Month: December 2022

Some National Film Registry Movie Faves!

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The library of congress announced the next round of 25 films that will be added to their preservation list that were deemed important to conserve and preserve that is part of the American film culture. The National Film Preservation Act of 1988 was passed to value and celebrate a list of American films and documentaries that represent the American culture. The video above is a highlight of some of the films and documentaries that made the 2022 list.

There are roughly about 500 films that are on this list but I will briefly talk about ten movies below (although I love most of the movies on this list!!):

A nightmare on Elm Street (1984). Inducted on to the Film Registry list in 2021.

A Nightmare on Elm Street directed by Wes Craven. Of course I would start this list off with a horror movie about a guy who haunts teenagers to death in their dreams. Ever since I could remember and retain any memory of a movie. Freddy was one of those first horror icons that was part of my mind.

Rebel without a Cause (1955): Inducted onto the Film Registry list in 1990:


Directed by Nicholas Ray- The first time I saw Rebel without a Cause was in my senior year of high school and I had to do a US history assignment about a culture pop figure in American. I chose James Dean but realized I only read books about him up to that point and never seen any of the movies he starred in. So my first choice to check out from the library was this movie and was amazed by Dean grace and open vulnerability of how hard it is to not only be a new kid in town. But also been a new teenager in town wanting to fit in with other teens.

Scarface (1983) Inducted onto the Film Registry list in 1994:

Scarface (1983) directed by Brian De Palma: this epic movie has so many good lines and the first time I watch it was on a random Sunday on tv but I am pretty sure that edited a lot of parts out for the programming. I didn’t actually watch the entire unedited version until five years ago and felt like I was able to fully understand and enjoy the movie.

The Story of Menstruation (1946): Inducted onto the Film Registry list in 2015:

In 1946 when Walt Disney Productions was making school movies about certain topics that pre-teens growing up needed to know about their growing and changing bodies.

Pink Flamingoes (1972) Inducted onto the National Film Registry in 2021 and Hairspray (1988) inducted onto the Film Registry in 2022: I don’t think I have to explain the one: <3!!!!!!!!

Grey Gardens (1976) Inducted onto the Film Registry in 2010. Salesman (1968) Inducted onto the Film Registry in 1992:

Grey Gardens and Salesman is both directed by the Maysles Brothers. I went through a Grey Gardens phase during my University years and just absorbed Grey Gardens and Salesman.

What’s Opera Doc? (1957) Inducted onto the Film Registry in 1992:

This is the first opera I saw growing up. 🙂

Rosemary’s Baby (1968) Inducted onto the Film Registry in 2014:

Rosemary’s Baby (directed by Roman Polanski) is one of my favorite books by one of my favorite authors: Ira Levin. I first discovered the book about 15 years ago and remember that there was a movie but I have only seen bits and pieces of it. So I made a promise to myself to read the book first and then watch the movie to see they differ from each other. However I loved the book so much that I read it two more times before watching the movie. So I was a little hesitant in watching it and I gave myself a bit of a grace period from the last time I read the book to watch the movie. However I forgot and watched it almost a full year later on Christmas Day and I LOVE IT!!!

I could keep going on and on about this list and the movies that are on it. I made do a part two in the near future. But for now here is the list of the complete list of movies that are on it:

https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/film-registry/complete-national-film-registry-listing/

And if you would like more information about this. Refer to the link below:

https://www.loc.gov/programs/national-film-preservation-board/about-this-program/

What movies were you surpise that was part of the list?

What movies would you like to see on the list? Why?

Comment below!!!!!

Resources: Youtube, and https://www.loc.gov/

Adriano Celentano- Prisencolinensinainciusol

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Adriano Celectano is one of my favorite Italian singers and in 1972 he released a song called Prisencolinensinainciusol. He wanted to make a song that sounded like he was singing in English but in actuality it just a bunch of random mesh of words that sound like something but it’s actually not. The only lyric that is in English is the the pharse: “All right!”

I know it sounds a bit confusing but Celentano main goal of the song to to create a song that sounds good while removing the language barrier. While placing the listeners of the song like what if they were spoken to in a language that they didn’t understand? What would it sound like to them? He was influence by a lot of American music, musicians and slang terms growing up and he wanted to create a song that reflected that. Here is a link of the video below:

Until next time!!!

Source: Wikipedia and youtube.com

Greenwich LetterPress: We <3 You!!! A shopper's guide!

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I found out about Greenwich letter press when I was looking for a funny card I wanted to send someone. I didn’t want anything too serious or long. I definitely wanted something different then the normal cards I have been mailing out.

(link to buy the card above is here: https://www.greenwichletterpressshop.com/shit-is-bananas-c6030.html )

So I was randomly looking at my explorer’s page on instagram when I came across a card that I thought was super cute and decided to explore there instagram page and been an avid customer ever since. I thought to share some great items currently in stock on their online store:

Glowing Chard Green Hair Clip: I actually order this for myself because I enjoy things that look like fake food that is not food. For example this hair clip! Clip made by Centinelle

Link to buy is here: https://www.greenwichletterpressshop.com/glowing-chard-green-hair-claw.html

They also sell these cute array of Peanut Pennants this is one is my favorite one of the bunch. Nothing is more inviting in an office or a room that anything Peanut related.

Link is here: https://www.greenwichletterpressshop.com/peanuts-pennant-give-hugs.html

Otherland candles: I am quite the candle connoisseur and enjoy trying different brands and different scents. And this brands has a very unique array of scents.

Link to buy is here: https://www.greenwichletterpressshop.com/tapestry.html

This pineapple is a LAMP! so cool that you can get a sense of summer all year round in your space. The LED light is included with the pineapple.

Link to buy is here: https://www.greenwichletterpressshop.com/pineapple-lamp.html

KooKoo Kids Alarm clock: this kids alarms is super adorable and comes with tiny animals that you can switch the top with the different animals. Then with whatever animal you pick for the top it will sound 3 times in that animal noise when you set the alarm.

Link is here to buy: https://www.greenwichletterpressshop.com/kookoo-kids-alarm-green.html

Honestly anything from this amazing store is a winner. From there amazing selection of cards to their quirky stickers and beautiful stationary.

Link is here to shop online. https://www.greenwichletterpressshop.com/

All orders over $50 dollars get free US shipping!!!

Artist’s Spotlight: @sentientmuppetfactory !

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This week I had the pleasure of interviewing @sentientmuppetfactory !

1. Tell me a little about yourself.

“My name’s Beth Frey. I’m a visual artist based between Montreal and Mexico City. Normally my practice is made up of weird watercolours, which I then integrate into weirder videos, face-swapping with my own images so that I can become a bit of a disjointed cartoon character. Like a lot of people, I became addicted to DALL-E this past fall and began sentientmuppetfactory as a way to play around with images without inundating my regular art account with too many AI-generated images.”

2. How did you come up with the name of Sentient Muppet Factory?

“Honestly, I came up with it on the spot without a lot of thought, not realizing it was going to be anything more than a personal side project to share with friends. I’ve been interested in the muppets and puppets as a metaphor for technology after listening to a Laurie Anderson talk, and was inspired by her song The Puppet Motel, which I referenced in a recent art exhibition. I think a lot of people take the name literally, but I’ve never used the word muppet as a prompt in my AI art, and my goal is not to mimic them. I do think, however, that these images exist in that same universe of the wacky variety shows from the 1970s and 80s. Now that the account has become much larger than anticipated, I’m considering changing its name, as I don’t want to run into trouble with the Disney corporation.”

3. Who are 3 pop culture icons that inspired your art and why?

“As far as the sentientmuppetfactory project is concerned (the influences for my primary art practice would be a different list), I pull a lot from old films, both popular and foreign auteur cinema. I think in that regard, John Waters is an influence. His campy characters are sort of hyperreal, and I am a fan of low-budget aesthetics in make-up and props. It should be no surprise that the Muppet Show is an influence, even if I’m not directly referencing it. This was probably the only television show we were allowed to watch as kids and I’ve always been sort of fascinated by how the puppets interact with the glamorous stars of its era. Another favourite of mine is Isabella Rossellini’s web series Green Porno, where she dresses up in homemade costumes to demonstrate the reproductive tendencies of various animals. The videos are funny and shocking and educational, and I appreciate how Rossellini doesn’t take herself too seriously and crosses over into the absurd.”

4. What was the first art piece you remember creating? What was it?

“My mom got this kit where we could draw on a sheet of paper and then turn it into a melamine plate. I think I remember it because that’s one of the only drawings that I still have access to. I was about five years old and I drew myself with enormous eyes and nose that didn’t fit on my face, and a head that was apparently rolling off my shoulders (I didn’t yet understand the concept of a neck). “

5. Do you have any exciting news or events that you would like to share?

“Right now everything is pretty exciting! The sentientmuppetfactory project is still brand new and it’s only recently exploded so I’m just taking it all in. One thing I appreciate about this experience is that it’s connected me to a lot of artists: filmmakers and puppeteers and make-up artists, among others, and I’m exploring ways to turn these images into something “real”, with actual people moving and interacting. I’d like to use AI in a way that is not the “death of art” but rather a way to connect artists and collaborate on something beautiful and fun.

Apart from that, I’ve got art shows and residencies coming up in the next year for my “main” practice. I’m working on an evolving video installation that will be in Stewart Hall Gallery in Montreal in May and June 2023 and it’s been a fun process putting all the parts together for that.”

If you would like more information. The following contact info is below:

Instagram: @sentientmuppetfactory

Store: https://sentientmupfactory.bigcartel.com/

Movie of the Day: Crossing Delancey (1988)

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I am a huge fan of Turner Classic Movies. I especially enjoy finding movies from the 1980’s on that channel that I have never watched. Over a decade ago I was open the TCM app and was browsing through the library of movies that were available to watch. When I came across this movie:

Crossing Delancey (1988) directed by Joan Micklin Silver and starring Amy Irving, Peter Riegert and Reizel Bozyk. It is about a grandmother’s quest of getting a matchmaker to match her favorite granddaughter with the man of her dreams.

However the granddaughter named Izzie who is played by Amy Irving does not feel the need to be matched up. She feels like her life is complete with her career working at a bookstore. She is in charge of booking famous authors to do book signings at the store and has a crush on an author who comes to the store.

Her Bubbie makes her meet up with the matchmaker played by the amazing Sylvia Miles:

And the matchmaker feels like the love that Izzie has been waiting for is…..

The owner of a pickle store played by Peter Riegert. Izzie absolutely disagrees with the match matcher. However it takes a little bit of twists and turns but in the end love conquers and win.

A fun fact about this movie: Amy Irving and Peter Riegert were in both in the movie traffic (2000)

Until next time!!!

Source: IMDB.com

welcome to the insta-hood: @ghostly.archive!

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This week I interview an amazing ig account: @ghostly.archive

  1.  Tell me a little about yourself .

“I just moved to Los Angeles from Washington DC after graduating from the University of Maryland (UMD) in their MLIS program (Masters in Library and Information Science). My focus in their program was digital archives. I grew up in the DC area and always wanted to work in a library and this program started when doing a career change to study library science. It was there that I took a class on social media networks with Professor Jen Golbeck. The capstone project of the class was essentially to use network theory and make a piece of content go viral on a platform. While taking this class in summer 2021 I also had the challenge of needing to do a library or archives internship. I was working full time at UMD and needed something flexible, which is how I ended up interning at Congressional Cemetery as their digital archives intern. I essentially worked to create online exhibitions about their different residents in a Google Arts & Culture page.”

2. What made you interested in making food from recipes found on tombstone?

“This was how I started on #cemeterytiktok. My professor recommended I make a tiktok about the cemetery experience, so I started posting everyday about the things I learned. The cemetery’s archivist Dayle was full of stories and taught me a lot about the death industry and the unusual ways Congressional stayed connected to its local community (they have a very famous dog program as well as tours, movie nights, book clubs, and educational events). 

3. What was the first recipe you made from a recipe from on a tombstone?

“Since I had to post everyday I started looking at other cemeteries and making tiktoks about interesting graves I heard about. I loved old graves but the modern ones are especially interesting since people choose to be memorialized in so many different ways. This is how I first heard about Naomi Odessa Miller-Dawson’s grave. Atlas Obscura, a wonderful source on cemeteries in general, had a great post about the grave when I was looking for grave stories. Naomi’s grave is like an open cookbook with the ingredients for her spritz cookies in a cemetery in Brooklyn.

When I saw a photo of the grave I wanted to try the recipe for myself. I’d started learning how to cook during the pandemic and thought it would be interesting to try it. There weren’t any instructions so I made them completely wrong, but still when I posted it things kind of exploded (in a good way). I got so many questions about the grave, tips for how to make it right, or people commenting with what they’d put on their own gravestone. While looking into more about Naomi I stumbled across other recipe gravestones on Google, which pretty much solidified this new mission to find as many as I could.”

4. What was your favorite recipe you made and why ? What was the least favorite and why?

“At this point I’ve now found 17 recipes and think there could be even more out there. My favorite still might be Naomi’s just because it’s the cookie that started it all, and it’s really a wonderful recipe! I probably most often make the snickerdoodle cookies of Annabell Gunderson, buried in California, just because they’re a crowd pleaser with my family and make a lot of cookies. The recipe I’ve been requested the most to bring to gatherings might be Ida Kleinman’s jam nut roll recipe, from the grave of a woman in Israel. Honestly I haven’t tried a bad one yet; if they don’t work out the first few times it’s always because I’m still a new baker.”

5.  What state you have travel to have the most recipes on tombstones? Why do you think that state has so many?

“My goal is to visit all of the recipe gravestones and ideally meet with family members to cook them. A few of us have chatted online but there’s nothing like cooking and sharing memories in a kitchen. I think the hardest gravestones to visit are going to be the ones in Nome, Alaska and the two in Israel. Currently I’ve visited the two in New York, one in Logan, UT, and one in Washington State. So far the state with the most recipes have just been two: New York has spritz cookies and date and nut bread, Iowa has Christmas cookies and cheese dip, California has a carrot cake and snickerdoodles, and Arkansas actually has two sugar cookie recipes (one even of a woman who’s still alive). 

It’s hard to call this a trend. None of the families I’ve talked to seemed aware there were others out there. The women (all the graves in the US have been woman) all seemed to be known for these particular recipes at gatherings so it just made sense. When I talked to the woman in Arkansas, Peggy Neal, who’s still alive, about why she decided to include a recipe on her gravestone, she said it’s because people loved her cookies and she still gets requests for them. During the pandemic her granddaughter even called her up to learn how to make them, creating a special memory for them while separated in quarantine. 

If anything I guess the trend is that people are thinking about their own legacies in a new way and getting creative with how they want to be remembered. Pretty much anything goes for what you want memorialized on your gravestone. Recipes seems extra special since making and eating the food a loved one made during their lifetime connects to all the senses – you can smell and taste the cookie, remember telling stories while biting into a slice of cake, and fully remember a person with all your senses.”

If you like to learn more. The following contact information is below:

Instagram: @ghostly.archive

Until next time!!!

A Winter reading list!

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No surprise that I would also add a couple of must read books for the upcoming winder season. Also if you want to get someone a gift and have no idea on what to get them then this is a interesting direction to go towards.

All of the links in this blog today is from a great book store and fantastic small business called Atomic Books! They always have the most interesting curated selection of books to buy.

Demin and Leather: The Rise and Fall of The New Wave of British Heavy Metal by Michael Hann: so many great bands like Def Leppard, Judas Priest and Led Zeppelin was part of this new wave of British heavy metal and we are so grateful for it!

Link to buy is here: https://atomicbooks.com/collections/new-books/products/denim-and-leather

Bad Sex: Truth, Pleasure, and an Unfinished Revolution by Nona Willis Aronowitz. Written by Nona Willis Aronowitz who is a sex and love columnist for Teen Vogue. Was at standstill point in her life which made her question a lot of things that revolved love, sex and marriage.

Link to buy is here: https://atomicbooks.com/collections/new-books/products/bad-sex-truth-pleasure-and-an-unfinished-revolution

Punk Paradox: A memoir by Greg Graffin. Greg Graffin from Bad Religion writing about his early days in forming the band? YES PLEASE!!!

Link to buy is here: https://atomicbooks.com/collections/new-books/products/punk-paradox-a-memoir

Death for Dinner: 50 Gorey-Good, Plant Based Drinks, meals and Munchies Inspired by your favorite Horror Films by Zach Neil. No surprise I am not much of a cook however this book alone might make me force myself in starting to make meals. It is also a good dinner table conversation saying that this meal you are eating was inspired by Carrie White.

Link to buy is here: https://atomicbooks.com/collections/new-art-gift-cookbooks/products/death-for-dinner-cookbook

All this could be Yours by Jami Attenberg: Everybody has the one family member they all gossip about. This book one just one family member but the entire family that is worth gossiping about.

Link to buy is here: https://atomicbooks.com/collections/literature-literary-fiction/products/all-this-could-be-yours

If you would to take a look at Atomic Books. Here is there website: https://atomicbooks.com/

Until next time!