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I wandered across what might possibly be the best of the worst of the Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton films on cable the other day, Boom!. It features Taylor as Flora “Sissy” Goforth, who has survived six tycoon husbands and now lives like a dictator (complete with machine guns and attack dogs) on an island in the Mediterranean. Noel Coward lingers about as The Witch of Capri, and Burton muddles through the movie as a katana wearing, gold digging poet/bohemian. But the best thing about the whole film is Taylor’s awesomely explosive headgear, seen above, which she wears to dinner and then does a dance routine in, and which you can, or can not, enjoy the fuzzy “screenshot” of, above. Just had to share.

Technorati Tags: Boom!, Elizabeth Taylor, awesome headgear, spectacular hat, fuzzy screenshot.

A little bird sent this my way and it demands sharing. Not only is a solid review of Executive Order Karaoke at MOCA, but it contains this gem:

Finishing School has solved so many problems embedded in contemporary art with one great night out on the town. It was absolutely shocking that MOCA would have such an event, vitality and current-ness being the last thing on the aging pink whale’s mind. ON a night with the political debates and a Dodger playoff game, a huge crowd turned out to enjoy art that involved, critiqued, satirized and hit home. It seemed so simple, but it took 22 years of boring MOCA shows to arrive at the point where the light bulb finally went off over someone’s head that nobody was buying the bullshit printed on the stupid wall labels rationalizing the egomania and insider status of assholes like Kippenberger as worthy of examination by the art audience.

I gotta say, when I heard about the Engagement Party series, I was totally surprised to hear that it was taking place at MOCA. It just seems so outside their bubble.

Those who were not present can now experience secondhand EO Karaoke via YouTube, above

Technorati Tags: MOCA, Finishing School, Coagula, Executive Order Karaoke

Thursday, October 2

Eric Johnson: Maize Artist Talk @ Torrance Art Museum.  Mentioned yesterday, join curator Kristina Newhouse and Eric as they discuss his epic project.  Starts at 3 PM.

Executive Order Karaoke @ MOCA (Sculpture Plaza).  It’s what it sounds like, and presented by the Finishing School.  Hosted by Tammy Tomahawk. Win Prizes!  Part of MOCA’s Engagement Party project.  7-10 PM.

Friday, October 3

Michael Lewis Miller:Psychophysical Prosthetic #1, 1989-Present @ Municipal Art Gallery.  Michael will be playing music while wearing the furniture-like portions of the Psychophysical Prosthetic Wardrobe. Starts at 8 PM.

Ugetsu, Night of the Living Dead and Day of the Dead @ The Silent Movie Theatre.  The mighty Cinefamily is bombarding October with horror films, and in their usual range of taste, from utterly classic to some of the worst things ever projected on screen.  Friday nights this month are devoted to Japanese ghost stories, and they’re kicking off the series with Kenzi Mizoguchi’s classic, Ugetsu.  If you want to make it a long evening for one ticket, their late Friday series is devoted to George Romero, and this friday they’re doubling up on zombie action with Night of the Living Dead and Day of the Dead.  Can’t beat that.  Ugetsu starts at 7:30 and the two Deads start at 10.

The Rising Tide @ Pacific Asia Museum.  Documentary that “investigates China’s meteoric march toward the future through the work of some of its most talented emerging artists.”  Bone up on your “Chinese artists are our new Blue Chip masters” material.  Director Robert Adanto will be introducing the film.  Starts at 8 PM.

Saturday, October 4

THE GOOD BAD: One nite of Photography, Paintings, Tacos @ Above an Ace Hardware in Hermosa Beach (743 4th Street).  Feturing works by Sean Cassidy, Joel Ahrens & Robert Abeyta, Jr.  This may be the first time in a long time that anything curious or interesting has occured in Hermosa Beach.  Reception is 7-10.

Tokyo Nonsense @ Scion Space.  Found out about this through the awesome folks at PoNJA-GenKon.  11 YJA’s including Ichiro Endo, Taro Izumi, Ai Kato (aka ai*madonna), Sachiko Kazama, Iichiro Tanaka, and the six-member artist group, Chim↑Pom.  Curated by Gabriel Ritter. Reception is 7-10.

Lindsay Foster: Show #4 @ Open Gallery.  I met Lindsay during Salty Dog Bites the Hand, an exhibition of Cal Arts MFA candidates in Alan Sekula’s program that we hosted at Angels Gate last year.  She made this amazing, beautiful video diary for Sixtus Petraeus a former ship captain, the father of now well known General David Petraeus, about the Port of Los Angeles.  This is an exhibition of her photographs.  Curated by Claudia Bohn-Spector.  Reception is 7-10.

The Intergalactic Discorse @ MOCA.  Presented by the surely awesome and before now, unknown to me Women’s Science Fiction Book Reading Club of Greater Los Angeles.  Benefit program to promote children’s literacy.  7-10 PM.

20 Years Ago Today @ Japanese American National Museum.  It’s the 20th anniversay of the California Community Foundation’s Fellowships for Visual Artists and this show features works created during their grants by a mountain of recipients.  Opening starts at 7:30.

Cat People (trailer at top) @ The Silent Movie Theatre.  More Cinefamily action.  Early Saturdays in October are devoted to the films of Val Lewton, and this is the classic that you can’t miss.  Watch artist Irene (played by Simone Simon) explore the mysteries of her possible Satanic past and literally catlike sexually murderous side.  Film starts at 7:30. 

LA Derby Dolls: Fight Crew vs Varsity Brawlers @ The Dollhouse.  Banked tracked action is on as the Varsity Brawlers, the newest team of bad gals on spinning urethane, make their debut against the Fight Crew.  Buy your tickets before they sell out!  Bout starts at 8 PM.

Sunday, October 5

MOMENTUM @ various locations in the East Village Art District in Long Beach.  Not too sure about the exact location, but Betsy Lohrer-Hall is installing a lemonade shop in the back of a rental van and has asked artists to do work based with and on paper cups for it.  I’m cooking up a “Gluttony Cup” for it.  More details to come. 10 AM - 8 PM.

Mr. Peanut Haim Steinbach on Mike Kelley @ Overduin and Kite.  Works made by Steinbach based on items from Mike Kelley’s home, offices and studio.  Reception is 5-7 PM.

Technorati Tags: art, contemporary art, film, la art, roller derby

The latest from David Rees and 23/6.  I’m predicting an increase in sales (or thefts/lootings) of mattresses with built in safes and hidey-holes.

And like a fine meal needs a proper wine, I just got the image below sent to me by the always right and ever awesome Douglas McCulloh, who calls the image below “the first jpeg of 2008 actually worth forwarding.”

Technorati Tags: David Rees, Get Your War On, 23/6, Douglas McCulloh, Wall Street, Bailout

More Get Your War On from David Rees and 23/6.

Technorati Tags: Get Your War On, Rape Kits, Sarah Palin, Rape, politics, cartoon, video, David Rees, 23/6

Technorati Tags: Sarah Palin, 23/6, Moose Meat, Get Your War On, David Rhees

Thanks Phill for pointing out this excellent mash-up. Obama’s going to turn salt to pepper and pepper to salt, you know.

Technorati Tags: The Warriors, Barak Obama, speech, mashup

Well, if humanity’s supply of rare metals and petroleum holds out long enough to forestall a brutal, post-technological dark ages (get ready to defend your canned food with a bat with a nail through it!), these are the baby steps of the species that will likely come to replace us. And they’ve got just the soundtrack to boogie while they do it.

Seen on Boing Boing Gadgets.

Technorati Tags: robots, Boing Boing Gadgets, competition, The Final Countdown, Eye of the Tiger, sign of the end times, your moment of apocalypse, robot apocalypse

In which Sthephen Cohen Gallery hosts an Artillery roundtable digesting Paul McCarthy’s Chocolate Santa with Butt Plug.

Technorati Tags: Artillery Magazine, art, chocolate, Stephen Cohen Gallery, Chocolate Santa, Butt Plug, Chocolate Santa with Butt Plug, contemporary art, roundtable

Do yourself and Isaac’s gold-chain clad spirit favour and see Wattstax. He’s with Xenu now, but we still love him.