Wednesday, March 02, 2011

THINGS THAT ARE GOOD...


*My hot pink velvet Venetian Furlane slippers - bought in Venice last autumn. Traditionally worn by Friulian people, then adopted by gondoliers; the soles are made from bicycle tyres and you can get them with lining made from recycled pinstriped shirting. I think my friend D used to have these when I lived with him, because wearing them gives me an inexplicable desire to drink Lapsang Souchong and smoke a pipe.



*Trois Couleurs magazine. I believe this is the free magazine of MK2 cinemas in France and it's not bad at all. This issue is all Sofia Coppola, all the way through. I wish more magazines would commit fully to a single subject - there's not a word or picture in there that's not Sofia related. I asked Nancy if she'd seen it on her Francophone travels and like a star, she tracked it down and sent it to me!

In the magazine there's a section visually comparing scenes from Sofia's other films and another comparing films that influenced Somewhere with scenes from it (above). The picture on the left is of a scene in Chantal Akerman's film Jeanne Dielman...where the camera is fixed for long periods, while the viewer watches the protagonist performing routine daily tasks in real time - something utilised all the way through Somewhere. On the right is the scene where Cleo makes Eggs Benedict at the Chateau Marmont in Somewhere.

*Thursday (that's tomorrow) is always Bloggers + Cats day, in case you hadn't noticed. I'm so happy to discover that you're all just as huge cat freaks as me...We've got some really good ones lined up!

14 comments:

erica said...

ooh, i need slippers like those! i saw these in the nyt the other day and am now impatiently waiting for bloomingdales to stock them. http://www.charlesphilipshanghai.com/

Claire said...

Erica hi, I miss you! - I bet you can get them directly from Venice by mail order - they'll be way cheaper than whatever mark up Bloomingdales puts on them too. Mine were €29 I think.
I actually thought about importing them but, as with the Saltwater sandals I got direct from the US (which two years later Toast now sells for £50) I couldn't make it work out financially with small quantities. I must concede I'm not cut out to be a shoe mogul!

Claire said...

Erica - p.s. Didn't read your comment properly - sorry. I just saw your link to Charles Phillips - that's so funny, I was swooning over their slippers at Capsule in Paris - I kept walking past their stand just to look at them - like candy and so well made.

erica said...

thanks for the tip about ordering direct from venice. the pozzi sandals are supposed to retail for $90, eeps! are yours comfortable for outdoors?

i can't believe how expensive saltwaters are from Toast! i need to replace my white pair.

i miss my blog, too ;) unfortunately i'm completely overwhelmed by end of PhD stuff, but hopefully i can revive it come May!

Ally said...

They are fabulous slippers! And Trois Couleurs looks so good, can't believe I didn't know about it when I was in Paris. I watched some of Jeanne Dielman in one of my classes last semester and can now definitely see the link to Coppola, not that I have even seen Somewhere yet. But anyway I'll have to keep an eye out for it next time!

la femme said...

I hope they were traditionally worn in hot pink as well :)

Looking forward to the cat interview tomorrow...

Unknown said...

the slippers are fabulous!!!
hey ;))
oh and we must thank le lapin, he too is our partner in crime! ;)) he flipped through as did i and yes...it looks fabulous!!! a friend of mine who is a film historian said sofia has a great knowledge of film history...
(aha...sometimes i wish i was a coppola or at least a close neighbour...;))

BB said...

lovely slippers. so wonderful to find thoughtful, focused work intended for the general public. the problem (at least here in the us) is that between really technical work and very basic assuming-you-know-nothing writing, there's very little middle ground. this applies to cinema and to (classical) music... xo bb

Claire said...

Erica - they are totally comfortable for outdoors, but so far I've restricted them to popping round to neighbours...I haven't quite dared go further. I look forward to your blog resurfacing!

Ally - I keep being jealous of students - like ooh, that course sounds really interesting! I never thought that would happen. Perhaps it's time for Open University!

La Femme - you know, I think they probably were - or some appropriation of like tulip pink or carmine at least.

If Jane - ah oui, of course merci to Le Lapin (does he know his name?!) It's a good read, not that I can read it. Much.

BB - I thought the same and it's only a free magazine (in France) you pick up in the cinema I think. Shows what you can do when you don't have to please all kinds of money people perhaps...

anna said...

ugh...I'd actually donate a limb for that magazine. Are there any amazing insights into her work I should know about?
p.s your slippers are tres chic!

Claire said...

Anna - I have to be honest, I've been more "looking at the pictures" than really "reading" so far, as my French is pretty limited! But I did really like the parallels they drew between her other films and influences and can imagine you would find that interesting. For example they connect the car/driving scenes with Gus van Sant's Gerry and that Electroma thing Daft Punk did. Also the character of Johnny with Kurt Cobain in Last Days and you can really see it in the pics they've used. Let me see if I can find out how you can get hold of a copy...

anna said...

That is interesting...I would say that Johnny is more eloquent than Blake in Last Days though (and that's saying something). I e mailed MK2 but got a return notice saying it was undeliverable. Perhaps they have been inundated with requests from Sofia's fans!

Claire said...

Anna - I found it on sale here for 2€ (it's free in France) but the price is within France - you'd have to pay extra shipping.

http://www.priceminister.com/offer/buy/116091972/sort3#state_sort_used

Also found out that issue came out in December. It's Trois Couleurs, Hors Serie #3 Sofia Coppola, Hollywood Princess"

(not a very original title!)

anna said...

Merci beaucoup!