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Movie Trailer: Which Way to the Front Line From Here?
You know how in life there are those random moments that seem like nothing but you end up remembering forever? Two years ago, I remember working from home, sitting on my couch, when I got a message from my BFF Jill. She was working with photographers at the New York Auto Show who were freaking out because (from what I gathered) their photojournalist friends had been killed. The news soon broke on Twitter that it was Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros. I got sucked into an Internet black hole of researching the two of them and their photographs. I hadn’t known of either of them before, but learned they were both well-established, respected and genuinely loved by their peers.
If you can fire up your ma’s HBO Go account, I suggest you check out a documentary focusing on Tim – Which Way to the Front Line?. Tim’s work from Liberia to Afghanistan to Libya, where he was killed in 2011 while working, is incredible. He shows us an Afghanistan that I never knew existed. I’m grateful he put himself out there so we can see parts of the world unfamiliar to us, but what it worth his life? Yeah, this movie is a bummer. Watch when you’re ready to hate yourself for how good you have it.
2013 Met Ball
The 2013 Met Ball was last night. It’s total dress porn – an even better night for those that watch the Oscars strictly for the dresses. Because here you have the Oscar people but also the Grammy people, the fashion people and the sports people, all selected by Anna Wintour. This year’s theme was Punk Rock. I have mixed feelings on this. On the one hand, how on earth does Taylor Swift choose to present herself in that theme? On the other.. I kind of want to see her try?
Our job here is to judge. There’s no fair standard that I’m applying to all. Some people get credit for working the theme, some get credit for working life and looking amazing. Here are my favorites:
Tacking on a safety pin to your Balenciaga dress? I’ll accept it, Carey Mulligan. The cutout dress fits beautifully and is very Wang. I could also see Gwyneth Paltrow, who never shied away from a cutout, wearing this. She would have been better served in this dress than another pink monstrosity.
This Gucci reminds me of a Project Runway dress, but in the best possible way.. Which is to say a dress made by Christian Siriano circa 2008. It elevates Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, who is essentially still a Transformers gal. Satin almost never works. It wrinkles too easily and ends up looking messy. And it creates bulge illusions on even the thinnest. But this does neither, so props to Gucci.
You knew Florence would nail it with her Givenchy luxe witchy cowboy. Stevie Nicks would be proud.
More Givenchy on Madonna. You knew someone would take the theme literally. I know, I KNOW. But isn’t his better, in the context of tonight’s event, than wearing this?
Annie in vintage Valentino bleaches her hair, does Cher.
The spiked gold Stella McCartney belt speaks to the theme. The cape speaks to me.
Another slightly more literal interpretation – Christina rightly represented plaid in Vivenne Westwood.
Sienna Miller in Burburry is one of the few attendees who I believe actually wore a studded black leather jacket in her youth. And the studded headband = best accessory of the night.
Kirsten Dunst in Louis Vuitton. Don’t know why she’s not in Rodarte.
The Brits understand the aesthetic..even the spawn of Phil Collins in Moschino.
Perfect from toes to forehead. The hair is problematic – she nailed the dress but went ‘extra’ on the hair. Still, props. Marc Jacobs was probably one of the most sought-after designers for the night as he can deliver on the theme.
KILLING IT. This reminds me of (sad alert!) when she attended the Met Ball in 2006 with Alexander McQueen – one of the best. Look at those boots! Again, consider the theme and contrast with, let’s say.. Heidi Klum, who should be on Project Runway probation with that dress.
Sunday Funday: Cinco de Mayo Edition
Thank goodness we’re having a spring this year. This was another sunny-but-jackets-required weekend. On Saturday, we walked over to Franny’s, where my bff Jill once sat next to her #1 celeb crush, Jake Gyllenhaal.
Sunday we went back to Prospect Park for the Food Truck Rally and enjoyed a walk through the neighborhood.
Was one of my neighbors inspired by The Shawshank Redemption?
Party’s here?
Goddess of Victory + friends
Delicious fish and chicken tacos and Mexican Coke(!) from Mike n Willie’s
Mexican Coke in Park Slope!
Everything Else
My first Doritos Locos taco manufactured food product!
+ Fast Company has a long read on my favorite new food product, Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos taco. There are people in the world who think Taco Bell is nasty. There are people in the world who accept Taco Bell as an essential stop on a road trip. These are my people. Don’t get too judgey, now – I rarely get the chance to eat it. There are none near me in NYC and those that do exist are in filthy locations like Penn Station or end up being literally infested with rats (yup, I was eating there during that infestation time). So no Taco Bell here for me, thank you. It’s probably better that way. I get it a handful of times when I’m visiting home. If you’re on team Taco Bell, you’ll probably love the tidbits in the article, like that they made a point to have the Doritos cheese dust remain on your hands while eating the tacos and that each location had to hire new staff to deal with the popularity of the taco and that a ‘Taco Bell flavored’ variety of Doritos is coming to a grocery near you.
+ Did the movie Kids have an impact on you? It was THE movie to see among my friends in high school. The alternative kids.. you know. That and Clerks. Narrative.ly (nice Libyan domain there) did a ‘Where Are They Now?’ feature on the film’s cast. Two are dead, all are in their late 30s+ and the director is 70. Man alive, this doesn’t feel right. It’s interesting that the cast feels like the film captured a lost era in NYC that was a little wilder. You can really feel it in the film. And while I can’t claim to have my finger on the pulse of today’s NYC youth, they do seem sheltered and missing that wild child spirit of the 90s.
+ More in ‘kids today’: Prom-goers are posting their prom dresses on Facebook so others won’t wear the same dresses. Kind of takes the fun out of seeing everyone dolled up on prom night, no? I would like to point these dresse out to Nina Garcia and Heidi Klum, neither of whom ever attended prom and both who insisted, while judging Project Runway, that girls strictly wear short dresses to prom. Not the case, seniorita and frauline.
+ The politics of pooping in the office.
+The Best Onion Headlines of the week:
‘Obama Explains How They Get All Those Cars On The Back Of One Of Those Trucks‘
‘Rescue Chip Sent In To Save Broken Tostito Submerged In 7-Layer Dip‘
‘Social Media Rock Star Makes $28,000 Per Year‘
Movie Trailer: Tiger Eyes
I know I read all my school and public library’s Judy Bloom books. Still, though, Tiger Eyes don’t seem to ring familiar to me. I’m sharing this for Judy Bloom lovers who have better memories than mine.
Baby Bird Buster Bluth
I’ve been planning on marathoning Arrested Development’s past seasons on Netflix in anticipation of the new season on May 26. Partly I wanted to catch-up on George Michael, Job and Maebe and partly I wanted to get back in the mood for the show. But that has been accomplished in the <2 minute clip below. Arrested Development, I'm ready for you.
Instagram Follow: @dguttenfelder
Instagram is one of my favorite apps to come along in recent years. I do a quick scroll through updates several times throughout the day. I like that it gives you a little glimpse of people’s lives without having to deal with Facebook, although technically, yes, I know I’m using a Facebook product. I mostly follow a small-ish list of people I know personally, but one of my favorites is David Guttenfelder, the Chief AP Photographer in Asia. He posts near-daily snapshots from North Korea, which just recently opened up wireless networks to some foreign journalists. There is nowhere else I’d more like to see snapshots of everyday life. Check him out on Instagram. If you log in, you can follow him directly on there.
Here’s a bit from NBC Nightly News about David:
And a nice interview with David at National Geographic.
David has a Tumblr.
And I’m on Instagram, too.
Saturday Funday: Gowanus Edition
Top left: Typical view from brunch, Brooklyn Homebrew sign, BFF Jill, Beautiful latte
Today is one of the few perfect times of year in NYC. Summer is almost always too hot, which leads to a sweaty commute. Both ways. We are surrounded by swampland, after all. Winter can be not so bad, unless it’s windy, which it often is. So for a few weeks in April-May and September-October, there is no better time to enjoy the city. Yesterday, I had breakfast with my bff Jill at Runner and Stone in Gowanus, the world’s worst named neighborhood. We decided to take a walk, enjoying the weather, and did some ridiculously Brooklyn things, including:
-browsing a terrarium store. all terrariums, all the time
-buying pie in a pie shop with mega rude employees who tried to kill us with their glares
-browsing a beer brewing shop, where you can buy kits to make your own beer
No purchase were made, other than rude pie. I almost bought a bag of espresso there, but the employees were so awful – I didn’t want to spend my monies there. When we got to the front of the line, they glared at us, not saying anything until we just said our order. Awkward. Then they glared again when we wanted our pie to go after not asking either way. Sorry we’re trying to spend money in your shop. Bye, now.
Positive note – The staff at Runner and Stone were so pleasant and customer-friendly in a way that you have to assume they are not native New Yorkers. Big ups to friendly customer service people!
Movie Trailer: Bling Ring
When this story came our in real life, I was uninterested: A group of no-name Hollywood brats burgles a group of famous Hollywood brats. Yawn. But Sofia Coppola did take interest in it, added Emma Watson and turned it into her follow-up to Somewhere, also set in Hollywood. She is one of the directors whose movies I will probably see by default, regardless of subject matter. We’ll know more next month after it premieres at Cannes.
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