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.

"I Am Curious: Yellow" (1967), directed by Vilgot Sjöman: Humorous flick that's more about Swedish politics and society than sex.

Pencil Is the New Silhouette

Two separate print ads, two different companies, and two different pieces of clothing. So why do they look so similar? On the left: Gap (every four seconds, another Gap ad is shoved down our throats) promotes Black Skinny Pants. On the right: TSE highlights its cashmere tunic. Did these two corporations hire the same advertising company? Or is the pencil simply the new silhouette?

Ear Candy

Why should your eyes have all the fun? Don't you think your ears deserve a treat sometime? Add a little culture to your ears' aural routine and check out Celeste Boursier-Mougenot's exhibit at Paula Cooper Gallery. The audio art: 13 vacuum cleaners playing harmonicas. But this isn't some appliance Freak Show. This is almost a Buddhist experience. The gallery room is dark. With harmonicas attached to their nozzles, the vacuum cleaners blow (suck in) long individuals notes, some overlapping others. The sound is triggered by ambient noise within the gallery. When a vacuum cleaner plays, an amber light glows on the appliance's body. Within this Hoover Shrine (the brand is Sebo), lights twinkle and long, steady notes sound. The overall effect is calming and tranquil.

Dead Ringer

Here's what surprises me most about T-Mobile's dropping Catherine Zeta-Jones from its ubiquitous ad campaign: that the woman in those ads was actually Catherine Zeta-Jones. I had always thought that the company had hired a look-alike after using C.Z.J. in the ads' initial blitz in 2003. I considered that strategy to be brilliant: customers subconsciously think this no-name model is this top actress. I thought the "model," however, never looked as attractive as C.Z.J. And I couldn't imagine an actress identifying herself so closely with a corporation for so long. Now that C.Z.J. is out, I guess she'll have to start actually acting.

Second Draft

If you missed Sydney Pollack's "Sketches of Frank Gehry" when it was in theaters last June, PBS is broadcasting the documentary tonight, Wednesday, at 9 p.m. as part of its "American Masters" series. As I wrote previously, you don't have to be an expert on architecture to enjoy the film. Pollack and Gehry have leisurely and enlightening conversations about finding the muse and staying on course.

Poses Playbook

Gwyneth Paltrow has torn a page from Paris Hilton's Poses Playbook: offer only three-quarters of your face when photographed for magazine ads. For Gwyneth, her left side is her good side, just like Barbra Streisand. Streisand believes that her left side looks more feminine than her right and that her nose looks shorter from the left. She is such a stickler on this perception that she even had Rosie O'Donnell rearrange the set when she appeared on Rosie's talk show in 1997. (Somehow this post became about Barbra S., but B.S. is a lot more interesting than G.P. anyways.)

Buzz Killer?

Bad buzz isn't the reason "All the King's Men" tanked this past weekend at the box office, as the New York Times contends. The reason is much simpler: it's a bad movie. The Times argues that when Sony Pictures decided to push its release date from last Christmas to this fall, moviegoers sensed the film was in trouble and, because of that negative publicity, stayed clear of the theaters. Sorry. Don't think so. I pay close attention to Hollywood gossip, and somehow this film's "bad buzz" slipped right past me. The movie has gotten uniformly horrible reviews. Even if the reviews were positive, you must admit that "All the King's Men" is a terrible movie title, even if it is based on the book by the same name. Does anyone really want to see a period piece about Southern politicians? Not me.

Head on the Door

Alessandra Exposito takes the notion of "trophy wall" and turns it on its head with her exhibit, "Greener Pastures," at Mixed Greens gallery. This is a show in which the artwork and the political subtext successfully work together. Instead of using stereotypical macho animal skulls to honor, Exposito selected chicken, cats, and mice skulls. (There is a horse head, but its name is "Queenie.") These skulls are exquisitely decorated in ways that are both humorous and moving. On the center of each is a portrait of the animal during its more lively days, and some are even studded with jewels--for the girlie hunter in all of us. (Images via Mixed Greens gallery)

Collision Course

The latest fashion trend? Ostrich Style. Wear one or ride one. (Images via New York Times, Brandeis. edu)

A for Andy

I would give Ric Burns's "Andy Warhol: A Documentary Film," which aired last week, a solid A. Every major artist deserves this type of analysis. Most interesting part: Warhol's work ethic. The artist was always working. If something didn't work out, he moved onto the next project. Best part: all the archival footage of Warhol at the Factory. Second best part: Seeing a ton of A.W.'s commerical work. Weirdest part: Jeff Koons as a voiceover stand-in for Warhol. Weakest part: the number of times the word "genius" is uttered. Worst part: Wayne Koestenbaum comparing Warhol to Jesus Christ. (Image via Documen.tv)

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.

"Funny Ha Ha" (2005), directed by Andrew Bujalski: Post-collegiate (and annoying) nerds look for love and a career.

Suck-a Alert

I got drawn in because I saw the celebs. Lots of celebs. Well, lots of photographs of celebs. What I had become ensnared in was a "gallery exhibit" of Gap ads. In the heart of Chelsea, the epicenter of the gallery scene, Gap Inc. had rented out a space to promote all its famous friends who have posed for the corporation. Entitled "Individuals," the show displayed photographs of everyone from Kim Basinger to Willie Nelson. Some images were small, while others were blown up to Avedon proportions. It was so seductive that I almost bought into it, that this was art and not a very sly marketing ploy. If you missed the "exhibit," don't fret: you can buy its companion catalogue for $150 on Amazon.

Novelist Acquitted

A Turkish court dismissed charges against novelist Elif Shafak, and now I have yet another book to add to my ever-expanding reading list. Shafak had been accused of denigrating Turkishness because characters in her book "The Bastard of Istanbul" discussed the massacre of Ottoman Armenians during WWI, which is a major no-no in Turkey. Article 301, the law under which Shafak would have been prosecuted, has a "1984"-Room 101 ring to it. Here's the BBC's report for more details.

Photo Painting

It's obvious. Isca Greenfield-Sanders paints from photographs. And the artist celebrates that fact. The press release from Greenfield-Sanders's show at Goff + Rosenthal gallery describes in detail how she produces her paintings. Like The Trachtenberg Family Slideshow Players, Greenfield-Sanders finds her source material from flea markets and eBay. She scans old photos into her computer, manipulates them, enlarges and prints them, and then paints over those images. Is this painting? These pool images do trigger those of David Hockney's. But there is something unartful about these; somehow the step of "interpretation" got skipped. I liked the artist's azure and deep forest colors, but the paintings overall left me half-satisfied. (Images via Goff + Rosenthal Gallery)

Induced Insanity

I like insanity au naturel. Whenever I learn that some of my crazy heroes' behavior is caused by booze or drugs, I always feel let down. In a New York Times profile on Cat Power, the singer admits that she used to drink a fifth of Scotch a day. So that means all those meltdowns and breakdowns on stage were alcohol-induced. I had assumed that Cat Power was this idiosyncratic artist who was too much of a creative maverick and outsider to fit into this world. Now I find out that the reason is much more prosaic: she was a drunk. I haven't listened to her new album yet. Let's hope her new sobriety hasn't hurt her talent. (Image via Slap Magazine)

Lefty Lore

Ever wonder how the New York Review of Books got started? Didn't think so. But wait. James Atlas writes an excellent article in New York Magazine about NYRB's editors Barbara Epstein, who recently died, and Robert Silvers, who is now helming the lefty publication alone. The article seamlessly describes the biweekly's origins, past, and future, along with on-the-mark profiles of its editors. The story captures the energy and heady days of starting any huge endeavor. Definitely worth a read. (Image via New York Magazine; Photo: Gert Berliner/Courtesy of the New York Review of Books)

Unsightly Sites

Adam McEwen's show at Nicole Klagsburn Gallery is very much about concrete--to be more precise "eyesore concrete." One gallery room focuses on LeFrak City, a 1960s housing complex, while the other room meditates on those black blotches of chewing gum on city sidewalks. The LeFrak room contains a series of photographs of the complex taken at the same vantage point and within the same minute. I had to really search for any difference in these eight or so almost-identical images, and perhaps that was McEwen's point. The chewing gum paintings contain real gum--chewed, mixed with gravel, and mashed--stuck on canvas. Would I have gone to this show if I hadn't recognized the artist's name from the Whitney Biennial? Probably not. Still, it was worth the trip. (Images via Nicole Klagsbrun Gallery)

Trane Jump

Get a jump on celebrating John Coltrane's birthday, which is the 23rd, by tuning into WBGO today. On Sept. 19, this NY jazz station will broadcast two radio documentaries, "The Making of John Coltrane’s A Love Supreme" at 10 a.m. and "The House That Trane Built" at 6:30 p.m. In between those documentaries, the station will be playing a lot of Coltrane music through the day. Trane would have turned 80 this Saturday.

Split Personalities

Last week, I wrote about ugly stemware that you just flip over, depending on the type of drink you desire. I just read an article about flatware that has the same split personality: an updated version of the "spork." Unlike the original spork, which was a spoon with tines at its top, the new spork features a spoon at one end and a fork at the other. The two-headed monster would make a perfect companion to the dual Champagne/Martini glass. Now, they just have to invent a dinner table that turns into a bathtub when you flip it over. (Images via New York Times, Pier 1)

Separated at Death

You know the expression "separated at birth," which is used to describe two people who look alike? Well, I've got a twist on that one: "separated at death." The movie still from "Death of a President," which is about a fictional assassination of George W. Bush, bears a strong resemblance to the famous image of Lee Harvey Oswald being shot. The Dubya picture from the controversial film, which debuted at the Toronto Film Festival, is similar to the L.H.O one in photo quality, mise-en-scene, and mood. I wonder if the filmmakers intentionally modeled their assassination scene on the murder of one of the more despised people of the 20th century.

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.

"Ms. 45" (1981), directed by Abel Ferrara: Cut-above revenge flick. (Image via Moviebadgirls.com)

Tools of the Trade

Without knowing anything about the exhibit, I enter the temperature-controlled Chelsea gallery filled with prehistoric sculpture and think I am suddenly at the Met. This isn't the Met, however; it's Pace Wildenstein gallery. And these aren't ancient sculptures; these works are strictly 1980s' constructs. Artist Michael Heizer has created enlarged versions of Paleolithic and Neolithic stone tools. The sculpture are between five- and 16-feet long. These gigantic replicas have a Brancusi sleekness but, at the same time, feel like they could be in the Museum of Natural History. (Images via Pace Wildenstein gallery)

Graphic Literature

The new covers for Penguin Classics Deluxe Editions scream desperation, not ear-to-the-rail coolness. The cover for D.H. Lawrence's "Lady Chatterley's Lover," which is by Chester Brown, is definitely the worst one (books by Sinclair Lewis and Dorothy Parker have been defaced as well). Gracing the cover of "L.C.L." is a comic strip of a man and a woman in bed postcoitally discussing the human condition. The drawing-style is Crumb meets Rex Morgan M.D. Can you imagine reading this edition on the subway or the bus? I would be wildly embarrassed. The panel of the man's big hairy paw seems especially low-brow. Here's an interview with the Penguin Books director patting himself on the back about these lame-o new graphic covers.

Mesmerizing Monotonous Mannequins

Do you get off on hypnotic single-camera, long-take television? During Fashion Week in NYC, a local station broadcasts three hours a night of runway shows. It's highly addictive. As models march trancelike, the camera follows them in a zen-like, exact pattern. Wide shot, zoom in as the model reaches the runway's end, zoom out as she turns away. The camera never breaks away. No cutaways. No voiceover. And this goes on for 15 to 20 minutes. It's mesmerizing. It's monotonous. It's refreshing. (By the way, the above images are from shows for Betsey Johnson, Gwen Stafani for L.A.M.B., and Oscar de la Renta.) (Images via New York Magazine online)

Turkish Taboo

I've never heard of her before, but now I want to read her. Another Turkish writer, Elif Shafak, will go on trial next week under the same law that almost put Orhan Pamuk behind bars. The crime? "Publicly denigrating Turkish identity." Shafak's case is a bit different from Pamuk's. Pamuk, whose case was dismissed, was to face a judge after he publicly talked about the highly taboo subject of the Turkish slaughter -- many believe genocide -- of Ottoman Armenians during WWI. Shafak, on the other hand, has come under attack because in one of her fictional books, characters discuss the genocide. This case seems utterly absurd. (Image via Winternachten.nl)

So 20th Century

Any exhibit that uses "Glengarry Glen Ross," Patty Hearst, and Ciccone Youth as cultural touchstones is all right in my book. "Boilermaker," a group show at Stellan Holm gallery, is very rock and roll, very hip--if the viewer's 1970-1980 pop culture knowledge is up to snuff. (Does anyone under the age of 40 still groove on Patty/Tania?) Besides Russell Young's blown-up mugshot of Ms. Hearst, I also liked Brian Block's "Untitled (American Script 2)" (above) and Graham Dolphin's "Eyes of Madonna with 18 Sonic Youth Songs" (far below). This show is about celebrity, publicity and selling during a time that seems long, long ago. (Images via Stellan Holm gallery)

Smoking (Glue) Gun

A recent Green Cine Daily post on David Lynch caught my eye. What intrigued me most wasn't the preview of Lynch's new movie "Inland Empire," but the accompanying photograph: D.L. smoking a cigarette. For some reason, I thought Lynch would be a nonsmoker and a big fan of O2. (The image of Dennis Hopper wearing an oxygen mask in "Blue Velvet" comes to mind.) If Lynch must smoke something, I wouldn't think that it would be something as ordinary as cigarettes. More likely, I could see Lynch freebasing the glue from the peony wallpaper in his grandmother's boudoir or something like that. (Image via Green Cine Daily)

Little Dada

Tucked away on a second floor gallery in Chelsea, you'll find a mini-Dada show. MoMa's recent summer Dada exhibition was a buffet, whereas Maya Stendhal gallery's show offers just a taste of that movement. Entitled "Dada: Art and Anti-art," this museum-quality exhibit focuses on just one artist: Hans Richter. The survey show includes work from the early 1900s right up through the '70s. Films, paintings, cut-outs, magazine articles, posters, and sculpture--they're all there. If you missed the MoMa exhibit, which ends today, perhaps this show will satisfy you. (Images via Maya Stendhal 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.

"Slap Shot" (1977), directed by George Roy Hill and starring Paul Newman: Above average sports (hockey) comedy.

Design Disasters

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing the world's ugliest glassware! Courtesy of Pier 1, this "dual stemware" is ideal for "our fast-paced city life and multi-tasking." You just flip the glass over, depending on whether you want Champagne or a Martini. Described as "mouth-blown," these mutant glasses are on sale for a bargain-basement $8. Oh, here's the clincher: hand-wash only. Wouldn't want to break these design disasters. (Image via Pier 1)

Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves

Naomi Campbell, Rachel Hunter

Very impressive. Photographer Juergen Teller succeeded in making some current and past supermodels look like broken-down trophy wives, three-dollar whores, or petty shoplifters. In a recent W magazine spread, entitled, "Cover Girls," Naomi Campbell, Rachel Hunter, Christie Brinkley and Cindy Crawford are unable to escape Teller's unflattering white-out flashbulb. The result: severe, cheap, and vacant portraits.


Christie Brinkley, Cindy Crawford

I don't think this visual hatchet job was the spread's intent because two models actually look decent. Shalom Harlow and Carolyn Murphy emerge unscathed from Teller's lens. But maybe that's because Harlow vamps it up and Murphy went topless. (Images via W Magazine.)


Shalom Harlow, Carolyn Murphy

Carcasses Never Looked So Good

Walking into the Chaim Soutine's exhibit at Cheim & Read gallery is surprisingly uplifting even though most of the artist's paintings depict dead animals. The show is such a standout in Chelsea because few galleries in this part of town pull out the big guns of the 20th century during the summer months. After seeing dried cereal glued on a canvas and T-shirts pinned to a wall at other galleries, I reveled in these dense oil paintings. Besides the slaughterhouse imagery, a number of wonderful landscapes are on display. On top of that, the gallery hangs works by Pollock, de Kooning and others next to Soutine to illustrate his influence on these other masters. (Images via Cheim & Read)