Required Viewing : Antichrist (dir. Lars Von Trier 2009)

Perhaps one of the finest and most profoundly disturbing art-horror films ever conceived. It is a stunning, harrowing portrait of grief and obsession, of madness and mutilation. Antichrist infuriated audiences and shocked critics. Charlotte Gainsbourg rightfully walked away from the Cannes film festival withe the Best Actress Award (though isn't she always the best?). Directed by Lars Von Trier during a self admitted bought of terrible crippling depression the film is a black-hearted and surrealist fable of He (Willam DaFoe) and She (Charlotte Gainsbourg) reeling from the death of their infant son and their literal fall from Eden (their secluded cabin in the woods where all manner of ghastly things occur)

A profoundly serious and grotesque masterpiece, it also so boast rapturously beautiful cinematography, raw and powerful performances and brilliant direction. 

Required Viewing : Black Moon ( 1975, dir. Louis Malle)

  

Black Moon (1975) directed by Louis Malle 

Scott Evans NAKED

  

 Openly gay actor Scott Evans seems to gain more press from his troubled personal life than from his solid acting chops (he's actually good-c'mon bro get it together). The brother of Captain America himself Chris Evans is no making waves for his rather solid something else.  I mean no complaints from me I've always thought he was attractive and don't mind the nude shots at all.  

See them after the jump.

Mattachine Social - Lovers

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SOOO The sordid back story of the video for LOVERS:

We originally shot a video in November 2012 for the single " Lovers" It was due out in January of 2013 and then...nothing... what ensued was a crazy battle to reclaim the footage from an "effects" person and then months of waiting while the former director hid the fact that he'd botched the footage and had no idea what he was doing with it. Eventually he quit in lieu of being fired (after 5 months asking for an additional 6 is not really kosher with a frustrated band) and several effects houses looked at the mess and basically said start from scratch. So we took the performance footage from the video, constituting 1/10 of the footage shot) and some nostalgic 90's dance party throwback realness and behold! Salvation in a salvage job! 

We are very happy to have this for all of you.

Sigur Rós -Brennisteinn

"Brennisteinn " the first single from the surprisingly  aggressive and  muscular  (and newly three-piece) Sigur Rós album "Kveikur".

David Lynch- The Big Dream (Preview)

All around Renaissance-man David Lynch has a new record coming out entitled  THE BIG DREAM , the follow up to his critically acclaimed Crazy Clown Time. A lot of people mistakenly thought perhaps  that  2011's Crazy Clown Time was just a one-off album, ,a curio between film projects (his last film was the haunting and brilliant INLAND EMPIRE in 2006) Well no.  Lynch is back with a stunning "modern blues" album (ie it sounds like the soundtrack to a David Lynch film) and it's a damn fine thing indeed..






The first single is a collaboration with Swedish singer Lykke Li. Check out it's evocative, hypnotic. and  Lost Highway-like video after the jump.

Mattachine Social- Vacancy

DISCLAIMER:
This is all shameless self-promotion:

Mattachine Social, my very own electrorock band, has a new ep coming out this month called Vacancy. Produced by the stellar Jesse Holt in Seattle, WA at the equally fantastic Remixlab studios  (where we are currently finishing off our full length debut). 

Vacancy is a set of more introspective, trip-hop influenced songs culled from our recordings working on the upcoming record (at one point the ep was nearly called SAD SONGS, which I rather liked) .
We thought we'd give everyone a sneak peek,

Woodkid

Currently on heavy rotation in my life is compositions by neofolk musician Woodkid,stage name for the Frenchman Yoann Lemoine.  Sonically like the strange love child of Antony Hegarty and Patrick Wolf, Woodkid's songs are epic compositions of acoustic grace and full blown baroque orchestration  with subtle electronic flourishes. His somber and epic black and white videos enhance the sensory overload his music provides.

     Lemoine is a a sought after graphic designer, art director and music video director in addition to his impeccable song craft. He's helmed such mainstream success as "Teenage Dream" for Katy Perry, "Born to Die" for Lana Del Rey and "Back to December " for Taylor Swift.  

   None of those pop tunes can prepare you for Woodkid's own soundscapes however, and that is a very good thing. His keen eye for detail unspools across track after track on his debut ep Iron and in perfect form on the full lp THE GOLDEN AGE.

Check out a section of his singles after the jump.

TAN MOM

Last we saw of out dear friend Tan Mom she was coco brown, leathery as a sofa and in deep trouble for taking her small child to atanning bed with her. Well She's back with a new single about her experiences... quite possibly the worste vanity project video I HAVE EVER SEEN/SORT OF HEARD WHILE SCREAMING WHY AT THE SCREEN!


 BEHOLD after the jump

R.I.P. Jonathan Winters

Comedian Jonathan Winters has died, he was 87.  The actor starred in numerous film and television roles such as "Mork and Mindy" and "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World" and "The Smurfs".

Elysium (dir. Neil Blomkamp)

     Easily down one of the greatest contemporary science fiction films ever made was Neil Blomkamp's disturbing, visceral, and moving South African set masterpiece District 9. A film so out of left field yet so dead-on-the-money it even got a rare Oscar nomination for Best Picture, not something Science fiction and horror films often do. Blomkamp has returned with Matt Damon, Diego Luna, Sharito Copely (from District 9)  and a perfectly cast Jodi Foster for the class warfare sci-fi film ELYSIUM

Tom (dir. Vesa Kuosmanen and Henri Huttunen 2015)

A feature film on  Touko Laaksonen the man who became ubiquitous queer art icon Tom of Finland??? Yes please!
Here is the production teaser for the film set to lens next year for a 2015 release date. 

Tuesday Time Out (Floria Sigismondi Day!)

This Week's Tuesday Time out is focused less on the audio and more on the visual (though these are some choice tracks). The common thread are all these clips were directed by the übertalented director and visual artist Floria Sigismondi.  Her iconic camera work and beautifully decayed art direction style made her work instantly memorable, the stuff of nightmares and wishes come true all at once.

Sigismondi is easily one of my visual art heroes.  Shockrocker Marilyn Manson owes the bulk of his breakthrough success on her video work for him helping create the band's iconic look during this influential Antichrist Superstar era So today here's a smattering of her works.

Courtney Love is SMOKING (in an Advert)

Oh Courtney, perennial hot mess, actress, widow, rock star, spokeswoman...
The Hole -front woman pops up[ in this NJoy electronic cigarette advert, being very Courtney Love like.

Tuesday Time Out

So the theme of this week's Tuesday Time Out is apparently songs with sexy video. I can't help it it's spring time, these things are on my mind I guess. Spring has SPRUNG.