Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cinema, daniel day-lewis, fashion, film, nine, OMFG, trailer
FREAKS. THE. FUCK. OUT. this movie will be too good. I don’t even think I can handle it.
omg. a film about film concerning Fellini and starring Daniel Day-Lewis who sings and dances and looks hot all the time. as a serious fangirl, movie industry: I SALUTE YOU.
In other news, you don’t know what I would do to have this sequined blazer. and I hate sequins.
(photo cred: Garance Dore, obviously)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: cinema, college essays, daniel day-lewis, film, literature, milan kundera, nyu, unbearable lightness of being
I apologize in advance for all my upcoming Frenglish. I am trying to learn French so I will probably spit out some faulty vocabulary every now and then (i.e. this sad title. Is it something like je suis no fatigue? HOW DO YOU DO AN ACCENT MARK ON A MAC? Christ).
Anyway, I was just talking to Danielle about college applications and I started to remember all the essays I had to do. Yuck. I hated doing all of them… except one. One of them I actually liked. It was for NYU (which of course, is the one school that never got back to me at all, at least not yet). The question was something like “choose one work of art, whether it be a painting, a piece of music, a film, or a novel, and explain how it affected your outlook on life.” It took me forever to narrow it down because I love all those art mediums so much, but I thought this was the best one.
For some reason, it is still on my laptop.
Not many people I know have read, or experienced, the novel that I consider a masterpiece of literature, a work of art, by an artist, at his most witty and philosophical best. Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being is not only beautifully crafted by the Franco-Czech author, but it is possesses an indispensable insight into the human psyche. I’ve read many books but no other book, let alone work of art, has had an influence on me the way Lightness has. There are many underlying stories woven throughout Kundera’s work, like the Prague Spring, the Russian invasion of Czechoslovakia, and the main character Tomas’ struggle to defend his article condemning the Czech Communists. The true story lies within the characters skillfully invented by Kundera. I realized this was a perfect parallel of life; with so many events, good and bad, occurring in our world and our world seemingly changing every minute, what really matters is people and the relationships you hold.
I first read The Unbearable Lightness of Being when I was relatively young, around fifteen years old. I used to wonder how I could have possibly admired such a mature book at such a young age, but once I reread it, it became clear to me how it was possible. Although Lightness contains great details about Tomas’ personal experiences with his wife and his mistresses and explains a few complicated political events, the narrative itself is stripped down to the minimum. I loved Lightness then for the same reason I love it now and the same reason I will love it twenty years from now, and that is because it taught me more about human relationships than anything or anyone else ever has. Kundera makes some of the most brilliant insights about humans and their reactions. He uses antitheses such as “lightness and weight” and “soul and body” to simplify life. He even says “human decisions are terribly simple” (pg. 308). He talks a lot about love, of course, in his famous quote: “He suddenly recalled the famous myth from Plato’s Symposium: People were hermaphrodites until God split them in two, and now all the halves wander the world over seeking one another. Love is the longing for the half of ourselves we have lost” (pg. 238).
The long and the short of it is that Kundera put my priorities straight. He simplifies life on earth while also writing unforgettable philosophical statements about its purpose. Kundera taught me how significant personal identity is and how important it is to exercise free will. “What then will we choose? Weight or lightness?”
I love that book so much I can’t even put it into words (those words don’t come close to telling you how much I love it).
I need to watch this movie again soon. Really soon.
Call me a heretic, but I think I love the film as much as I love the book….
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: andy warhol, art, bill maher, blowjob, camera, cinema, daniel day-lewis, film, nine, politics, praktica ltl 3, sophia loren
Branching off from that last post.
How excited are you for Daniel Day-Lewis to play Fellini (or, that spinoff guy he’s playing)?
DDL and (!!!!!74yearold) Sophia Loren on the set of said film, Nine
I want to be in that back seat so badly it’s scary.
Any of you know what the fuck is wrong with my Praktica LTL 3 (anyone = Patrice and Danielle, i know you both deal with old school film cams)? I put a new battery in it and I know for a fact it’s in the right way yet I keep getting blank rolls of film. I can easily take it in to see what’s wrong but I figured maybe someone has dealt with a similar issue… I want this camera for NYC in a couple weeks! I can’t think of a better place to use it for the first time than the streets of New York really.
Speaking of NYC in 2 weeks, does anyone know where to find some cheap but nice clothes? I know, that is so much to ask for these days. I cannot believe I have to fit clothes/shoes/accessories in 1 carry on for 4 days in the capital of the world… O_O !
Here’s something random. My Bill Maher quote of the day for January 26 (yeah that’s right, I love my political musings from a timid observer). I love it.
Now, we have on hand here The Republican Guide to Dating and Marriage–remember, these are Republican guides; “Violence never solves anything, but if you must hit your mate, do it not as an aggressor, but as a liberator.” It’s the Republican Guide. “Marriage is about communication. In English only.”
On Sunday I went to this Warhol exhibit. It was INCREDIBLE and I was never even a massive fan of Warhol (loved him, but never was obsessed). I think all of that might change now. It was a pivotal moment in my life, honestly, looking at his paintings, silk screens, photographs, films, writings, interviews, whatever. It was crazy to know that all of that stuff was real. It’s hard to explain. It’s weird to me to realize that people like Andy Warhol were even real people. That time is so untouchable to me. Seeing shit like this in person is virtually indescribable.
There was this crazy movie there called Blowjob from 1964. It’s just this long take of this gorgeous guy getting a blowjob but it only shows his face and focuses on his emotions. It was crazy but I loved the idea of it. It was like the absolute antithesis of porn.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: daniel day-lewis, dhani harrison, eva green, ewan mcgregor, fab moretti liam gallagher, french, gaspard ulliel, george harrison, jeremy irons, johnny depp, johnny marr, keith richards, louis garrel, noel gallagher, oasis, robert pattinson, romain duris, the beatles, the rolling stones, the smiths, twilight
Alright so… I can’t even believe I’m going to do this. I cannot believe I am going to put this on a public blog. But… this has to be done (seriously no pun intended). my friend did this on her LJ and she is now making me do it (that’s an exaggeration). I figure it will be interesting…. or totally predictable. all of you that know me probably know my top 5 already.
(1) List 16 celebrities you would have sex with without even asking questions.
(2) Put all of them in order of your lust for them. (1 is the hottest.)
(3) Say which movie/show/thing it was that hooked you.
(4) Supply photos.
16. Ewan McGregor
I don’t even know when I discovered Ewan. I don’t care. He’s in so many of my favourite movies (Trainspotting is in my top 3 if not my favourite). He has a British cool to him and he can play almost any role and look good with any hairstyle. That is a feat that many have not yet accomplished.
15. Fab Moretti
Look at him.
14. Liam Gallagher circa 1994
I can’t really pick a steady time where I would do Liam. I would say at any time, but there are some times when he looks like a complete utter idiot. And most of the time I’m busy saying how much I hate him or think he’s such a fucking dumbass. But most of the time Liam looks amazing despite his inability to form a sentence (Bushitis). Especially young Liam. But he isn’t looking too shabby now either… He’s the epitome of rock and roll and don’t argue with me.
13. Dhani Harrison
He’s the one near the top, you freaks. I guess if I couldn’t get a young George I may as well go for this. Dhani is gorgeous and is basically a lesser talented version of his father. Who cares. You love him and so do I.
12. Robert Pattinson
Okay. I need to defend myself on this one. I am not a Twilight freak by any stretch of the means. I saw the movie and read the fist book THAT’S IT OKAY. So don’t yell at me. I called this shit back in the days of Harry Potter, ok? And I have a leg up on all of you. I saw him in a restaurant in London in 2006 and we made eye contact.
11. George Harrison circa 1967
HE’S FUCKIN’ GEORGE. I don’t need to explain that. I am not explaining that.
10. Johnny Marr circa 1986
If I had to name my top 100 songs, Johnny contributed to probably at least 40. And he is the best wearer of tight trousers in the history of music.
9. Eva Green
So okay, I probably wouldn’t because I don’t swing that way. But Eva Green is AMAZING. And the most gorgeous person alive. If I had to go gay for anyone it would be her.
8. Jeremy Irons
I just talked about him. He’s one of those untouchable actors. I think the first film I saw of his was Lolita which is an interesting choice for getting hooked on an actor… He has something I can’t articulate. He’s amazing.
7. Louis Garrel
I’ve already talked about him too much in this blog. The first film I saw of Louis’ was The Dreamers. been hooked since.
6. Johnny Depp
Film virtuoso. Insulted America and fucked off to Europe. I know the first JD film I saw was the first Pirates. 2003? I guess I was kind of behind. Then I saw the other stuff like Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Edward Scissorhands, you know. If you are a straight girl or a gay man and Johnny Depp isn’t high on your list, you have a problem. No really. Get that checked out.
5. Keith Richards circa 1968
Why not? The Stones were my first obsession. I still think they are incredible/one of the best bands of all time. And Keith back in the day… WHOA. He had the best head of hair for a long time. tell me you wouldn’t want to run your hands through that.
4. Romain Duris
French. Breathtaking. Was in most of my favourite modern films (The Beat That My Heart Skipped). Breathtaking. Did I mention he’s totally gorgeous?
3. Daniel Day-Lewis
DDL is my all time favourite actor. Aside from being ridiculously smart and sharp-witted, he is (well, mostly was :-/) gorgeous. I love everything he’s ever touched. He’s fucking incredible.
2. Gaspard Ulliel
Gaspard is French, an incredible actor, has incredible taste (he loves Godard and Truffaut, wtf) and is gorgeous. anyone with hormones doesn’t need me to explain this one. I don’t know how I became aware of him though, to be honest.
1. Noel Gallagher
So maybe this one needs some explaining. In this list of men with long black hair and high cheekbones you have Noel. You all knew this was my number 1. Don’t ask me why, because I don’t know. And if you look at the rest of this list, he is kind of totally random. I think he is so hot and I don’t know what it is. And if I had to compile a list of my top 100 songs he probably wrote the other 60. I know that I’m insane. I know that he looks totally wonky at some time and flat out weird. I know that he is the biggest jackass on planet earth. I forget who said this but, this sums it up: “I would let Noel Gallagher do his horizontal Manchester jig right on top of me and let him brag afterwards about how he did it better than anyone in the Beatles ever could.”
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 1960s, arctic monkeys, barack obama, bob dylan, cinema, daniel day-lewis, film, france, guy bourdin, idealistic bullshit, iraq, jean-luc godard, jeremy irons, joy division, lolita, manchester, music, new york city, noel gallagher, oasis, paris, paul thomas anderson, photography, politics, richard avedon, stanley kubrick, survey, the rolling stones, versailles, whoa, woodstock, wtf
I found this and I thought it would be a good thing to fill out on here. It’s Sunday and I have time to do nothing aka this blog entry. Honestly, this is so difficult I don’t know how accurate it will be. Bear with me, I promise you this is interesting.
Name 5 People that Inspire You the Most:
Well this is hard, I think I’m going to choose 1 person from different areas of my interests… you’ll see.
1. Barack Obama. Could that be any more cliche at this point, but it’s true. America has never felt like home to me, but as soon as I got involved in politics and heavily involved in the Obama campaign it started to feel like home. The entire process just made me feel American; and as soon as he got elected I wasn’t ashamed anymore to say it. Maybe when I travel this year I’ll talk loudly in my obnoxious accent without feeling ashamed. I mean, you all know how I feel about this man so it’s useless to talk about it anymore 
2. Richard Avedon. Easily my favourite photographer of all time (he might only POSSIBLY compete with Leibovitz, Mick Rock, or maybe Furmanovsky for favourite). I felt ridiculously uninspired in photography over the last 6 or 8 months until I came across his book Performance in Barnes & Noble. I had a fucking epiphany looking through it. I think the way he captures people on film is something only very, very, very few people are truly good at. He is the ultimate master of studio photography. I honestly get emotional looking at his pictures. I just think he’s incredible.
3. My friends. Meaning my true friends. Most of them don’t live here. Most of them are in the same situation as I am, hating where they live and using art to escape mentally from some type of prison. The people that are reading this are probably who I’m talking about. Most of them take amazing pictures and inspire me every day. They are the only people I know that ask me what’s up with me, that ask me what’s going on, that give me music recommendations and can talk to me about anything. People around here are just waiting to talk, my other friends are just waiting to listen. And that alone is inspiring, to know that there are at least SOME people like that in the world.
4. Jean-Luc Godard/Stanley Kubrick/Paul Thomas Anderson. I can’t pick one. Godard for increasing my love for cinema and breaking all the rules. Kubrick for making a good majority of my favourite and (and what I believe to be) best films ever. And Paul Thomas Anderson for making There Will Be Blood, that introduced me to cinema and the art that it is.
5. Noel Gallagher. As lame as it sounds, this man is inspiring to me. He isn’t a poet and I don’t really think he’s an artist. Some of his lyrics are flat out ridiculous. Who cares? Noel is a hope that you can do anything you want to do. Absolutely anything (this actually kind of relates back to Obama; is there a theme going on here?!). You can get out of whatever situation you’re in and you can really make a living doing the only thing you know how to do and the only thing you love the most to spend your life doing. I hate the people that tell you you can’t do things. Wtf? Of course you can. You can do absolutely anything and part of the reason why I believe that is because of my freakish love for Noel.
Name 5 Songs You Can’t Live Without:
1. Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division. I don’t even know how to talk about this song. I think it’s fucking magic, and that’s about all I can say on that.
2. Don’t Look Back In Anger - Oasis. Okay picking 5 songs is impossible. I could go with essentially any Oasis song except “Little By Little” and listen to it every day for the rest of my life and never get tired. I don’t know what this song is about and I don’t give a fuck. It’s almost the best. I have like, 25 versions of this song or something. I’d take any one of them.
3. A Certain Romance – Arctic Monkeys. This is the best song of the last decade. Don’t even bother arguing with me.
4. Like A Rolling Stone – Bob Dylan. Picking a Dylan song was nearly impossible but I think this song is necessary on anyone’s list of 5 songs you can’t live without.
5. Tumbling Dice – The Rolling Stones. This was my first “favourite song ever.” The Stones are still the best band from the ’60s hands down and this is from the best (yes, you heard me, THE best) album ever made, Exile on Main Street. No other Stones song is as good as this. It just makes me think of hanging out with Mick Keith and the Boys in the French Riviera in the summer of 71 just kickin back and making the best piece of music ever. Whoa.
I don’t know how I just picked those. I can’t believe I didn’t have room for a Smiths song or “(Song For My) Sugar Spun Sister” by the Stone Roses. I know if you asked me tomorrow my answers might be different (bar the first two songs). I was always kind of against claiming a song/songs as your favourite/s. Setting apart 5 minutes of music as better than millions of other songs always got me.
Name 5 Places You’d Go to If You Could Time Travel:
1. Paris, 1968. Or Paris at any time 40 years of before. Seeing a film in Paris in the ’60s was an experience. My favourite thing ever is 1960s Paris. You know. I don’t need to explain. Jean-Paul Belmondo. That’s all I’m saying.
2. Woodstock, 1969. Before I got really into all the music I’m into now, classic rock was my thing. Those songs were my jams. Anything pre-1975 was just out. There was no way I was even going to think about listening to it. So, if I could go to Woodstock, get as high as a kite, and watch Jimi Hendrix, I don’t know what I’d do. It would be too good to even handle it.
3. Late 18th Century Versailles. I would go and somehow be a royal and get in with the whole Marie Antoinette crowd. That entire period fascinates me. But of course I would only stay until the revolution. I would get out of there before the shit hit the fan.
(yes I know that’s from the film, my friends, but come on, if it was ANYTHING like that, tell me you wouldn’t want to be hanging out with her).
4. 1960s New York City. You know where I’m going with this. Andy Warhol, Edie Sedgwick, the Velvet Underground, ???Bob Dylan???. In one of my previous posts I told you that I love this period but I don’t know anything about it. I would love to witness this in person.
5. 1980s Manchester. I would see the Smiths perform live. Necessary. I love that band so much. I would give my fucking first born to see them live.
5 Things You Hate:
lmfao. This is hard for me. I hate so many things. I’m not going to give you an explanation on why or else I will just get really, really infuriated.
1. Indifference. that is what I hate the most.
2. The Jonas Brothers/Miley Cyrus (they are one in the same).
3. When you’re drinking a big class of water and you have to tip the glass a lot and the ice cubes come crashing down on your face.
4. Jessica Alba
5. Not having all the clothes I want. This is what I really hate at the core of my being. Also not having the money to buy a Hasselblad. I fucking hate that.
5 Moments You Regret:
Ohhh shit, that’s deep. I really try not to regret. But I think all human beings regret about 5 things in their lives. I’ll write more trivial things for this one.
1. Not being in Grant Park, Chicago when Barack Obama won the 2008 election. I could have been, you know. Life’s about living, and I was too concerned with school, getting there and getting lost or being too far away. Chicago isn’t that far and I should have been there.
2. Being born a few years too late. I can’t really think of why, there are always so many times when I’m like “if I had just been born a couple years earlier…!” Nevermind.
3. Not taking as many risks as I should have.
4. Quitting my job. I kind of want it back. I’m skint.
5. I am not writing this here.
5 Names You Would Name Your Children and Why:
1. Liam. It wouldn’t be after Liam Gallagher so don’t get any ideas. I think Liam is a great name. I keep hearing it more and more which is odd. It’s so Irish, I fucking love it. My mom’s side would love me for that one.
2. François. I would do it, don’t dare me to. After Truffaut. Plus this name is just ballin.
3. Edie. I guess ever since I heard of Edie Sedgwick I always thought that was SUCH a cool name. It wouldn’t be in tribute to her or anything, I just think it’s a great name.
4. Anderson. I think Anderson Cooper has like, the best name ever. Anderson!? Like, are you kidding!? I love that name. I guess if I named my kid that I would say it was after a previously mentioned director in this entry. You don’t fuck with any Andersons.
5. Alright I need another girl’s name (obviously if I ever had a kid I’d want a boy). Er… Well… Let me think. Nothing ordinary. Girl’s names tend to be awful. Got it. Lucy. After Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds.
I also think that CLAUS VON BULOW is the best name of all time. But I couldn’t name my child that because it would be child abuse.
5 Things People Might Find Weird About You:
Just five!?
1. Whenever I’m in church (no, I don’t go to church in my free time, whenever I have to go in school) I always follow the big chandeliers on the ceiling down to see who they would fall on if they fell. Am I a sadist? Probably.
2. I think a LOT of old guys are hot. I’m talking like, 50-60. I think Jeremy Irons is the hottest person ever, and I’d hit it now even though he’s 60 years old. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t. I think a lot of people harbour these thoughts. Actually it’s probably just me.
best looking old guy award. I honestly love that old-guy-intellectual thing. AND look what he’s wearing in all of those! asdfjkldsfjsdsklfgjeklrsjdtg. I’d take him over his (hot) son any day, btw. But let’s look at him when he was young and dashing (he still is, but even more), please.
Irons is Lolita is just about the best thing ever.
3. Another old-guy-intellectual I find INCREDIBLE and INCREDIBLE-LOOKING is Daniel Day-Lewis. I don’t know what about DDL is fucking hot, I can’t pin point it and I don’t want to.
and he is my favourite actor of all time.
4. I always think about food poisoning when I’m not eating at my house. Any other place I eat I think of food poisoning.
5. This probably relates to the last one, but I am terrified of throwing up. TERRIFIED. I haven’t done it in like, 8 years. I am absolutely horrified of it.
And Finally, 5 Things You Want to Happen in the Next 10 Years:
can these be idealistic?
1. We’ll be out of Iraq. There is no question in my mind. I just need it to happen. Now. 2 more Americans died today, this is getting ridiculous.
2. The United States will stop relying on foreign oil and use much alternative energy.
3. I will move to Paris or London with my hot boyfriend and never see anyone from this place ever again. 
Yeah.
4. I’ll be fucking rich.
5. The world will agree to abolish nuclear weapons. This won’t happen, but I like to be delusional.
WOW. Now that was difficult. I hope you all do that. it would be interesting to read. Let’s end on this note.
a shot buy Guy Bourdin. I was looking at his photos last night. Inspiration.
