On the 15th January ZEITGUISED and X-Magazine launched their BAGASHI bags, “A bag with a hole”.
In their fourth collaboration on ‘phygital’ objects, ZEITGUISED (D/Berlin) teamed up with bag designer Toshiki Yagisawa and his label X-Magazine (JP/Tokyo). The BAGASHI bag remix project combines the aspects of cutting edge digital manufacturing methods and Japanese craft in a tantalizing crossover between the design languages of ZEITGUISED and Toshiki.
Upon looking at the bags they all have unique shaped holes in them. The hole is covered up by a transparent foil so that it still works as a conventional bag. The bag is made out of a woven material and the handles are made out of leather. It is available in five ZEITGUISED colour schemes.
X-Magazines’ popular stylish woven bags, durable and transmissive at the same time, were treated with a bespoke ZEITGUISED design algorithm. They made a bag around a hole: each cut-out is derived from a unique 3d shape. With the algorithm defining an open-ended design process, rather than making conventional finite decisions, every shape the algorithm produces is unique and unpredicted. These shapes are used to virtually cut through the bags, shown by a transparent foil. The result is a surprising window into the bags contents, upending the notion that the bag serves to hold your belongings securely and hide them from plain sight.
Each bag is handmade in Japan and has a numbered design in a limited edition of 100. All have a both a unique cut-out and an individual shamanistic charm dangling from the coloured leather handles.
The idea of a global nuclear conflict is one that has, sadly, been at the forefront of the public’s mind over the last few months. That it could happen is horrifying; a concept that many of us can scarcely begin to comprehend.
Ever since the atomic door was opened in 1945, cinema has embraced our societal fears and interpreted them in ever-changing ways. From the radioactive monsters that dominated science fiction in the 1950s, to the brutal realism of nuclear annihilation in the 1980s, cinema has articulated our understanding of a potential apocalypse.
The following three films address such a horror, but tend to be overlooked in discussions of nuclear cinema. Whilst Mick Jackson’s Threads (1984) is a landmark film in this field, it will not feature here. Instead, Our Culture Mag wishes to take a look at three films whose expression of the nuclear nightmare is unique, outlandish, poignant, and tragic.
The Last War (1961)
Mankind’s last war. Hell on earth.
Reviewed here on Our Culture Mag, The Last War delivers a powerful drama of a family pressing forward in a world doomed to conflict. Frankie Sakai plays Mokichi Tamura, a proud family man, who works as a chauffeur for a press centre. Through Tamura’s interactions with the journalists he escorts, we learn of the growing tensions between the Federation and the Alliance – stand-ins for NATO and the USSR. Tamura’s optimism that mankind will not blindly walk into warfare is juxtaposed to the reality of a world setting itself for oblivion. Sakai’s performance is gripping, especially when his beautiful hope begins to crack.
With thoughtful cinematography that interprets the narrative’s horror with grace, The Last War has some remarkable – and chilling – visuals. For its performances, tone, and visual impact, The Last War is worth tracking down, watching, and thinking on.
Fail Safe (1964)
Larry Hagman and Henry Fonda give powerful performances.
Sidney Lumet (director of 1957’s 12 Angry Men) crafts a tense narrative that challenges our belief in the evil of the ‘other’ and what it takes to trust. The US Air Force’s early-warning radar system signals an unknown craft entering American territory. It is soon found that the unknown craft was simply a commercial airliner blown off course, but a malfunction sends a group of vindicator bombers out to Moscow to drop two 20 Megaton nuclear warheads in retaliation. Russian countermeasures jam the bombers’ signals, stopping the US from recalling them. The President (Henry Fonda) is alerted as every effort is made in a race against life and death to call back the bombers before they can drop their grave payload.
As with 12 Angry Men, Sidney Lumet displays a striking ability to weave what is admittedly a self-contained narrative into a tableau of humanity. With mankind’s very survival thrown into question, the barriers between our hate and anguish fall away. Fail Safe is arguably a story about trust; and tragically, its awful cost. It might be easy to assume that the film’s immense scope is down to its dealing with apocalypse, but the real power within Fail Safe that gives it such depth is its performances. For extended sequences, we are alone with just Fonda’s President and Buck (Larry Hagman), his interpreter. In his brilliant vocal delivery, Fonda projects a man struggling to maintain his composure under immeasurable pressure. Cinematographer Gerald Hirschfield frames these characters in tight close-ups, heightening tension that is beautifully complemented by such powerful performances. So much is communicated in Fonda’s eyes.
Fail Safe is a moving, tragic, and sobering watch – one of Lumet’s finest.
Day the World Ended (1955)
The atomic mutant of the film’s poster – as created and played by Paul Blaisdell.
Many might be surprised to see Roger Corman’s Day the World Ended included in this discussion. With its poster bearing an intimidating blood-red mutant, one might expect an unintelligent monster movie. On the contrary, whilst the writing is questionable, the camera work is stagnant, and the performances are relatively wooden, it is the fascinating concept of Day the World Ended that warrants a closer inspection.
A nuclear conflict has wiped out nearly all of mankind. One man, Jim Maddison (Paul Birch), foresaw such a conflict and with his daughter, Louise (Lori Nelson), readied his home and stockpiled supplies. His home is located in a lead-lined valley, the cliffs of which shield those within from the toxic fallout that has contaminated the outside world. More and more survivors stumble upon the valley and Maddison’s home in varying states of injury – some with horrific burns and scars. Tensions rise as these disparate individuals struggle to survive in the house with one another. Outside, the radiation has created atomic mutants, stalking the valley looking for food.
If the writing and performances were better, and the plot more carefully paced, then Day the World Ended could have been one of the most interesting nuclear war dramas of the decade. Even the mutant could remain in the story. After all, its fantastic presence already allows for metaphorical or symbolic significance.
Speaking about hypotheticals such as these might seem redundant, but it does arguably point out that at its core, Day the World Ended has a fascinating concept of survivorship in the face of mankind’s demise. While some nuclear war dramas depict the lead up to such conflicts (The Last War, Threads, The Day After) and others show its extended aftermath (Five, The World, The Flesh, and the Devil), Day the World Ended begins immediately in the wake of such calamity. Its dissection of human relationships and their changing dynamics in the aftermath of destruction is admirable, if made slightly ham-fisted with lacklustre writing.
Aside from its premise, Day the World Ended is worth watching for Paul Blaisdell’s brilliant atomic mutant. Affectionately named ‘Marty the mutant’ by Blaisdell, the film’s monster lends a fantasy element to a film which – in the same way that it could have been profound – could have become dull in its depiction of survival.
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The above three films illustrate the bold and brilliant ways that 20th century filmmakers from diverse backgrounds articulated something almost unspeakable. From mutant monsters, to deadly malfunctions, to the complexities of family life, these films express the depth of our anxieties. That we are in the midst of retreading those fears is just as frightening, but perhaps in revisiting these classic tales, we can begin to understand our collective nuclear trauma and go forward.
Our Culture Mag is officially expanding into Spotify.
With our initiative to share new and exciting music, we have expanded our arms and from now on will be curating playlists on Spotify as well as on our website. This initiative is extra to that of what we are doing with Sound Selection, which has been already a great success.
With hundreds of submissions of coming through each week, we have decided that this is the best option for us and the artists that are featured, as this will give the artists more listeners and reach, while also making it easier for people to listen to music.
You can follow our latest Spotify playlist ‘The Weekend’ here. More playlists will come soon and will feature a range of music styles and tastes, for those, love things a little different.
These aren’t just your normal typical women’s suit, it’s called the ” Languid Trouser Suit”.
The suit would be trending around Autumn Winter 18/19. This type of suit exaggerates the proportions of the body from the length of the suit to the length of the sleeves. The whole look is quite relaxed and looks like it could be for comfort wear too. This is a more fashionable kind of suit to wear rather than for professional wear. The style comes with jackets that are either single breasted or double breasted.
As you can see the trousers are wide-leg which is why they look big and go over the shoes. You can easily play around with the looks, from the images above you can see you’ve got a relaxed look on the left and a semi-casual look in the middle. You can also style it completely formal like the image on the right.
In a world where everyone is plugged into their screens, it’s nice we can still be taught a valuable lesson by a little boy and his bear.
We follow author A.A. Milne (Domhnall Gleeson), referred to most commonly as “Blue”, after he has just survived the first world war and is in the midst of returning to his play-writing career, whilst battling the crippling mental and emotional effects of PTSD. Coming to the conclusion that the war didn’t change anything, Blue decides to move himself, his wife Daphne (Margot Robbie), his young son Billy (Will Tilston) and his maid Olive (Kelly Macdonald) out to the woodland sector of Sussex in order to escape the hustle and bustle of London. What follows is an endearing tale of a father being taught to enjoy life and its simplicities with the help of a small boy and his stuffed animals. With the birth of “Winnie The Pooh” comes the heart-breaking story of a childhood ruined by fame; In the third act, we see a teenage Billy (Alex Lawther) being tortured through his growing years by his classmates, the name “Christopher Robin” forever engrained as a bad memory. His mission to be rid of this reputation leads him to sign up for World War II, his return warming the hearts of the audience and his realisation of a precious childhood inspiring anyone to make sure their children have heard the tales of “Winnie The Pooh”.
The performances in Goodbye Christopher Robin were brilliant, Domhnall Gleeson imbues so much subtle emotion into Blue, we barely see him express any emotion beyond a smile or a slightly raised voice but through all of the scenes in the woods with Will Tilston, a warmth can be felt that could only exist between a father and his son. Margot Robbie’s unsettling mother character is an ingenious antagonist, we’re constantly arguing with ourselves about how we feel about her; her responsibilities are almost always passed off on to Olive and she keeps referring back to how Billy “Nearly killed” her but then we’re reinvigorated with appreciation for her when she actually spends time with Billy, our memories of the ungrateful mother are replaced with kind-hearted smiles for the woman who brought Christopher Robin his Pooh Bear.
On a more personal note, the way that Goodbye Christopher Robin treats its reoccurring themes of PTSD is admirable and accurate. In a “blink and you’ll miss it” moment from the first act, Blue reacts to the popping of champagne and is obviously unnerved by the sound, reminding him of gunfire. Almost instantly, Ernest Shepard (Stephen Campbell) asks if he’s alright and comforts him by saying “I’m the same, when my motorbike backfires”. Blue doesn’t fall to the floor in shock, there are no immediate graphic flashbacks, nothing over the top, simply a man reassuring his friend that he isn’t suffering alone. I believe films like Saving Private Ryan and The Hurt Locker can use graphics and more severe techniques but it’s rare we see the small yet painful moments where the battlefield invades the minds of people at home and Goodbye Christopher Robin does so particularly accurately and has such respect for the people it effects.
It’s rare for me to summarise a film in one word, but I feel like the story, the performances, the visuals, everything about Goodbye Christopher Robin just warmly whispers “Lovely”.
With the world of Fashion engaging with the power of online shopping, a nifty and exciting brand Oiboyhas emerged.
If you browse the website of the British label Oiboy, you might not think of it much. Simple layout, body font – Impact. Some people will love this, some not; but for us, this is refreshing, and we love it.
Oiboy prides themselves on taking and reworking well-known brands and labels in Britain. For example, one of the most popular designs is a rework of Lacoste’s logo into a simple and catchy design that says Lowcost. Alongside that, they have reworked logos from such brands as Boots, Boss, Everlast, and Carling.
While Oiboy may not shout originality, it shouts culture, lifestyle and British humour. On top of this they are affordable, and because of this, it makes us wonder how long until Oiboy becomes part of the mainstream.
During London Fashion Week Men’s, Blood Brother presents us with a collection called “It Could Be You” for Autumn/ Winter 18.
The invitations from Blood Brother was quite interesting and it definitely reflected what the collection would be about. It showed lottery tickets and the lottery balls with money bags and photographers and a disco ball.
The whole collection takes inspiration from the lottery and the instant lifestyle that it brings, hence the name. It such an interesting collection from using embellishments to indicate glamour and using imitations of animal skins and fur maybe to show wealth. The whole collection is contemporary. It has quite a dark feel to it with the oversized tops, big chunky coats, and huge chain necklaces. This collection uses quite varied fabrics from leather, faux fur maybe, satin and some faux suede. It’s interesting to see they use tracksuits in their collection. “luxurious tracksuits reflect the outlook of those with a penchant for life in the fast lane” Blood Brother.
Getty
Getty
Getty
These models look quite serious with an edgy side. All 3 are wearing garments that have money bags written on them and the print consists of barcodes and some instructions like “see reverse” and ” how to claim”.
Jake Kasdan’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle topped the weekend box office for the first time since its release.
With the first week of the year over it was not a certainty on which film was going to top the weekend Box Office. However, in first came ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ as it managed to gross a rather impressive $36 million (£26.5m). In second place came with a strong and rather unexpected start ‘Insidious: The Last Key’ which grossed $29.2 million (£21.5m) domestically according to the estimates.
The biggest climber in the top ten since last week has to be ‘Molly’s Game’ which grossed $7 million (£5.1m) as it made it into the 7th place this weekend. This rise was largely due to the increase of 1,300+ new cinemas displaying the film. ‘Molly’s Game’ has increased by 197% in gross since the last weekend and has currently grossed an estimated $14.2 million (£10.4m) domestically.
It’s a new year, maybe you’d like to change up how you look. You can start off at the hair. It may not seem important but as they say, the hair frames the face. It’s an important aspect of fashion you could say. Here are the trends to look out for and maybe try it out for yourself.
“Looking good isn’t self-importance; it’s self-respect.”
—Charles Hix, Author
1. Textured Hair
To achieve textured hair use a styling clay. The styling clay helps to keep the hair in shape but also it keeps it texturized. As styling clays have a good hold on the hair you can easily work upwards if you so wish to make it look like you have voluminous hair at the same time.
2. Fades
Hair fades were quite the trend last year as well. This year is about mixing it up, an example could be having hair fades and having long hair on the top and texturizing it. Just be playful with your hair and see which looks good for you.
3. Tapered
You could possibly be asking what is the difference between a tapered cut and a fade cut. A fade cut usually has the shorter on top and the fade blends into the skin and usually finished above the natural hairline. A tapered cut around the temple and ends at the natural hairline. Also, the hair doesn’t get blended into the skin.
4. Coloured Hair
Maybe getting your hair colored isn’t as popular as it is for women but that shouldn’t stop you from getting it colored. Sometimes a change of color is enough to change your look. Be aware of the color of your hair and the color of your clothes because sometimes different shades of color look good together or not at all.
5. Neckline Hair Design
This a new trend to look out for in 2018. It has been around last year but it may be a more common trend this year. But it’s early days to say.
Sander Berg a Swedish illustrator based in the UK creates decorative, digital illustrations.
Well planned out compositions inspired by classic themes and a dash of decorative details is a sure recipe for success. And his use of textures even though the work is digital make the work even more charming.
Below is a ”set of illustrations created for DropMix, a music mixing game developed by Harmonix and published by Hasbro in Autumn 2017.”
