I was most excited to hear that Floria Sigismondi is directing her first feature film.  It takes as its subject the all-girl 70s group The Runaways, of which Joan Jett was a member.

The Runaways are probably best known for their songs “Cherry Bomb”, “Born To Be Bad” and “Queens of Noise”.  Kristen Stewart of Twilight fame (or should I say mania) is due to play Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning is to play Cherie Curie.

Sigismondi is a multimedia artist working in film, video, photography and installations.  She is probably best known for her music videos for Marilyn Manson, Bjork and Christina Aguilera. I have long been an admirer of her work and am really looking forward to seeing her feature debut.

Here’s a taster of the Runaways in action:

think of Bjork…think of Sigur Ros…then think of Marilyn Manson and The Cure.

what is the least common denominator for these artists?
that they’ve created an ambient around the music they play. an ambient that contains their music, their visions, their style. they’ve developed a sense of aesthetics that emphasizes what their music is about.
how many musicians do it? gangster rappers and fashionista singers apart (!!!), I can only think of a few, the “freaks of the industry”!

yes alright, all musicians create a certain ambient for a certain video, but you must agree most lack an overall artistic vision. The few artists on my list, instead, offer their inner world!

and to do it, they turn to other artists that understand their “cosmo”, one of them being Floria Sigismondi, a superb photographer and film director.
I got to know her thanks to the video “The Beautiful People” by Marilyn Manson and got immediately hooked up with her work that reminded me of photographer Joel Peter Witkin.
she perfectly translated the oniric quality of those musicians (the ones I mentioned at the beginning) into images and movement.

There are recurrent elements that characterize her work: the way things and people move (or crawl) – her technique reminds me of stop motion; the patina that reminds me of old films and photos, the sense of darkness that reminds me of “Freaks”.
in a metaphor, she provides the warp in which the musician can weave its weft!

I suggest who doesn’t know her work immediately go check it out. it’s wonderfully inspiring!!

http://www.floriasigismondi.com/

from "Untitled #1" by Sigur Ros and directed by Floria Sigismondi

Floria Sigismondi é uma artista multimídia extraordinária… não tenho muito conhecimento para escrever sobre ela, apenas gosto de seus clipes, das fotografias e de seu curta….. Ela cria também algumas instalações, mas nunca vi nada.

Clipes

Fotos

Entrevista com Floria Sigismondi

Curta Postmortem Bliss de Floria Sigismondi

Entrevista sobre o Curta Postmortem Bliss de Floria Sigismondi

Blue Orchid was the lead single for Get Behind Me Satan (2005). It’s very short and very hard rocking, innit. I’m just crazy about the video. I don’t have to tell you who directed it. With the dusty, gothic victoriana this has Floria Sigismondi’s touch all over it. Her creepy surrealism is unmistakable. I love everything Sigismondi does, in service of terrible music as well as good. The woman in the video is, of course, Jack’s innamorata, the incomparable Karen Elson. The kid is not theirs – this was before they started nesting. Karen Elson is absolutely my all-time favorite model in the world, so I am in love with them as a couple. I will cry if they ever break up.  If ever there was a match made in heaven…I mean, they’re the two absolute pastiest people in the world. When I saw Jack play with the Raconteurs (Bonnaroo 08), Karen was there, on the VIP balcony. She is a goddess. Her skin is luminescent. She towers over everyone around her. Her hair is like a beacon. Whadda lucky guy Jack White is.

QUEENSRYCHE 'AMERICAN SOLDIER' Tour Poster

New album: Wicked Wonderland
Release date: October 6th, 2009

Download ‘CRAVE’ – a track from the new album HERE.

LITA FORD: 'WICKED WONDERLAND' Album Cover

LITA FORD tour dates with Queensrÿche:

Oct-15 Louisville, Kentucky @ Coyotes
Oct-16 Montgomery, Alabama @ MPAC
Oct-17 Pensacola, Florida @ Saenger Theater
Oct-18 Ashville, North Carolina @ Orange Peel
Oct-20 Charlotte, North Carolina @ Fillmore
Oct-21 Raleigh, North Carolina @ Lincoln Theatre
Oct-22 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania @ Theatre Of Living Arts
Oct-23 Norfolk, Virginia @ The Norva
Oct-24 Englewood, New Jersey @ Bergen PAC
Oct-25 Westbury, New York @ Capital One Bank Theatre
Oct-27 Covington, Kentucky @ Madison Theatre
Oct-28 Columbus, Ohio @ Newport Music Hall
Oct-29 Indianapolis, Indiana @ The Vogue
Oct-30 Ft. Wayne, Indiana @ Pierres
Oct-31 St Louis, Missouri @ The Pageant
Nov-01 Joliet, Illinois @ Rialto Square Theatre
Nov-02 Fargo, North Dakota @ The Venue
Nov-04 Missoula, Montana @ Wilma Theater
Nov-05 Spokane, Washington @ Knitting Factory
Nov-06 Boise, Idaho @ Knitting Factory
Nov-07 Stateline, Nevada @ Harrahs
Nov-10 Houma, Loisiana @ City Club
Nov-11 Nashville, Tennessee @ The Cannery
Nov-12 Atlanta, Georgia @ Masquerade
Nov-13 Jacksonville, Florida @ Plush
Nov-14 Ft Lauderdale, Florida @ Revolution
Nov-21 Ridgefield, Connecticut @ Ridgefield Playhouse (no Queensrÿche)

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Toi qui me rends visite parfois, regarde qui va là. Un expert en la matière ; un pro de la photo qui voit grand format ce que d’autres ne veulent pas. Miroir grossissant sur un personnage étonnant. “Maestro” Christophe Calado.

(la question qui tue ?!)

Je suis plutôt autodidacte, je crois que ma dernière approche de la photo avec un « mentor » date de 5 ou 6 ans. Mon entrée en matière dans la photographie était mal partie, j’avais un prof pédant et élitiste. C’est en abordant une problématique sur l’évènement de Tchernobyl, il y a 4 ans, que j’ai commencé, malgré moi, à faire de la photographie. Parallèlement les marques Lomo et Polaroïd furent de belles découvertes !

Pour tout te dire je suis peintre à la base, c’est pour cela que je ne me considère pas comme un photographe à part entière. Même si c’est un axe majeur de mon travail, je n’oublie pas le médium qui fait que je suis plasticien.

C’est variable, soit j’ai une image « absolue » vers laquelle je dois tendre, c’est-à-dire que la photo va être la base d’un processus de transformation, dans ce cas c‘est le décalage entre ma projection initiale et le résultat qui est important. Sinon je me constitue un corpus, une base de données si tu préfères, que je travaille dans un axe de recherche. Le sujet parfois vient après les photographies. Picasso disait « si l’on sait exactement ce que l’on va faire, à quoi bon le faire ? » je trouve cela assez juste.

J’ai déjà abordé la notion de catastrophe, mais sous l’angle de la mémoire collective. La mémoire des objets m’intéresse beaucoup aussi, je trouve ça grisant d’imaginer la défunte présence des leurs anciens utilisateurs. C’est comme si un fantôme gravitait autour d’un objet quelconque, tu ressens quelque chose en plus du sujet que tu ne peux ni expliquer, ni quantifier. Concernant les thèmes ? Hum … j’ai un projet qui tourne autour de l’interaction homme/machine dans l’industrie.

Naturellement, je pense que tu ne peux créer dans l’absolu sans te nourrir d’autres œuvres. J’attache beaucoup d’importance à la transversalité entre les différentes formes d’art, comme n’importe quel créateur lambda je pense. Niveau références, je suis un inconditionnel de l’œuvre de Tarkovski, Solaris, le Sacrifice, Stalker… C’est fabuleux, car c’est le cinéma qui incarne le mieux l’idée de la photographie en mouvement. Autrement j’aime beaucoup Cronenberg, j’ai revu Crash récemment, ce film sur le fétichisme des accidents de bagnoles… Renversant !

Floria Sigismondi, pour sa manière d’accessoiriser ses sujets, l’atmosphère délavée et décalée des ses univers, l‘instabilité mêlée à la beauté de la destruction, bref…  Je pourrais coller une multitude de qualificatifs tellement son travail est dense. Son œuvre globale est fantastique, y’a rien à jeter !

Incontestablement « Kindergarten » dans la zone d’exclusion de Tchernobyl, j’étais dans la crèche numéro 3 de la ville, il y avait peu de lumière et j’étais à court de batterie pour pouvoir utiliser le flash. D’un coup je me suis retrouvé tétanisé par la peur au milieu des lits vides, des cubes de construction et des peluches, sans parler des radiations… C’est l’ambiance et l’anecdote autour de la prise de vue qui m’importe, celle de l’urgence pour un sujet inerte, dans un univers invisiblement hostile.

Définitivement c’est de toujours travailler, savoir se remettre en question au bon moment et avoir un esprit critique sur ce que l’on fait. La photographie n’est pas que la course à l’armement de la haute technologie Nippone ! (Rires)

Pour en savoir plus sur Christophe Calado, here you go C²

Through a glass darkly; Christina Aguilera, as captured by Floria Sigismondi in the music video for "Hurt"

As readers of the blog may know, I’ve been keeping my eyes and ears on the Kristen Stewart/Dakota Fanning Runaways biopic. While you may know the leads, the director and screenwriter may not be as much of a household name. But hopefully that will change, as first-time feature director Floria Sigismondi has been making amazing music videos since the early 1990s. Some of her more famous titles include Marilyn Manson’s “The Beautiful People,” The White Stripes’ “Blue Orchid,” and Christina Aguilera’s “Fighter.” Also, Sigur Rós’s “Untitled #1” knocks me breathless each time I see it. 

In keeping with the spirit of the blog, I thought I’d focus on the female musicians Sigismondi has worked with (click on the artists’ names). Also, having read a delightful post on music videos inspired by horror films from my friend Caitlin at Dark Room, I thought I’d continue in the spirit.

Christina Aguilera
“Hurt”
Back to Basics

Fiona Apple
“O Sailor”
Extraordinary Machine

Martina Topley-Bird
“Anything”
Quixotic (retitled Anything upon re-release)

Shivaree
“John 2/14″
Rough Dreams

Amel Larrieux
“Get Up”
Infinite Possibilities

Sheryl Crow
“Anything But Down”
The Globe Sessions

Fluffy
“Black Eye”
Black Eye

I finally got my technophobic ass in gear and figured out how to burn CDs on my computer today, which is good because I’ve promised lots of people copies of stuff I own (note to Andy: your copy of Alice Cooper’s “Killer” is finally on its way).  I was burning stuff for my coworker Adrian, who is also known as DJ NoSo, drum ‘n’ bass DJ extraordinaire and one third of the increasingly high-profile DJ collective TwoTone.  I’d promised Adrian a copy of David Bowie’s drum ‘n’ bass album, 1997’s near-forgotten but simply wonderful “Earthling”.

“Earthling” is a bit of a revelation.  Lauded by critics when it came out, the album slipped quietly through the cracks of the collective pop-culture subconscious: lots of people heard it when it first came out, and when I mention it to people who are familiar with it, their invariable response is, “Oh, that’s a great album!  I haven’t listened to it in years!”

One reason “Earthling” has found a place amongst the dust bunnies is that its sound is very dated.  Late-’90s techno dance beats with computery effects aren’t very fashionable right now.  Bowie was an artist past his peak of influence in the pop universe when he made the album; it’s never gonna go down in history as monumental when it’s made by a guy who had under his belt a whole laundry list of albums that made a huge impact on pop culture as we know it.  And, let’s face it, “Earthling” didn’t really break any ground.  Drum ‘n’ bass was already an established genre when Bowie latched onto it.

I love “Earthling” because, when you strip all of that away, it’s a great straightforward pop album.  Making great pop music was what Bowie did best.  He was never really an original - that whole Ziggy Stardust act was nothing but a rip-off of Marc Bolan*.  His ’80s pop crap was…well, crap (“China Girl” really, really gets on my nerves).  What made him a superstar was his ability to keep his finger firmly on the pulse of pop culture and deliver a product that was stylish, witty, and catchy as all getout (even “China Girl” sticks in my head, much to my chagrin).  Although Bowie’s finger on the pulse was kinda slipping by ‘97, he kept the wit and flair that gave his ’70s work its distinctive stamp.  And so I love “Earthling” for what it is: Bowie at his best.

Your gift for today is the video for my favorite track off of “Earthling”, called “Dead Man Walking”.  It’s directed by ’90s aesthete Floria Sigismondi, most famous for her genre-definingly jerky camera work in that Marilyn Manson “Beautiful People” video.  Yeah, it looks really outdated, so sue me.  Lighten up, sit back, pop in that pacifier and enjoy the yummy techno-flavored goodness.

* – I takes your sacred cows, I makes cheezburgers, yes I does.

chega de mimimi.
não. não vou cair por tão pouco…

pra cima deles!

problemas não são nada.
daqui alguns dias eu vou rir disso tudo.

ergue essa cabeça, danuzza!

joga água no pescoço.
o cutman aplica avitene pra estancar o sangue.
vaselina pra fechar os ferimentos.
levanta dessa merda de banquinho aí do corner.

mete o protetor bucal e parte pro arrebento!

get ‘em all!

round two.

fight!

_ image: evillast girl _ brian viveros

_listenin’: fighter _ christina aguilera

(clipe dirigido pela sensacional e sombria floria sigismondi que tbm dirigiu blue orchid do white stripes)

p.s.: floria sigismondi tbm dirigiu o filme usado pra lançar a linha hello kitty da m.a.c, que vc pode assistir aqui. e se vc quiser saber como foi o lançamento da linha lusho de make, leia a matéria que a flora paul fez pra revista tpm aqui

LITA FORD

SCOUT TAYLOR-COMPTON

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Kristen Stewart to play Joan Jett

Have we all seen Kristen Stewart’s new haircut? I for one love it. Some people have been hatin’ on her new ‘do on the Interwebz. And, really, c’mon.

1. Stewart’s playing Joan Jett. During her time in the Runaways. In the mid-1970s. This was what her hair looked like. It’s kinda still what her hair looks like. Further, this is what a lot of girls’ hair looked like in 1975, including other members of the Runaways. I hope Dakota Fanning also got her hair cut to play lead singer Cherie Currie.

The Runaways; from left to right: Joan Jett, Sandy West, Cherie Currie, Vickie Blue, Lita Ford

2. I like Kristen Stewart. She was great in Adventureland and she seems to have a relaxed attitude toward her role as Bella in Twilight — perhaps playing Bella Swan is one for them and playing Joan Jett is one for her.
2A. I also like to think when Stewart was offered the part, she asked “Do I get to cut my hair?”
3. Sure, you could throw a wig on Kristen, but she looks hot. Not hot despite the mullet. Hot with the mullet.

Also, I can’t help but read some queer panic in some folks’ disapproval of the haircut alongside Joan Jett’s queer identity. Take Popcrunch. In addition to including an unflattering photo when they posted the news, they made an effort to contrast Joan Jett’s mullet, which they don’t like, alongside Bella Swan’s damsel mane, which they hope Stewart will return to once the movie wraps.

And while I have some music nerd doubts about the Runaways biopic, I’m heartened because a) few music biopics are about female artists, b) those that exist tend to be about (self-destructive) solo artists and not about bands, c) even fewer tend to be about teenage girls in bands, d) Joan Jett is a feminist dykon, e) Stewart and Fanning are around the same ages as Jett and Currie, and f) the movie marks the screenwriting and directorial debut of Floria Sigismondi, a female music video director who got her start working with Marilyn Manson and shot one of my favorite Christina Aguilera clips.

So, kudos to you, the living legend you’re portraying, and your present company, Kristen. If you wanna keep your mullet after the movie wraps, I support you 110%.

The Runaways era el nombre del grupo de rock liderado por Joan Jett, intérprete del gran éxito “I love rock and roll”. Controversial e interesante vida fue la suya, a tal grado que ya se está filmando una película en donde se retratará su inicio, clímax y decadencia. Esta película es dirigida por Floria Sigismondi, cuya carrera primordial ha sido conceptualizando y dirigiendo videos musicales, quizá de los más interesantes que yo haya visto en la historia (y vean que soy analista de videos musicales desde fines de los 80). Sigismondi ha dirigido Tourniquet y The beautiful people de Marilyn Manson, Dead man walking y little wonder de David Bowie, Hurt y Fighter de Christina Aguilera, Blue orchid de los White Stripes, The end of the world de the Cure y megalomaniac de Incubus. Les dejo uno de estos videos a continuación:

Pues bien, el meollo de este asunto no era ese, sino que la protagonista de The runaways, o sea, Joan Jett, va a ser interpretada por Kristen Stewart, mejor conocida por ser la novia de Edward Cullen en Crepúsculo. También es de sorprender que Dakota Fanning, que hasta hace poco era una pequeña niña trabajando con Robert DeNiro o con Steven Spielberg, ahora será Cherie Curie, también vocalista del grupo. Será interesante ver el enfoque que le dan a una película que, de entrada, suena bien interesante.

Source: Collider

Alessandra Torresani has joined Floria Sigismondi’s directorial debut, The Runaways. Torresani has played the hyper-intelligent daughter of creator of the first Cylon model on Ronald D. Moore’s Caprica. The 22 year-old actress joins Kristin Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherrie Curie in the film directed by video director Floria Sigismondi. Shooting begins next week.

Floria Sigismondi

Me & Kim were speaking about her earlier today… Her work is absolutely amazing. Ever since “The Beautiful People”, I can always recognize her style instantly… These are a few years old, but great clips (& songs) nonetheless.

Kristen Stewart blir Joan Jett!

Fascinerende Floria Sigismondi lever i en annen verden enn de fleste av oss. Hun ser skjønnhet, der andre snur seg bort i vemmelse og har regissert styggvakre videoer for blant andre The White Stripes, David Bowie, Christina Aguilera og Marilyn Manson. Sjekk henne ut på floriasigismondi.com.

Προσωπικά αγαπάω το χιούμορ και την απλότητα στη διαφήμιση, αλλά μερικές φορές δεν λέω όχι και για λιγάκι Ηollywood style υπερβολές. Η Floria Sigismondi είναι σκηνοθέτης με μακρά θητεία σε διαφήμιση και μουσικά video. Στη συγκεκριμένη διαφήμιση της Lowe, Bangkok για το σαμπουάν Clean έχει δώσει ρέστα μπαρόκ υπερβολής. Το σκοτάδι συγκρούεται με την πυτιρίδα (!) και με όπλο την παγωμένη αίσθηση του εν λόγω σαμπουάν, ένας πόλεμος ξεσπάει που καταστρέφει την κερασφόρο παλιοπυτιρίδα. Αισθητικά υπέροχο, επικοινωνιακά αδιάφορο και τόσο ακριβό που λυπάμαι τον οικονομικό διευθυντή που θα πρέπει να δουλέψει υπερωρίες για να μην φαληρίσει την εταιρία του.

A round-up of what the trades are tittering about:

• Universal Pictures is circling around Sean Penn to bust the heads of a Mexican cartel in, er, Cartel. Ghosts of Cite Soleil director Asger Leth dips into the Third World muck again. Cartel’s being described as an “action vehicle for Penn.” Here’s hoping it’s the BIGGEST, GAYEST action vehicle ever (that will make you stand up and cheer!). (Variety)
• Checks are being waved in front of Milla Jovovich to star in Mile Zero. If Milla’s desperate enough, she will play a woman who goes to work on an oil derrick in an effort to clear her father’s name. Please god let there be zombies. (Hollywood Reporter)
• Joss Whedon has written a horror spin called The Cabin in the Woods. Those fighting for the top bunk (and presumably also fighting an unmentionable evil and/or power tool) are Richard Jenkins, Bradley Whitford, Kristen Connolly, Chris Hemsworth, Anna Hutchison, Fran Kranz, and Jesse Williams. Should hit screens on Feb. 5, 2010. (Hollywood Reporter)
• The short, sordid story of ’70s jailbait rockers The Runaways is being made into a film called, er, The Runaways, and based on the memoirs of lead singer Cherie Currie. Drug abuse, alcohol abuse, Joan Jett sapphism and 15-year-olds yelling “Cherry B-b-b-b-bomb!” are assured. The prospect of Dakota Fanning as Currie? Well, we can dream. White Stripes associate Floria Sigismondi writes and directs. (Variety)
• Diane Keaton is likely to join Harrison Ford and Rachel McAdams in the comedy Morning Glory. Harrison is a cranky TV anchor involved in the morning talk show wars. Directed by Roger Michell, whose The Mother is worth seeking out for its young Daniel Craig and geriatric sex. (Production Weekly)
• Nuri Bilge Ceylan’s Three Monkeys has changed hands following New Yorker Films going bust. Zeitgeist Films will now distribute the Cannes prize-winner. Expect it to bow in New York in April, with hopefully dates elsewhere thereafter. (Indiewire)
• Kevin Smith has changed the title of A Couple of Dicks to A Couple of Cops. He also is offering a reward for his missing balls. Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan will play two detectives on the trail of a 1952 baseball card when not asking themselves, “Whatever happened to Kevin Smith’s balls?” (Variety)

Strangely enough, Dakota Fanning is in negotiations to play Cheri Currie in the upcoming biopic about The Runaways–Kristen Stewart has already attached herself  in the role of Joan Jett.  It’s a pretty interesting choice, but since  Currie was only 15 when she began fronting the teen punk group, it works age wise.  It might be a brilliant idea.

The movie is written and will be directed by music video director and photographer Floria Sigismondi. It starts shooting late spring.  And Joan Jett is the executive producer, so it’s legit.

I have only one question: who’s playing Lita Ford?

–Valentina

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