a contraluz

Argentinan photographer Juan Gatti has a long time career collaborating with director Pedro Almodóvar on his movie posters with his very particular trademark and aesthetics, as well as in fashion editorials over the years, in music album covers and basically, on the Madrid of the 80s. He's showing his most notorious works in an exhibition called 'A Contraluz' in Madrid and it's really worth to take a look at this artist's trajetory, kinda kitsch, kinda Warholish, but nevertheless, always fascinating and with his special signature.

sources: bajoelsignodelibra, kedin, dianepernet, retorno a manderley, fotografodigital & abc

the apartment trilogy

'Carnage' ('Un Dios salvaje') has just opened in cinemas here and there's always the excitement of watching something new of Polanski, just like with Woody Allen. I haven't seen it yet but heard great things and the cast couldn't be any more flawless - Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and John C. Reilly.

But Polanski's masterpiece stuff can be found in his good-old movies, particularly in the apartment trilogy: 'Repulsion', 'Rosemary's Baby' and 'Le Locataire' (he's the protagonist in this one and my particular favourite), three movies dealing with the horrors faced by apartment/city dwellers that will make you change the way you treat your dear neighbours, just in case.

{ The Apartment Trilogy by Roman Polanski }

Repulsion - There's no place like home.

Rosemary's Baby - Neighbours who care.

The Tenant - Neighbours, what a wonderful thing.

source: imdb & google images

young female directors

Yesterday we got the news that Scarlett Johansson was going to direct her first film, a screen adaptation of Truman Capote's lost novel 'Summer Crossing', published after his death. I've always followed this girl's career and ended up adoring anything she does in movies, singing, designing, anything. So what about Scarlett the director? we got a first taste of her potential with the shortfilm 'These Vagabond Shoes' starring Kevin Bacon, originally filmed for 'New York I Love You'. Now her piece didn't make the cut and ended in the DVD extras but it was more to do with the shortfilm not fitting with the rest of the rom-com vibe that the film got ('Paris Je T'Aime' was soo much better). And her shortfilm was so beautiful, aesthetically beautiful, and filmed with a lot of quality, one of those type of works that leaves images speak for themselves (thing that i love). And the ending is poetic, this is happiness:

These Vagabond Shoes from miguel astarlozza on Vimeo

And she's not the only young actress being brave and putting her work out there, Kirsten Dunst also shot her first shortfilm years ago and now this was something quite impressing, she directed 'Welcome', a really scary but cheeky piece starring her 'Little Women' sister Winona Ryder (props to her for having Winona in her first short!) and it's simply brilliant.

As for other young directors, Natalie Portman also did a shortfilm for 'New York I Love You' that was actually included in the movie but it was really unimpressing, and she also filmed 'Eve' with Lauren Bacall and Ben Gazzara but it was long and a bit boring despite the amazing cast, i just didn't like it as much as Kirsten's and Scarlett's shortfilms so if you want to watch it, click here but so far i'm not digging her directing, such a shame.

sources: lostinscarlettjohansson & kirsten-dunst.org

not discouragement but inspiration

source: respect is beautiful

A letter 17 year old Zooey Deschanel wrote to the editors of Vogue. Vogue ended up publishing the letter.

the fanning sisters

It really sucks to be Dakota Fanning and have Elle as your little sister, nothing against Dakota, but her sister is already an established actress with a really solid filmography ('Babel', 'Phoebe in Wonderland', 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', 'Somewhere' & 'Super 8'), who's considered for the best parts right now and referred as one of the most promising actresses of her generation, all that at 13. Not that i don't think the bigger of the Fanning sisters will have a problem continuing her careeer, she will have to prove though that she's no longer a child actress, thing that Elle has already done so she simply stands out as the superior Fanning sister right now.

It doesn't hurt that despite her rising to fame Elle remains your average young girl, she still enjoys hanging out with friends her age, going to ballet, dressing age appropriate (not like other actresses her age like Chloe Morezt who dresses like she's 24), and Elle adorably gets excited when she gets an invitation from Karl Lagerlfed to see the Chanel show in Paris. So i'm really looking forward to see what this girl has to offer - she will be seen next month in Cameron Crowe's 'We Bought a Zoo' and in Francis Ford Coppola's 'Twixt' (yeah, the Coppolas love her). For now enjoy this beautiful photoshoot for W Magazine by Mario Sorrenti with both Fannings, both flawless and dreamy.

source: elle-fanning.net

dance of death

Last night i watched 'Melancholia' and i'm still shacking remembering that ending, i don't want to give anything away but it was scary and not in the usual scary way, still is a Lars Von Trier movie and they always leave you feeling like you just want to sleep and forget all the emotions that his films bring to you.

I cannot have an opinion about it yet as i'm still digesting it but i liked it, much more than 'Antichrist' (how i loathe that film...), Kirsten Dunst gives a really mature performance for an actor that started as a child actress (she already gave a mature performance in 'Marie Antoinette' but everyone was distracted by the amount of pink and candy to notice that) and aesthetically is amazing and beautiful, Von Trier does awake again the worst nightmares in you using this time an universal fear but at least he does it with powerful and precious images. Witnesses of a future not so far away.

sources: socks-studio, thefoxisblack, bleedingcool, funstuffcafe, tumblr, tumblr, tumblr & tumblr

Woody Allen: A documentary

Now this is something interesting, there's an upcoming documentary on the very great, very fantastic and very funny Woody Allen, with interviews with some of his actors (Diane Keaton talking about Woody <333) and some other directors who admire him, getting to know a little bit more of this little old man.

Anything Woody Allen does is worth watching, it might be not as good as his first movies but still is way better than most of the films out there today. If i had to choose one of his movies without being too predictable (everyone loves 'Manhattan' and 'Annie Hall') then it will have to be 'Interiors' totally forgotten and underrated film, it's totally different from his other movies and totally Bergman inspired, a modern classic, totally!

sources: youtube, forpilar& listal

raining for 4 days straight

my instagram

Some days ago it felt like Summer but it was October and now Autumn is suddenly here, like a slap in the face, fearing what's to come with Winter. And it's been raining for 4 days straight, the HORROR, i like Sundays when you have to stay at home keeping warm with a blanket and some hot chocolate, watching tv all afternoon but it's not fun when it's on Friday and Saturday or today, a Monday.

Apart from doing an 'Awkward' marathon (lame tv show but such a guilty pleasure to watch - i watched the whole season in a week) i've been listening to The New Raemon after seeing him playing a live acoustic performance on Saturday, the guy shouldn't be allowed to talk but the music is quite nice and this song is simply the best. Enjoyable for cold grey days:

youtube

but only sometimes

"And I'm willing, a little bit, but willing to start over and forget that this and any other city sometimes feels as sad as I am and realizing that I'm changing, even though it's only a little, well, if it's much more then it's better."

Sometimes i like facebook when it is like this.

this is not the princess i wanted to become

Modern day princesses are not what they used to be, Dina Goldstein did this really accurate editorial of 'Fallen Princesses' proving that there's no more rescuing prince or happily ever after, not even in royal families today. Farewell to fairytales and welcome to the disappointment.

source: yatzer