dial m for murder

initially this blog was supposed to be focused on film analysis, but then my first real entry was a laundry list of clothes i wanted for spring. oh well, i guess it's a little more fun that way. however, in an effort to preserve the initial idea for what has become the look-see, i'll provide clips from films when i can't fully articulate a lengthy or more formal analysis of a film. these clips are entirely deserving of the same written and more theoretical examination, but perhaps beg a little more to be seen in their visual sense.

this is a scene from alfred hitchcock's 'dial m for murder'.

the lighting, angels, editing, and framing are cinematic perfection. no one can build tension quite like hitchcock. it's extremely sexual to the point of near aberrant. the violent and meticulous editing give the scene a slow burning terror, particularly in the context of a vulnerable female and a predatory male, and imbues it with rape imagery and the voyeuristic relationship between tony wendice (ray milland) and his wife margot (grace kelly), as well as the one between viewer and subject. not only does wendice get off (financially and perversely) on the pleasure of having his wife murdered, but hitchcock rubs our noses in it and makes us watch and most importantly enjoy the dirty deed. the scene also includes those wonderful and rare skewed shots in a hitchcock film. after the murderer has been stabbed in the back watch closely at how subtly the frame is slightly tilted giving the murderer an otherworldly and maniac quality, one that is contrasted with the horizontal and standard framing of a frightened kelly. it's a wrenching and horrifying scene in a film that is purely cinematic in its use of editing and hitchcockian in its commentary on voyeurism and the underlying sense of the naughty that boils so incandescently underneath the puritanical american psyche.

hoodie

rogues gallery, $176 (click to enlarge for better detail)

forget the heinously unattractive model and poorly matched jeans and you're left with a modern take on a hoodie. the hooded sweatshirt has become somewhat of a new staple for my generation. you see it paired with blazers on your archetypal male hipster or idiosyncratically worn with a skirt and heels on that girl at the sonic youth show. it's comfortable, unisex in its wearability, and it is now offered in more expensive fabrics (namely cashmere) and slimmer cuts. all winter i searched for a flattering shawl collar sweater to no avail, but i love the slim fit and shawl collar on this stylish take on an otherwise casual piece. the price is steep but i'll keep it an eye on it with the hopes of it at least getting down to 50% off (*crosses fingers and bookmarks).

d.a.n.c.e.

it's only spring and already a strong contender for album of the year has dropped. i hate to wax so hyperbolically, but after listening to lcd soundsytem's new album, 'sound of silver', i can say with confidence that james murphy, the musical mad scientist behind the band, has crafted an album that is rich and full in scope and consistency (more so than the first), lyrically witty and relevant as ever, and an utter joy to sweat to on a dance floor (yet to be tested, but very certain of the possibility). although lcd soundsystem's first album was stronger than many of its genre-based contemporaries, the new album makes everyone else seem like they have plenty of catching up to do. murphy fuses his claps, bells, and danceable beats with lyrics that speak of loss, what it means to be an american in a post-9/11 world, and aging--all themes we would never consider to make up good dance music. from beginning to end murphy invites us to feverishly dance to his disco-punk grooves, but does it without leaving a cheap or fleeting taste in our mouth/feet.

my favorites..
-'get innocuous!'
-'someone great'
-'us v. them'

and as an added bonus, check out the remix album. yup, it's that good.

also for your reading pleasure, get to know the man behind the madness in this fascinating portrait of murphy in new york magazine.

game

the game feat. kanye west
"wouldn't get far"

initially i dismissed game. he looks like a tatted up teddybear and his beef with 50 cent wasn't exciting because it seems counterintuitive to bite the hand that feeds you. however, this song is lyrically brilliant and the video is as smart and perceptive as its star's lyrics. rap music, especially of the top 40 variety, is in a strange and interesting state in a post-notorious b.i.g./tupac musical landscape. timbaland, swizz beats, pharell williams, and lil jon rose to prominence as the innovators who gave rap music a recognizable and specific sound for the new millennium that eventually contributed to its top 40 dominence. like any aspect of what is popular, image is valued and intrinsically linked to mainstream rap's sound and success. when we think of jay'z "big pimpin'" that now iconic timbaland beat pounds in our head, but we also think of that woman in the string bikini being doused with a bottle of belvedere vodka in the video. entertaining yes, but completely regressive and it makes it difficult to point a finger when the woman looks like she's enjoying her vodka shower. to perhaps give a point of view on this cultural quagmire, game's use of lyrics and image convey something relevant and subversive.

although music videos have become less relevant over the last decade, in terms of music finding an audience alongside a developing technology (what cable was to music audiences in the early 80s, the internet is to audiences today), every so often an artist recognizes the visual punch and power a video can have. it can mold and craft an image for an artist, but more importantly give their image a context and substance. game's song takes an unexpected point of view on the incorporation and exploitation of the rap video staple most commonly known as "the video ho". mysoginistic images of women in rap videos has been criticized since their inception in the early 90s, but in the late 90s videos like nelly's boobs and bootyfest "tipdrill" and bet's late night softcore rotation of uncut videos, the video ho's place in rap as a sexual offering for men on set and the appeal for the video's rotation success became cemented. these women also became an important prop to the persuasive image of popular rap music just as much as luxury cars or bling factor into a video. in such a male dominanted genre of music, these highly sexualized and damaging images of women in bikinis and a glint of subservience in their eyes contribute to the oppressive male fantasy of women in popular culture. this is what makes "wouldn't get far" such a rarity in the otherwise homogenized scope of popular culture. game speaks of the disilussionment of a video star at the hands of a male rap star and by valuing a false sense of empowerment this should inspire women to pride and value their intelligence in an environment unlike the one where they grind and shake for titilation. his argument is an astute observation only supported by the self-aware tone of the video. every rap video cliche (cars, cameos, girls) is thrown in for good measure, but the lampooning word bubbles and self-deprecating skit at the beginning between he and kanye west contradict the artifice and standards of rap videos. game has given us a breath of fresh air admist the party anthems and self-aggrandizing anthems of his contemporaries. well played game.

look at me

are we really that egotistical?

the fact that i have to ask is probably not a good sign. a surprisingly insightful editorial appeared in the courier journal today trying to answer this question as a reaction to the recent study that found that generation y (you and me) is a self-obsessed, self-important, and narcissistic generation as compared to past generations. it's worth a read. let me know what you think.

a tribute: naomi and liev

naomi watts and liev schreiber are my new favorite celebrity couple. they're smart (he went to yale!), stylish (pictured above), and they have nothing to prove. it's refreshing to watch a famous couple look like they don't resent their celebrity, but also never court it. she's one of the greatest working actresses in film and people say he's a big deal on broadway. you won't catch them in us weekly unless it's an obligatory paparazzi shot of them biking or attending a benefit for the national resources defense fund. ok, that sounded kind of boring but i love them nevertheless.

in my shoes

although i have been in a white tennis shoes phase for almost a year, i cannot resist these bold and beautiful asics . cookie monster blue and school bus yellow? yes, please.

asics california. $80.

oh, the shins!

i want to hate the shins, but damn if they don't make consistenly good music. yes zach braff blew their cover, but let's blame that on him and not on a band that makes quality music. their new album 'wincing the night away' feels like a shins album, but better. catchy and breezy pop songs are their bread and butter, but the new album is an odd mix of something a little more soulful and electronic.

personal favorites include:
-sleeping lessons
-sea legs
-black wave


i wonder if the guitarist is still dating the chick from america's next top model.

regular lovers pt. 2: a tribute

i flipped through an issue of gq the other day that included a list of the 20 or 25 most stylish movies of all time. i agreed with most of the choices, but the film they forgot that i am absolutely obsessed with at the moment is claude lelouch's 'un homme et une femme'. the two iconic leads, jean-louis trintignant and anouk aimee, exude a simplicity and ease in their style. their characters are parents, therefore there is a practicalism and comfort that makes their clothes accessable and real, but there is also something very french and effortless about how they wear them.

i will admit that i have stolen ideas from trintignant's aesthetic in the film. i'm particularly fond of the green and navy plaid scarf he wears at the beginning of the film and the black button down paired with a comfortable and warm looking gray cardigan that he wears through most of the film. when he emerges on a racetrack from his red mustang convertible with square and very mod tortoise shell glasses and a dark chocolate coat with a touch of fur at the collar i can't help but be jealous i didn't think of it first. there's also a brief scene in which he wears the cardigan with a necktie, sweater vest, and the glasses and once again i found myself impressed by his grown up and put together style. he's an odd choice for a romantic lead and as a father because of his dark, inward, and elusive appeal that was appropriate in such films as bernardo bertolucci's 'the conformist' and roger vadim's 'dangerous liasons'. that cool works surprisingly in this romantic and bittersweet story.

aimee is an interesting contrast against trintignant. her square jaw and prominent nose are softened with that gorgeous mane of hair that she fidgets with habitually throughout the film. i love when her hair masks her face during a flashback scene where we see her washing her former husband's hair. she is oddly dressed up in such a casual and banal moment, clad in a sexy black cocktail dress. in the same sequence she looks equally stunning in a backless evening gown that is almost identical to that dress she wore to the castle party in federico fellini's 'la dolce vita'. lelouch's camera spends a lot of time on her quiet gaze. one of my favorite moments in the film catches aimee looking impossibly chic on a paris street in a shearling coat and mid calf boots. the scene then cross cuts with aimee sitting in a park, alone on a bench, thinking about something and trintignant's progress in a snowy race. her pensiveness is undeniably sexy and makes you believe that she's thinking of trintignant. aimee's perfected quiet stare underscores her glamorous and simple sense of style.

the clothes in the film have a function and purpose. they allow us to understand and emphathize with the characters. this is a film that is more about character than story. to be immersed in their brief love affair is all the more devastating and resonate when we know the characters, even if it's through their sartorial choices.

toast

i am normally not a breakfast person, but the true highlight of my morning was breakfast at toast. it's a delicious new restaurant located on market that offers a sophisticated yet simple take on breakfast and lunch.

i had the chorizo sausage and shredded white cheddar omelet with a side of their perfect hashbrown casserole. the omelet was light and airy but a decent size and not short on flavor in the least bit. it was slightly spicy, but salty and melted in my mouth. it's easily one of the best omelets i've ever had. if there is any other reason to check out toast it would be for their hashbrown casserole. it is to die for and i could very easily eat heaps upon heaps of it.

take a look at their menu and i'm sure you can find something that will appeal to your palette. it's how breakfast should be.

regular lovers pt. 1

'a man and a woman', dir. claude lelouch.
jean-louis trintignant and anouk aimee.
1966.

so beautiful.

staring at the sun

some kid complimented my faux ray-ban aviators at my tennis lesson today. i kindly thanked him and didn't realize that even 10 year olds can be impressed by good taste. but it also let me know that i need to bump it up to the real thing. my summer indulgence will have to be a pair of the real ray-ban aviators. they're so classic and it would make me feel like paul newman in the 60s.


gotta have 'em.


and it seems the wayfarer's are making a comeback. they're almost too trendy for my tastes at the moment, but i can't help but find these tortoise shell frames just a little covetable.


it was 75 degrees today, therefore i better make my decision before it gets warmer and i go blind.

a tribute: jefferson hack

age appropriateness is important to a true sense of style and i hope when i'm approaching my 30s and 40s i can maintain my youthful and traditional but slightly undone aesthetic. another magazine editor-in-chief/former kate moss lover jefferson hack is perfect at mixing his rock 'n roll inspired look with a classic and modern take on menswear for man in his late 30s. he never looks under or overdressed, and yet he's always appropriate for whatever occasion. one thing that always strikes me about his style are his superb jackets and coats. they're usually military style and always in a variety of interesting colors and details. if only all of us could own such an impressive outwear collection. stand back and learn from the master of edgy and age appropriate outerwear (i would wear any of these pieces)..


i love this jacket. it's a little military and it's a lot deconstructed but paired with the simple scarf it's simple and a new classic.


this is how you pair a hoodie with a jacket and not be mistaken for a member of the strokes. it's so hard to add a scarf to a hoodie, much less with a jacket, but he makes it look effortless and i dig the muted color palette.


if i had to take a guess i would say this is dior homme and if i took another guess i would say i would give my left leg for this coat. camel coats are essential and i love how it's done military style. i'm also a fan of navy and pink with camel or sand colored accents. it's a smart look for a well dressed man.


after losing my left leg for the dior coat, i would then offer my right one for this beautiful coat. it looks comfortable and the subtle pink window pane pattern is impeccable. and yes you can wear jeans with these kinds of coats.


jefferson hack, thank you.

spring fling

i was doing yard work today (yes, you read right) and the weather was perfect. there was a slight breeze and the temperature was mild. the sun was out but not overbearing. it was everything i love about spring. it also made me realize that i need an essential t-shirt for spring. stripped cardigans were my bag for fall and winter, but i'm thinking american apparel's fine jersey tab t-shirt is gonna do it for spring. it's light, it can be layered, and it's a fresh take on a simple t-shirt. i currently own it in light pink, but my rule of thumb when it comes to finding pieces you like: if it's nice buy it twice (or three or five times).



i want it in white, black, and slate (pictured above).

for your pleasure

there was something very misleading about the opening sex scene in craig brewer's latest film 'black snake moan'. i use the word sex because the two characters rae (christina ricci) and ronnie (justin timberlake) are not engaging in something that looks like romantic love or the usual sugarcoated love scene in a movie. it's not tender or delicate. it's fast, quick, hard, and hot. the tawdry trailers for the film alluded to such a delightful tone of the opening scene, so it wasn't the sex or the way the characters were having sex that bothered me. this could have been the entire film and i would have been satisified. it was inspired and it was convincing. america's prized pinup pop star (j. timberlake) laboriously tries to convinces us yet again that he is a sexual being. some critics dismiss his music as desperate attempts to make us believe that he is indeed not a tweeny former boybander with an aversion to the perverse and an inclination towards syrupy lyircal imagery and adolescent musings. well, those critics are stupid because the genius of justin timberlake, or part of it, is his ability to recognize his babyface looks and marry it with an uncompromising carnal lust. although he may not look like he could beat you up, he probably could have sex with your girlfriend and she report that he was sweet but naughty. he brought sexy back, so he should know what he's talking about, right? we finally see what he always talks about in music and he's doing it with a former child star whose cherubic features consistently belies her more edgier roles in film. there's something off putting about those moonpie eyes and that doll-like combination of thin lips and expansive forehead, but it pulls us in to great effect in such films as 'the ice storm', 'the opposite of sex', and 'buffalo 66'. tarted up as your classic poor white trash whore, you think for a second this is what justin and britney must have looked like, but that's only a thought for the truly pop culture obsessed. at any regard, the opening scene is brilliantly executed in style and wit with the only wish that it could have been a little bit longer. rae looks like she is enjoying the sex, but throughout the rest of the film her pleasure becomes less of a principle and more of a joke or subject to abolishment and that is the main failure of 'black snake moan'.

it's almost perverse, but ultimately entertaining to watch ricci in her most committed performance in years. i laughed with great pleasure at the sight of ricci so righteously and powerfully throw her middle finger up in the air to an obnoxious truck driver who could not phyiscal pass her and her sexual swagger on a country road. clad in wrinkly cowboy boots, cut off t-shirt, and hot pants she is the town slut dammit and we hear her roar. perhaps she is years ahead of her small minded little town where women can have sex not only with the likes of justin timberlake, but with any man and as many as she can pleases. however, as hollywood so often tells us, if she likes sex too much she has to be punished. rae is nearly raped, but instead beaten after insulting the shortcumings of a prospective partner. she is punished for being vocal and sexual, two things women should not be or so the movies tell us. left for the side of the road, rae will endure a unique journey for the rest of the film where her "ways" are to be cured by a mysterious black man. maybe brewer's possible self-awareness with his subject matter makes him smarter than we think, but to literally impair a nymphomaniac with an obvious phallic symbol is either some maxim magazine reader's wet dream or pure fellini-esque in its self-aware male fantasy of the opposite sex.

the set up and look of the film call to mind those great pam grier movies in the 1970s where the audience saw grier usually sexually humiliated or degraded, but in the end she used it as a source of empowerment and not shame and kicked ass before the credits rolled. this is not the case for rae. we are asked to watch the newly frail actress try to mobilize herself with a 40lb chain wrapped around her near naked body for the majority of the film. carted around like a mule, lazarus (samuel l. jackson) is only kind enough to allow her to use the bathroom or get out and go for a walk but only with his hands on her massive leash. how are we to react to this? the humor is less funny and the intelligence less apparent. it takes a magical negro (a fixture in american cinema and literature) to cure this poor white woman of her sexual ways. the film's over simplified analysis of female sexuality becomes evident when rae goes into fits of uncontrollable lust and we see the catalyst for her sexual promiscousity. rae is a nymphomaniac because her father figure seuxally abused her as a child. this is not to mock or say that this is usually not the cause for the sexual behavior of many, but it's the film's only reason why rae is the way she is. it's trite and overused. i was more concerned with how rae/ricci was going to deal with those bruise marks than learning why she craves sex. it's almost a given that her need for sex comes from an unhealthy place, but pyschology and philosophy are not brewer's strong suits. brewer's films are specific in the world he creates, but they are often so lovingly created that they seem otherwordly and cartoony. they are not complex and substantive, but his use of gifted actors suggest there is something beneath the seedy surface of his southern gothic world of sin and redemption. ricci's ability to convey vulnerability and pain is affecting, but contradicts her characters simple background. rae cannot enjoy sex until a man helps her realize that a man is the cause of all her problems. to further assist in ridding her of her "disease", lazarus encourages her to marry her beloved ronnie. rae can now become a member of the right and civilized world where her marriage will establish her as normal and less of a freak.

as sexuality becomes more fluid in the 21st century, the mores and values should be changing as well. rae should not have to marry to validate herself as a person. she should be able to fuck justin timberlake all day and any day. if she chooses to have multiple partners, isn't that her choice? this may sound like we're moving into a time where love and sex have no weight, but when a film about an eldlery black man chaining a nearly naked white woman to his radiator to cure her of her desire to have sex is a choice at the multiplexes, then maybe this thin slice of entertainment is a more revealing look at what we value and deemed watchable in our culture. well, maybe not as revealing as christina ricci's naked breasts.

the album i wish i would have listened to months ago

girl talk. night ripper.

an irresistible blend of all those aggrivating, but catchy and memorable top 40 songs. it's not really a mashup album, but it's not really a collection of traditional pop songs. labeling it detracts from its ability to make you dance from beginning to end. it's either the laziest idea or a very 21st century idea of what music is and can be--joyous, danceable, and technically slick.

personal favorites:
-bounce that
-summer smoke
-warm it up



i. cannot. stop. listening. to. this. album.

the last days of disco

the film that everyone forgot.

imagine a woody allen film set in a disco in the early 80s. that's how i've always thought of whit stillman's 'the last days of disco'. stillman was an accomplished independent filmmaker in the early 90s with his talky features that were known and praised for their depiction of erudite an priviledged youth in such works as 'metropolitan' and 'barcelona'. it was his third film, 'the last days of disco', that stayed with me and resonated in a way that i couldn't articulate at the time. i remember seeing it freshman year in high school and thinking it was somehow cool and interesting because the characters used big words and it starred chloe sevigny. i watch it now in a place not entirely dissimilar from the characters in the film. they are post-college graduates struggling to find themselves, professionally and socially, in a new city that is experiencing a vast cultural change. disco is dead and the post-black out of 1977/son of sam/travis bickle still hangs over new york with the emergence of the 80s yuppie on the horizon. sex, college memories, entry level jobs, and being sexiled in a tiny manhattan apartment also complicate the realtionships of the friends and lovers in the film.

it's smarty, sexy, funny, and no longer available on dvd (curses!). oh, and the film concludes with chloe sevigny and a few friends awkwardly dancing to the ojay's "love train" on an abandoned subway. i know i will never forget that part.

fall into the gap

i'm not crazy about khakis for spring or the beige color scheme gap is pushing this season, but i do love this commercial. i never knew claire danes was so light on her toes. i'm also glad to see patrick wilson slowly seeping into the public consciousness. he's like brad pitt but he chooses better and more consistent roles.

night night

the cure. all cats are grey.

the perfect song to listen to late at night. it has to be almsot early morning or after a late night out to really appreciate this song. you should recognize it at the end credits of 'marie antoinette', which is a stroke of pure genius because it closes a film that was so much about the bliss of staying up late and coming home from the party.

video off

dfa guy vs. a pack of swedes

lcd soundsystem. north american scum.


not so crazy about this one. the song is okay, but i've heard this album is supposed to be off the chain and i don't get the impressed based of this sci-fi-michel-gondryesque video. let's keep our fingers crossed but so far this aint doin it for me.



peter bjorn and john. object of my affection.


love this. love them. do yourself a favor and buy their album.

airborne

fashion as a spectacle..

if this does not impress you, in terms of its technical brilliance, then something is wrong with you.

the fountainhead

very few filmmakers can capture group or the masses quite like king vidor. the images of the well intentioned and dream-chasing johnny sims swallowed whole, devoid of any individuality or self-identity, are what resonate the most in 'the crowd' (1928). vidor does not lose his touch in the adaptation of ayn rand's 'the fountainhead' (1949). his eye is keen in showing the viewer what is now the everyday flood of pedestrians, automobiles, and faithful americans trying to make it to work on time or leaving en masse to make it home for dinner around the table and primetime television. the hero in 'the crowd' was disiullioned about the modern world in its all consuming bite, but the stalwart architect howard roark (gary cooper) in 'the fountainhead' does not get lost in the crowd for one second. whether it be in client meetings, the relationship with his lover, or his court speech at the end, howard is the embodiment of the ideology that imbues the american dream. as an individual, not as a collective, true success can be achieved.

the stark cinematography creates an environment of good vs. evil, new vs. old, and single vs. group. although the audience does not know it, when howard is introduced he is a blank model. his figure is shrouded in shadows as he consistenly turned away from architectual clients because of his austeure and angular aesthetic of architectual design. howard faces the old guard that passionately protects the accepted idea of classic architecture as the best and most liked form of architecture, not blockish and linear looking buildings with sleek window designs and minimalist finish. his potential employers tell him his style will disrupt public favor, which would in turn disrupt the public consciousness of what is right, acceptable, and normal. the spacious and grand offices he meets with the clients are consistently framed with large, open windows and noir like shadows casting white collar america as demi-gods who decide what is right and wrong for the masses atop their high rise buildings that puts them closer to god and further away from the common man. shadows and high rise buildings are present throughout the film as visual markers of class difference and a way of separating the haves and the have-nots.



the film's main villain ellsworth toohey (robert douglas) despises the individualist attitude of howard, insisting that it is howard who is the axis evil not the idea of conformity and group based ideology. toohey rallies against howard in a scene that calls to mind the movie theater scene in 'the crowd' as the camera pans from toohey and over his complacent and eventually supportive masses. their faces are ravenous and filled with contempt as their fearless leader informs them with the message that howard should be disposed of for fear his message will spread and influence. vidor's scope not only expertly captures group, but also the absence of group. in a contrasting scene that utilizes a similar zoom and over head shot technique, the audience views the empty newsroom of newspaper mogul gail wynand (raymond massey) as his sole reporter dominique francon (patricia neal) works in the dark, abandoned newsroom to produce a story that could save the public opinion of howard. the desks are empty and the room only lit with desk lamps to emphasize the isolation at an organization that tries to champion howard's politics.

visually, it is evident that the film favors howard's non-conformist perspective, but the narrative does as well. howard's goal of remaining true to himself and resisting censorship in his art drives the narrative to a courtroom climax where howard delivers his speech of why it is important for him to follow his faith in himself and not in everyman. his faith is also attractive to dominique when they initially meet at a rock quary where she is drawn to his laborer uniform and penetrating drill, but ultimately his persistenance of anti-conformity. although she is sidelined for most of the film as the wife of gail, dominique cannot resist the appeal of everything howard represents. she supports his opposition to classic architecture and is disgusted by her husband's yellow journalism empire. she values beauty, intelligence, and progressive thinking--all of which are absent in her husband his conformist white collar world. gail's eventual suicide is the result of emasculatin on apart of his wife's more obvious interest in another man whose world view is opposite of his. the yachts, country homes, and other symbols of male domination are not enough for dominique. in the end the reunion of the man and woman is brought together by individualism and non-conformity as dominique joins her new husband, howard, literally and metaphorically when she ascends up the construction elevator to meet an almost superhero-like howard standing proudly atop his new mega skyscraper.

in the current cultural landscape the film's message is not irrelevant. the world is still full to the brim with skyscrapers bloated with white collared decision makers that influence an apathetic and ill-informed world below. public opinion is often vague and skewed in favor of not opposing the status quo. it is difficult to push through the over populated crowds in an often cold and messy world. howard may have just been a stubborn architect, but vidor stresses to the audience that it is perhaps better to live in a world where you don't get lost in the crowd.

hot chip

i know i'm kinda late on the hot chip album, but i can't stop listening to it.

boy from school is current favorite song. this is one of the most bizarre music videos i've seen in a while.

spring

damn this global warming epidemic and its warm, non-seasonal temperatures. spring is upon us, therefore my wardrobe must follow. i already have a few things in mind that could help me ease into the season..


-striped t-shirt

i love the stripes missing over the chest. i've also been a fan of green recently.
-dark denim

i've had my eye on these a.p.c. new standard's for almost a year. i will own them. soon.
-white button down shirt
-v-neck charcoal gray heather merino wool or cashmere silk sweater (the thinner and lighter the better)
-a reliable umbrella
-wool necktie

i guess i better start saving those pennies.

1.

to borrow from the genius of peter sellers, "i like to watch."

essentially, i'm a voyeur. a shocking confession, yes, but instead of harboring all of the pleasure for myself i figure i'd share it with whomever might be reading this. hopefully this will act as a forum/venue for the essays, musings, and observations i have with my true passion for film. there is nothing more pleasurable (well, maybe a few things) than sitting in a darkened room with all of your emotions, senses, and attention focused on the moving image spectacle that is film. the perfume of buttered popcorn, the quiet thud of the film advancing through the projector, the hum of the air conditioner, and the silence of an audience completely pulled into the screen only add to the privilege of watching a good movie. it's quite visceral, but the experience is somehow never complete until we as viewers share our feelings and reactions after the lights go up.

the lights have gone up and this is my blog.

i hesitate to be so limited in my interests because i also enjoy engaging in serious discourse about the quest for the perfect t-shirt, the relevance of the olsen twins, the merits of beyonce's last album, and the joy of tennis. i don't pretend to be an expert on any of these disparate subjects, but they are things that might make their way into whatever interests me to post. we look at, inspect, examine, and digest all of these things.


so, watch with me and enjoy.