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New Film /

American Teen

This entertaining documentary follows a group of seemingly clichéd American teenagers in their last year of high school. Through a comprehensive recording of their lives it reminds us that, when examining anything in detail, there is no such thing as a cliché. The naivety and hope of each student shines through, providing a memorable and accurate portrait of a middle-American high school. Director Nanette Burstein and her team must have spent thousands of hours recording to get the chosen subjects, their friends and families to act so naturally around the camera. Burstein has captured some amazing moments, both surprisingly funny and honest. The parents of the teenagers chosen for analysis provide some of the most shocking comments, such as Colin’s Elvis impersonator father reminding him that, ‘If you don’t get a scholarship, there’s always army’ or Hannah’s mother who says, ‘Don’t forget, you’re not special’.

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Juneberry 78s

I was nudged in the direction of this little gem of a website, especially for those partial to a bit of a knees-up, pipe on the porch every now and then. Read more

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Valentino: The Last Emperor — Fashion documentary

A documentary about one of the world’s most famous fashion designers? Hmm. Not a film I’d ever choose to see, but sometimes we do what we don’t want to in order to make friends happy. It’s called compromise apparently, and the experience reminded me that any material, if well structured and presented, can make a decent film. The filmmakers follow the over-tanned Valentino Garavani and his long-term lover and business partner Giancarlo Giammetti. Read more

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Woody Allen’s Whatever Works

Larry David plays a slight variation on his Curb Your Enthusiasm incarnation, spouting some of the most articulate rants on humanity in Woody Allen’s new comedy. I enjoyed last year’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, but this is definitely better. It’s a spectacularly executed comedy farce, with the action constantly escalating along the way, adhering to the old comedy formula of putting the characters through hell for big laughs. Read more

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Black Dynamite blaxploitation movie trailer

One very angry and unstoppable man wages war against drugs and malt liquor. A take-off of the old blaxploitation films, this is parody at its best, with many knowing nods to camera and hilarious moments involving clichés taken to their extremes. There’s the Asian kung-fu master, pimps and orphans hooked on heroin. It all begins with Black Dynamite being spurned on his quest for blood after his brother’s brutal murder, and then pushed further for the love of a good woman. There are hoes and guns, along with catchphrases and great one-liners. See it.

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Build your next bike at Bamboo Bikes Studio, who help cyclists build their own custom, bamboo-framed bicycles. The organization, in partnership with the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the Millennium Cities Initiative, uses revenue to subsidize sustainable bamboo bike factories in Africa and South America.


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Canadian designer Michael Surtees takes pictures of the same patch of sky every day as seen from his Manhattan apartment. Read more

I recently bought a 1960 Oyster Perpetual Datejust and I love it. Read more


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There’s something quite compelling about the intensity and intimacy in this portrait by Juliana Beasley. The kids seem coiled and ready to spring to action in an environment which is eerily stark and devoid of discernible character.

This website hosts a nice collection of quirky, sometimes mind-boggling, sculptures from around the world. There’s a certain Dali-esque feel to a lot of them – those surreal, dreamy hallucinations turned into a warped reality. I’ve always been a sucker for art that really catches you out for a few seconds, and these certainly do that.

Rarely is a film politically poignant as well as wonderfully written, acted and shot. The second feature from director Kimberly Peirce of Boys Don’t Cry was inspired by her brother, who joined the army, and was only possible after months of meticulous research. Read more

The latest project of former punk rock drummer Andreas Asingh from Copenhagen, I literally stumbled across Small through my participation at the By:Larm music conference in Oslo. As one of the many up-and-coming bands in Denmark, their sound is a cross between M83, Remote, and Giorgio Moroder; captivating and adventurous, and full of strong melodies.

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1970s and 80s Soviet Union buildings

Cambodian born photographer Frederic Chaubin is the editor of French magazine Citizen K. His photo series on bizarre buildings built in the former Soviet Union during the 1970s and 80s is absolutely fascinating. Read more

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Mike Stimpson

Check out Mike Stimpson’s Lego reinterpretations of classic photographs. Stimpson’s version of Malcolm Browne’s iconic 1963 photograph of the self-immolation of Thich Quang Duc is particularly twisted. Read more

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Sparrow Vs Sparrow

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T-post: the world’s first wearable magazine

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Alex Passapera

Alex Passapera’s dizzying pen and ink drawings are cascades of images melting into one another, often looking like contorting, mutating creatures spewing blood-like ink splatters. Read more


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Thanks to Sony Australia, four Lost At E Minor readers will win personal audio prizes, including the new 8GB Walkman S series video MP3 player and the MDRXB500 Extra Bass headphones. Read more

Now, who couldn’t do with a watch like this? Featuring an interactive touch screen and animated LED display that plays short animation upon demand, the time display on this awesome watch switches between colors on touch. We have them for sale in the Lost At E Minor online store. Read more

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