Smitten with Švankmajer

Prior to this weekend, I had only seen his short films and some clips from movies but thanks to a suggestion from my brother, I got to catch Czech filmmaker Jan Švankmajer's Lunacy in full at the Siskel Film Center. Švankmajer creates weird and wonderful dark films that drift toward the horror genre using a mix of live action and stop animation, often using clay or food as his medium and sometimes stop animating live actors, creating unnatural, nightmarish movement. If you haven't had a chance to see one of his films in a theater and you live in Chicago, you can still catch the tail end of the retrospective at the Siskel!

This is the first Švankmajer short I remember seeing:

Wish I was in New York right now...

Read Opening Ceremony's mini interview with Brian Procell about his vintage sportswear collection, which he's bringing to the New York location to sell. It looks like he's got a lot of covetable gear and he also knows his stuff. I wish I could see the rest of the collection!

Big hair & bold colors

I was stuck at home for a week but fortunately had just picked up a pile of VHS tapes at a video store that's supposedly going out of business but which has been "going out of business" for close to half a year, so I'm hoping that means they'll be around for a while. Many movies were watched on the TV/VCR combo that week, and let me tell you, cheesy 80's movies are a no-fail mood lifter. Here's your video Prozac:




Just One of the Guys, 1985
Classic teen movie themes of nerds vs. jocks, high school crushes and prom mixed with drag and a little brother with a lot of great lines.




Making Mr. Right, 1987
A young John Malkovich plays both a scientist and his own creation - an android in his own likeness. The rest of the movie isn't that great but the double Malkovich is all I needed to enjoy it.




After Hours, 1985
How had I not seen this before? This is Martin Scorsese's dark comedy of one man's surreal night in New York, starring Griffin Dunne, who was also the star in An American Werewolf in London. If you haven't seen this, you need to watch it! I believe this is also streaming on Netflix right now.




Night of the Comet, 1984
There were some pretty good lines in this campy movie about two sisters trying to survive in L.A. after a comet kills off most people and turns the others into flesh-eating zombies (or just mutated jerks, in the case of some mall employees) but the radio station set was my favorite part:

-M

Totally square

Have you played with the ToneMatrix Flash application by Andre Michelle? Do it now! 

Click the squares to sequence tones on the grid, kind of like a pared down Monome or Tenori-on. It's a little more twee but a lot more free.

Neoprene scene

Hoop Dreams

Upgrade your chola status with these hoop earrings. Perfect for the summer, let these beauties stretch out your lobes so you can feel the warm breeze blow through them.

Happy St. Patty's Day!!

Isn't music grand?

One of the original Bummer Town models and friend Meredith granted me permission to submit some of my current favorite tunes to her weekly "wednesday playlist" feature on her blog, olivetti studio. Ain't she sweet? Not only does she have terrific personal style, but she is a skilled domestic artist who draws a lot of inspiration from the past. Have a gander at her blog where you'll find posts about her adventures in home decorating, sewing projects, treasures she has/would like to have, and travels. She presents pretty excellent photos as well, yes?

Party animal!

 

Red Romper

Thanks Meredith!

Also, I've been pretty into Star Wars lately especially after realizing that Carrie Fisher and I have the same birthday. She has amazing hair.

-L

Super Powers!

Not usually am I a huge fan of female vocalists (sorry, ladies) but the ones I do like are truly fantastic. Recently, Dolly Parton and Cher have come up in conversation and these two superhero-superstars get my support 100%. Both were able to broadcast their over-the-top personas to the masses without censorship and with the help of outrageous clothes and exceptional make-up (oh, and pipes), the public - for the most part - accepted their often ridiculous, overblown style with open arms.

"I think that the longer I look good, the better gay men feel."

"I look just like the girls next door... if you happen to live next door to an amusement park."

The make-up gods have bestowed upon us the amazing Jaime to show us that we too can be Amazonian glamor gals. A little make-up goes a long way.

*Note to self: plan a trip to Dollywood.

-L

Zzzappp

Looking for a way to pull off that subtle nautical look or wondering how to put together a jumpsuit ensemble? I got you.

-M

Spring things

Saw this great video on Refinery 29 today with NYC based Swedish stylist and vintage shop owner Malin Landaeus. I like the idea of taking some of the pretentiousness out of fashion and making it more light-hearted and playful, which is an approach Bummer Town takes with our photo shoots and inventory. Also, I've been on a major chambray kick lately! It's like this lady is reading my mind!

Image via Garance Dore