The Right To Bear Art

The image of the gun has been used by artists for decades. Its power and ability to destroy life is an intense symbolism artists regularly fall back on. Alabama artist Walton Creel attempts to deconstruct this theory and remove the power of the gun.

With a .22 caliber rifle instead of a paintbrush, Creel designs bullethole portraits of hunted animals onto white painted aluminum.

The statement on rural culture is implicit but the medium Creel uses brings up much more. The bullet holes from far look like computer pixels while up close, the woven proximity of them looks almost like needlepoint. Perhaps a statement on technology's influence on the art world. The exhibit, recently at the Coleman Center for the Arts in Alabama, just closed with a appropriately with a paintball event.

Dolled Up Dream Hotel

In the strangest of celebrity romances, uber-designer Jonathan Adler has hooked up with Barbie. Yes the doll. This September the relationship will be confirmed as he launches his "Jonathan Adler Loves Barbie" collection. (No comment yet from either Ken or Simon Doonan.) The doll will be going for $49.95 retail.

Before you think, "what did Barbie have to do for that custom Adler lamp?", the couple claim their romance is real. Sparks flew between Barbie and Adler recently when Adler brought his interior design genius to the Las Vegas Palms and created a hotel suite fit for his iconic princess. As you would believe, Barbie's room is full of bubblegum pink and fabulous Jonathan Adler style.

The room will burn a $4,000 /night hole in your pocket. But when you see these pink poodles flanking the fireplace your thoughts will immediately stray from your wallet. And you can be assured Barbie is not bringing Ken here. That guy cannot design like this!

Proving his love, Adler designed this amazing sunburst mirror out of 65 Black & White Bathing Suit Barbies - reproductions of the 1959 classic. Barbie's a lucky girl.

The only thing this hotel room DOESN"T HAVE is this Barbie Fussball table created by French Designer Chloe Ruchon. It showed at the Berlin Design Show 2009.

And I feel it is definitely deserving of the Palms.

With or without the footie-game, Jonathan Adler has hit it out of the park with his new muse.

All You Zombies Hide Your Faces (please)

Once again the 24 hour news organizations have made it impossible for me to watch current events. All of them (even those not titled "Fox News") are giving credence to a non-story and sensationalizing the most stupid of those living in our country. As long as there are cameras at these town hall meetings where anyone can spur rants of an uneducated mind, then I am banned from my TV Set and all news about Health Care Reform. I am, like the hopeful survivor of a horror movie classic, boarding up my windows and waiting for the invasion to retreat.

We as a country have seen this before, during the Cold War, when paranoid Americans spread the fear of a Communist invasion. Some good did come out of it back then, when Hollywood sensed this alarm and nourished us with our own panic in the form of Zombie films.

The classic Night of the Living Dead (1968) jump-started the craze. The Zombies- all made equal in death- symbolize the Communists and attack the God-fearing middle class who board up their homes and amass arms to fight the invaders. Back then, Zombies were speed-challenged, just as the Americans viewed the slow-crawling conversion to Communism when countries like China declared it a few years after North Korea made the move.

In the sequel Dawn of the Dead (1978) George Romero chose a mall as the location of the attack. A direct assault on American Capitalism as well as the fears of Socialism. Many have studied the political relevance of the Zombie film genre. Check out the links here to horrrormoviefans.com or American NerdMag.com)

The most frightening aspect of it is the fact that history seems to be repeating itself today- as the Dawn of the Brain-Dead sets upon us. The town hall meetings I am avoiding on the news and the paranoia that is infesting otherwise intelligent minds in our country does not allow for debate nor even education about the very topic they're frothing about. Some of us have obviously not learned from history and have inherited the suspicious minds of our fathers. I cannot change that. I can only amass my own arms in hopes the flesh-eating brainless dead get off my TV and back into theaters where they belong.

The 80's are Officially Dead

I am so upset over the passing of filmmaker John Hughes. He was the voice of my generation- able to delve into the teen awkwardness we all felt at some point. His ability to create identifiable characters that made you feel like they went to your high school has never been accomplished by a filmmaker since. His life since making films has been one of nearly a hermit and his death at 59 came as a shock to all. His work was vast and his passing will be intensely felt forever.

Writer:

• 2000s
• 1990s
• 1980s
• 1970s

1. Drillbit Taylor (2008) (story) (as Edmond Dantes)
2. Beethoven's 5th (2003) (V) (characters) (as Edmond Dantes)
   ... aka Beethoven's 5th: Big Paw (USA)
3. Maid in Manhattan (2002) (story) (as Edmond Dantès)
   ... aka Made in New York (USA: poster title)
4. Home Alone 4 (2002) (TV) (characters)
   ... aka Home Alone: Taking Back the House (USA: DVD title)
5. Beethoven's 4th (2001) (V) (characters) (as Edmond Dantès)
6. Just Visiting (2001) (screenplay)
   ... aka Les visiteurs en Amérique (France)
7. Beethoven's 3rd (2000) (V) (characters) (as Edmond Dantès)
8. American Adventure (2000) (TV) (characters)
   ... aka National Lampoon's American Adventure (USA: complete title)
   
   
9. Reach the Rock (1998) (written by)
10. Home Alone 3 (1997) (written by)
11. Flubber (1997) (screenplay)
    ... aka Disney's Flubber: The Absent Minded Professor (promotional title)
12. 101 Dalmatians (1996) (screenplay)
13. Miracle on 34th Street (1994) (screenplay)
14. Baby's Day Out (1994) (written by)
15. Beethoven's 2nd (1993) (characters) (as Edmond Dantès)
16. Dennis the Menace (1993) (written by)
    ... aka Dennis (UK)
17. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) (characters) (written by)
    ... aka Home Alone II (USA: short title)
18. Beethoven (1992) (written by) (as Edmond Dantès)
    ... aka Beethoven: Story of a Dog (Australia: cable TV title)
19. Curly Sue (1991) (written by)
20. Dutch (1991) (written by)
    ... aka Driving Me Crazy
21. Career Opportunities (1991) (written by)
    ... aka One Wild Night
22. Home Alone (1990) (written by)
    
    
23. Christmas Vacation (1989) (written by)
    ... aka National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (UK: complete title) (USA: complete title)
    ... aka National Lampoon's Winter Holiday (UK)
24. Uncle Buck (1989) (written by)
25. The Great Outdoors (1988) (written by)
26. She's Having a Baby (1988) (written by)
27. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) (written by)
28. Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) (written by)
29. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) (written by)
30. Pretty in Pink (1986) (written by)
31. Weird Science (1985) (written by)
32. European Vacation (1985) (screenplay) (story)
    ... aka National Lampoon's European Vacation (UK: video box title)
33. The Breakfast Club (1985) (written by)
34. Sixteen Candles (1984) (written by)
35. Nate and Hayes (1983) (written by)
    ... aka Savage Islands (UK)
36. Vacation (1983) (screenplay) (short story "Vacation '58")
    ... aka National Lampoon's Vacation (UK) (USA: complete title)
    ... aka American Vacation (Europe: English title: video title)
37. Mr. Mom (1983) (written by)
    ... aka Mr. Mum
    ... aka Perfect Daddy (Philippines: English title)
38. Class Reunion (1982) (written by)
    ... aka National Lampoon's Class Reunion

Producer:

• 2000s
• 1990s
• 1980s

1. New Port South (2001) (executive producer)
   
   
2. Reach the Rock (1998) (producer)
3. Home Alone 3 (1997) (producer)
4. Flubber (1997) (producer)
   ... aka Disney's Flubber: The Absent Minded Professor (promotional title)
5. 101 Dalmatians (1996) (producer)
6. Miracle on 34th Street (1994) (producer)
7. Baby's Day Out (1994) (producer)
8. Dennis the Menace (1993) (producer)
   ... aka Dennis (UK)
9. Home Alone 2: Lost in New York (1992) (producer)
   ... aka Home Alone II (USA: short title)
10. Curly Sue (1991) (producer)
11. Dutch (1991) (producer)
    ... aka Driving Me Crazy
12. Only the Lonely (1991) (producer)
13. Career Opportunities (1991) (producer)
    ... aka One Wild Night
14. Home Alone (1990) (producer)
    
    
15. Christmas Vacation (1989) (producer)
    ... aka National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (UK: complete title) (USA: complete title)
    ... aka National Lampoon's Winter Holiday (UK)
16. Uncle Buck (1989) (producer)
17. The Great Outdoors (1988) (executive producer)
18. She's Having a Baby (1988) (producer)
19. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987) (producer)
20. Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) (producer)
21. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) (producer)
22. Pretty in Pink (1986) (executive producer)
23. The Breakfast Club (1985) (producer)

Director:

• 1990s
• 1980s

1. Curly Sue (1991)
   
   
2. Uncle Buck (1989)
3. She's Having a Baby (1988)
4. Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
5. Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
6. Weird Science (1985)
7. The Breakfast Club (1985)
8. Sixteen Candles (1984)

Grand Thetons of Fashion

"Finally! Clothes that can contain our 2,314 spirits and look fab!"

That sentence could be heard muttered around all globes today as Scientologists on every planet flipped through the latest issue of the International Scientology News. The paper (that magically appears in the mailboxes of believers) displayed the new look Ambassadors of Scientology will don as they spread the word of the Great L. Ron Hubbard.

If your Supernatural Fashion Sense tells you there's something creepily familiar about these power suits, it may be because they were designed by Richard Tyler. Tyler was the designer that revamped the Delta Airlines Uniforms three years ago. Here are the Delta Uniforms:

As far as I know Tyler is not a follower of the Cult, er, religion but his biz has been struggling enough lately for his prayers to be answered by the all-powerful Xenu.

But maybe we should be looking deeper. Far deeper than the alien souls that run the Cult can think. Could it be that Tyler is pulling a mind trick on the Great Beings that hired him?

Look at the caped model in the back.

The look actually seems more to be inspired by a World War 1 Salvation Army ad.

It would be an ironic twist to dress an Emissary of our Future Civilization in a look taken from the primordial fashion past, wouldn't it?

If this was Tyler's intent, then he has succeeded in pulling the cape over the Organization's eyes, and my bucket hat goes off to him.

Grime Fighter

What do you get when you cross A pressure washer, cleaning fluid and a graffiti artist in the cloak of the night? Reverse graffiti.

Also known as clean tagging, dust tagging, grime writing, Reverse Grafitti is a method of creating art in public spaces by removing the dirt from its surface. Think writing 'Clean Me' on a dirty car window and expand.

Paul 'Moose' Curtis is one such Reverse Grafitti artist. His thoughts wandered while washing dishes and his ideas of cleanliness swelled into a beautiful stencil project in San Francisco's Broadway tunnel.

These clean tags are bewildering law enforcement as there is no crime. The artist doesn't use any paint. By cleaning the walls he is not only 'beautifying' the city, he is stamping the streets with an environmental awareness of the grime and pollution we are causing and living among.

His stencils (of indigenous trees in the Tunnel project) also further span to justify graffiti as an art form rather than a urban nuisance.

Watch a video on the Tunnel Project.