewart-impersonating limo driver in Boise. What a guy! -- Abby Schreiber

Best/Worst First Impression: Turns out a 23-year-old job applicant accidentally sexted a couple n00dz to the company's HR Manager, who promptly reported him to police and, uh, rescinded his job offer, because duh. -- Sandra Song

Bone-Headed Old People Comment of the Week:Chrissie Hynde's remarks about rape, followed by a distant second-place finish from Keith Richards who called rap fans "tone-deaf."-- A.S.

fedora.jpg
Douchiest Piece of Clothing Ever Invented: As if the world wasn't a terrible enough place, apparently there's now a tiny fedora for just your man-bun. May God help us all. -- S.S.

sadellesplatter.pngNYC Food News of the Week:
Sadelle's, the Jewish deli/appetizing shop/bistro from Major Food Group -- aka the team behind Manhattan favorites Carbone, Santina, Parm, Dirty French and ZZ's Clam Bar (RIP Torrisi) -- opened the appetizing section of the place earlier this week where they're dishing out insane-looking bagels, spreads and bakery treats. But what's really making our mouths water is the soon-to-be-available smoked fish tower. I mean, c'mon! -- A.S. [pic via Grub Street]

tumblr_nu5njiTUzV1s2psyxo1_1280.jpgBest Fall Fashion Advice on Tumblr:
It's jants season, baby! -- Elizabeth Thompson

Worst Festival Horror Story: Apparently a woman at a British "fish festival" thought she had teleported across the festival harbor when her toilet was accidentally forklifted across the grounds...with her still in it. And horrifyingly enough, apparently this isn't an uncommon occurrence. -- S.S.
Best TV Mashup: Most TV mashup things on the internet are, um, not particularly artful -- relying on the instant gratification of "hey, look at these two things I like together" to draw in eyeballs. But these drawings of Game of Thrones characters in the style of Bob's Burgers are really adorable, and spot on. Check them out if you like both shows. -- E.T.

Screen Shot 2015-09-04 at 4.18.43 PM.pngMost ~Unique~ Fashion Trend of the Week:
The plastic bag trend taking Taiwan by storm whereby girls (and a few dudes) turn the sacs into mini-dresses and other garments. You do you, Taiwan. -- A.S.

The Return of Dadbod is Nigh, All Plus-Sized Male Models are Apparently in Germany

0
0
47064522.pngMorwenna Ferrier has a piece up at The Guardian today asking, "Where are all the plus-size male models?" This is great reporting -- it asks a seemingly very obvious question that had yet to be answered, and follows it to the end. The answer? Surprisingly, Germany, where, according to agency owner Mona Schulze, "customers want to be able to identify with the models."

The story is fascinating enough on its own, but Ferrier starts her piece by discussing a fashion show called The Dad Fashion Show, which should raise centuries-old memories of old internet memes. Yes, it's back: "Dadbods are more than a fad," Ferrier writes, silencing the screams of countless people who spent too much time online in May.

As you'll recall from the last time dadbods were a thing, there are a few factors to keep in mind when discussing soft-edged male bodies:
  • Generally speaking, people should not be made to feel ashamed about their bodies by society, a maxim that includes men.
  • However, men have historically gotten off pretty lightly on this front thanks to patriarchy, which means no one thinks it's weird when shlubby dudes date extremely attractive women. Men have to put far less work into their appearance, and many of the same people defending their dadbods would never date someone with the same body type.
  • And yet women report enjoying dating these men because it makes them feel comfortable with themselves, which is good (see first bullet).
And, as Ferrier points out, obesity is a serious health problem, which means that, while the first maxim of non-shaming still holds, there are certainly some cases where it's in someone's best interest to make some changes to their habits (genetics, diet, exercise, etc. considered).

So does this revelation mean that men who look like Jason Segel or Hitch-era Kevin James need to get their strut on and start going out for modeling jobs? Maybe! It'd be cool to see a more representative body of work from agencies, as well as a greater diversity of ideas of beauty in general. But please, men, don't think you're going to become a model overnight.

Because I need those jobs.

dadbod.png

The Sunday Funnies

0
0


Watch the promo for the new season of Billy on the Street. [PopCultureBrain]
 
Screen Shot 2015-09-06 at 9.09.54 AM.pngBARRY.

tumblr_nu3eymPxH31s2yegdo1_400.gifWait for it.... [LaughterKey]

tumblr_ntrt4mL27N1qewacoo1_1280.jpgWe've found it: The photo that is the Platonic embodiment of  ''wut."  [FYeahDementia]

15OMJ.jpgSide effects may include turning into a screaming, bigot misogynist butthole in a wig made of Big League Chew. See your doctor immediately. [Mlkshk]

tumblr_muc093zkVX1s7flczo1_1280.jpgCan't belieb it. [FYouNoFMe]


Us this weekend. [TastefullyOffensive]
 
tumblr_nrbd12FgEk1s6no8oo1_1280.jpgSo tell the world about your dream last night, your commute! Shout it from the rooftops! [FYouNoFMe]


Screen Shot 2015-09-06 at 8.33.47 AM.pngWhere is the lie. [LaughterKey]


A super-chill video of a pug playing "Enter Sandman" on the drums. We're off to never ever land indeed. [TastefullyOffensive]

15OEZ.gif#BreakTheMuppetnet [Mlkshk]

tumblr_nmn115Q2ms1tew4mqo1_500.jpgCIA sucks at twitter. [FYouNoFMe]

15P0K.pngEvery kiss begins with 'za. [Mlkshk]

 
Eric the cockatoo puts the family dog on blast. [TastefullyOffensive]

tumblr_nu2c9n87OM1qlpyreo1_500.jpgThe kind of marketing for 18-45 year old men we came here for. [FYouNoFMe]



Watch this video about Roo, the handicapped Chihuahua and her best friend, Penny, the silkie chicken, then scream forever. [TastefullyOffensive]
 
tumblr_nu4kjaNSrk1scdmnro1_1280.jpgRemember when Bill O'Reilly was sued for allegedly sexually harassing a Fox News associate producer and the lawsuit included a transcript of him telling her he wanted to rub a loofah all over her breasts but he called the loofah "a falafel?" I think about that almost every day. [HopeYouGetWellSoon]

15OVT.gif
Have a chill 3-day weekend. [Mlkshk]

Scenes from the West Indian Day Parade

0
0
The West Indian Day Parade, an annual celebration of Caribbean culture taking place each Labor Day Weekend in Crown Heights, returned on Monday and, despite reports of violence (including a tragic incident that involved gang shootings that critically injured a lawyer for Governor Cuomo's administration, an innocent bystander), the festivities continued on, as exuberant as ever. The day started with the pre-dawn party called J'ouvert taking place in the early morning before revelers hit the parade route streets, and Paper's Rebecca Smeyne was on hand to capture all the glittery, feathery, fabulous vibes. Take a look at photos below.

































Writer/Director Jennifer Westfeldt Splits From Long-Time Trophy Boyfriend

0
0
Writer/director Jennifer Westfeldt, known for Kissing Jessica Stein, the cult movie about a lesbian relationship, and the 2011 film Friends With Kids (which she wrote, directed, produced, and starred in), has split from her long-time trophy boyfriend, an up-and-coming actor known largely for the meme-worthy public character of his dick. The pair, together for 18 years, are reportedly breaking up on good terms, unable to reconcile Westfeldt's desire for the family with her partner's lack of interest in children. This is pretty sad news -- they seemed like a good couple. It's just too bad that men have to put children on the back burner in order to have a shot at career success. Here's hoping that, wherever life takes this Jon Hamm guy, the choice was worth it.

Premiere: Ellie Herring Gives Us An Acid Explosion With "Maze"

0
0
Screen Shot 2015-09-08 at 10.56.28 AM.png
Lurking under the radar for the past 18 months, Lexington, Kentucky-based electronic artist Ellie Herring is back -- and this time she's white-hot levels of blindingly bright. Falling in line with the Internet's penchant for candy-colored, acid-tinged electronic as of late, Herring puts her very own spin on it, complete with a hefty dose arpeggiated horns, serrated synthwork and even an unexpected touch of D'Angelo, which all makes for a perfect song to close out the summer season. Peep the brand new Purple-drenched "Maze" below, all while getting some background from our Q&A about her wonky, maximalist reincarnation.

 
There are elements of bounce and acid here that are pretty new additions to your work. Why did you decide to go in this direction and stray away from the more introspective vibe of your Chipped EP et al.? 

It definitely wasn't a conscious decision to move into a new direction, there's not a stand out moment that I remember thinking, "Okay, let's flip this thing completely now." It's so hard for me to chill in one style when I'm aware that creating music has the ability to pull my mood around with it, and from that point of view any style I'm working in is still fairly introspective. 

Listening to the track feels like you're playing some manic, Special K-infused Mario Kart game, but what was your initial inspiration for "Maze"? Was the virtual reality video game aspect an important factor in its composition? 

Haha, that's about right. Probably endless video game influence now and in the past. Although, most of the video games that I'm interested in now are definitely more cinematic and so are the sounds. The influence is there, but the sounds aren't intentional. If I produced a song that I felt would really show how influenced I am by video games, it would probably end up being a boring, literal recreation.

I'm intrigued by the sludgy vocals that pop up here and there, seeing as how it's such a jarring contrast from the , who provided those? Why'd you decide to manipulate them in such a way? 

The vocals are from a late 90s hip hop song that I stumbled on about a year ago with a lot of clever pop culture references that I'm really into. They remind me of the 90s and most of what I was listening to in the 90s was hip hop. I pulled a piece of these to use a repetitious little vocal piece but ended up leaving in a verse about D'Angelo as well. 

The entire song is very aggressive -- like sensory overload of these incredible techno-tinged, warehouse classic elements. I'm just curious to know what your writing process is like. How do you determine what's too over-the-top or if you need to amp something up etc.? 

"Maze" is so close to being too over-the-top for me. I produce songs by layering a lot of elements and then going back to remove what's muddy. Or bump them around to different breaks in the song where they're blending a bit better. There are lot of happy accidents when I more or less reverse engineer something like this. "Maze" is me at an aggressive level of energy -- not in a Limp Bizkit "Break Stuff" way, but more of a "be really happy with me and dance a whole, whole lot" way. 

Is this the beginning of a more upbeat acid-influenced Ellie? What's in store for you? 

I think this the beginning of a more upbeat / abstract me. I've worked on a lot remixes this summer, most of those are upbeat and have helped me guide me through making some new moves.

James Franco Is Now Teaching a High School Class

0
0


Esteemed educator/actor James Franco is apparently recruiting for a high school filmmaking class he's organizing for this fall. Which like, okay, but remember the time he attempted to hook-up with a 17 year-old on Instagram last year? No? Who? What?

Teaching an 8-part film course at his alma-mater/Stanford-incubator Palo Alto High School, Franco and Co. are searching for 24 eager-beavers looking to create a film worthy of screening at a film festival by the end of the year. All you have to do is write a 200-word essay on "WHY YOU WANT TO BE IN THE WORKSHOP AND WHAT YOU WOULD BRING TO THE CLASS," as well as a one-minute cell phone-shot video.

And if your baby essay and iPhone video is up to snuff, you can join Franco in learning how to produce documentaries on BDSM porn and the gay leather scene, all while embracing your inner-calendar model. All part of a well-rounded high school curriculum! 😐

[h/t Vanity Fair

Meet Wilhelmina's NYFW S/S '16 Badass Models

0
0

New York Fashion Week is nigh: Models are walking the streets of New York with their books on the way to castings, catwalks are being constructed at NYFW's new Skylight Locations (RIP Lincoln Center) and anyone you know who works in "the industry" is currently crying at their desks. But let's not forget the stone-cold chicness that goes hand-in-hand with this time of year, which could not be better encapsulated than in this new Women's Show Package video from Wilhelmina, featuring the insanely gorgeous faces and a-game glaring you can expect to see on the runways this season. Meet Veronika Vilim, Sofia Tesmenitskyaa, Altyn, Valerie S., Lula, Embry, Olivai A., Sydney Nelson, Augusta, Beegee in the clip above.

Let's do this NYFW.

Alexa Chung Has A New One-Stop Fashion App Called VILLOID

0
0
alexa-10070005.jpg

Oh, It's On re: Alexa Chung, because now you can peep her enviable wardrobe via her brand new app, VILLOID.

Available today via the iTunes app store, VILLOID allows you to follow your favorite brands and users, all while creating inspiration boards of aspirational style pics and products. It also provides a "buy" button, making for a streamlined shopping experience via your mobile device. Talk about a one-stop shop!


Viewing all 7783 articles
Browse latest View live




Latest Images