Ben Kingsley is a Badass

(Ben. The alpha-male this season)

Sir Ben Kingsley has been playing quite the lady-killer in his recent films. I must say I saw both The Wackness (released early July so watch out for Netflix now) and the upcoming Elegy this August. He manages to bond with young hot ladies in both. In The Wackness, Kingsley’s character is a “Dead-head” acid-dropping therapist that makes a cosmic connection with Mary Kate Olsen’s Phish loving hippie.. and yes, they end up dry humping in a phone booth. Quite the funny scene. Perhaps he’s got his mojo on from the fact he just wed a Brazilian woman 30 years his junior. Go Ben!

(The Wackness Cast. Hanging with his crew: Method Man, Olsen, Josh Peck, Olivia Thirlby)

His upcoming film, Elegy, is based on a much much more cerebral story between college professor and curious student. I know, I know, it sounds cliche. But the script is smart. Based off a Philip Roth Novel. And what you think is the beginning of a shallow fling evolves into something that transforms both people emotionally. Life’s little curveballs!

(Elegy. Kingsley & Penelope Cruz)

Anyway, I enjoyed seeing Ben play this role very much. He expressed layers of vulnerability, joy, depth, and even panic while addressing his mortality issues. Penelope did a great job at “bringing it”. Keep an eye open for Elegy in theaters August 8th.

Jenny Lewis Solo Again

(Jenny Lewis just banged out her new record in 3 weeks)

Locked up in Van Nuys California, Jenny Lewis recently got back from her world tour with Rilo Kiley and holed up in a studio to make her next solo record. The mantra was pure and simple. The recordings were all analog, no Pro-tools. No embellishments.

She invited members of her own family — i.e. sister Ana on strings, father Eddie Gordon on bass harp. Then she invited music friends like Elvis Costello for a duet (”Carpetbaggers”), M. Ward, Benji Hughes, Zooey Deschanel (of She & Him), and a TON of other musicians for some new flavor.

(Rabbit Fur Coat — Jenny’s last solo record. A Starworks favorite)

Acid Tongue is her follow-up to Rabbit Fur Coat, her last solo record, a collection of beautiful songs and narratives. The title track, “Rabbit Fur Coat” is a beautiful hummable short story in itself. The new album will be released September 2008 and we hear it has a whole new body of good tales, with songs like “The Next Messiah” and “Jack Killed Mom”.

Here’s some dates were she’ll be performing this September:

9/16 – Fox Theatre- Boulder, CO
9/17 – Ogden Theatre- Denver, CO
9/19 - Epiphany Church, Chicago IL
9/20 – Anchor Inn- Omaha, NE*
9/21 – Ryman Auditorium- Nashville, TN*
9/22 – Bijou Theatre - Knoxville, TN*
9/23 – George’s Majestic Fayetteville, AK*
9/24 – The Lyric Theatre - Oxford, MS*
9/25 – Cain’s Ballroom - Tulsa, OK*
9/26 – Austin City Limits - Austin, TX
10/2 - Sixth & I Historic Synagogue- Washington, DC
10/4 – Apollo Theatre- New York, NY

(*with Conor Oberst )

Miu Miu Fall/Winter 08-09

New Campaign is out!

Miu Miu’s website has freshly posted their images of Fall/Winter 08-09 collection on MiuMiu.com. We love casting for Miu Miu because of their intent to find tough women that have a fragile edge to them. Last season, we showed you Kirsten Dunst for Miu Miu in her Moulin Rouge theater-esque glory.

This season, the vision by Miuccia Prada hints at an undisclosed world. The surreal place in time is a modern day metropolis of LA, but still an alternate reality. Miuccia’s campaigns tend to put women in scenarios that overlap intellect, imagination, and divergence.

The heroine of this series is a woman we don’t get to see much here in the States, Vanessa Paradis. I sorta fell in love with her when I first saw Girl on a Bridge, a cute little french film that shows us, well, a girl on a bridge ready to say goodbye to the cruel world — before her soulmate strolls into her life. The relationship is as dysfunctional as Maggie Gyllenhall’s character in Secretary but just as complimentary, thrilling, and complete. You’re going to have to watch the trailer Girl on a Bridge to see what I mean.

In essence, Miu Miu’s new protagonist is highly stylized and powerfully independent. In real life, Vanessa has been entertaining since she was 7 years old (appearing on French TV show L’Ecole des Fans). In 1989, she won the César for Most Promising Actress in the film Noces Blanches, and has put out several records (one which spawned a #1 single in 15 different countries). Keep in mind she collaborated with Serge Gainsbourg on the album Variations sur le Même t’aime in the 90’s. She is still traveling the world with her new set of songs released late last year.

Photography by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.

Nas + Alife

(Last night: DJ Green Lantern spinning pre-show Nas)

Nas is about to drop his new record with another controversial title which I’d rather not type on this blog. What better way to create attention than hold a word of mouth small secret show? And what better spot than Lower East Side’s alife Rivington Club — the sneaker ambassadors of the scene. Great night. Artists KR and ESPO were in attendance. I must say Nas did meander on some politics in between songs, of which I truly respect his energy in the matter. I will have to hear the entire new record before I fully expand on his new state of mind.

(Nas steps to the mic)

The highlight of the evening (in addition to hearing new tracks) was when he busted out some of his classics in the tiny backyard of the sneaker store — “NY State of Mind” and “Made You Look”. Simply brought the house down. One of those reasons you love living in New York City.

As far as the term “viral” goes for the party last night — all the footage, photos, and clips are ALL OVER the internet today. Well done guys.
J

Dwarf Bullfighters

Enanitos Toreros

Livia Corona is an extremely talented photographer from Mexico. In between her other hectic work gigs, she managed to escape whenever she could in order to document a community within a community in her native country. For a span of 10 years, Livia lived with these cast of characters — she woke up with them, spent the day with them, spoke to their families, visited their shows, etc. The result is a new retrospective book published by powerHouse Books available next week.

Jauretsi: Why Dwarf bullfighting? How did you bump into this niche?

Livia Corona: Enanitos Toreros started in a very casual way when a woman, who is a little person, invited me to tour with her team of dwarf bullfighters, after I made her a headshot. Through her I met other little people who also invited me to their shows and to their homes. With time I realized that there is not a great deal of common knowledge about dwarfism and, consequently, there are many false ideas and much discomfort about the subject. I was interested in the space between these two factions.

What aspect of their lives did you find the most surprising in all your years of documenting them?

I was, and am, struck by how dwarfism, in a sense, remains a sort of “last minority” which culture can discriminate against. Seems that the blanket of political correctness skipped this part of our society altogether. We became accustomed, through handed-down outlooks, to think of people with dwarfism in a very specific and limited way. In the interviews for my book, many people say they feel just fine with themselves. Recently one of the Enanitos Toreros told me, “My normal side is myself reflected in the mirror.” Tallness could be the outsider in this case. It’s relative, and irrelevant in the end. The book is about a lot of things, but mainly an effort to get past the spectacle and re-portray dwarfism in a way that made sense to me, having people with dwarfism as friends.

What is your next project?

I am finishing a documentary film about the Enanitos Toreros which I started along with the photos for the book. I am also working on a second book, “Two Million Homes for Mexico.” It is about definitions of family patrimony and cultural legacy via real estate.

(Enanitos Toreros, the book)
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The Book launch party is this Friday July 18, 6-10pm at powerHouse Arena in Brooklyn — 37 Main St., BK, 11201. To RSVP, email icumexny@sre.gob.mx.

To see more of Livia’s body of work, go to liviacorona.com