rianne van romaey looking like dopamine photographed by colin dodgson by xy
Author: tomorrow started
make love not riots
be it the capital riots or the seattle riots or the ukraine resistance, you cant help but bring some love into it. it was che guevera who said “love is the most important quality a revolutionary must possess”. but of course not surprisingly this image is from the vancouver “hockey (?) riots” from our canadian neighbors not the angry gun toting people on this side of the pond. by dd
flow pods are here: let’s eat out on a new york winter night
is this not the best COVID safe outdoor restaurant dinning setup you’ve seen or what? Imagine eating out while you rest your butt on properly heated seats! It’s heat where you want it most – not some electrical death wish hanging over your head giving you a permanent perm you never asked for!
these self heating “stanley kubrick looking” pods can be customized – but for my money Id take the white ones off the cart. they seat 4, actually warm you up, are environmentally “sane” using limited amount of electricity (1/10th of standard heaters out there), they slide open, and slide close for storage, and have detachable roof and side panels to isolate when needed and air out during summer. now why didn’t anyone else come up with that?
last time I sat out in new york was in december and i said to myself, “this is the last dinning i’m doing during winter.” our scalp and hair where on fire and our toes were numb. the metal chairs where like frost bites sticking to my ass like a popsicle to a brat’s tongue.
we ate our food as quickly as possible, skipped the bottle of wine, and desert and espresso, and got the hell out of there. when I got home i started looking to see if any place, in NY had sorted this shit out. none! there level of laziness in sorting this out is incredible. to their credit not many options are out there. its either get some useless electric heaters or smell the fuel while you eat and set the place on fire…
COVID safe isolation – with glass roof and perspex side panels in place
for warmer days, and rainy days the side panels are removed
pod closes down and has a wheel base for transport during street cleaning and closing or storage
modular and cohesive, put a series together with no side panels to join tables – seats 4, 8, 12 , etc.
or close the side panels to isolate groups of up to 4 – whats cool is that they also maximize the available space thanks to its mobility on wheels – slide out, get in, slide back up. just genius!
ok now… lets get all that f#@ing refuge-camp shit off the street of manhattan, and use our heads so we don’t ruin this city any more than its been ruined already. also lets get a solution to a problem that is engineered and thought out (lets say by a colombia university masters graduate) vs slapping some crap wood panels together and half ass solving the real problem which is the lack or any “pleasure” in dinning outdoors! this is especially needed when you already are counting your savings every time you consider eating out. can’t wait for this to be over but in the meantime – which is looking like FOREVER, given the various mutant strains of this virus – let’s do it right people. you can contact flow and co if your planning to remain in business… and then please let us know so we can come and test this shit out. by uh
Here’s the scoooop… Lescop ‘La Foret’
ok who wants to practice their french? and if not… there are subtitles in english. nice little track and video. now go practice.
Un coup de feu dans la nuit
Une douleur glaciale qui s’élance
La Foret soudain qui frémit
Puis s’installe le silence
Tu te tiens là assourdie
Tu prononces la sentence
Le deuxième coup est parti
Et fait bientôt la différence
Dans la Foret je te retrouve à l’heure opportune
Un rendez vous improvisé sous la lune
Sourires crispés, situation compliquée
Je sens ton souffle qui me frôle le coup
Un pistolet chargé me caresse la joue
Tu me dis “cette fois c’est moi qui joue”
Dans la foret la première détonation raisonne
Un coup de feu puis deux, mon corps qui frissonne
Puis doucement s’écroule
Plus rien, plus un bruit
Personne n’a rien vu par chance
Pour moi maintenant c’est fini
Et tout le monde s’en fout, tu penses!
Te voilà maintenant qui t’enfuis
Tirant ta révérence
La foret de nouveau frémit
Et je profite du silence
Dans la Foret je te retrouve à l’heure opportune
Un rendez vous improvisé sous la lune
Sourires crispés, situation compliquée
Je sens ton souffle qui me frôle le cou
Un pistolet chargé me caresse la joue
Tu me dis “cette fois c’est moi qui joue”
Dans la foret la première détonation raisonne
Un coup de feu puis deux, mon corps qui frissonne
Puis doucement s’écroule–
Lescop ‘La Foret’ lyrics & music © LESCOP and POP NOIRE RECORDS produced by johnny hostile , filmed by jehnny beth – by ars
The Orson Welles Adventure: On the Road to F is for Fake and The Other Side of the Wind
the other side of the wind (TOSTW) appears at first glance to be an overly poetic and precious title – something thought up by f. scott fitzgerald during his tender is the night phase – but the title is a lie that is stated as a fact. there is no “other” side to the wind because natural phenomena do not have sides, their shape is in constant flux and the side depends on the viewer not the event.
the title appears to derive from a statement made by oja kodar, welles’ companion and partner in the screenplay and direction to TOSTW, who said at one point in their long relationship that “now she knew what was on the other side of the wind,” referring to Welles’ habit of wearing a cape that would blow dramatically in the wind – an unusual habit that he picked up in the world of theater, magic and variety shows in the second and third decades of the 20th century that informed his early life in new york and europe.
kodar meant it as a metaphor for having seen beyond the myth of the great artist to the man himself. the self-conscious lie, becoming an unresolved paradox, would be close to welles’ heart as in his previous film f is for fake (1973), (henceforth fake) he delved deeply into the nature of artistic creation, history, narrative, and the mediation and lying that informs them as they engage with the world.
in his acceptance speech to the academy of motion pictures arts and sciences in 1975 for a lifetime achievement award welles described himself as a small family shop in relation to large corporate entities, and that in an ideal world there should be room for both. that he got nowhere in his attempt at a truce with hollywood executives is a given for in a sense they were there not just to praise him but to bury him.
welles refused to lie down, and to add insult to injury he then harangued his powerful and wealthy audience for letting him hang in the wind without giving him a chance. to prove to them that he was still in the game welles showed them a clip from his new work in progress titled TOSTW.
while the work was politely received there were murmurs – clearly the scene was nothing remotely like his masterwork citizen kane (1941), (henceforth kane)– in fact it looked like nothing anyone had seen before and for that particular audience of moguls and stars that was not a good sign. there are few things more terrifying for a conservative audience to see than work that is brilliant and beyond their scope of understanding for it suggests that they are living in a fantasy bubble that has limited their understanding of contemporary reality and works that deal with it. what such an audience wanted was reassurance, and the smart “players” (their own term) in their circle, knew how to provide that kind of aesthetic concoction. welles was, from their point of view, now on the lunatic fringes of the hollywood community – an eccentric older uncle who made wine commercials for television to pay the bills – someone who had spent too much time in europe looking at art and something had gone wrong, some derangement of the senses had unhinged the mind that had made the best hollywood movie ever made at the age of 25. the genius was on the skids and there was nowhere to go but down – after a time there was even a book titled whatever happened to orson welles? …read the rest of the article by george porcari on cine action website. by uh
sama – palestines female techno pioneer (boiler room – ramallah)
the palestinian techno queen – sama brings it back to her roots playing in the heart of ramallah.
sama stepped up to the decks in a black tee, while the crowed was also free to express as they please.
“There’s nothing. No people, no war, no nothing. Just you and the music, and you let everything out”
if you are a palestinian thats fond of the rave scene, you might find yourself climbing over the eight-meter wall, illegally entering israeli territory to listen to some beats.
samas sets now reach viewing numbers that exceeded the organizers expectations. stepping into the playing grounds of boiler rooms top tier acts.
introduced to techno at age 16, she discovered more of the scene when moving to beirut to study sound design before moving to egypt to work in film making. she heard from a friend about a french festival, palest’in & out, which showcases palestinian artists in france. naturally she left to paris where she was quickly offered a six month residency, performing for crowds of 1000+.
sama never wants to be compartmentalized by her palestinian identity, yet many others have spoken out on the politics of her homeland. #DJsforPalestine. With many dj’s pledging to not play in israel until the brutal and sustained oppression comes to an end. — “they make us feel powerful and heard”. by lb
quarantine days: Lust & Sound in west-berlin
if you can remember the 80’s, you probably weren’t there!
music, art and chaos in the wild west-berlin of the 1980’s
sex
politics
and a fuckin good time – a film by jörg a.hoppe, klaus maeck & heiko lange
see the LF preview above
nick cave and the naughty seeds ; )
the walled-in city became the creative melting pot for sub- and pop-culture. before the iron curtain fell, everything and anything seemed possible. this documentary film is a fast-paced collage of mostly unreleased film and tv footage from a frenzied but creative decade, starting with punk and ending with the love parade, in a city where the days are short and the nights are endless. where it was not about long-term success, but about living for the moment – the here and now. we need another city like berlin! a must see film if you can get your hands on it. by dd
film sound and film editor walter murch: the sound of cinema from kubrick to coppola
the talented mister ripley: with matt damon as tom ripley, jude law as dickie greenleaf, gwyneth paltrow as marge sherwood, cate blanchett as meredith logue, and philip seymour hoffman as freddie miles
stanley kubrick’s 2001 space odyssey
sight & sound: the cinema of walter murch – a good film directed by jon lefkovitz for anyone interested in cinema, film editing and sound editing
the godfather with al pacino
given your ass will be positioned at home and under quarantine, here’s something worthy to watch. all the great films are somehow mentioned in here from carl deyer to michelangelo antonioni… watch it here (see clip above) or see it on vimeo – approved by dd but suggested by rb
quarantine watch list #3: an iranian vampire cult film “a girl walks home alone at night”
saw this years ago but was just talking about it tonight
its def worth a 2nd watch – trailer: “a girl walks home alone”
directed by ana lily amirpour
the dealer
produced for just under $57K and filmed, not in iran, but rather in the town of taft in s. california. if you haven’t seen it, do give it a try… “a girl walks home alone” was directed by ana lily amirpour, 2nd generation iranian, born in margate england, and grew up in california. the film professed as “the first iranian vampire western” by its director is quite dark and funny… it premiered back in 2014 at the sundance film festival and it is quite a trip… especially the floating scenes of the vampire on her skateboard. by pr
rüfüs du sol – live from joshua tree
could we have a more perfect combination? if you ever catch me daydreaming this is where i am, a live concert by rüfüs du sol in the midst of one of the worlds most dramatic landscapes known for its astronomy and stargazing – the joshua tree national park.
as day welcomes night, you can’t help but being mesmerized by the the aussie trio surrounded by red rock and icy blue LED lights.
Through the juxtaposition of natural vs man-made, silence vs sound there lives a certain harmony…….and pure solace. by lb
and so you think you have friends?
“when the day is done”
my friend was crying to me to the other day, she was let down because the friends she thought she had, turned out not to be such friends. in trying to console her i said “you know what? i don’t have many true friends either, but that’s ok.” my father told me when i was a kid that “if, by the end of your life, you can count your friends on one hand, you should consider yourself a lucky man.” i couldn’t quite understand it at age 12… i thought i already had 20+ odd friends, but i so understand now what he meant. not sure if that helped her that night. but i was up till 5am drinking and talking to an artist who was visiting new york and what he said to me was even more profound… i’ll tell you…
we joked how today, people have thousands of followers but zero friends. i was trying to name a few of my good friends that i have acquired through the years. some had dropped off my list but came back into my life and redeemed themselves. i was able to roll off a few, three, four… and we then laughed, as neither of us named the other. you know, its not easy to become a friend – that’s no easy task…
he said when he was in art school and before he left for prague, he was longing for a new chapter. he was assessing the people he had spent his time with and sorting out in his head who they really were and why they had even come together. people travel not just physically but mentally and intellectually. when he told his teacher about this vacancy of souls the teacher said this:
“… don’t worry and don’t fret that you have so few friends now… you will surely find your friends in history one day.”
oh my beautiful jesus – whom i so don’t believe in – i think this was really one of the most beautiful of truths i have heard in so many years. i just stared at him for some time, and a warm smile just lite up my face. it all dawned on me, and crashed onto me… it connected all my dots… i just loved that… and i wanted to share it with you all – but more importantly i wanted to put it up here so i will never forget it. now, i can come here whenever i need, and remember the wealth of friends i have! and these are just the few i am able to roll off… there are many more!
tell me about love
tell me about dignity
tell me about sacrifice
tell me about range
tell me everything
tell me about single mindedness
tell me about fairness
… you can smile now.
ok now go to bed… and remember… you may have friends that you have never met, but in the end your true friends are those who inspire you and change you for the better. thank you to HT for our late night chats, and all of this, we miss you… my new friend! by dd
CALLING ALL MICHELANGELO ANTONIONI FANS
“the antonioni adventure”, by george porcari (published by delancy press) is a must have for any antonioni fan. this 248 page book covers the career of the italian film director, and is accompanied by historic and rare images from his films… we got a copy in hand and had to share it.
production still from red desert
if you appreciate italian cinema and the genius that is michelangelo antonioni, you will love this book. george porcari, a professor, artist, and historian in his own right, who also happens to be one of antonioni’s biggest fans, meanders through antonioni’s films with grace and wit, putting new light on this master of cinema. the book was beautifully put together and designed by new york based design studio ceft and company. the limited edition book (300 copies), has an embossed, soft touch cover, and off-white matte paper interior pages. they are elegantly printed with dark grey text on an , which is easy on the eyes.
spread from chapter 4 on blow up
production stills from the eclipse
chris kraus, author of i love dick, torpor, and where art belongs, has this to say about the book:
“more than half a century after they were made, antonioni’s films remain singular and charged with mystery, existing both in and outside of their time. a photographer and filmmaker himself, george porcari’s critical understanding of antonioni is also a spiritual understanding of art and how it is made. porcari positions antonioni’s films within a larger cultural history without diminishing their singularity. this book makes antonioni’s work newly alive.”
pages 96 & 97 off-white matte paper elegantly printed with dark grey text
collage spread from chapter 5 on zabriskie point
… here’s what artist julia scher had to say upon her read… “the antonioni adventure offers a fascinating look at the disturbing eye of antonioni – in their time the films were about really seeing anew. dissuaded by alienation george porcari rocks thru what might have been called, in an earlier day, pure adventure.” – julia scher, artist, author of tell me when you’re ready – works from 1990-1995
page 110 neorealist roots
the artist, and author of the book, george porcari
available at dashwood books in NYC $35
and ironically at the gucci wooster bookstore in soho!!
this is a great book to take on a trip and just get lost in a world of emotional turmoil and fascinating mystery. if you missed the book launch and the book signing, you can still pick up a signed, limited edition copy at dashwood books in new york city (33 bond street) or at the gucci bookstore in soho nyc (63 wooster street) for $35, or buy it online here. by vk