Trouser Press Anniversary Party - Sunday Night!

March 22, 2014 by David Godlis

Joey Ramone, Trouser Press Cover  - April 1984 - Photo © GODLIS — Joey Ramone, Trouser Press Cover - April 1984 - Photo © GODLIS

The big Trouser Press Anniversary party is tomorrow night at Bowery Electric. Be there or be square.

This is my cover photo of Joey Ramone from 1984. The original sign on the cake caught fire and we had to remake this sign on the spot. Below is an outtake with the original sign. I still have the original fork & knife. They were a wedding present. I thought they'd look good in the photo & Joey agreed. We did this shoot and went out to Dojo for dinner where Joey ordered the Beef Don.

Trouser Press outtake. Joey Ramone 1984 - Photo © GODLIS

New Directors New Films - how about an Iranian Vampire movie?

March 21, 2014 by David Godlis

Ana Lily Amirpour Director of A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT

Well actually you already missed it. "A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night", the Opening Night Iranian vampire movie, directed by Ana Lily Amanpour (above) was a very cool black & white film about well, a girl walking home alone at night. But don't F with her. Yes Iranian. Yes vampires. Yes subtitles. Deal with it. It opens locally in June. (until then you can go see Jarmusch's new Vampire movie, "Only Lovers Left Alive".

But there's still 10 days of cool new films to try out. Here's the link to MOMA/FSLC's NDNF website. I highly recommend picking up a ticket for the centerpiece film "Obvious Child" - raunchy girl comedian rom com with lots of self deprecating vagina and jewish jokes starring Jenny Slate. Also the closing night film - Nick Cave documentary -"20,000 Days on Earth" is well worth seeing. Also "The Babadook", an Australian horror movie plays tomorrow night. And the Hubert Sauper doc "We Come As Friends" is very good. I hear good things about Anja Marquartdt's "She's Lost Control", Justin Simien's "Dear White People", and Richard Ayode's "The Double". if anything's sold out, there's usually a very good shot at standing room tickets. So get up to MOMA and the Film Society at Lincoln Center & be the first one on your block...

PHOTOS BY GODLIS

still from "A GIRL WALKS HOME ALONE AT NIGHT"

Jenny Slate in  "OBVIOUS CHILD" — Jenny Slate in "OBVIOUS CHILD"

Rendezvous weekend with Catherine Deneuve

March 11, 2014 by David Godlis

Catherine Deneuve, Paris Theater NYC - Rendezvous Opening Night  - Thursday — Catherine Deneuve, Paris Theater NYC - Rendezvous Opening Night - Thursday

Catherine Deneuve hit the streets of NYC last weekend for the annual Rendezvous with French Cinema Film Festival. I was at the Paris Theater Thursday for the Opening Night debut of her new film "On My Way". Then on Friday night, I was "on my way" to Brooklyn to catch up with Mlle Deneuve for a repeat screening at BAM Cinematek - on Brooklyn's Left Bank. What can I say - looking fantastique.

Catherine Deneuve at BAM Cinematek, Brooklyn on Friday

After her Q&A following the film, BAM was showing a Deneuve favorite - "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg", directed by the great Jacques Demy in 1964. On the subway ride back from Brooklyn, Michele Legrand's theme music from that film was rolling through my head. Here then is the fabulous final scene with Catherine Deneuve - apropos of our long cold winter.

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More info on Rendezvous screenings here:

http://www.filmlinc.com/films/series/rendez-vous-with-french-cinema-2014

Hanging Out In The Street: my photo on new Alex Chilton bio!

March 10, 2014 by David Godlis

just got my copy of the fab new Alex Chilton bio by Holly George-Warren, called "A Man Called Destruction" (Viking Press). So glad my photo of Alex from back in 1977 graces the cover. Kudos to the designer who did a beautiful crop & layout - I especially love that it fans over to the side title spine of the book (or whatever they call that thing). This shot was done on the Bowery median strip across from CBGB's in 1977. It's actually an outtake from the original shot that was used as the cover of Alex's "Bangkok" 45. With exquisite luck a raindrop landed in exactly the right place on my lens to create that bubble effect on top left.