Pluto uncovers what’s hidden. In the case of Detroit singer-songwriter Sixto Rodriguez, the subject of the documentary “Searching for Sugar Man,” Pluto took his time. Directed by Swedish filmmaker Malik Bendjelloul, the Sundance award-winning movie is genuinely stranger than fiction. In 1970 the artist – known simply as Rodriguez – was expected to be a […]
Archives for July 2012
Film: ‘Ruby Sparks’ (2012)
Calvin (Paul Dano), the male protagonist in “Ruby Sparks,” got hit by Neptune – the planet that oversees creativity and whatever springs from the imagination – at a young age. That visit from the trident god helped Cal write a best-selling book. He’s been bereft of any decent ideas since. One night Cal literally dreams […]
Movie: ‘Killer Joe’ (2012)
As a cop, a profession that exudes Mars-infused energy, Killer Joe Cooper (Matthew McConaughey) uses firepower to protect the community in his redneck Texan town. As a part-time hit man – a Mars-Pluto combo – Killer Joe turns families’ murderous fantasies into reality. The Smiths are one of those twisted clans. Chris Smith (Emile Hirsch), […]
Television: ‘Breaking Bad’: Destination Hell
“Breaking Bad,” now broadcasting the first half of its final Season 5, is as red-hot as hell. And it’s all because early on Walter White (Bryan Cranston) hatched a diabolical plan. The series’ inevitable trajectory to the underworld has been a brilliant exercise in watching White’s stunningly dark mind. And there’s no mistaking the contrast […]
Fashion: Neon
Even the tiniest bit of wearable neon is like a day-glo megaphone announcing you’ve just entered the room. Too much and people without Ray-Bans will turn away. But the right amount of fluorescence lets onlookers know you can transform greens, pinks and blues into thunderbolts of electric color. Aries: Born leaders, passionate Rams need […]
Fashion: Moccasins
Nothing beats the sure-footed confidence of walking barefoot. But in a pinch – and when your five-inch stilts are what’s doing the pinching – then moccasins do the trick. When carrying off a look that harkens back to tribal legacies and crafts, mocs in a wide range of materials will give your fashion a literal […]
Astrology: Fashion: Peplums
Just when you think the top of your garment is ending at the waist, the fabric takes an expansive ruffle-like twist and becomes a faux short skirt. The peplum, fashion’s hot overskirt, adds a eye-catching bottom finish to blouses and jackets and a third dimension to dresses. Aries: When adventure calls, Rams may find that […]
Fashion: Prada’s Bandeau Top: A Tiny Garment Says Loads About The Economy
I can’t get that wonderful skimpy bare-midriff thingie from Prada’s Spring 2012 collection out of my head. Okay, it’s technically called a bandeau top. And, if you followed Prada’s “Women and Car Engines” runway show at Milan’s Fashion Week, you can’t help but think that Miuccia Prada wanted to give us ladies a bra-less boost during this tough […]
Astrology: Film: ‘Beasts of the Southern Wild’ (2012)
The Moon controls the tides, and the threat of water rising always looms large in The Bathtub, the name that locals who populate Benh Zeitlin’s “Beasts of the Southern Wild” affectionately call home. Six-year-old Hushpuppy (Quvenzhané Wallis) and Wink, her single-parent father (Dwight Henry), live in this impoverished watery community in the far reaches […]