found again

I recently found an issue of W Magazine featuring one of my favorite set designers Simon Costin. I'm not sure how this October issue slipped by me for several months, but I'm glad I found it. This fashion spread (photographed by one of my favorite photographers, Tim Walker), inspired by nursery rhymes, is absolutely enchanting.

Blue, the color of love is blue

A film adaptation of Irish playwright Enda Walsh's 1996 play of the same name, Disco Pigs (2001) details the lives of two extraordinarily close friends, Darren "Pig" (Cillian Murphy) and Sinead "Runt" (Elaine Cassidy), who, born only minutes apart in the same hospital, remain inseparable throughout their childhood and teenage years. Pig, violent by nature, is soothed by Runt - the far more level-headed and independent of the two - but over time his dependence on their friendship grows into obsession. When Runt is sent to trade school, Pig finds himself lost and tormented and begs his mother to tell him where Runt is. She concedes, but tells him if he leaves, he can't be allowed back. Pig agrees and sets off. Of course he finally reaches Runt, but his growing violent behavior and all-consuming fixation lead Pig to his demise. In the heartbreaking final scenes, Pig gives in to his death without struggle, and Runt is freed. Beautifully calamitous and comedic (at times), Disco Pigs is a film worth taking the time to watch.

Is this is a skiing movie?

In 1985, global Live Aid concerts raised over $50 million, Madonna released "Crazy for You," CDs were introduced to American consumers, British scientists discovered a hole in the ozone layer and John Cusack starred in Better Off Dead. The Savage Steve Holland directed film follows the heartbreak of Cusack's character Lane Meyer who, after being dumped by his obnoxious girlfriend, attempts suicide several times, all of which end comically. With an out of touch family, crazy neighbors, a foreign exchange student love interest, car races, dancing clay hamburgers and (yes) skiing, Better of Dead offers a hilarious albeit skewed insight into the dramas of a teenage boy's life. With bits like "Gee, I'm sorry your mom blew up, Ricky," and "Two dollars!" the flick is well worth its 97-minute length.

Killjoys, make some noise

After a four year hiatus, Jersey post-punk rockers My Chemical Romance released their third studio album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys. Seemingly indulgent, Danger Days is set in a post-apocalyptic world and captures the fantasy of classic sci-fi films. A far cry from the band's 2006 release The Black Parade, the album lacks in lyricism what it makes up in danceable hits, like the single "Na Na Na" and "Planetary (GO!)" Fast paced with obvious punk and disco influences, Danger Days allows MCR to shake the "emo" stereotype they earned with Three Cheers in 2004.

have a listen

Laurie Blue Adkins, better known as Adele, captured my heart this weekend with "Rolling in the Deep." With bluesy vocals, the singer wails about a lover who "had my heart inside of your hand." The accompanying video is visually powerful, depicting thousands of half-filled glasses vibrating with the beating of a drum, and a pile of shattered cups and plates. The single will come out stateside in February on her second studio album 21.

say hello to my little friend

From critically acclaimed author, James Frey, comes My Friend Leonard, a quasi-sequel to his first autobiographical fic A Million Little Pieces. Emotionally stunning, the novel picks up right after James is released from jail and is headed to see his girlfriend, Lilly, a recovering drug addict he met in rehab. When he arrives, she is dead, hanged by a rope in her shower at the halfway house she is staying. From there, you follow James as he deals with the grief of losing Lilly and the happiness he finds when he reconnects with Leonard, his "adoptive" father he befriended at the rehabilitation facility. If you have read Pieces, then you know Leonard's fate, but don't let that deter you from reading Leonard in its entirety. It will make you laugh and most certainly make you cry, but true to Frey's style, it will also make you think.