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Off-Off-Off-the Grid

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Last July, video artist Mika Rottenberg and sculptor Jon Kessler traveled to Botswana to shoot a film for their performance art installation, "SEVEN." The film screened at Nicole Klagsbrun Project Space in New York for Performa 11 this past November. Here, they describe their experience off-off-off-the grid for our Winter Issue travel feaure.

The way I work is very random, wherever I go. For this project, my collaborator Jon Kessler and I knew we wanted to go to a far away place, so we started by putting our finger on a map, which landed on Botswana. 

I actually circled Botswana three times before I found the setting for the film. The first time I went, a friend and I rented a car and I was looking for this kind of clichéd poster-like African landscape, and when I arrived I realized that it doesn't really exist--it's just a lot of bush. That classic African poster image is not so easy to find. 

We were starting to get worried because we couldn't find a location, but we stopped in this tourist hub, Maun, and someone told us about this place near Gweta, so we drove there and that was it. It was nothing basically. It was kind of going to the other part of the world to find nothing. Because it looks like flatlands; this cracked, dried, wide place.

There was no electricity, so we took these showers from buckets of hot water in the light of the moon, which was such an amazing  experience. We were living off-off-off-the grid.

We ended up shooting two or three hours away from the village in this little cattle-post. When we filmed we literally had to chase the sun. Because you see it so big coming up and coming down, and because it is so flat you really feel the earth circling the sun. 

The last day we took everyone in a bus to shoot in another location that was six hours away, it was like a field trip. At that point we were really friends with the local cast. On the way back, a few of us drove in the bed of a pickup truck at sunrise. It was freezing so we were wrapped up in blankets; there were tons of giraffes and zebras on the road, and it was this magical, magical thing.

The villagers thought we were crazy at first. We brought New York stress to the middle of this peaceful village. We brought all these insane props that Jon built, and my friend Steve came with these LED glasses that would light everything. They thought we were like aliens, like the day these weird three people landed from Mars. At first they did not understand why we would make them do the same actions over and over again, and why we would suddenly take a break, and then work like super-hard. Then slowly we had the translator, and I was able to explain to them, more and more, the process of filmmaking. A lot of them hadn't seen a TV before, so it took them a while to understand, but they totally got it in the end. But I mean, any way you look at it, they were right, we are crazy.

We'll be posting more pieces from our Winter Issue travel feature through out the week. You can read about Sasha Grey's trip to Thailand and Germany hereTwilight star Jackson Rathbone's account of being robbed in San Francisco here, Momofuku Milk pastry chef Christina Tosi's 10 traveling rules here, designer Nicola Formichetti's love letter to Ibiza here and London trio Is Tropical's crazy, drunken time in Russia here.
 

Titania Inglis' Eco-Friendly, Experimental Line

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Sustainability is at the core of Brooklyn-based designer Titania Inglis' eco-friendly, experimental, eponymous line. "The concept of sustainability is a dichotomy in itself: It's about nature and about the future, and so is my line," Inglis explains. These contradictions are evident in her spring 2012 separates, featuring asymmetrical sheer and organic cotton constructions, playing on ideas of lightness and darkness. The line is available at End of Century in New York and titaniainglis.com.

Michael Pellew's Planes, Trains and Automobiles

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mp-feat.jpgBrooklyn-based artist Michael Pellew has amassed a devoted following (including Sufjan Stevens, Opening Ceremony, Spike Lee, the editors of Paper magazine) thanks to his signature, squiggly drawings of hilariously grouped-together famous people, and meticulous renderings of buses, trains, and planes. For our Winter Issue travel feature, we commissioned him to create seven of his famous greeting cards, combining his aforementioned two favorite subjects -- celebrities and travel. Pellew is represented by the nonprofit LAND studio in DUMBO, which generates and showcases the art of adults with developmental disabilities. Below, he chats about his drawings. 


How would you describe your project for Paper?
Michael Pellew: Breathtaking. I worked on celebrities in different kinds of transportation.

It seems like this project gave you a chance to combine two of your favorite topics--sort of a perfect storm of Michael Pellew subject matter.

MP: It brought together all my favorite subjects into one bright and sunny place.

And how did you decide which celebrities to include in the drawings?
MP: Magazines and TV shows.

How do you choose to draw Taylor Swift instead of, say, Cher?
MP: I like her music, especially her Christmas album.

So it's not just random celebrities. You choose your subjects because you like their music?
MP: Yeah. While I'm drawing, I think about places to go and people to meet; who I would like to meet.

You go to the LAND studio and work every day. Did working on these drawings feel different in any way?
MP: Working with the deadline made it a little different. There comes a time in life when you want to grow and try something different. This was a challenge.

Why do you think you were chosen for this project?
MP: Because I'm the number-one largest artist of all-time. I'm the Godfather of Art.

We'll be posting more pieces from our Winter Issue travel feature through out the week. You can read about Sasha Grey's trip to Thailand and Germany hereTwilight star Jackson Rathbone's account of being robbed in San Francisco here, Momofuku Milk pastry chef Christina Tosi's 10 traveling rules here, designer Nicola Formichetti's love letter to Ibiza here, London trio Is Tropical's crazy, drunken time in Russia here and video artist Mika Rottenberg and sculptor Jon Kessler's account of going off-off-off-the grid in Botswana here.
 

Jennifer Herrema Goes Black Bananas

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Jennifer Herrema has been a hell-raising, rock 'n' roll goddess since she was 16. the former model fronted snarling rock bands like Royal Trux and RTX, and over the past few years she turned her attention to fashion design, creating a custom denim line for Volcom. Now she's back with her former RTX bandmates for their new project, Black Bananas, and a new album, Rad Times Xpress IV, out January 31st.

How is the Black Bananas project different from RTX, and why were you motivated to begin recording again? 
Well we never stopped recording, it's what we do anyway, fuck around in the studio. We've all been working with each other for a bit of time so naturally as a unit we rolled into our own steez. We built Black Bananas on a solid fucking foundation.

On the album, you collaborate with Kurt Vile for the Rolling Stones' cover "Before They Make Me Run." How was that?
Kurt came through SoCal with the Violators, so we all got together in our studio and got it done. Our voices sound amazing together so we've decided to do some more recording of originals this coming year. Kurt and I are alike in that we do what we want when we want and don't give a fuck about the poseurs and the haters.

OK, what's your craziest story from the road? 
Oh boy! A couple years ago we were on tour and there was a "crew" of fans that had all chipped in and rented us a motel room next to theirs that was stocked with a full bar, weed, etc. and a recording set-up. We drank their drinks and smoked their weed but refused to "perform" for them and locked them out of the room. They went nuts so we called the cops and got them taken away. They were presumptuous motherfuckers. We didn't owe them anything.

From Kristen Wiig to Wendy Williams to Lana Del Rey: The Best of What Was Said in PAPER + PAPERMAG This Year (Part 2)

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Earlier in the week we published part one of our favorite quotes from Paper and Papermag.com stories published this year, now here's part two!
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"Pedro [Almodovar] understands how to write stories about women. Normally we are just the lady in the background, or the lover of somebody, or the woman who helps in the office. Those roles are not relevant. Women's universes are amazing places that deserve to be talked about."
Elena Anaya, star of Pedro Almodovar's latest film, The Skin I Live In. From "Skin Deep," September 2011.

"Don't rush into anything. Wait till the right [girl] comes along. It's better to have no girlfriend than the wrong girlfriend."
Glenn O'Brien giving his 11-year-old son Oscar dating advice. From "Boys to Men," September, 2011.

"[My mother] was  like Ann Sheridan...She had red lips, red nails, red hair and a huge personality. Huge. She should've been me, and I should've been her. She would have relished the spotlight and that's not my thing at all. There isn't a rock I couldn't hide under. Her influence on me was incredible. I remember when I was 11 she told me, "You have to earn your own living so that you marry the man you love, not the man you need." I never forgot it."
Fashion designer Norma Kamali on her mother's influence on her career. From "Guru: Norma Kamali," September, 2011.

"I've known Daphne [Guinness] for a long time. At the beginning, she was a bit more, let's say, normal..."
Valentino on Daphne Guinness' style evolution at her Fashion Week FIT Museum Opening. September, 2011.

"Fame causes people to spend their lives circling the drain of Los Angeles. Since the logic of getting dressed is organized around the pursuit of attention, an L.A. fashion statement tends to say: Ooh look at me, I am so sexy. New York is primarily driven by Greed, so fashion statements generally reflect bank statements: I have money/I need money/Don't take my money/I am taking your money. Washington, D.C. dwellers crave Power, so clothes, in a psychological sense, resemble the defense industry that drives the D.C.economy -- it's office-wear so over-protective as to resemble body armor or camouflage."
Cintra Wilson on the clothing habits of the American female. From "Dresss Codes," September, 2011.

"We were playing stages that were the size of a postage stamp. Some nights, the four of us literally couldn't fit on the same stage."
Wild Flag's Janet Weiss on the indie all-star band starting from scratch and playing tiny clubs when they first began touring. From "The Wild Ones," September, 2011.

"Comfortable, boring, black."
Elle creative director and All on the Line host Joe Zee, describing his personal style at Lanvin's Fashion's Night Out Party. September, 2011.

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"Everybody is saying to me, 'You have to be like this person, you have to be like that; you've got to be younger.' I know that doesn't work for me. I just want my fans to be happy about the direction I'm going in. I'm never going to stop doing me."
Mary J. Blige on staying true to her fans. From "Hail Mary," October, 2011.

"I do like bottle service and I do like banquettes. Those are the things for a 47-year-old woman to like at a club."
Wendy Williams on going clubbing in New York. From "Out on the Town With Talk Show Hostess With the Mostess, Wendy Williams," October, 2011.

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To my Southern Baptist family back home, I tell them that God blessed me with a bountiful butt, and shaking it is my ministry."
Reality star-turned-ER-nurse-turned-part-time-dancer Will Wikle on his side-career as a go-go-boy. From "Confessions of an Accidental Go Go Boy," October, 2011.

"I'd deny that I was a promoter -- I hated the word and the connotations. I just wanted a party that I wanted to go to and for the first few years, I was the first on the dance floor."
L.A. promoter Matt Goldman on starting his first dance party at then-empty downtown bar La Cita. From "24 Hour Party Person," October, 2011.

"[The ZigZag party at Le Bain] is like Noah's Ark for New York nightlife, a place where the best of each subculture escapes to higher ground -- except in this case it's for debauchery."
ZigZag organizer Jordan Bradfield on Le Bain's popular party. From "Lives of the Party," October, 2011.

"I don't smoke weed. I'd tell you if I did. This is America."
Chef Eric Ripert on his late-night eating habits. From "Eric Ripert on Le Bernadin's Renovation," October, 2011.

'Video Games' is a song I love every part of. I wrote it when I let go of ambitions and just wrote about my life. I know there is sort of feminist thing surround that song, like, 'This is a step back for women...all she does is dress up and watch her boyfriend play video games.' But the truth is, I wrote that song when I was putting my life and the people in it first, and I was singing about the things that made me happy."
Lana Del Rey on her much-buzzed-about single "Video Games," off her upcoming album Born to Die. From "Siren Call," October, 2011.

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"I feel there's this blurring, where people start to think I'm as sad as a character I play, or as incompetent, and I have fans sort of wanting to take care of me. And I want to say, 'Actually, I've got it pretty together. I made a whole movie!'"
Miranda July on the unsettled, vulnerable characters she plays on screen. From "Miranda July is Running the Show," November, 2011.

"New York was becoming too grown up, too expensive and too top heavy. Performa let a lot of air in again. I wanted to get back to ideas, back to the artists -- not just the collecting endgame of the story."
Roselee Goldberg on why she started esteemed New York performance art festival Performa. From "Bringing Life to Art," November 2011.

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Humor is an important vehicle for truth and information, and there's no shame in that, even if a lot of people dismiss my art because of that. I'm not going to get serious just to have people take me more seriously."
Artist Tom Sachs on injecting humor into his work. From "You Better Work," November 2011.

"San Antonio was hot. Hot as hell. I'm from India so when I say it's hot, it's hot. If they had asked me I would have suggested Paris or Florence. I wouldn't necessarily have picked Texas in July."
Padma Lakshmi on filming the current season of Top Chef in San Antonio, Texas. From "
At the Top of her Game," November, 2011.

"I thought 'Where's a nice place where you could smash everything up,' and that would be a wedding."
Fred Armisen on the inspiration behind his "Crisis of Conformity" hardcore punk wedding band sketch on Saturday Night Live. From "Fred Armisen and Crisis of Conformity," November, 2011.

"We wouldn't want to get involved with any band we love, because they're already doing great without us."
French electronic duo Justice on why they won't produce or do remixes for bands they admire. From "...And Justice For All," November, 2011.

12Dec11-thumb-604x792-73455.jpg "It's unfortunate that this is only now being talked about, because women have been present in comedy for so long. There have been tons of movies with lots of women in them before Bridesmaids. It's just a confusing thing to me. But you know, if more movies are getting green-lit, and writers are getting a chance because of this movie, I couldn't be happier.  That's such a great thing, because the fact that they weren't is kind of awful."
Kristen Wiig on hesitating to say Bridesmaids is any step forward for comedies written by and starring women. From "She's Arrived," Winter 2011-2012.

"I'm fine with saying the normal 'F' and 'C' words, but famous and celebrity are off-limits in my book, I just think they are nasty words,"
The Descendants star Shailene Woodley on fame. From "The Secret Life of Shailene Woodley," Winter 2011-2012.

"Hanging out with a tiger is probably something I'd never do again."
Actress Sasha Grey on spending time with wild animals in Thailand. From "Sasha Grey's Adventureland," Winter 2011-2012.

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I find [my character] not necessarily arrogant but rather sort of endearing because he doesn't see the wall he's about to hit."
Actor Jean DuJardin on his character, George Valentin, in the Artist. From "Face Time," Winter 2011-2012.

"I know a lot of people are like "Shut the fuck up, you're on Gossip Girl!" But..."
Penn Badgley on organizing an Occupy Wall Street seminar at the Bowery Hotel. From "Penn Badgley, Zoe Kravitz and Alexa Chung Host Occupy at Bowery Hotel," December, 2011.

"I mean, this sounds a bit wet in the vagina, but when you're there you're just like, "Fuck."
Mugler creative director and Lady Gaga's stylist Nicola Formichetti on Ibiza. From "Get out of Town with Nicola Formichetti," Winter 2011-2012.

"I'm usually walking around in all-black, but I really like getting to wear those girly colors when I film the commercials because, really, isn't it always nice to put on a pretty dress?"
"T-Mobile Girl" Carly Foulkes on the trademark pink dresses she wears in the phone company's popular commercials. From "Pretty in Pink," Winter 2011-2012.

"The Kardashians are the bane of my existence. I watched their show on a plane once and jumped out. Kim is feces with shoes on -- and you can put that in your headline."
Comedian and Billy on the Street host Billy Eichner. From "Taking it to the Streets," Winter 2011-12.

It's a Brad, Brad World (And PAPER's in the first episode!)

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We were already planning on curling up with a bowl of popcorn and catching tonight's premiere of Brad Goreski's new Bravo reality show, It's a Brad, Brad World, but now that we know Goreski's  "Styled Like Me" PAPER shoot from our May 2011 issue is featured in the premiere, we're going to watch with a bowl of popcorn and a celebratory Dixie cup of Andre Extra Dry Brut! It's a Brad, Brad World follows Goreski's ascent from assisting Hollywood styling honcho Rachel Zoe to forging his own career in fashion styling, as well as his relationship with boyfriend and TV writer/producer Gary Janetti. Goreski is such a ray of hammy, bow-tied Canadian sunshine and we're certain this show will be a big hit. How can you not love this man? In honor of tonight's premiere, we've included outtakes from Goreski's featured PAPER shoot in the gallery above. Below, a sneak peek of the series. 

 

Tips for Today: Greed at Film Forum, ALEXCALIBUR at Arlene's Grocery + Room & Board Sale

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greedfilmforum.jpegGreed at Film Forum

So you've seen The Artist. Now maybe it's time to see an actual silent movie. Head to the latest installment of the Film Forum's Monday night film festival of silent movies: Erich von Stroheim's 1924 classic, Greed. The full ten hours of this epic (about a dentist whose wife wins the lottery, and then becomes obsessed with money) were edited against von Stroheim's permission to a more reasonable two and a half hours. Catch what is considered to be one of the best silent films of all time tonight with live piano accompaniment by Steve Sterner.

Film Forum, 209 W. Houston St., (212) 727-8110. 8:15 p.m. $12.50.

ALEXCALIBUR at Arlene's Grocery

ALEXCALIBUR, the nom de band of one Alex Gulla, is a sight to behold. Often clad only in red underwear, and incorporating props and generally wild antics into his live show, this punk phenom is playing a free show tonight at Arlene's Grocery. So come, and be prepared for something a little bit different.

Arlene's Grocery, 95 Stanton St., (212) 995-1652. 9 p.m. Free.

Room & Board Sale

If your white Ikea Ektorp is feeling a little worse for the wear -- even after you've turned all the pillows over to hide the wine and take-out Pad Thai stains -- might we suggest heading over to the last day of the Room & Board sample sale, where the chic furniture line's sofas, tables and rugs are up to 50% off. 

Room & Board, 105 Wooster St. (212) 334-4343. 10 a.m.-6 p.m.


Idle Warship's "Laser Beams" Is Our Music Video of the Day

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Not sure if you were there on New Year's Eve, but this is what Times Square looks like on a normal night.  As you can see, it's not totally empty and you might even run into Talib Kweli and his Idle Warship partner, Res, shooting a clip for "Laser Beams" from their latest album, Habits of the Heart.  The Brooklyn rapper and Philly singer even brought along a mirror to entertain the crowd in this clip directed by Bernard Gourley.  Idle Warship are playing at SOB's (204 Varick Street) on Wednesday, January 4th.


Scissor Sisters Featuring Azealia Banks' "Shady Love" Is Our First 2012 Obsession

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We interrupt our normal broadcasting schedule to bring you another "Music Video of the Day." It's the new Scissor Sisters single, "Shady Love," from their upcoming album and it's a killer. When we first heard the track, we did a double take because it sounds so fresh and new (like a laundry detergent!) and un-scissory that we couldn't believe it was really by them. It features a brilliant rap by Azealia Banks (plus some production help from Boys Noize) and the video, directed by Hiro Murai, is great too. Bands: when in doubt, cast cute but not creepily hammy kids in your music videos. It always turns out awesome. Can't wait for the new album!

Satan Is Real Has the Best-Designed Book Cover of 2012

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Sure, we're likely a smidge premature in naming Charlie Louvin and Benjamin Whitmer's Satan Is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers the Best-Designed Book Cover of 2012, but even two days into this new year, we're pretty sure nothing else can top the masterpiece pictured above. Designed by George McWilliams at Meat and Potatoes, the cover is a to-a-tee replica of a '50s pulp novel, and features the doomed country duo belting it out in the fiery depths of hell. Here's the blurb from the back of the book:

"The beautiful and tragic saga of the Louvin Brothers -- one of the most legendary country duos of all time -- is one of America's great untold stories. Charlie Louvin was a good, god-fearing, churchgoing singer, but his brother Ira had the devil inside of him, and was known for smashing his mandolin to splinters onstage, cussing out Elvis Presley, and trying to strangle his third wife with a telephone cord. Satan is Real is the incredible tale of Charlie Louvin's sixty-five-year career, the timeless murder ballads of the Louvin Brothers, and an epic tale of two brothers bound together by love, hate, alcohol, blood and music."

Uh, this book sounds awesome. Whoever wants to read it with us in our just-formed "Papermag Timeless Murder Ballads Book Club " should definitely do so.

Satan Is Real: The Ballad of the Louvin Brothers is out tomorrow, January 3rd, via It Books/Igniter Books. (Here's a video of the brothers performing their hit "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby.")

Agent Provocateur

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In 1971, an 11-year-old Matthew Modine returned to his family home in Orem, Utah, to find his dog missing. This wasn't entirely unexpected; Modine had moved away from Orem a few years earlier, leaving his dog buried in the home's backyard. But the grave was nowhere to be found.

Neither was the backyard.

Modine also couldn't find the house. Nor could he find the large apple orchard that had bordered the drive-in movie theater -- the one his father had managed when they had lived in Orem. The drive-in was gone, too. In fact, the only thing Modine found when he stepped off the bus from Midvale -- where his family now lived -- was a new Grand Central supermarket fronted by an acres-wide asphalt parking lot.

"It was like the Joni Mitchell song," Modine remembers. "Don't it always seem to go..."
Some four decades later, the 52-year-old actor and filmmaker remembers that loss as the moment of his environmental awakening.

"It's a reflection of horrible, unsustainable growth," says Modine of the developmental sprawl that devoured Orem and countless other towns across the country. "When do we look at it like a doctor, and say that if we don't change our behavior, this growth is going to kill us?"

Modine's early roles contained a hint of this socially conscious streak -- albeit applied toward a different cause. Early in his Hollywood career, after moving to New York to study under august acting teacher Stella Adler, he starred in a string of award-winning films about the Vietnam War: 1983's Streamers, 1984's Birdy and 1987's Full Metal Jacket.

These were deeply critical accounts of war. But not all films of the era were so discerning -- which is why Modine famously turned down the role eventually given to Tom Cruise in Top Gun, one of the more conspicuously rah-rah war flicks of the late Cold War. He says he refused the part after traveling to East Germany, where he encountered a number of Russian soldiers. "They were just kids," he remembers.

"The problem was not people, the problem was politics between our two countries," Modine continues. "People are people. Governments and religions are quite another story. It's wonderful to imagine life without either."

In fact, Modine wants to take on both. But it's not just politics and religions that irk him; he's also got a bone to pick with poverty, inequality, violence, nuclear proliferation -- all the toxic byproducts of Western civilization. Including, of course, the environmental degradation he saw when visiting Orem as a kid.

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Tricky though it might be to tie all these issues together into a coherent whole, Modine's pulled it off -- and in a 15-minute film, no less. Jesus Was a Commie, which Modine wrote and co-directed with filmmaker Terence Ziegler, has been at a selection of film festivals around the world since its release this past November. (The video will be available through iTunes at the beginning of the year, along with several of Modine's other directorial works -- including I Think I Thought and To Kill an American, which Modine says "should be seen as one film" together with Jesus Was a Commie. "All three illuminate areas in our minds where we've turned off the lights.") Provocative title notwithstanding, Jesus Was a Commie is hard to argue with. Adapted from an essay Modine wrote for Finch's Quarterly Review, a highbrow zine that boasts contributors like Kevin Spacey and John Malkovich, the film is an elaborate montage of religious, historical and scientific imagery, along with footage of Modine -- playing an everyman named "John Doe" -- exploring the streets of New York. As the images flash by, Modine's voice guides the viewer through an intricate but compelling argument: That global harmony and personal responsibility are more important than ever in an age when the world can be snuffed out with the push of a button.

Fairly uncontroversial stuff -- but that hasn't kept Modine from receiving his fair share of hate mail. "I shouldn't be surprised when I am attacked for giving it that title," says Modine. "The disappointing thing is when people identifying themselves as Christian are threatening me for the title alone. They haven't seen the film and yet they have judged it."

Raised in a heavily Mormon state, Modine knows a thing or two about the devout, and contrary to what one might think after seeing Jesus Was a Commie, he also doesn't think of himself as anticapitalist. Instead, he says, "I am pro-integrity. I am pro-responsibility. If my actions cause the suffering of another species or fellow human being, I want to do what is in my power to change that behavior."

He may have the heart of an altruist, but Modine's still a professional actor -- which means playing the bad guy when the part requires it. He was recently tapped for The Dark Knight Rises, Christopher Nolan's upcoming Batman movie. Online rumor has it that Modine's character is a villainous politician. Modine only has one thing to say about that: "Don't believe what you read on the Internet!"

And what about all those other evils in the world: suburban sprawl, nukes and the like? If he could make one sweeping change to address it all, says Modine, he would strike the problem at its root.

"I would ban any frivolous use of gasoline," he says. "I would also enforce gas rationing on all citizens. Encouraging carpooling and in- vestment in the infrastructure of our country with light rail, trains and trolley systems. And of course bike lanes. Encouraging young people to ride bikes to school instead of buses and cars."

It won't bring his dog back -- or the house in Orem -- but that kind of personal responsibility just might be a start.

Kim Jong-Il Dropping the Bass, the Same Pic of Dave Coulier Every Day + Animals Being Dicks -- Our Top 10 Tumblrs of 2011

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Although Tumblr has been kicking around since 2007, 2011 was the year the microblogging site crashed into mainstream American culture (even Time magazine -- your grandfather's news magazine -- now has a "Tumblr of the Week" feature in every issue!)

Since everyone and their blogging brother has a Tumblr these days, PAPERMAG has picked the top Tumblrs from the past year. And don't forget to visit PAPERMAG's Tumblr. Enjoy and reblog away!

1. Feminist Ryan Gosling

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Note: Special thanks to Pat Baer, house manager of the UCB Theater East Village and Tumblr'er extraordinaire, for his recommendations!

French Graffiti Artist Maxime Bezat Arrested + a Jonathan Toubin Update In Today's Eight Items or Less (Things We Missed During Break Edition)

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Here are a few things we missed while we were on holiday break...

rask.jpg1. French graffiti artist Maxime Bezat (aka RASK) was arrested in NYC last week on several felony charges related to "defacing" MTA property.  He was released on bail, but his passport was seized. [Animal, NYDN]

2. An update on Jonathan Toubin's condition. [IHeartJT]

3. New York pop artist James Rizzi passed away at age 61. [AP]

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4. Rick Ross made it rain money during a New Year's Eve show in Miami, but it was only "Washingtons." [Miami New Times]

5. Eight Ways To Go Viral. [Tech Crunch]

6. Ken Friedman and April Bloomfield might open a new restaurant on the LES. [Eater]

7. How 30 Rock will tackle Kim Jong Il's death. [UsWeekly]



L.A. Garage Punks Fidlar's Crazy New Year's Eve House Party Show

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Papermag photographer Rebecca Smeyne is in L.A. for the next few weeks, where she'll be covering shows, events and all the general weirdness the city has to offer for us. Below, her account of a boonanas-sounding New Year's Eve party with garage punk band Fidlar.

L.A. is a place where people tend not to stick to plans. Call it flaky or call it spontaneous; either way, an essential part of living here, it seems, is an ability to "go with the flow."  And so, on New Year's Eve, instead of attending the highly anticipated Give Up the Ghost reunion show (they're a seminal hardcore punk band whose members include include Wes Eisold of Cold Cave), I ended up at a gloriously gritty house party in Eagle Rock. The main attraction was LA-based Fidlar, whom I first discovered at Vice/Noisey's CMJ party a few months ago in New York. At that showcase, despite the presence of many buzzier bands (e.g. Caveman, Twin Shadow, Bleached, Main Attraktionz), the one that stuck with me was Fidlar, a young, as-yet unsigned garage punk act.  And thus, I was thrilled to catch them on New Year's Eve in their native setting, performing on the ground in someone's backyard, flanked by rowdy, psyched fans and an old RV. The party sprawled in every direction: a row of spectators sat atop the RV, guys peed on neighbor's fences, couples made out behind cars, people alternately sprayed and swigged from bottles of champagne, girls from the party in fur coats drunkenly conversed in a nearby ampm convenience store parking lot, the closest source for beer.

To the uninitiated, Fidlar sounds like a terrible band name, but it resonates with past and present skater kids; in that community, the word is known as an acronym, standing for "Fuck it dog, life's a risk," which basically means, "just do it." The song "Wake Bake Skate" is one of their catchiest, and also gives one an idea of the band's priorities. Their video for "Max Can't Surf" is a clever invention, featuring adorable red-headed drummer Max Kuehn (with his lone "Happy Camper" tattoo) playing every instrument in a band of his clones. The mosh pit during the show Saturday night was so intense, party-goers repeatedly knocked singer Zac Carper to the ground, while also managing to pass around a full-size bottle of Bombay Sapphire. This was a little surprising, as the party seemed like more of a Four Loko affair (the list of Fidlar's "influences" on Facebook is a tally of cheap beer and malt liquor), but after all, it was a holiday.

Photo of the Day: New Year's Eve at Pulqueria

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Ugh, were we the only people working today? Even our nearby Pret a Manger was closed and we had to get through our morning without our usual iced coffee and yogurt thing with honey and bananas. Oh the horror, the horror! Anyway, as most of us wrap up a blissful past couple of weeks of holiday vacationing and general slacking, here's a photo by Papermag photographer Atisha Paulson from Chinatown hotspot Pulqueria's New Year's Eve party, which featured burlesque dancers, feathers and festive maracas. Consider it one last hurrah before you haul yourself back to work tomorrow. Happy 2012, everyone! We love you.

Ai Weiwei Sunflower Seed Exhibit Comes to NYC

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Ai WeiWei Sunflowers.jpgChinese artist Ai Weiwei's "Sunflower Seeds" installation is coming to New York City this week. The work was exhibited at London's Tate Modern in 2010, but was closed for a short time because of concern over toxic dust inhalation caused by museum visitors walking on the seeds, as the artist had originally intended. Visitors to the NYC show opening this Saturday, January 7th, at Mary Boone Gallery (541 West 24th Street) will not be permitted to walk on the five tons of actual-size hand-painted porcelain seeds.  They'll be on view until February 4th. Factoid: Ai Weiwei created the three 16-feet-in-diameter chandeliers seen in the lobby of Miami's Fontainebleau Hotel.

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Shit White Girls Say ... to Black Girls

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The "Shit Say" meme rolls on, awesomely, with "Shit White Girls Say ... to Black Girls," courtesy of 27-year-old comedian and blogger Franchesca Ramsey. Cringe away.

Mr. Mickey's Shopaholic Diary -- Felt Sandwiches, Carrie Fisher's Memoir + Royalty Knickknacks

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Hi, my name is Mr. Mickey and I'm a shopaholic. And I don't want to get better because I buy such cute stuff! Here's a peek at some of my online purchases that have arrived in the mail over the past two days. I think you'll agree that it's an adorable pile of stuff (and that I need counseling)!

New Year's Eve Photos from SoHo Grand, Westway + Red Egg

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Papermag nightlife photographer Zac Sebastian had such a wild time on New Year's Eve, hitting up SoHo Grand, Westway and Red Egg, that he just emerged from his champagne-induced stupor and sent over these super-fun photos. Here's what he was up to on NYE in NYC.

Tips for Today: Jazz-minh Moore Opens at Lyons Wier Gallery, Variety Shac at UCBT & Givers at Music Hall of W'burg

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jazz_minh_moore_large15.jpgJazz-minh Moore, "Is That All There Is," Opens at Lyons Wier Gallery

For her latest body of work, New York-based painter Jazz-minh Moore (who you might recognize as a contestant on this season of Bravo's Work of Art), documents her tatooed sister Asia Kindred, in the ruins of her childhood home, a cabin in the Oregon woods.

Lyons Wier Gallery, 571 W. 24th St. Opening from 6-8 p.m. 

Variety Shac at the UCBT

Tonight's installment of Andrea Rosen and Shonali Bhowmik's monthly comedy spectacular features some of our favorite on-the-up-and-uppers: PAPER Beautiful Person John Roberts; Greg Barris, who we saw recently and is both extremely funny and extremely handsome; the be-bearded Dan St. Germain; and the Cocoon Central Dance Team, which we know nothing about, but sounds exciting.

UCBT, 307 W. 26th St. 9:30 p.m. $5. Reserve a spot here.

Givers + Yellow Ostrich at Music Hall of Williamsburg

Lafayette, Louisiana-based indie rock phenoms (who not so very long ago stopped by the PAPER offices to sing us some tunes) stop by the Music Hall tonight, in support of last year's jangly, upbeat album, In Light. They're joined by Yellow Ostrich, the musical project of multi-instrumentalist Alex Schaaf and drummer Michael Tapper.

Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 N. 6th St., Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 8 p.m. $15 advance, $17 at the door.


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