Martin Cid's Blog: Martin Cid Magazine, page 1129

HBO News: Documentary Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures debuts in April

Robert Mapplethorpe. ©Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation. Used by permission. Courtesy of HBO.

HBO DOCUMENTARY FILMS PRESENTS MAPPLETHORPE: LOOK AT THE PICTURES, A DEFINITIVE PORTRAIT OF THE PROVOCATIVE ARTIST, DEBUTING IN APRIL 2016, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

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Fenton Bailey And Randy Barbato Direct;

Documentary Debuts In Conjunction With Simultaneous Retrospectives At

The Getty Museum And The Los Angeles County Museum Of Art

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“Look at the pictures,” said Senator Jesse Helms, denouncing the controversial art of Robert Mapplethorpe, whose photographs pushed boundaries with frank depictions of nudity, sexuality and fetishism, igniting a culture war that rages to this day.

More than 25 years later, the HBO Documentary Films presentation MAPPLETHORPE: LOOK AT THE PICTURES does just that, taking an unflinching, unprecedented look at his most provocative work. From acclaimed filmmakers Fenton Bailey and Robert Barbato (“Inside Deep Throat”; HBO’s “Wishful Drinking” and “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”), and produced by Katharina Otto-Bernstein (“Absolute Wilson”), the first feature-length documentary about the artist since his death, and the most comprehensive film on Mapplethorpe ever, debuts in April 2016 on HBO.

As The J. Paul Getty Museum and The Los Angeles County Museum of Art prepare landmark Mapplethorpe retrospectives (both opening in March), the film goes inside the preparation for the exhibitions as a jumping-off point to tell the complete story of his life and work for the first time, and explore the interplay between his personal and professional lives. MAPPLETHORPE: LOOK AT THE PICTURES reveals a controversial artist who turned contemporary photography into a fine art.

With complete and unprecedented access to The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation, the documentary draws upon archival materials and features never-before-seen photographs and footage. “Even his most shocking and forbidden images are included without blurs, without snickers – in other words, exactly as the artist intended,” say Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. Mapplethorpe himself is a strong presence, telling his story in his own words with complete honesty and often shocking candor through rediscovered audio interviews.

MAPPLETHORPE: LOOK AT THE PICTURES follows his early beginnings as a young artist in New York City through his meteoric rise in the art world to his untimely death. In 1963, he enrolled at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, where he studied drawing, painting and sculpture, and soon met his first girlfriend, Patti Smith, one in a string of profoundly influential lovers. By the late 1960s and early 1970s he was taking Polaroid photographs of friends and acquaintances, and was determined to make it, which meant being recognized as an artist and becoming famous.

Almost all of the people from key relationships in his life are present in the film, including Sam Wagstaff, David Croland, Lisa Lyon, Marcus Leatherdale and Jack Walls. The documentary also features almost 50 original interviews with family, friends, co-workers and colleagues, including Mary Boone, Carolina Herrera, Brooke Shields, Helen and Brice Marden, Fran Lebowitz, Bob Colacello and Debbie Harry.

Rounding out this portrait are the recollections of Mapplethorpe’s older sister, Nancy, and youngest brother, Edward. An artist himself, Edward assisted his brother for many years and was responsible for much of the technical excellence of his photography.

The duality of black-and-white work reverberated in his life. He often mounted two shows simultaneously: An uptown exhibition might include society portraits and delicate flower still-lifes, while his sexually explicit photographs were on view downtown. Mapplethorpe’s most controversial work — which he considered his most important — chronicled the underground BDSM (bondage, dominance and submission, sadomasochism) scene of late 1970s New York City, sparking a national debate over public funding of art some deemed offensive or obscene.

Mapplethorpe was diagnosed with AIDS in 1986, when the illness was still a death sentence. He spent the remainder of his life working more feverishly than ever before, not only pursuing perfection, but also striving to secure his legacy after his death. In 1988, a few months before Mapplethorpe’s passing, The Whitney Museum of American Art mounted his first major American museum retrospective.

The man who lived to be famous became even more famous after he died. Before his death, he designed one final show, The Perfect Moment, which bought images of flowers, S&M pictures and male African-American nudes together in a museum setting for the first time. As he himself predicted, the combination proved to be too much. In 1989, the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. canceled The Perfect Moment after Senator Helms took aim at Mapplethorpe. Later that year, protests were held when the traveling exhibition arrived at the Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati, resulting in obscenity charges against the CAC and its director, Dennis Barrie. After a dramatic court battle, both were ultimately found not guilty.

MAPPLETHORPE: LOOK AT THE PICTURES is a revealing look at one of the most important artists of the 20th century, whose name remains a byword for something illicit, dangerous and dark.

HBO Documentary Films in association with Film Manufacturers Inc. presents a World of Wonder production. Directed and produced by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato; produced by Katharina Otto-Bernstein; produced by Mona Card; associate producer, Jordan Papadopoulos; edited by Langdon F. Page; co-editor, Francy Kachler; original music by David Benjamin Steinberg; directors of photography, Mario Panagiotopoulos and Huy Truong. For HBO: senior producer, Sara Bernstein; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.

Famous Birthdays Today, December 5: Walt Disney, Lauren London, Alexandra Beaton, Frankie Muniz, Little Richard

Well he’s the founder of the The Walt Disney Company and, of course, he’s our Top#1 Famous Birthdays Today and he is –obviously- Walt Disney! He was great, fantastic and one of the greatest genius ever. Rest in Peace, Walt Disney.

Famous Birthdays Today, December 5: Publicity photo of Walt Disney from the Boy Scouts of America. Disney was given an award by them in 1946.

All the adversity I’ve had in my life, all my troubles and obstacles, have strengthened me… You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you. Walt Disney

If you can dream it, you can do it. Walt Disney

More famous birthdays today, December 5: Lauren London, actress born in Los Angeles in 1984; Frankie Muniz, actor who starred on the television show Malcom in the Middle, born in New Jersey in 1985; Alexandra Beaton, beautiful Canadian actress born in 1994; and the great, the one…. Little Richard!

Happy birthday to all of them. Have a very nice day, dear friends.

Video: Walt Disney’s Tour of Disneyland

HBO News. Music special J. Cole Forest Hills Drive: Homecoming debuts Jan. 9

J. COLE FOREST HILLS DRIVE: HOMECOMING, FEATURING ONE OF MUSIC’S BIGGEST STARS IN A HOMECOMING PERFORMANCE, DEBUTS JAN. 9, EXCLUSIVELY ON HBO

One of music’s biggest stars returns home to Fayetteville, NC, delivering a riveting performance in the exclusive HBO presentation J. COLE FOREST HILLS DRIVE: HOMECOMING, debuting SATURDAY, JAN. 9 (10:00-11:30 p.m. ET/PT). Part concert film, part backstage pass, the special tells his compelling life story through Cole’s own words and music, and through the observations of those who know him best.

The special will also be available on HBO NOW and HBO GO.

Featuring guest appearances by Jay Z and Drake, J. COLE FOREST HILLS DRIVE: HOMECOMING showcases live versions of all 13 songs from his third album, “2014 Forest Hills Drive.” Cole delivers a powerful performance that leaves his fans elated or in tears, connecting with audiences in a way few others can. Songs from “2014 Forest Hills Drive” include“January 28th,” “Wet Dreamz,” “03’ Adolescence,” “A Tale of 2 Citiez,” “Fire Squad,” “St. Tropez,” “Love Yourz,” “G.O.M.D.,” “No Role Modelz,” “Hello” and “Apparently.”

Released on Jay Z’s Roc Nation label in Dec. 2014, “2014 Forest Hills Drive” sold 350,000 copies in its first week, and went on to become the first rap record in 25 years to go platinum without featured guests. Reviewing the album, theNew York Times said, “Mr. Cole is undeniably in the top tier of current hip-hop stars,” while Vibe remarked, “This is 4his ‘Blueprint’, the best rap album to drop this year.”

J. Cole debuted in 2007 with his mixtape “The Come Up,” followed in 2009 by a second mixtape, “The Warm Up,” and attracted widespread attention for his appearance on “A Star Is Born,” from Jay Z’s album “The Blueprint 3.”

J. COLE FOREST HILLS DRIVE: HOMECOMING was directed by Scott Lazer; edited by Oliver Riley-Smith; executive producers, Jermaine Cole, Ibrahim Hamad and Adam Roy; producers, Jon Muedder and Tim Grant; directors of photography, Ben Premeaux and Bernardo Marentes.

A brand new suitcase, designed specifically for children which combines a suitcase and scooter in one

Zinc Flyte Scooter Case

Is it a suitcase? Is it a scooter? Well, yes actually, it’s both of them. Introducing Flyte, the brand new case scooter. Travelling with young children can be a pain, especially for families navigating the globe or even down the road to Grandma’s house. Not any more! Flyte is a compact piece of cabin sized luggage, that works as a pull-along case and then even has its own flip out deck so that children have their own scooter on-the-go.

This is the perfect Christmas present for all children aged 4-8 years old. Whether travelling to the park, to school, sleepovers, day trips or on holiday. No matter how long or short the journey; this handy case can hold all their belongings and features a scooter, making travelling easier and more fun than ever before! With an easy to fold footplate that hides neatly within the case, the Flyte can also be used as an easy to pull a long case.

Two designs are currently available – Snapper the shark, and Olivia the owl. Both have a 25 litre capacity and weigh just 3.6kg. The cases are designed to fit perfectly in the overhead compartment on an airline. Simply fold up the scooter into the back of the case for easy storage.

Both designs are available to purchase at Caseluggage.com and in Case stores at Gatwick Airport, Heathrow Airport and Bluewater shopping centre.

Note to Editors: Case Luggage is the leading retailer of premium travel goods in the UK. Established in 1923, the company is proud of its history of over 90 years in business.

Caseluggage.com

National Geographic Traveller (UK) Jan/Feb 2016 available on newsstands now

Nat Geo Traveller (UK) Jan/Feb 2016

The Jan/Feb 2016 issue of the 196-page National Geographic Traveller (UK) has hit the newsstands with a FREE Family guide.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Cover Story: In this month’s cover story, we reveal the top 16 destinations for 2016. From election fever in Washington DC to new flights to Costa Rica, our experts uncover the places set to hit the headlines in the coming year.

Destinations: We also explore the freewheeling island of Grenada, with its larger-than-life characters; discover Vietnam’s rich diversity on a journey along the Northwest Loop; go snowmobiling in Swedish Lapland; meet the inhabitants of the Galápagos Islands; and tuck into Modena’s local produce.

Cities: Our urban adventures take us to buzzing Barcelona and the lesser-known sights of Prague. We also explore the festivals of Sydney, check out Vancouver’s best beds and look at Chicago beyond the main attractions.

Smart Traveller: Discover Baja California’s best food, hotels under £100 in Beijing and the Sydney festival season. Plus, why you should go to Quebec, and handy columns and checklists.

Author Series: Paul Theroux on the Deep South.
Travel Talk: Ask the experts about your travel dilemmas.

Photography Competition 2016: The National Geographic Traveller Photography Competition 2016 is now open, with five commissions up for grabs. natgeotraveller.co.uk/photo-competition-2016

Reader Awards: Nearly 6,000 readers voted for their favourite destinations, airlines, hotels, attractions and travel media — we reveal the winners.

PLUS: Win an 11-night trip to Sri Lanka for two. natgeotraveller.co.uk/competitions

For a 26-page digital sample of our Jan/Feb 2016 issue, visit:
magazine.natgeotraveller.co.uk/jan-feb16

FREE WITH THIS ISSUE

National Geographic Traveller – Family: 13 things to do before you’re 13. We asked 13 well-travelled teens and their families to talk about the trips that made their childhood something truly special.

National Geographic Traveller (UK) has a cover price of £3.95, via subscription and on newsstands, and is published 10 times a year. Visit natgeotraveller.co.uk for more information.

Current subscription offer: £23 for 10 issues — and a FREE travel bag worth £19.99.natgeotraveller.co.uk/subscribe

Website: Competitions, subscriptions, blogs, features and more. natgeotraveller.co.uk

Find us on Facebook: facebook.com/natgeotraveller
Twitter: twitter.com/natgeotraveller
Google+: google.com/+natgeotraveller
Pinterest: pinterest.com/natgeotraveller
Instagram: instagram.com/natgeotraveller

The National Geographic Traveller (UK) app is available for iPad from the App Store: bit.ly/NGTUKapp

TV Picks Today, December 4: Grim, Reign, Unforgettable

As always, we are going to recommend three show tonight. We hope you like them. This time, our Top#1 TV Picks Today is for the series Grimm. Today’s episode is Rat King and it looks great –you can watch the promo below this article-. Season 5. Episode 5. 9:00 pm. NBC.

Our second choice is for the CW’s series Reign. Today’s episode is titled The Hound and the Hare. Season 3. Episode 7. 8:00 pm. CW.

And our last recommendation is for the drama Unforgettable. Today’s episode: Behind the Beat. Season 4. Episode 4. 8:00 pm. A&E

We hope you enjoy the shows. Have a very nice day, dear friends.

Video: Grimm 5×05 Promo “The Rat King” (HD)

Famous Birthdays Today, December 4: Jay Z, Tyra Banks, Jin, Jeff Bridges, Marisa Tomei

Maybe you don’t know who Shawn Corey Carter is but if I say… Jay Z, yes, he’s great and a fantastic rapper and musician and he is our Top#1 Famous Birthdays Today. He was born in Brooklyn, NYC in 1969 and, from Yareah, we wish him and his family all the best in this special Day. Congratulations and happy birthday, Jay Z!

Famous Birthdays Today, December 4: Shawn ‘Jay-Z’ Carter Foundation Carnival 2011. Source: Wikipedia. Author: Joella Marano from Manhattan, NY

I’m a mirror. If you’re cool with me, I’m cool with you, and the exchange starts. What you see is what you reflect. If you don’t like what you see, then you’ve done something. If I’m standoffish, that’s because you are. Jay Z

You make your first album, you make some money, and you feel like you still have to show face, like ‘I still go to the projects.’ I’m like, why? Your job is to inspire people from your neighborhood to get out. You grew up there. What makes you think it’s so cool? Jay Z

Famous Birthdays Today, December 4: Tyra Banks on why she’s going to Harvard Business School in 2011. Source: flickr. Author: Digitas Photos

And today is also the birthday of one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. She is Tyra Banks and we wish her all the best too. Happy birthday, Tyra Banks!

I’ve helped some of my classmates on how to strategize to get to the next level of their businesses. And it’s interesting, because here I am sitting there from the entertainment industry and the fashion industry, and I’m giving a billionaire that has a business that’s been in his family for 300 years – I’m giving him advice about strategy! Tyra Banks

If I tried to start modeling right now, I wouldn’t be a supermodel because it’s all about celebrity. Tyra Banks

More famous birthdays today, December 4: the pop singer known as Jin, who rose to fame as a member of the band Bangtan Boys (BTS), born in South Korea in 1992; the fabulous actor Jeff Bridges; and the Academy Award winner actress Marisa Tomei.

Happy birthday to all of them. Have a very nice day, dear friends.

Video: Jay-Z & Kanye West – Ni**as In Paris (Explicit)

London events. Visitors and staff will sing at the National Portrait Gallery

London events. National Portrait Gallery (London)

London events. For the first time, National Portrait Gallery visitors and staff will form a choir and perform in a free concert alongside members of Gallery’s professional Portrait Choir at the Gallery’s Late Shift on Friday 4 December. It will be the first public performance by the Gallery’s Staff Choir.

As well as some well-known seasonal works, the choirs, led by Artistic Director Gregory Batsleer, will perform music inspired by the Gallery’s recent highly successful Audrey Hepburn: Portraits of an Icon exhibition by way of a medley from the Hepburn-starring My Fair Lady. There will also be music that mirrors the time span of the Gallery’s portraits and will feature works by some of its most renowned musical sitters including Henry Purcell, Benjamin Britten and Sir John Tavener.

The Portrait Choir in National Portrait Gallery
© andystaplesphotography.com

Filling the Gallery with sound, the choir will sing at two locations with each of the three groups performing a small set alone – before coming together for a finale in the Gallery’s spectacular Regency in the Weldon Galleries.

Following the event, on Sunday 6 December, also at the National Portrait Gallery, The Portrait Choir’s Artistic Director Gregory Batsleer will join Breis, a rapper from Student of Life, to form a youth choir for the day.

The Portrait Choir gave its inaugural concert on Friday 28 June 2013 as part of the Gallery’s Late Shift Friday evening programme and is now celebrating its third year of performances. Spanning music from all periods, the choir is in residence at the National Portrait Gallery at least five times a year and performs a wide repertoire of choral works in gallery spaces that relate to portrait themes, the Collection and the exhibitions programme. While performances by The Portrait Choir are at the core of the residency the Choir also invites visitors, Gallery staff and members of the public to take part in community singing and youth singing days, alongside other collaborations outside the Gallery.

The Portrait Choir is a chamber choir of up to 22 members, its members having either recently finished, or are just completing, their studies at some of Britain’s most prestigious music conservatoires. The Portrait Choir commissions and performs one new work each year.

Ms Pim Baxter, Deputy Director, National Portrait Gallery, London, says: ‘Music at the National Portrait Gallery has made a remarkable journey since the first Friday Evening Music Series performance took place in May 2000. Building on our visitors’ enthusiasm for a weekly programme of music inspired by the Collection and exhibitions, we launched the Portrait Choir just over two years ago and it has gone from strength to strength. To see visitors and staff perform with the Choir is a particularly pleasing and exciting new development.’

Hani Farsi of The Mohamed S. Farsi Foundation says: ‘Supporting the choir over the last three years has allowed an idea to flourish, and music to fill the halls of the National Portrait Gallery. The Portrait Choir commissions have augmented the Gallery exhibitions, and the quality of their performances both at the Gallery and at festivals has been excellent. It is my hope that the choir continues to engage audiences, wherever they perform.’

THE PORTRAIT CHOIR: A CHOIR IN RESIDENCE SHOWCASE. National Portrait Gallery, 4 December 2015, 19:30-20:30. Admission Free.

SUNDAY SESSION: Youth Voice. National Portrait Gallery, 6 December 2015, 11:00-16:00. Free Workshop.

Outlander season 2 and Sam Heughan. Jamie will have great challenges this season

Sam Heughan as Jamie Fraser in Outlander

Outlander season 2 will be premiering in spring of 2016 and fans are already preparing for the Starz time traveler series’ upcoming season. What does the future hold for Jamie (Sam Heughan) and Claire (Caitriona Balfe)? In a recent interview, Balfe said that the premiere episode will be heartbreaking for the audience. On the other hand, Heughan revealed that Jamie and Claire will have so much more challenges this season. Thus, it looks like that fans and followers will have to brace themselves with a dramatic premiere episode. What does it mean?

Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe as Jamie and Claire Fraser in Outlander

In Outlander season 2, Jamie and Claire will travel to Paris to stop the Jacobite Rebellion while they are preparing to be parents. Difficult times? For sure, Jamie was a free young man, who has no responsibilities, and he is a serious warrior who knows the tragic future for the Highlands now. Furthermore, he will have to take on aside from moving on from the trauma he experienced from Black Jack (Tobias Menzies) last season.

In Outlander season 2, our dear protagonists will live in the Court of King Louis XV surrounded by luxury. The season will be different visually but fans won’t be disappointed since it will still hold the same elements as the first season: Claire’s wisdom and Jamie’s courage.

“Working on ‘Outlander’ has been a delight, it really has. I had kind of forgotten what Scotland was like, and I’d turned into a bit of a Londoner.” Sam Heughan.

Enjoy your day, Yareah friends. Art is everywhere and up to you.

“You do have to learn how to wear a kilt, and it’s certainly very liberating and very freeing, but surprisingly very comfortable to wear, to ride a horse in a kilt. I was surprised by that.” Sam Heughan.

Empire star Bryshere Gray speaking about Hakeem Lyon

Empire star Bryshere Gray as Hakeem Lyon

Empire TV show was created by Lee Daniels and Danny Strong, and debuted on Fox on January 7, 2015. It was an immediate success and on January 17, 2015, Empire was renewed for an 18-episode second season which premiered on September 23, 2015. Don’t you like it? Tell us your opinion now. Empire stars Terrence Howard as Lucious Lyon, and Taraji P. Henson as Loretha “Cookie” Lyon as well as Jussie Smollett as Jamal Lyon, Trai Byers as Andre Lyon, and Bryshere Y. Gray as Hakeem Lyon, who play as the three children of Lucius and Cookie.

Empire star Bryshere Gray as Hakeem Lyon

Hakeem is Lucious’ favorite child, and a hip hop star on the rise. A complicate and attractive personality. Today, listen to Bryshere Gray speaking about his role.

“He’s the child of a billionaire who doesn’t have any guidance on being a man in this world, so he gets advice and his strategies from mistakes he makes in life. He’s very reckless. He’s a kid that’s trying to grow, so you get to see him grow in front of your eyes.”

Remember that at 16 years old, Bryshere Gray, who uses the stage name Yazz The Greatest, discovered a passion for music. He began to use his talent as a street performer and his efforts finally led to a partnership with manager Charlie Mack. From then, he has performed at a variety of music festivals in the Philadelphia area and in 2015, Gray began his first acting role as Hakeem Lyon on the Fox drama TV series Empire.

Gray was nominated 3 times in his first year: 2015: Choice TV: Breakout Star: Empire (Nominated); 2015: Choice TV: Chemistry: Empire (Nominated); and 2015: Choice Music: Song From a Movie or TV Show: “You’re So Beautiful” with Jussie Smollett (Nominated).