a visual collective outlet of inspiration
every thursday should be like last thursday. after a full on month back from the holidays, i finally took a day off to rejuvenate. i slept till 11 am (i usually do, but still), picked up my date, and went for a coffee at la colombe. then, we walked to the greenwich hotel, which is partly owned by robert deniro. the lobby is not impressive and the neither is the hotel really; but, if you want a private, quiet and out-of-the way place in the heart of NYC then this is probably it. downstairs at the hotel is the greenwich hotel spa and indoor pool. we had a hinoki bath for 2 containing a blend of hinoki cypress, cedar, mint, sage, and minerals, in a full on japanese “imported” room with low ceilings and tatami mat. we were catered to by a true japanese masseuse with little english ability (refreshing). while in our hinoki soaked bath, we were handed amazing drinks containing mint, ginger, and lemon which were so amazing i wanted to take them home (approx $95). after turning in to mush, i headed to my massage. a “drunken lotus” ritual as they call it (approx $200-280). by the end i was floating and could barely feel my legs. regardless, i dragged myself to BAM in brooklyn, one of the last places in NY to be showing “pina” the 3d film by win wenders on pina bausch. i was unsold on the 3d, and found it to be sensationalist and a total waste of material; but, after seeing it i was pleasantly surprised at how well it worked. regardless, i still think its quite unnecessary generally speaking. on the other hand, the film was out of this world. the sequences filmed on everyday streets and outdoor spaces were truly magical, as you never see dance in such a setting (films preview). a beautiful homage and a must see film ideally in a theater. so what’s next? japanese food of course, to keep the SPA experience alive. i had a fabulous grilled salmon with skin, and plenty of sake. i finished the early night with woody allen’s “midnight in paris”. another great film i had missed. this one was unfortunately off screen but it was the best woody allen film since he stopped being in his films. i loved it. owen wilson is a natural woody embodiment without cheap imitation. sometimes, when i see a good film, i wish i could erase my memory and watch all my favorite films again. thursday was the closest i could get to that. we had some wine and finished the day early in bed and i slept like a log. it was a day i would recommend to just about any friend or foe. by uh
must see films
My Favorite Mann
werner on location for fitzcarraldo. the perfect 70’s cadence in style. by dd
wim wenders – pina
so after waiting for almost a year, pina, wim wenders homage movie to pina bausch is on screen in nyc at ifc… and that was worth the wait. i remember this interview of him saying that seeing a pina bausch show was a life changing experience and after viewing the movie i’m sure it’s not quite far from it. on top of that, i was a bit skeptical about the 3d thing but i have to say that it really topped the cake. a must see. check the trailer here. by pp.
la jetee
well as if we didn’t already know how much curriculum in high school and junior high schools has changed, take a gander at this incredible pamphlet from janus films. this was handed out to teens around the time chris marker released the film to coincide with the film being shown in class. clearly, i studied under the wrong individuals throughout my adolescence. i think david bowie and terry gilliam would both be proud. anyway, this film was and still is extraordinary and fundamental to any cinephile’s consciousness. by sv
Model Anna de Rijk as charlotte rampling in the 1974 film The Night Porter
the resemblance is uncanny! the film by italian director liliana cavani, (starring dirk bogarde and charlotte rampling at the SS sex kitten) has been appropriated so many times, but never with such a perfect model match. anna is not only beautiful, but she carries a whole lot more of character thanks to her resemblance to a young charlotte. by cm
melancholia world, what a joke: lars von trier banned from cannes for his nazi joke
what a paranoid world we live in, you can be for war or against war, you can be a racist or against it, you can believe in god or nothing at all, you can blast a government or wave the flag, you can make fun of the pope or worship him… there are all kinds of freaks out there and unless they take actions to harm others, they are entitled to their views. now what is it that makes muslims and jews think they can gag people over jokes they don’t like? in this case, lars’s comments about being a nazi were clearly a joke. as a matter of fact, if they were real he would have kept them to himself… he says he does not approve of the wars or the nazis, after all, the man was raised with a jewish stepfather. so while he may have related to speer’s architecture or hitler’s desperate last hours that doesn’t make him a supporter to their horrific acts, it makes him a human. this policing of the arts by a bunch of real SS-bigots at cannes is a bit sickening, especially when affecting such a genius over some silly remark. can someone please find us a planet to move to and leave all of this world’s fucked up issues behind? it’s so damn boring… by ar
1968 master piece, TEOREMA directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini
as promised here’s pier paolo pasolini’s film starring laura betti, silvana mangano, massimo girotti, and the amazing terence stamp (toby dammit and the most amazing article by george porcari in cineaction on that film). much inspiration for nicholas mendez i would assume… by dd
director nicholas mendez on pasolini
ok don’t kill me for the 16 image post but im obsessing over nicholas mendez film. it’s like a cliff notes on pasolini and may i say it’s more successfully disturbing than the film itself because of its very sporadic, short clips. not sure i’ve seen another music video as effectively lingering as this. like to meet nicholas for a coffee one day and i’m sure ill be visiting pasolini on the screen again soon. by dd
plan 9 with bela: ed wood
amazing film. a must see by all bela, ed wood, johnny depp fans. i should hope that you have already. by dd
a little inspiration for this weekend’s toil and trouble
above the classic dialogue and orson welles in his hotter years, i love the experimentation with lighting to overcome the age’s lack of special effects. a little mystery can go a long way. you can see the full film here (please excuse the intro slide) by kl
more Alain Robbe Grillet
alain robbe grillet and book
girl and gun… film still from l’éden et aprés
still from “glissements progressifs du plaisir”
still from trans europe express
a little background on robbe grillet who wrote the script for the film last year at marienbad directed by alain renais (another gem worth watching). he was a french writer and director who was originally trained as an agricultural engineer. during the years 1943 and 1944, robbe grillet participated in compulsory labor in nuremberg, where he worked as a machinist. in his words he found it to be a vacation as it allowed him time to think and write. his first novel, the erasers, was published in 1953 and aftre just 4 novels he worked with renais on the notable marienbad film. after which he went to direct many films most of them lost to the archives with only a few remaining and available negatives on the market. if you find a book or a film get it as it will only gain value. i found an amazing book in a used store on his films which i will one day photograph and post. by dd
Alain Robbe Grillet: TRANS EUROP EXPRESS
one of my favorite films by alain robbe grillet with one of my all time favorite actors, jean-louis trintignant (also in the film by bernardo bertolucci, the conformist). along with marie-france pisier and nadine verdier, this film is nothing short of beautiful. by dd
