KAKAI & KIKI TRAILER

I love this strange trailer for Takashi Murakami's animated film, Kaikai & Kiki. I can't wait to see the movie. After conquering the art world and hipsters alike with his trademark superflat style, Murakami is now the flavor of the month with hip hop stars like Jay-Z, who recently commissioned artwork, and Kanye West, whose latest album, Graduation, sports a cover illustration by Murakami. I have a tiny cartoon he drew for me during the install of the Superflat show at the Henry Art Gallery. It may contribute to my retirement fund someday.


Takashi Murakami, Japanese pop artist and animator, on the BBC series, Japanorama.


New York Times Magazine article on The Murakami Method:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/04/03/magazine/03MURAKAMI.html?pagewanted=9

THE WILD BUNCH

Westerns have their own logic, a formula as tightly controlled as Greek tragedy, and a truly great Western manages to breathe within those cast-iron confines. The worst are simple horse operas, morality tales wrapped in shoot 'em up conventions, enjoyable as a feedbag of popcorn but just as nourishing, but the best westerns are grim and dark and wrestle with fate. They are fearless, illuminating, mythic. Aristotle, who defined tragedy for the ages, would have loved "The Wild Bunch."

The Onion gives us a list of some truly grim Westerns:
http://www.avclub.com/content/feature/dark_side_of_the_west_17_truly

I'm looking forward to seeing the remake of "3:10 to Yuma." How about you?