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technicolorfamiliar · 11 months ago

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Technicolor Familiar Watches Too Many Conrad Veidt Movies Part 1 of ?

Apropos of nothing, I find myself wading around waist deep in Conrad Veidt's filmography, at least the titles I can easily find online.

I've been writing down my mostly brief impressions after each movie, mainly for my own entertainment since I know exactly zero other people who would care lol. I actually created a Mastodon account especially for this purpose, since my primary socials aren't really for this sort of thing. But the character limit on Mastodon is seriously cramping my style, so I'm going to be annoying about this on Tumblr, my self-imposed blog expectations be damned.

I'm not doing plot summaries, but there are spoilers. I'm not watching these movies in any particular order other than what I'm in the mood for on any given day. I'm half trying to keep the thirst levels to a minimum, but no promises; all bets were off after watching A Woman's Face. And tbh, this whole thing has turned into an Emotional Support / Coping Mechanism / Escapism Tactic because hoo boy is my brain bad these days. But be forewarned, I'm not a writer, I'm not a film critic. I just like movies and turns out I like Conrad Veidt a lot too. I'd probably have more and better things to say about a lot of these upon a second or third watch.

So as of late November, I'm 15 films deep with a lot more to go. I'm thinking about splitting this up into multiple posts, maybe like 5ish films/post. Originally I was going to see how many of these movies can I watch before the end of 2023. But I'm just going to keep going until I run out of available titles or I get sick of Connie's face (unlikely).

The Man Who Laughs, 1928 Dir. Paul Leni ⭐4.5/5 Watched mid-Oct, Archive.org Nothing could have prepared me for this. Of course I was aware of TMWL, but more vaguely than I guess I realized. It's really ahead of its time. The production quality is astounding, it's an absolutely beautiful film. The whole cast is pretty great, too. The Duchess? Total smoke show. Homo the Dog? Queer icon. And Connie really swings for the fences emotionally and physically as Gwynplaine. Bear in mind, this is literally only the third Conrad Veidt movie I've ever seen (other than the basic, intro level Cabinet of Dr Caligari and Casablanca), so I was really floored by what he's able to do in this role with the use of really only half his face. There are several wonderfully haunting and heartbreaking visuals and moments throughout the nearly 2 hour runtime that will stay with me long after watching. Half a star got knocked off because the score was a little bombastic and there were one too many clowns for me personally. But those are small complaints for what may otherwise be a pretty perfect film.

Unheimliche Geschichten (Eerie Tales), 1919 Dir. Richard Oswald ⭐3/5 Watched mid-Oct, Archive.org A romp. The version I watched had no soundtrack at all, making for a totally silent viewing experience. The vignette structure and old school effects are fun. I enjoyed seeing Anita Berber in action although maybe I was expecting more because of all the hype surrounding her/her image. But Connie, Anita, and Reinhold Schünzel seem like they had a good time working on this project. "The Black Cat" and "The Suicide Club" were my favorite sections (and I actually watched this when I was in the middle of Netflix's The Fall of the House of Usher, so yay for extra Poe content in the spookiest month). As for Connie Content, what can I say, he's stunning.

The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari, 1920 Dir. Robert Wiene ⭐3.5/5 Watched Oct 17, Archive.org I went hard with the silent era when I started this journey. Caligari was my intro to Conrad Veidt almost 15 years ago, and as a lapsed goth art student, I remember being bewitched by his strange and off-putting presence on screen. My rating for this one is kind of low compared to how undoubtedly iconic and important of a film it is. It could have been my mood but upon rewatching, but the story fell a little flat for me. I did like the updated score in the version I watched, and I would love to see this one on the big screen maybe with a live orchestra some day.

Orlacs Hände (The Hands of Orlac), 1924 Dir. Robert Wiene ⭐4/5 Watched Oct 17, Archive.org Loved. It's so horny and bizarre (the scene with the maid crawling on the floor? same, girl, same). And visually the most pre-David Lynch Lynchian-looking movie I've ever seen. The shots that linger on highly stylized, cavernous, empty rooms before a character enters? So David Lynch. I'm also a big fan of the psychological body horror and crime thriller genre mashup. It's got twists, it's got turns. Conrad Veidt's your man if you ever needed a Hand Actor. Like the handsiest Hand Actor who ever had a pair of hands. Someone who could really work those mitts.

A Woman's Face, 1941 Dir. George Cukor ⭐4.5/5 Watched Oct 18, Vudu & TCM Jumping way forward in Connie's career. This movie did things to me. This was, I think, the point of no return. It's extremely underrated, I'm legitimately surprised I'd not heard of it before diving down this rabbit hole. That said, it is strange and pretty spicy for a Hays Code era picture. It's so good, I actually watched it twice (it aired on TCM as a part of their creepy cinema series). Visually beautiful and narratively interesting, if maybe a little long despite the rushed ending. Shout out to Joan Crawford for giving what's probably the best performance of hers, at least that I've seen (Mildred Pierce who?). And then there's nasty, nasty Conrad Veidt. He very nearly steals the movie from Joan, I couldn’t take my eyes off him. He's beautiful, he's TALL, he's scary. Genuinely shocked he doesn't have second billing. But what else can I say about his Torsten Barring that hasn't already been said more eloquently by others? It's such a great character, and I believe he said it was one of his favorites during his entire 100+ film career. A Woman's Face is the only title on this list so far where immediately after watching I wanted to buy the dvd. Ugh, we deserved several more decades of Connie in roles like this.

I'll probably post the next few one day soon, where I finally get into some titles from the 1930s.

#my writing #conrad veidt #the man who laughs #eerie tales #the cabinet of doctor caligari #the hands of orlac #a woman's face

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nevermordor · 1 year ago

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Hi ! Just saw your tags in the women in horror movies post, would you mind, when you have time, giving me your recommendation in horror movies ? It's a genre i'm learning to appreciate and i'll be curious to know what your favorite are ! Hope you're having a good day !

Oh nooooooo, you’ve activated one of my trap cards.

So the fun thing about horror is that it’s truly a diverse genre with many different places to start. I hardly feel qualified to make a rec list, because I feel like there’s still so much I haven’t seen??? So the below is by no means comprehensive, but hopefully it helps get you started! Also please feel free to talk to me about horror anytime, haha, I would love to know what you think if you get around to watching any of these.

The Classics: -The Blair Witch Project. The inception of found footage horror. -Halloween. The first slasher I ever watched. John Carpenter made this on a shoestring budget and the behind-the-scenes story is so fun. Plus, Jamie Lee Curtis’s breakout role. -Candyman (1992). Tony Todd is so sexy in this, but also it’s a great horror story about the power of myth, and an exploration of racial dynamics in Chicago. -Poltergeist. Has its issues but ultimately a very fun movie about a family working together to try and rescue their daughter from evil spirits. There’s a very famous scene with a clown doll. You’ll know it when you see it.

Women and horror: -The Perfection. Queer and deeply messy. An exploration of how art can still be used as a system for abuse. Tw: implied sexual assault, self-harm. -Ginger Snaps. Explores the struggles of two teenage sisters via werewolf metaphor. Love this one. -The Witch. Ominous and atmospheric. The horrors of being a girl raised in a religious fundamentalist family. -Jennifer’s Body. A cult classic that’s been validated/revisited in more recent years. Also queer and messy. Transplants the dynamics of teenage girl best friends into a horror movie setting. -The Babadook. Queer internet icon, but also an exploration of mental illness and the horrors of motherhood/the fear of being a bad mom. -The Descent. Do not watch this if you’re claustrophobic. A group of women go cave diving and discover creatures lurking beneath the earth. I think of certain shots/scenes from this movie often. -Black Christmas (1974). A sorority house is stalked by an unknown killer over the holiday season. Probably the one slasher that still scares the hell out of me, mainly because of how it chooses to depict its killer. Also more political than you’d think, featuring an abortion subplot in the 70s no less. -Us. Lupita Nyong'o should have won an Oscar for this one. -Hereditary. Ari Aster has his flaws as a filmmaker (who doesn’t) but this movie is like……really good. Toni Collette knocks it out of the park. Tw for GRAPHIC depiction of child death and suicide. Movies that personally scared the hell out of me: -Oculus. The fun thing about horror as a genre is that everyone has specific tropes that personally freak them the hell out. This movie dug its nails into one of mine and would not let go. -Parasite. People will probably argue that this is not a horror movie so much as a “thriller” but this movie felt like a borderline panic attack and filled me with despair, and if that ain’t horror, I don’t know what is. Sci-fish horror: -Nope. I really think this might be Jordan Peele’s best movie. Two fantastic lead actors, and dense with ideas, worth watching more than once. -Alien + Aliens. Sigourney Weaver should be enough of a selling point. The first two movies are famous, and they fully live up to the hype.

Personal faves: -Trick ‘r Treat. I watch this every October. A ton of fun. -The Lost Boys. 80s vampire camp, and kinda gay tbh. -Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula. This film is darkly, gorgeously sumptuous. Just a spectacle of practical effects and costuming, and I highly recommend checking out the behind-the-scenes features. -The Silence of the Lambs and Manhunter. Lambs being my problematic fave for years. Manhunter is the best adaptation of Red Dragon hands down (no disrespect to NBC’s Hannibal.) -Rear Window. Because while Psycho is good, it’s also a problematic fave. Plus Rear Window was the first Alfred Hitchcock movie I ever saw, and it holds a special place in my heart for that alone. -The Invitation. The most uncomfortable dinner party in a film I’ve ever sat through. A slow burn for sure, with a terrifyingly good payoff. A movie about grief, unreliable narrators and primarily, the horror of no longer knowing people as well as you thought you did. Tw for suicide/self-harm. -Tales from the Crypt: Demon Knight. I adore the first few seasons of the Tales from the Crypt TV series, but you don’t need to watch any of the show in order to enjoy this standalone movie. It’s silly. It’s gross. Billy Zane is having the time of his life as the villain, plus Jeryline is one my fave final girls in horror. -Hellraiser (1987). I adore Clive Barker as a writer (if you like to read horror too, please, PLEASE check him out) and I love that he got to direct his own feature film. This movie is gross, horny as hell, and unlike anything you’ve seen before. Misc recs: -Jacob’s Ladder. Surreal, nightmarish and tragic. Hard to talk about this one without giving too much away. Would recommend going in blind and letting it unfold. -Possession. This movie is Nuts. Even harder to talk about this one. Isabelle Adjani especially carries this film with her performance. -Barbarian. Probably my favorite new horror movie I watched last year. An examination of rape culture that didn’t feel exploitative (rare in horror.) Also some of the most bizarre plot twists I’ve seen. Go in blind. -American Psycho. Still my favorite role of Christian Bale’s to date. Funny: -Tremors. Horror is a fantastic space for practical effects, and it’s really, really hard not to love all the work that went into operating the giant worm puppets. Also hard not to love the queer platonic partnership between Kevin Bacon and Earl Bassett’s main characters. -What We Do in the Shadows. Also rec’ing the TV show, but the original film still holds up and is funny as shit. Animation: -Perfect Blue. Satoshi Kon is one my favorite creators of all time, and this was the first feature film he made. Tw for an implied/simulated rape scene. -Paranoia Agent. Not a movie but an 11 episode anime series, also from Satoshi Kon. A mixing of genres, but tied together with a horror-themed premise and tone. I fucking love this show.

I don’t know if they’re available internationally as a streaming service, so it might depend on what country you’re in? But if you’re looking to get into more horror, I would def recommend checking out Shudder. They’re strictly horror-focused, with a wide variety of film and TV, plus they’re only 5 dollars a month!

I would also suggest checking out a great book called, “It Came From The Closet”, a collection of essays on horror movies from queer and trans writers.

Happy viewing!!! Genuinely hope you enjoy and can't wait to hear what you think!

#this was....so fun to answer #sorry that i wrote you a full-on essay haha #long post #asks #horror

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pikminapplebloom · 10 months ago

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Did you make your icon? It looks super cute!

@coldlikesummerlemonade made it!!! They make papa louie icons.

Mine is Ivy as Frankenstien's monster's queer sister.

Ivy sells travel brochures at Travel Trout.

HC Time!!!

She's Autistic, Queer, and in high school, she was a top student at art history and geography. She also claims that a good abstract painting can improve even the dingiest of houses, and her niece, Maggie, also has a "spice tooth" like her (will pass up chicken nuggets but will eat hot sauce marinated girlled zucchini given the chance).

@coldlikesummerlemonade made these icons during spooky season. which is where I got my icon

[ID: papa Louie characters as their halloween costumes.

First Column:

Papa Louie himself as a mummified chef. A bit Ancient Egyptian-inspired, and his hat and ascot are metallic gold and teal. He has a glowing red eye and a hand stretched out. He's gonna get you...Employed. That's pretty much how every game-eria starts.

Caleb as the titluar Candy Man from a horror film series. His costume depicts an African-American bee summoner with honey-based powers. Caleb himself is Blasian, and one of his Grandparents might be of South Asian ancestry. His right hand is a hook. I haven't seen that film, so my description may not be accurate if I got something wrong.

Quinn, Papa Louie's Lawyer and ex-wife of Timm, as a were-cat. She has claws and is scowling. In the games, you get a reward if you make her order ahead of time. She is a closer, and shows up at the end of the in-game day.

Trishna as an orange-themed magical fairy girl. She is a South Asian fashion designer and likes eating fruits, especially tangerines. She comes off as a bit rude, but means well. She has green eyeshadow here and has a wand. She is also Caleb's cousin.

Second Column:

Tohru, a gamer and manga fan dressed as a plumber and a homage to Mario. She is Japanese-American, and likes pink things. She loves playing video games, and her costume consists of overalls, a turtleneck, and a hat with her initial. She is quite jovial, and her pose reflects one mario is often depicted in.

Rudy, the Bassist for Sacrlett and the Shakers, a co-ed Ska-punk band in the papa louie series. He's usually depicted as an Asian-American human, but here he's a were-dinosaur. He has opalescent sunglasses and a color blocked shirt here. He is also smiling at the viewer. His spikes reflect the spiky hairdo as a human.

Xandra, a humanoid alien magical girl dressed as a clown. She and her fraternal twin brother, Xolo, are the rulers of the Kingdom of X and guard the Warp Coins. They landed near an elderly woman's house. The old lady, Edna, Adopted them both. Xandra has teal and hot pink hair with a rainbow top and yellow sleeves. She also is making a silly expression and her clown makeup has mismatched eyeshadow.

Rhonda is a truck driver from toastwood, and is dressed as a witch here. She's Afro-Latine, and likes churros. Her truck is named Josephine, though that name would fit the broomstick she's holding. In the Papa Louie Games, she met her lover, a biker named Rico, and they often travel together. She's laughing here, much often like a witch.

End of ID.]

If you haven't played a papa louie game, hopefully the image descriptions give you an other people who haven't played one a glimpse of what the lore would suggest.

#I say were-dinosaur because he looks more like a dinosaur or an alligator here #but yeah I like to think most transformation/anthro monsters that transform into a nocturnal creature have to use the full moon #ask #papa louie series #flipline studios #concept wise it's like spongebob combined with the Office and the platformers add super mario-like gameplay

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arsonistfriday · 2 years ago

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Intro/Pinned Post

You guys can call me Arson and I use he/she/neos (feel free to ask).

I am a huge fan of the Dream SMP, Traffic SMP, Minecraft, Cult of the Lamb, The Owl House, Rainworld, Billie Bust Up, Identity V, and Studio Investigrave games. I am also a massive fan of clowns, the ocean, space and really any kind of science.

I may also reblog art from different fandoms, however I usually won’t be in them, I just like to support creators on this website.

Icon credit: 🪶

Banner credit: 🪶

Divider credit: 🪶

FAQ below:

Can I use your art? You may use my art in icons, banners, edits, etc. just please make sure to credit me and feel free to give me an @ too so that I can see it!

Do you have a DNI? Not necessarily, I’ll just block you if I don’t agree with you or just generally don’t like you/your content. But this blog is a safe space for queer people, ‘kin, systems, disabled people, jews, Palestinians, POC, and mentally ill people.

What are your opinions on [discourse]? I do not want discourse, I came here to vibe so leave me alone

#my posts #intro #introduction #intro post #pinned #pinned post

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curious-minx · 4 years ago

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Denis Leary is making an animated vignette series based on Dogs Playing Poker and 10 Other Pieces of Kitsch Art That Should Be Turned Into TV

KITSCH auction house tremors and stampedes.

Dennis Leary basically discovered sex, drugs and rock n’ roll with his 2015 two season FX series Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. Leary’s always been one of those guys that can’t be beaten down in spite of how dopey and cynical his edgy working class personal brand is. He’s got an entire deal set up with Fox, the flailing broadcasting company has placed all of their chips on a Denis with only one lousy “N” in his name. I can’t even with this fake Irish Bostonian droid. Relish in the delicate thought process of Leary and leftover former Daily Show producer, Jim Margolis, bringing up a Pinterest screen grab of the Dogs Playing Poker by Grand Master of Kitsch Cassius Marcellus Coolidge and money signs popping out of both of their heads. Here is a dramatic retelling of this thought process:

“Yo, get this Big D,” salivates the recently fired from Netflix Jim Margolis to Leary over a Zoom, “Fox got this Bento Box Animation Studio sitting around doing nothing but churning out animated interstitials for the Masked Singer, Paradise PD, The Prince, The Blues Brothers animated series, animated Harold And Kumar, Housebroken, The Great North, and ugh..um..Hoops..”

“I fuckin love Hoops, Jimmy! Why aren’t we pitching this on Netflix again?”

“Because Dogs Playing Poker is going to work so much better as pregame filler for live Sporting Events...on Fox.”

“Oh yeah. All of those rotten good for nothing grease monkey and lunch pail people will probably be giving each other Budweiser flavored Covid at the local saloon with these damn dog pictures hanging up. It’s like when old drunks would stay out late and watch the Flinstones at the bar, did you know that actual human male adults would sit in a town like Boston and waste away in a bar watching Flintsones. Can you believe that Johny?”

“My name is Jimmy, err Jim, but yeah Denis we’ll send you the scripts over. Any idea who we should cast?”

“Get me the hot blonde from Inspector Gadget 2, God dammit I miss Louie..are we sure we can’t get Louie back on air?”

“Afraid after Patton Oswalt dognapped his role from him in Secret Life of Pets, Louie CK has been banned from ever appearing as a talking dog again.”

“So bogus. Bobby Kelly will have to do.” Denis gets a text. “Dammit, Adam is getting all thirsty for this juicy delicious bone. Gotta throw a big bone to my dog Ferrera. Who else?”

“Ok. I’ll get one of those sad Daily Show losers. Um picking one at random, Roy Wood Jr. They’ll pretty much jump into anything, because John Oliver was in Love Guru they start thinking they can fail their way up.”

“I said no politics at the table! Paws off the table! This is going to be so fucking lit!”

////

Kitsch Art deserves so much more. George Lucas, retired American filmmaker, robber baron of childhoods and all around mensch has been heavily invested in the kitsch art of Norman Rockwell. There are a bounty of stories to tell. Too many of them are far too white and basic, but there are rich narratives to be found in his out of date even for his own time romanticism of The Old Masters. Hopelessly out of date could have been a failing of Rockwell, but his politics grew progressive as his career went on and fought against the system. Cassius Marcellus Coolidge is the man that operated the first bank in Antwerp, New York had the astronaut-like grace to wonder, “what if dogs played poker like people played poker?” A painting that dates back to 1894 used as means to sell cigars. What strikes me most about this painting is that they aren’t wearing clothes, but I bet when you try to imagine the painting you imagine these dogs fully decked out in some sort of work coat. There is a further anthropromized version of the ad called “His Station and Four Aces” that depicts a glimpse at a look at an entire canine furry society. His ideas of putting an animal in clothes remains to this day one of the most novel and surefire commercially friendly means of artistic expression. The original cynical man laughing all the way to the bank, his own bank that he founded to boot.

Seen above: An example of a Comic Foreground that also demonstrates the failings of having too few people in your party to properly partake in the comic foreground experience.

“Cash” Cassius wasn’t the first man to imagine a domestic pet in people clothes, but he’s probably one of the few to do so with such commercial finesse. The man also at one point filed the patent on the “Comic Foregrounds,” which is the technical name of one of those carnival boards with holes to stick your head in. In post Covid times how many more heads will be salivating and rushing towards those holes to pop their heads in to create a lasting memory, if only for a second. So when I start learning more about this remarkable weirdo Cassius Coolidge, a man according to his official website dogsplayingpoker.com’s Biography: “Trying to chase mischievous boys from an abandoned house, he fell from a window and hurt his knee, leaving him injured for the rest of his life.”

Flash forward back to 2021 and Denis Leary and his career a man with a wikipedia with fun entries about all the accusations of plagiarism and hate speech against autism I start to worry about the legacy of more Kitsch art falling into the hands of other greedy and desperate TV executives. That being said if you are a greedy TV executive who happens to be a maniac that likes reading rando’s tumblr pages do I have a list for you!

TOP TEN PIECES OF KITSCH ART THAT SHOULD BE TURNED INTO SOME KIND OF SOMETHING

“We Are Having a Heavenly Time” Columbian Bike Monkey and Parakeet by, once again, Cassius Coolidge

Coolidge’s anthropomorphic foresight strikes again! This time he effortlessly establishes a captivating duo that could be easily voiced by an endless combination of celebrity voice actors. PAUL RUDD as “Monkey” and ISSA RAE as “Parakeet” present “We Are Having a Heavenly Time” present a travel show. You could basically use whatever leftover footage you have lying around from the many Conan O’Brien segments and plug Monkey and Parakeet and their trusty bicycle anywhere for an irreverent glimpse into the foreign World around us.

2. “Clown and The Girl” by Haddon Sundblom

Now I know what you’re thinking, that title is miserable! I agree, but with a little reverse engineering you get The Girl and Clown, which could be a whole new addition to the Girl on a Train, Girl with a Dragon Tattoo, Girl with a Dangly Earpiece, the Girl-Verse! The girl appears to be quite fearless of this clown, which is good because we need someone to be brave for when the clown takes off his mask.

Sundblom is also the original artist for the Coke a cola Santa Claus and how is it that we have gone this many rotations around the sun without a single Coke a cola Santa Claus special is the real reason why Christmas will always be the saddest time of year.

3. “Clean Your Fornasetti” based around the artistic Plate collection of Pierro Fornasetti

Muk bangs, videos of people eating are a huge cyber traffic boom. People love watching people eat. Why not add the element of surprise by what kind of playful Fornasetti chanteuse is hiding underneath this plate full of gruel? Fornasetti is an artist with over 11,000 items created in his name and over 500 of them are based around a variety of expressions of a single woman. Clean Your Fornasetti is a deep and poetic rumination of the romance between the act of someone cleaning their plate and the reveal that the plate contained a visual feast all its own.

4. “Mickey’s Kinkade Playhouse” by the one and only Thomas Kinkade

The Kinkade Studios features over 63 “narrative panoramas” featuring Disney characters, but largely Mickey and Minnie, simply vibing. It’s time we stop pretending that small children like Mickey Mouse and market him for wistful older audiences that want to radiate in a nice long warm bath of color and sound. I am not sure I am even pitching an actual series but more of a Narrative Panoply. One thing that is missing from Disney Plus, and streaming services in general, is a severe lack of programming frills and flourishing. The iconic Adult Swim bumps are something completely lost to the dustbins of programming history left to remain in youtube compilations. Thomas Kinkade is a lot like Enya. Art critics treated him like a comedic punching bag for so long, but I doubt there’s an artist that grasps the kind of sterile enchantment people want after a long day of opioid benders. We’re all trapped inside doing puzzles why not do the bare minimum of slightly animating a pleasant scene of Mickey and Minnie roasting marshmallows or enjoying a breath of fresh Alpine air?

5. “Dust Lickers” by Odd Nerdrum

Quick! Get me Trash Humpers’ Harmony Korine on the Line Show him Shit Rock! The world of Odd Nerdrum is a harsh and primeval one that would make for an astonishing animated landscape. Odd Nerdrum himself feels like a worthy subject of some kind of documentary based around his imagery and insistence on making his art in the most arcane and old fashioned methods possible. Once again, maybe the visual world of Odd Nerdrum may not make for a full on narrative series, but once again would make for one hell of an animated segment.

6. “Homemade Pasta” by John Currin

A cozy Queer slice of life cooking drama based around the two charming fellows of John Currin’s Homemade Pasta scene. A series of vignettes based around the completely unfabulous and domestic version of bliss that was denied many people as a result of the AIDS crisis. You can’t tell me you don’t see those two nice guys getting cozy and making pasta together and you aren’t dying to see how they go about rolling out their own focaccia bread.

7. “The Velvet Elvis” by the Collective Conscious

David Lynch at one point in time was trying to crack into making his own Elvis biopic. I think it’s pretty safe to say that the age of a public wanting a David Lynch directed Elvis biopic has probably passed, but that does not stop Velvet art enthusiasts. TheVelvetStore.com is featuring a remarkable promo that could really bump up what a David Lynch Elvis movie could be like and the horror of having one’s soul trapped inside of a Velvet Elvis rendition painting seems like a pretty fertile place to begin a proper story about Elvis in America.

8. “Big Eye Bunch” by Margaret Keane

Yes, it was only a matter of time before Ms. Big Eyes herself, Queen of Kitsch, Margaret Keane would come up on a list like this. Tim Burton tried and sort of kind of captured what it so endearing about Keane’s work, but I think a fully animated dive into an orphanage full of sad Big Eye kids that time travel and meet other Big Eyed children version of historical figures is a Big Idea that could make a whole new generation keen on Keane.

9. “Banality” by Jeff Koons

An animated series based around the artistic sensibilities of Jeff Koons would be a tricky affair, but just the kind of gaudy whimsy that someone like Michel Gondrey could use to proper effect. A series based around someone trying to steal the fifteen million dollar Michael Jackson statue would also be appropriate.

10. “Groovenians reboot” by Kenny Scharf

Scharf is the only artist on this list that actually was a kitsch artist that caught the attention of early aughts adult swim. A tv show that only features the artistic sensibilities of Scharf but also a voice acting cast that consisted of Paul Reubens, Rupaul, Vincent Gallo, and Dennis Hopper. There’s also a theme song performed by the B-52s and musical direction by Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh. One of the only known published reviews of the pilot describe the show as needing mind altering substances to enjoy and that it is essentially like “watching a cartoon reflected off of a funhouse mirror. This is basically a description of the modern tik tok addled twitchy type content that makes a killing on the Internet for millenial and zoomer types. Basically the whole aesthetic of a warped and broken looking cartoon is the exact sort of thing weirdos deep diving at youtube at four in the morning are looking for and seeing that this gets a failed pilot and Denis Leary’s Dog Poker vignettes get greenlit is exactly what’s wrong with the world.

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captainninej · 5 years ago

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RANT TIME: LOVER ERA

okay. so recently i’ve seen a heck of a lot of swifties shitting on the lover era. and that’s okay! we’re all entitled to our own opinions.

HOWEVER i will accept NO critiques on the fact that the lover era has given us SO MUCH AND MORE THAN POSSIBLY ANY OTHER ERA. has the promo been a bit all over the place? yes. is it strikingly different from rep? yes. have the singles been getting less chart success than other eras? yes.

BUT. taylor is SEVEN ALBUMS INTO HER CAREER. S E V E N. to even have this level of astronomical success into your SEVENTH album is mind-blowing in of itself. to still be able to capture the imagination and interest of the public SEVEN WHOLE ASS ALBUMS LATER. a lot of artists struggle to even keep that momentum going from their second to third albums. and our girl is on seven. also, taylor’s life and priorities are different now. she’s at the top of her game. she doesn’t really have to keep ascending from a logistics point of view. she’s made history so many times - i think her happiness and wellbeing is more important than constantly outdoing other artists! she’s also older, and has been here for a long time, which is INCREDIBLE to have that sort of longevity in your career. but naturally, other new artists are going to start to take up more public consciousness because that’s just how it works. taylor will always be around, but other artists are going to step in to be more present in the public eye and i think the lover era has started to show that a bit, and many swifties have taken that to be a sign of the era’s faults, but it’s kinda just how time works. society moves on. one person can’t be expected to hold public interest forever and ever - that’s a lot of pressure to put on a person. taylor’s a millionaire who’s made such an incredible legacy for herself - i think she’s allowed to relax a little at this point!!

on that note, the lover era has been SO LOVINGLY (excuse the pun) CRAFTED AND TAILORED (omg aNOTHER PUN i swear this was unintentional) for us, the fans. secret sessions. easter eggs EVERYWHERE so we can do what we do best - clowning over every little detail and coming up with crackhead theories. livestreams. the lover lounge. the FOUR DELUXE EDITIONS. taylor coming out politically and DEMANDING change - which means SO SO SO FUCKING MUCH to fans like me who are minorities. she’s returned to interviews. we’ve had like 17 magazine covers. incredible performances and collabs. taylor has worked her ASS OFF to make this era EVERYTHING AND MORE FOR US. so i will NOT ACCEPT ANY CRITIQUE OR WHINING THAT THIS ERA IS A ‘FLOP.’

to further prove my point, here are a list of only SOME of the things we’ve been blessed with this era (bc i have a shit memory and can’t remember everything):

- THE BUTTERFLY MURAL!!!!!!!!!!

- the incredible aesthetic switch up

- the instagram posts. five holes in the fence. y’all know what’s up

- ME! with Brendon Emo Powerhouse Icon Urie and an INSANE music video and loads of awesome performances (BBMAS was ICONIC)

- taylor talking about game of thrones??? life complete

- TIME 100 Gala

- Elle (US and UK), Vogue, People, and a shit ton of other magazine covers and interviews and letters

- taylor publicly calling out politicians and fighting for change on a level she’s never done before

- YNTCD which was so positive and uplifting as well as promoting LGBTQ+ solidarity and basically drawing a line in the sand telling homophobes to fuck off, as well as an INCREDIBLE music video with queer icons that mean so much to people of the community, showing the world where she stands

- the Amazon Prime concert (LIARS and DIRTY DIRTY CHEATS OF THE WORLD)

- taylor publicly coming out and calling BS on scooby and scott and standing up for her legacy and her art that she should most definitely own, as well as raising awareness for artists around the world who have been similarly screwed over by their record labels who basically see them as cash cows, as well as calling out sexism and bullying in the industry

- the!! archer!! which she specifically released because we love track 5!! enough said

- LOVER. THE MUSIC VIDEO. THE AESTHETIC.

- drunk taylor lol

- teen choice awards icon award!!!

- the VMAs and her iconic performance and historic wins and CALLING OUT THE WHITE HOUSE ON LIVE TV I STILL HAVEN’T RECOVERED

- the album release! lover lounge! the lyrics everywhere!!

- the stella mccartney line!!

- loads of interviews and candids and performances!!

- AMAs ARTIST OF THE DECADE. THE CALLING OUT OF SCOOBY AND SCOTT. THE SOLIDARITY FROM OTHER FEMALE ARTISTS (still salty about the *crickets* from every man in music ever but ok) THE P E R F O R M A N C E. CELEBRATING HER LEGACY. SWEEPING EVERY AWARD SHE WAS NOMINATED FOR AND BECOMING THE MOST LAUDED ARTIST IN AMA HISTORY, BEATING MICHAEL FUCKING JACKSON.

- how her outfits this era match the aesthetic of lover!! the pastel colours!! the softness!!

- cats (ok the movie was a mess but i will fite and say taylor’s song is the best bit and the only bit i was invested in) and her beautiful premiere dress! her friendship with the cast and andrew lloyd webber!! the promo!! BEAUTIFUL GHOSTS SHE DID NOT HAVE TO POP OFF LIKE THAT BUT SHE DID

- MISS. AMERICANA. GUYS. she gave us a WHOLE DOCUMENTARY about her life, her insecurities, her struggles, her battles, her music, and gave us all hope and light that we can be strong like she was during her darkest times. do y’all realise how BRAVE someone has to be to put themselves out there like that?? did 1989 (not shitting on it but just bc some swifties think 1989 is the elite era and i kinda disagree bc of how it affected taylor’s physical and mental health) give us a documentary?? no

- THE MAN. ok on this one i kinda understand the gripes about the promo and the delay with the music video, the single release, etc. but she DELIVERED. it’s her first self-directed music video and CALLS OUT TOXIC MASCULINITY SO WELL. ICONIC.

- redirecting the reveal that she was telling the truth the WHOLE TIME IN 2016 and that kanye west has always been and will always be a piece of shit (like we knew all along) to help with the pandemic and being the bigger person while kim kinda humiliated herself with a dumbass rant on twitter but kardashians are a whole different breed of stupid so what can ya do

- voicing so much!! for the pandemic!! donating to fans personally, telling people to get the fuck inside and social distance properly, cancelling lover fest which we were ALL looking forward to but she was looking forward to more than ANY OF US, constantly donating and telling us to donate to charities, being a part of the global citizen thing and performing SYGB live when she said she’d never sing it because it was too hard for her, but she did it for the world and for our situation...guys

- also, reminder, WE’RE IN A FUCKING PANDEMIC. has taylor’s promo gone down? yes. did the man get the run it deserved? no. is cruel summer likely to come out soon as a single? probably not. BECAUSE AGAIN WE’RE IN A FUCKING PANDEMIC. PEOPLE ARE DYING AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION IS ABOUT TO LOOK LIKE A PIECE OF CAKE COMPARED TO WHAT’S COMING. TAYLOR KNOWS SHE ISN’T THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD RIGHT NOW AND THE LOVER ERA CAN BE ON PAUSE UNTIL THIS UNPRECEDENTED GLOBAL CATASTROPHE HAS PASSED. AND Y’ALL SHOULD TOO.

in conclusion, the lover era was EVERYTHING AND BY FAR THE MOST GIVING AND FAN-BASED ERA WE’VE GOTTEN YET. TAYLOR WORKED SO HARD AND IS CLEARLY SO PROUD OF THIS ERA AND HER GROWTH AND I WILL NOT ACCEPT ANY BITCHING OR MOANING THAT IT WASN’T ENOUGH. Y’ALL DO THIS EVERY ERA AND THEN ONCE THE NEXT ONE COMES ALONG YOU DO A WHOLE 180 AND WHINE ABOUT HOW THE LAST ERA WAS GOLDEN AND AWESOME AND HOW THE CURRENT ONE SUCKS. Y’ALL SUCK. TAYLOR GIVES US SO MUCH MORE THAN ANY OTHER ARTIST GIVES THEIR FANS AND ITS ABOUT DAMN TIME Y’ALL REMEMBER THAT.

ok thanks for coming to my ted talk i’ve got three assignments due tomorrow lol gtg

#taylor swift #lover #lover era #taylurking #swifties #I WILL FIGHT FOR MY BABY GIRL LOVER #rant #sab speaks

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youngbradford · 5 years ago

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Xmas Message For 2019

And here we go, my 19th annual year-end love letter online …Georgi Balinov and I rang in the new year at a giant party in Bangkok, halfway around the world. That foreign location, its beauty and tastes, set the tone for my 2019, a year of seeing the world, while stabilizing my life. Though often in flux or movement, 2019 was a year many things normalized over the year.

In January, almost immediately after arriving stateside, I crossed the pond and saw Michelle Visage perform in the West End with Peter Wish. Afterward, I played with her wigs backstage and walked her towards the queer kids lining up for selfies and autographs. I am very lucky to have Peter and Michelle in my life, kindred spirits both. One reminding me that fame, fortune, ebb, and flow, but that being real is what matters most. The other, a reminder to stay forever young. I visited Berlin yet again and did the usual, working, and playing, hard.

February appeared and I traveled to Philadelphia with Sandra Hansel, Georgi, George Sapio, and Anthony DeFilippis. We toured Lisa Roberts’ house, saw a Dieter Rams exhibit, dined with George Alley. In Lambertville, that Sunday, I bought vinyl and vintage hats. Later that month, I got a swallow tattooed on my hand, a symbol of flight and travel, and Warhol’s knives, blackened into my shin. An Eames exhibit in Oakland was a sweet way to end the month.

In March with my crew, Georgi, Khadyon Reid, Luis Urribarri, Anthony, and George, descended upon Salvador for Carnival. It was insane! I watched Anitta live, and danced in a sea of pushing, fighting, kissing Brazilians for days upon days. I felt unsafe and alive, threatened and excited. It was intense. Back home I got my other hand tattooed, again honoring my love of seeing the world. I traveled to Portland, came back to NYC at the end of the month, finally moving into our apartment, the one we bought 1.5 years before, that I designed, and had renovated head to toe. Finally, we had our dream home. The weekend we moved in, the place was still not ready, but we were sick of living without our things and in other people’s beds. Peg Kendall and Georgi’s mom came, and we worked our asses off unpacking and starting to make the 2800 square foot loft on west 13th street a home. We’d lived in Airbnbs and friends’ places for 19 months and it was tiring not having a home, not having most of our things. My art! My toys! My shoes!. Those months taught me how important a home, a safe place, and the oasis of my collections is to my mental health. From March on I felt more on solid ground and dedicated more energy to my career and friendships as a result.

In April we went to Coachella, seeing Ian and Jose Seronni, JJ and Andrey Lunin, and dancing in the desert of California. Multiple trips to San Francisco, catching glimpse of old friends, scaling my team at work, as I took on more and more responsibility.

In May, George Sapio and I celebrated (me a little early) a shared, fun birthday weekend at Soho Farmhouse. Joined by Matthew Kelleher, Mark Silver, Jaime Tanner, Matt Lynch, and others, we went shooting and feasted on pheasant in the English countryside.June was really busy, insanely so.

For my 43rd in early June, I had a 30-person dinner party in our new place! We ended up at Club Cumming after, but before friends, new, and old, showered me with a vinyl record, the admission fee I’d set for my party. Lauren Foster, who has shared her home with us, was, appropriately, our first overnight guest. London, again, Berlin, too. Then home for Pride. Willam Ralphie hosted Bingo at eBay, Zach Augustine, David Mason Chlopecki, other loves attended. That weekend danced to both Madonna and Grace Jones on the pier and danced with 15K others at Javitz, where my favorite singer, Cyndi Lauper, belted “I Drove All Night,” her best song, at midnight. I stayed until the sun came up. NYC was electric that weekend. Parties, icons, friends from the world over … the city has an energy you could literally see and taste. I caught a few moments of the parade, overtaking lower Manhattan, and I smiled really big. God, it can feel good being gay! God, the world has improved for gay people (and yes, I know, we still have ways to go, especially for more marginalized LGBTQ groups). But I still took a moment to acknowledge the things that are better, that I have seen in my very gay lifetime. NYC that weekend was the ultimate place to reflect.

July 4th I went to Hamptons, with Ricardo, Brian, Felipe L. Mollica, others, guests of Anthony. Hosted Fab.com reunion, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, and took my team to Korea (where I shared a traditional Korean meal with Jae Hah), China (where I ate bird’s nests, jellyfish, sea snails, saw a Yves Klein show with Adnan Abbasi, and danced to 90s pop in a packed gay club), and Moscow (where I was amazed at how clean the city was and where I went to a traditional sauna and was whipped, naked, with tree leaves in front of dozens of Russian dudes in the nude). While in Russia a protest erupted, literally below the rooftop bar I dined in. Russia seemed freer than I’d expected, way more Western, up until this moment. I ended the weekend at a club at 3 AM, Russian women in high, high heels, dancing on the bar, vodka flowing like water. 2020 saw me traveling to places I romanticized as a child. Russia, one such place. I thoroughly enjoyed the friendships formed in Moscow, the food, and history. I want to return.

August, I was back in San Jose and Portland for work, then off again to Europe for vacation. We started our trip in Croatia, where Georgi and I kayaked around Dbruvnik’s harbor. Croatia’s cliffs and turquoise water did not disappoint, as we boated to islands and swam in caves. Driving south into Montenegro, the architecture reminded me more of Polish, Bulgarian trips, the water, greener. At the Amman we laid out next to The Beckhams, watching David kick a soccer ball with workers of the hotel, and watching Victoria read a book. Georgi and I then ventured to Mykonos, sunning til sunset and dancing til sunrise. A weekend trip upstate with our besties (including a guest appearance by Eric Lee, riding rides at the Colombia County fair, cooking pies, and grilling meats, ended our summer.

In September I went to Berlin and did Folsom and a speaking gig in front of 1K eBay sellers. I went again to Tel Aviv, meeting gay Israeli technology workers and a bevy fo Israeli start-ups. In Jerusalem, I returned to the wonderful Machneyuda with Gilad Ayalon, where they remembered me from my birthday the year before.

October saw us hosting my mother and my niece for a visit. We fell in love with Company XVI, a dance/burlesque/performance art troupe in Brooklyn. I took my mother to see Madonna, a night I will cherish forever. And we saw Dear Evan Hanson. A weekend in Miami with Lauren Foster and K was needed warmth. I took Georgi to see both acts of The Inheritance (so good!). Then off to Berlin, again, and Paris, where I looked at art and went shopping for fall clothes. Halloween, in NYC, was brilliant and over the top; I went as white Pierrot clown. In Brooklyn, to Honey Dijon, we danced all night. Ralph Rucci, the American couturier reposted our photo on Instagram, calling it high-fashion, however, it was Georgi who won the night as Spock.

November I was in NYC early on, shopping with Thomas Cawson (who hooked me up with pink denim Helmut Lang), eating Christmas cookies, and being interviewed by Buzzfeed, a segment on 90s toys. I imitated a Furby. Then a week in Portland (I glow-in-the-dark-miniature-golfed), and off to Helsinki, catching up with former friends from Fab, One Nordic, Hem. Then to Lapland, with Georgi, George, and Anthony, lapping up wine, winter wonderlands, and dining on reindeer and elk. Dog sledding, snowmobiling, Northen lights! Another childhood desire checked from the list. Dinner with Michelle Case in London closed the month.

In December I went back to Berlin (my second home) and hosted a fundraiser for Single Step in our home. In one night Georgi and I helped raise $50K to help build Bulgaria’s first LGBTI center. It was also an impromptu holiday party: so many old friends together again in one room. And now Georgi and I sit in an airport lounge, awaiting our flight to Baltra, in the Galapagos. Once we land, we’ll board a 7-day cruise on a mega-yacht/small cruise ship. This, I feel, I have been waiting my entire life for.

I often write about how I was lonely as a kid. I was gay, I had a drug-addicted father, I grew up very poor. I oftentimes say music saved my life. But, I don’t write enough about the joy animals gave me too. I had so many pets: newts, turtles, tortoises, tree frogs, geckos, crabs, salamanders, etc. Caring for them, feeding them, gave me peace and allowed me to love. One turtle I had had a cracked shell. He lived in my room for many, many years. I always preferred him, with his defects, to the others. I think I feel the same about people.

As a child, I became obsessed with the Galapagos Islands, and mostly the tortoises. I would read about them in encyclopedias and race to see them at zoos. I always felt connected to turtles. They were my spirit animal. Later in life, I’d bloom, my feathers growing, my pride, alive. I’d no longer consider myself a turtle, my spirit animal changed. I told this story to my colleague Eben Sermon, who runs eBay’s German business: I always wanted to be a turtle. But I ended up a cockatoo. Eben brought this up last week in Berlin and it made me think a bit more about affinities for animals and how I have not had that connection as often as I probably should.

So this week, before we ring in New Years in Rio, I will honor the old me, the kid, the quieter Bradford, the sadder Bradford, by visiting those turtles, finally.

And I’ll marvel at the wonder of nature and evolution, both the evolution of animals and this world, and also the very real and dramatic evolution of my spirit and happiness.

Happy Holidays, Peace & Big Love

#writings

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nervousruinscreation · 4 years ago

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This might be a bit self indulgent - but I have been really excited for the session with Heather Croall because The Adelaide Fringe has been an important arts festival for my career.

I grew up in regional South Australia, and I was really lucky that we had one of the few regional arts companies nearby. I did a few after school drama classes, and i fell in love. It wasn’t so much the idea of wanting to be an actor and dreaming to be famous, like many kids. But having a connection to the arts, beyond the curriculum arts and crafts projects you do in school as a means to develop fine motor skills.

When I was 14 someone dropped out of the senior ensemble because they got into a very prestigious acting program at a university interstate, and they asked if I would join the project. This was ground breaking because it felt very special and i knew that the show was going to tour to Adelaide for something called the fringe festival. At this point in my life I hadn’t spent much time in the ‘city’ and I was quite naive. This sounds silly but in a way thinking about Adelaide was mostly based on ideas of what it meant. Like it seemed so huge it may as well had been New York.

Traveling to Adelaide with a cast of people older than me, seeing shows, pop up venues (this was when the garden of unearthly delights was essentially just one tent). I just had no idea that there was the whole other world out there and the fringe just seemed like this big electric playground.

I also felt like many of the skills that i had finally made sense. And i had so much drive to learn about all things related to the arts. visual arts. theatre lighting. photography.

Pictured above: myself to the left and the cast of LANDED.

Our show LANDED, ended up winning a fringe award - back in the day when its wasn’t weekly awards but just one big awards night.

That experience led me to my first job out of highschool, working as an arts administation trainee at that youth arts company. I was learning how to apply for grants, attending arts conferencing, organising art exhibitions and programming.

Looking back I felt like i was very brave, or braver than how i feel now.

Me at 18, shooting photos for a big collaborative art project, taking photos in iconic places in my home down but making them larger than life. This is the ruins of a house that I used to drive past every-time i made the commute to Adelaide and back. The CFS assisted with the lighting and the giant coloured smoke. The young people involved in the shoot aged 8-16 were all dressed like clowns.

So i feel like i have been on this search back to my roots, and i feel like i am myself most when I am being creative, working collaboratively with others and building community.

I went on to study visual arts, encouraged by all of my experiences until that point, I enjoyed developing my owns practise but noticed that I wasn’t as driven in comparison to working with other curious, excited and enthusiastic others.

My career pathway took a weird turn, as i got very involved with activist spaces and Australian politics. And I even spent 5 years working in Australian federal politics as an electoral staffer for a Senator, with one of the highlights being meeting Julia Gillard in her office the week before she got rolled.

I think eventually i got burnt out, the time i stopped working in that area just just as the Australian postal plebisite was finishing. I was really over getting letters and emails from constituents that included homophobic rhetoric. As a queer person i felt like this effected my mental health, and I felt like i needed to re centre myself.

I started focusing on writing again.

trying to meet other people who were interested in working on projects together.

We produced, wrote and made performance based work for the Adelaide Fringe, I took on a lot of the PR/social media marketing/producing parts of it. because at this point I hard started the double degree that I’m doing now and thought that I should try to develop more skills.

Eventually we got to the point of producing a show that was going to tour internationally, to the Edinburgh Fringe.

I wasn’t planning on going at all, but after 6 months of job hunting while studying, i wasn’t getting anywhere. I figuired that I could continue studying if i brought a laptop with me. So in one day i decided that I wanted to go too, bought a plane ticket for the next day, and rushed off to go and buy a suitcase.

Exploring the Ed Fringe as an adult, I felt like the 14 year old discovering the Adelaide fringe all over again. The trip was a massive risk for me, because i only has a limited amount of savings, and no job lined up, i had never been overseas and i am not the kind of the person to take massive risks like that or so i thought.

And i see this theme of how when you’re chasing things that you’re really passionate about the scary what if parts, can have a bigger pay off, even if the success or result you find at the end wasn’t the one that you thought that you were going to get.

Every day i had a new office, working on essays in the foyer of our venue, a standing desk in the tiny room we were renting on drop of a dresser, or any cafe that looked like it wouldn’t mind me using their wifi for a few hours.

Obviously there were lots of decisions that led me to this point, but I feel like there is a really solid thread between all of these experiences.

And so i guess thats like part of my origin story about why I was very stoked to listen and talk to one of the cultural leaders who is CEO of a festival that had so much influence over my life.

#week11 #journal entry #sorry i hope this doesn't seem too much like a diary

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