Thursday, August 24, 2006

 

the thursday prior

but actually, right now i'm more excited about the time between getting out of work today and leaving tomorrow night than i am about the actual on-playa time. i LOVE getting ready for this event, and i haven't had the time to be leisurely and enjoy myself. rush rush rush rush rush... tonight i'm going to try to finish packing, try to do some sewing, and otherwise tie whatever loose ends i can. tomorrow dana divine is going to do my hair, hopefully with tiggrr and sefirah in attendance for a full day of excellent girltime. sefirah and i are hoping to leave for a slightly-post-midnight arrival time... we'll see how that works out ;P

things... things is good.

Monday, August 21, 2006

 

where the catwalk ended:

photos by loren earle-cruikshanks. here's a slideshow. takes a while to load. there's also an index, although it's not easily navigable.

more to come from jay and others.

oh, and btw--
incredibly, incredibly fun.

Friday, August 18, 2006

 

my favorite films

i just put so much time into this that i can't not post it in public. resposted from an email exchange...

************************************

so actually, i haven't thought about this list much in the recent past, so it might not be excellently reflective of truth. for instance, i*just* put 'batman returns' on it. i don't know why it wasn't already there.

also, it's kind of less pretentious a list than what i might advertise in some circles. it's more a reflection of what i watch over and over again than a reflection of what i feel is 'good'. my favorite movies are movies i love watching. i enjoy the experience. i don't feel uncomfortable, depressed, upset, or otherwise negative during these films. so. this means that i often have to defend myself regarding my opinion of some truly excellent movies--movies like 'adaptation', 'happiness', and 'being john malkovich'. i can't STAND these films. and when i say i don't 'like' them people think i have no taste. but really i do of COURSE think they are very very very well done. i think they're amazing--i just hope to god i don't ever have to see them again.

-yellow submarine-
my very favorite movie of all time. it's the only movie that i can put on and listen to like an album. every time i see/hear it i notice more of the jokes. it is a veritable feast of puns, obscure references, and witty wordplay. also, the beatles are my favorite BAND of all time, so the presence of their music in the middle of visually witty psychedelic animation is pretty much the clincher.

-pride and prejudice-
the bbc/a&e version, of course. i love the book, and the movie is like reading the book for 5 hours. this is the best example of how hilarious jane austen was. it's like watching a good shakespeare comedy--the director and actors took her words and made them come alive in their full mischievious glory.

-cabaret-
a dark, disturbing, debaucherous film for the whooole family! with all sorts of beautiful morals :) joel grey is amazing, and so is bob fosse's direction. the movie is so well done that you feel like you're figuring out sneaky clever little metaphors rather than the truth... which is that you're being hit over the head by them. and it's the only musical that 99% of the world's male population will watch without being bribed first.

-adventures of the baron munchausen-
quirky good terry gilliam with awesome bit parts played by all sorts of great people, especially jonathan price. i don't know that this is actually one of my verrrrry favorite movies, but i really like it and it's genre-representative. plus it's beautiful, visually. the scenes on the moon ARE burning man. my first trip was wandering around the playa at night, on the year when the temple was very mosque-esque and was covered in a montage of paper, and i couldn't stop mentioning this movie.

-monty python and the holy grail-
i don't really need to explain this, do i?
of course not.

-clueless-
i had a whole two years in which some of my camp friends and i couldn't get through a conversation without quoting this film. and i so do NOT embody the valley girl thing. like, totally not.

-boogie nights-
i have actually only seen this once. but i think it will still be a favorite if i see it again now. this is also standing in for paul thomas anderson as a director in general. and for my love of the 70s aesthetic, probably. especially orange corvettes.

-strictly ballroom-
long time fave. the music is great; the male lead is the hottest thing one arth; and they don't do anything unbelievable to the female lead to transform her from scary-ugly to shining smiling beautiful. yes, i'm a girl. and this is my chickflick pick, tempered and made acceptable as a favorite film because it is australian and therefore automatically edgy due to kitch and inanity.

-MASH-
my favorite robert altman, and my favorite sprawling ensemble film. (and i LOVE sprawling ensemble films.) i loved the show when i was a kid, and when i put the movie on a few years ago i didn't think i'd be into it because i'd heard it was so different from the show. but then--oh look--it's way BETTER than the show. and while it's NOTHING at ALL like the show, i'm sure my associations with the show made me like the movie all the more.

-duck soup-
my favorite marx brothers. less slapstick; more plot. less stupid; more clever. not that i don't love MOST of the marx brothers movies... 'a night at the opera' would be my second favorite. or maybe my first, depending on my mood. the trunk/stateroom scene in 'a night at the opera' is still laugh-out-loud goodness.

-mansfield park-
this is the book done the way jane austen would've written it if she'd been attending properly. and it involves johnny lee miller.

-persuasion-
sorry, is this too much of a preponderance of austen to take seriously? whatev. they're all really really good. but on paper i'm definitely looking *very* girly right now, aren't i? shit.

-help!-
genius. whoever thought of this plot should get a medal. and the beatles are stupid-good at comedy. i've probably seen this movie more times than i've seen any other.

-todo sobre mi madre-
almodovar writes women like he knows them, like he's in awe of them, and like he has unending compassion for their half of living. so *all* of the almodovar that i've seen is beyond incredible, yes. (although i've only seen this, 'women on the verge', 'bad education', and 'talk to her'...andYES i know that's unacceptable.) but any movie that makes me *happy*because i've been crying for 90 solid minutes...? it gets to be on this list. and the line 'you are more authentic, the more you resemble what you dreamed you are' is one of my taglines and continues to re-happy me each time i hear it.

-the royal tenenbaums-
love love love it. the aesthetic, the score, the soundtrack, the actors, the acting, the story, and the everything else are my version of perfection. i refused to see this again for a really long time because i was afraid a second viewing would ruin the charm, and i was terribly relieved that i was wrong. i *heart* it so much that i *heart* 'the life aquatic' almost as much just by association, and by all accounts 'the life aquatic' wasn't too good. capiche? the glow is strong.

-american beauty/garden state-
these two films i think perfectly capture the problems, nastiness, banality, beauty, and hope of suburban upper middle-class america. ...and then there's the 'garden state' closing song, of course.

-donnie darko-
ditto above, but with a hint of david lynch and scifi. and it's got the second best closing song ever (mad world, covered by the dude who was in charge of putting the songtrack together).

-robin hood (disney version)-
i fucking love this cartoon. i have no good reason why, that i can think of... maybe the music? the music's pretty good. i'm pretty pro-robin hood in general, too. i really really like the errol flynne 'robin hood;. and 'robin hood: men in tights'.

-mary poppins-
this is like when i re-read 'the little princess' for the 18th time. the scenes of cleaning up the nursery, pulling things out of her carpet bag, and having tea on the ceiling are eye-popping fairy tale wish material that i can't get over.

-batman returns-
beautiful dark artsy creepy-gorgeous with michael keaton being BRILLIANT and tim burton being an auteur and a HALF. i wish the world had more movies like this. dark without being noir; stylized; not overly violent... shivery yum.

-cruel intentions-
dark and super-hot. i have seen this way too many times considering thati t's supposedly a teen flick. but it's SO good. i'm a sucker for impressive re-tellings done in teen genres. like '10 things i hate about you', and 'clueless'. (and the bangles' remake of 'hazy shade of winter', but that's a horse on a different carriage.)

-the taming of the shrew-
ish. i was just reminded as i typed that last paragraph. the moral is less than excellent, but elizabeth taylor kicks ass, and it's a great telling of shakespeare.

-funny face-
so first--this movie is wonderful independent of whatever else i say, because it's super-funny and has great color and art direction, and the songs are almost all really engaging. but also: 1) audrey hepburn is my most favorite movie star that has ever lived; she's the most beautiful woman i've ever seen; and this is my favorite audrey hepburn. 2) i watched a LOT of song and dance movies as a child, and this is one of the best, imo. engaging, funny, good plot, good star chemistry, pretty, not b&w, with fun songs and gorgeous clothes. 3) probably my favorite fred astaire.

-high society-
another song and dance movie, but with a great comedic ensemble. including bing crosby, fully en pointe :)

-pulp fiction-
the acting, the visual aesthetic, the music, the time distortion... i forget sometimes how startlingly excellent this was when it first cameout.

is that it? i need to think of some that are more impressive...i used to have 'everyone says i love you' (woody allen) on this list, but i have removed it since seeing it again. it's got some sublime moments, including ed norton singing in the jewelry store and the end scene of all the groucho marxes, but really it's super slow and actually kind of borrrrrring. and other than that, i don't have a specific favorite for woody allen, but i like him tons.

and i want catherine keener and edward norton to try again with making a movie together, and this time to try harder to have it not suck ass. because i would *like* to say that 'death to smoochy' is one my favorite films, by virtue of it containing my favorite actor and actress, who also just happen to be two of the hottest persons EVER--(i am not entirely sure if i just want to SLEEP with catherine keener, or if i actually want to BE catherine keener, and i can see that this is an important distinction to be aware of, so i will tend to it as soon as i have a minute)--but frankly i HATED 'death to smoochy'. although i only saw it once and i had very very high expectations and i should probably try again. but the reason i hated it was because their characters were sooooo not examples of typical keener and norton magic.

that is all.

 

world's shortest fairy tale

'Once upon a time, a girl asked a guy, "Will you marry me?"
The guy said "No" and the girl lived happily ever after and
went shopping, drank martinis, always had a clean house,
never had to cook, stayed skinny, and was never farted on.

The End'

 

where the catwalk ends

tomorrow (saturday) i'll be stilting in an off-runway fashion show tour of san francisco. it's called where the catwalk ends. the show will be hard to catch, but there's a trunk sale immediately following, at 440 brannan. i'll be wearing an ensemble from the imagination of bad.unkl.sista, romping alongside friendlies wearing items from her, miranda caroligne, silver lucy, and more.

and just as interestingly, do not you just LOVE the name of the show? i get freshly gleeful each time i see the name. shel silverstein + underground fashion + renegade performance art = most excellent.

which takes me to my tangent:

you've seen shel silverstein's work for adults, yes? because this is an important little slice of reality to be aware of. dude has--not just a dark side, which you would have noticed in his illustrations for children--but rather a dirty side. blah blah blah playboy...blah blah blah dirty poems...blah blah blah songwriter for dr hook and the medicine show, so blah blah blah 'cover of the rolling stone'... and my personal favorite: the freakers ball.

C'mon babies, grease your lips
Grab your hats and swing your hips
Don't forget to bring your whips
We're goin' to the Freaker's Ball

Blow your whistle, bang your gong
Roll up somethin' to take along
Feels so good it must be wrong
Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball

All the fags and dykes, they're boogyin' together
Leather freaks are dressed in all kinds of leather
The greatest of the Sadists and the Masochists, too
Screamin' 'Please hit me' and 'I'll hit you'

FBI dancin' with the junkies
All the Straights swingin' with the Funkies'
Cross the floor and up the wall
Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball

Everybody is lovin' each other
Brother with sister...son with mother
Smear my body up with butter
And take me to the Freaker's Ball

So pass that roach please and pour the wine...
I'll kiss yours if you'll kiss mine
I'm gonna boogie til I go blind...
Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball

Black ones, white ones, yellow and red ones...
Necropheliacs lookin' for dead ones
The greatest of the Sadists and the Masochists, too...
Screaming 'Please hit me' and 'I'll hit you'

Everybody ballin' in batches...
Pyromaniacs strikin' matches
I'm gonna itch me where it scratches...
Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball, y'all
Freakin' at the Freaker's Ball

pS. thanks to el nino for the fact that i can't see these lyrics without hearing your voice ;P

Thursday, August 10, 2006

 

fraggle movie!!

wikipedia sez good things:
In September 2005, it was announced that The Jim Henson Company had begun work on Fraggle Rock: The Movie, with the aim of a release in 2007-2008. The story is said to involve the original Fraggle characters.
and if you miss fraggles, the wikipedia page is pretty good for a start.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

 

new york, new york... part iii

subject: i *heart* disorient [reposted from the puddle]

i had--as always--a fantastic time playing with everyone in disorient. loved the club, the decor, the chill room... (ah, the chill room. i have never before, i think, properly experienced or appreciated a chill room. but now i have experienced. and now i appreciate. coo. coo coo.)

my thanks are directed in particular to big dawg, lobster rocket, and el nino for hosting, catering to various whims, and otherwise generally being excellent humans. i've said it before and i'll say it again--every time i wander out across the country i think i'm going to be spending time with just a few folks i know... forgetting that i ALWAYS see TONS of WONDERFUL people and end up creating new and amazing friendships all over the place.

so.
all of disorient pretty much kicks ass.
and actually *every* burner i've ever met in nYc... yup.
hoopers, freeks, disorientals... everyone is quite beyond rad.
just fyi.

 

new york, new york... part ii

subject: strengthening inter-subcultural relations [reposting from prowlypants tribe]

you know how i always say that new yorkers are really...you know...friendly?

yeah...so they just continued to be their normal friendly selves. nothing too scandalous, actually. (and nothing overwhelmingly hot, unfortunately.) mostly i just had my personal best for a night of really working to properly utilize a new york party puddle.

[time-out] it occurs to me that not everyone here may know or understand the definition of 'puddle'. a puddle is a situation, location, or action in which 2-3 or more persons actively cuddle, snuggle, and otherwise cozify themselves and their fellow puddlers. puddles do not necessarily involve any interpersonal interactions more involved than lying around with heads on other puddlers' shoulders. kisses are occasionally seen, but rarely--if ever--would a puddle actually include any overtly sexual acts. when timed properly, however, puddles may occasionally lead directly to changes in individuals' departure and sleeping logistics. [/time-out]

aside from excellent progress in my puddling skillz, though, i think that my re-embracing of my prowlypants self is more specifically stemming from my success in goal accomplishment. i mean seriously--what's more satisfying than checking a box on a to-do list? especially when that box has a person's name next to it?

so...burning man's in how many days???
game on.

 

new york, new york... part i

[regarding my most recent excursion to the other coast, i shall repost snippets of things, as i see fit.]

subject: club location [reposting from disorient tribe]

i was fortunate to be invited by el nino and lobster rocket to attend a pre-party at lobster rocket's house, a mere 4 blocks away from the venue for compressor, the evening's party. as we all know, an invitation for pre-partying can be easily parlayed into an offer of floor or bedspace later in the evening, if properly worked by the guest. and i worked it. so i therefore had a night that was even *more* marvelous than it would have been otherwise--and it still would have been marvelous otherwise. the benefits of having your basecamp 4 blocks from the speakers are tremendous. (as k8 pointed out, that IS the point of burning man...)

so. given that new york is ridiculously, laughably huge. and given that the people who live there insist on treating it like it's ONE city, rather than 12. and given that i know approximately 50 people who live there...

my new gameplan--to be applied to all new york party excursions--is to research within my network to find the person(s) who live closest to the chosen venue, then work through the appropriate social channels to befriend, bribe, or otherwise befuddle them ahead of time, in order to ensure excellent club-to-bed travel time ratios.

if applied correctly by all parties, this gameplan should guarantee a net benefit of more convenience, more puddling, and more time spent in beds (rather than in subways) to all participants at new york parties.

seriously.

i don't know how the people in that bigass mega-metropolis could do anything else and still get their proper bass fixes. i *heart* my smalltown city.

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