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September 30, 2005
TV Times
The PALIAS Report, because someone actually asked!
Kelly and Dauphine,
Thanks for humoring me. I’m sure no one else really cares. Here is a brief recap** if you are unspoiled do not read any further **
The premier was strangely lacking in grandeur. Compared to all the reshuffling and new sets they threw at us during the 2hr premier of LAST season, ep 1 of season 5 was much less spectacular. I am very, very, very sad that agent V is dead. I almost got teary eyed during the hospital scene – very sweet and sad. But then again, I was laughing pretty hard at all the shots of JG where they are desperately trying to hide her big-ol-belly! I mean, come on - Pashmina draped over her out stretched arm, big hand bags, shots of Syd running stupidly beside a moving train, and running through a cornfield on the way to Santa Barbara (because, you know, next to Kansas, it's really coastal California that has all the corn!). They did A LOT of dumb stuff to conceal the belly. The plot, with a fat lot of new details about agent V’s dad, was a bit hard to follow. Plus, Angela was nowhere to be found and that was very disappointing. I was hoping that we could see more of her this season taking charge and dealing with Sloane...
Things I liked - MV speaking French with JG was very cute. Also, I thought Marshall had some funny lines. Jack rocked in all his scenes and, as I mentioned before, the hospital scene was quite touching. Dauphine, the French actress was ok but she really didn't have a very big scene. Hope she gets more interesting stuff to do in future. So, I'm still a fan (because I'm hopeless) but it was probably the least exciting premier they've had. The first show of Season 4 was a lot more fun.
Overall grade = C+.
Posted by lk at 09:40 AM | Comments (1)
September 29, 2005
A few things “on view” this evening
Tonight's the night!
That's right kids, after a long, hot, rumor-filled summer Alias is back with extra big belly JGarner and two young (totally unnecessary) new agents in tow! Let's hope tonight’s premier is better than last night's eppi of LOST. YAWN! JJ, you are officially on notice. Do the right thing tonight and no one gets hurt.
OK, OK, I realize most of you may not be as interested in JJBC and the fate of Michael Vartan as I am. So if you MUST do something cultural and you live in NYC, you should probably check this out tonight. If you are in LA (and prefer art to the spy life), go see Basquiat. It’s a great show and MOCA is open late tonight. On the other hand, if you reside in the city by the bay, go to SFMOMA. They are also open late tonight and there’s tons of new stuff to see. Robert Adams and Edgar Arceneaux would be my picks.
Enjoy!
Posted by lk at 08:26 AM | Comments (2)
September 28, 2005
Blogedy, blogedy, blog
I just added a few new folks to my blog-o-rama. La Dauphine and Musing the Mystery are great (sorry it has taken me so long to link to you guys, you rule). And for those of you who have a taste for the eccentric (or if robots just happen to be a normal part of your day-to-day), check out Woospace! These blogs are thoughtful, funny and engaging. Plus, they all post way more often than I do! I admire the commitment and the creativity - so go and see for yourself.
Thanks to Musing, Dauphine and Woo, I am simultaneously trying to figure out what I think about the new gay cable network, I have a renewed interest in Art:21 AND I'm thinking about purchasing this:
Obviously, the robots WILL attack (they need the medicine of our senior citizens for fuel) the real question is, do we have a plan for survival?!!!
Posted by lk at 12:39 PM | Comments (1)
September 26, 2005
Marty looks at Dylan
Subterranean Homesick Blues, 1965
One American master looks at another, tonight on PBS ...
Posted by lk at 08:50 PM | Comments (9)
September 24, 2005
Bonus word for September
POTUS, illustrated by the master, G.B. Trudeau. see it larger
Subliminababble (my definition) - words and phrases, fermented in the mind and spouted unabashedly from the mouth of the current POTUS!*
I ran across the word "subliminababble" this morning while reading a back issue of X-TRA. Micol Hebron's terrific Artspeak column is (of course) the first thing I turn to when I pick up X-TRA. I love the words, Girl! I jus love 'em!
If you liked "subliminabable", you'll L-O-V-E these Bushisms:
politicalhumor.about.com
slate.msn.com
dslextreme.com
*POTUS - this always sounds kind of dirty to me but it's really not.
Posted by lk at 03:43 PM | Comments (2)
Top 5 words for September
1. Kittening – The process of doing my blog, not to be confused with KITTEN BLOGGING (although I am very glad these two are out of harm's way).
2. Sream (brought to us by Felicity’s Sean Blumberg)- A cube that consists of both sugar and cream. This product doesn’t exist but it would be kind of cool if it did.
3. Prosumer - A blend of producer and consumer or professional and consumer. Both Marshall McLuhan and Alvin Toffler get in on this one. There are two definitions:
1. A type of consumer involved in the design and manufacture of products, so they could be made to individual specification.
2. A purchaser of tech equipment who wants to obtain goods of better quality than consumer items, but can’t afford professional items (older terms like semi-professional and industrial quality mean the same but don’t sound as sexy). These folks are known for their (geeky?) enthusiasm for new products, tolerance of flaws and, from the marketing point of view, have much in common with early adopters. I think I know a few folks who fall into this category…
4. Ghettro - Ghetto meets retro. This made me laugh. A lot. When I googled it I got this.
But really, when I think of ghettro footwear I picture Air Jordans or old school Pumas.
5. Goombario – I saw this on the Internet though I can’t remember the site. Defined as Goomba meets Mario, he is a friendly variation of the goomba, and is a playable character in Paper Mario. But when I first saw the word I read it as GOOMBARRIO – you know, a goomba barrio, or the neighborhood where the pizza parlor and the Bada Bing are located on The Spopranos. I like my definition better.
Satin Dolls, the real club that doubles for the Bada Bing on The Sopranos. Satin Dolls is a gentleman's club located in Lodi, NJ. Apparently, some of the real Satin Doll Dancers have also performed in the club scenes on the show. Hmmmm, I wonder what's on the new lunch menu...
Posted by lk at 10:10 AM | Comments (1)
September 23, 2005
Breaking News: Gandhi meets Dickens on the set of Rosmary's Baby!
Well, not really. But that's what I was thinking when I first heard that Roman Ploanski was remaking Oliver Twist co-staring Ben Kingsley.
Don’t ask me why, but I am totally excited to see Polanski’s Oliver Twist! I have always liked this story. I swear I’ve probably seen every version the BBC/PBS/Hollywood have ever produced... Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but before the next week is out I will be giving the Arclight my hard earned dolla-dolla!
Posted by lk at 11:04 AM | Comments (1)
September 22, 2005
Summer is over and it’s already time for Winter!
Mark Wyse’s new show is up at Wallspace. Winter will be on view till Oct 15th – which is fab because that means I get to see it while I’m in town for Photo NY!
For the longest time the Wallspace website was not working and all I could see was this image:
I love this photo. It reminds me of a Twombly painting…
Yesterday I tried the site again and was able to get the next image to appear on my (new) laptop. But after thinking about the first two pictures for a while I decided to stop so that the rest of the show would be a surprise.
Congrats Mark!
Posted by lk at 08:38 AM | Comments (4) | TrackBack
September 20, 2005
The MacArthur Foundation does it's thing ...
I’ve already read two posts on Saltz's Babylon and four on this year's Genius Grant recipients and it's only 8am! Do I have anything new to add? Not really, except that I love Julie Mehretu and I think it's cool that she now has big bags of money coming her way and can concentrate on making things like these:
“Excerpt (Riot),” 2003, ink and acrylic on canvas, 32 x 54”
"Renegade Delirium", 2002
and this:
"Entropia (review)", 32-color lithograph and screenprint on Arches 88 paper, 33.5 x 44"
and when she gets worn out from making giant paintings she can create more of these:
"Untitled", 2001, ink, colored pencil, cut paper on mylar and paper, 18"X24"
In June when I was in NYC I saw her work at The Whitney right after seeing the Fenton show at the Met. Then I dreamt about curating a show of 19th century photographs paired with twenty-first century works on paper. One day...
Posted by lk at 08:36 AM | Comments (7)
September 17, 2005
Spectacular, Spectacular!
Happy Bday, Baz!
Posted by lk at 09:14 AM | Comments (0)
September 14, 2005
From the New Yorker
Yeah, that pretty much sums it up...
Posted by lk at 08:44 AM | Comments (2)
September 13, 2005
Crush at LA Louver
American Fork, 2005
oil on canvas
8 x 12 1/2 feet
I went to see Rebecca’s show at Louver on Friday. Wow, what a knock out! The gallery was full of big, juicy, beautifully painted canvases. A total feast for the eye but with enough content to keep your mind spinning long after you have left the gallery. Love the skies, love the moody, sensitive adolescent boys, love the luminous skin of the gal in the tub but mostly I love the mysterious encounters that happen in and around this house.
Congrats, Rebecca. Excellent pictures!
Check out her other paintings here and you can read a bit more about the work here.
Here are a few more glimpses of my favorite location. These earlier paintings are not in the current show but you can still drool over them on-line.
Discipline, 2002, Oil on Canvas, 96" x 144
Close, 2001, oil on canvas, 9 x 14 feet
Posted by lk at 08:03 AM | Comments (7)
September 11, 2005
Daunted by art ... go eat!
LOUKOUMADES. SAY: lou-kou-MA-des
Greek version of beignets drizzled with honey and dusted wth cinnamon
Yea, yea, yea, I know that everyone is all a buzz about the beginning of the new "season" but I'm hungry! So instead of going to see more art, today I'm going to go eat Greek food. And anyone who is in LA and feels just a little bit daunted by the kajillion new shows to see, articles to read and blogs to post at, should, ah, do the same!
The LA Greek Festival 2005, sponsored by St. Sophie Cathedral is on today from 1pm till 11 tonight. I haven't been in probably two years but the last time I attended my friend literally had to roll me back to the car. The food is excellent the Greek Folk Dancing is way fun to watch and the cathedral is beautiful! So worth the drive!
The Latino-Byzantine Quarter awaits.
O-Freakin'-PA!
Posted by lk at 11:16 AM | Comments (6)
September 07, 2005
File this under ..."Interesting"
Tom Benedek finally gets his script shot!
Ripped from the headlines! Well, actually, no... I just happened to see this in the Arts section of the NYT. I have only two things to say about this. First, PEOPLE. ARE. STRANGE. Second, of course the show will debut in Santa Monica later this month - Where else?!
You might have to register with The New York Times to see the full article by Sharon Waxman but it’s worth it. Here’s an excerpt:
A Screenwriter Shoots His Own Unproduced Scripts, With a Gun
"That's 'Ivory Joe,' " says the screenwriter Tom Benedek, who has just pumped bullets into one of his 22 unproduced scripts. "It's a rewrite of an adaptation I did after 'Free Willy' for Lauren Shuler Donner," he adds, referring to a well-known producer. "A romantic comedy-drama." …
After 20-plus years of a middling career as a Hollywood screenwriter, Mr. Benedek, 56 - the brother of Peter Benedek, a partner in the United Talent Agency - is forging a new path in the field of fine arts, using the raw material of his past failures for a canvas. Having shot the "Ivory Joe" script, which he wrote in 1992, Mr. Benedek will make it into a bronze sculpture, or take photographs with a special camera for striking jumbo prints. He will show these and other pieces this month in an exhibition at the Frank Pictures gallery in Santa Monica titled "Shot by the Writer - Works on Paper: 1982-2004."
Posted by lk at 09:22 AM | Comments (4)
September 03, 2005
Carlagirl has posted info on smaller and local groups in New Orleans that people should know about. Here's a list of some grassroots resources, organizations and institutions that will need your support in the coming months.
Social Justice:
www.jjpl.org
www.iftheycanlearn.org
www.nolaps.org
www.thepeoplesinstitute.org/
www.criticalresistance.org/index.php?name=crno_home
Cultural Resources:
www.backstreetculturalmuseum.com
www.ashecac.org/
http://198.66.50.128/gallery/
www.nolahumanrights.org
http://www.freewebs.com/ironrail/
http://www.girlgangproductions.com/
and here is a thoughtful post from musingthemystery. She says it so much better than I ever could.
...no time this morning to make these all links, but I trust folks can just cut n' paste and check these groups out!
Posted by lk at 10:17 AM | Comments (0)
September 02, 2005
Toastkitten Movie Awards: Keanu Reeves Edition
Keanu is 41 today!
Here’s what IMDB has to say about old “Cool Breeze”:
One of the most inscrutable actors to ever hit it big, Keanu Reeves has been by turns adored, reviled, and grudgingly respected by the movie-going public. As the controversy over his talent rages on, his career choices and paychecks show him inching toward A-list status.
Inscrutable…good word.
And so I give you the Toastkitten Movie Awards: Keanu Reeves Edition!
As futuristic savior in the Matrix and playing second banana to Jack Nicholson in Somthing's gotta Give - Keanu, what a peach!
Best Drama (in which K actually does a good job in the acting dept):
River’s Edge
Best Keanu Comedy: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Second place: Point Break
(I know it’s not really a comedy but all that stuff where he and Swazy talk about the ZEN of surfing cracks me up)
Best (underrated) Rom-Com where our boy stands around looking earnest and very cute: Something’s Gotta Give
Best movie where K is cast as our savior:
The Matrix (The first one plus about 25 min of the second one, please)
Best Bard (or film in which K is the only dull note in an otherwise great reinterpretation of Shakespeare):
Much Ado About Nothing
(and didn’t Denzel look hot in those leather pants?!!)
Second Place: My Own Private Idaho
(and didn’t River look hot but sad as the narcoleptic hustler?!!!)
… and finally, the Toastkitten Keanu Guilty Pleasure Award goes to:
The Devil’s Advocate
Co-staring everyone’s fave scenery chewer – Michael Corleone, uh, I mean Al Pacino. (God IS an absentee landlord! DUDE!)
Posted by lk at 11:19 AM | Comments (1)
RON for Katrina
OK, just in case anyone still cares or still listens to “Kevin & Bean” (other than me), KROQ is doing a RON or “Rock of the Nineties” theme for Labor Day weekend. What this means is that we, the loyal – slightly – bored - listeners, are at the start of … wait for it… “A Flashback Weekend”. This as everyone in LA knows, will involve pretty much the exact same play list they use DAILY and just about every weekend to boot! Don’t get me wrong, I like listening to music that’s between 5 and 10 years old (hell, I still listen to Motown) but I think the owners of the station are in denial – they should open their eyes and declare themselves an oldies station – you know, like K-earth for the Gen X ers. Yea, I’m rambling. I need coffee. Topic? Right. So, while their play list is a big surprise to, uh, no one, this morning at least KROQ is doing ‘90s requests/donations for Katrina Relief, which is cool.
Top 5 songs on the first day of RON
1. No Doubt – Sunday Morning
2. Nirvana – didn’t really get the title, waiting for coffee to be brewed …
3. Smashing Pumpkins – Zero
4. The Offspring – Bad Habit
5. The Beastie Boys – Sabotage (oh yea! Great song and kick-a** video)
*Bonus: U2 – Even Better Than the Real Thing (from the U2 album that all my friends hate, but which I LOVE.. so angsty)
Posted by lk at 10:16 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 01, 2005
It’s pretty impossible to come up with a silly/funny/arty blog post with all that’s happening in Louisiana right now... Such a terrible tragedy, so many people and families just trying to hang on in the midst of so much death and devastation. I have been glued to the radio and CNN for the last two days but I can’t do it anymore. I am overwhelmed.
I sometimes feel helpless in the face of such a tragedy but two emails I received this morning reminded me that there are concrete ways to help:
The Red Cross can use donations
Go to The American Red Cross online or call 1-800 HELP NOW (1-800-435-7669.)
Feed The Children
1-800-525-7575
and here is a culture-specific Katrina fund from American Association of Museums
Posted by lk at 10:41 AM | Comments (0)