massively personal and poetic film. based on a book by edmundo desnoes and directed in 1968 by tomás gutiérrez alea (IMDB) during the turmoil of social change in cuba. it is unfortunately his one and only good film, but how many can you do in a lifetime anyway? don’t ask why the titles are in japanese… by dd
this is absolutely one of our favorite album covers. one man on fire, the other not–floyd’s idea that you can be burned at any given moment, so you should conceal your real feelings. a little known fact, the burning man IS actually on fire; before the shoot, he prepped by wearing an asbestos suit and a wig, then dousing himself with gasoline and lighting a match. certainly going to lengths for a good reason, any pink floyd fan would agree. the cover was designed by hipgnosis, the english art design group who specialized in rock albums. by nk + sv
all this talk about films and we haven’t said a word about the recent passing of perhaps the last surviving old hollywood starlet, lauren bacall. known to her friends as betty, ms. bacall’s career spanned decades. a tough, no-nonsense, downright lady with that immersing, smoky voice and carnal gaze. going through the archives, i finally watched written on the wind, douglas sirk’s film starring bacall and rock hudson, the satirically pleasing look at big business and the destructive families oftentimes behind them. the film is playing at the museum of the moving image’s see it big!: hollywood melodrama series tonight, if you’re in the new york city area. if not, you can read more about it here. by sv
“day by day and night by night we were together,—all else has long been forgotten by me…”
-walt whitman, once I pass’d through a populous city, leaves of grass
if you have not seen casa malaparte before, make sure to check out this previous post about the amazing house. the building is featured in the godard movie le mépris with an equally amazing trailer.by kt
charlotte rampling in flesh of the orchid… sorry about the below, it was the only clip i could find of the film online, but it should convince the boys…
night porter with charlotte rampling
everyone knows about night porter, but not everyone knows about the flesh of the orchid. both are great films, featuring charlotte rampling at her best. mark them down for this weekend’s movie night if you can dig them up. flesh of the orchid is a 1975 film by director patrice chéreau based on an adaptation of the 1948 novel of the same name by mystery writer james hadley chase. not bad for a first film, not at all… by dd
the morbid anatomy museum is finally complete, happily residing in their new headquarters in gowanus, brooklyn. i have attended two lectures there so far, both by the knowledgeable and charming dr. john troyer of the university of bath. the first lecture focused on the environmental issue of corpses; basically if their organic biomass is hazardous or helpful. the second dealt with the necrophilia laws in the united states, a case in wisconsin in particular, and other death-related errs in our country’s jurisprudence. nearly every night there is a fascinating lecture in the museum’s basement, and of course, the museum is open during the day as well to satisfy your skeletal cravings. the above photo is called homo ex humo (man from the dust) and can be found on the museum’s website. by sv
it is funny, but i hope it’s true. i might try to go to this ranch/farm this weekend if i can find out where it is. what they say is 200 feet ahead is much needed. by pl
these days when gallivanting in new york city, the presence of jeff koons is preeminent. his retrospective at the whitney museum is the first for both the artist and the museum; his work fills the entirety of the marcel breuer building. hated and loved by critics alike, one in particular took it upon himself to enter the retrospective yesterday, splatter red paint (in all its fallen angel glory) all over the wall and scribble a somewhat unidentifiable signature below. it is rumored to be monty cantsin (alias of istvan candor, a neoist), or possibly johnny rotten’s evil twin? either way, if you don’t agree with the politicking behind jeff koons, is this the best way to display that? [image and information courtesy of hyperallergic] by sv
it is not every day we stumble upon a new and great design. we don’t have anything against contemporary product design, in fact, there’s a lot of good new stuff popping up here and there… but… when we see something new that feels and looks like it should have been there already, we know that we have something really amazing. manufactured by flos, the italian company that have brought to life some of the most iconic lamps in the past 50 years, the ic-lights designed by michael anastassiades are definitely a new classic worthy of the honorable lamp producer. hit the link to purchase one or more of the 8 versions available from the series. by kt
sometime between now and mid autumn, make your way out of the city and spend sometime with nature. get some fresh air and a good natural workout.
head up from grand central on the metro-north to the cold spring stop in the hudson valley and hike breakneck trail. it is both rewarding with it’s views and it’s challenges. the ‘trail’ is not for the weary. not for those who are scared of heights, not for those who are not limber, not for those who will wimp out. this one is serious but fun.
bring plenty of water, a camera or at least your phone, some protein and fruits to snack on (plenty of places to do a beautiful picnic even.) wear good sneakers with traction or hiking footwear with good thick socks. wear sunscreen and bug repellent. sunglasses optional but on a sunny day a good, secure pair will prevent a nice eyeball sunburn ( thats a real thing.) bring a small first aid kit in-case of any scrapes from the rock faces you’re about to beast. bring someone who is going to love it as much as you.
some stats:
the scenery- unreal and picturesque on a clear day
difficulty- 10 out of 10
highlights- insane views, incredibly steep trail, rock scrambling
distance- 3.7 – 4.0 mile loop
approximate roundtrip time- 4 hours
total ascent- 1,442 feet
my personal experience: i came off that trail feeling entirely accomplished, healthy, and clear minded. then i had a beer to reward myself for kicking my ass that hard on a sunday.
good luck and if you get around to discovering this hike, please share your experience in our comments section of this post!
sources ( and thank you to ) hike the hudson valley, new york state parks by pl
“whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god.”
–sir francis bacon, of friendship
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