Art Cures, our new series, offers a themed list of music, films, books, events and other cool stuff in hopes of supplying you with a sufficient art fix, as well as the cures you didn’t know you needed. So whether you’re reeling from a recent break-up, seeking inspiration for your creative block, or just needing a change of scenery, these lists will help raise your spirits and remedy your ills.
Road trips are awesome in theory — speeding down an open highway with the windows down while a groovy playlist provides the perfect sonic backdrop for you and your best buds as you ponder the existential value of your journey. What could be better? Well, technically, a lot of things. In reality, road trips require a lot of boring plan-making, the patience to sit through hours of traffic, and too much money for gas and tolls. Plus, you have to pee in creepy, rest stop bathrooms. Then again, the idea of a road trip is great! So here’s a list of some road-inspired things to enjoy without having to actually hit the road.
- Check out ‘The Obsessively Detailed Map of American Literature’s Most Epic Road Trips.’ Created by the always-intriguing Atlas Obscura, this interactive map literally showcases each and every stop along some of the most intriguing literary road trips. Each stopping point is accompanied by a memorable line or passage from its book, and just a warning, it’s quite addicting.
- Watch David Lynch’s weird, steamy, and oh-so-romantic road flick Wild at Heart. Then, imagine yourself on a law-breaking, sex-fueled voyage with Nic Cage and/or Laura Dern with this fantastic film-inspired mix by Lynchland.
- Learn about the year Hunter S. Thompson spent with the notorious biker boyz Hell’s Angels in this 1967 interview with Studs Terkel — it’s been animated for PBS’ Blank on Blank interview series, so it’s fun to watch, too.
- Follow the travels of a womanizing, alcohol-abusing salesman in Nick Cave’s second novel The Death of Bunny Munro. The writing is stylish, sad, and humorous, and it will definitely have you contemplating new perspectives on life and mortality.
- Watching a [fictional] road trip transform into a hellish nightmare is always entertaining, right? The Texas Chainsaw Massacre is the obvious one to view if you’re trying to get freaked out.
- Have a dose of nostalgia by revisiting Aerosmith’s “Crazy” music video, starring baby Liv Tyler and baby Alicia Silverstone. Remember how cool this video was? Actually, it definitely still is, and I definitely still want to be them.
- Russ Meyer’s dark and dirty exploitation film Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! has inspired Janet Jackson, Quentin Tarantino, and The Simpsons, among others, and John Waters said it is “beyond a doubt, the best movie ever made.” It might not be a ‘road movie’ in the traditional sense, but it’s worth including for its overall awesomeness.
Article by Nicole Woszcyzna. Follow her on Twitter @nicolewosz.
