'Little Ashes'

Saw 'Little Ashes' today. It is a pretty good film about the fiery friendship/almost affair between Salvador Dali (Robert Pattinson) and Federico García Lorca (Javier Beltran).
Pattinson turns in a complex and compelling performance as Dali, creating a character that is alluring and frustrating but one you ultimately empathize with. I think it redeems him from his current teen heartthrob status. Thankfully there were no squealing 'Twilight' fans in the theatre, squirming in their seats with excitement from catching a glimpse of the partially nude actor. His brief partial nudity shouldn't overshadow his good performance.
After a bit of a meandering first segment where the social and political climate of 1920s Spain is established, the film picks up and engages when it focuses on the relationship between the two artists. Aside from a cheesy moonlight kiss during a midnight swim, the attraction and chemistry between Dali and Lorca is palpable and organically revealed. Their unrequited desires come to an explosive breaking point in the most memorable and powerful scene of the film, a heart wrenching sex scene between Lorca and Margarita (Marina Gatell, who almost steals every scene she's in) as Dali looks on. Overall, things don't quite add up to make the film great, but it is good.
The struggle that Dali and Lorca face in coming to terms with their feelings for each other in a society that condemns and punishes them is timely in 2009 as even in California, hate is being upheld (with Prop 8).



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Marilyn Manson's - "Arma-God-Damn-Mother-Fuckin'-Geddon"

Back when he was making interesting videos with Floria Sigismondi and making good music with Trent Reznor, I used to like Marilyn Manson. Unfortunately, what I liked about him died a long time ago. For whatever reason, he is releasing a new album entitled 'The High End of Low.' Out of morbid curiosity, you can check out the bland new video for the first single "Arma-God-Damn-Mother-Fuckin'-Geddon" (yes, it is actually so desperately called that) below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWU5cdjXr9Q

(embedding the video was disabled upon request)

Manson isn't just beating a dead horse at this point, he is a beating a dead horse with a one trick pony.

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The War Zone

I first saw Tim Roth's directorial debut 'The War Zone' upon its theatrical release in 2000. I was 15 at the time and the film had a profound effect on me. While rummaging through a bargain bin, I found it on VHS and recently rewatched it. Devastating, heartbreaking, and as darkly beautiful as it is difficult to watch, 'The War Zone' is a powerful, perfect and underrated film. Featuring subtle camera work, a haunting score and standout performances from the young leads who had no previous acting experience (the acne faced Freddie Cunliffe and the stunning Lara Belmont), the film unflinchingly portrays the destruction caused by incest and sexual violence. Roth refuses to shy away from the disturbing subject matter or provide resolution at the conclusion of the film, making it all the more raw and real.
At first I thought the film might have suffered slightly from a poorly chosen title- I wouldn't normally go see a film with a title like 'The War Zone,' thinking that it would be a shoot and blow 'em up action movie. But Roth is obviously making a statement about the severe, damaging effects of incest and sexual violence with the title (and the decision to stage some of the key scenes in an abandoned war bunker). War zones are not always relegated to battle fields. Sometimes our own homes can be personal war zones.
Random note- Colin Farrell (credited as Colin J. Farrell) makes one of his first film appearances in the small role of Nick.



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Fritzmania

On the verge of blowing up big time, Fritz Helder and the Phantoms staged an evening of performance and fundraising for ACT last night in celebration of the band signing on to Nelly Furtado's Nelstar Music.
Toronto's fashion and entertainment crowd crammed into the steamy Red Bull Space on Queen W, transformed for the night into a House of Helder Hedquarters plastered with images of the band from their monthly online magazine MODA CINQUE and featuring decked out dancers posing like mannequins in an art installation.
For the performance segment, a metal garage door was raised revealing Nelly Furtado who briefly but enthusiastically introduced the band before they segued into a set of remixed/tweaked versions of their "greatest hits" (songs they have been playing for years but yet still sound fresh and current). It was also fun to hear them throw in verses from songs that clearly show their influences (Madonna's "vouge," T.Rex's "20th century boy" and Grace Jones' "nightclubbing").
Descending a spiral staircase looking like a hot, S&M, Tranny Court Jester from the future sporting a Cher weave (circa 1965) that was treated with too much Rogaine, Fritz was in fine form- as glamorous and gracious as always. Though the band graduated from their days as Discount Divas a long time ago (they were outfitted by Greta Constantine for the show and are now backed by handlers and connections with the Canadian fashion elite), they remain grounded and humble. Unlike Lady Gaga who is praised for her unique, individual style and music but to me, feels forced and manufactured, Fritz Helder and the Phantoms are the real deal. I couldn't be more happy for them and look forward to watching their well deserved rise to stardom.
Check them out at: http://www.myspace.com/fritzhelderandthephantoms or in the new issue of Out Magazine.
I'll be posting pics from the night soon but here are a few older shots I have taken of the band.

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Chuck Palahniuk's 'Snuff'

Just finished Chuck Palahniuk's 'Snuff.'
Though not as intricate, funny or thought provoking as my fav of his books ('Invisible Monsters' and 'Choke'), 'Snuff' is an enjoyable, quick read. Punctuated with Palahniuk's trademark tidbits of trivia (this time about the bizzare beauty secrets of the stars and stories about actors injuring themselves while shooting films) and his sharp writing style, 'Snuff' moves at a brisk pace. Unfortunately I felt like I was always ahead of the story, calling the plot twists and surprises before they were revealed- at least up until a major one towards the end.
Overall, the book is fun but doesn't quite resonate with the same emotional intensity as some of his previous work.



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The Horrors- Primary Colours

When something is over hyped I usually run in the opposite direction. That is why I didn't pay much attention to The Horrors' debut album 'Strange House.' But when I read that their new album entitled 'Primary Colours' was going to be produced by Geoff Barrow (of Portishead, my fav band) and music vid director Chris Cunningham, I had to check it out.
Seething and grumbling with dark, punk and post punk/Joy Division-like noise and distorted vocals, the album is pretty good. You can definitely hear the Barrow influences in the atmospherics and the overall feel.
Check them out: http://www.myspace.com/thehorrors
and check out the vid for "sea within a sea:"


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Andy Warhol's 'Bad'

Picked up and watched Andy Warhol's 'Bad' (1977) on VHS. I have been dying to see it and was not disappointed.
Directed by Jed Johnson (Warhol's former boyfriend who died in the TWA800 plane crash on July 17, 1996) and starring a slew of Factory faces like Geraldine Smith, Brigid Berlin, and Barbara Allen, 'Bad' is surprisingly not that bad. More accessible than some of the earlier Factory films (which I also love) due to somewhat of a narrative, the film has the same dark, campy sense of humor as John Waters' early work. Everyone is gleefully up to no good and throughout the film characters comically trash a diner, torch a movie theatre and a car, stab a dog, chop off a mechanic's finger and worst/best of all do this (bringing new meaning to the phrase, "don't throw out the baby with the bathwater"):




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