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Thursday , July 22, 2010
To Go: Catch "The Curious Complications of Role Playing" At the Manhattan Film Festival This Friday!
The greatest thing about going to film school was being surrounded by other hyper-creative types all the time. You can weigh the pros and cons of getting an MFA on all kinds of levels, but you really cannot underestimate how amazing and beautiful and transformative it is to be part of a group of people who all love what you do and are doing it, too. So it's a trip and a joy to see friends get their work out there into the world, and I'm so excited to tell people about it because everyone I know is a genius and a half! Anyway, my pal Jessica Rotondi is a great comedy writer-director with a knack of making funny, romantic films that are way cooler than the typical bougie-normie rom-com. She's got a great short playing on Friday (TOMORROW, SORRY DUDES, I'VE BEEN DOWN IN TERMS OF INTERNET LATELY, IT SUCKS) as part of the Manhattan Film Festival. (It's paired with a feature, Anyone You Want.) "The Curious Complications of Role Playing" is about a super-sweet dominatrix who falls for a dude, but man, how is she going to tell him what she does for a living? ("Hey, hon, I'll see you after I get done whipping this old dude and making him lick my boots?" I don't think so!) "Complications" is worth seeing just for a genius comedy moment involving a dungeon, a grater and some Parmesan cheese; I won't say more, only that whenever I see this, it never fails to bust my gut. Seriously, Apatow couldn't come up with this kind of comedy gold unless he got whipped on a regular basis himself. I really, really wish I could put that scene up here, but to get a sense of Jess's work, you'll just have to make do with this little bit from another one of Jess's films, "C'est Moi," one that I helped to co-produce and did the costumes for:
In this playful homage to French films of all stripes, college student Penny has a crush on Nathan, who unfortunately has a thing for foreign chicks. How far will she go to catch his eye? And what unexpected hijinks will arise? Written and directed by Jessica Rotondi, produced by Kat Asharya, Raeshem Nijhon and Will Harper.
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Monday , April 12, 2010
To Go: A Mini Bette Gordon Retrospective at IFC Center, NYC
I totally romanticize the NYC of the late 70s and early 80s, when rent was cheap, crime was high, drugs were everywhere and the city was inspiring the likes of Basquiat, Fab Five Freddy, Keith Haring, Madonna, Blondie, the Ramones, James Chance, Nan Goldin, Kiki Smith, and about a million and ten amazing, creative human beings. The art and music of that time get a lot of love, in part because nostalgists like me have relatively easy access to the material they made. The filmmaking of that time, though, gets a bit of a short shrift, simply because a lot of the work of the No Wave filmmakers at the time isn't easily available on DVD or online. Which is a bummer and a shame, of course, and which is why I leap when opportunities to see the work from that period pop up--it's a genuinely rare thing. And which is why all the sexy NYCers out there should take this chance to catch the work of one of the movers and shakers of that scene--filmmaker Bette Gordon, who made the hugely important Variety, which is up at the IFC in a rare screening this Thursday as part of a mini-retrospective honoring Bette's work and release of her latest film, Handsome Harry.
Variety chronicles the sexual awakening and journey of a woman who takes a job at a Times Square porno theatre back when Times Square was seedy and not the quasi-Disneyland-from-hell that it is now. Feminist film peeps know Variety as an interesting response to the debates swirling around women and porn at the time, as well as a rare film that presents a very open, complicated portrayal of female sexuality that doesn't package female pleasure as a commodity or simple afterthought. NYC urban types prize the film for capturing a time and place that has completely disappeared from the city landscape, and cineastes will appreciate the influence of film theory in its aesthetics. A bit of a cult film, Variety is one of those films that you read about more than you can see, so I'm excited for the opportunity to see it on the big screen.
Of course, Bette went on beyond the scene at the time to direct more films: as part of the mini-retrospective, her film Luminous Motion screens today. This is all in honor of her latest film coming out in select theatres this Friday, Handsome Harry, a movie that takes on the mores and sexuality of men. Knowing Bette (and I know her personally as my thesis advisor at Columbia University and she is a highly rad woman), I know it'll be a strong, complicated, sharply discerning take how and what human beings both hide and reveal--to each other, and to themselves. Bette's interested in the tricky parts of people, and that makes her a filmmaker more people need to see.
Tags: back in the day, Bette Gordon, filmmaking, IFC, No Wave, NYC, Times Square, Variety
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by Kat in Film
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Wednesday , November 18, 2009
L.A. People, Come To Barcade Tonight! I'm DJ-ing! Something very exciting is that tonight marks my DJ debut, thanks to nogoodforme homie Cathy De La Cruz (aka DJ OMG). It's all happening at Def Before Disco at Miss T's Barcade (371 N. Western, near Oakwood); my set should start at 9:30 and I'm probably going to play the second song off the first Deee-Lite record (plus, you know, some other stuff). The rest of the lineup: DJ Trickmilla (aka Patrick Miller), DJ It's a Grind (aka Chunx from Gravy Train!!!), Katie Byron, and DJ OMG herself. Come say hi! Play Playboy pinball! Drink a tall boy of Sapporo! There might even be cupcakes! More info here. xo DJ Black Eyes
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Tags: cupcakes, Deee-Lite, Def Before Disco, DJ Black Eyes, DJ OMG, L.A. goings-on, Playboy pinball, tall boys
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by Liz in Events
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Sunday , October 11, 2009
To Go: Party for Kime Buzzelli's Urban Decay Collabo, Today in L.A.
(Above: Kime's Urban Decay Show Pony Shadow Box palette & me showing off the box for my Kime Buzzelli Vans, in the midst of last month's two-day phase of wearing my headband around my forehead like a warrior princess.)
Because I'm in Maine right now and thus missing out on today's debut party for the Show Pony Shadow Box (an eye makeup palette that Kime Buzzelli created for Urban Decay), I'm devoting this morning to listening to a Genius mix based on "Shine On Heaven" by White Magic (whom Kime named as a fave band in her nogoodforme interview a while back) and wishing I'd brought my Kime Buzzelli Wellesley Vans with me to New England. The party's from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Urban Outfitters at Space 15 Twenty (at 1520 Cahuenga in Hollywood) and there'll be makeovers and giveaways and a photobooth and live music and screenprinting of Kime's artwork and lots of other amazingness. Check out the flyer below for more details.
The Show Pony Shadow Box, by the way, is so divine and I'm so happy that I did remember to bring it with me to New England. It's six shadows (my favorite being the shimmery-turquoise one called Painkiller) and some really hot black eyeliner, all packaged together in palette that's decked out with Kime's lovely artwork. Thirty bucks, and you also get Urban Decay's Eyeshadow Primer Potion (aka my number-one beauty discovery of 2009, for reals).
The "Shine On Heaven" Genius mix is also divine, FYI: It's High Places and Silver Apples and Devendra and Malkmus and Evol-era Sonic Youth and Yeasayer and Beach House and Joanna Newsom and Neiler and everything else that sounds perfect when you're drinking coffee in your sister's flannel pajamas and it's really cold and cloudy and creepy-quiet on a Sunday morning Maine. So try that out sometime, if you can.
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Tags: Kime Buzzelli, Kime Buzzelli for Vans, L.A., Maine, makeup, parties, Urban Decay, warrior princesses, White Magic
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by Liz in Events
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Saturday , June 6, 2009
To Go: Point Break screening Sunday night in L.A.
Here is one of my favorite things Chuck Klosterman has ever written:
"[E]veryone I've ever met seems to know that I like KISS. Everyone. I have come to realize that liking KISS will be the only thing anybody will ever remember about me. I have no doubt that if I died today, whoever was to engrave my tombstone would chisel something along the lines of 'Charles J. Klosterman, 1972-2005: He preferred Animalize to Lick It Up.'"
I don't plan on ever dying, but if it has to happen, I'd suggest this for my own tombstone engraving: "Elizabeth A. Barker, 1977-20??: She believed Point Break to be a legitimately good movie." Aside from about three or four other things, this is my greatest "soul truth" - although I admit that I should maybe try to rid myself of the tendency to get seriously mad whenever anyone talks Point Break trash. Cuz we're all on our own journey, brah, and besides: There's no accounting for taste.
Anyway, if you're smart like me, you'll probably want to go to the special Point Break screening at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood Sunday night at 7:30. The Egyptian's doing a whole Kathryn Bigelow retrospective this weekend, so she'll be there to introduce the movie. (It's actually a double feature, with K-19: The Widowmaker playing afterward; tonight there's another double feature with Near Dark and Strange Days. I have never seen any of those other movies, because the only thing I ever watch is Point Break.)
By the way, I've yet to be addressed as "Bodhi Jenner" as I requested in our Dream Celebrity Entourage post a while back. Why is the world so lame sometimes? Ties my head in knots. But whatever: I'm going surfing now! Hope your Saturday is just one big "killer rush"!
Tags: Brody Jenner, Chuck Klosterman, Keanu Reeves, L.A. rules, movies, nickname fun, Patrick Swayze, Point Break, surfing
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by Liz in Events
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Friday , December 12, 2008
To Go: Secret Santa Project Holiday Sale, Brooklyn, NY
Our dear friends from Sodafine (along with folks from Brooklyn's own self+therapy spa) are organizing a special holiday sale this Saturday in Williamsburg. Held at the Secret Project Robot Gallery, it's not just any old shopping event: this one features handmade stuff from local independent designers such as Bonbon Oiseau, Astulabee, Dear Birthday, M. Carter, Bario-Neal Jewelry, Kristen Aronsson, Purldrop, the Wild Unknown, Hortensia Handmade, Unearthen, and many more. (You can peruse all the designers and find more info at the event blog: http://giftongrand.blogspot.com/) There'll be light snacks and mulled wine (woo hoo! I love mulled wine!) to soothe your holiday spirits, and to up the festivities factor, an adjacent gallery will be having an closing reception for a show featuring movies and puppets. (Or is it puppets in movies? Such a mystery.) We all know that alcohol + retail are a winning combination, and I can't think of a better way to support local designers in a more fun, easy way.
Secret Santa Project Holiday Sale
Saturday, December 13 from 11-7pm
at Secret Project Robot Gallery
210 Kent Ave @ Metropolitan
(entrance on River St)
Tags: alcohol, Brooklyn, crafty girls, drunk shopping, shopping
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by Kat in Events
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Thursday , October 16, 2008
A Day in the Life: "Beautifully Worn" Opening, 10/15/2008
Pictures of an exhibition full of pictures? How utterly meta! All joking aside, the "Beautifully Worn" opening last night went off rather beautifully -- cupcakes from both Sugar Sweet Sunshine and Babycakes, wine and champagne galore, a steady stream of near and dear ones and of course some really great photos on the wall. We're super-proud of the show and psyched to have received such creative, intriguing and personal entries from all kinds of people. If you're in NYC and floating around the Lower East Side, please do drop into Clarabella and check it out -- it'll be up till November 30th!
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Tags: A Day in the Life, Beautifully Worn, photo show, photos
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by Kat in A Day in the Life
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Wednesday , October 15, 2008
Beautifully Worn is TONIGHT!
Seen above is tangible proof that the actual Kat and Laura Jane of nogoodforme.com are actually at NYC's lovely Clarabella boutique & gallery hanging the show, physically, literally, RIGHT NOW!
Please join us tonight at 279 E. Houston St. b/w Clinton & Suffolk from 6 to 9 PM for an unbeatable evening of cupcakes, cute girls, cute boys, Chardonnay, chatterboxing and many a caper, we're sure.
All additional info can be found at nogoodforme.com/artshow.
See you in T minus 2.5 hours!
-Kat & Laura
Tags: Beautifully Worn, blogging happens in real time, Clarabella, cupcakes, Kat Asharya, Laura Jane Faulds
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Friday , October 10, 2008
No Age Hearts Free Health Care
Hey, wasn't it awesome when No Age was on Late Late Night With Craig Ferguson last night, and the guitar guy Randy wore a shirt with "FREE HEALTH CARE" scrawled across the front? Yeah, that ruled. It didn't really rule how evil CBS wouldn't let Randy wear his Obama shirt, but it's kinda cool how Craig Ferguson actually addressed the incident instead of just sweeping it under the rug. Anyway, the video:
And speaking of health care, Sunday afternoon No Age - along with Eric Erlandson (of Hole), David Scott Stone, and The Tyde - will be playing The Bigler Benefit at the Echoplex. All proceeds will go directly to Michele Bigler, who's currently battling cancer with no heath insurance. Tickets are $12 and include one raffle ticket, with raffle prizes donated by Pull My Daisy, Edendale Bar and Grill, Show Pony, Amoeba, Ooga Booga, Zanzabelle, and Family (all of which I'd include on a short list of favorite places around town and maybe even ALL THE WORLD), plus a bunch of other kind and generous folks. You can also donate by PayPal-ing JBR90028@YAHOO.COM.
Tags: Barack Obama, Craig Ferguson, good causes, hot raffle prizes, L.A. goings on, music, No Age
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by Liz in Events
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Thursday , October 2, 2008
Raise cash for Obama, win fabulous prizes
This Saturday in L.A., eco-fashion maven Carol Young - who donated this fantastic soy-jersey wrap dress from her Undesigned line to the Spirit Animal House raffle last month - will host the coolest Barack Obama fundraiser we've heard of so far. From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Undesigned boutique (located at 1953 1/2 Hillhurst Ave. in Los Feliz), there'll be a shopping party (with a percentage of sales going toward the League of Conservation Voters Education Fund) and a raffle (with all proceeds benefiting the Obama campaign). Raffle prizes include a clothing-shopping spree, store gift certificates, and some really choice swag from a slew of independent designers. And if you - like yours truly, who is so sad to miss out - won't be in town for the event, you can still join in the raffle by buying your $5 tickets online. Just go to the event page, mark "will attend," add a little note (in the comments section) that you'd like to enter the raffle even though you're not going to be at the party, make your donation, and then email your receipt to contact (at) undesigned (dot) com. (A little tricky, but it works.)
As for the prizes, there's stuff from Amy Tavern, Catherine Chandler, Rock Paper Scissors, Poketo, J.A.M. Studio, Molly Smith, Elizabeth Lee, Baggu Bags, and many more - including these lovelies:
Tags: Allison Sattinger, Barack Obama, Fomato, fundraisers, L.A. goings-on, Los Angeles, Mohop Shoes, Undesigned by Carol Young
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by Liz in Events
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