Whit Stillman coming to Toronto!!!

Once a year, I set aside an afternoon for the sole purpose of consecutively watching Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan, Barcelona, and the Last Days of Disco. Stillman’s unique reliance on dialogue and character to create a world of upper middle class 20 somethings as they try to ground themselves facing a life of diminishing returns is one that I find myself wanting to return to again and again. His characters are rich and multi-faceted; his dialogue sharp and funny. The debt directors and writers like Noah Baumbach, Wes Anderson and Lena Dunham owe him is obvious.

All of which is a prelude to my excitement in finding out this morning that Stillman is going to be in Toronto for the Seventh Art and the Royal on Wednesday, December 12, for a screening of Metropolitan and Thursday, December 13, for a screening of the Last Days of Disco. This is very exciting news indeed. Details can be found here and here.

Vintage TTC Holiday Ads

BlogTO just published a great post of holiday-themed TTC retro art. Great classic illustration worth checking out. See the post here.

 

Behind the Scenes on Withnail and I

Retronaut has posted an amazing series of behind the scenes photographs from cult classic Withnail and I (1987).

You can see the rest here.

Van Nuys Blvd. (1979)

I’m going to meet you on the Blvd.

Surprisingly entertaining if silly 70s popcorn film about a bunch of roustabouts hanging out, eating burgers, dating girls, and driving up and down Van Nuys Boulevard. The disco soundtrack is a particular achievement. Check it out.