(&VAN SANT MEETS MADONNA_=

I don't care about Madonna, but her cover for the upcoming Interview magazine is pretty cool, plus, she's interviewed by none other than Gus Van Sant whom I happen to care a bout A LOT :DD

Here it is, READ

GUS VAN SANT: Hey, Madonna.

MADONNA: Gus, is that you?

VAN SANT: Yes. I'm at my house in L.A., just reading the paper.

MADONNA: Are you living in L.A. now?

VAN SANT: I still live in Portland [Oregon], but I have a place in L.A., and I'm starting to work on this film down here.

MADONNA: You're always working on a film.

VAN SANT: Usually.

MADONNA: But that's what you do.

VAN SANT: It's my habit. [laughs] I heard you're going to Africa.

MADONNA: Yeah. I go to Malawi twice a year. It's where two of my children were adopted from, and I have a lot of projects there that I go and check up on and children who I look after. It's sort of a commitment that I've made to this country and the hundreds of thousands of children there who have been orphaned by AIDS. I made a documentary about it [I Am Because We Are, 2008], and it's just become part of my life. I'm going to meet with Jeffrey Sachs [the economist]. I'm sure you've heard of him. He's starting a global education initiative, and I'm going to be his Girl Friday, so to speak. We're going to hold a press conference to talk about the school for girls that I'm building in Malawi. It's kind of our way of making sure that every kid has a chance to have an education-more specifically girls, but boys as well. Girls, though, in a lot of developing countries don't have the opportunity to go to school, nor are they encouraged to go to school, so what we're doing is the beginning of a dream. But I'm going to Malawi for lots of reasons.

VAN SANT: You've done a lot of work with Jeffrey Sachs already, haven't you?

MADONNA: Yeah. We've been supporting each other for years now. I've worked on some Millennium Villages with him. We have two Millennium Village sites in Malawi, and they're both doing very well. He's an incredible human being.

VAN SANT: I've never met him, but I've heard he's very charismatic.

MADONNA: He's extremely charismatic. Very well-spoken and charming. He's one of the few people I know who talks the talk and also walks the walk. He thinks very big.

VAN SANT: What's the economic theory behind the Millennium Villages?

MADONNA: Well, his work is primarily focused on ending poverty, but you know, there are lots of ways to skin the cat. Millennium Villages are an experiment that he has tried all over the world. It costs a certain amount of money, and it takes a certain number of years for them to work, but he's got it down almost to a science, where for $1.5 million over a five-year period, you can make a series of interconnected villages self-sustainable through education and prepping and diversifying their crops and giving them agricultural tools and medicine and knowledge. Jeffrey has been really supportive of all the work I've done in Malawi. So, yeah, we'll be drinking a gin and tonic and swatting away the mosquitoes down there. By the way, Milk [2008] was such a brilliant film. I cried and cried. I loved it.

VAN SANT: Oh, great. Thanks.

MADONNA: Did you like working with my ex-husband? [laughs]

VAN SANT: I did. Sean [Penn] was amazing.

MADONNA: He is amazing.

VAN SANT: I haven't really caught up with Sean since he's been going to Haiti. I mean, it's incredible, what he's been doing.

To read the rest of the interview ('cause it's way too long to post all of it here) go here


Both the cover and this picture up here are shot by Marcus Piggott and Mert Alas

>{WILD TIGERS I HAVE KNOWN+-

Cam Archer I LOVE YOU What the @$&**$^*(&*^~!#????!!!!! This film is amazing. It's indescribable almost, you just need to see it to understand it. I guess it comes down to feeling, tone, atmosphere the most. He presents you with this beautiful portrait of this kid and several scenes are so wonderful. It's very lyrical and poetic and I loved the use of the tiger as a metaphor. This film was so surprisingly more detailed than I had expected. Drenched in this beautiful soft blue toning and with a bit of childrens choir music in the background. He comes up with some brilliant ideas. At first I wasn't sure about this film cause it has some real flaws, I mean, there are tons of things that could have been done better and at first I had to get used to the boy who plays the main character, especially his voice which at first doesn't seem to really fit him. But I got passed that. It's just the movie as a whole, what it creates, it makes it work. I was so moved. It's one of the strongest pieces I've seen that makes you connect and feel so strongly for the main character. The sequence of images. Some don't even hold meaning for the plot, but they're just there to show Logan, the main character. It's almost documentary like at some moments. I'm pretty much stunned of how effective this film is and perhaps it makes it better that the actor who plays the boy might be really gay in real life, 'cause he appeared to be even though it feels real stupid to say that you could see that through behaviour and the way people act. At first I felt a bit bad because the boy's gayness seemed to be exploited and taken advantage of, but the film becomes such a honest and sincere portrait that it's not at all. And, assuming the young boy is actually gay in real life, makes it all the more stronger because you feel for him even more. It's one of the most beautiful films I've ever seen and I'm not overreacting. There were just some scenes that were brilliant in tone and feeling and some of the shots are so pretty, great photography. I did not expect this. I thought it would not overcome it's low-budget quality, but all of that didn't matter, it exceeds it and turned out to be one of the most effective films I've seen. Thank you Cam Archer. We need to talk.













After having done some YouTube searching for clips from the film it seems what I saw was an early version of the film which did not yet feature music by singer Emily Jane White who made a song with the same title as the movie. So I discovered the version I saw does not include some scenes which the movie on YouTube (you can basically watch it in full, although split up in several parts) does. I don't think this would have effected my viewing of the film a lot, but it's interesting. I'll definitely have to see it again with those extra scenes and different use of music in some scenes. And I better keep the downloaded version I have as the DVD of the film might not feature both versions but only the one with the scenes and music by Emily Jane White added to it. Anyway, I'm completely in love with this film.

Here's the video for the song by Emily Jane White which you apparently hear at the end of the film, but not in the version I saw. I heared a beautful childrens choir. This song would have satisfied me as well though.



I'm glad Gus Van Sant chose to executive produce this film.

I found out I did a post on Cam Archer and Emily Jane White almost a year ago on Sunday December 28, 2008

Emily Jane White has a new album out called Victorian America. I'll listen to it

A short called Vegas

!>ALL 11 SONGS + 1^(

Yes I was nervous. NERVOUS!!! I know, crazy right? But just a little bit. Like when I'm about to see a new Gus Van Sant movie or, for example, I know I will be gasping for air when I will watch the new Haneke Das Weiße Band just because I know it has been received so well and it's Haneke I love him, you can always expect some controversial stuff from this guy, so I can't wait. I don't know what happened, well I do, I clearly do, but I ended up completely at the front. I didn't mean to and actually didn't even plan on standing front row. The thing is, we had to wait upstairs after already having waited outside for something like 40 minutes (!) not cool Paradiso, not cool - but anyway, considering what I got in return of course it was worth it :D So I was waiting upstairs just leaning against some doors of the entrance to the place where the gig was going to take place. I thought that the doors next to me were the once that were going to be opened but then all of a sudden the doors I was leaning against were the first to open so I was the first to go inside which is so weird 'cause you walk into this empty room and I didn't quite realize yet that this was it. In my mind I know there was some corner where I was wondering should I walk towards the stage already? Luckily my legs didn't hesitate one bit and immediately walked towards the stage. Some guy almost managed to take my place as suddenly he came running passed me and took hold of one of the best spots. But he was about the only one running so there was still enough space. All I had to do was go stand next to him to his right which was actually the best place if you wanted to stand at the front. This was center front, a spot crazy fans would die for. I have to say standing completely at the front makes me feel a little awkward and somewhat naked. It's like I don't have anyone around to hang on to. But it was okay. First up was Holly Miranda and me being the fashionisto of late, first thing I noticed were her shoes which were incredible. They were these black boots that looked totally worn out. Such gems. Like she found them somewhere hidden in a dusty corner of her grandpa's wardrobe. Lovely boots. The guy she was performing with wore some cool boots as well but they could not compare with hers. But so much for fashion, on to the music. I didn't have time to listen to Miss Miranda before the show so I had no idea what to expect. I thought she was just some singer songwriter. Girl with guitar, that kind. But I was pretty wrong. Her songs were almost all accompanied by some really nice intermezzo kind of thingy where they went heavy on guitars. A bit WOMEN-esque actually. I loved it. I was amazed. And girl has a really nice voice as well. And then, yes, it was time for the almighty The xx! Anticipation was high which I could already feel standing in line outside. I came right on time and there were already a few people waiting. Before leaving the house I already felt so excited and so fortunate as if I was this contest winner who received the opportunity to see The xx. It just felt that special knowing they're like the next big thing. I remember before Vampire Weekend was going to break out onto the scene big time there was this gig they were about to do and people on the internet were saying that the people attending the gig should really cherish it 'cause it would officially be the last time Vampire Weekend would play at such a small venue. After it didn't take long before these guys really blew up and were touring all festivals. This is what might happen with The xx. This was already the last time these kids were playing at the small space of Paradiso. Next time they will doing Paradiso's big concert hall and from that moment there's no return to small venues. So I've been one of the lucky ones to have been allowed to experience these kids in a small scale setting. Before they came on stage pieces of paper with their setlist were stuck on the floor. From where I was standing I could easily read the papers and found out they were about to play the entire album (!) plus their cover of the song Teardrops by Womack and Womack. The entire album! All 11 songs! A dream. If they ever manage to get passed recording a second album and their music will still be popular by then people will crave for them performing songs from their debut like I do with a band like Bloc Party. And here I was tonight, getting a full album showcase. And I was experiencing it as if I was standing in the middle of it all. So I was a bit paralyzed in the beginning. When you look forward to something like this ever since you realized this album of them is the next big fanatastic thing it can all be a bit overwhelming and unreal. It was so much at the same time. You hear the music you've come to be so familiar with and at the same time you watch these people play these songs live. It's revealed to you which instruments make up these songs, the chords, tabs, all that stuff. Near the end I felt I got a bit more loose, but still it was quite unreal. But I enjoyed every second. With some songs the bass was so loud, everything started to vibrate, I could feel it going through my entire body. Kind of like when I'm at home, but just a bit stronger. 'Cause I do play my music loud and it often happens that I notice some objects vibrating :) So they played every song, all of them. Their voices, just as good as on the record and even better 'cause you know, it's live! It's a shame I was feeling sooo tired. It's because I went to school in the morning, having to wake up real early and I had to wait quite a long time for the train to arrive when I went back home in the afternoon. But I'm always really tired after class. All the drawing and painting sucks the life out of me. And when I get home I'm not the type that's easily able to just take a nap. Instead I continued with the painting I started in class while listening to my music. So as I'm writing this my eye lids almost start to close. This gig was so special and amazing that I decided to take the time to take a picture! :D And it's not blurry! So I'll post it. Lots of people were taking pictures though. I guess they were all the reporter type or fanatic bloggers. The 16th of February they will be back in Paradiso, this time in the big concert hall. I just bought my ticket! :DD Yes I'm crazy for The xx, how can I not be?

My picture of The xx (or actually two out of the four members)



Tomorrow night Kings Of Convenience!!!!! Could my life be any better??!!

<^FROM AUTUMN TO WINTER_+

I was just peeling my first tangerine in months and from the moment the scent found its way to my nose I had an autumn flashback. :) This afternoon I started to wonder whether I was happy summer has passed or not. I guess I'm starting to re-find all these reasons why I love autumn and winter. First I noticed the trees changing and found myself in a Gus Van Sant movie again and just some minutes I started to listen to Tom Waits' album Alice who has now brought winter into my room. After having always felt his voice was way too low to listen to and enjoy it I thought let's give him a fair chance and now I'm in love. This album sounds like a Tim Burton soundtrack. I feel like snuggling up to a fairplace and hear the fire crackle. I don't have a fireplace, never did, but I think I have a pretty good image of how it must feel like. :) Soon I'll play Bon Iver again and The Antler's Hospice, two albums which I'm convinced are much better when it's cold and dark outside. It has been raining for days and I love it. Hope it never ends :D

)*FORCED TO SAVE IT FOR ANOTHER DAY%^

With The September Issue being completely sold out (should have known lots of thirtysomething women with their girlfriends would all take a sprint to the cinema to see it as if the latest collection of a famous fashion designer had made its debut at the H&M) I was forced to watch a different movie. So me and my mum (dad decided to stay at home) went to see Män Som Hatar Kvinnor (Millennium: Men Who Hate Women). There's a great chance you've heard about the film because there's been a lot of hype surrounding it. It's based on the first part of the Millennium series written by Stieg Larsson who at this time last year was a complete stranger to me as to, I assume, many others. But ever since this trilogy became the new The Da Vinci Code everyone seems to be at it. Everyone, expect for me and my mum. No idea what we got ourselves into we entered the cinema and came out extremely pleased. What a thrill. It's like the usual detective mystery TV series, I guess, those you happen to see a lot on TV, but I'd never really seen any of those on the big screen. The story is solid although the ending is a bit predicatable, although I liked the motives behind it. Well acted, fast paced and extremely brutal which had me very surprised. I don't think I'll read the book anytime soon, perhaps in some years when the hype has cooled down, but who knows I might be at the cinema again once the movie adaptation of part 2 of the trilogy is released! :)

This afternoon I saw (500) Days Of Summer, one of my most anticipated films this year. As what usually happens I guess my anticipation killed it a bit for me 'cause I felt I never really managed to get completely into it. Don't know why. Perhaps I wasn't in the right mood or the fact that the film is filled with for me recognizable songs from artists such as The Black Lips, The Smiths, The Temper Trap and Regina Spektor kind of put me off. Everytime a scene started I could clearly hear the song in the background playing and all my attention was drawn to it. Couldn't help it. There's even a scene with a Carla Bruni song! I expect to be completely into it when I see it the second time. It happened to me when seeing Gus Van Sant's Paranoid Park. At the cinema I liked it, but when I saw it for the second time at home I really came to love it making it probably my favourite Van Sant film. That one I was waiting to see for a very long time so when the lights were switched off and the movie started playing I could hardly breathe. The film Once is another one of those examples. I still have to see that one for the second time though. So I'm expecting the same will happen with (500) Days. Joseph Gordon-Levitt as always is great. He's very charming and I can see him having a massive appeal. He seems this sentimental kind of guy with good looks but without that Brad Pitt or model type perfection. And although he's far from afraid to show emotions he's still the very guy-ish type too. So that makes for a wide appeal and for him being a great leading man in my eyes. Same for Zooey Deschanel who doesn't have that perfect model look either but who's still extremely pretty and dreamy. Her eyes being her strongest asset. I loved how she portrayed her character. She really made it hard for us spectators to read her and at times could be so cruel. Still you couldn't help to like her character 'cause, apart from her sweet Bambi eyes, she managed to convince you she did mean no harm and was just a girl who struggled with relationships. So I did really love the film 'cause it's all very cute but without it becoming to sugery sweet and girly, it even has some very nice animations in it as well as a funny dance scene! :DDD Me not getting completely into it yet might also have been because I held back a bit, not getting me too involved with the characters because being in a crowded cinema. Especially Gordon-Levitt's character had a chance to get me real good but I didn't let him get under my skin. I guess I didn't dare to with all those people around. :) So it'll be much better seeing it all by myself I when I will be able to get all romantic and cozy with me myself and I without anyone watching and just swoon away with every scene :D

Oh, and here's a real cool MGMT video for ya ;)



Via Stereogum

$#CHAIRLIFT AT 22.30_{

Every now and then you have one of those days you really don't know what to do. For me today is such a day. After waving goodbye to my parents at the airport and my brother drove me home I had no idea what to do. And the thing is, in a couple of minutes I will go to Paradiso to see Chairlift perform, they should still have some tickets left. But that performance starts at 22.30. So when you're at home around 12 or perhaps I was home even earlier you still have like another 10 hours before that gig starts. I thought about going to a movie before, but I haven't been able to find one which I want to see and which hasn't like less than one hour between the film and the concert. And I just don't feel like having to wait too long today. Sometimes it's nice to have a walk around town and I could do that for hours. But I have a feeling if that happened today I would have ended up buying something. Like on Tuesday I didn't mean to buy anything, but because it still took a while before I went to see Coraline, I thought let's go to the HEMA, there might be something I could use. So I ended up buying something I actually did need, but it wasn't really necessary to buy. I can walk for hours as well without being interested in buying stuff, but I'm not sure I would have managed today. :) Plus, today I'm not able to travel for free, can't use my public transport card because it's Hemelvaartsdag (Ascension Day is the correct translation I think) so I didn't want to have to go to Amsterdam during the afternoon and then come back home and then buy another train ticket to go to Paradiso tonight. Of course I could have spent all day in Amsterdam but I guess I didn't feel like it. So instead I read a bit, I slept a bit, and I spent much more time at the supermarket downstairs than I intended to due to the place being completely crowded as if it was a Sunday so I had to wait in line much longer than usual. It's probably the only store around here that is open today which is why it was so crowded. People have a day off and because all of the other shops are closed the one that's open, even if it's just a supermarket, suddenly becomes the number one place to go to. Haven't felt very creative today, or maybe I did feel creative, but I just can't focus on writing something right now or making some drawings. Although I did buy a white board some days ago, finally, so I can make some new stop-motion 'films'. And this morning I took some pictures, not many. I plan on taking some tonight when walking to the train station after seeing Chairlift perform. This time I'll make sure my camera will be in focus :)
For now enjoy some of the works of Mr. Slimane just to pass the day, some old some new + some pictures I took today and last night and other random stuff. And apparently the new Ken Loach film is said to be very good and might end up winning the Palme D'Or, while reviews for Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds seem to be either very positive or very negative.

By Mr. Slimane:










Nick Cave's son Jethro, cool name:



That kid next to Mr. Van Sant should be me!!!! Unfair.



Remember kids, smoking IS cool. Doesn't mean you should start smoking, but if you do start smoking I think you're cool ;) Or, actually, let me rephrase that, I think it's cool when you're able to do it in a cool way, like this girl below (Anna Selezneva is her name). 'Cause I've seen many people smoke who don't seem to be able to smoke in a cool way. And if you can't smoke in a cool way it's no use to smoke.



Plus, some of you might know them, but I can imagine a lot of you don't: Lara Stone and Ymre Stiekema. 'Cause if you thought Doutzen Kroes is still the only big Dutch female model out there, you're very wrong. Lara's only part Dutch though, her father's British, but she was born here.
No reason to post this other than that I just felt like it and the girls are both very pretty ;)

Lara:




Ymre:




Here some pictures taken by Luke Smalley who passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday:









Some of the pictures I took this morning. Nothing groundbreaking :)












Pictures I took last night operating as both model and photographer which isn't easy. When you do both you realize how much models do add to an image. They really don't just stand and look pretty. I'm mostly interested in taking the pictures, but as I don't have anyone to model for me I'm forced to do the stuff myself. So... anyone who's willing to volunteer as a model, I promise I'll be kind!! I'd like a girl with long hair.
Also, someone get me a real professional studio please with a solid backdrop, one that doesn't have wrinkles in it ;) and professional lighting and stuff!!!! Poor me...
These pictures are safe for work, right??
















I have to say I really like my profile:



Struggling to get out of a shirt:




So now I spent almost one hour being busy with setting up this post. Time well spent. :D
Tomorrow I got a wedding to attend...