Hello, loves. I have multiple, but distinctly separate, things to chat about today...so let's have a few different "segments" for today's post, yes? Yes.
1.) On being pretty and being strange
Thanks to all of those sweet, thoughtful notes on my last entry I feel about 10 feet tall. I, of course, didn't expect or intend for a rush of compliments to come my way...but it always feels nice (nobody can lie and say anything to the contrary!) for so many lovely people to insist that you are lovely!
I am in the middle of sending out loads of big and small orders, and also trying to get my ducks in a row as far as packing goes, but I will try my darnedest to respond to all of those sweet, personal comments you all sent. And I hope I never jeopardize any, as that dollface Hillary said, growing "crushes" you might be cultivating with my heart-on-the-sleeve ramblings! :)
2.) Luster and Lack, ultimately.
We went to see Marie Antoinette this weekend, and it wasn't half bad. It wasn't particularly good, either, but it was precisely what one would expect from a film directed by Sophia Coppola, that self-crafted peddler of isolation, but that is also quintessentially decadent. I had been kind of dreading this film since the abrasive and annoying trailer showed up about 6 months ago. I am really troubled by films that use a great deal of contemporary music for a period piece (do you hear me, A Knight's Tale?!) even if it's my favorite music. I feared the whole film would be plagued with every New Wave/Punk hit that would fit. SO. The film is as incredibly extravagant as it promises, and the most successful moments (to me) were the ones of exuberance, of life. Some of these were extravagant and decadent, but some were more quiet and lovely and faux-pastoral.
The centerpiece of the film, for me (and this is utterly subjective, obviously) is an enormous masquerade ball set against a sonic backdrop of Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Hong Kong Garden", which begins with a quiet, orchestral string arrangement of the song before bursting into the full-on, dancey-punk gorgeousness of the original track.
What doesn't work (for me), and this is kind of a sad thing for ol' Soph, are the "signature Sophia Coppola moments of nothingness". I totally understand the desire to humanize and bring depth to this cartoonish and reviled historical figure. And that is a compelling and worthwhile task. But Sophia's obsession with illuminating and expounding upon the "lack" and emptiness and loneliness of
individual experience just grows so tiresome. The long, silent, (dare I say it?) angsty shots of Marie... I mean, it is this single-minded and ultimately empty ennui that makes The Virgin Suicides virtually unwatchable for me. And it feels incongruous being shoved into every spare, quiet moment of this film.
3.) People are making such cool dolls!
I took myself out to a lovely sushi lunch date with a few new magazines and a neat new book (it's an illustrationy book called Handmade, and has a lot of street art, cute drawings, etc.)
I knew I had to share these little gems:
I love the monochromatic elegance! This is definitely one of those things that I would never do myself, or never think to do, but the end result appeals to me so much. Wonderful.
In the newest issue of Juxtapoz, there was a little blurb (which was ultimately a teaser, and I'll tell you why in a bit) about one of my favorite artists Camille Rose Garcia and her doll company.
To make a longish story short, I jumped up from my bed (it was about 2:30 in the am) after spotting this, and ran to the computer, determined to find out how to make one of these guys my own. The website for her (future) toy company can be found at Prosthetic Industries and is only a place-holder right now! I am sad. I want these toys to show up SOON! And I want to be able to afford one. I hope they are not 1,000 dollars when they do materialize.
As I type this, a really sweet boy is driving up the east coast to rescue me from the clutches of Brooklyn. Maybe I should start tackling the massive amounts of clothes I've accumulated...
hearts, hearts, hearts, my dears.
Happy Monday to you!
Comments (19)
gorgeous toys and hope your move goes well!!!
the butterfly collector · October 30, 2006 at 05:25 PM
my opinion: you'll never fit all those clothes in the van. Feel free to send any leftovers to me in o-h-i-o.
soon we'll both be back in the southeast. holla.
elizabeth · October 30, 2006 at 05:39 PM
Those toys are cute but not as cute as the stuff you make. really. Moving is always such a pain. I wish you luck.
Amber · October 30, 2006 at 10:22 PM
That artist is amazing. I may be moving closer to Los Angeles next month sometime. It would be awesome to see those paintings in person.
Diana · October 31, 2006 at 01:31 AM
I liked Marie, but mainly for the fabulous costumes! Weren't they divine? I hated Virgin Suicides...blech! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Jessica · October 31, 2006 at 08:28 AM
thanks for the movie review... at least the costuming and set design must have been fun to look at, right?!? best of luck with the move, and may it be over with quickly!
kelly · October 31, 2006 at 09:30 AM
nothing to cause me to lose my crush on you my dear. Love hearing your take on Marie Antoinette.
blair · October 31, 2006 at 10:14 AM
I recommend reading Jeffrey Eugenides book, the Virgin Suicides and skipping the movie. You'll be glad you did.
KiWi · October 31, 2006 at 10:35 AM
I very much want to see that movie.
Mimi · October 31, 2006 at 01:46 PM
Delurking to say that you are utterly enchanting and delightful -- a thought which is only expounded by your commmentary on Sophia Coppola's film-making.
Gina · October 31, 2006 at 02:09 PM
Hi i have been enjoying your lovely blog for a while now- well done on being lovely! and the whole time i have -amongst other things been really impressed that you are going to live in Athens, like Greece- i thought how cool! this lady is off to like a whole other country! but now i realise that you are still extremely cool but not moving from america (need better geography). moving is still totally scary so good luck! your rug will look way pretty.
calico melton · November 01, 2006 at 04:16 AM
Your review has piqued my interest in the movie - thank you. I used to feel the same way about contemporary music in period films until a friend of mine became competely obsessed with A Knight's Tale. The weekend I visited, we JUST HAD TO SEE the making of... In it the director explained that there has always been a musical generation gap and he was hard pressed to express it if he used the 'hip' music of the time because it would sound like our grandparents music. That made sense to me and now it is easier for me to swallow. Best of luck on the move!
heather_ly · November 01, 2006 at 01:43 PM
Well, I've seen your own dolls, so I'm not surprised to see how you are finding other fantastic dolls :)
Malin · November 01, 2006 at 04:33 PM
Love the squid doll....feel free to leave any clothes behind for me!!!
also Blair is right on about the Virgin Suicides.
Claire B. · November 01, 2006 at 04:49 PM
i mean Kiwi this format confuses me!
Claire again · November 01, 2006 at 04:51 PM
wow. you summed up so much of what has always rubbed me the wrong way about Ms. Coppola's films-thank you! I feel her work is horribly overrated, but I will admit, we are exactly the same age and I have always been sort of stalker-ish about her. I always wished I had her dad to help me break into film, so sour grapes. .
and-yeah, you are pretty.
amy k. · November 01, 2006 at 07:06 PM
Ooh, when I saw the dolls (esp. the monochromatic ones) I had the same reaction as you: "Brilliant! Who on earth thought of this!" But the other comments are right about your dolls being magically delicious beyond reason.
Thanks for your inspiring work and your candor. Thank you thank you thank you. And have a safe trip.
Jennifer · November 01, 2006 at 08:01 PM
Happy moving miss emily, sorry its been long between emails and banter. Busy times me thinks.
xxx
shannon · November 02, 2006 at 12:49 AM
haha..i just went to see MA here in paris and the reaction from the french audience was not entirely positive either. my favorite sequence was when marie a. was in the gardens, frolicking about with her daughter. the cinematography there was amazing, especially since it was without the intense color of the interior shots. ma was wearing a plain white dress and there was just green grass but the entire scene was just really nice. perfect lighting.
a. · November 05, 2006 at 06:33 PM