Sunday, June 28, 2009
Film: (500) Days of Summer
Not only does it star Joseph Gordon-Levitt, my childhood crush, but it's also the ideal summer movie...a romantic comedy 'about love' that even incorporates the word summer into its title. If it manages to deliver the same sentiment as in the trailer, I think I may fall in love with films about love, love, and the world all over again and will have to call (500) Days of Summer one of my favorite movies of all time.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Favorite Media: Justin Timberlake
1. His style. His look for Justified was urban and on-- tees, hoodies, bomber jackets, jeans, sneakers, and beanies. But since he shaved his head, Justin has given himself free rein. Baggy suits, high-top sneakers, and longer facial hair than head hair don't go together and are not becoming. Running around town in baggy, ill-fitting jeans is sloppy and not ok...even if it is his style.
2. His music. What's up with it? Sexyback was unbearably painful to listen to for the first month it was on the radio. And his lyrics are embarrassing. Summer Love wouldn't rhyme at all if it wasn't for 'girl' at the end of every other line.
3. The fact that his break-up with Britney Spears was the best thing that ever happened to him. He uses it as material for everything. If he's going to act like he's totally over it in real life, then professionally he should find something else to leverage...like some boring fact about Jessica Biel that no one cares about. It's bad form to air dirty laundry and worse to act all self-righteous about it afterwards. I personally think he's totally still in love with Britney and that it's a front.
4. That he is ubiquitous. In addition to being a singer, he also produces music for other artists (Ciara...Love Sex Magic sounds like every other song on FutureSex/LoveSounds album and even the title is just a reshuffling of the same words), owns a record label, just launched a tequila brand, co-founded and co-designs a clothing line, and owns and operates several restaurants. Celebrities should understand, the way other business people do, that just because they can, doesn't mean they should.
All that said, I really do like Justin, especially as a performer. And I totally recognize and appreciate his influence on pop culture. Below are my favorite Justin media.
Cry Me a River...Justin's best song to date and one of the best music videos of our generation:
What Goes Around, the best song off his FutureSex/LoveSounds album and a great video/short after you disregard the awkward acting and unnecessarily dramatic ending:
SNL and Justin at their best--Immigrant Tale:
Thursday, June 18, 2009
All-American preppy makes a comeback
Enough hipster style already. It's time to welcome back all-American prep! Below is an article from the Times about how prep is back. The article partially attributes the revival to Japanese fashion but I think this moment is an all-American one...just as 80s punk can make a comeback, so too can 80s prep, à la Risky Business and The Graduate.
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The New York Times
By DAVID COLMAN
AS you have surely noticed, all- American preppy style has come back for another goround. There is madras everything, button-downs everywhere. Nantucket reds — washed-out pink pants — are the new khakis; Sperry Top-Siders are more common on roof decks than top decks; and the Polo pony and the Lacoste crocodile are now but two of the critters in a zoo of polo shirt insignia.
Lately the trend has taken on a new dimension, via the Internet, with a resurgence of interest in once obscure American brands. Alongside the familiar L. L. Bean duck boots, Brooks Brothers shirts and Ray-Ban Wayfarers, there are Filson duffel bags, Gokey boots, Alden dress shoes, Gitman oxford shirts, Quoddy Trail moccasins, Wm. J. Mills canvas totes — to name but a few. Moribund brands like Southwick and Woolrich are being revived with new designs. And the old-school look has been furthered by popular American fashion labels — small houses like Thom Browne, Band of Outsiders and Benjamin Bixby along with megabrands like J. Crew and Ralph Lauren.
For the complete article, visit http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/17/fashion/18codes.html?em.