Feelin’ it

Weekend Combo: Brad Pitt’s club, Tommy Wiseau’s pants and Marilyn Monroe’s legs
By Alex James Taylor | 4 February 2016
Above:

Still. ‘Fight Club’ 1999 © 20th Century Fox

This article is part of Weekend Combo – What to do this weekend

We bring you our guide to living well in the world’s capitals, from exhibitions to cinema, food, drink, fashion, music and beyond. Just call it culture and take it, it’s yours.

LONDON, FRIDAY 5th FEBRUARY – SUNDAY 7th FEBRUARY 2016

Film

Final rule: if this is your first time at Fight Club, you have to fight.
Occasionally within a film there’s that one scene that transcends, becoming iconic in its own right. In David Fincher’s Fight Club the director managed to created a whole film that works on this same level.

Who can forget the scene when Edward Norton’s character (the nameless narrator) first takes a swing at Tyler Durden (Brad Pitt) in a deserted car park? Or when Norton squeezes his head against Bob’s (Meat Loaf) ample bussom? And then there’s the scene where Edward Norton beats himself to a pulp, all in the name of carpe diem. It’s the stuff of canvas print selling market stalls throughout the world.

Based on Chuck Palahniuk’s 1996 novel of the same name, Fincher’s cinematic adaptation translates the text with aplomb; fast, stylish and packing a punch that’ll knock you for six – and then you’ll be back the following week for the next round, that goes without saying.

If there’s one film that will make you question your whole existence and urge you down a nihilistic route, this is it. Grab your blood red (literally) leather jacket and hawaiian shirt. After all, “This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time.”

And with that we’ve just broken both the first and second rule of Fight Club. If this is the last time you hear from us you’ll know why…

Fight Club, 136 mins, is being screened at Dalston Rio on Saturday 6th at 23:30

Film

“The Citizen Kane of bad movies”
‘So bad it’s good’ seems to be the overall feeling to Tommy Wiseau’s 2003 cult classic The Room (affectionately known as ‘the worst movie of all time’).

Plotlines are forgotten, characters disappear, the sex scenes are cringe-worthy to the extreme and the whole aesthetic screams cock-eyed amateurs. And yet, like a real cinematic version of Mel Brooks’ The Producers, it proved a hit. Even James Franco was hooked by the excruciating watch and is currently working on a new project based on the film’s equally odd back story, titled The Disaster Artist.

The man himself, Mr Tommy Wiseau will be at the Prince Charles cinema this weekend to introduce his infamous film, and it’s bound to be a strange affair, he’s an ‘eccentric’ character, let’s say.

Whilst we’re on the subject, check out the film’s incredibly awful website – fitting really – and treat yourself to a pair of Tommy Wiseau pants, yep, pants. He’s just keeps feeding us the pun ammo.

The Room (with introduction by Tommy Wiseau) is being screened at The Prince Charles Cinema at frequent intervals throughout this weekend. Check times here.

Song

Fully loaded
Here’s our track of the week. Primal Scream are back with a brand new album, Chaosmosis, and this week they teased us with lead single Where the Light Gets In, and it’s a certified belter, (just check out our play count for evidence – straight shot to #1).

Never one’s to disappoint the Scream knock it out the park with their latest play. Featuring Sky Ferreira (genius choice), the vocals switch between Ferreira’s alluring tones and Gillespie’s smokey croons – à la Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra’s Some Velvet Morning – with arrestingly ethereal results. If it’s a song to get you on your feet you’re after, this is the one. Play it loud and play it again, and again, and again.

Primal Scream Chaosmosis is out March 18th on First International

Exhibition

Cold war blues
Artist Dallas Seitz’s latest exhibition The American Story delves into America’s soul, through photographs, video and object works he addresses the Cold War, ideas of God, isolation, and of the concept of Mutual Assured Destruction. How uplifting.  

By means of a series of oddities and curios: a meteorite; a telephone tower disguised as a palm tree; fragments of Forever Marilyn, Seward Johnson’s 26-foot-tall statue of Marilyn Monroe being disassembled in preparation to be shipped to New Jersey, The exhibition sees Seitz focusing on iconography that reflects his own personal narrative and fondness for America.

With an aesthetic similar to Wim Wenders’ sparse photography these images arrest and allure in equal measure. In the artist’s own words, “I am often out in the desert for days and when I find those things, there is a love in there and a sadness. The work to me is about finding belief.”

Dallas Seitz | The American Story runs at IMT Gallery, Unit 2/210 Cambridge Heath Road, until 6 March 2016

GALLERY

Gig

Plug in, feed out
Massive Attack haven’t released much new music since 2010’s Heligoland, so the recent announcement of a new album was met with a collective gasp, woop and wail. But these trip hop masters don’t just release an album – where’s the fun in that? –, instead they created an app called Fantom that teased four new Massive Attack tracks through actively remixing pieces of music based on the user’s heartbeat, location, local time, and movement. So 21st Century, right?

But if technology gimmicks aren’t up your street and you prefer the real 3-D, physical side of it you can catch the trio live at Brixton Academy this weekend. In the flesh, no phones needed. In fact, keep your phone firmly in your pocket. Don’t be that guy.

In terms of musical experiences, it doesn’t get much better than seeing the likes of Teardrops and Unfinished Sympathy played live. Guaranteed goose bump material right there.

Massive Attack play at Brixton O2 Academy on Friday 5th February

Food + Drink

*Vegetarians shut your ears*
Hill & Szrok’s Broadway Market Butcher and Cook Shop is the place to go for all meat related needs. Oh, matron.

This week they open a brand new Old Street location, taking over what was previously the 3 Crowns pub on East Road. The new space will act as a fully realised restaurant, serving up all the top quality products we’ve come to expect from the duo.

All slow grown, free range and from sustainable farms across England, the food is top notch, as is the drinks menu. And with bar snacks included pork pies, sausage rolls, scotch eggs and pork scratchings you have the ultimate combo, pint and a pie. We’re sold.

Hill & Szrok Public House is located at 8 East Road, Old Street, N1 6AD




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