Monday 3 December 2012

Tales from the Crypt

I've always loved Tales from the Crypt. Since my favorite episode is on youtube, I thought I could do a short article in homage to my favorite devilish twins, April and June from Split Personality.

 
   
.. and just because there is never enough of Tales from the Crypt, here are three other great episodes that I love!







See you readers for several great interviews coming soon!

Tuesday 6 November 2012

Peaches Christ ♡

 
Hi there! I'm so happy to post this interview of the fabulous Peaches Christ to celebrate the release of All About Evil, the great horrific dark comedy featuring, among others, the lovely Natasha Lyonne.


The Castro Theatre in San Francisco plays a crucial role in your movie. Can you tell us a bit more about this place? What's the story behind it? 
It's actually The Victoria Theatre, which is a wonderful old theatre in the Mission District of San Francisco. It was the perfect place to shoot our movie in because it already has a naturally old-fashioned creepy vibe. I love old theaters and The Victoria is the real-deal.

One of the girl interviewed in your doc about All About Evil world premiere says that "it is not about watching the DVD at home" but actually going to the movie theatre. I guess you also love the idea of going to the small independant movie theatres and promote them? 
My whole career as "Peaches Christ" has been about creating live, interactive, theatrical movie screenings. I'm a firm believer in the "group experience" of watching a movie and really believe it makes a difference in how you experience a film.


I love the show you put on for the world premiere of the movie! Thomas Dekker's performance for "Welcome to the horror show" is astonishing! Is there a chance we can get the songs of the word premiere somewhere? How would you feel about creating a whole music show with horror songs?
I hope that we can put a soundtrack someday! There's definitely been talk of that. Thomas Dekker is not only a brilliant actor but also a brilliant musician. I told him about how we were creating a "live event" to take on the road and that we'd be performing music and such- I swear to God that 24 hours later Thomas contacted me and said "I wanna play you something" and he'd written and recorded a version of "Welcome To The Horror Show". He oozes talent.

Talking about music, I love the bands you chose for the soundtrack. Swann Danger and The Vanishing are awesome bands. How did you choose the songs to be put into the movies?
I had a fantastic music supervisor, Steve Gizicki, who's taste really lined up with mine and he fully understood what I was going for. Steve wanted to find bands that fit with the aesthetic of the movie and in the case of Swann Danger- were locals. I love the music in the movie and I admire Steve's intense research to track it all down.


I am a big big fan of Natasha Lyonne. I think she is an incredible woman. How was it to work with her for All About Evil? Did you change some things about the main character when you actually knew she was going to play it?
Natasha is another giant force of talent. Both she and Thomas have been working actors since they were small children. They're wise beyond their years and so quick to pick things up. I love Natasha and cannot imagine another Deborah now. I didn't change anything in the script once we locked Natasha in- she was game for it all and really made it work.

You had a small budget for the movie, yet, it looks really professional and high quality! However, if you had the chance to have a higher budget, what would you change?
There were things in the script that I had to cut because we didn't have enough money, i.e. the theatre was originally infested with rats and Mr. Twigs had a pet "King Rat" that sat on his shoulder- but that just wasn't financially feasible. Also, at the very, very, end the marquee tower was supposed to snap off from the building and smash down on top of Deborah, but it was too expensive as well.


I wonder to which extent do you think being a drag queen influence the way you directed the movie (use of the music, acting supervision...)?
I think that because I'm an entertainer and actor who's also self-produced events for years that all of that played a part in how I approached making the movie. All of that is experience I've gained through being "Peaches Christ". Maybe I better understood how actors were feeling? I don't know but writing, directing, and producing my own stage-shows for twelve years certainly helped ready me for directing AAE.

How was it to make a movie with the legendary Mink Stole and to have John Waters at the premiere?! It sounds REALLY cool!
I grew up in Maryland worshipping at the altar of Mink and John so the fact that I get to work with them and have become friends with them is truly surreal and I'm the most grateful fan in the world. Both of them have been incredibly generous with me, supportive, and truly great friends.

What are your best memories of the Midnight Mass? Is there a chance to have all the Midnight mass put together in a DVD one day?
I don't know if we'll ever be able to sell a DVD because, in the great tradition of drag, we appropriate pop music and elements from the movies we send up. So I don't think it will ever be legal to sell it. However, many shows and events show up on my YouTube and Vimeo pages. Although, I was always say it's best to see it in-person if you can.


What are your upcoming projects?
I'm working on a new screenplay and continue to produce events in the Bay Area and beyond. I've also recently worked with Elvira on her "Horror Hunt" film festival which is a blast. Also, Peaches is going to be in a video-game called Dragopolis where you'll be able to play this drag queen video game as "Peaches Christ in Hell". I'm really excited for that to come out. Check out Dragopolis on Facebook.

Last question, do you watch Ru Paul's Drag Race? Any favorite participant?!
I now watch it religiously and am a fan of many of the ghouls on the show. I recently partnered with Sharon Needles on a show called "The Silence Of The Trans" and really ADORE her. I also love Latrice, Yara, Pandora, Tammie, and many many more. It's a wildly entertaining show.

♡ Thank you so much PC for your time and I wish you the best ♡

Monday 29 October 2012

One Man Metal


Text taken from noisey.vice.com

Here's the first installment of One Man Metal, our latest documentary that takes a square look at a shadowy fringe of Black Metal that has never been documented... until now.
We interviewed three enigmatic solo artists—Leviathan, Striborg, and Xasthur—who produce black metal on the margins of society. These are men who don’t just play the music, but embody what it reflects: isolation, misanthropy, and anger.
The documentary includes the first on-camera interview with Scott Connor, AKA Xasthur, who crafts his bleak sounds from a crumbling apartment in the hinterlands of Los Angeles. We also explored the remote environs of rural Tasmania with Sin Nanna of Striborg, and finally traveled to San Francisco to speak with Jef Whitehead, AKA Leviathan.
Now, “One Man Metal” will see the light of day, following a series of delays leading up to Whitehead’s 2011 conviction on one count of aggravated domestic battery. You can watch the trailer here, and keep your eyes open for part three!




See you readers!

Saturday 20 October 2012

Pop Corn Session Vol.4


 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

So many great stuff that I want to talk about, it takes a LOT of time to organize everything. As I said on the FB blog page, I stop the News of the week articles with a view to something new... I don't want to make this blog boring so let's be creative, stay tuned for more information!

PS: for those of you who speak French/Deutsch, don't miss Fashion!, a documentary broadcast on Arte and streamable for a short period of time. There is nothing new, it's not the best doc ever but it's always nice to see old/rare videos of the fashion big names.Nostalgia ♪ ♫

See you readers, have a great week and listen to Goat, xxx

Friday 19 October 2012

Our Song ♪ ♫

 
Our Song, directed by Jim McKay, is a very sincere and deep movie about a friendship between three young women, Lanisha (Kerry Washington), Maria (Melissa Martinez), and Joycelyn (Anna Simpson). They all live in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and play in a community marching band (The music sequences in the movie are absolutely awesome!). It takes place at the end of summer, when they are about to make some crucial decisions regarding their respestive lives. 


The whole movie deals with existential themes such as friendship, love and family. What I love the most about that movie, is the authenticity of the portrayal of the girls. The director did a great job to express the complexity of the situations the girls go through. Nothing is exaggerated or embellished, it is just a raw slice of life.


Some critics present this movie as an alternative to Kids but I would say it is much more than that. If you wanna watch the movie, it is streamable on youtube:


See you readers, xxx

Tuesday 9 October 2012

Womeninspiration Vol.3


Dana Jade is a sexy hot rock 'n' roller wearing blood red dresses. She's involved in many great projects and she was kind enough to answer some questions... I discovered her with her fantastic cover of the M.I.A. song Galang. I advice you so watch it below before reading the interview... to see how awesome she is! You can also listen to the whole album on SoundCloud! I currently listen to She Or I Go on repeat, that's a fucking amazing song.


I saw that you come from Trinidad. Besides Nicki Minaj, I don’t know many artists coming from this part of the world to be honest. How would you describe your home land? How do your roots influence your current work and persona?
It's hard to describe succinctly but it's a very diverse, very rich place culture wise. The rhythms that surrounded me growing up have indeed influenced my music. There are a couple of tracks that have straight up soca beats! Perfect for winin' and ting! ;-)

You said in an interview that there was no rock n roll school in Trinidad when you were younger. Talking about rock n roll education you may have heard of the Rock Camp for Girls project. Many great artists like Amy Ray (Indigo Girls), Kathleen Hanna, Me’shell Ndegeocello, Kimya Dawson, and Martha Wainwright visited the camp. If you were invited to talk with little girls willing to explore the world of rock n roll, what would you say to them?
Well, first I'd try not to swear around the little darlings then I'd probably say ignore people who say you 'can't' and try to develop your self confidence because as grrrl players, too often people just assume we can't play. You have to have a healthy sense of self! Practise practise practise and prove them all wrong! Anything boys can do etc. Also, we become who we surround ourselves with so surround yourselves with winners! People who are successful and a positive influence, you'll know them when you meet them.


I saw everywhere that Courtney Love is one of your favorite female musicians. It’s also one of my all time icons. If you could collaborate with her and cover a song, which one would you choose and for which reasons? Have you heard of the documentary Hit So Hard about Patty Schemel?
Yes I really wouldn't exist without her and Hole! If I could cover a Hole song with Courtney I would have to choose Violet because their live performance on the 1995 MTV music awards changed my life! It was in that moment that I knew what I had to get an electric guitar and a distortion pedal ASAP! I saw the Patty Schemel doc at a film festival earlier this year and loved it! Patty was there for a Q&A session, I was totally star struck.

How does it feel now your full album is finally finished and out? Are you satisfied with it and what are the first reactions around you? Are you already working on new songs?
Oh it's such a relief! The launch party was last Wednesday I had a blast with an all new live band I was very blessed to have Laura Kidd aka She Makes War, Daisy Palmer and Cajita onstage with me! I'm very happy with the final product and the fact that it's out there now. I want the songs to have a life of their own. So, if anyone is reading this and would like a copy but is short on cash just email me. Now that the launch is behind me I can finally concentrate on writing/recording new material and yes I've already started.


Can you tell us a bit more about your action in Clit Rock? What are the upcoming projects for the organization?
I founded Clit Rock (music events created to raise awareness and funds for the organisations committed to preventing and ultimately ending FGM) last year after coming across a piece on the news about female genital mutilation (FGM), it quite frankly pissed me off and always has! I said on Facebook, half serious that I was going to create an event about raising awareness and behold "Clit Rock" was born. I borrowed the name from Skin of Skunk Anansie fame. She coined the term when asked to describe her music, I felt it worked here on many levels. My aim is for these events to be empowering and uplifting whilst dealing with something very heavy and very real. We are definitely going to win this fight, it's just a matter of time.


I really love your nose chain in the video for Shudder and your head jewelry in the video for Little Sister. What is your relationship with jewelry and what are your favorite designers/kinds of jewelry?
Ahh thank you! The nose chain is called a "nath" and it is traditionally worn by Hindu brides. In my culture, too much emphasis is placed on marriage (in my humble opinion) so this was my way of saying "I'm married to my guitar so fuck off yeah?" or something to that effect. ;-) The head jewellery in the Little Sister video is also bridal. I guess I like really intricate exotic pieces as opposed to high street 'everybody's got them' accessories. I'm also quite partial to silver rings, crosses and rosary beads.

How is it to live in London when you’re a musician? Are you a fan of the local scene and what are you favorite bands? Do you feel like London is, still today, a special place for rock n roll music?
Oh yes! I mean I romanticise the hell out of the punk era because obviously I missed that and it's a big part of the reason I moved here. But yes I absolutely love the city and it's a very exciting place to be if you're a musician. You can find anything you could possibly be into here! I've been to Soca gigs, Reggae gigs, Jazz, African, Middle Eastern, Classical Indian, Rock/Indie/Punk, Hip Hop you name it, it's here! Give thanks…
Favourite local bands right now are She Makes War, Vuvuvultures, Lola Colt and Savages who are blowing up right now, they were on Jools last week, they're going to be huge! Hopefully they spark a new in your face rock n roll revival, we definitely need one of those!


Who’s your last boy crush? Girl crush?
I find myself staring at photos of Hrithik Roshan (Bollywood actor) he's beautiful. Ongoing long term girl crush not very original I know but Angelina Jolie… Purrrrrrrr! Oh and Nigella Lawson, oh and Monica Bellucci and ohh too many to mention.

I’m going to show you some youtube links and I would like you to quickly make a short comment!
Henry Rollins is a hottie! I prefer this work though.
Dark... I like it a lot! Great song. Great voice!

Grunge baby!

Oh my God! I love this! Bluesy, dreamy, bloody! What's not to love?

Anything else to say?
Thank you very much for taking the time to talk to me and for turning me on to Monster and Meg Myers. Great idea to send video links! Hope all is fabulous in your world!

Peace, Love & Riddim
Dana Jade

See you readers, xxx!

Saturday 6 October 2012

A Look Into 'The Forbidden Zone'

This is a 35-minute documentary in which THE FORBIDDEN ZONE director Richard Elfman chats with Marie-Pascale Elfman, Danny Elfman, and Susan Tyrell (who reveals she became lovers with Villechaize during filming and lived with him for a year). The documentary is interspersed with huge helpings of archival shot-on-video footage of Oingo Boingo performing live shows related to the film, including another version of Danny's Satan routine.
 

See you for the news of the weeks!

Tuesday 25 September 2012

♡ Heathers ♡


Ellie and Louise from Heathers kindly accepted to answer few questions for the blog. I feel really excited to post this interview as they are extremely talented and nice. Their new album Kingdom was released earlier this month so it's time to spread the word!



You’ve come a long way since the release of the first album in 2008. I’d like to know how you would sum up all the stuff that happened to you until now. What are the best memories that you keep in mind regarding the past four years?
It’s been an amazing 4 years. We both feel extremely lucky. We have had the opportunity to visit and play in so many incredible places and meet so many wonderful people. There are an awful lot of great memories but some would be, our release show for our first album Here, Not There, the two tours of America that we did with American band Ghost Mice, Recording our second album Kingdom.

I am totally and absolutely in love with the new album and especially two songs: Forget Me Knots and Flight. Could you please tell us a bit more about these two songs (lyrics, inspirations…)?
Forget me knots is probably one of the most important songs on the album. It’s a hopeful song and was written for a friend of ours who passed away 2 years ago when we were beginning to write the album.
Flight was one of those songs that were not going to be on the album and then we all changed our minds last minute. When we write songs we write the melodies first and then work on lyrics so initially we work with made up lyrics that don’t necessarily mean anything. For this song we kept those lyrics. I guess they still make sense to us. I think the meaning and feeling of this song especially comes through in the melodies and we didn’t want to lose it. I this song musically was inspired a little bit by Enya. We both adore her.


Who did the artwork of the album and how was it created? You generally use a lot of blue and purple. What do these colors evoke to you?

The artwork was done by New York based artist Stephen Hawlker. He is so fantastic. We did all of our two-ing and fro-ing over skype which was interesting. We wanted to create something that would illustrate what’s going on in the album and I think that the artwork does that exactly. It’s a little bit eerie and dark but uplifting at the same time. I think blues and purples and dark but calming colors. They’re very mysterious and then the red along side that is very direct and again dark. I think, in a way, the colors used represent the emotions felt in these songs.

I saw you did a Gaelic version of Remember When. Can you please tell us a bit more about it? What does it mean to you in terms of tradition and folklore?
Myself and Louise went to a Gaelic/ or Irish summer course when we were 17 and while we were there we translated one of our other songs into Irish. We’ve actually ended up mostly playing that song in Irish since then. We then had some help to translate Remember when into Irish too. The Irish language is a big part of our culture and tradition. As a child, in Ireland, we are brought up in school learning the language and, as with any language, it’s important to keep the motivation there for learning it and to keep it alive. Music can play such a huge part in this because it transcends language and cultural barriers.



Have you ever done music without each other? Do you feel like something crucial is happening when you work together?
We sometimes work on music separately but it is definitely different when we work together. We are able to be completely honest with each other and we know each other so well. I think that helps!

How does it feel to be covered on youtube
Aw, this is so lovely! It’s very surprising when we see people covering our songs. We get surprised to hear that people even listen to our music so this is just shocking. But it’s incredible! Always puts a smile on my face.

What are the plans for Heathers? Any collaboration?
The plan for the moment is to tour! We’re doing a tour of Ireland in the coming weeks and then we hope to get over to the UK, Europe and eventually the US and further afield. Also, writing bits of new music and possibly some collaborations. We’ll see what happens. We’re very excited to get going again anyway.


I would like to show you some videos and you are supposed to make a short comment on each of them!

Video 1: La Dispute - Such small hands
I’ve never heard La Dispute before. This is really cool! I feel sad listening to it. But in a nice way.Very powerful song.

Video 2: Bonfire Madigan
There’s something very haunting about this!

Video 3: Jessie Ware - Wildest Moments
Her voice is absolutely stunning. The video is really simple but gorgeous.

Video 4: The Jezabels
The Jezabels are a band I’ve heard lots about but have never heard. This song is amazing!! Hayley's voice is beautiful!

Video 5: Lovers Love Haters - Poison
We are liking this. The lead singer has a sweet, interesting voice. Nice video too.

Video 6: Arcade Fire - Sprawl II
We are big Arcade Fire fans, and this is by far one of our favorite songs. We got very excited when we clicked on this link. This is also probably one of our favorite music videos ever. Régine's movement and dancing in the video is mesmerizing!!!

Video 7: RVIVR: Edge of Living 
We're also big RVIVR fans & were delighted when we clicked on this link. We saw them play for the first time last year in London when we were recording 'Kingdom'. Love this song! Great band!

Last but not least I read on your Wikipedia that David Guetta would like to work with you. Is that true?!!
We were approached by David Guetta’s US A and R team who had heard ‘Forget me Knots’ on a US blog and they asked if we would be interested in trying to write for his new album. So we’re working away at the moment. It doesn’t necessarily mean that anything will come from it but it’s so great to be asked! We’ve always been interested in writing different types of music and for other people.

Thanks again girls, I wish you the VERY best for the future ♡
You deserve it ♡

See you readers, xxx!

Monday 17 September 2012

News of the week Vol.3

Loving the Alberto Juan online Shop.

♡ I am currently going through a neo metal revival. I'm still totally moved when I listen to KoЯn debut album. It's so emotional and raw. Watching Jonathan Davis recording Daddy in the studio is so hard considering the meaning of the song... breathtaking. Talking about neo metal, you guys need to check The Human Abstract. The album called Digital Veil is a real treasure in the Deftones style.

♡ I totally forgot how much I loved Lords of Acid when I was a teenager. Lust, Voodoo-U and The Little Secrets... 3 albums that I really adored back in the days... sexy, trash, hot, vulgar and funny. The perfect mix to dance like crazy in your room. The first singer, now called Cherrie Blue, released a solo album in the style of LOA and TKK, maybe a bit more easy listening. But they ALL have done SO MANY stuff, it's just crazy and impossible to find/know everything! If you like them, you should also check Alice in Videoland

♡ The current line-up of the all star band Bomb Gang Girlz accompanying My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult just released a full length album and it seems really cool! You can find more information about both bands here. So many great girls were involved in BGG at some points: Carmen Marusich, Christina Petro, Jacky Blaque, Laura Gomel, Louanne Ponder, Lydia Lunch, Pepper Somerset, Rhonda Bond, Ruth McArdle, Sekret DeZyre, Shawn Christopher, Sinderella Pussie, Viva Nova... HOW COOL IS THAT? SUPER COOL! I love all star bands

♡ Do you remember Fatima's old school super hit Warm Eyes? Well, the lovely woman is back with an awesome song titled Phone Line. Don't miss it... she's gonna get big one day. 

♡ I found some old CD's in my room and I was really happy to listen to Munshy again. I loved this band when I was younger. The female singer, Faustine Berardo, is a talented person, a kind of mix between Portishead and KoЯr. Apparently, the singer released several decent albums with a new formation called Orchester.

♡ Did you guys listen to Cadaveria's album Horror Metal? To be honest, considering the artwork and the title of the album, I was not SO excited about it... but I was wrong it is an awesome album! You guys need to check this out asap!

♡ I just found one of the best music blog of the entire blogosphere: Nathannothinsez. Seriously, so MANY amazing stuff have been posted on that blog, it's just crazy. Times Square OST, Invisible Chains, The Geraldine Fibbers, Brainiacs, The Twits, Enigma Variations, Alley Cats, Frightwig, Sick F*cks, Pussy, Suckdolls, Retardos... AAAAAAH!!!!!!!

COUP DE COEUR OF THE WEEK: Death Ride '69 and everything related to that band!!!

♡ I have finally seen The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. The movie was really hard to watch, very emotional and moving. Mathieu Amalric is perfect as usual. The whole movie is a very beautiful ode to life. Sometimes it gets a bit cheesy with the very dramatic voices and the images of landscapes and all but, well, I loved it anyway. Plus, the music is really beautiful. I am a huge fan of Mathieu Amalric, imo he's the ultimate incarnation of the sexy French intellectual and sensitive man. My favorite movies starring MA are L'Histoire de Richard O., Rois et Reines and Comment je me suis disputé ma vie sexuelle.

I also watched Les Anges Exterminateurs by Jean-Claude Brisseau. Many people talked about it with me for the past years so I finally decided to try it. And I was pretty disappointed to be honest. The whole sexual thing of the movie is pretty boring, the philosophical stakes are not so interesting, the actors are not always convincing... I admit that some scenes are well directed and there is definitely something special about the atmosphere of the movie but I was not impressed.

♡ The surprise of the week was Breathing by Karl Markovics. It's a deep movie about an incarcerated young man, working at the morgue, who tries to build a new life to come to terms with the crime he committed. The actors are really good, the atmosphere is deep and moving. The story of the young man is quite emotional. I was really into that movie and thought about it the whole night after watching it.

♡ Another very VERY good surprise was the Danish movie Nothing's all bad by Mikkel Munch-Fals. This is a chorale movie (and an excellent one, which is quite unusual!) involving four different persons. They all can be considered more or less as misfits in the normative society but they end up finding something positive to link them. I loved it. It's a wonderful movie about loneliness, maybe one of the best I have ever seen dealing with this delicate subject. A MUST SEE.

♡ I'm currently reading Women of the Underground: Music - Cultural Innovators Speak for Themselves. This is an AMAZING book, it makes so happy to read what all these fabulous women have to say. It is very, VERY inspiring. Can't wait for the second volume about Women in Art to come out!

♡ To finish, I just found the documentary made by Ulrich Seidl called Models. I am very very excited so I wanted to it for you guys! 

Love you readers, xxx

Saturday 1 September 2012

Pop Corn Session Vol.3

It's Saturday and I finally finished my master thesis... it means I can watch even more movies! Here is a selection of what I'm going to watch or re watch. See the pictures, clik on the numbers as usual.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

And since YouTube is going crazy and let people upload movies, do not miss the opportunity to watch one of my all favorite movies, Synecdoche, New York.

LGBT and friendly bookshop in Nice, France

If you ever come to Nice in France, don't miss the great LGBT and friendly oriented bookshop Vigna. It is very easy to locate in the city center and you will find a LOT of very good references there! The library is run by two nice ladies (who like to talk about their books!) and it's open on Friday and Saturday from 2pm to 6.30pm. They would love to recommend affordable popular or rare books to you... whether you're into pro sex feminism, lgbt classics or edgy art books for example! They also take part in the LGBT cultural life of the city with exhibitions and film projections.



I asked them to talk a little bit about some of their favorite books. It's in French but anyway you can catch some names to google ;)



Le premier livre qui me vient à l’esprit n'est pas une fiction, c’est le Dictionnaire des cultures gays et lesbiennes dirigé par Didier Éribon : une source formidable, un recours pour vérifier une info ou creuser un sujet. Bien sûr, il y a des lacunes et il mériterait d’être révisé (il est paru en 2004), afin de donner leur place ou nouveaux/nouvelles protagonistes des cultures homosexuelles, mais quel incomparable outil ! C’est un livre qui nous a encouragées dans notre projet de librairie spécialisée : oui les cultures homosexuelles existent, elles méritent d’être approfondies, connues et développées et elles concernent tout le monde. Les livres qui s’y rapportent sont précieux ; je citerai encore La culture gaie et lesbienne d’Anne et Marine Rambach, qui revient sur l’histoire récente, le militantisme gai et lesbien, et les combats toujours à mener pour les droits humains.

J’ai pensé ensuite à un poète américain Joe Brainard (1941-1994), dont j’ai tellement aimé le livre I remember, et qui n’est guère connu en France. I remember, c’est pourtant le modèle américain qui a inspiré Georges Perec pour Je me souviens, une variation impressionniste sur les mille bricoles dont on se rappelle et qui forment le tissu chatoyant du passé collectif et intime. Un jeu auquel on participe volontiers – je m’en souviens aussi ou non ce n’était pas comme ça pour moi – et qui distille une nostalgie puissante, traversée d’humour, le tout en version gay pour Brainard.



Remontant le fil de mes enthousiasmes littéraires, je me souviens (à mon tour) d’avoir cherché lorsque j’étais plus jeune des fictions où me reconnaître. Un petit livre m’a troublée et émue alors: Olivia par Olivia (c’est le pseudonyme de Dorothy Bussy, la sœur de Lytton Strachey et une grande amie de Gide). Son charme ne m’a pas déçue à la relecture. Olivia évoque l’atmosphère fiévreuse et passionnée d’un pensionnat de jeunes filles au début du XXème siècle. La narratrice revient sur son passé quand, élève de l'école, elle est tombée amoureuse de la charismatique directrice qui entretenait une relation chaotique mais toujours étroite avec son associée. Ça finit mal et c’est très bien. Évidemment l’histoire, son ambiance, ses protagonistes rappellent un tas d’autres ouvrages depuis Claudine à l’école de Colette en passant par Jeunes filles en uniforme de Christa Winsloe (1934), Thérèse et Isabelle de Violette Leduc ou encore plus récemment L’hymne aux murènes de Mireille Best. Le pensionnat de jeunes filles est longtemps resté une valeur sûre de l’imaginaire lesbien...

Mais l’imaginaire lesbien ne se limite pas à la description – si émouvante soit-elle - des troubles de l’adolescence. Gabrielle Wittkop, née en 1920, morte en 2002, laisse une œuvre transgressive, sulfureuse, mêlant morbidité et érotisme sadien dans une langue magnifique, baroque et classique. Personnellement j’ai beaucoup aimé La marchande d’enfants, un roman fascinant qui évoque avec cynisme les difficultés professionnelles d’une maquerelle à laquelle une consœur anglaise propose quelques conseils, le tout à la veille de la révolution de 1789.


Dans un tout autre ordre d’idée (l’éclectisme est le maître mot de la bouquinerie) j’ai lu récemment L’accompagnement de René de Ceccaty (1994), un court récit très émouvant sur la mort de son ami Gilles Barbedette, auprès duquel il est demeuré jusqu’au bout. Gilles Barbedette (son nom n’est jamais cité dans le livre, mais une courte recherche m’a appris qu’il s’agissait de lui) était un jeune écrivain beau et talentueux fauché par le Sida. On lui doit entre autre une histoire du Paris gay 1925, écrit en collaboration avec Michel Carassou, et qui fait toujours autorité. Ceccaty n’était pas son amant mais son ami, choisi par Barbedette pour être près de lui. Témoin toujours lucide, Ceccaty donne un texte sans pathos qui évoque les soignants lâches ou héroïques, la maladie implacable, les couples réclamant le respect de leur lien. Cela n’est pas sans rapport avec d’autres beaux livres : La symphonie des adieux d’Edmund White ou Ce sont amis que le vent emporte d’Yves Navarre.



C’est un exercice un peu frustrant que de présenter quelques livres, et au moment de conclure, je regrette de n’avoir pas évoqué les Grandes espérances de Kathy Acker, pionnière de la contre culture américaine, féministe punk et pro porn -, Nicolas Pages de Guillaume Dustan, controversé et si novateur, ou encore Hotel Bristol New York, N.Y de Michel Tremblay, un bijou d’humour et d’émotion…

Les livres qu’on aime, on oublie quelquefois qu’on les aime pour leur en préférer de nouveaux, plus récents ou redécouverts. À cet égard, la librairie c’est mieux qu’une pâtisserie pour un gourmand !



Don't hesitate to like the Facebook page and visit the bookshop if you come to the South of France sometimes!

xxx, see you readers!

Wednesday 15 August 2012

Turn Me On, Dammit!


I've seen lots of teen movies in my early years but I begin to watch them with a different eye now I'm getting older. Turn Me On, Dammit! by Jannicke Systad Jacobsen (adapted from a novel by Olaug Nilssen) is definitely not your typical teen movie dealing with the first pangs of love and sexuality. It is a really surprisingly thoughtful story, with a deep analysis of the female sexuality and an accurate description of the teenage boredom and anxiety. The story is quite simple. Alma is a young and simple girl living in a very boring small town in Norway. Unfortunately she is not a Black Metal fan but anyway. She spends her time hanging out with her two girl friends trying to convince some guys to buy them beer. She also has an extra activity that is going to get her into trouble; she masturbates on the phone calling a sex service number and (dirty) talking with a guy that she begins to know well. She also fantasizes about a real guy called Artur. However, her first real life sexual contact with him is going to be fatal (I'm not going to reveal everything) and, in the end, she will be considered as an outcast.

 

Alma and her best friend Saralou (what a beautiful name) are pretty much fed up with living in a small town and working dead-end jobs in small grocery stores. The dream for both of them is to escape from this boring life. Alma's dream is to go to Oslo. Saralou's older sister study there and Alma is very much inspired by her. Saralou's dream is to go to Texas where she wants to fight against death penalty. You can see how different their aspirations are. However, even when they talk about the future and what they want to do with their lives, they also talk about boys and love. What's better than yelling "Fuck Society" throwing some potatoes on the floor and admitting that you are in love with a weird guy just after it? This scene is a really good description of what a teenager thinks about. Everything is mixed inside their minds, between small pleasures and great aspirations. This is what I call the passion of the teen years. Something between anger, despair and love.


Regarding the sexual aspect of the movie, I would say that it is very realistic and crude. Female sexuality is not mystified or put on a pedestal. Alma clearly admits that she is horny and talks about it freely. She uses the real words to talk about sex and it is not done in a funny way, it's just the way it is! The problem does not come from her. The problem is among the people around her. Firstly, her mother is totally freaked out because of the sexuality of her daughter. She is disgusted because she hears her daughter masturbating. I think this is very well done in the movie. We gradually understand that the "noise" is a crucial notion. The mother would love to have a normal and generic mother/daughter relationship with Alma. She does not want to "hear" what her daughter has to say. She wants her to remain silent about her desires and everything that comes up to her mind. This way, we see that female sexuality is still something that needs to remain blur and private. If you put words on it, especially crude words, it becomes very complicated. Unfortunately, Alma is a not a quiet girl and her relationship with her mother is going to be affected by this freedom of speech.  Secondly, the other pupils are getting together to harass Alma after she dares talking about sex during a party (a sentence about her first and unsuccessful sexual contact with Artur, her boy crush). This sentence is going to be repeated so many times by all the pupils during the whole movie. Once again, the "noise" created by this shameful sentence is going to be directed against Alma, the girl who takes a stand.

Alma is not only obsessed by sex. She is also in love and she wants to go out with Artur. What is interesting in this movie is that all the sexual scenes are mainly based on waking dreams. And all the romantic scenes seem to come from sentimental novels. Since Alma is invisible (at the beginning) or rejected (after the turning point with Artur), it seems like she cannot really live anything for real whether it is love or sex (or both at the same time!). She is not understood by her fellows and this complicates her self fulfilment in any way. Talking about love, the very cute scene when Alma dresses up to go to see Artur and buys a brand new dress (to look "hot") is very interesting. It is the perfect counter point to the introduction scene when she dirty talks with a stranger on the phone. I think this movie is really good at representing the whole panel of emotions and behaviors of Alma. This is essential to understand that you cannot reduce someone to love or sex. Every single human is complex and has different sides composing the personality.


The secondary (yet very good) role of Saralou is really interesting. She is torn between "what the others would say" and "what she wants to do" during the whole movie. This depicts in a very accurate way the eternal dilemma of young people looking for the approbation of the mass. She has that very strong felling that she needs to help people in the death row in the US. She writes letters to them but she never sends them. Once again, the words, the noise, are sources of fear. She waits until the end of the movie, once the words become easier to pronounce to finally send the letters. Somebody that also helps her in being more confident and free is the guy she dates. Not the sexiest guy in the school but a nice weirdo. After all, she breaks the conventions and opens new areas of blossoming in the movie. I really want to see a spin off of the movie involving Saralou and her boyfriend!


All in all, this movie is much more than a teen movie. It is an ode to positive sexuality and also a very delicate movie about growing up in a static world. All the people surrounding Alma keep on repeating that "she's sick". It is like a leitmotiv. After all, we understand that they just represent the sheeps that Alma talks about at the beginning of the movie. It is a much overused image but still, it works. They are all together against Alma, the outcast, yelling the same rude comments and oppressing her. They are the blind people who cannot look forward because they are stuck in a single way of thinking. Alma, by breaking the rules of silence and refusing the politically correct norms, creates a fissure in her small close minded town. In that sense, I think this movie is utterly feminist in a sex positive way. Ok so I heard that this movie is not subversive enough, that it is not a surprise that young people think about sex... I understand this. However, I'd like to know how many teen movies you know directly involving a girl and not a boy putting his penis into a pie?! Not so many actually. So, I think it is a cool idea to watch it. It's only 1 hour and 10 minutes anyway :)

See you readers!

Sunday 12 August 2012

Todd Solondz 4ever

I have always been fascinated by Todd Solondz and his great expertise in human psychology. All his movies deal with crucial timeless issues with a totally mind-blowing accuracy. I guess his most viewed one must be the tumblr-famous Welcome to the Dollhouse but I do encourage everyone to watch his entire filmography.


 I recently found on the internet his very first movie called Fear, Anxiety and Depression. Apparently, Todd is very unsatisfied with this debut film. However, I think it's already very interested and, even though it is a bit all over the place, there are already some great and promising elements.

Images: http://toddsolondz.com
Movie available on stagevu.


By the way, if you like Todd movies, I'm pretty sure you would love Adrian Tomine's graphic novels. Somewhere between Wim Wenders and Jim Jarmusch. Again, one really clever man.

See you readers, and don't forget to watch the trailer of Todd's upcoming movie Dark Horse, xxx

Wednesday 8 August 2012

Natvres Mortes Illvstration ♥

I recently discovered Natvres Mortes Illvstration and I absolutely love his work. Here is a short interview to introduce him!


What are the different steps you go through working on a piece of art?
For a commissioned piece a dialogue is started between the band and myself about any concepts or themes they may have in mind already before I begin. Sometimes it gets really specific like reviewing lyrics. I procure a reference from the internet or a book. Sometimes I do a rough sketch to show, then once that's approved I outline most of it in pencil and begin inking. This sounds very boring.


All your artworks are in black and white. What are the emotions and meanings that you associate with these two colors? Have you ever been tempted to use other colors?
I like black and white or grey for its simplicity and graphic quality. The concept of lighter shapes looming out of the dark like in a Goya black painting, a Harry Clark or a Redon piece is also a big part of why I choose to work this way. The contrast created by black and grey is ideal for what I'm trying to accomplish, so I haven't been too tempted to incorporate other colors. I have drawn on colored paper before.

What was your first reaction when you saw one of your artwork tattooed on someone? Is tattoo art something that you would like to investigate?
Having my artwork tattooed on someone is the utmost compliment. There can be no question as to whether or not a work of art has impact when I see it permanently on someone's skin. More people than I ever thought have gotten my artwork tattooed and I greet it with excitement each time. Tattooing is something I'm currently undertaking. I'm learning how to tattoo right now, and my goal is to bring the Natvres Mortes aesthetic to the world of tattooing.


I saw that you collaborated with Rainbath Visual for a zine. Can you tell us a bit more about what kind of relationship you have with RV? Would you consider doing a zine yourself and what are your favorite ones (if any)?
Rainbath and I are very much kindred spirits. We worked together to put on an art show in Oakland in June and spent several weeks living and working together and became close. I'm a huge fan of his artwork and I can also come to him for advice. We have very similar aesthetics but work in totally different ways. The zine was made to commemorate our art show. I might make a zine again in the future but am concentrating on other things. 


Are you into comics or graphic novels? Which ones are your favorites?
Nope, I never really got into comics or graphic novels.

Who’s your last girl crush? Boy crush?
What an odd question, I'm assuming you mean not known to me personally. Girl crush: Zola Jesus. Boy crush: Jenks Miller.



I recently discovered
Hyuna Ji’s work and I think you would appreciate it. What do you think about the reinterpretation of the traditional nature/death/esoteric symbols?
I think it only makes sense that modern artists continue to incorporate ancient and symbolic imagery. I feel like as technology and civilization advanced, culture, mystery and magic was lost as a result. There's a thirst for something that can't be easily explained or found on the internet, and many of these symbols and imagery are very pleasing to the eye and connect with people on an unspoken level.

What did you listen to when you answered those questions?!
This took me a little bit of time to do, so throughout the course I listened to Chelsea Wolfe, Death In June and Bosse-de-Nage.


Anything special to add?
Thank you for conducting this interview and thank you to whoever reads it.

See you readers!

Wednesday 1 August 2012

Pop Corn Session Vol.2

I know it's summer and everybody's probably having fun at the beach (well, for the lucky ones!) but I also know that some of you might prefer staying at home watching movies... and I totally understand it! For those of you, see the images, click on the numbers.

1 2 3 4 5 6a 6b

If you like Hal Hartley, don't hesitate to discover his other movies. It's amazing *.*

See you readers and don't forget the new SWANS album, xxx

Saturday 28 July 2012

The Armageddon Concerto

Just came across this gig featuring Enslaved (in its most progressive form) and Shining (with its lovely black jazz sound). Sit down, close your eyes and get ready for the Armageddon Concerto...


According to the YouTube description: In October 2007 Shining toured Europe as support for the progressive black metal band Enslaved. The concerts usually ended with the two bands doing a cover version of King Crimson's 21st Century Schizoid Man. After seeing a video of one of these covers, the programme committee of Moldejazz commissioned the two bands to write and perform a 90-minute work together.
Source: Enslaved FB page
The resulting work Nine Nights in Nothingness -- Glimpses of Downfall, often referred to as The Armageddon Concerto, was first performed at Moldejazz 19 July 2008. The concerto consists of nine movements, five of which were composed by Jørgen Munkeby and four by Ivar Bjørnson of Enslaved.
Source: Enslaved FB page
Inspired by Norse mythology, doomsday cults and science fiction, the music describes the end of the world, a following post-apocalyptic environment and finally a new beginning. Musically the different movements draw inspiration form a wide range of sources, most notably György Ligeti Olivier Messiaen, and John Coltrane, but also Sunn O))) and The Beatles.

See you readers, xxx