Daily Archives: September 2, 2022

Olivia Wilde remembers driving to Palm Springs for the first time 20 years ago, taking in the Midcentury Modern architecture, the palm trees, the lush golf courses and the flowing fountains, a verdant city plopped in the middle of a desert. Every time the native New Yorker looked out the window, the same thought ran through her head: If we settled Mars, this is what it would look like.

It felt like the ultimate expression of mans dominance and power, Wilde says over the phone, taking a walk around New York. Its so beautiful, but its also a really strange place. If not for all the creature comforts that man has created, you would die very quickly out here. And its the desert, so its spooky. I recall thinking that someday we have to make a horror movie out there.

That day has arrived with Dont Worry Darling, opening in theaters Sept. 23 after world premiering next week at the Venice Film Festival, a psychological thriller about a couple (Florence Pugh and Harry Styles) living in a utopian desert community called the Victory Project. Its a place where men leave in the mornings in their vintage Corvettes and Pontiacs for mysterious jobs while the women stay home, make the beds, scrub the bathtubs and cook up a pot roast for dinner. The ethos, in the words of the communitys leader, Frank (Chris Pine), is all about mining pure, unbridled potential. That and hedonism. The women must keep the liquor cabinets fully stocked too.

As the song goes, Its the good life if youre one of the men nuzzling your submissive wife over a bacon and eggs breakfast. Otherwise, to use another line from the same Sinatra song, You hide all the sadness you feel. The tension between the colonys seductive glamour and the level of control it imposes on the women who live there (imagine the most draconian HOA and you get the idea) gradually becomes exposed as Pughs character begins to question her surroundings over the course of the films two-hour running time.

Palm Springs stands in for the otherworldly setting of the Victory Project in Dont Worry Darling, an elite community with some dark secrets.

(Merrick Morton/Warner Bros. Pictures)

There was a moment when Dont Worry Darling might not have happened in Palm Springs. Wilde, writer Katie Silberman and production designer Katie Byron, the trio who collaborated on Wildes directorial debut, the acclaimed 2019 teen comedy Booksmart, had embarked on an early road trip to the desert to start scouting locations. It was July 2020, hotter than hell and the beginning of the pandemic, which made the Victory Projects life of revolving dinner parties feel like a complete fantasy. Taking in all the butterfly rooflines of communities like Canyon View Estates, they were certain they had found the movies setting.

But because of COVID, Wilde says, very reasonable powers that be suggested moving the production to New Zealand to save money. Wilde understood the logic but resisted, believing that, on a subconscious level, Palm Springs connected to what she calls the patriarchal masculinity that was essential to the story she was telling.

For me, New Zealand is this ecological gem thats evidence of natures power, Wilde says, and feels connected to Mother Nature and femininity. I think if I made a sequel about the matriarchy, New Zealand would be a reasonable place to go because its a place where you go to be humbled by nature. Thats the opposite of what the character Frank wants. He wants people to feel that nature is humbled in their presence, that man has molded nature to his will.

Chris Pine as Frank, the charismatic leader of the Victory Project, in Dont Worry Darling.

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

The location for Franks home was vitally important, and Wilde lucked out in securing the Kaufmann Desert House, a marvel of Modernism, a home made from glass, steel and Utah stone, epitomizing the indoor-outdoor Southern California lifestyle aesthetic. The home, built in 1946 to the designs of Richard Neutra, has been immortalized in photographs, including Slim Aarons Poolside Gossip, a shot that, coincidentally, Wilde had pinned to her wall while she was developing Dont Worry Darling.

To have that image on the wall and then be able to crawl inside it felt like that scene in Mary Poppins when they jump into the chalk drawings on the sidewalk, Wilde says.

The movie makes use of a couple of other Palm Springs landmarks, the City Hall and the Visitors Center, both designed by renowned architect Albert Frey. But for another key location, the building that stands in as the Victory Projects mysterious headquarters (employees only!), the films location manager, Chris Baugh, ventured a couple of hours north to the Mojave Desert community of Newberry Springs. There, atop a 150-foot cinder cone, sits a building known as the Volcano House, a saucer-like structure that appears to have materialized from another planet or dimension.

The Volcano House in Newberry Springs serves at the setting for the Victory Project headquarters in Dont Worry Darling.

(Warner Bros. Pictures)

We got shivers down our spines when we first saw it, Byron says. Adds cinematographer Matthew Libatique: It just feels like it melts into the landscape. Its a trek to get out there, but when everyone saw it, they knew: This is it. This is what the Victory Projects headquarters would look like.

The triumph associated with the communitys name appears to be confined, as the films trailer hints, to a small slice of the population. And yet, Wilde says, its easy to be seduced by iconography of the midcentury, Rat Pack era, which is why she hoped to keep Dont Worry Darling from being didactic in its depiction of its patriarchal world.

Filming at the Kaufmann Desert House as the films community gathers for a speech from Frank (Chris Pine).

(Merrick Morton/Warner Bros. Pictures)

Theres a recklessness to the debauchery that feels almost aspirational to us today, Wilde says, Because it feels like a world without consequence. Id be lying if I said I didnt find it really compelling and alluring. I didnt want to make a preachy feminist parable that depicts men as villains. I think the film is about our collective complicity in this futuristic infrastructure that objectifies women.

And what I found so interesting was the complicity in myself, she continues. That feeling of, Oh, Im all about new-wave feminism and smash the patriarchy. But here I am loving this era and you can use the Rat Pack as an example of it that was really horrendous for women. That tension between knowing somethings wrong but still being very seduced by it is where the movie sits. I want the audience to be tugged back and forth between those emotions.

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How 'Don't Worry Darling' Palm Springs locations add to thrills - Los Angeles Times

In the late 1970s, punk morphed into post-punk, something more streamlined, durable and, dare I say, more absorbing. The rambunctious, unrefined energy of the Sex Pistols had made way for a sound that now welcomed instrumental talent, insightful lyricism and, in many cases, dark introspection. Where punk was associated with a youthful outcry soaked in hedonism and anti-establishment aggression, post-punk often addressed more personal emotions. This was certainly the case for The Cure and Joy Division, two of Britains most revered exponents of the movement.

Joy Division shoved to the forefront of the Manchester scene in September 1978 after they performed Shadowplay on Whats On, a popular feature on the regional television programme Granada Reports. This was followed in June 1979 by the release of their seminal debut album, Unknown Pleasures, which saw the band take a further step toward national acclaim.

Around this time, The Cures frontman Robert Smith first caught wind of the Manchester outfit, and he seemed rather fond of them. In a 2013 interview with Paraguays Radio Urbana, Smith remembered inviting Joy Division to play a gig with them in the capital. In 1980, we did a thing in London at the Marquee Club, Smith said. We picked the four bands we wanted to play with us, and Joy Division were one of those bandsI heard [songs from] Unknown Pleasures on the radio on John Peel, and they were just fantastic.

He added: They were the best thing Id seen not ever, because Id seen Bowie and the Stones but they were of that generation of bands which is my generation of bands, they were so powerfulthat was our best show that year, I think, we went on after them and we had to really we had to try hard to match what they did its a shame about Ian Curtis its like Jimi Hendrix or Kurt Cobainpeople that good come around far too infrequently.

After Joy Division singer Ian Curtis tragic suicide in May 1980, the remaining members of Joy Division formed New Order with the addition of Gillian Gilbert. While The Cure were tacitly impressed by their peers continued work over the 80s, a rift had opened up between the two groups. Speaking to Radio Urbana in 2013, Smith addressed their differences with New Order, explaining that the issue was centralised around their bassist, Peter Hook.

In his 2012 memoir, Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division, Hook made some controversial comments about The Cure, claiming that they had sold out a bit. This sparked conjecture in online forums as fans pointed with hand-cupped grins at New Orders ostensible lack of judgement during the infamous Blue Monday reimagination for a Sunkist commercial in the United States.

Addressing the petty feud with Hook, Smith told Radio Urbana: Although the Cure and New Orderwe come from the same age and everything, but Peter Hook always had a real big problem with us because our bassist Simon Gallup was so much better looking and the better bass playerI think Peter was so jealous he could never get over it, and he stopped the rest of them from being friendly

In 2007, Hook announced that he and frontman Bernard Sumner were disbanding New Order to work on separate endeavours. However, Sumner and the rest of the group decided to continue, leading to an uncomfortable few years of squabbling over music rights.

Continuing in his conversation with Radio Urbana, Smith described a healthier relationship with New Order since Hook left the band. Weve bumped into them over the years, and since [Hook] hes left, weve played with New Order a few times in the last summer, and its so nice to be able to chat with them, you know, to talk with them because Ive always loved New Order I think theyre one of the best bands they also have a fantastic back catalogue, and they like us, its so nice to say to Bernard [Sumner] I like your band, and he says I like yours as well and its taken an awful long time to say hello again to them. Theyre a good example of a band that gets better as they get older. They were fantastic when we played with them last year, and were playing again with them this year at a couple of festivals.

From a fans perspective, its difficult to see two bands from a similar region of the musical spectrum enter petty feuds. Its even more difficult to know who or what was to blame, with only fragments of the story from potentially biased sources. We cant be certain of any jealousy between Hook and Gallup, but if it did exist, could it have been the sole factor?

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Robert Smith on why The Cure couldnt get along with New Order - Far Out Magazine

In his early years, Andreas Maler was a brilliant academic with a particular affinity for all things linguistic and legislative.

The people of Basel thought of him as a sort of Latinist prodigy, although he soon became more prodigal than prodigious, leaning ever further into the insatiable hedonism that inspired his art. It isnt until the year 1518, when his friend Brother Piero is accused of murder, that he must finally recall his studies but at what cost, and to what end?

This is the version of Maler that I built for my demo of Pentiment at Gamescom 2022, although there are a lot of customization options to play around with.

You have to play as Maler, but you can texture his personality, academic background, and travel history to your liking. Is he a logician or an occultist? A theologian or a medicinal practitioner? A drunkard visiting Bavaria from Flanders, or a virtuosic artist from Renaissance Italy? A philosopher whose head is often buried in books, or a different kind of optimistic nihilist who has earned the prestigious title of rapscallion from all those he tries to inculcate, but instead infuriates? You get the gist.

The official trailer for Obsidian Entertainments Pentiment.

Like any good RPG, Pentiment prides itself on its ability to provide different experiences for different people. Thats partly why it simply feels like an Obsidian game despite the lack of spiders, Super Mutants, or sadly underappreciated systems like those of the criminally underrated Alpha Protocol (Im not bitter, I swear).

This extends beyond the deep RPG systems at the heart of Pentiment. Given that my Maler was a know-it-all hedonist with little regard for the world around him, it would be easy for my demo to have been extraordinarily silly. In some ways, it was. From exclamations of Fuck the church! to lads pulling sickies from the fields, there is a sort of chaotic humor to Pentiment that keeps it energized even throughout its slower sections.

But then there are also instances in which the game deals with state repossession, abuses of institutional power, and the gross disparity in the distribution of wealth. It is at times like these that it becomes clear this is well and truly an Obsidian game, especially when you are able to use your chosen background to interact with and respond to these themes in unexpected and fascinating ways.

For example, during the demo, we were allowed to play through one of three quests. I decided to help a widow named Ottilia, who had recently lost her husband. When you first meet her, she is cold, bitter, and relentlessly rude although after you help her with a bunch of chores, she warms up to you.

At this point, you will be given the option to steal a branch of abbey-owned firewood for her. This is a criminal offense, which a Maler skilled in Imperial Law will be all too aware of. You can still proceed with the crime, allowing you to recognize fairness over arbitrary rules designed to maintain class divides. Once you lock in your choice to snap the piece of wood, a prompt appears on the screen: This will be remembered. Even minor actions can beget major consequences, but the beauty of Pentiment is that it veils what you can and cant get away with. This isnt necessarily new, of course, but it's the level of refinement the game aspires to and supersedes that makes it special.

Speaking of refinement, perhaps the most impressive aspect of Pentiment is its commitment to not just a coherent art style, but emphatic art direction. On one hand, theres a gorgeous storybook quality to the UI that not only makes it intuitive and easy to navigate, but it also heightens the games authenticity while at the same time increasing the number of mechanisms through which said authenticity can be even further heightened.

For example, you will likely notice that Pentiment incorporates a variety of medieval fonts but what might be less obvious is that the textboxes are populated in accordance with how said fonts would have been written in the 16th century. Beyond that, following hyperlinked words will not just provide a pop-up explanation, but yank the perspective back to a sort of bookish view, where a hand with a long, spindly index finger will point to the explanation in question. It is not just a unique art style, but a case of highly functional and authentic art direction. There are very few games that compare.

Hopefully, there are no people inside that bonfire.Obsidian

Its also worthwhile to acknowledge the fact that it doesnt opt for style at the cost of accessibility. Despite its clear love for fonts and conviction for historical accuracy, Pentiment offers an alternative suite of more legible fonts at the beginning of the game, instantly allowing you to choose an easier-to-read version. And even in this instance, Pentiment reaches an impressive level of verisimilitude thanks to factors like a well-researched proprietary card game, the implementation of canonical hours, and an excellent codex system, among many other minor yet highly significant and detail-oriented elements of the game.

Pentiment is certainly niche when compared to something like Fallout: New Vegas, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 2, or the upcoming Avowed. But that doesnt stop it from meeting the quality that has become synonymous with Obsidian Entertainment over the last 19 years.

If this game isnt on your radar, it should be not least because it lets you steal from avaricious misers to help old ladies who understand the inherent evils of institutional power. Hell yeah.

Continued here:

'Pentiment' is a work of peerless brilliance - Inverse

Atlantas Lil Babys hunger is so potent its like his tapeworms have tapeworms. The former dope boy hustled his way from scrappy mixtape phenom to venerable Grammy winner. The urgency in his lithe delivery makes every one of his songs even the loose, turn-up joints feel like a motivational come-up credo. Amid all the hedonism of 2018s Drip Too Hard, theres a relentless and energizing focus on nonstop grinding. And 2020s The Bigger Picture, which addressed police brutality in the wake of the brutal murder of George Floyd, turned a dark chapter in American history into a fruitful opportunity for raising awareness, leaving listeners activated and inspired. Naturally, the excellent documentary, Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby (which premiered on Amazon last Friday) gives us an intimate and gripping glimpse of one of raps brightest young stars.

The film opens with a scene depicting Lil Baby starting his day in a dressing-room trailer on the morning of his performance at the 2021 Grammys. As he laces up his Jordans and dons his jewelry, the first words out of his mouth are I dreamed about this shit as a kid Imma be a real millionaire. Youre immediately won over by his chutzpah: While most of us are groggily refreshing the snooze button, Lil Baby is already up talking about the sacrifices that come with being a boss and providing for his loved ones.

Indeed, for all his gritty street allure, Lil Baby radiates a sense of compassion that makes him seem all the more relatable. This is expressed early in the film in a brief vignette that shows him on one of his rare days off, at home with his kids. And when he confesses, between scenes of him and his son, Jason, playing outside, I could fuck up, and he could be like me, its clear that family comes first to him: He wants to be a good father for his kids, if only because he never had one growing up. Its affectionate moments like these that stand out and endear you to Lil Baby, whom filmmaker Karam Gill does a great job of humanizing.

After some wistful reminiscences from his mother intercut with footage from old family videos a historian from the University of Atlanta helps provide context for the Atlanta that shaped the artist born Dominique Armani Jones. In 1990, just four years before he was born, the city, in preparation for the 1996 Olympics, set up a special task force (to ostensibly safeguard its citizens) that waged war on African Americans. Also, there were cuts in the federal housing budget that left poor residents displaced. Lil Baby, whose family faced eviction, were reminded, started moving weight.

Quality Control CEO Pierre Pee Thomas, in an illuminating segment in the documentary, talks about how he remembers seeing Lil Baby in the trap house during his time in the underworld. Thomas, who left the streets and wanted to provide opportunities for disenfranchised youth, affirms that the 27-year-olds charm made him want to sign him instantly. The film details how Lil Baby diligently parlayed his corner-tested hustles into a passion for music.

All this fascinating backstory builds to the films climax on the night of the biggest performance of Lil Babys career the very event we see him preparing for at the beginning. With his whole community behind him, and now the world, Lil Baby is joyously basking in his moment. The hunger and persistence have paid off in a major way. Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby makes us feel thrilled to witness his unbelievable journey.

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Untrapped: The Story of Lil Baby Is All About Unstoppable Charisma and Real Compassion - Rolling Stone

Thor: Love and Thunder introduced entire new leagues of gods and cosmic entities into the Marvel Cinematic Universe but apparently we were supposed to get even more of them than we saw! A new Thor 4 deleted scene called "Looking for Zeus" has been released online, and it shows Thor Odinson (Chris Hemsworth) and his teammates Korg (Taika Waititi) and Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) coming to Omnipotent City to seek an audience with Zeus only to be accosted by Zeus's son, Dionysus.

As you can see in the replies, most Marvel fans seem to be in agreement that Thor: Love and Thunder did well to remove this particular scene from the theatrical cut. More than a few people used the word "cringe" in reference to watching the scene. It is a pretty thin comedic gag using an obvious target: Dionysus is primarily known (and revered ) for being a god of wine, ecstasy, and general hedonism. That's not exactly a hard set of things to poke fun at and this scene doesn't go nearly as far or edgy as a comedic version of Dionysus could go.

Thor: Love and Thunder doesn't generally seem to be aging well with time, in the minds of a lot of Marvel fans. While fans initially embraced the silly fun of the film, and the spectacle of seeing Natalie Portman's Jane Foster take up the hammer, it's since sunk in that the story was full of holes, and that Christian Bale seemed to be in a totally different movie one that we only got bits and pieces of. Like all recent Marvel movie releases, the visual effects were also criticized for being spotty and inconsistent.

Criticisms aside, Thor 4 did open the door on a much bigger "universe" in the MCU. Omnipotent City revealed just how many "gods" there are operating in the MCU at least in this reality not to mention entities like Eternity, which seem to exist beyond the known boundaries of the MCU. If nothing else, the most exciting thing that Thor: Love and Thunder did was set up the stage of Thor's story in the MCU to be a War of the Gods event between the Asgardians and Zeus family of gods from Olympus starting with the formidable-looking Hercules (Brett Goldstein).

Thor: Love and Thunder will stream on Disney+ on September 8th.

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Thor: Love and Thunder Reveals Another Major God in Deleted Scene - ComicBook.com

Lionsgate has revealed the trailer for Living starring Bill Nighy, in the reimagining of Akira Kurosawas Ikiru. Heres our glowing review from Sundance.

1953. A London shattered by WWII is still recovering. Williams (Bill Nighy), a veteran civil servant, is an impotent cog within the citys bureaucracy as it struggles to rebuild. Buried under paperwork at the office, lonely at home, his life has long felt empty and meaningless. Then a shattering medical diagnosis forces him to take stock and to try and grasp fulfilment before it goes beyond reach.

At a seaside resort, chaperoned by a local decadent (Tom Burke), he flirts with hedonism before rejecting it as his solution. Back in London, he finds himself drawn to the natural vitality of Margaret (Aimee Lou Wood), a young woman who once worked under his supervision and is now determined to spread her wings. Then one evening he is struck by a revelation one as simple as it is profound and with new energy, and the help of Peter (Alex Sharp), an idealistic new recruit to his department, he sets about creating a legacy for the next generation.

Directed by Oliver Hermanus, the film stars Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, Alex Sharp and Tom Burke.

Also in trailers Daniel Radcliffe stars in trailer for Weird The Al Yankovic Story

The film will open in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on 4 November.

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"Life just crept up on me..." Trailer lands for 'Living' with Bill Nighy - HeyUGuys

When Turins PalaOlimpico was transformed into a giant disco for the interval show that celebrated Italys contribution to dance music at this years Eurovision first semi-final, the last thing you would expect to see wasa band from Sheffield. But, after tracks by legends such as Giorgio Moroderand Robert Miles, Sophie and the Giants an act that cut its teeth in that other northern industrial city took the stage, performing last years singleGolden Nights to a TV audience that would top 160 million viewers across the contest broadcasts.

But while they are without a single hit at home, Sophie and the Giants will have been familiar to many of those millions across Europe, their Hypnotized a wistful and beguiling Italo disco revival song, released in the early weeks of the first lockdown having been one of the biggest hits of the year, going certified gold in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, platinum in Poland, and garnering over 250 million Spotify streams to date. And flame-haired Sophie Scott, with her commanding vocals, empowering lyrics and a costume wardrobe to die for, has emerged as a bona fide European disco queen. Notbad for a girl from Staines just a few years out of her teens. Hypnotized wasa collaboration with German producer Purple Disco Machine and reachedNo 2 in Italy. It just missed out on the Top 10 in Germany, where Sophie andthe Giants have found a home on Universals regional division and where their 2019 single, The Light, was already familiar to audiences due to its use in a Vodafone advert. Hypnotized, meanwhile, had been used in a Sky WiFi ad in Italy.

Having appeared in holographic form on the X Factor Italia stage in November 2020 (filmed against a green screen in Sophies Sheffield flat), 2021 saw a further burnishing of credentials in Italy. Falene, a seductive Latin-flavoured summer duet with Italian star Michele Bravi, found Sophie singing in both English and Italian, while Golden Nights was an Anglo-Italian collaboration with electro house pioneer Benny Benassi and star producer and songwriter Dardust.

At the beginning of this year, In the Dark, another retro Italo-disco collaboration with Purple Disco Machine, repeated much of the Europewide success of Hypnotized, and a highprofile appearance at the Sanremo festival followed, seeing Sophie perform with an Italian rock band of 20 years standing, Le Vibrazioni.

This Italian and German success for a fledgling British act seems less thanusual, but it has deep roots. Originally dubbed spaghetti disco, Italo discowould not have been possible without Italian electronic visionary GiorgioMoroder and it was driven by a handful of 1980s Italian producers, but it was given its name by German label ZYX and it was in Germany that the genre found much of its success. It seems those audiences are more than ready for the Italo disco revival that has been gathering pace in recent years and in which Sophie and the Giants have carved out a niche.

This is an act who have been an intriguing prospect from the off. Originally forming as a teenage fourpiece in 2017 as students at Guildfords Academy of Contemporary Music, they moved to Sheffield one of the cradles of British electronic music, after all and the band were on the cusp of the fame that came with Hypnotized when they described themselves with youthful arrogance as making the best pop music youve ever heard.

Debut single Monsters (2018), with its apparently Steve Reich-influenced opening, impassioned Florence Welch-meets-La Roux vocals, and emotionallyrics, certainly showed a maturity beyond their years. And while Waste My Air from the same years EP Adolescence, with its message of dont let people f*** with the time you have here, was an early indication of the thoroughly millennial theme of self-realisation in Sophie and the Giants lyrics, this is not necessarily music solely for the young.

The dance euphoria of Sophie and the Giants is infectious, and while Hypnotized seemed to speak directly to the times in early 2020, opening Feelburied alive, this city is airtight, and 2021s Right Now was intended as a post-pandemic anthem (Im all done waiting/ And Im coming up strongernow/ Oh, I made it), their just-released, late summer single We Own the Night has found them continuing to bring a refreshing, transcendent hedonism to chronically troubled times. As Sophie put it back on Monsters, the future beckons you.

SOPHIE AND THE GIANTS in five songs

Break the Silence (2019)A manifesto for honesty and courage, this track showcased the euphoric, emotional intensity this act is capable of.

Hypnotized (2020)A collaboration with German producer Purple Disco Machine, this was thesong that broke Sophie and the Giants through to European success, with itjust missing out on topping the Italian charts.

Golden Nights (2021)Featuring legendary music producer Benny Benassi, this song was includedas the latest word in Italian electronic music innovation at the Eurovision 2022 first semi-final interval show in Turin.

In The Dark (2022)Another collaboration with Purple Disco Machine, this single was heavy on the Italo disco nostalgia, with chiming synths and a keen sense of camp drama.

We Own the Night (2022)Sophie and the Giants latest release is all about unbridled hedonism and defiance of negativity.

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Disco giants: The Sheffield band hypnotising Europe - The New European

Im in Villefranche-sur-Mer on the French Riviera. Its twilight and Im eating at La Mere Germaine (Momma Germaine), a restaurant that got its start feeding hungry GIs in World War II. Germaines grandson runs the place and hes at my table artfully filleting six different fish before lovingly ladling on the broth.

He explains the Rivieras most famous dish to me as if I plan to cook it back at my hotel: Its a spicy fish stew based on recipes handed down from sailors in nearby Marseille. A true bouillabaisse must contain at least four types of fresh fish though we include six. It never has shellfish. We cook the fish in a tomato-based stock flavor with saffron and white wine. He finishes the lesson sprinkling in croutons and capping everything with a dollop of garlicky rouille sauce.

Indulging in perhaps the most expensive dish Ive ever eaten in Europe, Im engulfed in the Riviera good life. Im so close to the harbor I can toss my olive pits into the sea.

Several mega-yachts stoke envies just offshore. Ones named Lady Maura (Im told Maura is an ex-wife of a Saudi king). You never know whose stern line you might be catching around here. A skipper looking formal in his casual wear is shuttled ashore by his tidy mate in a tiny dinghy just picking up his statuesque date for the evening. Germaines grandson gives me a knowing wink.

Pondering my lavish meal along with the days sightseeing, Im reminded of the heritage of hedonism unique to this stretch of Mediterranean beach.

Some of the Rivieras priciest real estate stretches from where I sit, in Villefranche, to nearby Monaco. Just beyond the Lady Maura, Cap Ferrat, an extremely exclusive, largely residential community, fills a peaceful parklike peninsula. While youll never get past any gates, I spent a delightful day here just strolling and this isnt your average jogging trail. Following its well-groomed path, I got a glimpse of the villa where David Niven once lived, wandered the ritzy port of St. Jean-Cap-Ferrat, toured the ultimate Riviera mansion and gardens the Rothschild Ephrussi Villa, and stumbled upon a hidden little beach. Not very welcoming, it felt like the private domain of aristocratic nymphs and satyrs.

In towns all along the Riviera, graceful buildings from the turn-of-the-last-century line the harborfront reminders of the belle epoque. It was literally the beautiful age, when the world seemed to revolve around the upper class, and indulgence with abandon was a lifestyle.

A prime example of belle epoque luxury is the majestic Hotel Negresco, overlooking the grand Mediterranean promenade of Nice. The hotel offers some of the citys most expensive beds and the chance to step back into that age of ultimate refinement. Its exquisite Royal Salon combines belle epoque grace with engineering by the great French architect Gustav Eiffel. The chandelier is made of more than 16,000 pieces of crystal. It was built in France for the Russian czars Moscow palace but, because of the Bolshevik Revolution, he couldnt take delivery.

Just beyond Nice is the town of Antibes. Discovered after World War I, it enjoyed a particularly roaring 20s with the help of party animals such as Rudolph Valentino and the rowdy-yet-very-silent Charlie Chaplin. Locals claim that fun-seekers even invented water skiing there in the 1920s.

Picasso also enjoyed the good life in Antibes. In 1946, 65-year-old Pablo Picasso was reborn. World War II was over, and Picasso could finally escape the gray skies and gray uniforms of Nazi-occupied Paris. Enjoying worldwide fame and the love of 23-year-old Francoise Gilot, he moved to Antibes. He painted like a madman, spent mornings swimming in the Mediterranean, evenings partying with friends, and late nights painting again.

Ever-restless, Picasso had finally found his Garden of Eden his joy of life. In Antibes Picasso Museum, his Joie de Vivre shows the painters flower-child Francoise. She kicks up her heels and dances across a Riviera beach. Flute-playing satyrs, centaurs and fauns announce the newfound freedom of a newly liberated France and a newly liberated Picasso.

After decades in the city, Picasso rediscovered the joys of village life. Shopping at the Antibes market, hed return home and turn groceries into masterpieces. With his distinct Cubist style, he captured sunbathers and munching locals. He was fascinated with the simple life of fishermen. Here on the Riviera, like so many others, Picasso found a pagan paradise, where civilized people could let their hair down and indulge in simple pleasures.

Travel, like a bouillabaisse, is the happy result of good things coming together. For the French Riviera, take a variety of beach towns, spice with modern art, toss in a pinch of history, sprinkle in some market fun and let simmer under the Mediterranean sun.

Edmonds resident Rick Steves (www.ricksteves.com) writes European guidebooks, hosts travel shows on public TV and radio, and organizes European tours. This column revisits some of Ricks favorite places over the past two decades. You can email Rick at rick@ricksteves.com and follow his blog on Facebook.

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Rick Steves' Europe: Savoring the good life on the French Riviera | HeraldNet.com - The Daily Herald

The beautiful palm-fringed beach on the island of Holbox, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Photo / Getty Images

Whether you're looking for a lively getaway or a quiet escape, there's a travel hotspot to suit all shoulder-season tastes, writes Thomas Bywater.

In September, as winter thaws, there are only two appropriate courses of action: rejuvenate in some late-season sun, or dance till you're dead. In Europe and the US particularly, spring has a reputation for travellers letting their hair down. While spring might not align perfectly around the world, it offers the same appeal: world-class resorts at shoulder-season prices. But those wanting to avoid the riotous mass of students at leisure might be surprised by the more relaxed options nearby. The most successful spring breaks offer both.

Party in Cancun, Chill in Isla Holbox

Mayan ruins, margaritas and the bay of Mexico. The hedonistic Punta Cancun is a notorious party location that has been attracting revellers from the Americas for years. The proximity to tropical beaches, the pyramids of Chichen Itza and beach resort create a "vibey" atmosphere with a strong enough pull to reach into Australia and New Zealand. However, the candy-coloured towers of the Temptation resorts leave no ambiguity that this is a destination that is up all night. On the other side of the peninsula, the Isla Holbox is a far more laid-back experience.

Less developed, Playa Holbox is full of painted beach huts with a gentle onshore breeze. A couple of hours' drive from Cancun, the ferry from Chiquila costs 140 pesos ($10) per person. A pass to fish tacos, powdery beaches and a Mexican holiday that feels decades removed from the strip at Kukulkan.

Party on the Oversea Highway, chill in Merritts Mill.

The palm-lined beaches of the Florida Pan are notorious for wild and wanton spring break parties. Spring break in "Magic City" Miami is a hot mess around 90,000 party-goers arrive over the fortnight. A more low-key option would be along the Oversea Highway 1, from Key Largo to Key West. With shallow, batheable beaches on a string of islands, it offers the novelty of a four-hour road trip into the Gulf of Mexico and stops to satisfy party-seekers, beach-hoppers and their sense of adventure.

For a break from the Florida spring breakers, head north to the Panhandle. The quaintly named Apalachicola is exactly the paintbox-coloured beach town you imagine it to be. A little further inland the aquifers of the Merritts Mill wetlands are a naturally soothing experience. Get Up And Go Kayaking Florida run clear-bottom paddling tours out into freshwater groves, and it feels as far from Miami Vice as you can get.

Party in Palm Springs, chill in Scottsdale.

The oasis from which a thousand Instagram influencers bloomed, Palm Springs might be America's trendiest desert resort. And it knows it. Somehow the Palm Desert underwent a transformation from a Californian golf trap to the aesthete's spring break of choice. The Coachella music festival, with headliners from Harry Styles to Beyonce, has a lot to do with this. But on the other side of the desert, you'll find more chill in Scottsville.

Similarities are more than cosmetic. Palm Spring's famously chic Saguaro hotel began here. The original pastel-coloured desert retreat is every bit as beautiful, but with fewer people stopping for selfies. Similarly stunning desert landscapes without the filter can be found at Frank Lloyd Wright's desert home in Taliesin West and the SMoCA Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art.

Party in San Antonio, chill at Casa Ibango

Since the late 60s the White Isle has been a beacon for celebrity musicians and revellers from the UK to Australia. However, it was in the early 90s that the club culture exploded. 24-hour party people took over San Antonio and Ibiza city. Spring is the start of the party calendar. You'll find Cafe Mambo and the unforgettable Amnesia are booked out with international dance acts nightly. Accommodation options are also decidedly upbeat - the Ibiza Paradiso, for example, is a quirky art-themed hotel where guests are on display. However, on the north of the island, out of earshot of the 808s, is a different side to the island.

Santa Ines and San Juan offer a glimpse of a more bucolic existence in the Balearic isle. You'll find high-end eco-resorts such as Six Senses Ibiza alongside Mediterranean homestays, near the barber pole-like Punta Moscarter lighthouse. There are also some drippy hippie gems clinging on in the hinterlands, too. Why not indulge in a spot of "Gong Bathing" at Casa Ibango in the Ibiza highlands?

Party in Seminyak, Chill in Lombok

Isle of the Gods has a unique place in Indonesia. This is especially true for Kiwi and Aussie students on their spring holidays. The beachside resorts of Kuta and Seminyak exist somewhere along the boho-bogan continuum. In a remix of Elizabeth Gilbert's 2006 paperback, young party goers come here to Eat, Play, Rave. The "new age" hippie fantasy of Bali has been replaced by parasols, fish-bowl cocktails and swim-up bars. There are some more sophisticated haunts, such as Potato Head, which specialise in sustainably-minded hedonism.

But to turn back the clocks to a more relaxed Balinese experience, you can take the hour-and-a-half ferry ride to Lombok. You'll find pristine beaches and free-range livestock among the coconut groves, but there are also some comforts. Upmarket accommodation options include the Hotel Tugu Lombok in Tanjung.

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Spring break: Top spots to party and relax, from Bali to the Balearics - New Zealand Herald