Agnès Varda Makes the Academy Shortlist

Sadly, we missed the play dates for Agnès Varda’s latest movie, The Beaches of Agnès, when the film came to town this summer. The French director made her first feature in the early ’50s, and at the ripe old age of 81 still manages to produce films that stand up to cult classics like Cléo de 5 à 7. For The Beaches of Agnès, Varda turns the camera on herself for an autobiographical sweep of her own insane existence, through stories of her childhood in occupied France, her marriage to filmmaker Jacques Demy and those heady Rive Gauche days, the only lady in a band full of Gauloise-puffing New Wave directors. The documentary was just be added to the Academy shortlist and we’re sincerely hoping she gets a twirl on the Oscar podium, and dyes that amazing bowl cut platinum blond to match the statuette.

Video: No Mas x James Blagden Present the LSD No-No

DISCLAIMER: We don’t know what it’s like to be on drugs, but if we did, we would find this new animation No Mas and James Blagden made of Dock Ellis’ legendary 1970 no-hitter while on acid EXTREMELY EFFING FUNNY. But as it is that we don’t know what it’s like to experience illegal substances, it is merely a compelling tale of athletic prowess and hippie culture. Rest in peace, Dock, you were one-of-a-kind. (via A Silent Flute)

Cold Cave Soundtrack a Radio Shack Commercial

Merry Christmas + Death in June = Bluetooth? Tear into it!

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Anthony Pappalardo Rides the Circleboard

There is a renewable life metaphor somewhere within this video of Anthony Pappalardo riding a Mark Gonzales crafted “circleboard,” a tangle of skateboards curled into a wheel. Though most know Pappalardo as a professional skater, we’re just as equally fond of him as a craftsman, having featured his incredible wood benches in a recent issue of our magazine. Check out footage from a recent show he had in Brooklyn. It’s nice to reconcile these two Pappalardos—the smiling man riding through the streets on a bulky contraption and the artisan with pristine skill. Together they make a well rounded man—there’s that metaphor! (via Bobby Sattler)

Lee Perry’s “Blackboard Jungle”: From Dub to Dubstep

Obviously the root sound of dubstep is um, dub, but this video documents legend Lee “Scratch” Perry’s transition into making actual dubstep and does a good job of showing how the genres/cultures inform each other without explicitly saying so… at least until the end when it promos Perry’s new track with FADER fave Jahdan Blakkamoore and Subatomic Soundsystem. Worth watching for great footage of Jahdan performing at Terminal 5 with Major Lazer, a brief interview with Rusko on the topic, and a very, very serious Jamaican gyal narrating. (via Dutty Artz)

Girls Hardcore XXX “Lust For Life” is a Major Letdown

It’s really hard to put into words how disappointing it is to see a bunch of indie rock sites post the title “Girls ‘Lust For Life’ Hardcore XXX Edit” and then after watching the video come to find out that it’s just a bunch of shirtless girls and one guy singing into another guy’s dick. Maybe we’ve been living in New York too long, but this is basically what happened on the train ride to work today. Plus, the girl next to us was listening to Flo-Rida really loud on her headphones. Talk about hardcore. If you haven’t yet read our Girls cover story, you may not be as unsurprised by the free-spiriting in Focus Creeps‘ directors’ cut, but don’t let that be an excuse not to read it—or enjoy watching a bunch of SF bros and ladybros have a little fun for the camera. (via MBV via P4k)

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Dallas Boogie: Mr. Hit Dat Hoe

My first introdcution to Treal Lee and Prince Rick and probably more importantly, Kedrick “Mr. Hit Dat Hoe” Wilson, was the above promo video for “Get Off Me Now.” Sometime this past spring, the video was making its way around gossip blogs, posted to responses of glee toward Wilson’s country swagger, but also contempt that a “rapper” would name himself “Mr. Hit That Hoe.” In actuality, Wilson isn’t a rapper, but a fearless dancer who inspired a hit song, and a deeper look into Dallas rap culture offers insight into his otherwise off-putting namesake.

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Jan van Nuenen’s Thorny Animation for Basement Jaxx

If you’re not going to any of Basement Jaxx’s European tour dates for their new album Scars (which drops today), you can at least simulate the experience by watching this old-school trippy “visual” (yeah we said it) that Dutch animator Jan van Nuenen made for their live show. His thorny cornucopia, seed tossing, crabby parasites and vicious carnivorous plants give Kelis’ chorus, “Kiss me when I wake up,” a totally different (scarier) context. Their shows will open with this video, so if you’re there and have indulged in any psychedelics hopefully you won’t already “be on your journey.” Check out van Nuenen’s other awesome videos here, which deal with nature usurping civilization and industrial malaise.

In Lust

Eric Wareheim, of the Tim & Eric Awesome Show and director of recent videos for Major Lazer’s “Pon Di Floor” (simulative dancing) and Depeche Mode’s “Hole To Feed” (public indecency), recently posted a new personal project entitled “In Lust,” which combines the finer elements of both aforementioned videos to the tune of recent FADER cover star Bat For Lashes‘ “Daniel.”

Alexi Wasser Makes Five Short Films About I’m Boy Crazy

Alexi Wasser is confusing because she will tell you everything about herself. It’s difficult to know why—to disarm, to entice, to confuse. Maybe all of those at once. There is always something about power implicit in the posts on her site imboycrazy.com, usually the give and take of power between men and women in a young heterosexual dance. We spoke to Wasser in issue 61 about imboycrazy.com, and while she gave us a good deal of illumination on what she wants, wants to want and wants her readers to want, she didn’t speak much about her initial calling as an actress. We’ve seen Wasser flash her million dollar peepers in many commercials, and perhaps that background is the impetus for her new set of short films. Her first film a few months ago, a stand alone calling card for the blog, was almost entirely a set up for a killer kicker (which we will not ruin for you, but which you should certainly watch). But these current films are more a suite—a collective vibe that illustrates her as an actress, woman, writer and out-of-body ringleader of her id, ego and superego. She wrote, produced, scouted and cast all of the films, with David Lowery directing. They are funny, awkward and always strangely, lovingly proud. Wasser’s desire for constant new beginning, more than anything, is what she, these videos and her site embody, infinite freshness amidst constant consternation. And, as an FYI, maybe don’t watch these full screen in your office with the sound very loud. At least not the first one, which is above, with the other four after the jump. But know that if you are the kind of person who takes heed to office warning screeds like that, Wasser probably wouldn’t be interested in you. We hear she’s single.

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