Where can you spy Paul McCartney and his late wife Linda making silly faces, a brunette Madonna playing hide-and-seek, and Rob Lowe rocking adorably geeky glasses? At the Hollywood parties, art openings, and clubs of the late-‘80s and early-‘90s, of course! Photographer Stephen Jerome covered the underground social gatherings and lavish soirees Tinseltown had to offer during that era, immortalizing movie stars, musicians, and fashion designers as they drank cocktails and schmoozed with other famous party-goers. Click through the jump to see some of our favorite photos from his collection and visit Jerome’s site for more old-school celebrity party shots. Read More »
Lars von Trier is a great filmmaker, but he doesn’t seem like the kind of guy you’d much like to hang out and have a drink with. Aside from all that Nazi stuff, his films tend to traffic in the grimmest possible subject matter: he’s tackled rape, slavery, the death penalty, paralysis, and genital mutilation, so it somehow seems logical that his latest picture, Melancholia (on demand now, in theaters Friday) is about nothing less than the end of the world.
Apocalypses are a popular topic for filmmakers — though most are more interested in the narrative possibilities of the post-apocalyptic world than the event itself. Melancholia distinguishes itself by being something of a pre-apocalyptic picture, delving into the anxiety and fear of those who are awaiting the earth’s possible collision with a foreign object (timely!). After the jump, we’ll take a look back at a few of our favorite cinematic apocalypses. Read More »
In 1971, prior to the opening of Troy, Michigan’s first public library, children’s librarian Marguerite Hart began a letter writing campaign asking notable individuals to share their memories of reading and illustrate the importance of libraries. She hoped these notes would inspire the city’s youth. Hart received 97 letters in return, from celebrities, politicians, and authors, including Dr. Seuss, Neil Armstrong, E.B. White, Pearl Buck, Ronald Reagan, and Douglas Fairbanks. The notes are eloquent, touching and thoughtful — Michigan State University President Clifton Wharton rhapsodizes on the responsibility of knowledge while Isaac Asimov writes that a library is “a friend that will amuse you and console you.” After the jump are some of our favorite letters to Troy’s children — to see all 97, head to the Troy Public Library website.
As we imagine horror fans are well aware, last Friday would have been Vincent Price’s 100th birthday, if the actor hadn’t died in 1993. That anniversary has inspired one fan, cartoonist Zach Bellissimo, to pay tribute by drawing portraits of the prolific Price in 100 of his roles on Post-It notes. The impressive results, which span the ’30s through the ’90s and include classic Price moments from House of Wax and the Roger Corman years to “Thriller” and Edward Scissorhands (not to mention a whole lot of looks from 1973′s Theater of Blood), are after the jump.
While the delivery methods might be more inventive these days (ahem, Twitter), the idea of celebrity endorsements is nothing new. In fact, if anything has changed over the past few decades, we’d say that today’s stars must have better publicists/managers/image consultants/etc., because for the most part their brand choices make some kind of sense — at least in comparison. After the jump, find a suited up Woody Allen crawling out of a gigantic conch shell for a taste of Smirnoff, Sammy Davis, Jr. stuffing Alka Seltzer into his Christmas stocking, and a very serious looking Bogey shilling boxed chocolates.
Known for his video and photography manipulations of monumental news imagery, including the 9/11 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib, and the Tiananmen Square protests, Josh Azzarella is a whiz at altering and erasing history. The artist’s latest project, which was two years in the making, takes on something nearly as significant in pop culture, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video. Stripping it of its song and all signs of life — bar the ticket booth attendant at the cinema — Azzarella’s interpretation of the classic offers a landscape that ripe for new fantasies.
