saturday night showcase: kickstarter support/millennium blonde

Straying from my typical showcasing of one artist to promote the works of several artists tonight. Because it's my blog and I'll do what I want, when I want.

Firstly, I'd like to draw attention to two young filmmakers who are trying to get their respective projects made: Emily Tomasik and Mattson Tomlin. I've donated to both of them through Kickstarter and you can too! Show 'em some love. POWER LOVE, that is.

Little Turtle in a Big City, a film by Emily Tomasik
Claymation!!!


Solomon Grundy, the first in a series by Mattson Tomlin

Next we have a promotional commercial from your favorite band and mine, Astro Club Blonde. I did some improvised voice over for it... yup.

Millennium Blonde commercial
featuring my crummy voice acting

I saw them perform the other night @ Arlene's Grocery during a blizzard. Unreleased songs, giant sunglasses, neon lights. While the snow might have hindered the audience attendance, I'd say it enhanced the experience of the show.

If you weren't there, don't worry--the whole performance was caught on tape (courtesy Andrew Gitomer) and will no doubt be available online at some point in THE FUTURE (don't know if you heard, but they live there). For now, here are a few photos from the night:

Photos by Shells Kamiel.

hehehe

ehehehehehe

saturday night showcase: jamie wright

Jamie Wright is an independent documentary filmmaker from Pittsburgh, and probably the biggest advocate for Pittsburgh I've ever met. He has recently shot music videos and promos for fellow PA band, The London. I found the electronic press kit he made for them to be surprisingly engaging, a nice study on four hipster musicians extracted from webcam interviews, performance footage, behind-the-scenes and clips of their slick music video. Don't know how into the music I am, but the video did a good job of making me like them... which is exactly what a press kit is supposed to do.

The London electronic press kit by Jamie Wright


Jamie Wright as Edward 40 oz Hands
directed by Alexandra Lopez


"Miserable" by Lit
featuring Pamela Anderson


Tom Waits press release


Nirvana interview

Happy Birthday, Kurt

moments of vindication: chapter three

It was my first day at a new school and already I was sent to the Principal's office.

I was sitting at the lunch table with a group of girls. "With" is a relative term--I was more sitting outside the group and hoping they'd ask me to be their friend. That's how things seemed to work in elementary school so far. Anyway, they were playing a little game.

What I thought was happening in the game: the girls slowly push a milk carton toward the girl sitting opposite them, seeing how close to the edge of the table they can get it without spilling.

What was actually happening in the game: the girls push their milk toward Cindy, who's lactose-intolerant, just to gross her out.

Without saying anything, I started to join in. I pushed my carton toward Cindy. It spilled all over her. Of course, mine had to be chocolate milk. Of course, she had to be wearing white. She told the teacher I did it on purpose, all the girls thought I was a jerk and I received a warning from the Principal.

A few weeks later, someone pointed out to Cindy and I that we both had on the exact same Nickelodeon-brand sneakers. We became inseparable for the next couple of years. Memories of that time in Maine include: pretending to be Spice Girls, playing Duke Nukem, prank-calling a water bed company, her mom's VHS copy of BASIC INSTINCT, a major crush on Keanu Reeves and candy cigarettes.

saturday night showcase: bob gosse

Bob Gosse: the man, the myth, the legend (not so much the fashion). In 1991, he was founder of The Shooting Gallery, an independent NY film company, along with Hal Hartley and Ted Hope. They had many low-budget, critically recognized successes before closing in 2001. A producer and sometimes actor, Gosse last directed I HOPE THEY SERVE BEER IN HELL (2009). Call him for a good time.

Bob Gosse's short film Mophead (1990)
featuring Matt Malloy
with music by Hal Hartley


My Birthday Cake by Whitney Ransick
starring Bob Gosse


Pre-FORBIDDEN ZONE (1982), a rare 16mm short by Richard Elfman
Marie-Pascale Elfman sings "Johnny"
featuring the Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo


Bugs Bunny tricks the Irish mafia in "Bugsy and Mugsy"


Sonic Youth dance break in Hal Hartley's SIMPLE MEN (1992)

You might, Rabbit, you might...

8D

I just got this from an old friend with little explanation:

Little explanation... besides THIS:

supercute!

Kitty whiskers, bubblegum, Supercute!

Last week Lightning Lauren and I went to see a comedy show at 92YTribeca called "Bro'in Out," hosted by Leo Allen and featuring guests Paul Rudd, Jon Glaser and Steve Schirripa ('Bacala' from The Sopranos). It was an improvised show where the guys got drunk, told weird stories and rambled about dream interpretation (mostly by 'dreamidian' Chris Coby, a character portrayed by Glaser that the audience HATED, but we of course loved). I got Glaser's autograph--for the second time--for my brother, who's a Delocated fan. I'd lost it the first time around for reasons I won't get into.

Anyway, I ended up being most entertained by the show's musical guests, Supercute! Formerly The Oh My God Girls, the band consists of three undeniably adorable teenage girls, playing keyboard, guitar and ukulele, and covering Led Zeppelin when they're not singing about candy cities and hula hoops. Sound gross? It almost is. But somehow it avoids being too obnoxious or creepy because they have a surprisingly adult self-awareness and keen sense of humor to counteract the superficial appeal of them being so. goddamn. supercute.

"Not to Write About Boys" by Supercute! @ 92YTribeca

The NY-based, sometimes politically outspoken frontgirl, Rachel Trachtenburg, grew up in a band with her family, The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players. I got the chance to talk to her (pleasantly) eccentric father after the show, who announced upon us meeting--with more than a degree of satisfaction--the death of the compact disc. It was weird only because nobody had been talking about that... but not the worst conversation starter. We then discussed the CD's more unfortunate casualty, the death of album as art, and celebrated the greater good that accompanies the freedom of sharing digital music. What a cute family.

"You're the One Who's Made For Me and I Was Made For You"
by The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players

Bonus points: they all REALLY hate Bloomberg.

hey

saturday night showcase: tiger brown

Tonight's showcase features Tiger Brown, Australian filmmaker. I don't know much about Tiger except he's a versatile director who's covered many genres including documentaries, musicals and music videos (several for the band Zeebling). I especially like this video, which appeals to my love for Asian girls. And Asian creatures. And dancing.

Tiger's video for "Midnight Sun" by Zeebling
featuring Nini Ten and Alliah Sophia


In Lust by Eric Wareheim
(of Tim and Eric)


Deerhoof's "The Perfect Me" video


Godzilla fucking shit up in Kensho Yamashita's GODZILLA VS. SPACEGODZILLA (1994)



The last 10 minutes of the last episode of the live action (and evidently low-budget)
Sailor Moon movie TV series, Special Act.
I... cannot believe it's my first time seeing this.

The Japanese form of Godzilla, Gojira, is a combination of the words
"gorilla" and "whale."

moments of vindication: chapter two

Again, I was 8 years old. I'd turned 8 again. It was a complicated year.

I saw the movie LOOK WHO'S TALKING a lot when I was a kid. The scene that excited me most: Kirstie Alley is with her boss, they're at work, his hand travels under the desk, he feels her up under her skirt. That was the hottest thing I'd ever witnessed in all my 8 (+/-1) years and for the first time I understood why grown-ups had jobs.

Meanwhile, I had been secretly harboring a crush on this boy in my class, Matt, and every week our desk partners would alternate. I couldn't WAIT to be his desk partner. I thought: OK, I like this kid. I know how this goes. Girl and boy? Check. Desk? Check. But what to do about the skirt...?

I didn't have a skirt! It just wasn't my style. Yet somehow I convinced my mom to buy me a red, plaid, pleated skirt--PERFECT to act out my fantasy. I visualized it in my mind a hundred times: we'd be sitting there, learning how to spell our names, and he'd reach under the desk--slowly, casually--and run his scabby, first grade hands over my thigh. And then? Then we'd be boyfriend/girlfriend. It was so simple, it just had to work.

I wore the skirt on the second day into our desk partnership because the first day my mom was suspicious of my enthusiasm. Or something, I don't really remember. Anyway, he never did touch my leg--no matter how much I fidgeted--and my ass was sore as hell when I went on the big slide that day. I never wore it again.

A few weeks later one of the other girls pushed him against the wall and kissed him, right there in front of everyone, claiming Matt as her boyfriend. I wasn't jealous. Frankly, I thought he was kind of a pussy. And now he had cooties.