Hollywood Sets the Scene

I try not to make it a regular practice to cut and paste from the magazines but I suppose it's okay to take the liberty when your work is mentioned. I have been busy on the lecture circuit this month (ten planes and counting) and have not been able to post as usual so I hope you enjoy the lst dibs article on Hollywood Sets the Scene in their Eye on Design article series.

And while I am on the subject of lectures, I will be speaking at New York's Art and Antique Dealers League Show at the Park Avenue Armory this Friday at 3:00 p.m. on Designs on Film and a century of design in the movies (book signing to follow). If you are in the area, hope to see you there!

Many thanks to all of you who attended my lecture in Chicago...SRO! Great show and enjoyed meeting you all. And thank you Mary Ahern for the wonderful luncheon, what a fun group of women!

Photo Credits: AMC/Mad Men

The Art of the Steal

Coming soon to a theater near you -- Friday, November 4th to be exact -- is the all-star comedy caper Tower Heist (Universal). Starring Ben Stiller, Matthew Broderick, Michael Pena, Casey Affleck, and Eddie Murphy (as seen above), the story is straight out of the today's headlines. Alan Alda plays billionaire Arthur Shaw who swindles his investors out of their retirement (shades of Bernie Madoff) and most regrettably for him, the people that work in his swanky Columbus Circle luxury condo (again, as seen above). Stiller and his co-workers hire petty thief Eddie Murphy to steal some of Shaw's prize possessions -- the crown jewel being Steve McQueen's red 1963 Ferrari. Hence the name Tower Heist.

Designed by production designer Kristi Zea and set decorator Diane Lederman (they paired on Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps most recently), the sets are some of the most interesting of the decade. You can read more about the designs in my article for Architectural Digest this month and also on the Entertainment Weekly website. Enjoy!

Photo Credits: Universal Pictures