Archive for the 'Film' Category
Saturday, January 12th, 2013
Defending Sugar Man
If you haven’t seen Searching for Sugar Man yet, I urge you to do so before reading this, anything else about the film, or watching trailers.
I’m sounding off to take issue with The recently publsihed Lefsetz Letter commenting on the Oscar nominated documentary, Searching for Sugar Man. Bob Lefsetz claims the film is a bogus work of “fiction,” exaggerated merely for profit motives. His argument: “You mean a guy was hit in South Africa and didn’t know it and labored in obscurity for decades, until some filmmaker in Sweden found out about it and made a movie?” Lefsetz is confusing the movie itself with the events it documents – events that occurred some fifteen years ago. The film, nor anyone involved making the press rounds (director Malik Bendjelloul, Rodriguez, Sony Pictures Classics) is claiming this movie found the lost musician Rodriguez. Rather, the movie documents a remarkable series of events that unfolded in the 90s, and weaves an unbelievable but true tale with both accurate and inspiring artistry. The sad irony here is in accusing the filmmakers of misleading the audience, Lefsetz is actually misleading his readers with these baseless, sophomoric conspiracy theories. I was wondering how he, who has been writing about the music biz for some 25 years, got it so wrong this time and missed the obvious. Upon my second read it all made sense – he hasn’t seen the movie yet.
Sunday, July 11th, 2010
Must See :: Blu’s Big Bang Boom
BIG BANG BIG BOOM – the new wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.
If you haven’t seen it yet, street art animator Blu has just unleashed another inspired short film. The frame-by-frame animation represents new ground for Blu, with the seamless incorporation of found three-dimensional objects into his already well know style of stop-motion surface animation. The project was completed with assistance from ARTSH.IT, with sound design by Andrea Martignoni, who has collaborated with Blu on previous animations. Impressive, bleak, and a must see.
Friday, April 9th, 2010
Banksy’s ‘Exit Through The Gift Shop’
There was anticipation in the air in the first of a three night series of press screenings in Los Angeles, after having made a major splash at Sundance. Undoubtedly, Banksy’s EXIT THROUGH THE GIFT SHOP presents a truly engaging story about some of the artists behind one of this generation’s most exciting movements in our culture – street art. However, much of the film, directed by Banksy, focuses on Thierry Guetta, aka Mr. Brainwash. Only an artist with the utter swagger as Banksy would be comfortable enough to actually elevate a newcomer like MBW, eclipsing himself in the process. Well crafted, the documentary explores Banksy’s legacy and contextualizes many events in ‘street art’ history, chronicling of some of the most important moments in Banksy’s career, as well as others, like Shepard Fairey. It’s both a comical glance at how art is about perception – and now more than ever – showmanship – while also poignantly substantiating the passion at the core of this form of expression.
The film is uniquely entertaining. With our highest recommendation, it will be very worthwhile seeking it out in your local market as it rolls out. It opens on April 16 in many cities across the USA. Read the rest of this entry »
Friday, October 23rd, 2009
Thomas Campbell Surfaces with New Exhibit and Feature Film
We are extremely excited for Thomas Campbell’s forthcoming gallery show, opening Oct. 30 at V1 in Copenhagen. Campbell has spent the past few years focusing on his surf-film projects, and hasn’t held a major exhibition since his 2006 shows at Museum Het Domain (Netherlands) and Roberts and Tilton Gallery(Los Angeles). His latest movie, The Present, will also be screened for the first time in Scandinavia on Oct. 28.
Thomas Campbell – UMMMM
Oct. 30 – Nov. 11
V1 Gallery
The Present Film Film Premier
Oct. 28, 8:30pm
Grand Teatret
Copenhagen, Denmark
Monday, October 12th, 2009
Wild Things Arrives
Final Drawing for Where the Wild Things Are. (Image: © Maurice Sendak, 1963. All rights reserved.)
There’s lots going on in anticipation of this week’s theatrical release of Spike Jonze’s adaptation of the children’s classic, Where the Wild Things Are. While much of the spotlight is on MoMA’s survey of Jonze’s accomplishments in film, several other events focus on Maurice Sendak, the story’s creator.
The Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco is hosting There’s a Mystery There: Sendak on Sendak, on view now through Jan. 19, 2010. The exhibit features watercolors, preliminary sketches, drawings, and dummy books from more than 40 of Sendak’s books. All works are on loan from the Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia, which holds the world’s largest collection of Sendak’s art, including some ten thousand items including drawings and manuscripts for over one hundred books, as well as prints, paintings, hand-made books, and a wide range of other ephemera.
Bruno, 1979. Concept Drawing for Where the Wild Things Are Opera (Image: via Animazing Gallery, © Maurice Sendak. All rights reserved.
The Rosenbach Museum has aslo lent twelve drawings and two manuscript pages for Where the Wild Things Are: Original Drawings by Maurice Sendak, taking place at the Morgan Library in New York.
Coinciding with these exhibits is Sendak in Soho, the largest ever sale of original art directly from the artist’s collection, including over 200 works, as well as a limited edition bronze sculpture. The show is currently on view at Animazing Gallery and runs till Nov. 8.
Lastly, The Rosenbach is currently holding two of their own Sendak exhibits. While And It’s Still Hot: Where The Wild Things Are focuses on the popular book, Too Many Thoughts to Chew: A Sendak Stew presents a refreshing curatorial approach that does not focus on Wild Things, and instead explores the reoccurring themes of food, eating, and being eaten in Sendak’s books.
Wednesday, October 7th, 2009
Guest of Cindy Sherman
Guest of Cindy Sherman tells the real life tale of artist Paul H-O, who in 1993 founded (recently resurrected) Gallery Beat, a public access television program that playfully chronicled the New York art scene. H-O’s role as an outsider looking into the exclusive world of the art elite quickly changed when he met photographer superstar, Cindy Sherman. Over the course of several interviews their relationship grew into romance and Paul found himself swept into the NY art scene, becoming known as Cindy’s companion. The film confronts issues of gender, identity, ego, and offers a critique of the art market and the culture of celebrity. Unfortunately, after a few film festival screenings earlier this year, the film has not yet seen a wider theatrical run or DVD release.
Monday, August 17th, 2009
Making Something from Nothing :: Beautiful Losers Released in UK, Inspires London Exhibit
Ivory Serra – Installation View of Alleged Gallery, 2001 (via: Watch This Space)
If you are reading this, chances are you are already familiar with Beautiful Losers, the traveling art exhibit turned documentary film celebrating a group of artists who emerged out of New York’s Alleged Gallery in the early 90s, joined together by the DIY aesthetics of punk rock, hip-hop and skateboarding. The marks of artists like Barry McGee, Shepard Fairey, Geoff McFetridge, Mike Mills and Harmonie Korine are widely acknowledged in popular art, design, film, and fashion. Now, a new exhibition in London takes up the Beautiful Losers calling to “Make Something From Nothing,” featuring a group of emerging UK artists.
DIY London Seen, an exhibition documenting the work of, and inspired by the artists featured in the film, opened today, coinciding with Beautiful ‘Losers UK DVD release and run at the London Institute of Contemporary Arts. Organized by Watch This Space, the show features a group of young London artists whose work embodies the spirit of the film, alongside the photography of original Loser, Cheryl Dunn, and Ivory Serra, who documented the rise of the Beautiful Losers’ artists throughout the 90s. DIY London Seen runs August 17 – September 5 at 2009 at The Market Building in Covent Garden.
DIY LONDON SEEN
August 17 – Sept 5
The Market Building
Covent Garden
London, UK WC2 8RF
Participating Artists: Arran Gregory, Aidan O’Neill, Best One, Chrissie Abbott, Clare Shilland, Charlie Woolley, Cheryl Dunn, Gustav Svanborg Edén, Graham Hudson, Harry Malt, Ivory Serra, Jethro Haynes, Marc Silver, Marcus Oakley, Niall O’Brien, Nick Jensen, Robin Clare, Sam Ashley and Toby Shuall, Ricky Adams, Rita Bored, XXXXXX, Mat Pringle and Sam Szulc
Friday, July 17th, 2009
Dave Ellis for Spread
Images: © Jeff Newman/TheArtCollectors
We just noticed these new advertisements for Spread, a new movie starring Ashton Kutcher and Anne Heche, going up around NYC. The sound waves looked all too familiar and upon further digging, we’ve confirmed that Dave Ellis was commissioned to design a set of three promotional posters for the film. If you aren’t already familiar with Ellis’ work, stop what you are doing and go here.
The international advertising campaign takes quite a different approach. Unfortunately, judging by the trailer, it seems a bit closer to what the movie really is – a rip off of 80s comedy Loverboy. For your amusement, we share it with you below.
Image: Filmofilia
Wednesday, August 13th, 2008
Clayton Patterson Captures New York
For the past 30 years, downtown documentarian, Clayton Patterson, has been photographing and filming the history of New York City’s Lower East Side. From the gritty heyday of the 1980s, to recent post-Guliani gentrification, Patterson has captured it all. As stated by the New York Times, “He can’t stop, even after more than a dozen arrests by camera-shy police officers. He has amassed a huge day-by-day visual history of the area, told mainly through unpretentious portraits of its myriad and diverse faces: tenement kids and homeless people, poets and politicians, drug dealers and drag queens, rabbis and santeros, beat cops, graffiti taggers, hookers, junkies, punks, anarchists, mystics and crackpots.”
Now the artist’s work is the is the subject of a new documentary film, Captured, which offers a rare glimpse into one of the most historically relevant archives chronicling modern New York City. While there are no distribution plans set for the movie, keep an eye out for select showings. Next up will be an August 22nd screening at the New Museum in New York, followed by a Q + A session with Patterson and the film makers. The viewing coincides with museum’s Bowery Artist Tribute, an ongoing project documenting artists who have lived and worked around the Bowery in lower Manhattan.
Tix here. Click through for trailer and interview. Read the rest of this entry »
Monday, August 4th, 2008
NYC::Beautiful Losers Movie Premier
This Friday, August 8th, marks the theatrical premier of Beautiful Losers at the IFC Theater in New York City. The film focuses on the group of artists first popularized by the traveling exhibitions spearheaded by Iconoclast Editions beginning in 2004, including Barry McGee, Chris Johanson, Margaret Kilgallen, Ed Templeton, Thomas Campbell, Mike Mills, Harmonie Korine, Stephen Powers, Geoff McFetridge, and Shepard Fariey. It is hard to argue the influences these artists and their collective aesthetics have had on popular culture, youth lifestyle, advertising, and media over the past decade. Given the current co-opted, over-saturated state of graffiti, skateboarding, punk, hip-hop, and just about every other subculture under the sun, we hope this film will awaken (and re-awaken) some to these originators and to the artistic purity and integrity that once existed within these cultures. Director (and Beautiful Loser co-founder) Aaron Rose and several artists featured in the film will be present at the Friday and Saturday 8:20 and 10:20 pm screenings. Expect to be inspired and walk out with a smile on your face. Tix here