12 for 2012

I have become one of those annoying instagr.am people…

and I make no apologies for it. Because nothing says, “Only you can stop narcissism” (I see you, Raymond. thank you for bringing this phrase into my life.) like your daily coffee shot from 15 different angles. I love using my real camera, but more often my phone is within reach and…well, those cups of morning coffee or brunches aren’t going to photograph themselves.

Sketches of Frank Gehry

The 2005 documentary is listed as the last film directed by my beloved Sydney Pollack so I wasn’t in a hurry to watch it. I’m okay with not being a completeist as it relates to Pollack. Of course, this did not stop me from settling in with Babby one night and watching the film. Frank Gehry has documented by his friend Pollack was deliciously lulzy, brilliant and totally bananas. Gehry mentioned he was in therapy as though this fact might somehow clarify things. Pollack was as wonderfully conversational as he always was and it made me miss his talents and voice so much. Even if neither man or their work interests you, Sketches of Frank Gehry is still infinitely watchable and deserves some space in your Netflix queue.

via CineFile Video - ME WANT!

I know, right

I don’t even know how to process just how badly I need this De Palma shirt in stylized Def Leppard lettering from CineFile Video in my life. This is some straight up film geekery at its most wearable. I pretty much want all of them because we all need shirts that say “Von Trier” in Van Halen lettering.

Uh, Pantone, we need to talk

So the Color of 2012 is something called “Tangerine Tango” and well, it’s orange. A color that is easy to like and hard to live with. The same folk who think they look good in bright yellow also think they look good in orange. Turns out they’re wrong in both cases! At fact that has been brought to my attention on a daily basis living in here Syracuse. To be sure this is probably a more forgiving shade, but as a vet of several attempts at injecting orange into my house I can assure you skip this one except for in TINY doses. You can thank me later.

Lamy Safari/Vista

So if you follow Does This Pen Write? (and seriously, if you don’t then you ought to hop to it) you might be aware of my love for Lamy Safari rollerball pens. Those being really the only kind of rollerball that doesn’t make a lot of scratchy noises as it moves across the page and the ink is so gorgeous. Anyway, Babby gave me a yellow for Christmas. which completely made my year. My former yellow one was gifted to me and in not in the best condition. It also went ghost at some point during our tenure together. Same is true for my gifted (during an office supply swap) Vista, which also went ghost and really grated my cheese! With my Christmas money from the parents (thanks) I snagged another Vista and now order in my pen universe has been restored.

The System

If people are familiar with 80s synth-funkateers The System most likely it’s with their irresistible and better known super jam “Don’t Disturb This Groove” (a fave to be sure), but I’m kind of feeling this side two cut (cause I actually the tape in 1987) “Nighttime Lover”. The first three seconds of crunchy intro smoothed out into a late 80s R&B groove just shuts it down. I can’t stop won’t stop playing “Nighttime Lover”.

Cinemalphabet

Nothing motivates a grand return to film blogging like, “I can’t have a Molly Ringwald dud be the final film analysis of my film blogging career.” So eventually there will be more Cinemalphabet.

I have no idea what looks good at the movies these days

Seriously I don’t. I haven’t been paying much attention to award season or any of the films dominating the coverage. In 2011 only saw two films in the theater I wasn’t paid to see: Moneyball and Mission Impossible 4 and I thoroughly enjoyed them both.

But I do watch a lot of Leverage, Damages, Eureka and Burn Notice

Seriously, you can ask me about any plot point, character arc or guest star on any of those shows I can could talk your ears off. So there’s that. I tried White Collar, The Good Guys and a few others that weren’t particularly memorable. Did I mention how much I love Burn Notice. I never fails to make me laugh and you know, sometimes think.

Tracee’s hairs inspire me

The harmonious ratio between bushiness and curl definition (though I tend to like to be a tad more bushy) and the pouf factor is intoxicating. I don’t necessarily want LONGER hair, I want BIG hair. I like that big, bushy, kinky coil look. I’m probably going to need to spend more time picking out the fro. In the mornings I tend to just want to get the day started so often that means my fro is mushed down in a decent shape and not fluffed to unfurl its complete and fantastic glory. It also gets kind of saggy after the gym (not that it’s keeping me from going).

I need more Lydia Grant outfts in my life.

Last year I started watching Fame (the TV show), which I hadn’t seen since I was kid. It’s a highly sanitized version of the 1980 gritty film. New Coco (played by Erica Gimple) is not taking off her top in this family friendly fare. I always associate the show with Mainz, Germany because that’s where I was living at the time. The show was the reason for so much leaping and big arms when I was a kid. And growing up with a mom who was equal parts Lydia Grant and her his sister Claire Huxtable only added to the confusion. Watching Fame helps clarify why I have no urge to watch Glee. Those fucking Glee kids are annoying. I like the Fame kids. Also the Fame kids could kick the Glee kids’ asses any time they wished to do so. so there. But the outfits. I’ve always wanted to perfect my “off duty dancer” look. I mean this quest has gone on for YEARS. And doesn’t Lydia’s hair just rock?

I can’t quit you, Mahogany

This movie was one of those stolen treasures as a kid. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to be watching this or Sparkle, but I watched and was dazzled by Mahogany – I wish I could remember verbatim what Norman Bates said to Ms. Ross as he renamed her, something like “dark, strong, rich, rare, beautiful” – and all the dramz. I completely missed how anti-feminist the film’s message was. And that’s cool. I still love the film’s rich interiors, amazing hair, make up and clothes, its campiness and of course BILLY DEE!

So…how you living in 2012?