Here’s a cookbook cover I designed for the Waynesville Public Art Commission. It will be sold in conjunction with the unveiling of the next public art piece (sometime in July, if I am correct).
Daily
OOP Criterion Scores!
After months and months of trying to find the two out-of-print Criterion titles I wanted the most … I found them! And in the space of about a month too. I am now the proud owner of their editions of “Ran” (new and still sealed) on DVD and “The Man Who Fell to Earth” on Blu-ray. I paid more for “Ran” than I really wanted to. But, I was surprised to find “The Man Who Fell to Earth” on half.com for under $50. It has been selling for upwards of $100+ for a used copies on eBay and even more for new copies on Amazon.
One of my daily routines had become checking various sites for cheap copies of these Criterion editions. With them now in my greedy, consumerist hands … I gotta say that life has felt a little like it’s lost some of it purpose. Now what can I hunt down and buy? Heh.
Eye Candy Break [“Justified” Edition]
We all know that Timothy Olyphant is the main eye candy draw for “Justified.” But, there are a couple of other “Justified” fellas that warrant some eye candy kudos as well!
David Meunier as “Johnny Crowder.”
Jacob Pitts as “Tim Gutterson.”
Home Work
So, last year was a year of some changes … the biggest one being that I now work from home and have been for a little over a year. You read that right. And it seems to be everybody’s big dream. I have had countless people say to me, “Wow. I would love to work from home.”
Yeah. .. it is kinda nice. This past winter (if you can call it that), it was nice to not have to go out and warm up the car and scrape frost off the windshield. On those super rainy days, it’s nice to not have to get out in the mess and drive. And it also saves on gas (since I don’t have to drive to an office anymore).
Conversely, it kinda sucks too. I do miss going to an office. It was nice to have to get up go to work instead of just walking into the other room. And there’s a real “cocoon” mentality that has developed (for me anyway). My house is now pretty much my entire world for almost all of the week. I have found that on weekends, it’s far easier to laze around the house than actually get the gumption up to plan things and go out and do them.
Sounds crazy, I know. It would be interesting to know if other “home workers” have similar issues with becoming more homebody-ish.
Camille’s “Snow White”
It’s the year of Snow White, apparently (what with two “re-imagined” major motion pictures opening). Thankfully, I can ignore those movies and put all my excitement into the new book which is illustrated by Camille Rose Garcia. She recently had a book signing and opening of “Snow White: The Complete Works on Paper” at the Michael Kohn Gallery. Her work for “Snow White” is absolutely stunning.
In conjunction with all this, Garcia has also released a series of four “Snow White” prints. If you really loved me, you would buy me “The Witch’s Laboratory.” C’mon … you know you want to!!!
School of Seven Bells … Live!
School of Seven Bells is playing The Grey Eagle on April 6th. YES!!!
Oh. Hell. Yes.
New Garbage. May 15th. The Deluxe Edition is already pre-ordered.
Color Me “Intrigued”
Art House Double Shot
“Melancholia” (Lars von Trier, 2011)
It’s the end of the world as only that crazy Dane can tell it … but really it’s about Justine’s all consuming depression and her reaction/acceptance to the “end of all things.” I have re-watched this since it came out on video and I thought it was even better the second time around. Charlotte Gainsbourg is excellent as Justine’s sister, Claire. Kirsten Dunst, as Justine, is pretty amazing in this movie. It’s a damn shame that the Academy didn’t show her any Oscar love this past year. She at least deserved a nomination.
“The Skin I Live In” (Pedro Almodóvar, 2011)
Almodóvar does “horror” … or does he? An elite plastic surgeon (played by Antonio Banderas) has a beautiful woman (played by Elena Anaya) held captive for his experiments with a new synthetic skin. What unfolds is a story of madness, suicide, murder and revenge. “The Skin I Live In” has horrific elements to it but to simply call it a horror movie would be missing the point. I think it’s more of a character study and about how sometimes we can’t (or won’t) let ourselves escape from the past. It’s another excellent film from one of my favorite directors … and the less you know going in, the better.
“Hello!”
Salut, I received your e_mail from agency of dating in our town.
I am Sergey and live in small town near Kazan in RU. It is very far from you… You heard about this town?
I have finished medical university. Now I work as the dentist.
I hope that you become my good friend, and may be in future we shall become more than friends.
It will be interesting to me to learn all about you. Where do you live? As whom work? On what your country is similar? About your outlooks on life. What traits you are looking for in the second half?
It is very interesting to me. Excuse for such plenty of questions, but I think so we can better and faster learn about each other.
I with impatience shall wait for your reply on my regular mail box: xxx.xxxxxx@yahoo.com
Wow! How exciting is it that a Dentist from Russia is interested in little old me?!? I can’t wait to “become more than friends!”
Sheesh. [Shakes Head]
Walkin’ The Dog
Well … it’s actually The Boyfriend’s dog.
OMG … I Love Criterion!!!
On June 12th, Criterion releases one of my favorite movies!
FILMMAKER-APPROVED SPECIAL EDITION:
- New, restored digital transfer, supervised by director of photography Brian Tufano, with 2.0 surround DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack on the Blu-ray edition
- Two audio commentaries: one by director Danny Boyle and the other by screenwriter John Hodge and producer Andrew Macdonald
- New interviews with stars Christopher Eccleston, Kerry Fox, and Ewan McGregor
- Digging Your Own Grave, a 1993 documentary by Kevin Macdonald on the making of the film
- Andrew Macdonald and Kevin Macdonald’s video diary from the 1992 Edinburgh Film Festival, where they shopped around the script for Shallow Grave
- Shallow Grave trailer and Trainspotting teaser trailer
- PLUS: A booklet featuring an essay by critic Philip Kemp
New (Used) Excitement
You know things have gotten bad when purchasing a used riding lawn mower gets you all excited.