End of Summer

Here's a parting image on this last day of August: Sam Shaw's 1955 photo of Marilyn M. taking a dip. This picture is part of an exhibit at Staley-Wise gallery in conjunction with the recent PBS documentary on the bombshell. (Image via NY Sun via Staley-Wise gallery)

World's Most Expensive Hood Ornament

I had a somewhat "This Is Spinal Tap" experience while checking out an exhibit at Peter Blum gallery. I visited the gallery because I had read that a Giacometti piece was on display. I scanned the room, expecting to see one of A.G.'s elongated figures confronting me. Nothing. Oops, wait. There it is. In that case. Standing tall at four and a half inches. This sculpture would fit nicely on a car's hood. Seeing this mini-A.G. was like when Spinal Tap expects to see an 18-foot replica of Stonehenge on stage, but it turns out to be only 18 inches. (I just read that after WWII, A.G.'s sculptures got smaller and smaller, some only an inch high.) This eclectic exhibit also boasts works by David Smith, Louise Bourgeois, John Beech (really liked this piece), along with some ancient African sculpture. (Image courtesy of Peter Blum Gallery New York)

Thumb Tokes

The movie came out in 1956, but I must admit that the opening shots of "Baby Doll" are still shocking. The most well-known image is of Carroll Baker, who plays a child bride to Karl Malden, asleep in a crib sucking her thumb. This image isn't too shocking; it's the closeup that should earn this flick its controversial label. A sleepy Baker takes a few sucks off her thumb. Wow. The most surprising thing about this film, which was directd by Elia Kazan from a Tennessee Williams screenplay, is that it's really funny. Almost all the scenes with a sexually pent-up Malden are hilarious. Oddest casting choice: Eli Wallach as a suave Italian businessman. (Image via HarlowGold)

Paint It Black

As summer wraps up, there are a lot of group exhibitions going on, but "War on 45/My Mirrors Are Painted Black" at Bortolami Dayan gallery is the most cohesive group show I've seen yet. And there is a reason for that. Instead of the curator, Banks Violette, gathering already created artwork, each artist produced a piece for the show. According to the press release, "the theme of the exhibition will not dictate the structure of it, rather the structure will dictate the theme." The theme? Well, I would call it "Sophisticated Punk." A very tight, very focused exhibit.

Martha's Nightmare

Found these table-setting ideas in Betty Crocker's "Dinner Parties," published in 1970. Haven't figured out another use for dry manicotti? Don't know what to do with those extra mushrooms? Here are your answers.

Up for the Count

The title's not great ("Half Nelson"). And a one-line summary of the film sounds like an after-school special ("White inner-city schoolteacher, who's an addict, finds friendship with a student.") But ignore all that, and see this movie. Do I dare say that this film, directed by Ryan Fleck, reminds me of John Cassavetes--if Cassavetes had a stern editor? Yes, I dare. Like "The Squid and the Whale," this movie's film image has a lot of grain, which I adore and takes me back to the '70s. And like Noah Baumbach's flick, emotions aren't conveyed through dialogue, but through acting and what isn't said.

Wake Up with Brian Wilson

In the mood for a little Brian Wilson at 7 a.m. tomorrow? WFUV's Pete Fornatale will be interviewing Brian Wilson on Mixed Bag Radio show. This may be a 2005 rebroadcast because I can't imagine B.W. doing an interview when he doesn't have something to promote. Still, it's worth a listen. Although Brian slurs a bit, he seems engaged and coherent and not his typical Rain Man self. You can listen to WFUV online.

Drive-in Saturday

In this weekly feature, I review in one sentence or less videos/DVDs of movies that you either have seen already or wouldn't bother to see.

"Gospel According to St. Matthew" (1964), directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini: Jesus wants to kick your sinning ass.

Bunny Stalks Gagosian

Perhaps this is old news, but it's news to me. A man is protesting big-time art galleries by wearing a pink bunny rabbit costume and marching back and forth in front of Gagosian Gallery. He wears sandwich placards on which the front asks: "Are you kidding me?" And the back also asks: "How come the best galleries are like a rope given to a drifter once arrived on the shore?" This bunny does not talk. I introduced myself and asked for any type of literature, fliers, or pamphlets explaining his cause. No response. Just kept marching. According to a gallery employee, the bunny has been protesting for the past two years in all types of weather, including NYC's recent heat wave. (Image via Plugimi Photostream.)

Korean Box

The people look like wax figures encased under glass and on display. And that's the point of Atta Kim's photograph exhibit at Yossi Milo Gallery. Called "The Museum Project," the artist creates his own version of a museum in which people are sealed in glass boxes as though they were historical artefacts. I loved Kim's color in these large images, although I thought his concept was little bit obvious. The nude imagery reminded me of the work of Spencer Tunick in which naked people are laid out in very public spaces. (Images via Yossi Milo Gallery)

This Medium Isn't for the Message

I recently watched "The Message" as part of my own mini-Controversial Film Fest. This 1977 movie about the origins of Islam is considered controversial because terrorists protested its release by holding 100 people hostage in D.C. and shooting future mayor Marion Barry. According to Muslim beliefs, Mohammed cannot be depicted on screen nor can his voice be heard, so that was a very tall order for director Moustapha Akkad. Actors speak directly to the camera as "Mohammed" and then repeat what the prophet says, sort of like what William Hurt did for deaf Marlee Matlin in "Children of a Lesser God." It's a bit awkward. Anthony Quinn gets top billing, but only because he's the only known actor in the flick. And what is "The Message"? There is only one God, and Mohommed is his messenger. That is phrase is uttered about a million times during the movie. The controversy? Seems pretty tame to me.

Playful Jolt

Trust me. The most recent exhibit at Kravets/Wehby Gallery is much better than these images suggest. This group show, called "Materiality," is like a good, quick shot of espresso. Stop in this small gallery if you need an invigorating jolt. Made by a variety of materials, these works by 12 artists are playful and clever. My favorite works were Titus Kaphar's "She Will Fall," a slashed painting facing the wall, creating a peek-a-boo effect; and Charlotte Becket's "Truth Serum, Laughing Gas, and Fool's Gold," a science project-looking apparatus in which tin foil poofs out, a la Jiffy Pop Popcorn. (Images via Kravets/Wehby Gallery)

Poor Man's Sexual Tension

New York Magazine image (left), W Magazine (right)

I'm all for co-opting, but when it comes to pictorial spreads involving glam stars, that's when I put my foot down. The most recent New York Magazine attempts a pictorial spread with actors playing a husband and wife whose marriage is crumbling. The problem is that this type of artsy photo spread was done last year to a much better effect. In W magazine, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie portrayed a husband and wife whose marriage is on the rocks. The 60-page, Cindy Sherman-esque photos were filled with sexual tension, humor, darkness, and kitsch. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the NY Magazine version, starring Rachel Weisz and Justin Theroux. In fact, some of the images border on copyright infringement. (I do admit that there was one great photo in NY Mag of Rachel yelling at a servant.) (Images via New York Magazine, W Magazine.)


New York Magazine image (left), W Magazine (right)


One good photo in NYM spread

On Vacation

I'll be back next Wednesday with more riveting reviews and catty comments.

Alex de Large Meets Fosse

I saw this image in the paper. I dig it, so I'm posting it. (Kevin Townley in Eugene O'Neill's "Marco Millions (based on lies)," which recently opened at the Lion Theater on 42nd St.) Photo credit: Andy Criss.

Slow Dive

Every time I pass my local theater and see "The Boynton Beach Club" poster, I cringe. Susan Seidelman, a member of the ultra-hip, super-cool directors who emerged in the '80s, is now helming a picture for the geriatric crowd. In the early 1980s, Seidelman along with Jim Jarmusch and Spike Lee burst onto the scene, with films about NYC that were gritty, real, and endearing. (After seeing her first flick, "Smithereens," I wore red Chuck Taylors for the next 10 years.)
Seidelman was even able to make Madonna seem cool in "Desperately Seeking Susan." (Another personal note: I once wrote Seidelman a fan letter, and she telephoned (!) me to thank me.) Since "DSS," however, Seidelman's career has been a slow dive into a sea of blandness. She has helmed a ton of duds. And now this. Is it because she's a woman that she hasn't made it like Spike Lee? Why couldn't she have gone Jarmusch's route, stayed independent? Susan, give me a ring again, and let me know: Why?

Decisive Moments

Art's all around. Even in mug shots. Alan Klotz gallery explores this concept in its "Photography Is Not an Art!" exhibit. Displaying crime scene photos, NASA images, experimental photography, and family snapshots, the show drives home the point that the decisive moment is the most important technique in photography. One problem with the exhibit is that the images are crammed onto the walls, with only a few inches on all sides between the pictures. My favorite images were those depicting crime scenes or the police photos. I could see some contemporary artist ripping off the above photo, describing it as "mixed media, gelatin silver print, staples, ink."

And Elvis Wept

Remember when artists were bohemians? When many seem to live only for the muse, acting as vessels to channel artistic expression? I was recently transported back to this time while reading a New York Times article on a Vassar College exhibit. Holland Cotter writes in depth about the lives of the featured artists: Rudy Burckhardt, Ray Johnson, and Peter Hujar. Each artist seemed to groove on his own instinct, not caring if you dug it or not. Their goal was to create, get it out, exorcise, and nuttin' else. How refreshing.

An Extra Girl from Monday

Ever hear of a film called, "The Girl from Monday"? Didn't think so. Hal Hartley directed the 2005 flick, starring Bill Sage, who's been in a ton of independent films. When I heard that Hartley was casting for extras, I jumped at the chance in order to see this indie director in action. These six stills are from one of my scenes. Intentionally shot with a smear effect, the scene is of Sage and me jockeying for position at a gate of a reprogramming facility (it's sci-fi). So far, I haven't received any offers from Hollywood. But at least I made it onto celluloid. (The DVD was recently released.)

Drive-in Saturday

In this weekly feature, I review in one sentence or less videos/DVDs of movies that you either have seen already or wouldn't bother to see.

"Palindromes" (2005): Another freak show from Todd Solondz, this one with a bit more depth.

The Art Store

Walking into the current exhibit at Elizabeth Dee gallery is like entering a heavy metal record store or the trendy punk clothing store, Trash & Vaudeville. Wildly disorienting. But perhaps that's the point of "Bring the War Home." The walls are adorned with black T-shirts bearing images of hot young artists, blaring commentary comes from various videoes around the gallery, and large tables display pamphlets on recent shows. There is no indication of which artist did what. After reading a two-page gallery statement about the show, I started to figure out the exhibit's point. (It's all about selling art, art fairs, and the art world not being a part of the real world.) But should a visitor have to read up on a show to understand it? (Images via Elizabeth Dee gallery.)

Sunshine Sleeper

"Little Miss Sunshine" is a sweet little sleeper movie. Directed by a husband and wife team, Jonathan Dayton and Valarie Faris, the film follows a dysfunctional family as they trek across the states to a kiddie's beauty pageant. Although Gramps is hooked on H, Uncle is suicidal and Brother is a selective mute, these are tender souls. Most disappointing part: Alan Arkin's screen time is not as much as I had hoped.

Chain Reaction

The concept behind "Two Friends and So On," a group exhibit at Andrew Kreps gallery, is intriguing. This is sort of a chain-letter art show. The curators contacted one artist who contributed an art work to the exhibit. That artist then asked another artist to add a piece. And then that artist asked still another one. Get it? Well, the end result is, how do we say.... Boring. These works were not created specifically for this show nor did the next artist necessarily try to riff off the previous artist's work. The most "fun" in the show are the little arrows that instruct viewers the chain of whom contacted whom. Here are some pix of the exhibit. You decide. (Images via Andrew Kreps gallery)

Deadpan Mondays

The Film Forum presents its own mini-Buster Keaton film fest during August and September. On every Monday, the theater will show a B.K. movie, some even with live piano accompaniment. Among the films will be "The General," "Sherlock Jr.," "The Cameraman," and "Steamboat Bill Jr." The NY Sun has an interesting preview of the fest.

Small Time Mystery

Here's the recipe for Woody Allen's new flick, "Scoop": Add the Woodman's hamboning from "Small Time Crooks" mixed with the fumbling detective story from "Manhattan Murder Mystery" with a pinch of the hocus-pocus from "Alice." This is one of those movies in which I enjoyed watching the flick, but afterwards, I felt half-satisfied. The film is light, and Woody recycles some storylines and one-liners. Seeing this movie with a New York audience who laughs liberally at the Woodman's neuroses helped to lift the experience to another level. If you have a problem seeing Woody looking old and playing up his shtick big time, you may want to skip this one.

Oh, Lucy!

Lucille Ball's 95th birthday was yesterday. Who doesn't love Lucy? (Image via Lucyfan.com)

Golden Showers

In the mood for some non-threatening conceptual art that's fun and isn't too taxing? "Fountains" is a group exhibit at D'Amelio Terras gallery that uses Marcel Duchamp's infamous urinal art piece as a reference point. I especially liked Noah Sheldon's "Perpetual Bells and Chimes" in which a broomstick spins as an axle to twirl two chime displays, and Gibb Slife's "Reception," which is an old TV set with an expansive web of wires and pie tins to help pick up a snowy PBS station. (Unfortunately, images of these works were unavailable from the gallery.)

Drive-in Saturday

In this weekly feature, I review in one sentence or less videos/DVDs of movies that you either have seen already or wouldn't bother to see.

"Ten," (2003), directed by Abbas Kiarostami: Compelling vignettes of an Iranian woman driving around city as she talks to her varying passengers.

Time Out for "Time Out New York"

Time Out New York, the weekly mag that details all the NYC happenings, is on the outs with me. I'll let you in on a secret: you can subscribe to magazines much cheaper through the publication's website. For the past eight years, I have been a loyal reader and subscriber--shelling out $39 per year. I just received a resubscription notice, so I decided to do so online. Well, on the mag's site, I can receive T.O. for $19. I've been buying this mag for almost 10 years; you'd think I would've been offered the cheaper deal. [By the way, I ran into a similar situation with New York Magazine. If interested in subscribing, do so through its website ($15) rather than the little cards inside ($39).]

In Defense of the Bunny

Don't believe the hype. The much maligned "The Brown Bunny" isn't as bad as the critics say. Directed by Vincent Gallo, the 2003 flick is about a motorcycle racer who drives across the country while thinking about his long-lost girlfriend. True, the storyline is barely there. True, the camera is trained on Gallo's face a lot. And, true, a TV commercial contains more dialogue than "B.B." However, this movie is definitely cinematic and evocative. Gallo captured some tremendous images, such as highway lines disappearing at night and cycling through Salt Flats. Critics don't like a beginner director making an abstract flick after directing an engaging sleeper ("Buffalo '66"). A director has to prove himself as a storyteller again and again before he can do something abstract, like Gus Van Sant did with "Gerry" and "Elephant." For me, I hope Gallo keeps doing what turns him on.

Dive In

It's always the shallow end in J. Bennett Fitts's photographs of abandoned swimming pools on display at Julie Saul Gallery. In "No Lifeguard on Duty," Fitts captures what used to be a selling point at highway motels--the built-in swimming pool. Many of these watering holes are now cesspools, although there are a few still maintained with those turquoise blue-painted bottoms. For whatever reason, I've always been attracted to images of decay and rotting, so these large-scale photos turned me on. (Images via Julie Saul Gallery)

Pandora's Box

Writer Anais Nin's "other" spouse died a few days ago. Rupert Pole was married to Nin during the '50s and '60s, while she was still married to Hugo Guiler. (Here is Pole's obit, which explains the whole love triangle.) I first started reading Anais Nin's work after I had discovered Henry Miller with whom Nin had an affair. After I read Nin's unexpurgated Diaries, I realized that this woman had problems. She slept with every man she befriended and fancied herself as the facilitator for their creativity. She had a severe father complex and ended up even sleeping with Daddy. In addition, she lied to everyone (except her diary). In order to keep track of all the deception, she created a "Lie Box," in which she kept notes on the varying B.S. she issued out to different lovers. A lot of good it did her; the whole world knows all her secrets now.