boo humbug ... what to watch that's smart and scary

My guy Nathan B. has totally totally obliged me here.  RIGHT now, this is what I LOVE; i love Nathan's writing and i like when he tells me to watch something.  and his recommendations always work out, no matter how random or elite ist or low brow.  and how often do we get a personal heads up from one of NY Post's finest arts & entertainment editors?!  it's like our very own AO Scott -- but handsome r & funnier.  without further ado, i present his words of wisdom on what to
watch tonight.  or any night you want to be "smartly scared" .... (i didn't even know there was such a thing.  one of the many reasons I luv this man.)  thanks nathan for "guest" posting here ! xo

(a big PS:  ok, i just went to try to find a "pleasing-enough" visual to pair with this tasty bit of writing and i couldn't.  like, all the pictures associated with the film look scary & I just don't think RNL does un pretty visuals.  it looks like there is an attractive & bang sy brunette but she had blood on her neck in all the photos.  all to say, no visual for this post.  but read on, for nathan & his idea of a spooky night. )

At the risk of sounding judgmental, what is wrong with you people?

I'm addressing myself, in this specially themed Halloween post, to the bloodthirsty hordes who make huge hits out of slasher flicks and "torture porn," the latter of which is surely one of the most odious cultural innovations of the past decade.

First, a digression: I acknowledge, in this guest-writing gig, that I am a snob - one of those effete, overeducated coastal liberals who deserves death by stoning, at least according to Michele Bachmann's Bible. But in my defense, I'm aware of this, and realize that not everyone shares my vaunted tastes. So while it depresses me that "Two and a Half Men" is a gigantic success and that the Kardashians have turned their vapidity into a fortune, I accept these things. I realize that "Community" isn't for everyone and that some people just don't like subtitles on their movies.

That said, it genuinely gives me the creeps that so many people are into slasher movies. Yes, as humans we are all constitutionally obsessed with sex and death; all the same, I object to the fact that so many people take pleasure in the graphic suffering and dehumanization of others, even when it's just make-believe. When a movie has a broader purpose - such as to portray a real event, or to say something about the human experience - I can understand the use of violence, even if I personally am squeamish about it. But the fact that so many people enjoy the sadistic, shrieking bloodshed of the "Saw" and "Hostel" films is deeply unnerving - I think it reflects badly on us as a species.

In other words, I am not a fan of slasher flicks. So I was surprised not just to tolerate, but actually to admire, "Rabies," a killer-on-the-loose movie that screened at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year.

"Rabies" is unusual for a number of reasons, the most obvious being that it is Israeli (and in fact was promoted as the first Israeli horror movie). But even if you have no familiarity with the Middle East, it quickly becomes clear that this is not a typical slasher movie. The talented writer/directors are obviously having fun with the conventions of the genre - the film is a smart satire of the sexual politics and narrative cliches of the form. (For example, the preppy foursome driving around in the SUV: no one in the Middle East has ever dressed that way, and I can only assume that the clothes were specially brought in from an Abercrombie or J. Crew thousands of miles away.)

I almost turned the movie off before the opening credits because it was obviously going to involve lots of stabbing and bludgeoning and people being scared out of their minds. Not being a sicko, I don't enjoy watching these things.

Happily, the movie is not that violent - in contrast to its Hollywood counterparts, most of the bloodshed is implied, rather than graphically portrayed. But what makes the film notable is that it only appears to be a slasher flick - in actuality, it is an existential fable mixed with incredibly black humor. Unbeknownst to most of the characters - who include a good cop, a rapey cop, a brother-sister duo and a dog - the psycho killer actually spends most of the movie unconscious, and so their actions and reactions are all triggered by a scenario that they have fundamentally misunderstood. (Existential statement: even when we think we know what's going on, we really have no idea what's going on.)

Most of the characters are good, or are at least trying to be good (an accurate reflection of humanity?), but they respond to perceived threats in ways that aren't rational, and which harm rather than help them. Lust and jealousy also play a role, as does a landmine.

It occurs to me that I am writing this for a blog that is principally about food, fashion and interior design. This is what is sometimes referred to as "writing for the wrong audience." So I will simply conclude by saying that "Rabies" is a surprisingly redemptive experience because it makes you realize that, with a little creativity and wit, you can subvert a genre whose practical effect is desensitizing us to violence by feeding off people's creepy enjoyment of pain and anguish inflicted on others. It shows you can transform cheap, ugly cinematic exploitation into something that could almost be interpreted as a philosophical statement. It is amazing to finish the movie and realize you're thinking about the characters' fates not in terms of how many limbs they lost or how vividly they were disemboweled, but in terms of what their situation and responses suggest about the world.

And so, I say, check out this obscure movie that will probably never make it to U.S. theaters! Check it out and ponder the nature of human frailty and evil! Check it out in the pre-stomach-ache stage of your annual Halloween binge. Long live Skittles and Snickers! Long may ye reign.
 
see the trailer for this scary smart movie ...  if you dare.  boooooo :) ash

a halloween bash

Last night we had a Halloween bash.  I wore a spooky silk top (it was seriously "spooky"  bc it's such a creepy color, and i'm still not sure if i can pull off wearing it, or who could, for that matter. It's a v weird shade of chartreuse that has been in my closet for forever & i'm so intrigued by its peculiar ness that i can't seem to get rid of it, but also never ever wear it.  what a pity i don't have pics of me attempting to rock the unwearable top, bc i think it looked as fab as it ever will, paired with my enormous faux diamond chandeliers.  anyways, it definitely felt like a costume of sorts. think rich sixties momma to be .... )

kitschy bar snacks & mod black & white napkins.  

the drinks were cidery apple.  very autumn looking.

can you feel the subtle sixties ness of this dish?

pumpkin carving.

not sure if i should call my main dish a stew or a chili.  

salad of arugula, avocado, figs, roasted sweet potatoes and walnuts.

Friday Love.

Photograph by Youngna Park

P is for pretty




Paul Thurlby

  wouldn't this would be cute for a little nursery poster? ... I'm not sure this particular color schema is exactly what I'm looking to rock for la bebe, but it's darling nonetheless and i love the font of "pretty".

what do you think?

if you're in the mood for some light ish reading on a wonderful/big/impossible topic like marriage, check this out.  bits of it have stayed with me and i'm curious what you think.  (grrrr to a man's "mid-life crisis" but hmmmm with the way this chica dealt with it .... hmmmm.)

a girl moment

close up on valentine box because i'm obsessed.

i'm having a girl hour ... just totally grateful i get to be a girl today and wear high heels and pink lip stain ... this inspired me to go through some girly pics i took a while back at a shop called Whimsical Whites.  My friend Joleen and I went there on a girl mission:  simply bask in the delightful frivolity of anything pink and old and sweet ... we dug through crispy white linens, fawned over lace ribbons and admired floral arrangements/funkybonnets/ pearl pins, etc.   The owner even served us a sweet treat cake on gorgeous pink milk glass plates and we drank Paris tea with cream.  It was a memorable day from this year, and a fun memory to revisit when i want to go to my inner "girl" place.

flower arrangements on a hunky yummy old farm table ...

the attention to detail on older clothing is just breathtaking sometimes.

old chocolate box ... this was my favorite "piece" in the shop.  the colors and texture seemed so current & unusual.

vintage clips.

spools of ribbon.

prettae.

red cake on pink milk glass.

little collections found natural home in rusty muffin tins.  (plus my black pumps.)

Etta's

Late breakfast at Etta's with my boo. Happy Saturday. Xxo

Friday Love.

Elle Italia
Photograph by Matt Jones, December 2008.

Friday Love.

Elle Magazine

little vignettes and other home stuff that's inspiring me tonight

some of the jewelry i've been digging for recently.  i keep it in a mint colored silver ware organizer.

an odd & dear assortment of bits that i'm hearting.  (bek, i found that giraffe you've been talking about - it's a friend for the yellow bird squeezie ... )

care for a magazine or cup of tea? me too.  p.s. --- long live a properly pillowed sofa.

white plates and yellow flowers.

this is the new hunker down corner ... walk in, drop the purse, stare out the window, fret over baby names ...

pink roses make any sort of chaotic coffee table look yummy.

vintage drying rack by the sink.

soft pink puff + zebra contrast + light



ensuite

 


ensuite

 

an autumn dinner

salad of papaya, avocado, cabbage and feta

washington apples baby

potatoes au gratin.  so yum.

backyard bunch of prettiness.

VIP guest, Rosa Parks, in spirit, at dinner ;)

peach pie.  i so pledge allegiance to you.

friday Love.

how i met your style

so so beautiful

a sneak peak at an out of control pair of earrings by Alexis Bittar ... spring runway style !!  oh my.  if only these were mine.  i think i would have managed to rock them on my wedding day.  maybe my birthing day?!  ;)  so so so perf.

finding out ... a day in review

horrible pic of anything, really --- taken after realizing i don't have a picture of my "bump" (btw, it's a pathetic and un exciting spot in my mid section) and a not good pic of what i was wearing the day i heard the news - vintage blouse, tall black boots, lots of bling ...

another award winning picture of David.  taken right before we opened the little gift that told us what our bebe was/is going to be.  eating delicious fondue (thank you tia!!) and savoring the last minutes of suspense. 

lovely girl cupcakes by Mayan

little bits of sips of red wine are my heaven right now

berry pie by Joleen

funny little baby girl with her arm up in signature Rach/Ash style !

we're having a little girl !!

from the littlest

xxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxxxxxxxxxxxooxooxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

cat face

found  on glamourai

Are these cat face pumps wonderful?  I kind of think they are.  I want to wear them legitimately, with yummy, sophisticated blouses.  but I might be crazy.

almost 10,000 hits ?!

so i know what sort of little baby we're having.  whoop whoop....    but until my mom & sis find out tomorrow night , mums the official word, but ahhhhhh.  i AM so excited.  and i think it's cool that right now love is almost to 10000 hits.   xoxoxoxo Happy Friday to everyone.

half way done + wonderful anticipation

we're finding out this week what sort of baby we're having.  a little mister or a little missus.  whoo hoo.  i think it's going to be a girl.  but who knows.  i   can   not   wait.    and i'm amazed that people do manage to wait until delivery day --- to me it seems like we're getting two "big" days, boy or girl day, and then birthday.  i'm half way through this incredible season and just feel squirmy with happy ness and a yummed up bod right now.  xooxoxoxooxoxoxoxo

Random love love

Poem.  (Our Union. by Hafiz)
Our union is like this:

You feel cold, so I reach for a blanket to cover our shivering feet.

A hunger comes into your body, so I run to my garden and start digging potatoes.

You asked for a few words of comfort and guidance, and I quickly kneel by your side offering you a whole book as a gift.

You ache with loneliness one night so much you weep, and I say here is a rope, tie it around me, I will be your companion for life.


Girl.   (Rachael.)

Coat.   (Black & white classy ness.)

Emerson Made

Memory.  (Summer, 2011.)