The Sweet, Sweet Smell of Success

Finally, after a month and a half of waiting, this gorgeous thing came in the mail today. It is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life.  Success...can you smell it?
-M.

David Lynch and the Red Button Man

I awoke this morning to something very awesome, and since this is an all-things-awesome blog, I need to share it.  My beloved band Interpol has done a collaboration with director David Lynch.  What has been created is an animation by Lynch, with Interpol's "Lights" as the soundtrack to it.  The animation is titled "I Touch a Red Button Man". Enjoy it and I hope this makes your day as it made mine.
-M.

Harry Potter Art

Each country that produces the Harry Potter series gets to choose an illustrator, and as Americans, we are fortunate that the Scholastic series of Harry Potter books are beautifully illustrated by Mary Grandpre.  Not only did she design the covers, she also illustrated a brief plate that comes along with each new chapter in each of the books ( J.K. Rowling herself has said that Grandpre's series is her favorite).  Here are just a few of Grandpre's designs.

For those adults who think they are too cool to carry around a Grandpre edition, there are these designed by illustrator M.S. Corley.

...and for those in the San Gabriel Valley area, for the next 20 days you can visit Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra to check out the current exhibit:
http://www.gallerynucleus.com/gallery/exhibition/244

These are my favorite pieces in the show. Enjoy!
-M.

The Weird Sisters

In Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, we get to witness the equivalent to an American prom: the Yule Ball.  Hermione, dressed to the nines, is escorted by professional Quidditch player and heart-throb Viktor Krum.  Instead of a DJ, they get treated to a special performance by the rock phenoms known as The Weird Sisters (taken from Shakespeare's Macbeth).  Franz Ferdinand was originally cast as the band, but due to touring conflicts, had to bail out and were replaced by Jonny Greenwood and Phil Selway of Radiohead (!!!) and Jarvis Cocker of Pulp.  Magical indeed!
-M.

British Actors, Anyone???

One of the most obvious things about the Harry Potter films is the all-British casting.  This allows for REAL British and Scottish accents, none of that phony Madonna shit.  Many of these actors have theater backgrounds, and some have even been nominated for Oscars.  These are a few of my personal favorites.
-M.

Gary Oldman as Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather

John Cleese as Sir Nicholas De Mimsy-Porpington, aka Nearly Headless Nick

Ralph Fiennes as Lord Voldemort

David Tennant (Doctor Who and Hamlet!!!!) as Barty Crouch

Rhys Ifans as Xenophilius Lovegood, Luna's dad, publisher of The Quibbler, and Deathly Hallows believer

Kenneth Branagh, Shakespearean actor and director, as Gilderoy Lockhart

Helena Bonham Carter as the maniacal Bellatrix Lestrange

Julie Walters as Molly Weasley, mother of 7 and mother-figure to Harry Potter

Emma Thompson as Professor Sybil Trelawney

Alfonso Cuaron and the Prisoner of Azkaban

Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron is responsible for taking Harry Potter out of Chris Columbus's child-friendly atmosphere and engraving it into the dark and frightening realm that is home to the world of witchcraft and wizardry.  Plain and simply put, without Cuaron, the Harry Potter franchise would not have survived and would have been a disappointment to loyal fans.  Columbus is important for casting the heroes and finding the innards of Hogwarts, but it is Cuaron that provided the guts and soul to Columbus's bones.  Muchas gracias Alfonso.
-M.

Best Way to Spend a Sunday: Shooting Disneyland at Night.