directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson (2009)

I completely expected to love Up, and I did – but I was not quite as prepared to shed buckets of tears for the entire first and last half hour. It’s a doozy for the emotional, a truly touching film that, don’t get me wrong, is also enchanting, charming and hilarious. The small touches, as well as the big picture inventive story line, are what makes every Pixar film so exceptional. And this may just be their best.

I really don’t want to give too much of the plot away, as it was refreshing for it to unfold as a surprise to me. But I will say that the cast of characters includes a “small mailman” (chubby kid Russell), his bird friend Kevin and a team of talking dogs that could not be more endearing. Visually, as well (especially on Blu Ray), Up is amazing. It makes all the imitation (non Pixar) 3D kids movies look like lazy muck.

Be sure to watch the additional features, and no worries, because “Partly Cloudy” is not a trailer for Partly Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, but in fact is an adorable short about storks that I hope gives way to a feature length film.

Click here for the rest of Up

by Holderlin (1972)

Take a base of traditional folk, add one part Jethro Tull, a generous drop of Nico, a splash of Amon Duul II, and a garnish with Peter and the Wolf, and you’ll end up with Holderlin’s Traum, a musical concoction perfect for a handcrafted clay goblet. It’s a beautiful and gentle first album by the German band that has recently made a sort of comeback with a new album.

This early seventies effort is as appealing and ethereal as the album art and title (Traum translates “dream”) and worth a listen for anyone with a soft spot for folk, krautrock, lilting female voices, and the flute. The songs will stay in your mind, even as you hum along to the unknown lyrics (well, unless you speak German of course). I am surprised this band has not been as rediscovered as others of the genre, but with recent accessibility (amost of their albums are now available on iTunes) I think that might change. Like several former Brix Picks, I might soon hear it playing over some brunch in Brooklyn.

Click here for the rest of Holderlin’s Traum

R.I.P.

It was very sad to hear of the passing of artist and muse Jeanne Claude, who along with her husband Christo, transformed Central Park with The Gates, a lovely installation that any one living here could enjoy. (Well, not everyone: I distinctly remember former co-workers bragging about how dumb they told their kids it was). Together over decades, the team has been making people re-examine the world with their bright drapings. Whether you were a fan of their large scale creations or not, a partnership like theirs is one to envy and celebrate. Christo has said he is “committed to honor the promise they made to each other many years ago: that the art of Christo and Jeanne-Claude would continue.”

Click here for the rest of Jeanne Claude (and Christo)

40 Great Jones Street

As a fan of Will Cotton’s scrumptious and almost creepily saccharine paintings as well as fun things secret and rare, I was thrilled to make it to his two day only bake shop hidden inside the usually appointment only Partners and Spade space.

The epicenter of the bakery/installation was the towering stack of pastel cakes, of which I could hardly get enough of and took many photos. One of his paintings hung in the back as a team of little helpers rushed around with fresh baked birthday cakes and macaroons.

I spoke to the artist himself to say I was a fan of his work and he was totally adorably embarrassed and hoped we liked his baking as well before scimpering off to his frosting and flour.

The treats were tasty, though having just come from the New Amsterdam Market, I was stuffed almost too full to truly appreciate more than a bite (Jim chowed the rest). The entire experience left me feeling almost like one of the nymphs in his paintings, surrounded by a tempting, sugary landscape.

Click here for the rest of Will Cotton at Partners and Spade

Sundays at 22 Water Street

It’s taken me years to make it to the Brooklyn Flea market, and we really couldn’t have chosen a nicer Autumn day for it. The golden sun over the bridge really brought out the hues in all the Native American blankets, fresh baked macaroons and taxidermy that abounded.

I had very little cash on me, which was probably a good thing for my finances, because I could have surely found lots of vintage items for myself and Jim. For the five I had in my pocket I did walk away with a great girl soul pop CD compiled by einsteinorockafeller@gmail. On another trip I’d be sure to bring more money and an appetite – the chocolates, baked goods, and lobster rolls all looked delicious.

The market takes place every weekend, Sunday in Dumbo, Saturday in Fort Greene, but make sure that if you are driving or taking a long train ride that you’ve looked up the correct Brooklyn Flea market. We ended up initially driving to a lonely lot in Park Slope with not much more than incense burners being hocked on the asphalt.

Click here for the rest of Brooklyn Flea, DUMBO

Lifetime Movie Network Gold

Well, hello there sugar. You in the mood for the kind of scenery chewing actin’ that the lil’ old Lifetime Movie Network was made for? You just itchin’ for the kind of yarn that’s hotter than a junebug on Georgia asphalt? Well, then pull up a chair and grab yourself a glass of sweet tea (something that I’ve learned from both this miniseries and NBC’s To Catch a Predator is always a trap) and settle in for Ann Rule’s Everything She Ever Wanted – a series that begins with a genuine Gone With the Wind-themed weddin’.

Gina Gershon smacks her lips around the role of real life sociopathic southern belle Patricia Allanson (who in reality bears very little resemblance to Gershon) like some sexed up, large titted dog might around a badly written bone. It makes for a much better viewing experience than Ann Rule’s other recent Lifetime event, Too Late to Say Goodbye, where Rob Lowe plays a seemingly perfect husband, but is actually a wife killer.

So imagine my surprise and horror when, after watching for two hours (gathering as many screen shots as possible), the show ended with Gina injecting an old woman in the mouth with poison followed by a “To be continued…” message – and I didn’t record the second half! Lifetime, shame on you for not re-airing this glorious heap of camp and trash. What do we pay you for?! If you think it’s just for the Reba re-runs (now airing in the morning) and decades-old Tracey Gold amnesia dramas (The Perfect Daughter, aired Wed 25th at 2:00), you are sorely mistaken.

Click here for the rest of Ann Rule’s Everything She Ever Wanted

From Eating Well

Hooray! It’s the time of year for chowder consumption (at least it’s meant to be –  hello, global warming). This Eating Well Salmon Chowder is nice and thick without resorting to those unhealthy thick creams or milks. Instead, one uses potato flakes, which leaves one in the happy situation of having a box of Idaho Spuds in the house – a purchase one otherwise might feel embarrassed about, despite their deliciousness and ease of preparation.

Plus: my favorite herb (tarragon) gets a starring roll, as does as kicky Dijon and chives.

(2001)

Every fashion loving aesthete dreams of being able to subscribe to Visionaire Magazine, a tri-annual, multi-format, limited edition style and art album. While the $700 subscription fee is simply out of many of our price ranges, fortunately, for their tenth anniversary in 2001, they published a retrospective coffee table book the rest of us could enjoy called Dreaming in Print: A Decade of Visionaire. As their twentieth anniversary approaches, it’s fun to look back on all the brilliant contributions.

Click here for the rest of Dreaming in Print: A Decade of Visionaire

Couturiers

It would have been quite impossible not to choose Valentino and his partner Giancarlo Giammetti as this week’s style icons after watching Valentino: The Last Emperor. Their career and legacy of making beautiful couturier clothes for exquisite women speaks for itself.

Click here for the rest of Valentino and Giancarlo Giammetti