The LIVE portion of this blog has ended.
Yes the minute to minute updates of the day's pop culture is now over. The updates continue with K-Hutch at the handle of the revolutionary pop culture torch.
As you patiently await Friday's morning post you, may have fun doing one or none of these things:
- If you are in London and of the indie rock persuasion: Courtney Barnett
- If you have ever questioned why people continue to suck on cigarettes, Burning Desire: The Seduction of Smoking is on BBC2 at 9:30pm
- Twiddle your thumbs. Or engage with the internet. But if you choose to engage with the internet please remember.
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The Pixies are confusing.
Can someone please explain this Pixies video?
I understand the imagery to lyricism thing going on in the video. But I don't get it. I invite you, the commenters, to inform the masses (me) to the meaning of this video. Maybe the meaning is there is no meaning?
The monochromatic suburban park images from the Where is My Mind video. Now that makes sense. Especially as the constant in the video is a Chow (?) or Akita Inu (?). It could be that confusion is a normal reaction to a Pixies music video.
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Florida alt-rock.
That's right alternative rock from Tampa, Florida. Merchandise began as a three piece punk band then turning into a Smithsy four piece and gaining (some) critical (Pitchfork) commerical (Pitchfork) success. The acid bliss of their pre-alt-rock days are over. And though the teen angst in you may be long for the grotesquely underproduced punk rock surrealism of Totale Night (please see short film accompaniment Rush of Blood). But you can not deny the sheer enjoyment from listening (and watching) their latest Little Killer. Complete with sunglasses, coral lipstick and slightly more controlled substances (booze).
Little Killers came out after the announcement that Merchandise will release a new LP After the End on August 26.
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This is a dramedy.
A drama-comedy for those that feel uneasy combining genres to make one SUPER GENRE.
If you enjoy surfing through Apple trailers, watching 2 minute montages of films you will probably forget about and probably won't see in theatres. Then let me save you the trouble of putting this dramedy on your previously watched list.
It is starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, and Corey Stoll, Jane Fonda, Connie Britton, Timothy Olyphant, Dax Shepard, Ben Schwartz, Abigail Spencer, Kathryn Hahn, and Rose Byrne.
Judging from the trailer it looks entertaining. But you will probably forget about the momentary laughter you may or may not experience while watching this trailer by the time it is released in theatres on September 13.
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Rappers love lil doggies.
To enlighten the masses of this phenomenon an Instagram account called @rapperswithpuppies was created. So many puppies. So many rappers. So much joy.
T.I. with a French Bulldog. Awww.
Tupac making thug life look so damn cute.
Drake-y did you lull that Pomeranian into a daze with your sensual lyricism or what?
Never have two species entwined in such perfection. Rapper and puppies. Who knew?
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Mad Men's moon landing.
My obsession with Mad Men is bordering on ridiculous. At first it was Don Draper. Suave, mysterious looks so damn good in a skinny tie and a suit. But it grew to so much more than that. Betty Draper's parenting, her weight gain phase and her inability to shake the chains of a 50s housewife (or hairstyle for that matter) despite developing through seven seasons and two decades. A novel could be written on her character progression retrogression, alone.
But this is not the subject at hand. Lets talk season seven, episode seven. The final of the first half of the final season. Yes this means a year wait until for episode eight.
The episode as you may have deduced from the subheading was set at the time of the Armstrong moon landing in 1969. Fearful of giving too much away. And hoping to entice those of you who are not avid Mad Men watchers. I leave you with this scene.
Surprisingly the second time song and dance has broken out at the Mad Men offices of Sterling Cooper & Partners. I swear it's not a musical. There are just lots of drugs. And lots of alcohol. See here the effects of a medical serum speed at the office. It's the 60s and that jab it and get on with it attitude.
What will happen in the second part of the final season? The show will enter the 70s. Everyone's wardrobe will change (except for Don and Betty, even Roger embraces the double breasted suit compared with his typical three-piece). But will Don regain his former glory as the magnificent deliverer of copy paired with image. Will he turn back into the advertising genie he once was or disappear into the narrative one of many Mad Men conspiracies. Who knows? I don't.
But I do know the effects of effects of introducing Mad Men into your life. As illustrated by Jon Hamm.
Please can everyone who is not up to date binge watch? So a global Mad Men conversation can erupt without fear of SPOILERS.
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World War Z 2.
More loosely related Brad Pitt news. YAY. Remember World War Z. The film that Brad Pitt's Plan B entertainment took on in 2007 (fighting off Leonardo Dicaprio's production house Appian Way) and released in 2013 (that's six years guys). It was his film baby. And saw him randomly pop up at film screenings across Europe last year. Everyone was all, "oh hey Brad we thought we were just going to see an oversized version of you at this outdoor cinema premier of World War Z and instead we get to see a very tiny version of the real you on stage." Upon showing friends photos of their near Pitt experience, "I swear its Brad Pitt" with #yesthatsbradpittinthecrowd.
Admittedly, I have not seen World War Z. After completing Volume 20 of the illustrated panels of the Robert Kirkman's the Walking Dead, watching Return of the Living Dead(1985) approximately 956 times and having a friend force feed me cough syrup in the hopes its drowsy effects would put me to sleep after watching 28 Days Later at a sleepover, aged 14. I anticipated that my love affair with the undead genre had died.
That is until this news. There will be a World War Z sequel. And it is going to be written by Steven Knight. Who is Steven Knight you may ask and why do we care?
Well, he wrote 2002's Dirty Pretty Things. Which was a terrifying examination of London's immigrant organ exchange (terrifying not only because of the thunder throat of it's trailer narrator, but because it was one of those perspiring-edge-of-your-seat thrillers that had meaning, what?) How you may ask? Audrey Tautou had something to do with it. But it may have been the Steve Knight's storyline that kept this film on my mind for the past 12 years (that is a reference crediting Chiwetel Ejiofor).
The confusion continued with this year's Locke. Starring Tom Hardy. In his car. On the phone. It was filmed in a single shot. Over an hour and a half. And was compelling. What? How? As we explored a few weeks ago on the blog, Tom Hardy's voice had a lot to do with it. But I suspect so to did Steven Knight's script. After all the film was just dialogue.
In conclusion this film news is good news. For if anyone can evoke a taste for human flesh it's got to be Steven Knight.
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Brad Pitt was 'punched'.
Well, allegedly. The story is that Brad Pitt was 'punched' by a 'serial' prankster. The accused 'attacker' is,Vitalii Sediuk, a Ukrainian man who was last seen up America Ferrera's skirt at Cannes.
The 25 year old prankster then set his sights on Hollywood's power, power duo. Seeking out Pitt at the Maleficent premier in Los Angeles. And taking an alleged 'whack' at the male side of Brangelina.
The media (separating myself from the reportage) are being rather cautious about the wording of the alleged, 'attack'. Inciting the use of inverted commas and using alleged before a plethora of assault terms. It is more likely that no one really knows exactly what went down at the Maleficent premier. Was it an 'attack'? Was it a 'punch'? Was it a 'scuffle'? Or was Pitt simply 'struck in the face'?
Nobody knows. And the photos are not providing much clarity.
We know that he was handcuffed and escorted by police wearing a pair of red trousers. Actually they appear to be more wine coloured. Possibly a pale burgundy but that is debatable.
Let's look at some photos taken closer to the alleged 'attack'.
Ahh see here his trousers appear to be a more coral red. Arguably with a burnt orange tinge. We could also discuss his taupe polka dot pants. But that is whole other news story. And his loafers. Well, there just is not enough time in the news day.
In the hopes of understanding the kerfuffle that went on, on Wednesday's red carpet let us look at another medium. Video.
Alright then, all clear? No? Okay as a final attempt to illuminate the red carpet bust up here is a photo of Brad post alleged 'attack'.
He appears to be rather taken aback. A victim of being shocked by a crowd catcher's inane behaviour. A victim of being taken aback.
For the record, this is what a Pitt punch actually looks like.
Much more painful then the shock of being taken aback.
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Welcome!
Hi! Hello! And welcome to this the Guardian Guide Daily. Where I (Alexandra) will be leading a pop culture revolution (of sorts). Exploring the flying deprey of Thursday's explosion in celeb-silly news, new music, and yesterday's television. More specifically will be scrolling through photos of Brad Pitt's un-'punched' mug. Talking about the Rita Ora's Beyonce cover. And dissecting Mad Men with all the precision of a high schooler armed with an xacto knife and a pickled frog. Let's get this rebellion started by discussing the Pitt 'attack'. Not to be confused with the Pitt 'punch'.
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