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giftshopfestival · 4 months ago

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Affordable and Practical Gifts for Your Son-in-Law

Finding the perfect gift for your son-in-law can sometimes feel like searching for a needle in a haystack. Whether he’s a tech enthusiast, an avid golfer, or someone who appreciates the finer things in life, we’ve got you covered. This guide will help you find affordable and practical gifts for your son-in-law that he will truly appreciate. From personalized items to luxury indulgences, there’s something here for every type of guy.

The Joy of Thoughtful Gifting

Gift-giving is an art. It’s an opportunity to show your loved ones how much you care about them. This is especially true when it comes to your son-in-law, who has become an integral part of your family. A well-chosen gifts for son in laws not only brings joy to the recipient but also strengthens the bond between you.

Festive Christmas Mugs

For the son-in-law who enjoys a good cup of tea or coffee, Christmas mugs make a delightful gift. These festive mugs come in various designs, from funny and quirky to nostalgic and heartwarming. Picture him sipping his morning coffee from a mug adorned with Christmas trees, snowflakes, or even humorous holiday cartoons.

Mugs are practical gifts that can be used daily, and every time he takes a sip, he’ll be reminded of your thoughtful gesture. Plus, they’re a great way to add some holiday cheer to his kitchen collection. You can even pair the mug with a bag of his favorite coffee beans or a selection of gourmet teas to create a complete gift set.

Tech-Savvy Mini Smartphone Projector

If your son-in-law is a gadget lover, a mini smartphone projector is sure to impress. This compact device can turn any wall or surface into a mini cinema, allowing him to project movies or shows directly from his phone. It’s perfect for movie nights with friends and family or for enjoying a film under the stars in the backyard.

Not only does this gift offer a unique entertainment experience, but it’s also incredibly portable, making it easy for him to take on trips or move around the house. With a mini smartphone projector, your son-in-law can enjoy his favorite content anytime, anywhere.

Luxurious Tom Ford Wood Candle

For a touch of luxury, consider gifting your son-in-law a Tom Ford Private Blend Oud Wood Candle. This exquisite candle is crafted from natural wood and exotic ingredients, blending smoky and sweet scents to create a captivating aroma. With up to 50 hours of burn time, this candle will fill any room with its luxurious fragrance.

A high-end candle like this is perfect for creating a relaxing ambiance at home, whether he’s unwinding after a long day or setting the mood for a special occasion. It’s a gift that speaks of sophistication and thoughtfulness, showing your son-in-law that you appreciate his refined taste.

Personalized Christmas Printed Bottle

A personalized Christmas printed bottle makes a unique and memorable gift for your son-in-law. These bottles come in various shapes and sizes, decorated with festive designs and custom messages. Whether it’s a bottle of whiskey, wine, or another favorite beverage, a personalized touch makes it extra special.

This gift is not only thoughtful but also practical, as the bottle can be used and admired for years to come. Each time he enjoys a drink, he’ll think of the effort you put into selecting such a meaningful present. It’s a keepsake that adds a personal touch to his holiday celebrations.

Sophisticated Luxury Handkerchief Set

For the son-in-law who values style and elegance, a luxury handkerchief set is an ideal gift. This sophisticated set typically includes three high-quality handkerchiefs made from luxurious materials and featuring delicate patterns. It’s perfect for any man who loves to look his best and pays attention to the finer details.

Handkerchiefs are versatile accessories that can be used for various occasions, from formal events to everyday use. A luxury set will make your son-in-law feel appreciated and add a touch of class to his wardrobe. It’s a practical yet elegant gift that he’ll cherish for years.

Essential Leather Travel Kit

If your son-in-law loves to explore, a leather travel kit is a must-have accessory. This stylish and durable bag provides easy access to essentials while keeping them safe and organized. It’s perfect for weekend getaways, business trips, or any adventure he has in mind.

A leather travel kit is not only practical but also adds a touch of sophistication to his travel gear. It’s a gift that shows you understand his love for adventure and want to support his journeys. Every time he uses the travel kit, he’ll be reminded of your thoughtful gesture.

Personalized Golf Balls for the Avid Golfer

For the golf enthusiast, personalized golf balls are a fantastic gift. You can have his name or initials engraved on each ball, adding a personal touch to his game. It’s a unique and practical gift that he can use every time he hits the green.

Personalized golf balls not only enhance his golfing experience but also make a statement on the course. They show that you’ve put thought into selecting a gift that matches his interests and passions. It’s a perfect way to support his hobby and make his game even more special.

Christmas Pillow Set for a Festive Touch

A cozy pillow set is an excellent way to add a festive touch to your son-in-law's home. This set comes with four different designs, each featuring an adorable illustration that will bring joy to his living room. The soft fabric makes these pillows extra comfortable, making them perfect for a relaxing evening at home.

The Christmas Pillow Set is not just a decorative item; it's also practical. The soft fabric provides extra comfort, making it perfect for lounging. Plus, the festive designs will instantly brighten up any room, making it a versatile addition to his home decor.

This gift is perfect for the holidays, as it adds a festive touch to any home. Your son-in-law will appreciate the thoughtfulness of this gift, which combines both aesthetics and comfort.

Gourmet Coffee Gift Box for Coffee Enthusiasts

If your son-in-law loves his morning coffee, then a gourmet coffee gift box is the perfect way to show him how much you care. This set includes five different types of specialty coffees, ranging from light and sweet to dark and bold. He'll love exploring these flavors while sipping on his favorite brew.

The Gourmet Coffee Gift Box offers a variety of flavors, allowing your son-in-law to discover new favorites. Each type of coffee comes with detailed tasting notes, making the experience even more enjoyable. This gift is perfect for coffee enthusiasts who love to experiment with different brews.

Not only is this gift practical, but it also adds a touch of luxury to his daily routine. He'll appreciate the effort you put into finding something that aligns with his interests, making it a thoughtful and memorable gift.

Personalized Flask Set for the Entertainer

For the son-in-law who loves to entertain, a personalized flask set is an excellent gift choice. This set comes with two matching flasks, each one engraved with his initials. He'll love being able to share a drink with his friends while still keeping track of whose flask is whose.

The Personalized Flask Set is both practical and stylish. The engravings add a personal touch, making it a unique gift. The flasks are also made from high-quality materials, ensuring they last for years to come.

This gift is perfect for social gatherings, making it a hit at any party. Your son-in-law will appreciate the thoughtfulness and utility of this gift, which adds a touch of sophistication to his entertaining.

Wallet Photo Frame for Sentimental Value

A wallet photo frame is the perfect way to show your son-in-law how much you care. This stylish frame holds a small picture of him and his family, so he can carry it with him wherever he goes. It's a great reminder of home that will always bring a smile to his face.

The Wallet Photo Frame is not only a sentimental gift but also practical. It fits easily into any wallet, making it convenient to carry around. The high-quality materials ensure that the photo remains protected and in good condition.

This gift is perfect for keeping loved ones close, even when they're far away. Your son-in-law will appreciate the sentimental value of this gift, which serves as a constant reminder of family.

Wooden Beer Chiller for the Beer Lover

For the son-in-law who loves to enjoy a cold beer, a wooden beer chiller is the perfect gift. It's made from solid wood and lined with metal for insulation, ensuring that his drink stays perfectly chilled all night long. He can show it off at barbecues or other get-togethers, making him the life of the party.

The Wooden Beer Chiller is both practical and stylish. Its sturdy construction ensures durability, while the metal lining keeps drinks cold for extended periods. This gift is perfect for any social setting, making it a valuable addition to his entertaining arsenal.

Your son-in-law will appreciate the practicality and thoughtfulness of this gift, which combines functionality with style. It's the perfect way to enhance his social gatherings.

Whiskey Stones Gift Set for the Connoisseur

This whiskey stones gift set is the perfect way to show your son-in-law how much you appreciate him. Each stone is made from natural materials, so it will chill his drink without imparting any flavor. The included wooden box and velvet pouch make this an even more special present that he'll cherish for years to come.

The Whiskey Stones Gift Set is both practical and luxurious. The natural stones provide an effective way to chill drinks without diluting them, preserving the flavor. The wooden box and velvet pouch add a touch of elegance, making it a perfect gift for any whiskey lover.

This gift is ideal for anyone who appreciates fine spirits. Your son-in-law will love the thoughtfulness and utility of this gift, which enhances his drinking experience.

Personalized Bar Sign for the Man Cave

A personalized bar sign is the perfect way to make your son-in-law's man cave even more special. It can be customized with his name or a funny quote, making it an extra special gift that he'll cherish for years to come. He can hang it up and show it off at all of his get-togethers, and it will always bring a smile to his face.

The Personalized Bar Sign is both practical and unique. The customization options allow for a personal touch, making it a one-of-a-kind gift. The high-quality materials ensure durability, making it a lasting addition to his man cave.

This gift is perfect for anyone who loves to entertain. Your son-in-law will appreciate the thoughtfulness and uniqueness of this gift, which adds character to his personal space.

The Perfect BBQ Grill Set for the Grilling Enthusiast

If your son-in-law loves to fire up the grill, a luxury BBQ grill set is the perfect gift. This set includes all the essential tools—stainless steel tongs, spatulas, and skewers—crafted to perfection. The premium quality ensures durability and top-notch performance, making it a worthwhile investment.

The set comes in an elegant wooden case, adding an extra touch of sophistication. He'll be excited to show off his new tools at every backyard barbecue and family gathering. It's a gift that combines practicality with style, making his grilling experience even more enjoyable.

A high-quality BBQ set doesn't just enhance the cooking experience; it also fosters memorable moments spent with loved ones. Every time he uses it, he'll be reminded of your thoughtful gesture.

Holiday Gift Basket for Festive Cheer

A holiday gift basket is a timeless way to show your son-in-law how much he means to you. Packed with gourmet goodies like chocolate truffles, fine wine, artisan cheeses, and other delectable treats, it's a gift that indulges his taste buds and warms his heart.

This thoughtful present is perfect for the holiday season, bringing joy and a sense of celebration. The carefully curated items in the basket reflect your appreciation and effort, making it a memorable gift.

Holiday gift baskets are versatile and can be customized to suit his preferences. Whether he enjoys savory snacks or sweet delights, you can create a basket that's uniquely tailored to his tastes.

Cozy Nights with an Outdoor Fire Pit

For the son-in-law who loves spending time outdoors, an outdoor fire pit is an ideal gift. It's perfect for cozying up on chilly winter nights, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere for family and friends.

An outdoor fire pit enhances his outdoor space, making it a hub for relaxation and socializing. Whether he's roasting marshmallows with the kids or enjoying a quiet evening with his partner, the fire pit will become a cherished addition to his home.

This gift is not only practical but also adds a touch of elegance to his backyard. It's a perfect blend of functionality and style, making it a standout present.

Personalized Leather Wallet for a Touch of Class

A personalized leather wallet is a special gift that combines practicality with a personal touch. Embossed with his initials or a special message, it becomes a unique keepsake that he'll cherish for years to come.

Leather wallets are timeless accessories that exude class and sophistication. They are durable and age beautifully, making them a gift that stands the test of time. Every time he reaches for his wallet, he'll be reminded of your thoughtful gesture.

Personalized gifts show that you've put thought and effort into choosing something just for him. It's a meaningful way to express your appreciation and strengthen your bond.

Decorative Wall Art to Brighten His Space

Decorative wall art is a wonderful gift for a son-in-law who appreciates aesthetics and design. Crafted from high-quality materials, this unique piece of art adds a touch of sophistication to his home.

Wall art can transform a room, making it feel more personalized and inviting. Whether it's a modern abstract piece or a classic landscape, choose something that aligns with his taste and complements his decor.

This gift is a beautiful way to thank him for all that he does for your family. It's a gesture that shows you value his presence and contribution, making him feel appreciated and loved.

Christmas Throw Blankets for Ultimate Comfort

Christmas throw blankets make perfect gifts for son-in-laws who love to curl up with a good book or watch movies on the couch. These cozy throws will keep him warm and comfortable all winter long.

Available in various colors and patterns, you can choose one that matches his style. For an extra special touch, consider personalizing the blanket with his initials. It's a thoughtful gesture that makes the gift even more meaningful.

Throw blankets are versatile and practical, adding a cozy element to his living space. Whether he's using it in the living room or taking it on a weekend getaway, it's a gift that offers comfort and warmth.

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cinema-tv-etc · 4 years ago

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Why The Godfather Part III has been unfairly demonized

By Caryn James1st December 2020

he mafia trilogy ended with a closing chapter that has long been vilified. But as a new recut is released, 30 years on, Caryn James says it deserves to be re-evaluated. T

The final part of the Godfather trilogy is considered such an artistic disaster that you'd think Francis Ford Coppola had forgotten how to make a film in the 16 years that followed The Godfather Part II (1974). Part III's most famous dialogue – Al Pacino as the aging Mafia don Michael Corleone snarls, "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in" – has become an easy laugh line.

But 30 years after its release, it is time to rescue Godfather III from its terrible reputation. Pacino's eloquent, fiery, knowing central performance is supported by several bravura set pieces that are mini-masterpieces in themselves. With deliberate echoes of the earlier Godfather films, there is singing and dancing at a family party, a bold murder during the San Gennaro street festival, a tragedy on the steps of an opera house in Sicily.

In the film’s confusing main plot, Michael gets tangled up in dealing with the Vatican

Hindsight alone would tell us how seriously the film has been undervalued, even without Coppola's newly restored, re-edited and renamed version. It now has the title Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone. Calling it a coda emphasises its connection to the earlier instalments, and even hints at its lesser stature. And the word 'death' signals its dark inevitability, although the meaning of that word is slipperier than it first appears.

Twelve minutes shorter, it rearranges some key episodes, eliminates a few minor scenes and trims a line here or there. But until its altered ending, it is fundamentally the same film, better in parts than as a whole. It is too flawed to come close to the accomplishments of The Godfather (1972) or its sequel, both among the most towering and influential films of the 20th Century. They have penetrated the culture, from their language ("I'm going to make him an offer he can't refuse") to their quintessentially American story of immigration and upward mobility. But the new version clarifies Coppola's epic vision, revealing how much the Corleone story was always Michael's, a deeply moral saga of guilt and redemption. He just happened to be a mob boss.

For me the tragedy of The Godfather, which is the tragedy of America, is about Michael Corleone – Francis Ford Coppola

Coppola was always lucid about the trilogy's vision, even when others were confused. "For me the tragedy of The Godfather, which is the tragedy of America, is about Michael Corleone," he says in the extras on a DVD set of the three films released in 2001. He wanted The Death of Michael Corleone to be the title back in 1990, but Paramount, the studio releasing it, did not. The film's initial reception was measured disappointment, not dismissal or horror as we now assume. Roger Ebert actually loved it. Pauline Kael did not love or hate it, but offered the withering, condescending assessment. "I don't think it's going to be a public humiliation." Expectations were high because of the legacy of the earlier films, yet low because Part III came with a whiff of desperation and of selling out. Coppola had resisted making another Godfather for years, then wrote the screenplay (with Mario Puzo) and edited it in a rush to meet its Christmas Day release. It even got seven Oscar nominations, including best picture and director. It is an odd example of a movie whose reputation has declined over the decades.

Why the film is misunderstood

Then and now, the series has largely been misunderstood. Crime movies like Coppola's and Martin Scorsese's are so seductive that audiences have embraced them for apparently glamorising the love of raw power and the concept of honour among thieves. Beneath the Mafia-friendly surface, though, they are built on ethical themes their more hot-headed characters don't grasp. The Godfather Coda tells us that crime really doesn't pay when you're ready to search your soul. The young Michael struggles with the idea of killing and crime in the first Godfather. The consequences of his decision are central to Part III, which takes place in 1979, 20 years after the events of Godfather II. Michael, a billionaire living in New York, has made his businesses legitimate and is left to grapple with his guilt for so many crimes, especially ordering the murder of his brother Fredo, who betrayed him.

The film still has problems that no amount of editing can change. In a needlessly confusing main plot, Michael tries to take over a European conglomerate called International Immobiliare. By buying the Vatican's shares, he'll be bailing out the corrupt Vatican bank. The family part of the story revolves around Michael's nephew, Vincent Mancini, the illegitimate son of his brother Sonny. Andy Garcia is as good a Vincent as you could hope for, handsome, swaggering, rough around the edges, dynamic on screen. But his character never makes much sense. Vincent has his father's explosive temper and appetite for violence, but somehow goes from a not-so-bright thug to a shrewd, controlled crime strategist in a matter of months. His change is far from the engrossing, methodical character trajectory that takes the young Michael from idealist to murderer in the first Godfather.

And the film's most severely criticised element is no better than anyone remembers. Winona Ryder, who had been set to play Michael's daughter, Mary, dropped out weeks before filming started and was replaced with unabashed nepotism by Coppola's teenaged daughter, Sofia. Today, we know Sofia Coppola as a brilliant director, but it's easy to see why her amateurish performance made her another target of Godfather III jokes, particularly for the unintentionally awkward and passionless romance between Mary and her cousin Vincent. Coppola actually snipped a couple of Sofia's lines in the new version.

He makes a major change at the start of the re-edited film, eliminating the lovely original beginning. It set an elegiac tone by showing images of the abandoned family house in Lake Tahoe from Part II, and includes a flashback to Fredo's death, while Nino Rota's familiar soundtrack music evokes the past. The new version begins with a duplicitous archbishop soliciting Michael's help for the Vatican, a scene originally placed later in the film. The change highlights the finance plot without making it any clearer.

The exhilarating start

But the film soon picks up with its true, exhilarating beginning. Several generations of Corleones, along with friends and business associates, gather at a party celebrating Michael. His sister, Connie, sings an Italian song, while shady-looking visitors pay homage to Michael in his office. He now has bristly grey hair and a lined face, and controls his family and business with authoritarian power. The extravagant 30-minute sequence echoes Connie's wedding at the start of The Godfather, and the First Communion party in Lake Tahoe that began Godfather II. Michael's office even has the same light slanting through the blinds that we saw in his father's office in the first Godfather, when Marlon Brando as Vito Corleone received visitors. Throughout, these call backs to the previous films add resonance while trenchantly revealing how things have changed. Michael is burdened by conscience in a way Vito never was. "I don't apologise," Vito tells Michael near the end of The Godfather, justifying his brutality because he was trying to save his family. Godfather III is all about Michael's need to atone.

Al Pacino's performance may have become an object of derision, but he knows what he's doing.

The party scene flows easily as it brings every character up to date. Diane Keaton is as deft as ever as Michael's ex-wife Kay, who pleads with him to allow their son, Tony, to pursue a career as an opera singer. Kay can be chilling. "Tony knows that you killed Fredo," she warns Michael. Yet she has never got over him, as we see in a later scene when they have a tearful tête-à-tête in Sicily, a scene Pacino and Keaton make painfully real.

Connie, played with glorious sharpness and wit by Talia Shire, has morphed into Lady Macbeth. Mafia princesses can never run things, but they can pull the strings. It's Connie who ruthlessly tells Vincent, "You're the only one in this family with my father's strength. If anything happens to Michael I want you to strike back." She has asked the right person.

Vincent is central to many of the set pieces. During a meeting of Mafia heads in Atlantic City, when Michael announces he is out of the crime business, a helicopter approaches the window and shoots most of them dead. Vincent rushes Michael, the main target, to safety. The intrigue and rapid-fire violence in the perfectly orchestrated scene might obscure the real point: Michael can't escape his past. That attack causes his cry: "Just when I thought I was out..." Pacino's performance may have become an object of derision, but he knows what he's doing. He is raw and angrily over-the-top in some scenes, but modulates those outbursts with quieter moments. When a stress-induced diabetic attack sends him to the hospital, in his delusional state he calls out Fredo's name. Pacino shows us a conflicted Michael, weakened yet clinging to power.

The power of the re-edited finale

The tone becomes more ominous and the themes more spiritual when the entire family goes to Sicily for Tony's opera debut. (There are spoilers here, but the time limit on spoilers has expired after 30 years.) Michael grapples with the Sicilian Mafia, for reasons linked to the Immobiliare deal, but that is less important than his inner crisis. He makes a confession to a cardinal, breaking down in tears as he says, "I'm beyond redemption." When his protector, Don Tommasino, becomes another victim of Michael's power struggle, he sits by the coffin and says to God, "I swear on the lives of my children, give me a chance to redeem myself and I will sin no more." In this version, Coppola eliminates lines in which Michael asks why he is feared and not loved, removing that plea for the audience's sympathy. Michael gives Vincent control of the family, but does he really have a clear conscience when he knows too well the vengeance Vincent will plan?

The Trump era has been full of Godfather references; Trump himself regularly attacks CNN's Chris Cuomo by calling him Fredo.

That revenge plays out in the elaborate, gripping final sequence at the opera, a counterpart to one of the most famous episodes from The Godfather, when a baptism is intercut with a series of murders. That first sequence was about Michael's rise to power; now he suffers the consequences. While the family watches Tony on stage, Coppola weaves in scenes of Vincent's crew settling scores. One shoots an enemy who plummets off a beautiful spiral staircase. Another murders a rival by stabbing the man's own eyeglasses into his neck. At the opera, hitmen are after Michael, which leads to the shooting on the steps, and a bullet meant for him that kills Mary. For him there is no coming back from that, no possible way to forgive himself.

As the film ends, Coppola makes a brilliant editing choice. The original ending flashed ahead years to the elderly Michael, sitting alone in a gravelly yard as the camera closes in on a face still full of desolation and sadness. He falls to the ground, obviously dead. With a tiny cut, Coppola transforms the meaning of the scene. It now ends with the close-up of Michael's face, still alive. Living with his guilt is his true death, a death of the soul and of hope. Coppola adds text at the end, which says: “When the Sicilians wish you ‘Cent'anni’... it means ‘for long life’... and a Sicilian never forgets.” Michael is doomed to a long life of remembering.

Godfather, Coda restores Coppola's original darker vision, but one element creates a jolt even he couldn't have seen coming. The locations listed in the end credits include Trump Castle Casino Resort in Atlantic City, where the exterior of the helicopter attack was shot. The Trump era has been full of Godfather references. Some are from mainsteam media, including a 2018 Atlantic Magazine article with the headline Donald Trump Goes Full Fredo, comparing a Trump tweet saying that he is “like, really smart” to Fredo famously insisting in Godfather II, “I'm smart! Not like everybody says, like dumb, I'm smart!” Similarly, Twitter trolls routinely mock the president's circle and his grown children as Fredos, portraying them as weak and bumbling like the character, including pasting Donald Trump Jr’s head on a photo of Fredo's body. Donald Trump himself regularly attacks CNN's Chris Cuomo by calling him Fredo. Godfather II even turned up in court documents charging Trump's advisor Roger Stone with obstructing justice, citing an email in which Stone asked someone to protect him the way Frankie Pentangeli covered up for the Corleones. Today the location credit lands like a coda to the end of the Trump presidency, and offers a reminder of how influential the Godfather films have been, even when they were embraced for all the wrong reasons.

Mario Puzo's The Godfather, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone is available on BluRay and streaming from 8 December.

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#Godfather Part III

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toldnews-blog · 6 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://toldnews.com/lifestyle/the-chic-octogenarian-behind-barbies-best-looks/

The Chic Octogenarian Behind Barbie’s Best Looks

LOS ANGELES — Carol Spencer, 86, may be the most influential fashion designer you’ve never heard of.

In the mid-1960s, she made a red pencil skirt with a white sleeveless blouse that had red stitching and three red buttons down the front. Short white gloves came with it. Thousands sold.

In the 1970s, well aware that the counterculture’s loosening dress code and mores had made it to the mainstream, Ms. Spencer designed a red bandanna halter maxi-dress and a matching leisure shirt for men. Those designs were popular, too.

In the Nancy Reagan 1980s, Ms. Spencer aimed for high-end appeal, making a one-shouldered ball gown in blue jacquard with an organza flower at the nipped-in waist and a cape. One of Mrs. Reagan’s go-to couturiers personally approved the gown to be sold under his name: “Oscar de la Renta for Barbie.”

Ms. Spencer has made wedding dresses, saris, go-go boots and caftans. All in miniature. From 1963 to 1999, she was Barbie’s fashion designer, a career celebrated in her new book, “Dressing Barbie” (HarperDesign).

Ms. Spencer also made her own clothes, and had an easy time working with the doll’s famously unusual proportions, she said, because they weren’t so far from her own. “I have shrunk but in those days, I was tall and skinny,” she said. “I had a 16-inch waist and something on top, too, I sure did, but Barbie’s legs were better than mine.”

She was sitting in her dining room, wearing a blouse in a shade that can only be described as Barbie pink, with a Barbie brooch and a Barbie digital watch that legions of girls probably begged to get for Christmas in the 1990s.

It was a different body part that was most important for her job, Ms. Spencer said: “I have small hands.” She set down the Barbie teacup filled with lemonade she had been clasping to show her fingers. They are small and jut out at angles from the joint, a disfiguration likely caused by years of grasping little needles and bottles of glue.

In creating a wardrobe for Barbie and the entourage (Skipper, Ken, Midge, Big Jim, Baby Sister Kelly, Cara, Stacey, Christie, P.J., Steffie and Miss America), Ms. Spencer was part of a team that has inspired the work of designers including Bob Mackie, Nicole Miller, Jeremy Scott and Jason Wu, who once said he played with Barbie dolls when he was a child.

For a Moschino fashion show in Milan in 2014, Mr. Scott had a Barbie waiting on front-row chairs and sent models down the runway in blond bouffants and pink skirt suits.

Last month, to celebrate the doll’s 60th birthday, Mattel hosted a profusely pink Barbie bacchanal in New York City with Instagram-friendly Dream House backdrops, intended to draw in a new generation of fans who are too young to know that Barbie was the original influencer.

1. Ms. Spencer designed Ski Party Pink for Barbie in 1982. The sweater had Dolman sleeves and a cowl neck. In her ankle-strap high-heels, she was ready to hit the bars, not the slopes.

2. Released in 1979, this City Sophisticate outfit had a faux-fur-trimmed coat and skirt accented by a yellow soutache braid.

3. A Mattel employee accidentally ordered 2,500 yards of gold-and-white striped fabric, instead of 250 yards. Ms. Spencer’s 1965 Country Club Dance fashions made use of the excess.

4. The 1992 Totally Hair Barbie was one of Mattel’s best sellers. Ms. Spencer designed a Pucci-inspired mini.

5. Ms. Spencer wanted to create an “evening pajama” look for Barbie after Barbra Streisand wore a Scaasi version when accepting an Academy Award in 1969. Ms. Streisand’s outfit was see-through, so Ms. Spencer made Barbie special panties.

Saving the Dune Buggy

Even since her retirement, Ms. Spencer has devoted her time to Barbie. Inducted in 2017 into the Women in Toys, Licensing & Entertainment Hall of Fame, she has spent her golden years attending Barbie collectors events, doing research and amassing artifacts.

For years she has worked on “Dressing Barbie,” which is sized for a coffee table and subtitled “A Celebration of the Clothes That Made America’s Favorite Fashion Doll, and the Incredible Woman Behind Them.” Laurie Brookins, a writer and stylist, helped Ms. Spencer with the project.

The book combines styled vintage fashion photography with memoir. Born in 1932 and raised in Minneapolis, Ms. Spencer rejected the wife-and-mother path that prevailed in the American midcentury and instead made a career for herself. “I truly fell in love with Barbie the first moment I created her clothes and accessories,” she writes in the book.

Barbie has been a go-to emblem of all that has ill-served girls and young women in American culture. Living in a world that is almost exclusively white, the doll has breasts that are disproportionately large compared with her hips, and her feet are contorted into a permanent “floint” (short for flexing your toes back as you point the rest of your foot).

Her hair seems to be bleached blond, never with dark (or gray) roots. At times she dressed the part of a doctor or politician but has seemed unable to hold down a job. And there’s the place in Malibu. Does it come from a trust fund or Ken?

But Ms. Spencer would like to counterpunch the Barbie bashing. She points out the doll’s humble origins, with her proportions modeled after paper dolls cut from newspapers. She also defends Barbie as a healthy alternative to video games; an engine of imagination for girls and boys, who can project onto a Barbie doll whoever they may wish to become.

“It’s wholesome play,” she said, as she pulled from a case one of the many hundreds of dolls in her home. This one was wearing a yellow chiffon-like pleated tunic with see-through pajama pants, inspired by the Arnold Scaasi transparent ensemble Barbra Streisand wore to the 1969 Oscars when she won a best actress award for “Funny Girl.”

Ms. Spencer’s house is filled with books like “Barbie: Her Life and Times” and “Dream Doll: the Ruth Handler Story,” about Ms. Handler, who, with her husband, Elliot, and Harold Matson, founded Mattel in 1945. The Barbie fashion doll was released in 1959.

Over a cluttered desk are posters of Barbie, like one showing the same image of the original 1959 doll, displayed against four different bright backgrounds, à la Warhol. (It was made to celebrate Mattel’s 35th Anniversary Barbie Festival, in 1994.)

Ms. Spencer is a scavenger for treasures in a toss-everything world. One day at the Mattel offices, then located in Hawthorne, Calif., she noticed someone was about to throw away an important piece of Barbie memorabilia.

“It was the prototype for Barbie’s dune buggy,” she said. “They were tossing it, and I said, ‘Would you toss it my way?’”

She learned thrift as a child. “During World War II, things were scarce and I remember the family would get the Sunday paper,” Ms Spencer said. “When they’d get through with it, they’d hand me the comic pages so that I could cut out the paper dolls.”

She began to create paper fashion for these paper dolls. Soon she was making her own clothes. But being a fashion designer didn’t seem like a realistic goal in those days, she recalled. “You could be a teacher, nurse, secretary or clerk,” she said. “But wife and mother were the big ones.”

She was engaged to a medical student but when she realized she was expected to work to help pay for education before quitting to be a “doctor’s wife,” she broke the engagement. Then she enrolled at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, where she got a bachelor of fine arts with a focus on fashion design.

In May 1955, as she was about to graduate, she received a telegram from New York letting her know that her application for a “guest editor” slot at Mademoiselle magazine had been approved. Instead of sticking around for her commencement ceremony, Ms. Spencer took her first plane trip and moved in to the Barbizon Hotel for Women, for a month.

During her time in New York, she attended a reception at the home of the cosmetics entrepreneur Helena Rubinstein, visited the recently opened United Nations, danced with West Point cadets at the St. Regis hotel and interviewed the designer Pauline Trigère in her studio.

Ms. Spencer was in the same class of Mademoiselle guest editors as Joan Didion. “It was about as far from Minneapolis as you could get,” she writes.

She returned to her hometown to work, designing children’s wear for Wonderalls Company and then moved to Milwaukee to become a “misses” sportswear designer.

In late 1962, Ms. Spencer spotted an advertisement in Women’s Wear Daily. “A national manufacturer who leads its industry with annual sales in excess of $50 million seeks a cost-conscious fashion designer-stylist for its suburban Los Angeles facility.”

She sent a résumé and heard nothing back. Still, sensing this mysterious job was her destiny, she and her aunt packed up their 1959 Ford Fairlane and drove across the country to California.

In April 1963, she saw an ad in the California Apparel News for the same job, and this time her application got a response. It was from Mattel, the toymaker already known for the postwar bombshell: Barbie.

Ms. Spencer went to the company headquarters for an interview and was asked to make a suite of outfits for this creature. She made a halter-top-and-boy-short bikini, a one-piece in the same shade of orange-pink. There was a cover-up and a wrap skirt. She got the job.

Pink Pills Nixed

At that time, Mattel made about 125 different outfits a year for Barbie, and the fashion department, run by Charlotte Johnson, could be cutthroat.

“Charlotte had a theory,” Ms. Spencer said. “If you have four designers, you put them in four corners. And it was always competitive and you were pitching your product. Sometimes the competition was kind of dirty.”

How so? She wouldn’t say. “I’m out of it, I’m retired, I’m enjoying life, I’ll put it that way,” she said, and she took a sip of lemonade from her Barbie teacup.

Some of her early successes, all of which she has cataloged, included Country Club Dance (a white and gold striped gown), From Nine to Five (a midcalf blue dress with an embroidered vest and hair scarf) and Debutante Ball (an aqua satin gown with a fur stole).

Ms. Spencer took her cue from the culture around her. As the Jane Fonda aerobics craze of the 1980s took off, Barbie got a purple leotard and leg warmers. When NASA’s space shuttle exploration was in full tilt, Barbie became an astronaut (albeit one in thigh-high boots and silver capes).

And there was inspiration from her own life as well. When she needed a biopsy on her breast, Ms. Spencer was transfixed by the white coats doctors wore. The biopsy was negative, but the fashion was positive. Guess who became, however briefly, a surgeon?

There were missteps too, like when she gave Dr. Barbie a case of pink pills without knowing that at that time pink pills were known to be methamphetamines. “Let me tell you, that caused quite a stir,” she said. (Her faux pas was caught before Meth-Head Barbie made its way to children’s dollhouses.)

There are hundreds and hundreds of designs that are Carol Spencer originals, with only a small portion bearing her name. Until the mid-1990s, Mattel didn’t put designer names on Barbie’s packaging.

But Ms. Spencer remembers each of her creations, and many of them are in her home, which her sister, Margaret, 88, will be moving into soon. But even though Ms. Spencer gets out less these days, and relies on a walker to take more than a few steps, she said she feels surrounded by good company.

“You’re never alone when you have dinner at my house,” she said. “Barbie is always with you.”

#e news lifestyle #healthy lifestyle news report #lifestyle audit news #lifestyle news feed #lifestyle news ghana #lifestyle news hindi #lifestyles #national lifestyle villages news #odia lifestyle news #the lifestyle newshound instagram

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weekendwarriorblog · 5 years ago

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WHAT TO WATCH THIS WEEKEND November 8, 2019 – DOCTOR SLEEP, MIDWAY, LAST CHRISTMAS, MARRIAGE STORY and more

Well, last weekend was a thing, wasn’t it? The movie I liked the most didn’t do great, the movie I really wasn’t into did better than expected, and Terminator: Dark Fate? Yeah, that’s the end of that franchise… hopefully?

This week, there’s some good, some bad and some okay to decent. I’m probably under embargo on the two bad movies so you’ll just have to guess which is which.

Actually, I already reviewed Mike Flanagan’s DOCTOR SLEEP (Warner Bros.) over at The Beat, and my review of Roland Emmerich’s MIDWAY (Lionsgate) will probably havegone up over there by the time you’ve read this. That just leaves Universal’s holiday rom-com LAST CHRISTMAS and Paramount’s PLAYING WITH FIRE.

Doctor Sleepis the latest Stephen King adaptation, this one based on his 2013 novel that is a sequel to The Shining, the movie starring Ewan McGregor as the older Danny Torrance, Rebecca Ferguson as “Rose the Hat” and newcomer Kyliegh Curran as Abra Stone, a young girl with powers who turns to Danny to help her face Rose and her gang of roving power vampires. As you can read in my review, this one isn’t so bad, and if you’re a fan of The Shining, there’s stuff for you to enjoy even though it’s not nearly as scary.

Not sure what more I can say about Midway, other than it’s Emmerich’s version of the WWII Pacific battle with a mostly-male cast that includes Woody Harrelson, Patrick Wilson, Aaron Eckhart, Randy Quaid and many more, most of whom have done better work. Basically, I wasn’t a fan, and I’m not sure how well it will do even with Monday being Veterans Day. I’ll be curious to see how others feel about the movie.

Also, not much to say about Playing with Fire other than its John Cena doing a family comedy with director Andy Fickman, Kegan Michael-Key, John Leguizamo, the wonderful Judy Greer, and honestly, I doubt anyone who might read this column would have any interest. Put it this way, it’s no Instant Family, one of my favorite movies from last year.

In many ways, my favorite movie of the weekend is Last Christmas, directed by Paul Feig from Bridesmaids and Ghostbusters, which is indeed based loosely on the George Michael song of the same name, but it brings together Emilia Clarke with Henry Golding from Crazy Rich Asians, as well as Michelle Yeoh from Crazy Rich Asians, and Emma Thompson, who co-wrote the film.

I’ll have an interview with Feig over at Next Best Picture very soon, but here’s my short review…

Mini-Review: You know you have to be doing something right if you make a Christmas rom-com that’s able to get a Jew into the Christmas spirit while watching your movie even before Halloween, but that’s the case with this great collaboration between Paul Feig with Emma Thompson.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I was definitely surprised by how much I liked Emilia Clarke in the role of a fuck-up who can’t seem to find a regular living place since her roommates keep kicking her out. She works at a Christmas shop in London’s busy market owned by Michelle Yeoh, who is lovingly known as “Santa.” One night, her character Kate encounters a handsome and mysterious young man named Tom (Henry Golding), and the two become friends and then get closer.

It’s pretty amazing to see Clarke doing something we really haven’t seen her do before and that’s being funny, but she also sings in the movie and has a nature that some might deem “Manic Pixie Dream Girl”-ish. In fact, she plays an elf. (rimshot) It’s hard not to think of Zooey Deschanel in Elf as you watch Clarke spend time in her work costume but Kate is very likable and nothing like Clark’s previous roles. Golding is as charming and handsome as ever, making him come across like the new Hugh Grant, but their scenes together propel Last Christmas into a place where you really feel for both of them.

There are aspects to Last Christmas that are predictable, including a twist that’s literally spoiled in the first few minutes of the movie, but the movie is just so enjoyable overall that this can be forgiven. Even if you’re the worst Scrooge about the holidays, it’s hard not to enjoy all of the Christmas spirit permeating this movie, particularly Yeoh’s character, but it also finds a way to make you feel good about helping others during the holidays, something that I hope rubs off on anyone who sees this.

Basically, Last Christmas is a romantic comedy that’s actually romantic and very funny, as well as a great way to kick-off the holiday movie season! It’s taken some time, but Love Actually finally has a worthy successor.

Rating: 8/10

You can read more about the new wide releases over at The Beat.

LOCAL FESTIVALS

The big festival hitting New York this weekend, today in fact, is this year’s installation of DOC-NYC, which boasts 300 films and events circulating around the world of documentary filmmaking, including many World Premieres, as well as screenings of some of the year’s biggest commercial and critical hits in terms of docs.

Oddly, tonight’s Opening Night is Daniel Roher’s Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and the Band, which was also the opening night gala of TIFF this year. I still haven’t seen it. Closing night is the NYC premiere of Ebs Burnough’s The Capote Tapes, which I also haven’t seen. The festival is giving Visionary Tribute Lifetime Achievement awards to Michael Apted, who will screen the latest in his ongoing doc series, 63 Up, as well as to Martin Scorsese, whose Netflix film Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story will screen. I actually haven’t seen too many movies in this year’s festival just cause I’ve been busy with other things, but I have seen Joe Berlinger’s The Longest Wave about windsurfer icon Robby Naish and Keith Fulton and Lou Pepe’s He Dreams of Giants, a great follow-up to Lost in La Mancha, which follows Terry Gilliam’s efforts to finally make The Man Who Killed Don Quixote. Other movies include the World Premiere of Beth B’s Lydia Lunch: The War is Never Over on Saturday night, the NYC Premieres of Oren Jacoby’s On Broadway, Beth Kopple’s Desert One, Kristof Bilsen’s Mother plus many more. (On top of that, my own group, the Critics Choice Association will be announcing its own Critics Choice Documentary Awards this Sunday.)

LIMITED RELEASES

There are two can’t-miss movies this weekend, the first of them being Noah Baumbach’s latest Marriage Story, which in my opinion is the best film he’s made in his entire career, and that’s saying something. This one stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson as a couple going through a divorce, and if this sounds familiar, it might be since Baumbach’s 2005 movie The Squid and The Whale was also about a divorce, that of his parents. It’s hard not to think that at least some of Marriage Story might be based on Baumbach’s own divorce from actor Jennifer Jason Leigh as Driver plays a theater director and Johansson plays an actor who appears in many of his plays. The real sticking point is their 6-year-old son and the fact that Johansson’s character wants to put him in school in California where she has an upcoming job, but his father, who is about to bring his play to Broadway without his wife, wants him in New York. At first, the couple plan on divorcing without lawyers and remaining friends, but as lawyers are brought on board – played by Laura Dern, Alan Alda and Ray Liotta – things just get more vicious. Not only is this one of Baumbach’s best-realized screenplay but the performances he gets out of his cast are indelible, particularly Driver and Johansson who have a number of highly charged scenes together, including one that’s absolutely unforgettable. It’s easily one of the best movies of the year, and it will be very much in the awards race. Marriage Story opens on Wednesday (today!) in New York – at the City Cinemas (formerly the Paris Theatre) and IFC Center – in L.A. and a few other cities. It won’t debut on Netflix until December 6.

Another movie that definitely needs to be seen is HONEY BOY (NEON), written by and starring Shia LaBeouf and directed by Alma Har’el, who has previously directed documentaries and music videos. It’s loosely based on some of LaBeouf’s own experiences as a child actor dealing with a turbulent relationship with his father with Noah Jupe from A Quiet Place and next week’s Ford vs. Ferrari playing the young actor “Otis Lort” who later in life (played by Lucas Hedges) is dealing with the repercussions of an alcoholic father, played by LaBeaouf, apparently based on his own father? It’s a really amazing film that obviously was extremely cathartic for LaBeouf to write while he was going through his own rehab therapy, plus he also has singer FKA twigs making her feature film debut as an amorous neighbor of Otis who lives at the motel where he stays with his father. I’m not going to say too much more about the film other than it’s extremely powerful and emotional

There are a couple decent docs opening this weekend, the one I recommend first and foremost being Roger Ross Williams’ THE APOLLO, which will open at the Metrographafter opening this year’s Tribeca Film Festival. It’s an amazing look at the landmark Harlem theater that’s made so many careers over the years from performers like Aretha Franklin and James Brown, combining amazing archival footage with new interviews.

I haven’t gotten around to seeing Lauren Greenfield’s new documentaryThe Kingmaker (Showtime), which will open at the Quad Cinema in New York before it airs on Showtime, but this one is about the political career of Imelda Marcos, the Philippines’ first lady who became almost more famous than her President husband Ferdinand, mainly for her collection of shoes.

Samuel Bathrick’s doc 16 Bars opens at New York’s Village East Cinema and in L.A. next Friday. It follows Arrested Development’s “Speech” Thomas as he works with in mates in a Virginia jail to write and record original music as part of their rehabilitation.

Netflix is also releasing Despicable Me co-creator Sergio Pablos’ animated film Klaus in theaters this Friday in advance of its worldwide streaming debut on Netflix on November 15. It features Jason Schwartzmann as the voice of Jesper, a spoiled rich kid son of the postmaster who is sent to a frozen island in the Arctic circle where he finds allies in a local schoolteacher (voiced by Rashida Jones) and meets a mysterious carpenter named Klaus (voiced by J.K. Simmons).

Opening at New York’s Cinema Village is Joel Souza’s CROWN VIC (Screen Media) starring Thomas Jane as a veteran cop with Luke Kleintank (also in Midway) as his rookie cop who are looking for a missing girl and hunting two cop killers in Los Angeles. It also stars Bridge Moynihan.

Nicolas Cage stars in PRIMAL (Lionsgate) as Frank Walsh, a hunter and collector of rare and exotic animals who catches a rare white jaguar, except that the ship taking his cargo also includes a political assassin being sent to the U.S. who breaks free and lets the jaguar loose. So this is like Life of Pi only with more Nicolas Cage? It also stars Famke Janssen, Kevin Durand and Michael Imperioli and opens in select cities asnd On Demand.

Similarly, Danger Close (Saban Films) will be in theatrs, On Demand and Digital, this one starring Travis Fimmel (Warcraft) as Major Harry Smith in Kriv Stenders’ war movie, written by Stuart Beattie. It follows Smith as he takes a group of 108 young soldiers from Australia and New Zealand into the Battle of Long tan against 2,500 Viet Cong soldiers. I guess this is an alternative to Midway for Veterans’ Day?

STREAMING AND CABLE

Debuting on Netflix is Luke Snellin’s holiday rom-com Let It Snow, starring Isabela Moner (Dora and the Lost City of Gold), Odeya Rush, Shameik Moore and Liv Hewson as a group of high school seniors in a Midwestern town who are snowbound on Christmas Eve. It’s based on a book by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle.

REPERTORY

Let’s get to some old(er) movies, starting with the Metrograph in New York, who begins a series with filmmaker Noah Baumbach in Residence in conjunction with the release of Baumbach’s latest and greatest, Marriage Story. Besides screening Baumbach’s own 1995 film Kicking and Screaming, 2005’s The Squid and the Whale and 2007’s Margot at the Wedding, Baumbach will present screenings of Spike Lee’s Crooklyn (1994) on Saturday, Eric Rohmer’s Pauline at the Beach (1983), which inspired Margot with more movies to come between now and November 22. The Metrograph also continues its Welcome To Metrograph: Redux series with Shunji Iwai’s 2001 film All About Lily Chou-Chouon Thursday and again on Saturday. This weekend’s Playtime: Family Matinees is Steven Spielberg’s 1981 classic Raiders of the Lost Ark, while Late Nites at Metrograph will screen Bong Joon-wo’s The Host on Thursday through Sunday, way too late for this old man. You’ll also have another opportunity to see Hitchcock’s 1971 thriller Frenzy on Thursday night.

TheFilm Forumwill be screening Yasujirô Ozu’s 1957 film Tokyo Twilight in a new 4k restoration starting Friday, as well as bringing back his 1953 film Tokyo Story, as well, continuing from the Shatamachi series which ends Thursday. The Forum is also screening Henry King’s 1949 movie Twelve O’Clock a few more times this weekend, and on Sunday and Monday, it will screen Rowland Brown’s 1933 film Blood Money. This weekend’s Film Forum Jr. is George Lucas’ American Graffiti.

The IFC Center is gonna be pretty busy with Doc-NYC (see above) but its Waverly Midnights: Spy Games offering will be Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997) and Late Night Favorites: Autumn 2019 will screen Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange (one of my favorites).

Opening at the Quad on Friday is a 4k 20thAnniversary restoration of Joan Micklin Silver’s A Fish in the Bathtub, starring real-life husband-wife comedy duo Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara. The 1999 comedy from the director of Hester Street and Crossing Delancey is about a woman who finally had enough with her stubborn husband so she moves in with her married son (played by Mark Ruffalo!!!), driving him crazy enough to convince his sister (Jane Adams) to try to repair the relationship.

The Roxy Cinema will be screening Valley Girlo n Weds and Alan Parker’s 1984 film Birdy on Thursday, both starring Nicolas Cage, and the 1979 film Draculastarring Frank Langella on Saturday.

Uptown at Film at Lincoln Center, they’re kicking off a short series called Jessica Hausner: The Miracle Worker, including a sneak preview of her sci-fi thriller Little Joe, and showing her earlier films Amour Fou, Hotel,Lourdes, Lovely Ritaand a bunch of shorts.

MOMA continues Modern Matinees: Iris Barry’s History of Film and Vision Statement: Early Directorial Works, the latter showing Sebastian Silva’s The Maidon Wednesday evening, Jane Campion’s The Piano on Thursday, Debra Granik’s Down to the Bone on Friday, John Cassavetes’ Shadows(1959) on Saturday and Kelly Reichardt’s Old Joy (2006) on Sunday, as well as Cristian Mungiu’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.

The Alamo Drafthouse in Brooklyn will show Tom Hanks’ The ‘Burbs on Thursday night in conjunction with Rotten Tomatoes, then next Monday’s Fist City is America Ninja 2: the Confrontation from 1987, Terror Tuesday is one of my favorites, Final Destination 3 (2006) and Weird Wednesday is the 1984 film Decoder.

Out in Astoria, the Museum of the Moving Image will screen Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers (1997) on Saturday as part of its ongoing “No Joke: Absurd Comedy as Political Reality” series. Friday night, its showing Godfrey Reggio’s 1982 classic Koyaanisqatsi, introduced by Ramell Ross as part of his “Some Other Lives of Time: Subjective Spaces for Nonfiction” series. I have no idea what that means. MOMI is also showing Vassilis Douvilis’ The Homecoming as part of “Always on Sunday: Greek Film Series,” which apparently has returned after a six-month hiatus.

Out in L.A., Tarantino’s New Beverly has been showing double features of Jackie Brown with Lewis Teague’s 1980 film Alligator, and no, I don’t know the connection either. Friday’s horror matinee is David Cronenberg’s The Brood while the midnight movies are Pulp Fiction on Friday night and Maniac Cop 3: Badge of Silence on Saturday night. The Kiddee Matinee is one of my faves, The 7th Voyage of Sinbad and then Monday’s matinee is James Mangold’s Cop Land, starring Sylvester Stallone. Next Tuesday’s wacky triple feature is Stunts, Walking the Edge and The Kinky Coches and the Pom-Pom Pussycats. Now THAT is what I call a triple feature...

The Egyptian Theatre is showing Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman in a limited engagement but on Saturday, it will show Raoul Levy’s Hail, Mafia! (1965) as part of “Joe Dante’s 16mm Spotlight” with Mr. Dante in person. Over at the Aero, they’re having a series called “All the Right Stuff: The Artistry of Phillip Kaufman with the director in person and double features of Raiders of the Lost Arkand The Wanderers on Friday, Invasion of the Body Snatchers/The Great Northfield Minnesota Raid on Saturday and The Unbearable Lightness of Being on Sunday (with Juliette Binoche)!

The Friday midnight at Landmark’s Nuart Theater is the anime classic Akira.

Next week, James Mangold’s Ford vs. Ferrari takes on Elizabeth Banks’ Charlie’s Angels and Bill Condon’s The Good Liar, starring Ian McKellen and Helen Mirren.

#WhatToWatchThis Weekend LastChristmas DoctorSleep MarriageStory MoviesReviews Midway

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gunboatbaylodge · 7 years ago

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Things to Do in Vancouver this Weekend: August 17, 2017

Ready yourself for the beginning of The Fair at the PNE, an interstellar tall ship performance, dancing horses, a doughnut marathon, craft festivals, and a celebration of garlic! After the weekend, be sure to cap it off by being outside for the partial solar eclipse on Monday; by 10:21am the sun will be mostly blocked out by the moon. You can watch through special glasses, a home-made pinhole camera, or just watch the effect on the shadows around you, the wildlife, and the surrounding sky as the sun’s light turns to a sliver.

Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Ongoing

Friday August 18

Nomadic Tempest Where: The shore of South-East False Creek near Cambie bridge What: A free, all-ages show performed on a 90-foot long Tall Ship. Nomadic Tempest is a mythical saga of monarch migrants—embodied by aerial artists—searching for refuge on a drowned planet. Runs until: Sunday September 3, 2017

Sea to Sky Gondola Sunset Stretch with The Hairfarmers Where: Sea to Sky Gondola What: Extended hours mean more hiking, more sightseeing and more patio time! Tonight, listen to live music with modern rockers, The Hairfarmers.

Science World After Dark Where: Science World What: Technology and tinkering isn’t just for house cats! Our upcoming After Dark event is all about design and innovation in the outdoors. Come play outside in the Science Park with your friends.

Coconutz & Bananas

Coconutz & Bananas Where: The Odyssey What: Vancouver’s first trans-centric club night is an inclusive safe space for trans, non-binary, gender bending folks to be visible.

Bryson Tiller

Bryson Tiller Where: UBC Thunderbird Stadium What: An American singer, songwriter and rapper from Louisville, Kentucky.

Zac Brown Band

Zac Brown Band Where: Rogers Arena What: American country music from Atlanta, Georgia, that brings a bit of an indie low-key and grassroots vibe back to the scene of twang.

Architectural Walking Tours Where: Various locations What: The Architectural Institute of British Columbia offers architectural perspectives of six Vancouver neighbourhoods including vibrant Chinatown, historical Gastown, trendy Yaletown, contemporary Downtown, lively West End and diverse Strathcona, the first neighbourhood in Vancouver. Runs until: Thursday August 31, 2017

Eco Stewards Upcycling Workshop: Fence Building Where: Stanley Park What: Join the Stanley Park Ecology Society and environmental artist Sharon Kallis for this special two-day invasive plant upcycling workshop in Stanley Park! Volunteer participants will learn to build fences made from invasive plant materials that will help to stabilize sensitive habitat along North Creek. Runs until: Saturday August 20, 2017

Southlands BC Dressage Championship

Southlands BC Dressage Championship Where: Southlands Riding Club What: Watch horses prance and dance. This event draws riders of all ages and levels from across the province for thousands of dollar in cash and awards. Runs until: Sunday August 20, 2017

Mew

Mew Where: The Rickshaw What: Danish indie art-rock.

Lord of the Schwings:A Tolkien Burlesque Night Where: The Rio Theatre What: A silly, sexy evening filled with all your favourite hobbits, elves, wizards, and creatures.

Kimoto Gallery Summer Mixer Where: Kimoto Gallery What: New works by gallery artists.

Toni Onley Where: The Visual Space What: A retrospective exhibition that will include over 30 works of art from esteemed artist Toni Onley. Taken from the private collections of four local collectors, it is a rare chance to view and purchase many previously unseen works. Runs until: Saturday September 9, 2017

Saturday August 19

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The Fair at the PNE

The Fair at the PNE Where: The PNE What: The PNE, which has been on for over a century, offers a range of new and classic family entertainment, including more than 55 thrilling rides (including Canada’s largest pendulum ride, “The Beast,”) the Summer Night Concert series (featuring headliners such as The B52s, Mother Mother, The Pointer Sisters, The Doobie Brothers and ZZ Top), a craft beer festival, mouth-watering food from around the globe, the beloved Superdogs and more. Runs until: Monday September 4, 2017

Our Cityride Vancouver

Our Cityride Where: David Lam Park What: A non-competitive all inclusive mass participation ride that will be held in the heart of cities globally. The ride will be host to participants of all ages and abilities, focused around a fun and festive atmosphere with a festival of music, food trucks and activities for the whole family.

Watch & Learn Festival Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre and Plaza What: A weekend of hands-on learning with some of Vancouver’s most talented artisans. Workshop tickets include weekend passes to enjoy all of the Watch & Learn Festival including Etsy Vancouver market and live music. Runs until: Sunday August 20, 2017

Mother Mother Where: The Fair at the PNE What: Free with admission, The Fair’s summer concert series hosts Vancouver-based Mother Mother tonight.

Whitecaps Pride Night Where: BC Place Stadium What: The Whitecaps’ community includes everyone – join a night of pride and pre-game performance to showcase inclusion of the LGBTQ2+ community within the sports community.

ArtStarts Explores: Paint Where: ArtStarts Gallery What: Mix, stroke, mash, colour and blend our way through this fun family workshop that explores paint and painting.

Science World: Alfresco! Where: Science World What: A unique long-table 5-course dinner, served family style. The seasonal menu is rooted in west coast flavours—with an emphasis on fresh, local, sustainable ingredients and BC wine.

Harajuku Fashion Walk

Harajuku Fashion Walk Where: Robson Square What: Wear any fashion style you like, such as Lolita, punk, decora, cosplay or other creative outfits, embrace the Japanese fashion, and help spread J-fashion to the street on a walk-around with others.

BC Wildfire Benefit Concert Where: The Rickshaw What: Roots rock, with proceeds benefiting the Red Cross.

How to Get Over a Book Launch: Workshop Where: Vancouver Public Library Strathcona Branch What: Appearing in the documentary “The Revival: Women and the Word” is cast member t’ai freedom ford, who is touring her first poetry collection “how to get over”. Join us for a matinee reading at the new VPL nə́c̓aʔmat ct Strathcona Branch with t’ai and local poet and Vancouver Slam Master, Jillian Christmas.

Sawyer Fredericks

Sawyer Fredericks Where: The Wise Hall What: A folk/blues singer-songwriter, who cut his teeth at New York State farmers markets.

One OK Rock

One OK Rock Where: The Vogue What: Rock from Japan.

Weezel Where: The Roxy What: A Weezer tribute band.

Downtown Eastside Women’s Summer Fair Where: Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre What: Over twenty-five vendors and artisans from within the community, entertainment from local performers, an area for children to play, information booths about the different resources available in the community, and a wide variety of goods and services for purchase. Runs until: Saturday September 30, 2017 (Saturdays)

Quantic (Live)

Quantic (Live) Where: The Imperial What: British born musician, producer and DJ performs a special live show.

Sunday August 20

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Donut Dash 2017

Donut Dash 2017 Where: Playland What: Vancouver’s tastiest and most filling 5K run where runners will be energized with sugary and tasty treats throughout the course, including mini donuts and more.

Crabs, Clams, and Other Coastal Critters Where: Stanley Park What: Pack your rubber boots and prepare to be blown away by the bizarre life in Stanley Park’s intertidal zone. From orange armoured sea cucumbers to red feather duster worms, you might forget what planet you are on.

Garlic Festival Where: Terra Nova Rural Park (Richmond, BC) What: Celebrate the garlic harvest by gazing upon garlic, eating garlic, buying garlic, listening to garlic-friendly music, and not worrying about your breath at all because everyone is mowing down on arguably the most delicious addition to pretty much any meal.

Ongoing

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Ensemble Theatre Festival

Ensemble Theatre Festival Where: Jericho Arts Centre What: Featuring a cast of emerging and established actors performing In the Next Room, A Prayer for Owen Meany, and Master Class, by directors new and returning to the festival: Keltie Forsyth, Ian Farthing, and Evan Frayne. Runs until: Friday August 18, 2017

Oh, Canada – The True North Strong and Funny

Oh, Canada – The True North Strong and Funny Where: The Improv Centre on Granville Island What: Based on audience suggestions, the cast lampoon such Canadian ‘institutions’ as Heritage Minutes, the Mounties, winter, our hunky Prime Minister, hockey, and lumberjacks or other endless possibilities. As this is improv and the show is made up on the spot, no two shows are ever the same. Join us for some distinctively Canadian laughs. You’ll be nicer for it. Runs until: Saturday August 19, 2017

Kitsilano Showboat

Kitsilano Showboat Where: Kits beach What: Almost anything can happen at this family friendly showcase of amateur talent dating back to 1935. Runs until: Saturday August 19, 2017

Vancouver Queer Film Festival Where: Various locations What: This festival is ready to once again illuminate the transformative moments in the lives of queer people – telling stories of the journeys we have taken to find ourselves, each other and our place in the world. This year continues the movement of creating change through film, education and dialogue. Runs until: Sunday August 20, 2017

Watch & Learn Festival Where: Queen Elizabeth Theatre What: A weekend of hands-on learning with some of Vancouver’s most talented artisans. Workshop tickets include weekend passes to enjoy the rest of Watch & Learn Festival including Etsy Vancouver market and live music. Runs until: Sunday August 20, 2017

Southlands BC Dressage Championship

Odlum Brown VanOpen Where: Hollyburn County Club What: Western Canada’s largest and most celebrated tennis event. $ 200,000 in prize money for men and women, and the opportunity to gain valuable world-ranking points on both the ATP and WTA Tours. Runs until: Sunday August 20. 2017

Film Noir Where: The Cinematheque What: The Cinematheque’s annual foray into the dark, desperate world of American film noir returns with eleven lurid classics from noir’s hard-boiled heyday. Runs until: Thursday August 24, 2017

Indigenous Plant Use Where: Stanley Park What: Walk through the forest with an experienced guide of Coast Salish descent and learn about the traditional and present-day Indigenous relationships with local flora and fauna. While there will be no collecting on these tours, Stanley Park offers a perfect setting to learn about sustainable harvesting. Runs until: Friday August 25, 2017 (Fridays)

Theatre Under the Stars | Photo by Tim Matheson

Theatre Under the Stars Where: Stanley Park What: Enjoy a delightful dose of entertainment this summer with two Broadway musicals. Mary Poppins and The Drowsy Chaperone will be performed live at the Malkin Bowl. A beloved Vancouver tradition since 1940, TUTS 2017 season promises song & dance in two family-friendly productions celebrating love and imagination. Runs until: Saturday August 26, 2017

Story Walks

Story Walks Where: The Shipyards and in Lynn Canyon Park What: Free drop-in walks at The Shipyards are offered Saturdays and Sundays at 11 am and 1:30 pm. Meet at Lonsdale Ave. and Victory Ship Way. Free drop-in walks in Lynn Canyon Park are offered Wednesdays and Thursdays from July 6th to August 24th at 11 am and 1:30 pm. Meet across from the Lynn Canyon Café. Runs until: Sunday August 27, 2017

Peak Yoga on Grouse Mountain

Peak Yoga on Grouse Mountain Where: Grouse Mountain What: Enjoy 60 minute yoga classes led by YYoga instructors, every Saturday and Sunday from 10:00-11:00 am. Whether you need a great post-Grind cool down or would just love to experience a different yoga venue at one of the city’s most spectacular locations, these 60-minute class are bound to enhance your physical well-being and kick start your weekend. Runs until: Sunday August 27, 2017

Social Sundays Where: VanDusen Gardens What: Summer sounds, signature cocktails, and lawn games. Runs until: Sunday August 27, 2017

Dance in Transit Where: Various outdoor locations What: A continuous supply of dancing during the warm months —at no cost. Watch it, try it, and see if you love it. Runs until: Sunday August 27th, 2017

Love’s Labor Lost Where: The Bernie Legge Theatre (New Westminster, BC) What: Alchemy Theatre and Vagabond Players present Love’s Labour’s Lost. In order to dedicate themselves to a life of study, the King and his friends take an oath to avoid the company of women, along with all other vices, for three whole years. No sooner have they agreed to their idealistic pledge than the beautiful Princess of France and her ladies-in-waiting arrive, presenting the men with a severe test of their high-minded resolve. Runs until: Sunday August 20, 2017

The Fair at the PNE

The Fair at the PNE Where: The PNE What: The PNE, which has been on for over a century, offers a range of new and classic family entertainment, including more than 55 thrilling rides (including Canada’s largest pendulum ride, “The Beast,��) the Summer Night Concert series (featuring headliners such as The B52s, Mother Mother, The Pointer Sisters, The Doobie Brothers and ZZ Top), a craft beer festival, mouth-watering food from around the globe, the beloved Superdogs and more. Runs until: Monday September 4, 2017

Xi Xanya Dzam – Those Who Are Amazing At Making Things Where: The Bill Reid Gallery What: Xi Xanya Dzam (pronounced hee hun ya zam) is the Kwak’wala word describing incredibly talented and gifted people who create works of art. The exhibition is both a showcase and a critical exploration of ‘achievement’ and ‘excellence’ in traditional and contemporary First Nations art. Runs until: Sunday September 4, 2017

Pictures From Here

Pictures From Here Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: Featuring photographs and video works from the early 1960s to the present that capture the urban environment of the Greater Vancouver region, its citizens and the vast “natural” landscape of the province. Runs until: Sunday September 4, 2017

Jaad Kuujus: Meghann O’Brien

Jaad Kuujus: Meghann O’Brien Where: Bill Reid Gallery What: Meghann takes materials from the natural world and transforms them into pieces of high-level human expression. Working with traditional materials such as mountain goat wool and cedar bark has given her a deep connection to the supernatural world, a connection to her ancestors. She describes working with cedar bark as, “travelling back in time” or “touching the cosmos”. Her creations have a profound impact within contemporary Northwest Coast art and beyond. Runs until: September 2017

Sunday Art Market

Sunday Art Market Where: Jim Deva Plaza What: Local artists, vendors and makers, largely from Vancouver’s West End, along with musical and other live performances and artist-led workshops to drop into. Runs until: September 2017

Panda International Night Market Where: Richmond, BC What: A diverse market in Richmond, with shopping, food, beverages, and a game zone. Runs until: Monday September 11, 2017

Flora and Fauna: A Summer Art Show Where: The Fall Tattooing and Artist Studio What: An artistic summer celebration of all vibrant, colourful, living things. Runs until: Friday September 15, 2017

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival

Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival Where: Vanier Park What: What do you say to watching a live production of Much Ado About Nothing, The Winter’s Tale, The Merchant of Venice or The Two Gentlemen of Verona in a custom-built tent on the beach while sipping wine, beer, and munching on a picnic lunch themed to the play? Yes! Right? After 28 years, this festival has hit a stride of near perfection (and don’t even get us started on the amazing costumes.) Runs until: Saturday September 23, 2017

A Sublime Vernacular: The Landscape Paintings of Levine Flexhaug

A Sublime Vernacular: The Landscape Paintings of Levine Flexhaug Where: Contemporary Art Gallery What: The first overview of the extraordinary career of Levine Flexhaug (1918 – 1974), born in the Treelon area near Climax, Saskatchewan. It brings together approximately 450 of the artist’s paintings as well as several of his mural-sized works. An itinerant painter, he sold thousands of variations of essentially the same landscape painting in national parks, resorts, department stores and bars across western Canada from the late 1930s through the early 1960s. Runs until: Sunday September 24, 2017

Unbelievable

Unbelievable Where: The Museum of Vancouver What: This exhibition poses provocative questions about our perception of stories by assembling iconic artifacts, storied replicas, and contested objects for a mind-bending exploration of the role stories play in defining lives and communities – and what happens when we question the tales we’ve long relied upon. Unbelievable objects include the Thunderbird totem pole that appeared in controversial filmmaker Edward Curtis’ 1906 work In the Land of the Head Hunters; contemporary ‘totems’, each with contrasting stories about a point in time in Vancouver; and artifacts illustrating the complex narrative around Vancouver’s relationship with First Nations communities. Runs until: Sunday September 24, 2017

Uninterrupted

Uninterrupted Where: Under the Cambie Street Bridge What: After dusk, audiences will witness the extraordinary migration of wild Pacific salmon in a 30-minute cinematic spectacle that explores the connection between nature and our urban environments. Runs until: Sunday September 24, 2017

Be Polite

Be Polite Where: Contemporary Art Gallery What: Working closely with the Estate of Gordon Bennett and IMA Brisbane the exhibition will comprise a selection of rare works on paper including drawing, painting, watercolour, poetry, and essays from the early 1990s through to the early 2000s. Runs until: Sunday September 24, 2017

Works by Anna Milton

Works by Anna Milton Where: VanDusen Gardens What: Anna has been exhibiting and selling her work internationally since her college years. She trained and worked as an art therapist for many years and is interested in symbols and metaphor that are present in visual art. Runs until: Wednesday September 27, 2017

Shipyards Night Marlet

Shipyards Night Market Where: Lonsdale, North Vancouver What: Food, art, music, entertainment, shopping, a beer garden, and you can bring your dog! Runs until: September 29, 2017

ZimCarvings Where: VanDusen Botanical Garden What: Patrick Sephani along with visiting artist Peter Kananji will be showcasing works from over 30 Zimbabwean stone sculptors on the beautiful garden grounds and carving stone sculptures on site. All works will be available for purchase. Runs until: Saturday September 30, 2017

Claude Monet’s Secret Garden

Claude Monet’s Secret Garden Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: The most comprehensive exhibition of French painter Claude Monet’s work in Canada in two decades, Claude Monet’s Secret Garden will trace the career of this pivotal figure in Western art history. This exhibition will present thirty-eight paintings spanning the course of Monet’s long career from the unparalleled collection of the Musée Marmottan Monet, Paris. Runs until: Sunday October 1, 2017

Stephen Shore: The Giverny Portfolio

Stephen Shore: The Giverny Portfolio Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: Twenty-five photographs by contemporary American photographer Stephen Shore produced during several visits to Impressionist painter Claude Monet’s famous gardens at Giverny, France. Showing concurrently with the exhibition Claude Monet’s Secret Garden, Stephen Shore: The Giverny Portfolio offers a contemporary perspective on the tranquility originally captured in Monet’s iconic paintings. Runs until: Sunday October 1, 2017

Persistence

Persistence Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: Persistence draws together three recent contemporary installations to explore the surprising and creative ways that technologies, physical objects and natural processes endure and transform. Runs until: October 1, 2017

Elad Lassry

Elad Lassry Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: Investigating the nature of perception with a special focus on the photographic image within the digital era, the exhibition includes more than seventy works—films, photographs and sculpture—produced by Lassry over the last decade. Runs until: Sunday October 1, 2017

Mount Pleasant Farmers Market Where: Dude Chilling Park What: Amble over and pick up some afternoon picnic supplies, groceries for the week, and Sunday dinner fixings from 25+ farms and producers. Each week you’ll find a fresh selection of just-picked seasonal fruits & veggies, ethically-raised meats & sustainable seafood, artisanal bread & prepared foods, craft beer, wine, & spirits, handmade craft, and coffee & food trucks. Runs until: Sunday October 8, 2017

Traces of Words: Art and Calligraphy from Asia

Traces of Words: Art and Calligraphy from Asia Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology What: Words and their physical manifestations are explored in this insightful exhibition, which will honour the special significance that written forms. Varied forms of expression associated with writing throughout Asia is shown over the span of different time periods: from Sumerian cuneiform inscriptions, Qu’ranic manuscripts, Southeast Asian palm leaf manuscripts and Chinese calligraphy from MOA’s Asian collection to graffiti art from Afghanistan and contemporary artworks using Japanese calligraphy, and Tibetan and Thai scripts. Runs until: Monday October 9, 2017

Richmond Night Market

Richmond Night Market Where: Richmond, BC What: There’s a dinosaur park! Anamatronic dinosaurs! Also – live performances, carnival games, over 200 retail stalls and over 500 food choices from around the world. Runs until: October 9, 2017

Onsite / Offsite Tsang Kin-Wah

Onsite / Offsite Tsang Kin-Wah Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: This large-scale composition transforms English texts to form intricate floral and animal patterns. The work draws from discriminatory language that appeared in newspapers and political campaigns in Vancouver during the 1887 anti-Chinese riots, the mid-1980s immigration influx from Hong Kong and most recently, the heated exchanges around the foreign buyers and the local housing market. Runs until: Sunday October 15, 2017

West End Farmers Market Where: 1100 Comox St What: Located in the heart of Vancouver’s busy West End, this laid-back Saturday market looks onto beautiful Nelson Park and adjacent community gardens. Each week, shop for the best in local, seasonal produce, artisanal bread & prepared foods, craft beer, wine, & spirits, ethically raised meat, eggs, & dairy, sustainable seafood, wild crafted product, and handmade craft. Hot food & coffee on-site as well. Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017 (Saturdays)

Trout Lake Farmers Market Where: Trout Lake What: This is where you’ll find the vendors who have been doing it since the beginning; what started as 14 farmers ‘squatting’ at the Croatian Cultural Centre back in 1995 has grown into Vancouver’s most well-known and beloved market. Visitors come from near and far to sample artisan breads & preserves, stock up on free-range and organic eggs & meats, get the freshest, hard-to-find heirloom vegetables and taste the first Okanagan cherries and peaches of the season. Runs until: Saturday October 21, 2017 (Saturdays)

Kitsilano Farmers Market

Kitsilano Farmers Market Where: Kitsilano Community Centre parking lot What: A great selection of just-picked, seasonal fruits & vegetables, ethically raised and grass fed meat, eggs, & dairy, sustainable seafood, fresh baked bread & artisanal food, local beer, wine, & spirits, and beautiful, handmade craft. Kids and parents alike can enjoy entertainment by market musicians, a nearby playground and splash park, and coffee and food truck offerings each week. Runs until: Sunday October 22, 2017 (Sundays)

The Lost Fleet Exhibit Where: Vancouver Maritime Museum What: On December 7, 1941 the world was shocked when Japan bombed Pearl Harbour, launching the United States into the war. This action also resulted in the confiscation of nearly 1,200 Japanese-Canadian owned fishing boats by Canadian officials on the British Columbia coast, which were eventually sold off to canneries and other non-Japanese fishermen. The Lost Fleet looks at the world of the Japanese-Canadian fishermen in BC and how deep-seated racism played a major role in the seizure, and sale, of Japanese-Canadian property and the internment of an entire people. Runs until: Winter 2017

Bill Reid Creative Journeys | Image via the Canadian Museum of History

Bill Reid Creative Journeys Where: The Bill Reid Gallery What: Celebrating the many creative journeys of acclaimed master goldsmith and sculptor Bill Reid (1920–1998), this exhibition provides a comprehensive introduction to his life and work. Runs until: Sunday December 10, 2017

Amazonia: The Rights of Nature

Amazonia: The Rights of Nature Where: UBC Museum of Anthropology What: MOA will showcase its Amazonian collections in a significant exploration of socially and environmentally-conscious notions intrinsic to indigenous South American cultures, which have recently become innovations in International Law. These are foundational to the notions of Rights of Nature, and they have been consolidating in the nine countries that share responsibilities over the Amazonian basin. Runs until: January 28, 2018

Emily Carr: Into the Forest

Emily Carr: Into the Forest Where: Vancouver Art Gallery What: Far from feeling that the forests of the West Coast were a difficult subject matter, Carr exulted in the symphonies of greens and browns found in the natural world. With oil on paper as her primary medium, Carr was free to work outdoors in close proximity to the landscape. She went into the forest to paint and saw nature in ways unlike her fellow British Columbians, who perceived it as either untamed wilderness or a plentiful source of lumber. Runs until: March 4, 2018

Chief Dan George: Actor and Activist Where: North Vancouver Museum What: An exhibition exploring the life and legacy of Tsleil-Waututh Chief Dan George (1899- 1981) and his influence as an Indigenous rights advocate and his career as an actor. The exhibition was developed in close collaboration with the George family. Runs until: April 2018

In a Different Light

In a Different Light Where: Museum of Anthropology What: More than 110 historical Indigenous artworks and marks the return of many important works to British Columbia. These objects are amazing artistic achievements. Yet they also transcend the idea of ‘art’ or ‘artifact’. Through the voices of contemporary First Nations artists and community members, this exhibition reflects on the roles historical artworks have today. Featuring immersive storytelling and innovative design, it explores what we can learn from these works and how they relate to Indigenous peoples’ relationships to their lands. Runs until: Spring 2019

What are you up to this weekend? Tell me and the rest of Vancouver in the comments below or tweet me directly at @lextacular

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tamboradventure · 4 years ago

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14 Things to See and Do in Detroit

Posted: 7/23/20 | July 23rd, 2020

Since the Coronavirus has halted travel for over four months, I thought I would start to share more posts about destinations here in the United States. True, we shouldn’t be a lot of travel at the moment but you can always use these tips for later! Today, my Creative Director Raimee shares her tips and advice for visiting Detroit, one of the country’s most underrated cities!

Just north of Lake Erie’s western end, Detroit, Michigan, is a sprawling metropolis home to over four million people. Haunted by the echoes of its past, the city is often overlooked or ignored by domestic and international travelers alike.

Having grown up in the Detroit area, I can understand why those unaware of its charm consider Detroit a blighted city, burdened by debt, crime, and a fleeing population. I assure you, though, this preconception couldn’t be more wrong.

The famed “Motor City” has historically been known for its auto manufacturing sector, its contributions to the early music industry, and its beloved sports teams. Today, through its revitalization, Detroit has taken on a new appeal.

From its world-class museums and its incredible assortment of eateries to its culturally-inspired dive bars and eclectic garage-like music scene, Detroit is one of the most exciting cities in America to both explore and be a part of right now. Its population is motivated, its people are proud, and the suburbs’ rekindled interest in downtown has helped open the door to a new era of prosperity and a growing young population.

To help inspire you to plan a trip, here is my curated list of things to see and do I’d recommend to anyone visiting Detroit:

1. Take a Free Walking Tour

Start your visit with a free walking tour. You’ll get an introduction to the city and its past, learn about its evolution and recent developments, and see the main downtown sights. You’ll also get access to an expert local guide who can answer all your questions.

Detroit Experience Factory offers daily free tours (as well as more in-depth paid tours) that will give you a solid introduction. Just make sure to tip your guide at the end!

2. Visit the Detroit Institute of Arts

The Detroit Institute of Arts is a 130-year-old museum located in the heart of Midtown and has something to offer every visitor. There are more than 65,000 works of art here, ranging from classic to more modern and contemporary pieces, spread out over 100 different galleries. It’s a massive space!

While you could easily spend hours here, if you choose your galleries in advance, you can be in and out in two hours without rushing.

5200 Woodward Ave., +1 313-833-7900, dia.org. Open weekdays 9am–4pm (10pm on Fridays) and weekends 10am–5pm. Admission is $14 USD.

3. Relax at Belle Isle

You could easily spend an entire day exploring Belle Isle, a 982-acre island park with a variety of activities and attractions. It’s a popular destination for locals to gather on a sunny day for picnics and barbeques, for hanging out at the beach, or for walking along its various nature trails.

Here are some of my other favorite things to do at Belle Isle:

Wander the conservatory – The Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory is a peaceful botanical garden stretching over 13 acres, with dozens of walking paths and greenhouses to explore. Admission is free.

Hit the range – Belle Island Golf Range is driving range with practice areas for driving, putting, and chipping. A bucket of balls is just $5.50 USD.

Enjoy the beach – There’s over half a mile of beach where you can swim, lounge, or rent a kayak or paddleboard and soak up the sun.

4. Explore the Eastern Market

The Eastern Market is a huge marketplace with local foods, art, jewelry, artisan crafts, and more. It covers 43 acres and is the largest historic public market district in the United States, dating back over 150 years.

There are three different market days during the week: Saturdays, Sundays, and Tuesdays. It is particularly busy on Saturdays when farmers tend to bring in their poultry, livestock, and fresh produce for sale.

2934 Russell St, +1 313-833-9300, easternmarket.org. Check the website for market days and times. Admission is free.

5. Walk or Bike Along the Dequindre Cut

The Dequindre Cut Greenway is a two-mile urban recreational path that offers a pedestrian link between the East Riverfront, the Eastern Market, and several residential neighborhoods in between. Along the path, you’ll find all kinds of street art, as well as buskers in the summer. It’s a nice place to walk or jog and take in the city.

If you plan on visiting the Eastern Market and the Riverfront (which you should!), consider renting a bike (they’re just $8 USD per day from mogodetroit.com).

6. Check Out One of the Largest Bookstores in the World

Maybe it’s because I love all bookstores, but this is one of my favorite places to explore in Detroit. John K. King Used & Rare Books, located in an old glove factory, is an enchanting host to over one million books.

I love spending time wandering through the rows of strange titles and marveling at the rare editions they have in stock — some are so rare, you have to make an appointment to be allowed to view them.

901 W. Lafayette Blvd., +1 313-961-0622, johnkingbooksdetroit.com. Open Tuesday–Saturday 10am–5pm.

7. Visit the Fox Theatre

The Fox Theatre is the largest surviving movie palace of the 1920s. Built in 1928, and with over 5,000 seats, it continues to host a variety of live productions and events (like concerts, standup comedy, and children’s performances).

The building is a National Historic Landmark, the highest honor given by the National Park Service, and is open for tours in case you can’t catch a performance during your trip. The interior is absolutely stunning!

2211 Woodward Ave., +1 313-471-7000, foxtheatredetroit.net. Tours take place on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and go on sale two weeks in advance. Tickets are $20 USD for tours; ticket prices for performances vary. Check the website for details.

8. Take a Tour of the Guardian Building

You’ll find many architectural beauties around Detroit, but the most prestigious is the 36-floor Guardian Building downtown, located in the Financial District. Completed in 1929, it is a National Historic Landmark and one of the most important Art Deco skyscrapers in the world!

Detroit Experience Factory offers a few free walking tours, including an Art and Architecture tour that covers the Guardian Building if you want to learn more during your visit.

500 Griswold St., +1 313-963-4567, guardianbuilding.com. Open 24/7. Admission to the building is free.

9. Walk Around Campus Martius Park

After a devastating fire in 1805, Campus Martius was created as the de facto center of Detroit’s rebuilding efforts. Covering just over an acre, the park features outdoor cafés and bars, a mini beach, green space, food trucks galore, monuments, and a host of weekend festivals and activities.

In the winter, you’ll find a giant Christmas tree, an ice-skating rink, and a Christmas market. Every time I visit this area of town, I reflect on how far the city has come in the past ten years.

To visit the park, take the light rail to the Campus Martius station.

10. Snap Photos at The Belt

The Belt, named after its location in the former downtown garment district, is a culturally redefined alley in the heart of Detroit. Public art is the driving force behind the redevelopment of The Belt, which has murals and installations by local, national, and international artists. It is part of Library Street Collective’s continuous effort to ensure that artists have a space to create and engage with the public.

To visit the Belt, take the light rail to Broadway station.

11. See the Motown Museum

Motown Records is an R&B and soul record label based in Detroit credited with advancing the racial integration of pop music in the 1960s and ’70s. Best-selling artists like the Temptations, the Four Tops, the Miracles, the Supremes, and many others were on the Motown label. (Motown is a portmanteau of “motor” and “town” since Detroit is known as Motor City.)

Its main office, named Hitsville U.S.A., was converted into a museum in 1985 to highlight the important contributions of Motown to the greater American music scene. It has all sorts of records, awards, and costumes from famous musicians (including Michael Jackson). You can also see one of the recording studios where many of the label’s classic hits were produced.

2648 W. Grand Blvd., +1 313-875-2264, motownmuseum.org. Open Tuesday–Sunday 10am–6pm (8pm on Saturdays). Admission is $15 USD.

12. Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation

Henry Ford, a Michigan native and founder of the Ford Motor Company (and prominent anti-Semite), was responsible for kick-starting the automobile industry in the US in the early 1900s.

Today, you can tour the company’s massive museum and learn about the history of the automobile and how it evolved from a novelty to a staple of modern society. The museum has numerous cars (including presidential automobiles), as well as exhibitions on trains, power generation, and much more.

Additionally, adjacent to the museum is Greenfield Village, a semi-separate museum that hosts all kinds of science and agriculture exhibitions that Ford collected over his lifetime. It’s a great place to visit with kids, as many of the exhibits are interactive and educational.

20900 Oakwood Blvd., Dearborn, +1 313-982-6001, thehenryford.org/visit/henry-ford-museum. Admission is $25 USD.

13. Visit the Museum of African-American History

Opened in 1965, this is the world’s biggest permanent collection of African-American culture. There are over 35,000 items and artifacts highlighting the history and culture of African-Americans throughout the ages. The museum has exhibitions on civil rights, art, film, and much more.

315 E. Warren Ave., +1 313-494-5800, thewright.org. Open Tuesday–Sunday 9am–5pm and Sundays 1pm–5pm. Admission is $10 USD.

14. Take a Food or Brewery Tour

Detroit is fast becoming a foodie destination. There are tons of delicious restaurants and a growing number of breweries here, kickstarting a foodie renaissance that is putting the city on the map. If you’re looking for an introduction into Detroit’s food and drink scene, take a tour. There are plenty of food and brewery tours that will give you a mouthwatering or thirst-quenching introduction to the culinary and microbrewery scenes.

Detroit History Tours and Detroit Foodie Tours both offer excellent and insightful food tours to some of the best restaurants, while Motor City Brew Tours will introduce you to the best beers Detroit has to offer. You’ll get to eat some wonderful food, try tasty drinks, and meet the chefs and restaurateurs making it all possible!

Where to Eat

If you’re looking for some places to grab a bite to eat, here are a few of my favorites:

The Peterboro – Mouth watering and inventive Chinese food paired with craft beer and cocktails

SheWolf – Trendy and upscale Italian cuisine

Selden Standard – Locally grown and seasonal plates

Gold Cash Gold – Local food meets Mediterranean-inspired dishes

Bronx Bar – A classic dive bar with greasy eats

Sugar House – An intimate craft cocktail pub

Brooklyn Street Diner – A cozy diner with local food and lots of vegetarian options

***

Detroit is one of the best up-and-coming cities in the country. With a developing food scene, an affordable cost of living, and more and more things opening each month, I suspect tourism here is only going to continue to grow. Come and visit while you can and beat the crowds. I promise Detroit will surpass your expectations!

Raimee is the creative director for Nomadic Matt and runs the remote work and travel blog, Do It All Abroad. She spent the past 4 years working remotely from cities around the world after leaving a marketing job in her hometown outside of Detroit, Michigan. She now resides in Los Angeles, California where she is social distancing but hopes to someday enjoy all of the comedy shows, live music, beaches, and hikes around the state!

Book Your Trip to the United States: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines, because they search websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the largest inventory. If you want to stay somewher eother than a hotel, use Booking.com, as they consistently return the cheapest rates for guesthouses and cheap hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it, as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

World Nomads (for everyone below 70)

Insure My Trip (for those over 70)

Looking for the best companies to save money with? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel! I list all the ones I use to save money when I travel — and I think they will help you too!

Looking for more information on visiting the United States? Check out my in-depth destination guide to the United States with more tips on what to see and do, costs, ways to save, and much, much more!

Photo credit: 2 – David Wilson, 3 – sj carey, 4 – Sean Marshall, 5 – Fox Theatre, 7 – wiredforlego, 8 – Ted Eytan, 9 – Jasperdo, 10 – Chuck Andersen, 11

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biofunmy · 6 years ago

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The Chic Octogenarian Behind Barbie’s Best Looks

LOS ANGELES — Carol Spencer, 86, may be the most influential fashion designer you’ve never heard of.

In the mid-1960s, she made a red pencil skirt with a white sleeveless blouse that had red stitching and three red buttons down the front. Short white gloves came with it. Thousands sold.

For a Moschino fashion show in Milan in 2014, Mr. Scott had a Barbie waiting on front-row chairs and sent models down the runway in blond bouffants and pink skirt suits.

1. Ms. Spencer designed Ski Party Pink for Barbie in 1982. The sweater had Dolman sleeves and a cowl neck. In her ankle-strap high-heels, she was ready to hit the bars, not the slopes.

2. Released in 1979, this City Sophisticate outfit had a faux-fur-trimmed coat and skirt accented by a yellow soutache braid.

3. A Mattel employee accidentally ordered 2,500 yards of gold-and-white striped fabric, instead of 250 yards. Ms. Spencer’s 1965 Country Club Dance fashions made use of the excess.

4. The 1992 Totally Hair Barbie was one of Mattel’s best sellers. Ms. Spencer designed a Pucci-inspired mini.

Saving the Dune Buggy

“It was the prototype for Barbie’s dune buggy,” she said. “They were tossing it, and I said, ‘Would you toss it my way?’”

Ms. Spencer was in the same class of Mademoiselle guest editors as Joan Didion. “It was about as far from Minneapolis as you could get,” she writes.

She returned to her hometown to work, designing children’s wear for Wonderalls Company and then moved to Milwaukee to become a “misses” sportswear designer.

She sent a résumé and heard nothing back. Still, sensing this mysterious job was her destiny, she and her aunt packed up their 1959 Ford Fairlane and drove across the country to California.

Pink Pills Nixed

At that time, Mattel made about 125 different outfits a year for Barbie, and the fashion department, run by Charlotte Johnson, could be cutthroat.

How so? She wouldn’t say. “I’m out of it, I’m retired, I’m enjoying life, I’ll put it that way,” she said, and she took a sip of lemonade from her Barbie teacup.

But Ms. Spencer remembers each of her creations, and many of them are in her home, which her sister, Margaret, 88, will be moving into her house with her soon. But even though Ms. Spencer gets out less these days, and relies on a walker to take more than a few steps, she said she feels surrounded by good company.

“You’re never alone when you have dinner at my house,” she said. “Barbie is always with you.”

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