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.

Combining Fashion and Finance: Interesting interview with Gilt Groupe CEO Kevin Ryan

Bloomberg Television conducted an interview the other day with Kevin Ryan, the CEO an co-founder of everyone's favourite flash sale shopping website, Gilt Groupe (well, not those of us in Canada, but that's another story...).  Gilt recently completed another (allegedly its final) round of financing, for $138 million.  The financing attaches a market value to Gilt Groupe of $1 billion; not bad for a company that is only three years old.  Although not yet profitable when taking all of its divisions into account, Gilt's revenue has grown steadily since its inception, and Ryan predicts gross revenue for the year ended June 30, 2011 between $400-500 million.  Gilt employs over 700 people across seven different verticals, including women's fashion, men's fashion, Gilt City (city-specific deal service a la Groupon), and Jetsetter (travel sales division).  More after the jump.

Interesting Shit that I'm Too Lazy to Write Anything About: May 13, 2011.

Tour Mark Zuckerberg's $7 Million new home (it looks like a Vermont B&B for seniors...)

The Icon's Guide to Sunglasses (featuring Steve McQueen, Robert Downey Jr., Marcel Mastroianni, and even the Secret Service)

Wall Street Journal article on retail reward programs: Why Pay Full Price?

Study finds world luxury market to grow 8%

The 50 Most Stylish Musicians of the Last 50 Years

Will Smith as lead in Tarantino's Django Unchained?

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: The Philosophy of Michael Drake.

The website for Drakes London features a blurb on The Philosophy of Michael Drake, the founder of Drakes London, that is worth checking out for a Sunday afternoon read and outlines Drake's personal style.  Take from it what you will; his style is decidedly English and not for everyone, and his claim that '[t]he best-dressed Neapolitans aim for an understated English style' is slightly biased at best.

Check out the article after the jump, or go right to the source if you trust yourself to avoid getting sucked in to shopping.

Shit Worth Checking Out: Citizen Kane at 70: The Legacy of the Film and Its Director.

The Atlantic had an interesting article the other day looking at Citizen Kane and its influence over the past seventy years, titled Citizen Kane at 70: The Legacy of the Film and Its Director.  The article focuses on Welles's career and his importance to cinema, but the most interesting bits look at some of the lost footage from his films, including an entirely unreleased film, The Other Side of the Wind, which remains unedited and the subject of a lengthy legal dispute.  While one can argue forever whether Citizen Kane is indeed 'the greatest film of all time', its innovatory importance is not up for dispute, nor is its (or Welles's himself) impact on film.  Check out the article here; it's well-worth a read.