Old news at this point: Chrysler 300 commercial featuring John Varvatos.

I'm a big fan of the marketing campaign for the new Chrysler 300, with the slogan "Imported from Detroit" being one of the wittier slogans of recent memory.  The most recent installment is entitled Attitude and features good ol' John Varvatos, a Detroit native himself.  Check it out below, it's a pretty commercial.

[edit: Blogger crashed the evening this was posted and lost this, and just re-posted it now.  So, you've probably seen this by now.]

Shit Worth Checking Out: David King's photographs of Muhammad Ali in 1974 while training for The Rumble in the Jungle.

In 1974, Muhammad Ali trained for sixteen weeks in the Pennsylvania Mountains in preparation for the Rumble in the Jungle, his historic heavyweight title fight against George Foreman in Zaire.  These photographs were taken by David King during that training session and appeared in his 1975 photographic biography of Ali I Am King.  See more of his photos below the cut.  These are awesome in every way.

Shit Worth Checking Out: "Savage Beauty": The Alexander McQueen retrospective at the Met.

“When I’m dead and gone, people will know that the twenty-first century was started by Alexander McQueen.”  The Metropolitan Museum recently launched its Alexander McQueen retrospective, "Savage Beauty", and The New Yorker published a great article by Judith Thurman in relation to the exhibit.  The article gives a good overview of the exhibit itself, of course, but its real value lies in offering an overview of McQueen himself, and of his impact on the world of fashion.  Thurman offers a high-level biography of the late McQueen, from his upbringing to his early days at college and on Savile Row to his suicide early last year, speculating on the influence some of the more momentous events in his life might have had on his art. (Particularly interesting was Thurman's observation that McQueen's "puberty coincided with the explosion of AIDS, which is to say that he was forced to witness a primal scene that haunted the youth of his generation: sex and death in the same bed.")

Alexander McQueen as a label has never been one of my favourites, as far as the men's line is concerned; I think his best work has always been womenswear, and most of his pieces that do appeal to me ruin themselves by being adorned in skulls, something I try to leave for those who enjoy wearing the likes of Affliction.  Sarah Burton took over for McQueen upon his death, and seems to be taking the line in a more favourable direction as far as my personal style is concerned.  That being said, I appreciate McQueen's work as the art it is.  Nobody can deny the sheer bravado and originality of the man's shows, and based on Thurman's article it seems that Savage Beauty captures this well.  I'll be heading to New York in July, and will definitely be checking out the exhibit when I head over to the Met.

source: The New Yorker

Shit Worth Checking Out: The five literary works that inspired Woody Allen.

Woody Allen is a workhorse of epic proportions; the man averages a movie a year, and his latest film, Midnight in Paris, just opened the 2011 Cannes Film Festival a couple days back (and was very well received).  Admittedly, not everything Allen touches is gold, but hey, with that rate of production, the man can't be expected to be churning out perfection.  Allen is, however, responsible for some of the greatest films of the past 45 years or so, including arguably the greatest romantic comedy of all time (a genre that produces trash at a rate unlike any other), as well as one of the finer tributes to Alfred Hitchcock you'll ever see.  Recently, The Browser conducted an interview with Allen where he set out five books that have resonated with him.  His choice of literature is of course interesting in itself, but the commentary from the eminently quotable Allen does not disappoint, either.

Shit Worth Checking Out: Want to see how handmade Italian ties and shoes are put together?

Every been curious about just how those crafty Italians make ties and shoes by hand?  Ponder no more.  Check out the two videos below, produced by Mad About Town, to see the process in all its glory.  The first video features a Finollo, a Genovese tie maker, and the second features a Mr. Riccardo Bestetti, an Italian cordwainer.  See them in action after the jump.

Shit Worth Checking Out: Very nice lookbook from Brunello Cucinelli for S/S 2011.

I'm a big Brunello Cucinelli fan (from afar...sigh), and the 2011 Spring / Summer campaign doesn't disappoint.  Once you get past how beautiful the setting is, you can focus on the clothes, and there are some very nice pieces to be seen.  Check out the pics below.  I am particularly a fan of the brown DB suit; awesome in every way.  My only complaint would be the last photo; looks like your typical sartorially-bankrupt dude.  Ignore that one; I include it only to show that nobody, not even Cucinelli, is perfect.

Shit Worth Checking Out: What is the most epic photo ever taken?

Quora has an amazing thread right now featuring the attempt to find the 'most epic photo ever taken'.  Right now, there are over 50 photos posted, most with accompanying stories (my choice for title photo was based at least in part on it needing no such description).  Some of the pics submitted are quite epic indeed.  Many are also highly disturbing, and I thus hesitate to designate the photographs I have picked out as my "favourites", so I will instead refer you to some of the best, or most intriguing, photographs after the jump.  Which gets your vote?

Shit Worth Checking Out: Documentary on Savile Row tailor Thomas Mahon.

Put This On posted an old documentary today, following Thomas Mahon, a Savile Row tailor and menswear blogger (check out his site The English Cut when you get a chance).  If you have 25 minutes to spare, check out the doc (split into two parts) below.  It's an interesting watch.

Shit Worth Checking Out: Debut trailer for Martha Marcy May Marlene.

Yesterday, Fox Searchlight debuted the first trailer for their Sundance hit Martha Marcy May Marlene, written and directed by Sean Durkin, a first-timer.  Durkin took home the Dramatic Directing Award at Sundance for his efforts.  The film stars Elizabeth Olsen (the seemingly talented sister of the unjustifiably famous Olsen Twins) as a "damaged woman" who flees from a cult and tries to reassimilate with her family.  Fresh off his Best Supporting Actor Oscar nod for Winter's Bone, John Hawkes plays the cult leader and appears to be at his creepy-best.  Loved him on Deadwood, and glad to see him making the most out of the indie roles he secures.  Check out the trailer below!

Shit Worth Checking Out: Boss Selection S/S 2011 campaign pics.

A very nice lookbook from Hugo Boss was released this morning, promoting the Spring/Summer 2011 pieces from their Selection line.  I have a soft spot for Boss, so maybe I'm biased, but I can't help but love a campaign that begins with a shot of the Paris setting.  The campaign features model Gabriel Aubry, whom Boss posits "perfectly represents the style of the cosmopolitan and charismatic BOSS Selection gentleman".  Check out the pics after the jump.

Shit Worth Checking Out: Todd Snyder F/W 2011 Lookbook.

Fall/Winter already? What the fuck?  Oh well, with lookbooks like this, I'm not complaining.  Check out a very strong offering from New York designer Todd Snyder below the cut.

Shit Worth Checking Out: Theophilus London Backstage Pass video.

For those of you who don't know Theophilus London, which unfortunately is very likely the vast majority, he's a young hip hop artist in the tradition of Andre 3000.  Besides producing some truly original music (how many hip hop artists do you know who cite The Smiths as a main influence?), he's also very much a style icon.  Check out the video (split into two parts) below.  Besides giving some insight into the artist, it features some great B&W visuals.

Shit Worth Checking Out: Pics from the Ralph Lauren car collection exhibition launch dinner..

Last week I posted a clip promoting the Musée des Arts Décoratifs exhibition The Art of the Automobile: Masterpieces from the Ralph Lauren Collection.  This past Wednesday, Madame Hélène David-Weill and Ralph Lauren hosted a private dinner in Paris to celebrate the opening of this exhibit.  While the pics are primarily posed, which makes them much less interesting than if they were taken naturally, it's still worth a quick look (if only to see Jean Reno, who was in attendance).  Check them out below the cut.

Shit Worth Checking Out: Great article in the New York Times on the state of the shoe industry in the United States.

The New York Times published an interesting article the other day profiling the decline and moderate resurgence of American-made shoes.  Titled At Their Feet, Crafted by Hand, the article notes that only 1% of shoes bought in the United States last year were produced in America, and focuses on homegrown brands like Allen Edmonds, Alden, and Florsheim. 

Shit You Should Be Aspiring To: Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4.

 

Lamborghini has launched its campaign for its newest beast, the Aventador LP700-4.  The '700' stands for 700HP.  Check out the debut commercial below.  It's awesome in every way (except perhaps the car's colour...)

Shit Worth Checking Out: WSJ article Man Shops Net

The Wall Street Journal published an article the other day on the rise of online shopping sites for men.  What was initially very much a female-driven market has recently seen huge growth in male shoppers, and this has lead to the success of sites such as Mr. Porter and GiltMan.  While I can't relate to the author's portrayal of men as shopping-averse, it's an interesting read.  Check it out here.

Shit Worth Checking Out: Intriguing debut trailer for Another Earth.

Fox Searchlight has debuted its first trailer for their indie Sci-Fi film Another Earth, the first feature film by Mike Cahill.  The film stars Brit Marling, who also co-wrote the film with Cahill.  The trailer starts off kinda slow, but by the end I was hooked; it looks like a surprisingly original take on the whole "we are  not alone" genre, which as we all know has been beaten into the ground.  Check it out below the cut!

Shit Worth Checking Out: H by Hudson Autumn 2011 campaign pics.

Another brand I must admit to just becoming aware of is H by Hudson.  Looking at their Autumn 2011 campaign pics, aside from their choice of some fucking creepy-looking models, it looks like a pretty decent offering.  Check out more from the "Home is Where my Shoes Are" look book after the jump.

Shit Worth Checking Out: Original publicity stills from Kurosawa's Throne of Blood.

The Criterion Collection has released five original publicity stills from Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood.  Obviously, they're frickin awesome.  Check them out after the jump.

Shit Worth Checking Out: Filippa K S/S 2011 campaign pics.

Filippa K is a brand I must admit not having been aware of until very recently.  They have a classic, somewhat rugged American style that I like.  For those who are as yet unaware of its existence, these pics should convince you of its deserving a place on your radar.