sundance

Michael Fassbender: big world small world

Last night I ventured out to see XMEN: FIRST CLASS. It’s a big, big world. Its cast? Many arrived by way of much smaller worlds. As I watched, it struck me: What artist gets to participate in such completely different modes of making other than the film actor, who, if lucky and smart, goes from Hollywood to Indiewood or vice versa? A musician may be the closest – from orchestra to a more edgy or experimental gig? But an orchestra ain’t Hollywood. A new media artist who moonlights at Microsoft or Google? Nope, not art. Maybe XMEN isn’t art either – but the actor brings the same set of tools to the table when approaching something like XMEN or a teeny tiny film, in order to make his or her… art. Two of the XMEN stars are recent graduates of indie hits. Jennifer Lawrence (Mystique) starred in the Sundance film WINTER’S BONE, wherein she brought nuance and grace to her role as Dee. Michael Fassbender has the bigger role in this big world, though, as the tortured Magnito. Fassbender recently starred as a duplicitous and ethically-challenged player-bloke in Andrea Arnold’s coming of age story FISH TANK, and he brought a great sense of humanity to his Rochester in Cary Fukunaga’s excellent JANE EYRE. He’s also listed on imdb as one of the stars of Jim Jarmusch’s next film. How must it be to coexist in these worlds?

Miss USA’s answer: should evolution be taught in schools?

One of the most enjoyable fifteen minute diversions I was forwarded last week came courtesy of the contestants for Miss USA 2011, who had to answer some tough questions as part of the competition, like have you or would you ever use an online dating service, would you be in a tasteful nude photo shoot and that burning topic of national debate that only Miss USA can decide: should evolution be taught in schools? The general consensus seemed to be that yes, it should but only as long as the Bible gets a shout out, too. Full viewing is highly recommended, but be warned that watching some of these contestants smile big as they squirm under pressure is positively excruciating, so if you want to cut to the chase here are some of the “best” responses. Be sure to see Miss Nevada’s answer around minute 9:00, as she attempts to explain how evolution can be taught as an example of how communities like Nevada have evolved from “a small community into something much bigger.” Can someone please teach her the difference between a community and an entire state?

Maryland nursery specializes in plants for green roofs

Green roofs are quickly becoming a standard for improving building energy efficiency and managing storm water run-off. Chicago became a green roofing hub during the Daley administration, and Toronto now mandates them for new buildings. But, unless a building owner has plans for a rooftop garden (and the care required for it), a green roof requires plants that can thrive under hot, dry, and sunny conditions. Farmer and management consultant Ed Snodgrass saw an opportunity here, and, in 2004, expanded his wholesale nursery into the green roof plants niche.

Hipster party, circa 1905

Everything about this photo suggests it could have been taken at a gathering of hipster bros just last weekend in Bushwick: mustached, skinny jeans enjoying a pig roast and drinking PBR. Even the grainy quality of the picture gives it an Instagram-esque vibe that would fit in well at such a party (and quickly shared [...]

Great short film made with smartphone

Splitscreen: A Love Story from JW Griffiths on Vimeo. SPLITSCREEN: A LOVE STORY, a short film directed by JW Griffiths, which has gone rapidly viral in the past week, was the winner of the Nokia Shorts competition 2011. As the film’s title suggests, it has a cute romantic story, however I was even more blown [...]

Move over Marilyn: BUS STOP’s hidden talent

BUS STOP, the 1956 film starring Marilyn Monroe, is one of those frustrating dramas at the mercy of a woman who’s strong and independent at one moment and a doormat the next. Like Shakespeare’s Kate in “Taming of the Shrew” or even Helena in “All’s Well That Ends Well,” Monroe’s Cherie, a singer in a saloon, wafts between falling blindly into lust with Bo, a traveling rodeo rider from Montana and then later screaming at him across a crowded bar room “I hate you and I despise you!” after he treats her like one of the cattle he ropes, only to later follow him home to his ranch in Montana, a beaming bride to be.

California’s Butte College hits first in the nation solar milestone

Colleges and universities are hot spots for renewable energy installation and experimentation. From on-site energy generation to educational programs designed to train students for clean energy careers, schools are right up there with start-ups in terms of pushing renewable technology towards mainstream use. Last week, a community college district in Northern California set a new standard for renewable energy use in higher education, though: Butte College became the first “grid positive” school in the nation.

New fiction (and music and film): “Lola, California” by Edie Meidav

The amazing writer Edie Meidav (who also happens to be our friend and neighbor) is out today with a new novel: “Lola, California”, called “brilliant” and “awesome” by Publisher’s Weekly. Meidav is such a force of inspiration that art practically gets spontaneously generated in her wake: above is a beautifully haunting short film created by Snapdragon that’s inspired by “Lola” along with Meidav’s narration; and here is music inspired by the book from Kevin Salem, who calls it “part soundtrack for the reader, part songs inspired by the text … and part music inspired by the cultural identity of the novel.” Below is one of two excerpts from “Lola, California” that Meidav is generously allowing us to publish here — this one about a rape on a Greek island. Stay tuned next week for the second excerpt about two friends go-go dancing. Both are compelling creepy and deeply moving, even without the context of the full novel:

Global currency

Tapping into the paranoid beliefs of conspiracy theorists and extremists who suspect the pending arrival of a unified new world order is Istvan Laszlo’s recent work conceptualizing what currency would look like in that new system.

Give us an I! Give us a U! Give us a D!

Move over, Pill! According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), the IUD is a whole lot more effective — and safer than was traditionally thought. For a long time IUDs have been recommended only for women in long-term monogamous relationships who’d already had children — this was based on concerns that IUDs raised the risk of pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), which, left untreated, can cause infertility. But according to ACOG, the evidence does not support these concerns — meaning, IUDs do not cause PID.

Green tech finds (6/30/11)

A car designed by teenagers that gets nearly 2000 mpg, white roofs for New York City, and how your DVR is jacking up your electric bill… this week’s green tech finds.

• Puma’s “clever little bag” is biodegradeable: We mentioned Puma’s alternative to the shoe box back in April of 2010; PSFK reports that the bags will also be compostable (or, if you’re impatient, they’ll dissolve in water in a few minutes). (via Environmental Leader)
  
  
• The 2000 mpg car? OK, not quite… this design by students at Kingdown School in Warminster, UK got a mere 1,980 mpg. That was more than enough for it to win the Mileage Marathon Challenge at Mallory Park track near Leicester. (via Inhabitat)
  
  

Cameron Diaz, Summer Style and more from FFF

See bad teacher Cameron Diaz’s style evolution from red carpet “hell no!” to red carpet “f**k yeah!” Here’s a bit of inspiration on how to keep it chic this long holiday weekend. Check out some great ethical fashion finds. Be in the know on the latest fashion news and gossip with FULL FRONTAL FASHION.

VOICES OF THE TRANSITION: the transition movement comes to film

Voices of the Transition – english Trailer from les jardins on Vimeo.

Feeling paralyzed by news of environmental challenges like climate change, water shortages, and biodiversity loss? Fed up with political inaction and posturing on these issues? Groups of people around the world have decided to take matters into their own hands, and the transition movement represents efforts to by towns, villages, and even countries to adapt to changing environmental circumstances, to lighten their impact, and to even create more meaningful ways of life.

Takashi Murakami: big boobs, big bore

In Takashi Murakami’s exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery in London, he stakes his claim as the first person to represent “the Japanese male sexual complex” in life-size form. He’s referring to his sculptures “Miss Ko” (1997), “My Lonesome Cowboy” (1998) as well as a flock of new life-size 3D renderings of those 2D sexual hangups (animation, games, etc.) like “3-Meter Girl” (above), currently on view.

Mister Rogers’ letter to 6-year-old Christopher Barranco

Gems unearthed like this letter, written by Mister Rogers to 6-year-old Christopher Barranco (today a grown-up Redditor) kindly turning down the child’s request to visit his house, continues to reinforce my belief that Mister Rogers might be one of the kindest and most thoughtful human beings to have ever walked this planet. After receiving this [...]