Happy Holidays

I'll be back in a few days. Stay tuned for more riveting reviews and catty comments.

UPDATE: Be back Jan. 2, 2007. Cheers!

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.

"Melvin and Howard" (1980), directed by Jonathan Demme. Too little of Jason Robards and too much white trash kitsch.

"School of Rock" (2003), directed by Richard Linklater: Funny and sweet.

"Dangerous Game" (1993), directed by Abel Ferrara: Keitel is very good, and Madonna is surprisingly good.

Run to Walkabout

It's happened to me only twice in my life: when you rent a movie that has such a magnetic pull that you literally sit shock-still until the end credits. (And even at that point, you're still stunned by the filmmaker's narcotic expertise.) The first time was about 18 years ago when I saw Lina Wertmuller's "Seven Beauties." The second time was about six years ago when I rented Nicholas Roeg's "Walkabout." This entrancing 1971 flick will be screening at Film Forum, starting today for a week. (If this movie had such an effect on me in my living room, imagine the experience in a darkened movie theater!) The film focuses on the journey of two children who become lost in the Australian outback and meet an aborigine. Roeg created a dreamy flick that takes full advantage of the medium's techniques to transport you. I guarantee that it will not disappoint. (Images via dvdbeaver.com here, here, and here)

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Car accidents, electrocutions, drownings, shoot-outs, and train wrecks. Does that get ya in the Christmas spirit? Enrique Metinides's photographs at Anton Kern Gallery capture horrific moments that stop you dead in your tracks. Like the famed WeeGee, Metinides worked as a tabloid newspaper photographer, snapping pix for 50 years in and around Mexico City. These images aren't death porn, however; they portray the dead as vulnerable, and the living as fragile. The human suffering in these photos is palpable and stays with you. (Images via Anton Kern gallery)

Not So Special Yet

It made the New York Times' 10 Best Books of 2006, but "Special Topics in Calamity Physics" by Marisha Pessl has yet to ensnare me. Granted, I'm only on page 74 of this 514-paged novel, so I'll withhold total judgment. Nevertheless, there's something a little too cute about this book. Perhaps, because I recently finished reading the superb "The Emperor's Children," which also centers on an intellectual father and his adoring daughter, that I feel that "S.T.I.C.P." is not up to par. Some people have compared it to Donna Tartt's "The Secret History," which also took a while before it beguiled me. So, I'll give "Special Topics..." a chance, perhaps another 200 pages or so before I return it to the library. (Image via Thephoenix.com)

For Art's Sake

He's considered to be the most famous unknown artist. But Feigen Contemporary gallery is trying change that with the exhibit "Ray Johnson: En Rapport." Johnson, who committed suicide in 1995, was an artist's artist, someone who was a vessel out of which issued countless collages, performances, and letters. These reproductions do not convey the detail, layers, craftsmanship, or interconnecting ideas that each work projects. In addition to the collages, the gallery screens the documentary about Johnson, called "How to Draw a Bunny." After seeing the exhibit, I rented the film, which in tandem with the show, gives a true sense of this artist who lived and died for the sake of art. (Images via Feigen Contemporary)

Found in Translation

"Babel" has been out for a while, so are you still interested in hearing my two cents? Well, the flick just garnered a ton of Golden Globes nominations, and the interlocking storylines feel a little like "Crash," last year's big Oscar winner, so maybe you're thinking of checking it out. The positives: 1) director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is an expert hand; 2) the round-the-world locales: Japan, Mexico, Morocco, U.S.; 3) although an ensemble piece, the movie pulls you in emotionally to each character's life. The negatives: 1) Brad Pitt, never forgot for a moment that he's Brad Pitt; 2) the movie is somewhat a depressive. Advice? See it.

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.

"Black Sunday" (1977), directed by John Frankenheimer: Pretty good political thriller/disaster movie.

"A Cry in the Dark" (1988), directed by Fred Schepisi: Streep is the reason to rent.

Excitations

One of the surprises for me in watching "Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey" was Brian Wilson's appearance. True, "Good Vibrations" is the best known piece of music that uses a Theremin. Nevertheless, I didn't expect to see a very animated, very passionate, and very talkative B.W. in this documentary about the life of the instrument's inventor. Brian is notoriously monosyllabic in interviews, but you would never know it from this footage. He is verbose, his arms wave around, and he cracks jokes. Most importantly in regard to Leon Theremin, Brian credits the use of the cello with the Theremin for the success of "Good Vibrations."

Bye-Bye MoMA?

Does an Andy Warhol exhibit even deserve a review? You know the artist, you know the work. If you dig both, you'll dig "Cast a Cold Eye: The Late Works of Andy Warhol" at two Gagosian galleries. What struck me about this show wasn't Warhol or his deadpan take on mortality but the fact that galleries are taking on a role usually reserved for museums. Remember when an art gallery was about as big as a closet? No more. A number of Chelsea galleries are literally the size of gymnasiums. "Cast a Cold Eye" includes more than 90 works, and some of these paintings are huge, stretching to 35 feet wide. These super galleries have the reputation and money to pull off these shows that rival ones presented by museums. I wonder what the future of modern art museums will be. Only a place for Picasso and Van Gogh mega-shows and for tourists to congregate? (Images via Gagosian Gallery)

A Day at the Park

Before there was "Blair Witch Project," there was "Punishment Park." Directed by Peter Watkins, this 1971 fake documentary seems so real it's scary. The film is about a detention center, called Punishment Park, in which anti-Vietnam War protesters are questioned by a tribunal about their activities. The prisoners then can opt for a jail sentence or Punishment Park, which is an endurance test to reach an American Flag planted in the desert without being captured by the National Guard. While watching the film, I did not see one moment in which I saw the players "acting." The grainy 16mm footage, the explosive emotions, and the choppy editing make it seem like a "Punishment Park" did actually exist. Although the hippies and yippies seem time-capsule worthy, the idea that the U.S. government could arrest citizens without just cause and wipe them off the slate is more topical than ever before.

Slow Read

Although I read J.M. Coetzee's "Slow Man" in about a week, the novel felt like a slow read. The book is ostensibly about a man, Paul Rayment, who loses a leg in a bicycle accident. But what the book is really about is the writer having a little fun with the novel form. When Coetzee's reintroduces a character, Elizabeth Costello, from an earlier book, the reality and meaning of the story go topsy-turvy. Costello pops up like Gilda the Good Witch to coax and chide the main character. Is Costello or is Rayment a stand-in for Coetzee? Or is Rayment in some type of limbo purgatory after his bike accident? I couldn't make up my mind on any of these questions. All I wanted to do was finish the damn book. (Image via christodeklerk.com)

Pre-Photo Shop Personality Split

Like its title suggests, "A Play of Selves" at Metro Pictures is a play, albeit one that is composed of photos. Created in 1975, Cindy Sherman's casts herself as all the archetypes within a person. Playfully identified as Vanity, Desire, Ideal Man, Narrator and so on, the characters challenge and comfort each other for five acts, amounting to about 50 or more scenes or photos. These montages are pre-Photo Shop, so Sherman photographed herself in each role and then literally cut and paste the images next to each other. A script is provided as guide to each scene, which is almost essential to figure out who wins and who loses in the battle of the selves. (Images via Metro Pictures gallery)

Not Even Your Nostrils or Tastebuds Are Safe

In Vera Wang's ongoing campaign to invade every part of our lives, including our olfactory faculties, the designer and Macy's have dreamed up an absurd promotion. Pastry Chef Johnny Iuzzini will create desserts inspired by Vera Wang's perfume, "Princess." Iuzzini will give in-store demonstrations and talk about the relationship between scent and fine food. Some of the sweets inspired by perfume include Warm Apple-Orange Confit with Spiced Apple Cake. Pretty imaginative, considering the scent's actual ingredients include isocetyl stearate, propylene glycol, stearic acid, caprylic/capric triglyceride, and water. (Images via Macy's)

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.

"Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey" (1994), directed by Steven M. Martin: The life of the inventor of the Theremin is more bizarre than the instrument's sound.

Through a Glass, Nakedly

Photographer Tierney Gearon's recent gig for W magazine produced these images of Tobey Maguire. I caught Gearon's recent exhibit, "The Mother Project," last month, which I liked a lot. For the Maguire shoot, Gearon took off her clothes--for the sake of art, of course. "There was a big glass window in front of Tobey, and you could see my reflection when I was taking the picture," W quotes the photographer as saying. "So I decided to get naked to make the image more interesting." (Images via W magazine)

The Return of No Lips

Although "lip pumpers" are the latest beauty obsession, you'd never know it by flipping through recent fashion magazines. Hearkening back to the 1970s' thin-lip years, a number of ads feature no-upper-lippers Nicole Kidman, Tea Leoni, Maggie Rizer, and others. Perhaps puffy-lipped Angelina Jolie is now too closely associated with saving the Third World to be considered fashionable. I do note that all the ads with lip-challenged models are for jewelry and perfume rather than makeup or clothes. Perhaps bee-stung lips would distract away from highlighting earrings or a necklace.

Laughs with Abel

Abel Ferrara, the master of the revenge flick, slated to direct a screwball comedy? I almost don't buy it, although the Hollywood Reporter says it's true. "Go Go Tales," from a screenplay by Ferrara, is about the goings-on of a lap-dancing club. The cast includes Willem Dafoe, Bob Hoskins, Matthew Modine (yuck), and Asia Agento. The subject matter seems up Ferrara's alley, whose films are usually drenched with Catholic guilt and symbolism. I wonder how A.F. will make a screwball comedy that includes his typical motifs, like nuns, sacrifice, and rape. (Image via Temacom.org)

Spaced Out

Don't be fooled by these images. The originals are charcoal drawings and not photographs. Robert Longo's exhibit at Metro Pictures explores the final frontier, but there is something soothing about these works that depict the powerful unknown and terrifying infinity. Opting to use only black and white, Longo gives us the moon, sun, Neptune, Earth, Saturn, and star clusters in a serene setting. This show reminded me of that sequence in Kubrick's "2001" in which Dave travels through galaxies upon galaxies, and you realize--in a good way--that man is small and insignificant. (Images via Metro Pictures Gallery)

The Notables

Galley Cat (no relation) has an interesting post that compares key publications' "Best Books of 2006" lists. The New York Times, Washington Post, and the Boston Globe can't seem to agree on which novels are supreme, but do find common ground when it comes to nonfiction. I just finished reading Claire Messud's "The Emperor's Children," which I thought was almost flawless. The book's writing style and feel are similar to that of Jonathan Franzen's "The Corrections," and I'm surprised that "T.E.C" hasn't taken off like that novel. "T.E.C." made the Times' 10 Best Books list but failed to receive a mention from either the Washington Post or the Boston Globe. (Image via Osubookstore.com)

So Soyer

OK, this will be my last post on my art adventures in Rochester, NY. But I feel that I must mention the Memorial Art Gallery show, "My America," which is a traveling exhibit created by The Jewish Museum. The exhibit highlights the work of Jewish artists during the first half of the 20th century. Raphael Soyer's work really caught my eye. His style is so distinct that I remember seeing one of his paintings when I visited an Art Students League show celebrating its famous alumni about a year ago. He's an artist about whom I'd like to learn more. (Images via The Jewish Museum)

Obit Fun

A moment of silence before your Dulce La Leche. Rose Mattus, 90, co-founder of Haagen Dazs, died last week. Although she was considered the "financial brains" behind the hyper-creamy ice cream, I think we should still honor her for this pounds-adding pleasure. Here's a fun obit on Mattus, along with tales about the rise of the 'cream. (Image via New York Sun, via Gideon Lewin)

O'Keeffe Anew

Here's an exhibition that helps the average museumgoer to rediscover Georgia O'Keeffe--or, at least, to look at the artist's work in a different way. At the Rochester Memorial Art Gallery, the show "Color and Conservation" highlights 27 rarely seen O'Keeffe paintings. It was refreshing to see only a few of O'Keeffe's signature flowers or skulls. Instead, the majority of the works are abstract studies of landscapes or still-life representations. As the exhibit's title suggests, the colors of these paintings are awe-inspiring. My only quibble with this short show was its admission price: although $15 may be considered cheap in NYC, such a fee in Rochester, NY, is a tad bit steep. (Images via Rochester Memorial Art 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.

"Down in the Valley" (2006), directed by David Jacobson: Interesting character studies but is much, much too long.

"13 Conversations About One Thing" (2002), directed by Jill Sprecher: A mini-"Short Cuts."

The Yawn of the New

I'm getting very bored with porn. Pornography--old and new--is now the be-all, end-all source material for top contemporary artists. In a recent New York Magazine profile, ultra-hot John Currin cites hardcore "old Danish porn" as a chief influence in his paintings now on view at the Gagosian Madison Ave. location. Yes, I know that American media is saturated with naked genitalia, but these works do not tell me anything new about our society or Currin's interpretation of it. I'd hate to give these artists (Lisa Yuskavage is another porn-mag copyist) the bad news, but these paintings don't shock me anymore; they merely make me yawn. (Image via New York Magazine, Erik T. Kaiser/Patrick Mcmullan)