Friday, October 30, 2009

Scorsese's 11 Scariest Horror Films

Over at the Daily Beast, Scorsese lists what he considers the 11 most scary films of all time.

Where the Dirty Hipsters Are

Stream the 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' Soundtrack

The soundtrack to Wes Anderson's upcoming 'Fantastic Mr. Fox' is available to stream now on imeem. As others have noted, although Anderson did not work with his usual music supervisor, Mark Mothersbaugh, the soundtrack is very Mothersbaugh-y. Featuring an excellent score by Alexander Desplat (most recently of 'Benjamin Button' fame), the soundtrack has a few appeareances by the usual suspects: the Rolling Stones, George Delerue (recently used in Anderson's Amex 'La Nuit Americaine' tribute/commercial). A new Jarvis Cocker song also pop up (recorded at APC's Paris headquarters). Enjoy!

Fantastic Mr. Fox (Original Soundtrack)

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Amsterdam's Flower Market

Inspired by Harriett Beacher Stowe?

Philip Roth Interview with Tina Brown

Tina Brown Talks with Philip Roth: The Full Interview from The Daily Beast Video on Vimeo.

Watch Roth weigh in on the state of the novel, his reputation as a "crazed penis," and politely correct Brown's misreading of his novel.

Fitzgerald's Tax Records

William J. Quirk reviews F. Scott Fitzgerald's tax records. It's surprisingly interesting. One revelation: Fitzgerald was actually big on saving his money.

Castellers de Barcelona

Catalonia's Castels (human castles for the gringos among us) first came to my attention in the Spanish coastal city of Tarragona. Walking down the city's rambla, I stumbled across a sculpture replicating a castel. I was immediately in awe. Six layers of human beings held up by a large mass of men and women pushing and packed like sardines. Could this really exist?
The answer is decidely 'yes.' As luck would have it, a visit to the Barcelona's Sagrade Familia allowed me to stumble across a flyer advertising a Sunday competition of Barcelona's Castellers. For those lucky enough to visit, it seems that this competition is held every Sunday and is completely free.Watching these men and boys, women and girls, climbing one on top of the other to reach staggering heights was exhilarating. Keep in mind these people are not on grass or padded mats; they are standing on top of not so forgiving concrete. My palms were sweaty (although I have to admit that my palms sometimes get sweaty after a touching AT&T commercial).No one knows for sure when this tradition first came into existence. Some say that castellers evolved from 16th-century folk dances, others claim that the towers represented religious paintings or human simulacra of the crucifixion of Christ. Regardless, this is sight to see with your very own eyes.

Monday, October 26, 2009

Staff Meals

Squid Ink recently introduced a weekly feature detailing staff meals at several different Los Angeles restaurants. The now defunct Gourmet Magazine also spent some time with this subject; an '08 article chronicled the detail and thought put into El Bulli's staff meals.

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Buy Lady Gaga's Hair

Buy the new Lady Gaga CD monster pack and get a lock of her hair. Somewhere Thom Yorke is kicking himself.

New Philip Roth Interview

Tina Brown Talks with Philip Roth: The Full Interview from The Daily Beast Video on Vimeo.



Roth sits down with Tina Brown to discuss his latest novel, The Humbling. Best parts? Roth politely corrects Brown's misreading of his novel and engages in a discussion revolving around a "green dildo." More serious topics like mortality and the state of the novel are also discussed.