December 05, 2010
The Year of the Rabbit: The Playboy Collection, Christie’s Auction, December 8
Playboy is mostly known for its interviews and centerfolds, but the venerable men’s magazine is now auctioning off 124 photographs and prints from its huge archive for the right prices. There’s an outstretched Marilyn Monroe against a vivid red backdrop and a “60s shot of Brigitte Bardot for those looking to add to their pin-up collection. Major art aficionados are eyeing three works by Alberto Vargas and the 1966 watercolor “Playmate” by Salvador Dali, which, until recently, had the honor of hanging above Hef’s well-trafficked bed. It’s expected to rake in over $100,000. But the pièce de résistance is an oil painting by Tom Wesselmann, likely to go for two to three million. Nothing epitomizes the Playboy brand better than an open, red-lipsticked mouth.
Tron Legacy Soundtrack
Daft Punk goes Disney”this really is a brave new world. The Tron sequel is released this month after a 28-year holdup and the French electronic duo Daft Punk was co-opted to score the entire film. It’s a match made in futuristic heaven. Eight-five musicians banded together to produce the score, and some die-hard fans are saying it’s their best music in a decade. They”re unlikely to swipe the crowns held by such classic composers of John Williams and Randy Newman, but if Tuesday’s album release is any indication of Tron‘s quality, the sci-fi hacker’s paradise is worthy of that $13 ticket.
2011 Pirelli Calendar
The tire company’s annual calendar has been an institution for over 30 years. Because yours was likely lost in the mail”it’s given only to a few lucky VIPs”leaked images online will have to suffice. This year, Karl Lagerfeld was behind the lens, shooting the Greek mythology spread in his impressive library, quite the step up from last year’s Terry Richardson portfolio. Julianne Moore, flawless on the cusp of her 50th birthday, is the most famous face”and body”to grace the glossy pages as Zeus” wife Hera. Fifteen models, including Erin Wasson, and five bronzed men pull together the year’s most coveted calendar.
Peter & the Wolf, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, December 11
Those looking for a very highbrow holiday need to look no further than the Guggenheim. The New York museum is hosting its annual performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s classic Peter & the Wolf, narrated by fashion designer Isaac Mizrahi. The Juilliard Ensemble performs, and Rei Sato of Takashi Murakami’s production company”think bold, bright, big colors”is adding a new twist to the art installation this year. The Russian composer wrote the story about a young boy in only four days, and it holds up well for being over 80 years old. Mizrahi calls his third time as host “one of my favorite yearly events. It satisfies the huge ham in me and it gives me something to do.” The ham is satisfied for only a little while”the event is a child-pleasing half-hour long.
William and Harry: Behind the Palace Walls
Already under royal wedding fatigue? There have been a glut of Prince William and Kate Middleton books rushed to shelves”The Sun’s royal correspondent finished his William and Kate: A Royal Love Story in about two days. With a long four months before the nuptials, we prefer to snuggle up with a new tome based on the other fascinating royal relationship”the one between Prince William and Harry. The two young men have had a strong bond since the death of their mother and Nicholl, who’s on the royal beat for the Mail on Sunday, scooped sources and contacts close to the Palace to paint a portrait of their lives thus far, from their princely duties to bravery at war. It all begs the question: Kate who?
