Remember when you were a kid and in between eating fistfuls of paste you had your box of poster paints? Red and blue make purple, right? So why did it always turn out black/brown-ish purple mess? Because red is not a true primary color. Red has yellow in it. Let’s get past red, yellow and blue with today’s subject, basic color theory. I touched on some of the aspects of this in our previous article but I thought some further information and visuals might be fun.
The two major ways colors are created are applied and light which then play into each other but that’s getting too deep for today.
Put simply, applied is paint, though that is seriously simplified. Pure pigments aside, basically any color can be created using the CMYK breakdown. In printing this is called process color but most art students get to use these colors in gouache for color theory classes . C=Cyan, M=Magenta, Y=Yellow and K=Black. With these four primary colors you are able to create most other colors. C+M=Purple, M+Y=Orange and Y+C=Green for your basic secondary colors. All three together make a warm black. Brights, neons, metallics and white are not possible to create using this method. The large majority of things you see printed in magazines, newspapers, books (not old books), anything that shoots out of your home printer is printed using this way. Art prints often are not and it depends for textiles, but usually not. It is a basic and cost effective way to get the rainbow. An uneven mix of CMY will create a brown. An even mix will create a grey.
Light, on the other hand, is a bit more complex. Light is how most computer art programs function so it’s good to know. RGB are Red, Green and Blue. Secondary are R+G=Yellow, G+B=Cyan, B+R=Purple and all three together equal White light. All brights and neons are possible with this mix. Hence all the bright and shiny colors on your television. Some of the secondary colors seem counter intuitive but if you look at the graphic you’ll see they are basically the inverse of applied color with a couple shifts. Ah, patterns in nature.
As a little interesting end tidbit I left our friend ROYGBIV off of the chart. He is the basic colors visual light wavelengths. He is the rainbow. Red Orange Yellow Green Blue Indigo Violet.
Now get your hand out of the paste and go paint something!
Welcome to the liveblog of the 2011 Oscars Red Carpet! It’s Missing Peace, Dancing Queen, and 2/3 of Ms. Anthropy here with your Academy Awards coverage. While we are excited about the show and have been making ourpicks for the winners all week, we have to admit that the red carpet is what we get most excited about. The action starts on E! with live red carpet coverage at 6 ET/3 PT and moves to ABC when the ceremony begins at 8 ET/5 PT and at that point, we will move to another post because we have so much to say about everything Oscars! Continue reading →
So, dear friends, we had a grand plan to publish one Oscars story each day this week and then ACCOUNT SUSPENDED happened. That’s okay though because we know it was just Crasstalk winning the Internet. We are all Honey Badger about it.
What that means, though, is that today is all about the Oscars! Missing Peace, Dancing Queen and Ms. Anthropy are on it to bring you a full day of Academy Awards coverage. We’re starting with a fashion pre-cap this morning to get you warmed up for the main event – a liveblog of the show tonight, starting with the red carpet coverage on E! at 6 ET/3 PT and switching to ABC when the ceremony begins at 8 ET/5 PT. Join us – no false eyelashes, boobs, or smiles required!
We are dying to launch right into the fashion review of tonight’s Parade of the Stars but FIRST!, we offer a look into the fashion trends as displayed by the men and women who have strutted, peacock-like, down this season’s red carpets that don’t matter because they are not The Oscars. The pressure of being a stand-out on the Red Mile, watched by millions of people around the world and analyzed by fashion experts (and us), can bring out the best (even if you forget to thank your husband later). It can also bring out the worst. Speaking of the worst, did you know Gwenyth Paltrow is performing a song from Country Strong? We sincerely hope she remembers a bra this year. How many times have you yelled at the television: “FIRE YOUR STYLIST!” or “Baby, you couldn’t look better if you were covered in bacon and chocolate!” Yes, tonight is as much an amateur fashion critic’s dream as it is Joan Rivers’ foreplay to her post-Oscars climax.
It was seafoam for Amanda Seyfried last year.
Will Nicole Kidman wear a weddingdress for the 67th time? Will Mark Ruffalo comb his hair? Will the first “age appropriate” offender be one of the babies or an old? We’ve got our Tim Gunn bobblehead and black Sharpie at the ready, so let’s go!
Chris Pine is so fine.
Here’s a review of last year’s Oscar red carpet. We are still waiting for the explanation as to why Nicole Richie was invited. As for the ladies, highlights were the pre-breakup, sleek and stunning Sandra Bullock, which is much different than the sheepdog hair she sported at this year’s Golden Globes. We needed her to be more “wash that man right out of her hair” and then style it, rather than just leave it to airdry on the way to the show. Mo’nique, who apparently didn’t spend one moment away from her man long enough to take a solo shot on the red carpet, looked lovely in blue with some hairy-ass legs. You want to know how to stand out on the red carpet? Just study Vera Farmiga.
First time nominee last year only to return with a second nomination this year, Jeremy Renner changed it up from the typical penguin suit. Will he go more traditional this year? We’d like to see him “cleaned up” a bit more like this. How you improve on Colin Firth’s perfect perfection (thank you, Tom Ford) is a mystery to us, but it would not be this (come on with the tennies, RDJ – you’re too old for this). Also, Tom Ford should be at every awards show. Honey wears the hell out of a tuxedo.
The 2011 Golden Globes offered us visions of Angelina, Mila, and Ms. Zeta-Jones in multiple textures of emeraldgreen, shimmering neutrals, and whatever it was that the kooky Helena Bonham Carter had on (scraps of leftover fabric from Alice in Wonderland costumes?). We’re not feeling the 80s dresses, complete with shoulder pads and crystals – there isn’t anything new being done with that to make it feel fresh or worth revisiting – let’s hope the ladies got that out of their systems at the lesser awards.
Hopefully, this daisy-sprinkledMia Farrow-wannabe disaster is a thing of the past – doesn’t she know The Great Gatsby remake has already been cast? Will Johnny Depp’s love affair with the pirate look off-screen continue to merge with his Hollywood Star/French Countryman/Everyman look (otherwise known as the rich hobo)? More men should look like the man on the left, so please make that happen, and that includes you. We’ll wait.
Our Co-Host for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards James Franco
We know how difficult it is to dress when you are expecting but there is no need to look like a box of dollar store Valentine’s day chocolates. Or worse: looking like a lop-sided damaged one even when you are not expecting, for that matter. Also – use a steamer! You’re a celebrity, dammit, demand it!
Our Jakey adheres to the Tom Ford rule. Please note the well-fitting suit, appropriately shiny shoes, and proportional bow tie.
The 2011 BAFTA’s brought out some of the best in this year’s nominees. Her performance may have been so-so but Annette Bening radiated on the carpet and somehow managed not to look like she was wearing a wedding dress. We think this will probably be the only time we can say that SWINTON knocked it out of the park. (Ms. A begs to differ and bows to the Swinton – suck it haters.)
Thandie Newton strikes a stunning pose at this year's BAFTA's
We can’t forget the classics, however. Will we see an updated version of these red carpet figure skating outfits vamping it up tomorrow night? Is Cher coming to the Oscars? She really should, we need the fodder.
Also, will Natalie Portman take a rather obvious cue from the original swan woman? It might make for good maternity wear.
Who are you excited to see? Who will “make it work” and who needed to “edit.” Who will be a hit or a miss (see what we did there)?
Don’t forget to join us later today for a liveblog of Oscar night, starting with the red carpet arrivals on E! (6 ET/3 PT). We will also be doing a champagne-soaked, Spanx-free Oscar re-cap on Monday so be ready to dish!
La Ronde by Arthur Schnitzler Abreact Performance SpaceClosing Night: February 26: 8pm Tickets: Free but Donations Welcome Cast (Order of Appearance) Caroline Price: The Prostitute, The Young Wife and The ActressStephen Blackwell: The Soldier, The Husband and The CountKristen Knisley: The Maid, The Sweet Young ThingMartin Turner Shelton: The Young Master, The Poet
Last night, after venturing into Corktown, Detroit’s historic Irish district filled with great food and great buildings, I arrived at The Abreact Performance Space inside the Lafayette Lofts on the corner of West Lafayette and Brooklyn. I was there early to speak with the powers that be about a one act regarding alcoholic misanthropes as well as to make sure I scored a prime seat (I did, in the front row) for the night’s show: La Ronde: Arthur Schnitzler’s controversial play about sex that was initially banned in Germany, but hailed by Sigmund Freud and which eventually found major followings in the United Kingdom and, not surprisingly, France. The house filled up quickly and a few minutes before the play started, it had reached capacity as The Abreact rushed to accommodate those who had made reservations prior to the performance.
After everything had been taken care of, the lights began to dim and a card on the mantle of a fireplace alerted us that the first (of ten) dialogues would be between the prostitute and the soldier and I was swept away into early 20th century Vienna (well, with British accents). The prostitute tried to pick up the soldier who gruffly and forcefully told her that not only did he have no money, but that he had to get back to barracks. They joked around for a bit before heading down to a secluded area to have sex since the soldier refused to go to the prostitute’s apartment. The house went black as the characters simulated sex, the lights raising again to showcase them half dressed and the prostitute trying to get money out of the soldier, despite having offered her services to him free of charge.
The rest of the show went through this general formula amongst different social classes to showcase how what we want out of love and sex is exactly the same, even if the way we deal with it is different and also reaffirmed the notion that everyone sleeps with everyone. To make a long story short:
The Prostitute slept with The Soldier
The Soldier slept with The Maid
The Maid with the Young Master
The Young Master with The Young Wife
The Young Wife with her Husband
The Husband with the Sweet Young Thing
The Sweet Young Thing with The Poet
The Poet with The Actress
The Actress with The Count
and, finally, to complete the circle, The Count with The Prostitute.
I, and the rest of the audience, spent the two hours (excluding the intermission wherein we all grabbed either cans of PBR or a glass of wine from the kitchen which were also free (everyone donated a couple bucks to offset costs, however)) in uproarious laughter as people teased, snarled and made outrageous noises and comments during sex (my favorite was the monotone “Oh, cricket. Oh, cricket” during the Poet/Actress scene). The show was a triumph, and, while the entire cast was sublime, the strongest was Matthew Shelton as The Young Master trust fund kid who seduced The Maid and The Young Wife (despite both of their protestations. I’d say that it could be seriously considered that some of the characters in the show were raped) and as The Poet/Playwright Robert/Biebitz who lived in squalor while seducing The Sweet Young Thing and The Actress who wouldn’t shut up about an ex-lover named Fritz. His anger at The Maid for falling in love with him during sex, at The Young Wife for teasing him when he couldn’t maintain an erection and his shock that The Sweet Young thing had no idea who Biebitz was felt like some of the most authentic dialogue in a piece filled with incredibly believable words. The sets were spartan, but the space was small and they worked with the vibe of the show.
Overall, I haven’t a bad word to say, which is odd. It’s just a well-written, well acted piece and I urge you to see it. If however, you miss the final performance tonight or live outside of the Detroit area, the French filmed a well-received version of La Ronde in 1950. I haven’t seen it, but, if it sticks close to the script, it should be pretty quality.
The Abreact Performance Space is located at 1301 W. Lafayette Street at Brooklyn. Performances start at 8 with doors opening at 730. The Abreact will begin a production of Waiting For Godot on April 15, which will also star Stephen Blackwell. Tickets, as mentioned, are free, but The Abreact is funded solely by donation. Arrive early! If you decide to get a bite before the show, I highly recommend going to Mudgie’s Deli on Porter and Brooklyn, three blocks north of The Abreact. It’s my favorite place to get sandwiches in Detroit. Go there. Seriously.
Well, hello there! It’s Missing Peace, Ms. Anthropy and Dancing Queen here with Day 2 of our guide to the Oscars.
We are handicapping our picks for the winners in the “big” categories: Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Picture. Yesterday, we brought you the Best Actor in a Supporting Role. Today, we get to look at the Supporting Actress race.
Today’s category: Best Actress in a Supporting Role
Last year’s winner was Mo’Nique for Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire. We’re pretty sure that is the shortest name of a winner in combination with the longest movie title, ever! Anyway, she was a force to be reckoned with in a heartbreaking film. While she didn’t need to shave her legs for the part, she probably should have done so for the red carpet. Let’s take a moment to reflect on her odd 2010 Golden Globes red carpet reveal:
Mo
But we digress! On to this year’s wide-ranging nominees in a category that engenders a certain scrappiness in its contenders. Female character actresses sometimes suffer from an also-ran mentality: many of them have never been quite right for lead roles in film (read: not conventionally beautiful), but their talents may far outshine those of the Kidmans and Roberts and Bullocks of the world. Relegated to supporting roles, these talented ladies bring years of pent-up angst and desperation for recognition to Oscar night. It is not enough to be nominated in this category. Winning is the only thing that will grant them the blazing spotlight for three glorious minutes. They are the Jan Bradys of the Oscars, poised at the ready to smother Marsha in her sleep and blame it that dolt, Cindy.
Nominee: Amy Adams for The Fighter
Amy Adams in The Fighter
Advantage: Boy, is this lady versatile! She easily moves from a singing, dancing fairy tale princess to a gritty, “I ain’t scared of you, mother f*ckers” bad*ss chick! In The Fighter, Adams stands by her man, and perhaps more importantly, stands up against the performance turned in by Melissa Leo. The Academy has had Adams on their radar, even before her stripped-down performance in Doubt erased any doubt that she is nothing more than a modern-day Debbie Reynolds.
Disadvantage: She maybe this generation’s Meryl Streep but the other performances in this category were bone-chillingly good. It’s not her time. The Academy expects to see more great work from Adams and will likely wait until she lands a juicy lead role in a classic Oscar-bait film before granting her the statue.
Nominee: Helena Bonham Carter for The King’s Speech
Helena Bonham Carter in The King's Speech
Advantage: Oh how Hollywood loves a British period piece! The accents! The pretty costumes! Royalty! There is strong momentum behind The King’s Speech but it seems to benefit Colin Firth and the picture itself more than the supporting cast. However, folks seem to love the quirky Ms. Bonham Carter and she is a strong contender. It is nice to see her in something significantly more understated than the maniacally spiteful Bellatrix Lestrange in the Harry Potter series.
Disadvantage: Is she too quirky for the academy? Her delicate beauty and fine acting abilities are often overshadowed by her over-the-top antics. We love her, but are mismatched shoes a dealbreaker? Also, there may be too many opportunities for her to fall up and/or down the stairs while attempting to accept her award. Actually, that may be an advantage. The Academy likes a wild card and unscripted wackiness. Great fodder for the press for weeks after the Awards.
Nominee: Melissa Leo for The Fighter
Melissa Leo in The Fighter
Advantage: Um, she wins everything. Seriously. She has won the Golden Globe and the Screen Actor’s Guild award for Best Actress for this role. Plus, Hollywood LOVES a physical transformation and she does that here. Besides, even Sissy Spacek and Holly Hunter specifically asked Oprah to tell Leo how much they love her. Yes, they were on Oprah for a pre-Oscar show a few weeks back, and yes, Missing Peace (and Dancing Queen) were watching. We dare anyone to say they could recognize Ms. Leo on the street, dressed in her civvies, based on her performance in The Fighter. However, she took a major risk that can sometimes backfire by taking out “for your consideration” ads herself. Will the voters forgive her for these?
Melissa Leo does her best Krystle Carrington impersonation
Disadvantage: The cheesy self-promotion campaign may have given the voters another opportunity check the box for HBC. If we were Academy voters (fingers, crossed – someday, we will be!), the poolside fur would have been a deal-breaker. We don’t like gauche self-promotion. Get a blog, Melissa Leo!
Nominee: Hailee Steinfeld for True Grit
Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit
Advantage: Hailee Steinfeld is the definition of breakout star in this movie. Young actresses in the Supporting Actress category tend to ruin the party for their, ahem, more seasoned counterparts. See: Patty Duke, Tatum O’Neal, Anna Paquin. Steinfeld held her own among a cast of veteran male actors in a gritty Western; this bodes well for her. In fact, she’s already been cast as the lead in the new adaptation of the novel Forgotten. Steinfeld might benefit from Academy backlash against Leo and a desire to shake things up for ratings.
Disadvantage: Being so fresh and untested can be a huge disadvantage. Many Academy voters may hold off, thinking Steinfeld has a long career ahead of her. She has been nominated for almost every single award possible for this role and hasn’t won yet. The Oscars are not the likely occasion to break this trend, opting for a wait and see attitude on Steinfeld.
Nominee: Jacki Weaver for Animal Kingdom
Jacki Weaver in Animal Kingdom
Advantage: Animal Kingdom centers around the activities of a crime family in Melbourne, Australia, with Ms. Weaver playing the family’s matriarch. The movie made its mark in the US at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2010, but has only earned $1 million at the US box office. The movie cleaned up at the 2010 Australian Film Industry Awards where Weaver earned the award for Best Actress.
Disadvantage: Who? Yeah, that’s what we said. We have to imagine that many Academy voters said the same thing, especially given that Weaver has not been in the US promoting Animal Kingdom during the months leading up to the Oscars. The people need face time and she’s off working in the theatre in Australia. Is there theatre in Australia? Other than that white opera house thing-y? We thought it was all outback and beaches and hot volleyball players. People spend time indoors down there? Acting? Huh.
Our pick for Best Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo. This woman would rip your kid’s gold star off his spelling homework if she knew where you lived. Not that she doesn’t deserve the win – she is a powerhouse performer. But if you are an actress who wants to win an Oscar, you better make darn sure that Melissa Leo didn’t make a movie that year.
Our dark horse contender is Helena Bonham Carter for the upset. Is it wrong that we want to see Melissa Leo’s face when the camera cuts to her tight, fake smile as she watches someone else flounce away with the Oscar and wonders how soon she can break away to call her contractor and cancel the plans for the shrine in the entry hall?
Who do you think will take home the award for her performance in a supporting role? And maybe the better question is who deserves it? Those are two very different questions.
Remember to join us on Sunday, February 27th, for a liveblog of Oscar night, starting with the red carpet arrivals on E! (6 ET/3 PT) and switching over to ABC when the Academy Awards ceremony begins (8 ET/5 PT).
I will start with a caveat: If it is true anywhere that rules are meant to be broken it is in the creative fields. However it is also true that it is always good to know some rules are as ignorance is embarrassing and gets you nowhere.
Don’t be afraid. If you don’t think you’re creative treat it like a math problem. Things like basic geometry, perspective and color theory are all math/art crossovers. Many of the same principles apply.
So with these guidelines I hope that you too can make beautiful um, party invitations?
Fonts
• 3 fonts maximum in any given design. A decorative or header font, a sub-header font, if you want/need, which should be bolder or larger than the…body font, which should be plain the smallest & most importantly, easy to read. Please keep legibility in mind especially if you have any older readers.
• The 3 fonts rule excludes the use of italics as an additional font but includes weight changes (bold, other than for emphasis in paragraph, light, roman, demi) of the same font as additional. I swear that sentence made sense. Really.
• Only one crazy font per layout. Less is always more!
• No large amount of body text should be in a decorative font. Who wants to read paragraphs of curly, distressed hanwriting-y craziness? People on acid, that’s who.
• No all caps in a script/handwriting font! It will likely be hard to read. Also, I’ll murder you.
Color
Two colors, not counting neutrals (black, white, greys, tans, nudes) is a good rule however variants of the 2 should be used freely. Variants include: Tints – Base plus White. Lighter. Pink is a tint of Red Shades – Base plus Black. Darker. Maroon is a shade of Red Tones – Base plus Grey. Hue shift. Brick is a tone of Red Temperature – Base plus warm or cool compliment. Usually yellow or blue. Be careful with temperature as if you move to far in one direction or another you’ll reach a new color. Too much yellow in red makes a proper orange whereas a nice orangy red might be fine. It is all very arbitrary, isn’t it?
General Layout
• There should be a central image, phrase or word. You are trying to communicate something I assume. This is about design, not pure art.
• Having said that that design is all about communication. It needs to look good but that is the vehicle for the idea rather than the main objective.
• People hate reading. How the hell did you make it this far? Do make it interesting to look at.
• Don’t be afraid of white/empty space. Be afraid of clutter. Less is always more.
• Don’t be afraid to overlap things so long as you can still tell what’s going on and/or can read it.
• Do not have tangent (Math! Friggin math! Look it up.) items. Barely touching items looks like a mistake. Either space or overlap them.
• Do line up things. If one item is only slightly off from another it will look sloppy. Line them up or make the difference bigger.
• Borders and rules (lines) can make things pop and help to prioritize.
• In that same vein, breaking up boxes and lines can add visual interest.
• Keep very squared-up boxy layouts for more conservative designs.
• Do look for a geometric flow in your layout. Is it a circular or triangular arrangement? It could be just a diagonal sweep from one corner to another.
Life, the Universe & Everything
• As with everything, be consistent.
• If at first you don’t succeed, blah blah, however…
• If you keep picking at it, it will never heal. Therefore…
• Don’t be afraid to start over.
• Try something you think will look bad. You might be wrong.
• Ask for help.
• Oh yeah, break the rules.
It’s Oscars Week! (Yes, it deserves a week.) It’s Missing Peace, Ms. Anthropy and Dancing Queen here with our amateur’s guide to the Oscars. We’re not film industry insiders – we’re avid movie and fashion fans with opinions. Hey! Just like you! Join us on Sunday, February 27th, for a liveblog of Oscar night, starting with the red carpet arrivals on E! (6 ET/3 PT) and switching over to ABC when the Academy Awards ceremony begins (8 ET/5 PT). We will be talking fashion, surprise wins, loser reactions and speeches that went on too long. E! has nothing on us!
Each day this week, we’ll make our picks for the winners in the “big” categories – the ones that make the careers of relative unknowns and reward those who have patiently waited, year after year, for recognition: Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Actor, Best Actress and Best Picture. To make our picks, we’re taking a realistic approach, considering performances worthy of winning and factors that may help or hurt a nominee.
Also, you may have noticed that we listed only five categories and there are six days between today and the Oscars. That’s because on Saturday, we will be previewing red carpet fashion: the trends, do’s, don’ts and who will be on the receiving end of the coveted Ryan Seacrest “Cop a Feel” Award. Sharpen your claws, kittens!
Today’s category: Best Actor in a Supporting Role
Last year’s winner was Christoph Waltz for his wickedly terrifying and brilliant performance in Inglourious Basterds. Who will take it home this year?
Nominee: Christian Bale for The Fighter
Christian Bale in The Fighter
Advantage: Seriously dedicated himself to the role – do you see the weight loss and physical transformation? Although Bale’s currently not working (hence the hot Golden Globes beard and the not so hot Farrah Fawcett do), he has an extremely successful acting career going back to 1987’s Empire of the Sun. He can carry a money-making franchise like Batman but he also translates well in smaller projects. Bale is a compelling on-screen presence with a serious dedication to his craft. Sometimes that dedication results in…
Disadvantage: His Terminator meltdown. Sure, everyone’s heard the tape and most people still think he’s an asshole, but Hollywood is the capital of assholery. It would be a bit hypocritical to hold that against him. It hasn’t stopped Julia Roberts or Russell Crowe or Mel Gibson or…
Nominee: Geoffrey Rush for The King’s Speech
Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech
Advantage: Rush won an Oscar for 1997’s Shine, so clearly he has some fans in the Academy. Who doesn’t love a guy who can go from an undead, morally bankrupt pirate to a gentleman spoofing the craft of acting as a royal speech coach? Rush’s crazy-but-lovable uncle thing makes him an endearing favorite.
Disadvantage: Rush is so solid that he is easy to overlook. In some ways, being a consistently great actor can be a disadvantage at the Oscars. The Academy likes to reward “surprisingly strong” performances. Right, Julia Roberts? This year, is Rush too good to win? Will our imaginary uncle be overlooked for a scruffy ruffian? Will the Academy voters be too focused on Colin Firth’s performance to have checked the box for Rush?
Nominee: Mark Ruffalo for The Kids Are All Right
Mark Ruffalo in The Kids are All Right
Advantage: Dreamboat Ruffalo is a dreamboat (DQ begs to differ but that’s a different story for another day). Also, he comes from a film that was in limited release, which the Academy loves, and has a working actor’s humility and grace.
Disadvantage: To this day, we see Mark Ruffalo as the love interest in 13 Going on 30. And if we see it that way, everyone does, right? Ruffalo’s biggest disadvantage is that The Kids Are All Right is just all right: it isn’t a particularly important film and his performance as a sperm donor with a (misguided) heart doesn’t show the emotional depth worthy of an Oscar.
Nominee: Jeremy Renner for The Town
Jeremy Renner in The Town
Advantage: Renner was a front-runner last year for his performance in 2010’s Best Picture winner The Hurt Locker, but lost to Hollywood favorite Jeff Bridges for his amazing performance in Crazy Heart. In a mere eight years, Renner has ascended quickly, from playing Jeffrey Dahmer to being a two-time Oscar nominee. The Academy likes to reward young talent in the Supporting Actor category, so Renner may be due for a reach-around after last year’s snub.
Disadvantage: AnotherBostonStreetTough. This character is quickly becoming the new ManicPixieDreamGirl and is equally as tiresome. Renner’s performance in The Hurt Locker was far superior to this turn in Ben Affleck’s second homecoming vanity project.
Nominee: John Hawkes for Winter’s Bone
John Hawkes in Winter's Bone
Advantage: Hawkes plays an incredibly convincing scary dude here, with a buzz-worthy performance. The Academy loves drug addicts and dirt bags: Hawkes covers both. Winter’s Bone may be the best least-seen movie of the year. And Hawkes is a natural character actor who blends so seamlessly into roles that he can get LOST in them.
Disadvantage: Winter’s Bone made $6.4 million at the box office and, compared to Black Swan, with a box office draw of over $101 million, it’s pretty small potatoes. Have enough hoity-toity Academy members gotten around to seeing this movie yet?
Our pick for Best Supporting Actor: Christian Bale. Talented assholes finish first. Plus, he sure is pretty. Bale’s strongest competition is Geoffrey Rush – the two have been neck-and-neck through this awards season, making Oscar night a nail-biter in this category.
Your turn. Who’s your pick for Best Actor in a Supporting Role?
Meet Shinya Kimura. He builds custom motorcycles out of his shop in Los Angeles. Unlike most of the blinged-out choppers you see on cable TV, Kimura’s machines are gritty. They’re hand-built and gnarly and fast enough to take out to the desert for the famous El Mirage land speed races in Southern Calfiornia.
His style is really unique. There’s a lot of unpainted aluminum and stainless steel. And he works on a wide variety of types of engines and frames. He’s almost more like a hot rod car-builder than the typical motorcycle guy in his approach.
But above all, the man clearly just loves motorcycles and feels the passion that so many of us have for two wheeled machinery. Some of his creations appear to be influenced by the British cafe racer, which is a stripped-down style of motorcycle with low handlebars and built for riding fast. Other bikes of his are more inpspired by the American bobber, which is similar to a chopper, but with chopped-off (bobbed) fenders and lots of flat-black paint instead of fancy chrome. You can check out more of his work at his blog.
Here’s Kimura sitting on a vintage Italian MV Agusta.
And here he is on the custom Ducati twin he rode at El Mirage. (Yes, those are drum brakes on the front!)
I have never been on a horse or even had the desire to, really. But I love them- I love looking at them, being near them and I really love the accessories & style that go along with equestrian and country living. It is both casual & refined. It’s a country club and a log cabin. I think this may have started with Claire’s boots and long wool skirt in The Breakfast Club. I was a punk rock girl who badly wanted to make out with Bender so I couldn’t justify this style expression in my life then. I would simply file it in my design subconscious.
Styles come and they go and then they come back! I have since bought riding boots ten times over. I started off as a stylist in television land and I have yet to work with a gay Art Director or Production Designer who didn’t at some point send me out for a horn chandelier, faux deer bust, or a pony skin rug to place a Noguchi table upon. I stereotype because I can. Last year, I redesigned the interior of a massive log home in ‘Horse Country’ here in Ontario and spent some time living there myself, once again re-awakening my inner Claire.
It is the Equine Photography of Donna DeMari that inspires me to sit down and write this post. The clarity and beauty of these photographs made me gasp. Once I recovered, it made me want to shop. I hope you enjoy the guide below- click on the pics for a direct link to the source! If you are flush enough to click on the Gucci bracelet, buy me one too. I have learned to mesh my punk rock girl and my inner Claire. I am sure I could pull it off with panache and edge.
*I am looking for submissions & questions for an upcoming Design Advice column. Photos are welcome! Please email me at superlovinya at gmail.
From the home of Bagley MischkaPen & Ink by Ludwig BemelmansHorses At Rest, Ballard DesignsClockwise from top left; Horsehead Hook, Equestrian Hardware, Forged Iron Hook, Forged Iron Knobs all Pottery BarnClockwise from top left; Dressage Bucket, Rope door stop, 7 Arm Candelabra, Lourdes Chandelier all from Ballard DesignsHorsebit Bracelet, GucciLarge Horse Print- jersey rawlings tunic by Stella McCartneyHarry Hall Balmoral Breech Jodhpurs by Country SuppliesHorseshoe Messanger Bag, Ralph LaurenFinlay Riding Boots, Country SuppliesHermes scarf
Italian Cashmere Throw, Gracious HomeLouis Vuitton Vintage Trunk
Tattersall Woven Rug in Tobacco by Dash & AlbertTwo Horses Lamps, Barbara CosgroveChantilly Dinnerware by NidervillerChantilly tae cup & saucer by NidervillerHermes Attelage FlatwareKey mirror from Inside AvenueHorse Bookend, Inside AvenueWall Mounted Horse HeadDonna DeMari Equine Photography
