Category Archives: 1001 things to do before you die

RIP Christopher Gray (1942 – 2009)

Leaving the 20th Century: The Incomplete Work of the Situationist International (1974) – Christopher Gray [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]

Christopher Gray is a British writer and activist, editor of Leaving the 20th Century: The Incomplete Work of the Situationist International (1974). He was a member of the British SI and of King Mob.

Leaving the 20th Century: The Incomplete Work of the Situationist International (1974) is an anthology of Situationist texts edited by British activist Christopher Gray. The original edition was designed by Jamie Reid.

Charles Fourier’s Hierarchy of Cuckoldry (1924)

Charles Fourier‘s Hiérarchie du cocuage (1924)

“… let us first establish a hierarchy of cuckoldry and introduce into this serious debate the beacon of analytic method, which the philosophers regard as the path to truth. ”

“Among cuckolds, it is possible to distinguish nine degrees of cuckoldry, both among men and women, for women are cuckolded far more often than men; indeed if the husband has horns as tall as a stag’s antlers, the wife’s may be said to be as high as the branches of a tree.” —The theory of the four movements [1]

I stumbled upon this work via the excellent Anton Constandse Eros – de waan der zinnen (1977). The hierarchy of cuckoldry is part of a defense of free love.

The Last Days of Emma Blank by Alex van Warmerdam

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFGrA1KCfEo]

The Last Days of Emma Blank[1] by Alex van Warmerdam

Chances are slim that you come across this film if you live outside of Europe or even Dutch-speaking countries, but if you see this film playing near you, don’t miss it. Warmerdam is the best director of The Netherlands and has been for some time now. His palmares includes Abel (1986), The Northerners (1992), Little Tony (1998), Grimm (2003) and Waiter (2006).

The Last Days of Emma Blank (Dutch original: De Laatste dagen van Emma Blank) is a Dutch film by Alex van Warmerdam released in May 2009. The film is co-produced with La Parti Productions in Belgium and is the story of Emma Blank, a rich woman who is incurably ill and who is living her last days. She is surrounded by personnel who patiently await her death, which takes longer that originally envisioned.

RIP Zé Rodrix (1947 – 2009)

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OITefBHuEkk&]

Elis Regina‘s recording of Zé Rodrix‘s rock rural “Casa no Campo“

Zé Rodrix (born José Rodrigues Trindade in Rio de Janeiro , 25 November, 1947- São Paulo, 22 May 2009) was a Brazilian musician, known as member of Sá, Rodrix & Guarabyra and the group Som Imaginário which accompanied Milton Nascimento and Gal Costa.

In 1971, Elis Regina‘s recording of his rock rural “Casa no Campo” (with Tavito) became a national hit.

See Brazilian music, Brazilian rock

Introducing Joel Brodsky (1939 – 2007)

Pleasure

Joel Brodsky (7 October 1939 – 1 March 2007) , American photographer, best-known for his risqué Ohio Players album cover photography. His photographs are also featured on the covers of The Doors‘ Strange Days[1], The Stooges debut album[2], Herbie Mann’s Memphis Underground[3] and the Ohio Players’ Ecstasy[4] and Pleasure[5].

His best-known picture, according to a Washington Post story, was used as the cover of the 1985 The Best of The Doors[6] album. It made in late 1966 and shows a bare-chested Jim Morrison of the Doors, with his arms outstretched.

Brodsky’s photographs appeared on over 400 album covers.

James Fox @70

James Fox (born 19 May 1939) is an English actor best-known for his portrayal of Chas in Performance (1970, directed by Donald Cammell and Nicholas Roeg).

Chas (James Fox) is a “performer,” an ultra-violent enforcer for an East London gang who begins to enjoy his work a little too much, culminating in the murder of an associate. He goes on the run, both from the police and from his former colleagues and finds himself a hideout in the house of a reclusive, eccentric rock star named Turner (Mick Jagger) who lives there with his female friends. Chas and Turner are initially repelled by each other, but come to see that the worlds of the rock star and the gangster are not as different as they first appear.

His previous cult film was The Servant (1963, directed by Joseph Losey) in which Tony (James Fox), a wealthy young Londoner, hires Barrett (Dirk Bogarde) as his manservant. Nothing being what it seems, the characters manoeuvre around each other until roles reverse and Tony emerges enslaved to his butler.

Both Performance and The Servant are WMCs.

La Merditude des choses (2009)

De helaasheid der dingen will premier at Cannes[1] this Saturday as La Merditude des choses.

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FxKWAuf-4E]

The De helaasheid der dingen (French title: La Merditude des choses) is a 2009 film by Belgian director Felix van Groeningen (co-written by Christophe Dirickx), based on the eponymous novel by Dimitri Verhulst. The film stars Koen De Graeve, Johan Heldenbergh, Gilda De Bal, Pauline Grossen and Wouter Hendrickx.

Felix van Groeningen (1978) is a Belgian filmmaker. Van Groeningen came to the attention with his debut Steve + Sky which starred former model Delfine Bafort (his girlfriend at the time) and the Flemish actor Titus De Voogdt. He studied at the KASK in Gent and graduated in 2000. He also directed short subjects and theatrical work. In 2007 he released Dagen Zonder Lief, with An Miller and a soundtrack by Jef Neve.

His latest project is De Helaasheid der dingen (2009), is a film adaptation of De helaasheid der dingen, a novel by Dimitri Verhulst.

Introducing Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder (c.1566 –1568)

By Sholem Stein

The image breakers, c.1566 –1568 by Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder.

Marcus Gheeraerts the Elder (c.1520–c.1590) was a Flemish artist associated with the English court of the mid-16th Century and mainly remembered as the illustrator of the 1567 edition of Aesop’s Fables, De warachtighe fabulen der dieren[1]. Gheeraerts’ style resembles that of Pieter Bruegel the Elder. In his own day, Gheeraerts was particularly famous as a draughtsman of birds and animals.

The Trip Created By Saint Etienne (2004)

The Trip Created By Saint Etienne (2004) [Amazon.com]
[FR] [DE] [UK]

The Trip Created By Saint Etienne is a compilation album compiled by Saint Etienne.

The tracklisting includes (eleven tracks are Youtubed):

1. Serge Gainsbourg – Cannabis[1] 2. Gene Page – All Our Dreams Are Coming True[2] 3. Gwen McCrae – Move Me Baby 4. Brinkley and Parker – Pander Man 5. Esther Williams – Last Night Changed It All[3] 6. Gloria Scott – (A Case Of) Too Much Lovemakin’[4] 7. Marvin Gaye – Symphony 8. Mamas and Papas – Shooting Star 9. The Supremes – Time To Break Down 10. Ennio Morricone – Deus Irae Psychedelico 11. Kiss Inc. – Hey Mr. Holy Man[5] 12. The Attack – Lady Orange Peel 13. Nancy Priddy – You’ve Come This Way 14. R.P.M. Generation – Rona’s Theme 15. Lalo Schifrin – Jaws 16. Bobby Hutton – Lend A Hand 17. Lindy Stevens – Pennygold[6] 18. The Isley Brothers – My Love Is Your Love 19. T.U.M.E – Love Shortage[7] 20. Ernie Bush – Breakaway 21. Candido – Succulent 22. Jeff Britton – Rub Out 23. Foster Sylvers – Misdemeanor[8] 24. Major Lance – It Must Be Love Coming Down 25. Carl Carlton – I Won’t Let That Chump Break Your Heart

Disc: 2

1. Spanky & Our Gang – Like To Get To Know You[9] 2. The Sandpipers – Never Can Say Goodbye 3. The Poppy Family – Free From The City[10] 4. Mandy Moore – If Not By Fire 5. Ice – Ice Man 6. John & Beverly Martin – Auntie Aviator 7. Euphoria – There Is Now 8. Dillard & Clark – Radio Song 9. Fairport Convention – Autopsy 10. Roger Nicholls – Snow Queen 11. Orpheus – Can’t Find The Time 12. Chrysalis – Summer In Your Savage Eyes 13. Queen Anne’s Lace – Happiest Day Of My Life 14. Alzo & Udine – Something Going 15. The Originals – The Bells 16. Marsha Malamet – I Don’t Dare 17. Dusty Springfield – I Start Counting 18. Scott Walker – Angels Of Ashes[11] 19. Tim Hardin – Speak Like A Child 20. Michaelangelo – This Bird 21. The Left Banke – Dark Is The Bark 22. Julie Covington – My Silks And Fine Arrays 23. John Barry – The Dolls House

I think you’ll like it.

Wes Anderson @40

[Youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6l8zrsf4LY]

Seu Jorge sings [1] “Life on Mars?” in Portuguese in The Life Aquatic

Wesley Wales Anderson (born May 1, 1969) is an American writer, producer, and director of films and commercials. In Europe, Anderson came to mainstreamish attention with The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) but my favourite of his films is The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004), not in the least because the film is his most surreal effort to date and was rather poorly received compared to his other films. Future films to be expected from Anderson are Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), an animation of a Roald Dahl story and My Best Friend, an adaptation of the film by the same name by personal fave Patrice Leconte.

With the exception of Bottle Rocket, his films employ a similar art direction, primarily through the use of vivid primary colors. He often uses folk music and early rock as the background music in scenes. The depiction of escapism and companionship through chemicals is also one of his trademarks. Anderson, like many European art film directors before him makes use of ensemble casts of the same actors, crew members, and other collaborators. For example, the Wilson brothers (Owen, Luke, and Andrew), Bill Murray, Seymour Cassel, Anjelica Huston, Jason Schwartzman (I Heart Huckabees) and Eric Chase Anderson (Anderson’s brother). Other frequent collaborators are writer Noah Baumbach, who co-wrote The Life Aquatic, and wrote/directed his own film, The Squid and the Whale, with Anderson as producer. Also cinematographer Robert Yeoman and composer Mark Mothersbaugh.

If you like Anderson’s work, you should check the following directors working in North America: David O. Russell, P. T. Anderson, Michel Gondry, Charlie Kaufman, Spike Jonze, Vincent Gallo, Hal Hartley, Alexander Payne and Terry Zwigoff, a group of directors currently being denoted as indiewood.

Jahsonic

Burgemeester van Dodenstad