Photo of the Day

 

Birthday boy, Fred Astaire!

(May 10, 1899 - June 22, 1987)

Kimbra: a photo essay

Kimbra is just as much a visual artist as she is a musical artist. She has a style and aesthetic that’s as meticulously detailed as her sound. Because Kimbra is interested in universal truths, and her music isn’t only limited to romantic love, it makes sense that her clothes often evoke an ethereal or magical feel. In other words, her clothes (which she often adds her own flair too), match her music.

Kimbra’s H A I R is like a work of art in itself. It’s got a very retro look, from the bangs to the cut. She wears it in a variety of ways, but my absolute favorite is the way it’s styled in Two Way Street and Come Into My Head, so fluffy and voluminous and glossy.


Here’s another visual. LOVE her hair like this, wow.

Then there’s her lipstick. Kimbra’s mouth is full, hence the way she’s able to belt stuff out and you get pictures like this:


She has wonderfully big lips, and she accentuates them with her choice of lipstick which is usually bright and colorful or classic red. What a queen babe.




Now onto clothes. You’ve seen some of her style choices here, and she has marvelous taste. Sheer blouses, lace collars, velvet, feathers, and sparkles. Her style has been described as whimsical, Disney esque (she’s a big fan of the Mouse House), and has also been compared to Bjork, whom she draws inspiration from. I like to describe Kimbra’s beyootiful dresses as her princess party dresses. She’s a big fan of frills and pastels, and they do remind me of fairy tales and birthday parties.

1) Aria Awards, November 2012


2) like satin pillows ;___;

3) Her Grammy gown of course, designed by Jamie Lee Major (who’s responsible for lots of Kimbagel’s looks). And just read the description of how she came up with the design, and why it’s Kimbraweenie in dress form.
“The dress was inspired by a recent trip to Broome in Western Australia. The light there makes everything seem so much more vivid. The water is a beautiful, crisp turquoise hue and when the sun sets, the roll of the ocean fragments the light into golden shards that dance across the surface like celestial water fairies. Broome can be quite ethereal and that moment alone was so poetic and inspiring that I wanted to capture it for Kimbra.”
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


4) galactic


5) 6) 7) get in my closet, tbh

I really love all of Kimbra’s dresses, but my top 2 personal faves are:

buttons, collar, and lace ;__________________________________;

Source

The Settle Down dress was the first I ever saw, and it’s so classically simple + black, and then paired with the shoes, how can you not be in love? And look at that, the dress matches her hair. It’s a good introduction to this talent, and you’re not at once bombarded with lots of colors and frills.

I think this essay shows just a bit of how refreshing and creative Kimbra is. Just as her music makes you stop, so does her look. She’s energetic and full of life when she performs, so all the sparkles don’t distract at all. They add to her entire image. She’s a packaged deal. And she’s got a certain image that has been manufactured wholly on her own. She belongs only to herself. And when you see how far she’s come from 1 and 2, it makes sense. She was just starting out, and her music, as well as her look, was pretty bland and unambitious. Now see her pushing all kinds of envelopes, looking and sounding thoroughly original.

One last thing: I really dislike when people compare Kimbunny to Katy Perry. Not to rag on Katy, but these two are as different as it is possible. What, dark haired white girls with bright red lips suddenly look alike? Kimbra is not sexualized. You can work out for yourself whether that’s good, but Katy presents herself in that way, and Kimbra does not. Also, Kimbra’s songs are full of substance. Even a fluffy pop song like Cameo Lover contains thought provoking lyrics:
“You’re heavier than I knew” / “I got high hopes baby but all you do is take me down to depths that I never knew” / “You turn from the skies and dance with your demise” / “Open up your heart and let me pull you out”

In conclusion Kimbra is a real life fairy princess, and all of the visuals associated with her include a layer of intelligence and purpose, because she’s a smart girl who has a star that will continue burning brightly on the music scene.

May Darling

A year ago today I wished Audrey a happy birthday on this blog, and to me, it's the perfect way to commemorate my one year anniversary. It sounds silly, but May 4th is my favorite day out of the year besides my own birthday and Thanksgiving. May is such a lovely, gentle month. It embodies all the best of spring, which is my favorite season, and it was Audrey's favorite as well. A time of newness and renewal. It sits right at the cusp of summer, with the warmest weather, and there's so much magic in the air. A month like this was made for Audrey.

This photo to me symbolizes May perfectly. Flowers and smiles. It's from the May issue of Vanity Fair which features Audrey on the cover. There's so much promise and hope in this month, which filled Audrey up to the brim. She also really loved flowers too, and since they bloom in the springtime, it makes perfect sense. It really is the loveliest month of the whole year. And it belongs to the loveliest lady.

Merida is the 11th Disney princess.

And I'm not happy about it. Now this isn't to say that I don't irrevocably adore the Disney princesses, heavens no! But making Merida apart of their official lineup just further blurs the line between Pixar and Disney. The former may receive glowing praise and be one of the best beloved places on this Earth, but honestly? Too many people treat Pixar as if it's not a separate entity. And seeing as how the studio has forged its own identity, complete with its own animators, directors, artists, lighting technicians, and films, it doesn't make sense to refer to anything that comes out of Emeryville as a Disney creation. Now Merida is a "Disney princess", when she's really a Pixarian one. And there is nothing wrong with being a Disney princess, and our flame haired Scottish darling has got lots in common with her Disney counterparts. But she still isn't Disney. And it's frustrating.

What I find so puzzling about this whole situation is the presence of Vanellope Von Schweetz from Wreck-It Ralph. Wouldn't it have made more sense to include her in the official princess lineup? Not only because she's a full fledged Disney character, but because she is, well, a princess. It's too bad the film wanted to posit Vanellope's racer identity and her princess one as being exclusive. Who says a princess can't be a racer who doesn't like to wear frilly dresses? Vanellope is a president sure, but President Princess Racer is a fine title to have. And imagine, a 9 year old Disney princess ruling over a candy kingdom whose disability ends up being a superpower! Disney decided to make some tongue in cheek commentary about princesses in Wreck-It Ralph by having Vanellope reject that role, and then turned around and plucked Merida from Pixar to add to the princess line.

And then of course, there's the official image of "Disney princess Merida".

Merida???

My, the princess franchise gets it wrong so many times. The franchise and the marketing of the Disney princesses is so massive and so badly done. Sometimes those lovely brown ladies like Mulan, Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Tiana don't even appear on the merchandise. And when they do, they're relegated to the background. The franchise doesn't celebrate all the ladies in their individual glory, nor are the princesses at all unique. They end up looking bland and pinkified, although pink is a fabulous color, as I've stated before. Now look what they've done to Merida.

• ~Girly~ (cough) tacky pink background that clashes with her hair and dress. Wouldn't a blue or green background make more sense? Of course not! She's a girl, she's a princess, it's gotta be pink.
• Blush on her cheeks which she didn't have originally and which makes her look even more plastic and like some kind of doll, instead of the vivacious animated girl.
• And then the hair. It looks like bacon strips. 

Good God, Disney, why? 

hello again

Well after a particularly long absence, I'm back! My undergraduate career is slowly coming to a close next week so there hasn't been time for blogging. What I'd like to share today, on a very lovely day in April, called the cruelest month by T.S. Eliot, are some pictures I took of the bombing site in Boston.

 Bailey, one of the comfort dogs in Copley Square.

I will always be proud to call Boston home. In the aftermath of cruelty that threatened to tear us apart, my city has embraced its people with love. We've seen and felt the enormous love, support, and compassion from our neighbors around the country and the globe. In places like Syria, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, where this kind of violence is a horrible regularity, they too have mourned with us. It's wonderful that they have room in their hearts for us too. What I hope this tragedy also does, despite unite us to those who suffer, is make our hearts bigger for our brothers and sisters in places torn apart by war and death. This post 9/11 world we're living in is scary, and the world has always been. But it's no reason to live in fear.

We are tough and resilient. We are Boston strong.

On Pixar and sequels.

Yes, I'm chiming in. (As if you expected anything else). Part of the reason I'm hesitant in "defending Pixar" is because lots of other people have done so already, and far more eloquently than I think I could. But I'll take a crack at it, because this is a place I'm so fond of, and I have a lot to say.

Let me start off by saying there are four kinds of people. The first kind are those who, when hearing about Finding Dory on twitter yesterday, responded less than enthusiastically. They're not crazy about the idea, but they're not losing faith in Luxo. (And they weren't ever). The second kind are those who have been cheerfully skeptical about this movie since it was "announced" last summer, and when the news broke, they were somewhat surprised but not all that concerned, and will support the film and its director. And since I of course belong to this second group, I have to say that I didn't care too much, but I liked what I read of the synopsis. The third kind are those who apparently have been waiting for this sequel for the past 10 years??? ("I plan on pushing kids out of my way when this comes out," etc.) The fourth kind are those who are now convinced this is the final nail in the coffin, that Pixar has officially sold out and will continue to do so, sequels are the worst, Pixar has never done a good sequel in the past so they can't possibly do one now, ugh Cars 2 and Brave are so terrible, now Finding Dory?!, now more sequels, how could you do this Pixar, I remember the good ol' days when you were making Listerine commercials, how could you do this to me?!

And then there's Ellen Degeneres, who has been the most passionate supporter of a Nemo sequel. A lot of us wished she wasn't...but her joy is really infectious. She loves Dory! And although Dory provides comic relief, she's also a profoundly sad character. It's wonderful because she is both vulnerable and silly, and according to Andrew Stanton, she also represents a spiritual dimension of the film.

"Dory was, literally, an angel fish. 'The protagonist’s battle was to overcome fear by discovering faith, and certainly Dory represented the angel, or the helper who showed him how to let go and not be consumed by his worries.'" (The Pixar Touch).

There's a lot to Dory, and the idea of finding out why she was all alone, and being reunited with her family is a tantalizing one. I can't "lose faith in Pixar", because they're always committed to story, and when they find a good one, it's a good one. We can continue to be skeptical, but to borrow another cliche, we can only wait and see. Kyle actually sums it up excellently in his post.

I should mention that there is also a fifth kind of person. This one doesn't see the need for a sequel to any Pixar film, will fervently criticize Pixar for daring to make sequels in the first place (what was the reaction back in 1999 when Toy Story 2 was taken over by John Lasseter in order to prevent Disney from cashing in on it by making it a mediocre direct to video product?), and believes that if Pixar is going to make sequels, the one that needs to happen is an Incredibles 2. They don't seem to realize the hypocrisy. Maybe the people who want a sequel to The Incredibles are also excited about Finding Dory. But there are people who prefer a sequel to the Parr story, while also sneering at Pixar's other sequels.

Here is one of the reasons Pixar is so great. They make movies they want to see. They don't follow trends. And they especially don't take their cues from fickle audiences. While a sequel to The Incredibles would be logical to some people, Pixar surprises everyone by instead expanding on the Nemo universe. I don't want a sequel to The Incredibles (it's one of my north stars however!), but I believe if Brad Bird can come up with a story just as fantastic as the first, then it will be worth it. Kind of like Andrew Stanton with his idea for Dory.

No matter what the people at Pixar decide to do, let's remember that they are people. They're allowed to make mistakes. Could they fail? Of course. If Cars 2 and Brave are missteps, then they're fabulous ones. That's definitely not enough to write the studio off, which has plenty more stories and characters to introduce us to, or different stories for the ones we love. The way people jump on bandwagons is so funny, and just a bit infuriating. Is it because they had such a long winning streak that some negative opinions and reviews are proof they're no longer one of the best film studios out there? No, no it is not. I like to imagine, if John Lasseter and the rest of them paid attention to any of those bloggers predicting (hoping for?) Pixar's demise, to be laughing over the fuss being made, even if it is negative. "Sweet music," as Doc Hudson would say.

Pixar has many more years, and I look forward to cheering them on.

"We're the Crooooooooooooods!"

If trailers for The Croods, the first animated film of 2013 from DreamWorks were any indication, it would be a movie worth skipping. But seeing as how the previews don’t do the film any justice, it is definitely worth seeing, and with the whole family in attendance too.

The world’s first family live their lives by one simple rule: never not be afraid. It’s fear that’s allowed them to survive while other cave dwelling families have perished. Dad Grug (Nicholas Cage) is the head of the family. Eep (Emma Stone) is the rebellious older daughter. Though the father/daughter dynamic is familiar to modern day families, it never veers into the cliché. The rest of the family is content to follow Grug’s rules, as doing so keeps them safe. They don’t mind confinement and darkness in the cave. Eep however, yearns for a better tomorrow and the light.

What the Croods soon find is that their world is about to change. Eep meets Guy (Ryan Reynolds), who has newly discovered fire. Things get off to a shaky start when he meets her crazy family, and after their home is destroyed, Guy is forced to come along for the trip as they seek out a new home.

The cross country road trip, so named by Grug, is plenty eventful as new dangers await. Our prehistoric family finds themselves having to adapt, Grug especially. Dad has always protected the family and kept fear close, but Guy is modern and full of ideas, and never afraid. He inspires some envy on Grug's part, and the overprotective dad mode when he sees how close he gets to Eep.

Hidden amidst the dysfunctional family bonding, the wild animals, and action packed scenes is a very touching story of a father and his daughter. And though the Croods are the world’s first family, there’s a new, yet wholly familiar perspective on the meaning of family, and it’s at the core of the film. What directors Chris Sanders (Lilo and Stitch, How to Train Your Dragon), and Kirk Demicco have done is craft a genuine story with hilarious and lovable characters that you root for until the very end. They’re people you’d want in your own family.

Nicholas Cage and Emma Stone are excellent in their roles, and the same can be said for the rest of the cast, which includes Cloris Leachman as the grandmother.

There’s a strong story complete with strong characters and there is also the animation. The Croods is absolutely breathtaking to see, especially in 3D. The scenery is expansive and colorful, and the designs are all so crisp and beautifully rendered. The credits even showcase the handrawn designs, all charming. As with DreamWorks’ Rise of the Guardians last November, this film’s visuals are stunning, and they strengthen a sincere, heartfelt movie that proves DreamWorks' clout as a leading animation studio. 

At each of the screenings I attended, the audience laughed so hard and long that much of the dialogue was even drowned out. It does get exceedingly silly, but it's absolutely laugh out loud fun, and not once do any toilet jokes appear.

Get ready for the adventure of all time and see The Croods in theaters now playing everywhere.