A lot of people these days have Netflix instant and it seems like they’re always searching for some good movies to watch on it as it’s mostly a way to watch old episodes of Cheers (at least for me). I dug around and thought I’d make a list of art movies I enjoyed that maybe you haven’t watched yet (and a few that are well known that you should return to). I never studied film and really am just a person who loves movies and loves to talk about movies and so these are not professional recommendations if-you-will, but just a movie-lover’s picks. With that, I say “enjoy” (hopefully)!

**note: I am not endorsing Netflix in any way as there are certainly better sources to find movies like your local indie video store, but since so many people use it I thought it was worth making a list.

scene from Les Bonnes Femmes

Les Bonnes Femmes, 1960, directed by Claude Charbrol. A lesser-seen movie from the French New Wave. At times charming, suspenseful, violent and atmospheric, and always beautifully shot. The ending alone is worthy of a long conversation.

Metropolitan, 1992, directed by Whit Stillman. This is my favorite movie; a comedy of manners about a group of friends that goes to deb parties in the late 80s. Whit Stillman writes dialog like no one else, full of literary charm, youthful questioning and the heightened reality that is (was?) the Upper East Side. The cast of first-time actors makes it more realistic and awkward. See it twice to get more references.

The Bicycle Thief (aka Bicycle Thieves), 1948, directed by Vittorio De Sica. Considered one of the best movies ever made, this Italian neo-realist film is a must-see (it should be noted that this isn’t the best print of this movie, but worth seeing anyway). Done entirely with non-actors, it is bleak, beautiful and yes, totally depressing.

32 Short Films About Glenn Gould, 1993, directed by François Girard. An unconventional biopic co-written by Don McKeller (who wrote and starred in the cult classic tv show Twitch City) which presents the life of genius and all-around weirdo Glenn Gould as 32 different short vignettes, structurally referencing Gould’s most famous recording, Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Even if you have no interest in classical music this is worth seeing for its originality. Famously there was a Simpsons episode inspired by the movie called “22 Short Films about Springfield” (which I also recommend).

A Woman is a Woman, 1961, directed by Jean-Luc Godard. A French New Wave color wheel starring Godard’s then-wife and muse, Anna Karina. Not my favorite Godard, but a great movie that is definitely worth seeing if you love ’60s aesthetics and Pantone swatches. 

Alice, 1988, directed by Jan Svankmajer. A retelling of Alice in Wonderland by this incredible and creative Czech director & animator. Using live actors interacting with stop-motion animation, this adaptation is bizarre enough to do justice to the writing and create a dream-like world that is genuinely unique. All art students should see this. NOTE: not for kids, it’s too scary!

The Gleaners and I, 2000, directed by Agnes Varda. (UPDATE: The Gleaners and I is not longer available on Netflix Instant streaming, but it is still a great movie and definitely worth renting from somewhere.) A documentary by New Wave director Agnes Varda (who’s one of my favorite directors: see dvd versions of Cleo from 5 to 7, La Pointe Courte, etc) about gleaners in modern day France inspired by the Jean Francois Millet painting “The Gleaners.” I’ll admit that sounds extremely boring, but it’s the “and I” of the title that makes this film. Varda is so charming and relatable to the gleaners in the movie that you find yourself smiling throughout and looking at what we leave behind in a different way. Ok, maybe it still sounds boring but trust me, it’s not–it is truly great.

So there are a few recommendations to start with. Please tell me what you think and in the future I’ll post more. Thanks!

photos by Jeremy

The Sketch-Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. By Washington Irving
Popular Edition, 1848

I found this in a bookstore in the U District in Seattle. The cover is somewhat dirty but otherwise it’s a nice copy of this seminal American book that is more known nowadays for its individual stories than the book itself. You can read more about it here.

a preview of the cover to our next Living Things!

We’re happy to announce that for the month of August we will have a special pop-up shop in the renowned downtown Portland small press emporium Reading Frenzy (which turns 17 this year!). We’ll be celebrating the release of volume 5 of our Living Things Series by APAK along with a show of their original art from the book. We’ll also be highlighting our first mini art book from a couple years back, Water & Fall by Martine Workman, with new art based on the book created just for this show. Both APAK (Portland) and Martine (Seattle) will be in attendance for the opening this Thursday, so stop by and say hi!

We’ll also have our complete line of illustrated books & paper goods for the entire month of August. Thanks to Chloe & Reading Frenzy for hosting us and I hope to see you at the opening reception!

Little Otsu Pop-Up Shop at Reading Frenzy
921 SW Oak St, Portland, OR
August 4th-31st, 2011

Opening reception: August 4th, 6-9pm

I was recently in Roanoke, Virginia for a family reunion and had the pleasure of going to their small but excellent new art museum, the Taubman Museum of Art. Designed by architect Randall Stout, it focuses on mostly one-room galleries of American art. There were several great exhibits, but I really liked the one of drawings and handmade cardboard objects called “Kiel Johnson: One Thing Leads to Another.”

I love the giant red circle made by this tree in Hoyt Arboretum, Portland.

photos by Yvonne

Today is Walt Whitman’s birthday and there is a lot written about his personal life and his life as a writer, but much less is written about him as a bookmaker. He self-published most editions (including the first edition) of Leaves of Grass and was heavily involved in the production of all of his books, even as he advanced in age. The third edition of Leaves of Grass is a particular highlight with some amazing hand-drawn typography on the cover (he made eight different editions of Leaves, each one re-written and re-edited with new poems and arrangement as well as design, basically creating eight different books). There is a great book called Whitman Making Books/Books Making Whitman which is entirely online as part of the Whitman Archive and goes into real depth about the making of each edition and I highly recommend checking it out even if all you are only interested in is book design. The University of Iowa Press released a facsimile edition of the 1860 Leaves of Grass that you can buy at their website.

Here are some images of the various covers of the third edition of Leaves of Grass (1860):

above image from Whitman Archive

above images are from University of Virginia

Original brass dies used for 1860 edition

all eight editions of Leaves of Grass

above images from Library of Congress

The 2003 album Supper by (Smog) ranks as one of my favorites by one of my favorite bands. This is definitely the album of theirs that took me the longest to get into and yet is the one I go back to the most. “Feather by Feather” leading into “Butterflies Drowned in Wine” is one of the best song combinations in the indie rock canon, if that’s a thing. Butterflies, butterflies, butterflies, butterflies!

Are You A Bromide? Or The Sulphitic Theory by Gelett Burgess, S.B. 1906

A very weird book this week that we picked up at a small used bookstore solely on the basis of the both futuristic and antiquated illustrations, which are by the author. There is a nice inscription from 1908 asking “Are you a bromide.” The book’s subtitle is, “Expounded and exemplified according to the most recent researches into the psychology of boredom. Including many well-known Bromidioms now in use.” Apparently the author also wrote, “Goops and How to Be Them.”

Schumann by André Boucourechliev, 1959.

Cover Club is supposed to be about the cover, but with The Happy Little Handsaw we had to include inside images to get the full breadth of this kid’s book. Put out in 1955 by West Coast Lumberman’s Association, it’s pretty much what you imagine it is: a story of a happy handsaw used to convince kids that logging is a-ok. There is a great image in the book of the handsaw being not-so-happy and crying while sitting on a lumberjack’s lap, but I didn’t include it so as not to upset the kids. It’s the happy little handsaw after all!