Let's go to the museum and take selfies!

I went to the Getty Center in Los Angeles the other day for inspiration, ideas and a nice day outta the house. I was all alone, since my wife went home to Rhode Island for a short vacation...while I tried to figure out what the hell I was going to do for Designercon this November. So, I thought I'd treat myself to a relaxing trip to the Getty Center. Well, I've been to the Getty more than two dozen times, and I love it BUT I always forget what a fucking nightmare it is to get into the underground parking. Once you actually make the turn onto Getty Center Drive from Sepulveda Blvd (which is a nightmare unto itself) Your time ranges from 25 min. to 45 min. before you park your car depending on the time of day you reserved your entry into the hallowed halls of the Jean Paul Getty Art Collection. After the delightful short trip up the 'mountain' you arrive at the Italian travertine covered fortress that houses his amazing collection of ARTifacts.

My 'scheduled reservation' was for 11am, and surprisingly I arrived on time. I got in the long ass line to show my reservation ticket; had my backpack searched for guns, bombs OR spray paint and then made my way to the tram that would take me to the acropolis on top of the hill. 

10 minutes later I found myself at the entrance, and began to realize I may have made a horrible mistake..There were kids running all over the place yelling and screaming, large groups of tourists and various social media 'influencers' prancing around and posing for their social media accounts...I wanted to fucking scream. Let me explain. In 2019 I had, what I like to call 'The Incident' which did a number on me, and kind of rewired and/or short circuited my brain a little bit. It altered my brain in such a way that now, I have a hard time dealing with large groups in confined spaces and the handling of multiple simultaneous conversations with ambient noise/music..so yeah, going to a museum on Labor Day weekend was one of my smarter ideas.

I thought that if I started to get overwhelmed, I simply take a break and go outside and relax on the gorgeous grounds for a bit, compose myself and then go back in and repeat as needed. I planned on spending the entire day there so I was in no rush. But I didn't think it was going to be 100 fucking degrees that day...and neither did the rest of the visitors...so the museum was packed with more people than normal escaping the heat and enjoying the air conditioning...I was screwed. Now it was going to be a test of wills, to see how long I could handle it before I started murdering people....and it wouldn't take too long for me to reach that point.

And it all started here-in the Impressionist/Post-Impressionist gallery, the gallery I always start my visits in because I honestly get a kick out of seeing these paintings in person and up close, wishing I could be that free and loose with my brushstrokes instead of the high-strung and tightly wound artist/designer that I am.

I had been waiting patiently for over 10 minutes (from the time I started keeping track) for my turn to inch my way closer to the Van Gogh they have in their collection, for Mr. White Hat to take the perfect photo of his 'influencer wanna-be' girlfriend, that was up to HER standards. This went on forever it seemed, and when they were done I clapped and congratulated both of them on the perfect photo. They weren't amused, but I sure as hell was. By then, it seemed the gallery cleared out of that initial group of people, so I had a minute with the painting all to myself, which was nice until I heard a group of little kids walk in, screaming and horsing around with their parents...it was my cue to get the hell out of there.

So I went to other parts of the museum that weren't as crowded and tried to enjoy myself...

I checked out the MASSIVE pastel Portrait of Gabriel Bernard de Rieux drawn by Maurice-Quentin de la Tour (1739-1741) 79"x59" unframed, but in the Giant gilded frame it's 125"x88"x15"

it really is incredible to view in person, especially if you're into the French Rococo style. I had the room/gallery to myself...so I was very happy.

Then I was surprisingly taken aback by this 1797 painting of the sculptor Philippe-Laurent Roland by Francois-Andre' Vincent...but in particularly, hi hand. The photo doesn't do it justice in the 'color department', there's a lot of subtle stuff going on. I stood there like a complete idiot, staring at his hand. Hands are one of those most difficult things to draw properly, let alone paint-so, I stood there feeling all depressed, looking at this beautifully painted hand.

I snuck into another 'empty' gallery to view another one of my favorite paintings in the Getty's collection by the Expressionist painter Edvard Munch titled Starry Night and a painting by Claude Monet, titled Weeping Willow and the Water-Lily Pond

But my favorite painting in this particular gallery is by the Belgian Symbolist painter, Fernand Khnopff titled Portrait of Jeanne Kefer. I love the composition and color palette, as for the symbolism of the painting: the painting symbolizes the child's vulnerability and uncertainty in facing the outside world...blah, blah, blah. - I always make a point of seeing this painting when I visit the Getty. 

Another favorite piece is this sculpture by Franz Xaver Messerschmidt titled The Vexed Man. I've decided to use this as my new online portrait/avatar as a result of my day at the Getty.

I will end this post with this glorious painting by the French noble portrait painter- Joseph Ducreux, titled Self Portrait Yawning (1783). He was known for his fascination with physiognomy and did other self portraits showcasing extreme expressions (for the time period) that are some of my favorite paintings from that period

I had planned on doing a much longer post about my trip to the Getty, but unfortunately the crowd of idiots prevented me from taking photos and enjoying the art, so I ended up leaving much earlier than I had planned...and before I got arrested for kicking someone's ass. I promised my wife I would behave, while she was gone.

 The Facebook Movie Challenge.

This was one of those challenge/excercises that pop up occasionally on Facebook, for engagement and sharing. I actually enjoyed this one because it was a nice change of pace from the usual bullshit that is being shared across various Social Media platforms. It wasn't about politics or religion or sharing insipid memes for likes, it was simply about movies and requesting a friend to join in on the fun. The way it starts, is you are 'challenged' by a friend, and then you challenge a friend with each post:

Every day I select an image from a film that has had a big impact on me (for any number of reasons) and post it without a single explanation, and nominate somebody to take the challenge. That’s 10 days, 10 films, 10 nominations and 0 explanations.

With the hope of being exposed to a film or two that you've never seen before, and watching it OR discover  how weird or lame your friend(s) taste in films may be!

SO, because this is my BLARRG!, I will repost the images I posted on Facebook, but I will also include the theatrical one sheet poster and a short explanation as to why I chose the film...

Film #1

I started with THE WIZARD OF OZ-1939, because it's my FAVORITE film of all time..stop laughing. This film hit me at the right time, I was about 5 or 6 years old. It used to air on television (NBC) during the Easter holiday season circa 1971. I would look forward to watching it every year until I went to college and finally purchased a VHS copy of it, so I could watch whenever I wanted...which was quite excessive, I have to admit. My worn out VHS copy was eventually replaced by Special Edition DVD/Blu-ray copies, where I can replay and freeze, the scene that freaked me out and scared the shit out of me as a little kid, over and over again-when the Scarecrow gets attacked by the Flying Monkeys in the Haunted Forest, and they stomp the shit out of him, causing his straw to be scattered all over the place. They scene freaked me out so much, I never looked at scarecrows the same way again.

Film #2

The film; FREAKS-1932 has had a profound effect on my life in many ways. My fascination with Circus Sideshows and 'Freaks' started at an early age, but REALLY escalated when I received a book called 'Very Special People the Struggles, Loves and Triumphs of Human Oddities' by Frederick Drimmer, when I was 13 years old. This book rocked my world. It was filled with what seemed like a hundred photographs of famous 'freaks' and short biographies. It was in THIS book that I first learned of an old film from the 1930's called FREAKS, that actually had some of these people in it! Unfortunately, I'd have to wait until I was in college and working at a Video store to actually see this wonderful film. Directed by Tod Browning, it was everything I hoped it would be and more. This is when I fell in love with Schlitzie, and someone who would inspire me AND launch my professional career in the toy/collectible world. Schlitzie is my Muse, and for better or worse is the reason why I do, what I do to this day. I will go into more depth in a later post, if you're interested. 

Film #3

FRANKENSTEIN-1931, what can I say-I'm a 'Monster Kid' and in 1970's New England, I got my dose of classic Universal Monster, Sci-Fi and Japanese Kaiju movies on a show called: Creature Double Feature on channel 56, out of Boston. Needless to say, my ass was planted in front of the television EVERY Saturday watching 2 Monster movies in a row. I would watch it religiously and as a result it helped to feed my insatiable lust for ANY kind of monster related item including but not limited to: magazines, comics, books, model kits, games, posters, toys etc. My Monster Mania was/is so inherent, that when I co-founded Sideshow Toy/Collectibles, I made sure we got the license to produce Classic Universal Monster toys and statues. It was a dream come true for 11 year old me. 

Film #4

 NOSFERATU-1922 REALLY fucked me up when I was a kid...let me explain. I saw this film at a very young age, I wanna say 5 or 6 years old-I'll have to double check with my mom...because it was her fault. I would watch a lot of horror films with my mom when I was younger. She would let me stay up late if there was one on, and watch it with her as long as I didn't tell/wake up my younger brother, with the understanding that I had to be in bed before my Dad got home from work when he was working 2nd shift (which meant 12am) So, my mom and I would search for horror films to watch, and one night on PBS they were going to show Noseferatu, which is a silent film. No biggie, I used to watch the silent films on PBS all the time-Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Harold Lloyd etc. but NEVER a silent horror film. Boy, was I in for a treat. There was something about that film that gave me the creeps as soon as it started and only got worse as it went on.Let's just say that seeing Count Orlok/Nosferatu for the first time as a 6 year old can really fucked with your head, and the scene that scared the shit out of me the most was when his shadow is seen creeping up the stairs and then reaching for the door. At the time, my bedroom was at the top of the stairs and since my bedroom door was never closed all the way, it was always cracked open slightly, I always saw the shadows of my parents reflected on the wall leading upstairs. You can see where I'm going with this, right? The imagery from this film gave me nightmares for YEARS! It is the only film to ever give me nightmares to this very day! Thanx Ma. Needless to say, a few decades later, I made dolls of him...and yess, that film still gives me the creeps...and I love it.

Film #5

Young Frankenstein-1974 I saw this with my Uncle when I was 8 years old and I loved it! We saw it at our small run down movie theater called: the United Theater, and we sat 4 or 5 rows from the screen on the right side with my popcorn and milk duds. Being a fledgling 'Monster Kid' I understood all the classic monster references and being only 8 years old, MOST of the sexual innuendos/jokes went over my head. But that didn't matter because I was only focused on Marty Feldman's character; 'Eyegor' I was fixated on him whenever he was on screen and laughed so hard at times, I was wheezing. I'll never forget that night....and yes, I made dolls from this film as well.

Film #6

MONTY PYTHON & THE HOLY GRAIL-1975 I was a huge fan of Monty Python since I was a little kid when I used to watch them (and Benny Hill) religiously with my grandfather when I was a little kid. But it wasn't until the early 1980's when we got our first VCR, that I discovered they also made films! The first python film I ever saw was the 'Holy Grail' and it blew my mind on many levels.

I loved the look and feel of the film, Terry Gilliam's animations scattered throughout and the fact that they played multiple characters throughout. Cleverly written and funny as hell. I loved this movie so much, I pitched really hard to secure the rights to make 12"dolls, that I created a Holy Grail pitch book that we sent to the guys basically pleading with them to allow us to do it...and they did! Another one of my dreams that came true.

Film #7

SPINAL TAP-1984 This one certainly went to 11! I first saw this in 1984 when I saw it on VHS. This was another one of those instances when you walked into your local video store and rented a tape based on the box cover, this time being a Red Guitar with a knotted neck. I was intrigued and after reading the summary on the back, I was sold! I must have watched that video about 4 or 5 times before I returned it. I laughed my ass off through the entire thing never realizing at that time, they weren't a 'real band'. You have to remember, back in the 80's there was no internet or social media-I got all my 'news' via magazines, newspaper articles or fanzines; so, needless to say accurate information about this film was hard to come by at this time, which helped to blur the lines between 'reality' and spoof. AND more importantly, if you were to tell me that 20 years later I would be sitting with my business partner in a studio with Nigel Tufnel, David St. Hubbins & Derek Smalls discussing how to immortalize them as 12" dolls-I would have told you to put down the bong and come up for air.  NEVER in my wildest dreams did I think that would ever happen...but it did, and I'm forever grateful. I'm a lucky prick.

Film #8

ROLLERBALL-1975 I saw this film at the drive-in with my parents, as part of a double bill that included; Walking Tall Part II. I think my dad wanted to see it and thought my brother and I would fall asleep after an hour or so of unsupervised playground shenanigans and eventual sugar crash that would follow. Unfortunately, that only worked for one of us...and it wasn't me. I just sat there, kept my mouth shut and marveled at the spectacle of violence that flashed before me on that giant screen. I didn't care about the story in the slightest. All I cared about was Jonathan beating the shit out his opponents and getting that chrome metal ball into the goal. I was so engrossed in the carnage, all I could think of was how I was going  to tell my gang of friends from the neighborhood a way to play Rollerball using our bikes and roller-skates. We eventually came up with a bastardized version to play that resulted in plenty of scrapes, cuts, bumps, bruises and one broken finger. Great memories.

Film #9

PINK FLAMINGOS-1972 Once again, it wasn't until I was in college that I got to see this classic film. Since I grew up in a small New England beach town, and access to the midnight movie scene was nearly impossible for a weirdo like me, I was the kid in High School who loved ANY type of bizarre and tasteless film I could get my hands on...and this one was no exception. I saw it for the first time at home by myself, and was immediately spellbound AND bummed that I had no one one to share this mind blowing experience...Once again, I would have to wait until I went to college to experience it the way it was meant to be seen, at midnight in a packed theater surrounded by weirdos like myself, thank God for Art School! Anyway, this film rocked my world in many strange ways, I fell in love with the infamous drag queen-Divine, and read/viewed everything I could get my hands on by John Waters. I'm a fan for life.

Film #10

BLUE VELVET-1986 Here's another film that knocked me out when I was in college, mainly because it turned into an almost religious experience for me and my friend Bill. We would watch this film over and over....and over to the point where I think the the videotape became transparent. We would turn it on and my girlfriend (now my wife), would immediately leave the room or the house because she was so disturbed by this film OR the two weirdos on the couch giggling like imbeciles and repeating lines from the film. I was a HUGE David Lynch fan ever since I saw Eraserhead at a midnight showing in 1984 and all his other films from that one to the present, so this one naturally captured my interest immediately. So luckily for me, I knew another like-minded weirdo to share in this little ritual, we seriously watched this film so many times the tape became unwatchable...and THAT was a sad day. BUT, all is not lost, thank God, DVDs came along, allowing me the ability to watch it again and think of Bill, the tiny brownstone I rented in Philadelphia, the vast amounts of beer we would drink while reciting lines from the film...and laughing like mental patients during the most inappropriate times. 

Great memories.

Well, that was the list of the 10 Facebook films that I chose for the challenge. They were the first ones that came to mind and not necessarily my favorites in any order...except for THE WIZARD OF OZ,

I'm serious when I say it's my favorite film of all time. 

I should have used this image instead...oh, well.

So, maybe I'll do another BLARRG! post and add another batch of films that had a major influence on me either personally or professionally. It was a lot of fun to choose  films and think about them in a different way and enjoy the memories that would pop up.