(Inside A Black Apple)

He Did it!

We went to see Sweeney Todd on opening weekend, I was so, so elated. I left the theater flipping out with happiness and relief, 'cause Tim really pulled it off.
In fact, I hope that as the movie wrapped, he was singing to himself Henry Higgins' song from My Fair Lady: "I did it, I did it...I said that I would do it, and indeed I did" (or something to that effect).

On the second viewing this past weekend, I was even more pleased. The clothes are incredible (that Colleen Atwood is really something else...she designed the clothes for one of my favorite clothes-movies, Lemony Snickett's A Series of Unfortunate Events). She also designed costumes for many other Tim Burton classics like Ed Wood, Sleepy Hollow, etc.
The HBC is wonderful, wonderful, and Mister Depp is too. So is the little guttersnipe that plays Toby. And Alan Rickman, who is always a dream. If you aren't afraid of Hammer-style comical bloodletting, you must get yourself to the cineplex and see for yourself!

Thanks, Tim Burton! It was one of my very favorite Christmas presents.

And Happy New Year, dear applets!
I have to go get cracking on the food and drinks I promised would be availed to our friends later on this evening.
I have silly party hats. But I think they'll still want food.

Black Apple Halloween Film Fest

We've been hosting a pretty intense non-stop Halloween film festival around here lately, and I thought it might be fun to share a few of my top creepy-crawly favorites with you guys. I know that lots of folks don't like scary/horror movies, but some of these are classics, and most really defy the genre (so even Halloween-movie-haters might want to give them a shot).

 

I realized as I was making my list that most of these are very girl-centric, which I guess isn't that surprising. I'm linking to the IMDB page of each film here, so you can find out a little more about them than what I have to say (if you're interested). Follow the jump, here!

Cinématographe

I realize that I haven't babbled on and on about films lately the way that I used to, and it's simply because I've been deprived of my movie-going-passion.
I hunger for movies, and trips to the theater to see them, but the movie-making world just isn't obliging these days, and I find it very depressing. This is the biggest thing (and this might sound sad), but it is the biggest thing I miss about living in Brooklyn. (Almost) every DAY I could see a new movie if I wanted...sometimes twice a day! After a sad Summer of movies, it seems like we're ushering in a sad Autumn of movies (which scarcely seems possible, given that it is usually the flourishing "which-one-should-we-see-tonight" time). All that said, I actually spent two evenings at the cinema early this week, and it did my soul some considerable good.

Monday night we saw Elizabeth, The Golden Age, which I've been anxiously anticipating.

I liked the first Elizabeth, of course, but this one also had the Clive factor in its favor. Josiah and I both really liked it...I thought that the costumes were opulent and beautiful, Cate did her thing to great effect, and it was all entertaining and well and good. I didn't think "Oh, my god...I must own this" or anything that extreme, but I did think it was a nice little movie. When we were walking about of the theater, Josiah turned to me and said "I didn't want you to know this going into it, but this movie got horrible reviews". He wasn't kidding, Rotten Tomatoes gave it like a 25% fresh rating or something. But I just don't get the reviewer's problems with the movie, which seem to be all the things I liked about it...over-the-top costumes, interpersonal drama, not too heavy on the battle-scenes.
Herrumph.

Tuesday night, we caught the last screening of Pierrot Le Fou, a Godard movie I had wanted to see (but I think it's out of print until the Criterion comes out? Maybe?).

(Isn't this image the best? I had to look around forever online to find it...it's the poster they had at the local theater promoting the film)

Anyway, I always think it's so special when I get to see an older film (especially from such a director!) on a big screen. I mean, I get very warm and geeky and happy about it...I suppose just because it's so rare, as American doesn't have a great tradition of Revival houses.
I was so warm and cozy, wrapped up in my blanket of feeling lucky-to-be-there that it didn't bother me one bit that I didn't love this film. I liked it, the first half is really wonderful...but it lost me a little at the end (not the very end, which is pretty great). I guess the second half just felt a little too like Weekend somehow, which is a film that doesn't send me. I love Anna Karina, and believe I could watch her do an insurance informercial and be bewitched...but she shimmered a little less in this than she does in my favorites, Vivre sa Vie and Une femme est une femme.  It was still a wisely spent 2 hours, and I still feel lucky to have seen it on a big screen (I wish so much I could seen either of the aforementioned two at a theater!).

Enough of the rambling!
I've missed it, though, so please forgive me the indulgence. ;)

xoxo

Dear Tim Burton,

Please, please, PLEASE tell me that Sweeney Todd is going to be as good as it looks to be from this film-still. Please. You need redemption. You need it badly. You have the HBC, Alan Rickman, and the once-reliable Mister Depp at your disposal (all you're missing is Clive, for god's sake) .
Please, Tim. I need this...you need this...WE need this.

Don't screw this up for me...
er, us.   

Don't ball up your fists like that, Neil...Stardust is good.

We went to see Stardust (the new fairy tale film based on a Neil Gaiman novel) on opening night, and we had braced ourselves for something not-so-great, in the shadow of all of the crummy summer movies this year.

But it is good! So very good.

I hereby recommend it to everybody as an everybody-would-like-it type movie. The posters: ugly. The trailers: misleading and weird.
But the film itself: lovely.

I think that Neil is very pleased with it, and hopefully when he exited the red carpet, he relaxed his hands a bit. I read the book maybe 5 years ago, so I don't even remember how much is faithful and what is different, but it flows beautifully, the performances (even the ones that could've easily gone awry) were wonderful (especially Michell Pfieffer and Robert Deniro) and it left my heart all a-glow.

Perhaps I dream too much alone

I finally watched my Netflixed Beales of Grey Gardens, after having it for weeks, and oh my.
Oh my, oh my, oh my. Anyone who is a fan of the original will just die over all this extra-Edie footage, but it also rounds the old gals out a bit more. This new film (which can be purchased alone or with the original in a slipcase set from Criterion for only a bit more than the original alone) is much...sunnier. Which some fans of the original may not really love, but I did. The Maysle that is still living introduced the film by saying "Edie's only problem with the film (Grey Gardens) was that there wasn't enough dancing". Even though there is loads of Edie's dancing and antics in the original, the new one has even more little dance numbers.
And...wait for it...

A outfit/"costume" montage. That's correct...tons of little Edies waltzing across the screen in different get-ups, some of which have never been seen before. Said montage is set to a beautiful and sad song (the title of the post is extracted from the song) that is totally appropriate for our lil' E, and made me so very happy. There is also more of the outdoors, more of the elusive "marble fawn", and more whimsical but strangely lucid philosophy from little Edie. I am all over the Criterion set, as it is very affordable, and this companion film totally clinched my pre-existing love for the ladies Beale.

Concerning best-costumes-for-the-day, I really liked one of my own from last week:

There were so many pretty details, especially with that sheer, embroidered sweater. The "no" necklace is currently my favorite piece of jewelry. We've had such crack-pot crazy weather here lately (almost 90 one day, and then 50 the next) I've been dressing in light, but versatile layers. Hey, and even though it happened a day or two before, perhaps this little outfit is a bit of a nod to Alicia's fashion post from last week?
Oui, oui.

I say YES to...

It's a Sunday just right for lists and listing.
For listing all of the things that I say Yes to, on this pretty, blustery February day.

*Don't worry if you're only in it for the psychotically good chocolate cake recipe I promised...it's down at the bottom

These things are all making me happy this weekend:

A little drawing that I did that was included in the last shop update...I just keep thinking of it and cracking up with joy. There will be a print run of it, too, up in the next few days.

Izze soda, in Clementine and Black Raspberry, which I fell in love with at a bodega in Brooklyn & recently realized is sold at the good ol' Target! So I'm back on the wagon. Or off the wagon. Whichever. This stuff is so tasty, and as it is just loads of random fruit juices and carbonated water, I feel better about it than regular soda. I love carbonation (who doesn't?) and this help me get my fizz kick without all of the "mystery chemicals". And the packaging is cute as hell...the cans are adorable, skinny 8-ouncers.

Pete + Pete seasons 1 & 2 DVDs, which I got on from a certain sweet pea for my birthday. I looooved this show when I was younger and got to catch it at *GASP* a friend's house who had television channels beyond PBS. They totally hold up. Really. This show was so ahead of it's time...I remember when "Malcolm in the Middle" showed up and everyone acted like it was so quirky and revolutionary, and all I was thinking was "Hello!!? Does anyone remember a little show called "Pete + Pete"?!"
I mean, it's got Stephin Merritt music...Artie, The Strongest Man in the World (who, for Carnivale buffs, plays "Stumpy/Felix" aka "The Burlesque Dad")...and amazing plots about mysterious phone booths.

The one-person-quilt that I made for my sweet mama for her birthday (which was yesterday, 4 days after mine). It's all salmony and pinky and linen-y. We had a very fun family-party yesterday with my amazing grandparents from North Carolina and lots of guacamole and beer and two kinds of tasty cakes (one that they brought all the way from Elizabeth City, where they live...and one was my...dare I say it...perfected Nigella cheesecake). I have to say, it doesn't get much better than drinking Miller High Life with your funny, sweet, interested, and interesting grandparents. Nope. Or giving your wonderful mom a quilt you made to keep her toes warm (that's in the unlikely event that she ever sits down).

OKAY!
Scary-Good Sour Cream Chocolate Cake, Nigella style.
(The original text can be found in Domestic Goddess, which I highly recommend buying if you have a mouth, or know someone who does).

For the cake:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 c sugar
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 + 2 tablespoons soft butter
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sour cream
3 tblsp "best" cocoa (Nigella says "best" alot. I think it is cute. And snooty.)
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 thoroughly greased 8" cake pans (I used 9", and they were slightly flatter, obviously, but still fine)

For the Icing (so good!):
3 oz milk chocolate (I use a big bar of Cadbury, which I love)
3 oz bittersweet chocolate (again with the Cadbury)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tblsp light corn syrup
2 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted (Nigella is insane... you will use at least 3 cups)
a bit of hot water

Preheat le oven to 350.

Combine the dry ingredients for the cake in a large bowl. Using your mixer, add the butter. In another bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla, then add this cocoa-y muck to the big bowl of floury buttery stuff.

Pour the batter into the pans and bake for about 30 minutes...the cake starts to shrink back from the edges of the pan, and this is when you take it out from the oven. Leave it for a bit, and then when you can, turn it out onto cooling racks or some paper towels.

Then start on the icing, which is the more fun part anyway. Melt the chocolate (both kinds) and butter in either a microwave (if you have one, and like to play it safe) or on VERY low heat on the stove. Very low. Remember how persnickety chocolate is and how easily it burns.
Once it's all smooth and nice, take it off the heat and let it cool for just a bit. Then stir in the sour cream, vanilla, and syrup. When this is blended, slowly start adding in confectioner's sugar, stirring and stirring until you get the right consistency. If you need to, add a pinch of hot water. You probably won't need to...but just make sure it's nice and thick, but easy to spread.

Then, ice your cake! (If it is cool enough, of course).

Cut + Serve to worthy peeps.
And eat some yourself. As soon as you can get your apron off.

What a nice start to the week! I hope that all weekends were A+.

El Laberinto del Fauno, Finally!

It is always a queer thing when I look forward to a movie for months and months. As a few of you may remember, I have been anxiously...well...rather crazily looking forward to Pan's Labyrinth since I first saw the trailer over 4 months ago, while I was still living in Brooklyn. And I know I've been whining about it taking almost a month for the wide release to happen.

It finally came! Yesterday! It came to Athens! Can you believe it? I suppose I was underestimating the "wide release" potential...I guess it's the new Amelie (crossover sensation). So. It came. To the little town that I live in.

And, let me be the billionth person to declare it simply wonderful. It has already won a slew of awards, I believe, and received enormous heaps of critical praise, but it deserves it all. It is by turns terrifying, enchanting, sad (muy, muy triste!) but always riveting and very beautiful to watch. My only disclaimer is if you are terribly squeamish, and can't avert your eyes (as I did several times) you might want to avoid it...there are moments of gory realism that are pretty upsetting. The film is split relatively evenly between the backdrop of the war/"real world" and Ofelia's Labyrinth world. Speaking of beautiful...the name Ofelia? With that wonderful spelling? Possibly a new name for my imaginary future little girls.

I have a big date next weekend to see it again, and I can scarcely wait. Really.

As for yesterday's overwhelmingly kind and supportive responses, thank you so much...just for taking a moment to poke your head out and say hello + we like you. I kept being reminded of two (equally silly) things...Mr. Billy Joel's song, of course ( "I love you just the way you are") which has a special place in my strange little heart because my mom used to sing it to me when I was very small. And also the moment in Dr. Seuss' "Horton Hears a Who", in which all of the tinies cry out "We are here! We are here! We are HERE!".

Ooh! Also. I'm planning a shop update for early next week...probably Tuesday. Paintings, dolls, some Valentine-y things (I'm not that huge of a Valentine's Day fan, but I do adore the aesthetics of it...well, not the cheesy foil balloons and wierd bears-clutching chocolate, but you know what I mean). So, that's what I'm working on this weekend...making, painting, etc.

Hoping all weekends are progressing nicely!

*****(EDIT) Thank you to the sweet Carmen for the spelling help...Those two years of Spanish don't amount to much!

Miss Potter, thank you

Jenny and I ventured off to Atlanta today to see Miss Potter, the new film about Beatrix Potter. As it is starring two very famous people (Renee Z. and Ewan M.), it is a bit strange that it is not playing any closer to us, but nevertheless, we made the journey. And I loved it. So much. I mean, I was looking forward to it...not Pan's Labyrinth looking-forward to it, but still. I am so happy that we went to see this movie.  Two wonderful small details that endeared me immediately are:
A.) The legitimate appearance of absolutely no makeup on the female cast, which most period films disregard. Everyone has this endearing plain-faced glow that is very reassuring and truthful.
B.) The little editions of her books in the film are identical to the ones I read as a little girl...I suppose they didn't change the design very much in the 80+ years between.

It is very rare that I see a film in which I really see someone or something not-unlike-myself, so close to my heart. I related so strongly to the story, to the notion of building one's own world and the struggle with the inevitable welcome and unwelcome intrusions of the real one. It is just lovely. If it is playing in your city, please do go see it. You will love it.

PS: AND Did you know? Emily Watson is tall. This little revelation is still blowing my mind.

A Stitchy Book + I am depressed about Movies

Hey cuties.
I bought this book a few days ago with a nice little gift card to the book store, and I really need to show off some of it, because you will love it. I know for certain that this book has been blogged before (by Ms. Furious Poultry, maybe?) but I had to do it. It's the See and Sew book, which is allegedly for children, but I think we all know that the majority of the copies will reside on grown-up girl's bookshelves. All of the vintage sewing images are what sold me...see, even the endpapers are beautiful!

 
 

Well, truthfully it was the beautiful images AND the oversized, idiot-proof embroidery stitch instructions. I'd be lying if I said otherwise. I didn't know how to do a simple chain stitch until 3 days ago. Very sad, I am no "Renaissance crafter". Anyway, this book is just wonderful, and you will love it. I would imagine a little girl or boy would, too, but who knows. All I know is it made me so excited about sewing things for the new year (including a big present that is in the works for a birthday coming up very soon). I've just ordered loads of new fabric + felt supplies to make lovely dollies, and many canvases as well. I just have to un-wreck my studio from the blitz of holiday shipping that kind of killed it temporarily...

And, the other half of my post-title. I am just so mad about movies at this second. Yesterday, both Children of Men and the-movie-I've-been-obsessively-looking-forward-to, Pan's Labyrinth were supposed to arrive in theaters. Now, I didn't expect Athens to get Pan's Labyrinth (at least not immediately) but I figured Atlanta would. Nope. Not yet, anyway. And Children of Men? Starring my HUSBAND who is very famous? Not that one either? All that is playing is the likes of We are Marshall and Night at the Museum and movies you really couldn't pay me to watch. I am so sad. Yesterday was the first day that I really, really missed New York. I forlornly punched my old zip code in..."11211" for showtimes...and sure enough. Both of those films are playing, of course. I really almost cried, which I know is ridiculous. When I said I would mainly miss the movies and H&M (aside from friends, of course) I meant it.

To console ourselves my friend Jenny and I watched some choice selections from a "50 Horror Movie" Box set that she got for Christmas from her boyfriend. Most were hilarious, and we kinda skipped through alot. One, however, which has a hilarious title (Naked Massacre aka Born for Hell) was directly based on the Richard Speck murders and was really terrifying/shocking and actually very good.  But maybe it just seemed good after the film we watched before that one, entitled Metamorphosis, in which a man pretty much turned into an honest-to-god Dinosaur with very little explanation. This is what it has come to. Good movies, please come soon.