Music, movie, fashion and gaming fans of the world unite! This week the Friday Fix caters to all your needs with new music from Florence + The Machine, the ultimate video game fan film, drinking in style and mind-bending red carpet numbers. Let’s dive in!
‘What the Water Gave Me’ is the new single from Brit songstress Florence Welch. We’ve had to wait a while for new material from the ethereal Florence and her well-oiled Machine, but it’s certainly been worth it. This is the popstrel at her heavenly best:
Though most video game fan films are high on ambition but low on production value, one incredible exception caught our eye this week. Actualizing the dimension-hopping world of Valve’s ‘Portal’with stunning visual effects, this short film came out of nowhere – as things in Portal so often do. With this as a calling card, director Dan Trachtenburg has a bright future ahead of him. You don’t have to be a gamer to be thrilled by this.
While 27-year-old Dutch fashion designer Iris Van Herpen can’t fill Alexander McQueen’s shoes, she can certainly try to follow in his revolutionary footsteps. Her new line ‘Capriole’ has been turning heads and dropping jaws from Paris to the Palisades, and it’s not hard to see why. Her evocative fashion sense is where high fashion meets science fiction, with just as much architecture as art – see what you think of her Unidentified Fashion Objects.
FIVE33 has long championed the sensational videos of US indie pop rockers OK Go , so imagine our delight when we discovered that they teamed up with The Muppetsfor a reimagination of just about our favourite theme tune ever. The opening track from our furry heroes’ upcoming release ‘The Green Album’ dropped earlier in the week (watch it here ), but we thought you’d appreciate a sneak peek behind the scenes. After all, you can never have enough Muppets!
(US readers, set your DVRs now: OK Go and The Muppets will be performing live on the Tonight Show on August 31st – miss it and miss out!)
The weekend is upon us, so if you’re heading out, there’s only one bottle you need on your table. With a track record of ornate packaging promos, Absolut Vodka has teamed up with goth-chic designer Gareth Pugh to create a limited-edition bottle that is certain to become a collector’s item. Drink it in:
The entertainment industry is always looking for new ways to astound audiences with the unexpected, and so it is with this week’s Friday Fix. We check out Beck’s secretive ‘Green Box’ Project, see DC Comics reboot its entire universe and look at Kristen Stewart’s transformative photo shoot for W. Not to mention some quirky iPhone covers, male pregnancy and of course a few surprises. We invite you to flip your pop culture perspective – you just might be surprised by what you find…
As if beer wasn’t satisfying enough, Beck’s brewing company launches the Green Box Project, a curiosity-piquing initiative that places glowing green cubes in hot spots around the world. The mysterious contents can only be accessed with the Beck’s Key smartphone app. The treasures range from exclusive visual art pieces, music, fashion and more, with contributions from British culinary crafters Bompas and Parr, the Friends with You artist collective, and a FIVE33 musical favorite Austra. For obvious reasons, we can’t show you all the Green Box secrets, but click here for a preview.
Seismic changes are afoot in the land of comic books this week. In a controversial move, DC Comics is set to reboot its entire universe with the 52 initiative. Over the coming months we will see their entire roster of titles re-set to issue #1. To get a first look at the rollout, take a look at the teaser trailer below. We’re going to wait to see how the first plots play out before commenting, but we can tell you one thing: that new Superman looks like a badass.
Next, a departure from the norm for Twilight actress Kristen Stewart as she ages up for a photo shoot with W Magazine. Voluminous hair, piercing eyes and an expression that isn’t a full-blown pout – definitely a step in the right direction!
Just about the entire video game industry converged on Cologne in Germany this week for Gamescom 2011. Although the event lacks the headline grabbing first-looks and big announcements of E3, there was still plenty to whet the appetites of those who like their entertainment interactive. Our pick of the show so far? Undeniably Valve‘s DOTA 2. This action strategy sequel to the popular Warcraft III mod is a pure fantasy first for one of our favourite developers, and we can’t wait to get our hands on it.
The galaxy far, far away just got closer to home with Elliott Quince’s Plasticine Tattooine, an artistic rendering of the most memorable sci-fi franchise’s unsung heroes. Star Wars acts as a reminder of how effective transmedia storytelling can be. The visionary George Lucas populated his Forceful fantasy world with colorful characters and iconic cameos – many of whom never say a word – that give depth and dimension to the property. Bonus points if you can name all of these familiar faces:
While Apple‘s iPhones are anything but unusual these days, personalization has opened the floodgates of creativity. RF Laserworks has accepted the challenge of making the ubiquitous technology unique again, using everything from cork board to skateboard grip tape to thermal-sensitive plating for a new line of covers and cases. Talk about iPopping!
Though the music sounds like the good ol’ Chromeo we’ve come to know and love, the new video for ‘When the Night Falls’ might strike you as a little bit peculiar (when we say ‘peculiar,’ we mean ‘straight up twisted’). We’re assuming it took them roughly 9 months to deliver this music video, baby. Click the image below and get ready to rock and load!
And that’s going to do it for another week… the weekend is born!
It doesn’t take much for Korean artist Cheong-ah Whang to express her natural talents – by simply cutting and folding paper, she has created some truly stunning works of art, from the beauty of the natural world to unforgettable cinematic moments. Paper + Scissors = Rocks!
Forget ruby slippers, Miu Miu has created the ultimate in fairy tale footwear. Coveted by fashionistas as soon as they hit stores earlier this week and touted as the must-have accessory for Fall 2011, your feet are about to get ridiculously bedazzled.
French Connection have long been recognized for their head-cockingly quirky ad campaigns, but this Fall they move even further into the world of art house film. As more and more major retail brands harness the spirit of the cinematic, the gap between fashion and entertainment is disappearing. At FIVE33, we say bring it on.
The hauntingly beautiful sound of Lana Del Rey‘s music has long been a FIVE33 favorite – probably because Lana herself is full of secrets and surprises. The New York native self-produced the music video for her new song ‘Video Games’, blending old home footage, video games and clips from Disney’s Fantasia. The eclectic mash-up perfectly compliments the dreamlike beauty of this song. Del Rey calls herself the ‘gangsta Nancy Sinatra’ and defines her genre as ‘Hollywood sadcore’ – decide for yourself.
Before we wake up from our ‘Sweet Dreams’ playlist, M83 ‘s new track Midnight City (off their forthcoming album ‘Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming’) is just what you need to send your spirit soaring after a hectic work week. Midnight City is so transcendent, you might need to pinch yourself.
Calling all Cinephiles! If you’re in London this weekend, your course of action is clear: Big Screen is the UK’s answer to San Diego’s Comic-Con. Featuring exclusive Q&A panels with talent, interviews with filmmakers and previews of some of the most hotly anticipated releases of 2011, The O2 is the place to be. For those who can’t make it, check back in with FIVE33 for the event’s headlines and highlights.
From big screens to little screens, and blasting onto our Xbox 360′s this week is our favourite title in the Summer of Arcade, and just about the coolest name for a game in recent memory. Take a look at the super-stylized 2D / 3D gameplay of Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet.
In the world of comic books, Scott Snyder‘s run on Detective Comics reaches its stunning conclusion this month. Fans of what Christopher Nolan has done with Batman should definitely check out the intricately plotted arc Snyder has created here, and the artwork of Jock and Francesco Francavilla has left a bold new imprint on one of fandom’s best loved mythologies. We’ll be watching closely to see what this team does next.
We leave you with the must-see movie of the week. If you live in the US, make sure you get yourself a cinema ticket that reads ‘The Help.’ We were excited to hear about the film’s big $5 million+ Wednesday debut carrying it into opening weekend (not to mention an A+ CinemaScore rating) and hope that it will touch audiences everywhere with its humorous charm and inspirational story. After falling in love all over again with the red-hot Emma Stone in Crazy, Stupid, Love, we’re begging for more!
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