Pioneer just unveiled the first-ever projector for its top-tier Kuro label. The full-HD KRF-9000FD produces a sharp 30,000:1 contrast ratio. (For, er, contrast, a clear movie-theater print hits about 500:1, and most flat-panel TVs don't top 10,000:1.) It's also whisper quiet, humming along at a quiet 24 decibels. It's out later this month, and with attributes like these, it ain't gonna come cheap—€8,000, to be exact, or a wallet-busting $12,500.
Gakutensoku has been "reawakened" in preparation for his coming installation at the Osaka Science Museum, and even after a $200,000 makeover he's as creepy as ever. The ten-foot beast puffs his cheeks, winks, and tilts his head, a little sleepily by contemporary standards. But before you judge him too harshly, remember that he was originally built in 1928—at which time, by way of comparison, the most complicated creature Americans could put together was Steamboat Willie. And yes—there's video:
Tomorrow's auction at Phillips de Pury includes items from established artists on the order of John Baldessari, Francesco Clemente, and Jean-Michel Basquiat, some of whose work is selling almost suspiciously cheap. (Signed Larry Clark bookplates for 800 bucks? Not bad.) But the items by those luminaries aren't quite as pose-able as the ones by Kaws, the nom-de-street of artist Brian Donnelly. Companion (Five Years Later), pictured, is from a limited edition of 500 that he made for Medicom Toy. Mickey Mouse's evil doppelganger is estimated to go for between $500 and $700. Be prepared to blow your toy budget. Philips de Pury, 450 W. 15 St., NYC, (212) 940-1210, phillipsdepury.com
America's favorite stoners (sorry, guys) return this weekend, and we're sad to say that—despite sharing a spliff with Dubya—Harold and Kumar find a little less weed this time around. For that, you'll have to go to Super High Me, comedian Doug Benson's high-minded investigation (as it were) of medicinal marijuana, modeled on Morgan Spurlock's Super Size Me. Benson got high every day for 30 days to see how well he could function stoned versus sober. We won't spoil the ending—or wouldn't, if we could remember what it was.
Also out: Tina Fey's maternity comedy, Baby Mama, which is pretty much "Weekend Update" all over again, except this time Amy Poehler's a country-fried white-trash hick squatting in the sink to pee. In other words, this is the movie world's classiest weekend in a long old while.
It's been a good spring for Phillip Lim. His white women's shirt for the Gap just went on sale, he's got a new collaboration with Birkenstock's Tatami line, and tomorrow the designer opens his first international store in Tokyo's Aoyama district. The 2,230-square-foot, bi-level space will carry 3.1 Phillip Lim menswear, shoes, and accessories, not to mention women's, kids, and the organic Go Green Go Collection. Designed by Norito Takahashi, the two-story space boasts white concrete walls studded with circular cutouts, reclaimed wood floors, and a mirrored glass shell. Lim says he's planning on rolling out several more Japanese shops in the coming years, and is in talks to open doors in Hong Kong and mainland China as well. But his encore will happen a bit closer to home—he's opening an L.A. boutique in June. Glassarea Aoyama; 5-4-41 Minami Aoyama; Minato-ku, Tokyo; 03-6418-5070
Coming never to a magazine near you: George Clooney's latest ad for Omega (um, pictured), for whom he has been a "brand ambassador"—we're pretty sure that's classy-speak for "pitchman"—since 2007. Insert "loupe fiasco" joke here.
Fred Segal is aboard the Earth Month bandwagon, opening their eco-friendly home and lifestyle store in Santa Monica today. The 1,200-square-foot space features products like designer Rachna Joshi Nair's 'simbl throws and cushions, and stylish examples of green design, like the EcoSmart fireplace, a ventless version of the cozy original that runs off denatured ethanol, not your utility bill. (Hmm. Does ethanol come in a pine scent?) Built from recycled and sustainable materials, the store's function follows its form—after all, it's what's on the outside that counts. Fred Segal Green, 500 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA, (310) 395-5699, fredsegalgreen.com
At the MoMA's
George Lois: The Esquire Covers, opening today, you'll find 31 of the designer's groundbreaking designs for the magazine from 1962 to 1972. Many are now justly revered icons: Sonny Liston as a glowering Santa Claus; Muhammad Ali as St. Sebastian, persecuted by the draft board; and Andy Warhol drowning in his totemic can of soup. But we're partial to one of his lesser-known works: Lois's fold-out send-up of Hubert Humphrey (pictured), reviled in progressive circles for his silence on LBJ's escalation of the Vietnam War. The full version is below, a punch most definitively not pulled. George Lois: The Esquire Covers at the Museum of Modern Art, 11 W. 53 St. NYC, (212) 708-9400, moma.org
The latest in an ongoing series of opinionated dispatches from our widely traveled contributor Mark Ellwood
I don't own hiking boots, performance fleeces, or even a sleeping bag. I don't do mud, and I'd take a city sidewalk over a scenic view any day. But I'm not foolish enough to turn down the chance to go on safari in Botswana—even if my pre-trip briefing included some disconcerting clothing instructions. "No bright colors: Red or pink will scare the animals! And no dark colors, either: Black and navy lure mosquitoes." That left me to pack just three white T-shirts, a gray hoodie, and a pair of Banana Republic khakis from the nineties—traveling light by necessity. I jammed in a jug of industrial-strength bug-zapper just in case, though I assumed that a regular intake of quinine-juiced G&Ts would be my, ahem, natural remedy.
Twenty hours and three flights later, I landed at Khwai River Lodge in northern Botswana. The African veldt feels like a time warp: Without power lines to break the horizon, it's easy to expect a velociraptor to come tearing out of the waist-high grass, or at least Raquel Welch to appear in her fur-trimmed bikini. Only the buzz of light aircraft feels jarringly modern.
No Mas just issued the latest in their Ecstasy of Defeat line, a series of T-shirts devoted to, well, losers from the world of sports. Illustrated by Brooklyn's Mickey Duzyj, the set includes one based on Manolete(pictured), a legendary Spanish bullfighter who, in 1947, was gored to death in the ring. (He'll be played by Adrien Brody in an
upcoming biopic.) Searching for Bobby Fischer? They've got him, too, in a design that encapsulates the cracked lunacy of the former chess champ. Ecstasy of Defeat T-shirts, from $22 to $40, nomas-nyc.com and krudmart.com
One of the best parts of playing the Wii (aside from the thrilling risk of possibly throwing a control through your TV) is setting up your Mii—the eerily lifelike avatar you control while gaming. Now Mii Sculpture has taken the next logical step: making them into four-inch sculptures, and selling 'em on the Web for 79 bucks. (Shipping's on them.) And if the idea of having a mini Mii around the house is too creepy, they also make versions of celebrities like Jack Black and Woody Allen. Which, come to think of it, might be even creepier.
Three days of sweat, sun, and music begin today in Indio, California. Unable (or unwilling) to weather the heat? We understand, so we've put together a quick guide to this weekend's festival. Forget the headliners—Prince, Roger Waters, and (ugh) Jack Johnson—here are the five breakout bands everyone will still be talking about on Monday. (Don't believe us? Listen live at coachella.com.)
Not sufficiently irradiated by Bluetooth? Consider the latest in wireless technology: the Firmo, a device that transmits data all over the surface of the human body. (Why yes, it is Japanese.) It consists of a transmitter card (carried in a user's pocket), which converts data into a weak electric field that streams across said user. It's biggest potential application is supposedly security—where it would take the place of an ID badge—but we're just afraid "Wanna trade data points?" is about to become a pick-up line.
You already know the story: A group of people in a harsh, remote location, each harboring conflicting desires, try to make it out with their lives (if not their dignity) intact. Yep, we're talking about Alaska Oilmen: Gamble on Ice, airing tonight on Discovery. The show concerns a group of oilmen (sadly lacking Daniel Plainview accents) who venture into the Arctic Circle in search of Texas Tea. It's part of the channel's Alaska Week (which also includes Expedition Alaska, pictured), which so far has given us extra incentive to appreciate spring's return.
Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe opens its first U.S. salon at Tiffany's in New York today, where items on display range from eminently wearable timepieces to, well, the $3 million Star Caliber 2000 (pictured). The double-faced pocket watch took eight years to develop and can play the melody from the clock tower of London's Houses of Parliament (noteworthy, no doubt—at least until Steve Jobs unveils the iWatch). It will be on display alongside other rarities (including the first Swiss wristwatch) through Saturday, as part of The Values of a Family Watch Company, a traveling exhibit to commemorate the company's first 169 years. Meanwhile, customers interested in less expensive items can peruse the 3,000-square-foot hub on the store's mezzanine level, featuring Patek Philippe's current models—both musical and silent varieties. Patek Philippe at Tiffany's, 727 Fifth Ave., (212) 755-8000, tiffany.com
Foreign Policy just published one to two sentence bios of their top 100 public intellectuals, which you can recycle as sound bites at your next dinner party. ("How do you feel about Bjørn Lomborg's view that fighting crises like HIV/AIDS should take precedence over combating climate change? ... Um, anyone?") Check out the full list here—and no, Tina Fey didn't make the list.
Japanese streetwear designer Nigo solidifies his hold over the West tomorrow by opening an L.A. branch of A Bathing Ape—thus assuring that, come Monday, Tinseltown will be saturated with folks dressed like Kanye West. The store's design is similar to its New York counterpart—appointed with camo-print wall art, a conveyer belt for sneaker display, and the clothing's various BAPE logos, modeled after the simian overlords from Planet of the Apes. Expect long lines: The brand inspires a special kind of collector's frenzy. Charlton Heston would have been amused. BAPE L.A., 8001 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles, CA, (323) 658-5400, bape.com
Phone-porn enthusiasts, rejoice: LG just announced the launch of its third Black Label Series handset, the Secret. The main draw is the phone's 5-megapixel camera, which also shoots DivX video at 120 frames per second—all the more impressive considering its size which, at 11.8mm thick, makes it the slenderest phone to boast a camera this powerful. Just as importantly, the slider's a handsome devil, regardless of whether you're enough of a cell-camera auteur to need such serious equipment. No price or release date has been mentioned yet, which perhaps explains the name.
This week, two important auctions are taking place in NYC. The first happened yesterday at Sotheby's, featuring both a gold automatic minute-repeating hinged Patek Philippe—one of only 30 made—and an ultrarare 1971 "Albino" Rolex Daytona (pictured) that once belonged to Eric Clapton. It sold for an estimate-busting $505,000, but you can pick up the catalog for 55 bucks at sothebys.com And today, Christie's will stage its own event, headed by a rare 18-karat gold, water-resistant perpetual-calendar Patek Philippe, est. $250,000-$400,000. The sale also includes a 1962 stainless-steel Wittnauer owned by Joe DiMaggio, available for a (relatively) modest two to three grand. Still too steep? Well, there's also some wristwear from former NYC mayor Ed Koch.
Cleaning your teeth is nothing if not tedious, which helps explain why brands like Crest and Colgate increasingly taste like Halloween treats. But if you ask me, oral hygiene should be dull and punishing, the way God and your dentist intended: You should finish feeling virtuous and above all, clean, not like you've gotten away with something. Which is why I use Weleda's drab, homely—and absolutely fantastic—salt toothpaste.
Thick, silty, the color of fresh mud (to put it kindly), the stuff ain't pretty (though I do like the modish, glitter-free packaging). Don't go reading the ingredients, either—the European doctors who concocted the stuff may have been enraptured by "horse chestnut," but I'd rather not think about rubbing it on my teeth. Drawing on the stain-removing power of baking soda—long before American toothpastes caught on to the Arm & Hammer phenomenon—Weleda's paste leaves your mouth almost shockingly clean. Just one word of warning (well, aside from the stuff about it being thick and silty): Weleda's is fluoride free, so you shouldn't use it every day. What you brush with on your off days is up to you, of course, though for safety reasons I recommend steering clear of Crest Extreme Mint Explosion. Weleda Salt toothpaste, $5 for 3.3 oz tube, available at select Whole Body by Whole Foods Market stores and at shop.weleda.com
Out this week: Canon's newest entry-level DSLR, which offers a long-overdue improvement on 2006's XTI. That's thanks to a brand-new (and self-cleaning) 12.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, and the same DIGIC III image processor you'll find in the brand's pricy pro-level EOS-1s. Also imported from the top shelf: the (justifiably) coveted live-view option, which instantaneously shows what the lens is seeing on the three-inch LCD. Combine all this, and you'll take some of the sharpest pictures available in this price range.
But despite those enhancements, one new feature falls short: the auto-light optimizer, which supposedly enhances shadows after shooting. I tried it around sunset in the hills near my home, and—despite my best efforts, as you can see below—didn't snap anything that made the fabled Hollywood sign stand out from the late-afternoon smog. Too bad: Soon it might be gone for good. (The sign, that is, not the smog.) Canon Rebel XSI, $799 (body only), canonusa.com
In 1947, Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl sailed nearly 5,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean, from Peru to Polynesia. His boat? A primitive raft named Kon-Tiki, after the Incan sun god. His watch? A specially made timepiece by Swiss brand Eterna, which has been producing technically superior wristwear since its founding in 1856. This year, the company has honored Heyerdahl by naming its newest Diver after his pioneering watercraft. Designed to work up to 1,000 meters deep, it's not only waterproof, but also features a hinged face that makes it easier to read mid-dive. But even landlubbers can appreciate the clean, minimalist design. (Not coincidentally, Eternas are manufactured by Porsche Design.) And hey, if the earth keeps heating up, we might all be living underwater pretty soon. $9,200, available at all Eterna and Gevril dealers, eterna.ch
Just in time for office softball season, Rawlings has introduced the 1200 glove, the latest addition to their Primo (as in "primo expensive") line. At $399, it's the most expensive item the company makes. But with three layers of Tuscan calf leather, hand-sewn welting, and position-specific break points, it's as finely made as an Italian loafer. Of course, it takes more than a mitt to improve your game, but if showing up with a $400 glove doesn't give you Giambi-worthy swagger, nothing will. (Well, except maybe performance-enhancing drugs—but you're on your own there.)
Rawlings PRM1200, from $399, rawlings.com/primo
Departing today: The Great Brazil Express, a new luxury train touring some of South America's most beautiful terrain. Its inaugural seven-day trip starts in Curitiba, southern Brazil's largest city, and wends its way west to Iguazu Falls, a sight at which Eleanor Roosevelt apocryphally exclaimed, "Poor Niagara! This makes it look like a kitchen faucet." Whether or not you're as impressed by running water (a lot of it, admittedly), you'll find an equal amount of appeal in the train's plush decor and accommodations. Trips start at about $3,500, and they only book 22 passengers per tour. Check out the trailer below—yep, even train trips have trailers now—and try to get past the narrator, who sounds exactly like Troy McClure.
This year's Cannes Film Festival may be fêting the most Gallic of French actresses, Jeanne Moreau, but the list of films up for the Palme d'Or (revealed today) is heavy on Americans. Clint Eastwood will be premiering his Changeling (pictured), a 1920s-set mystery starring Angelina Jolie as the mother of a kidnapped child, while Charlie Kaufman tries his hand at directing with Synechdoche, New York, starring Philip Seymour Hoffman. Rounding out the list is Steven Soderbergh, with his four-hour Che Guevara biopic Guerrilla—which led the fest's General Manager Thierry Fremaux to tell reporters that, no, "four-hour" is "not a typo." Ouch.
It's hard to stand out in an iPod world, but Samsung is doing its best to try: The company has just released the YP-S2, a rounded, screenless one-gig MP3 player that looks like a heavily lacquered little marble (hence its name, the Pebble). It comes in five colors, all of which look prone to smudges (as the tech geeks at Gizmodo point out). But for $39, it looks pretty sweet, even if it's unlikely to get the Shuffle shaking in its dock.
Yeah, we know: Another fake holiday. Still, we don't need much excuse to celebrate, so we've put together a slideshow of our favorite working girls from television and film. You're welcome.
Any world's-best list is sure to incite controversy, but when it comes to restaurants, tempers tend to flare (insert joke about chefs, knives here). Released on Monday, S.Pellegrino's 2008 list of the planet's top 50 dining establishments has inspired the usual sore feelings, especially for Asia, since not one restaurant from the continent managed to climb onto the list. The States fared better, with eight entries, including perennial California favorite The French Laundry at number five. The top three? El Bulli (Spain), The Fat Duck (U.K.) and Pierre Gagnaire (France). Tasty options all, assuming you don't mind restaurants chosen by fizzy water.
JONATHAN DURBIN
Photo: Courtesy of Pixar Animation Studios/Walt Disney Pictures
Jeff Koons' ten-foot-and-change sculpture, Balloon Dog (Yellow), has finally found a yard big enough to call home: The rooftop at NYC's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The never-before-exhibited work is among three of the artist's pieces that were installed yesterday at the museum. Long overdue, if you ask us: Not only does it feel strangely at home among the famous facades of New York's skyline—it also has us giving the much-maligned party favor a reconsideration. Jeff Koons on the Roof at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, now through October, 1000 Fifth Ave., NYC, (212) 535-7710, metmuseum.org
Headed stateside this spring: The London Gin, a blue-tinted new tonic. Although it's produced by a Spanish spirits company, it's actually a rare example of a "London dry" gin that's made in London, where it's triple-distilled in small batches. And despite the coloring and clear glass (which give it an air of the apothecary), the taste is anything but medicinal. Instead, you'll pick up hints of coriander, lemon peel, licorice, cinnamon, and—unique among its competitors—gardenia and bergamot, which you might remember from your last cup of Earl Grey tea. It doesn't get much more English than that.
Robert De Niro's downtown picture show starts up again today, and as usual, it features a hybrid of the familiar (Speed Racer) and the, uh, less so (a documentary about meerkats). We made the sacrifice and suffered through dozens of screenings to find the gems. Here are the eight movies you should know about—and what you should know about them. (You know, in case your personal invite from Bobby D. got lost in the mail.)
We'll say this about the holiest of all fake holidays: It sure does create a lot of inbox pollution. We've cut through the clutter to find a few developments that are actually worth a call-out—and you'll be happy to know none involve wearing hemp.
Oh, and please think twice before printing this blog post.
• Bamford & Sons have been going green for a while now, but today they've introduced a new line of organic tees (pictured) to help benefit the Lady Bamford Charitable Trust. They're available here.
• Already certified carbon neutral since last summer, watchmaker
IWC just announced they'll be sponsoring David de Rothschild's upcoming Plastiki Expedition to the Eastern Garbage Patch, an "island" of waste in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
• While we're on the topic of the aforementioned Patch, allow us to recommend the latest episode of VBS' Garbage Island. Fascinating (by which we mean utterly depressing) stuff.
• Remember that T-shirt recycling program from Loomstate and Barneys we
told you about? Well, they're having an official party tonight at the NYC store. Kate Nash is set to perform; as for getting in, you're on your own.
• While not technically pegged to Earth Day, this video of cyclists blowing by cars in L.A.'s largest parking lot (a.k.a. the 405 northbound) offers yet another reason to think twice about driving.
Daniel Craig has already admitted to destroying 40 bespoke Tom Ford suits during the filming of Quantum of Solace. And now an Aston Martin DBS is no more: A stuntman driving the car recently plunged into Lake Garda in northern Italy, an unplanned real-life stunt that left the driver unhurt and the car headed for the scrap heap. The obvious lesson: You can't take 007 anywhere.
Roughly the size of a good dictionary, this new mini PC from ASUS is that rare thing: a desktop computer you don't have to keep hidden. And it doesn't just look cool—its top-tier specs include a terabyte of hard-drive space, full high-def video output, 7.1 surround-sound, and (happily, given all that) a remote. Of course, all that comes at a price—and just what that price will be remains to be seen. Still, why should Mac users get all the good toys? ASUS Essentio CS5110, Price and availability TBD, asus.com
The pontiff's recent visit to New York delighted many, but some of retail's big names were less than pleased. "Our Fifth Avenue store was open, but totally blocked," Lacoste USA chairman and CEO Robert Siegel told WWD. "Our biggest day of the week [Saturday] was off plan by 50 percent in that store." (The papal procession went north on Fifth Avenue.) Seems risky to carp about the visit of the man believed by millions to be God's emissary—and besides, not everyone experienced a downturn. "We had many exhilarated shoppers visiting our store after [Pope Benedict XVI's Saturday morning] Mass," said Suzanne Johnson of Saks Fifth Avenue. Maybe that's what the economy needs: a little help from on high.
Is it possible that New Zealand's "fourth most popular folk parody duo" is climbing the ranks? Today marks the release of Flight of the Conchords' self-titled debut. It mostly includes songs from the HBO show, which were given a polish in the studio. (Not a bad thing.) Our favorite? "Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenoceros," which you can see below in an early performance from the Craig Ferguson show:
Also out this week: Billy Bragg's Mr. Love & Justice, a collection of appealingly grumbly anthems from one of rock's most reliable curmudgeons. Check out video of the Bard of Barking performing the album's tracks here.
Now available, with deep backstory: this 1933 Rolls-Royce Phantom II, up for auction on eBay with a starting bid of $1.1 million. The drop-top ride was commissioned by Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton—the Blair Waldorf of her day—for Alexis Mdivani, the Georgian prince and Hutton's first husband. Mdivani was killed in France while driving it shortly after their divorce; his passenger, Maude von Thyssen, Salvador Dali's lover, was injured but emerged from the wreck alive. The car was restored by the original designer and is currently in storage in North Carolina. If the vehicle's history and design aren't enough to entice, consider its odometer—after 75 years, it's only racked up 9,999 miles.
Just after this month's successful New York photo auction, Christie's is staging another impressive supermodel-soaked sale on May 15, this time in London. It's worth saving your pence: Highlights include Richard Avedon's famed 1981 pic of Nastassja Kinski entwined with a snake, Albert Watson's shot of Kate Moss naked and bronzed in Marrakech circa 1993, Sante D'Orazio's portrait of Pamela Anderson in 2000, and our favorite: this Michel Comte Gisele Bündchen shot from 1999, which is literally smoking (sorry). Want to preview before you buy? Check out our slideshow.
JARED PAUL STERN
Photo: Courtesy of Chistie's. Michel Comte, Gisele Bündchen, 1999.
The Brooklyn neighborhood of Boerum Hill isn't known for its cutting-edge menswear, but new boutique And Then Some is a welcome exception. It's the brainchild of Alex Eagleton, whose Thesamenicepeople (popular for its line of G.I. Joe-head necklaces), will serve as the store's house brand. The shop also carries a nice range of underground labels—many, like Finland's Daniel Palillo, available nowhere else in the U.S.—not to mention jewelry and fragrances, including handmade-in-Brooklyn colognes by D.S. & Durga. As for the moody, low-lit interior: Well, think of it a way to save on electricity, just in time for Earth Day. And Then Some, 103 Bond St., Brooklyn
Late last year, BMW opened the Welt (as in "BMW World"), a new showroom-cum-museum in Munich. Designed by Viennese provocateur Wolf D. Prix of Coop Himmelb(l)au, the €100 million behemoth is fronted by a vortex of entwined steel and glass called the Double Cone. The structure seems to literally suck visitors inside, and a new book about the building's creation is equally irresistible. BMW Welt: From Vision to Reality includes 256 pages of photos, which document the construction of the 1,000-room edifice from start to finish. The pictures are as gritty and raw as the building is clean and polished. Better yet, at $125, the book's a lot cheaper than the latest M3—or a trip to Munich.
You won't be reading the highlights of Beijing's auto show here, because most of the cars are, well, pretty dull. (Though if you can't resist, hit up: Autoblog China—and good luck with the translation.) In fact, most of the designs are from just one company: Geely, China's top automaker. (Guess that explains why no communist country has ever produced a cool car.) Of the 20 or so (!) new models the brand unveiled, its designers let loose exactly once, on the Geely Tiger GT coupe concept. It has an unmistakably (if unlikely) Italian spirit, tempered by an aggressive, even masklike grille. Of course, given it has just a 225-horsepower engine, this Tiger's got more bark than bite.
Long known for its traditional seersucker suits, New Orleans label Haspel is introducing a line inspired by the kind of gentleman who'd rather hunt game than argue a court case. Due this summer—just ahead of the brand's 2009 centennial—the new Outdoor Collection consists of vests, hunting jackets, and three-piece suits, all made from corduroy and cotton twill. Adding to the authentic look and feel are details like leather-covered buttons, shooting pads on the shoulders, and game pockets in the back (a detail also employed by the guys from Rag & Bone). Most importantly, they'll make you feel like a real outdoorsman—even if the last time you foraged for meat was in the deli aisle at Whole Foods. Available this July, around $200-450, at Frank Stella, Lord &Taylor, and select Macy's
Three years after Her Majesty sounded the call for new designs for the realm's coinage, she's declared a winner: 26-year-old Matthew Dent. He's adorned the new currency with the Royal Arms, split over six coins. (The whole arms will be represented on the one-pound coin.) The relative unknown was selected from more than 4,000 applicants, which by our count makes this a rare example of an open design competition producing good results. (One or two others come to mind.) And at the risk of betraying Uncle Sam, the new coins are one hell of a lot nicer than our state quarters.
It's been a good year for the Bardems—first Javier nabs Best Supporting Actor at the Oscars, and tomorrow Criterion Collection releases Death of a Cyclist, the 1955 film written and directed by his late uncle, Juan Antonio Bardem. It concerns a well-to-do professor and his mistress, who (that old story) hit a cyclist and flee the scene of the crime. It's also a thinly disguised attack on Franco's Spain—not bad for a mere 87 minutes.
Also out tomorrow on DVD: Hannah Takes the Stairs, Joe Swanberg's (maybe too) heartfelt contribution to the emerging mumblecore genre. We could do without the chatty soul-searching, but the movie is redeemed by Greta Gerwig, who quietly out-Winonas Ms. Ryder as the lovely new face of postadolescent anomie. Look for her (unbagged) in Baghead, screening next week as part of the Tribeca Film Festival.
Just in time for Earth Day, Matthew freakin' Modine has teamed up with Tumi on a new bike bag, created to benefit his Bicycle for a Day organization. And while it's no Mulberry Bob Bag, the reasonably stylish navy messenger is made from recycled material, and (for serious commuters) includes two tiny strips of reflective tape. (Consider this Modine's best work since Full Metal Jacket.) It goes on sale this August, though it will be officially unveiled at a party tomorrow night. $295, tumi.com
This might be why YouTube was created in the first place: Filmmaker Andrew Filippone Jr. has spliced together clips of Charlie Rose interviewing…himself, all in the style of a Samuel Beckett play. Creepy? Yes. But hilarious? Absolutely.
As often as we use our kitchen—i.e., pretty much never—the fixtures you'll find there are more about form than function, which is why we dig this new model from Kohler: It looks fantastic, thanks to a textured, carbon-fiber surface and an angular, four-part arm, which comes with specially designed brass joints that help it stay in your chosen position. The only flaw: The Kamp Krusty-esque name. Kohler Karbon Faucet, $925, availble in June, us.kohler.com
