Photographed in Woodstock, NY by Jonathan Leder.

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For Max Payne, the tragedies that took his loved ones years ago are wounds that refuse to heal. No longer a cop, close to washed up and addicted to pain killers, Max takes a job in São Paulo, Brazil, protecting the family of wealthy real estate mogul Rodrigo Branco, in an effort to finally escape his troubled past. But as events spiral out of his control, Max Payne finds himself alone on the streets of an unfamiliar city, desperately searching for the truth and fighting for a way out.

Presenting the Official Launch Trailer for Max Payne 3, which will arrive next week in North American stores for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on May 15th and in Europe on May 18th. Visit the Pre-Order page for a selection of retail options.

Razz was a guy with a really colorful teenage life that after years of running in the streets could see it wasn’t a place for living, so he went to college, got the education he needed to go into business and stay in business his entire adult life. I didn’t know much about his family, but I know he was an older brother to hundreds, maybe thousands of wall writers in Philadelphia over the last 30 years. If you wanted an autograph or some validation for the graffiti you were writing, Razz would give it to you, but he’d also teach by example that real success takes showing up for work everyday. It’s remarkable that he grew up and went to work, and the fact that I thought it was remarkable testifies to the peril of being a king in a field of endeavor with no way to transfer that status to normal life. A lot of writers would call themselves king, then sit on a throne and produce nothing but shit. When he referred to himself as “Lord Imperial Razz” It was meant as half man and half mantra. Razz never got stuck on just being a king, he accepted the responsibility of the crown to be better, and so he was better, every day of his too short 47 years here.

The photos were taken by his friend and conspirator Mr. Blint, and the two of them together really sum up the best of Philadelphia, on a level of cool beyond all known boundaries.

—Steve Powers

Britany Nola photographed by Jonathan Leder.

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Philadelphia-based artist Erin M. Riley originally envisioned herself a painter, but after crafting some tapestries in a freshman year weaving elective at Boston’s Massachusetts College of Art and Design, she realized she “just liked making images with yarn,” she says. “It started out a little abstract, using text, but as my skills progressed, I got more comfortable making images [from photos].”

Over the past decade she’s sublimated those images into woolen icons of louche hipsterdom via news clips of auto accidents, candids of her sisters’ drug exchanges, and sexy snapshots (of lesbian fumblings on beer kegs, iPhone teaser pics, and naked girls wrapped around toilets or smoking bongs in Sublime t-shirts) ripped straight from Facebook, Twitter, and countless fetish-y tumblr blogs.

Through May 5, the 26 year-old weaver currently will have nearly two dozen new tapestries up at San Francisco’s Guerrero Gallery that confront life, death, and our increasingly public courtships in the era of Instagram-lensed exhibitionism that combine the fearlessness of Richard Kern portraits tempered by Philomela’s sense of narrative irony. Fresh from a six-month residency in Nebraska, Riley sounded off on her adventures in the heartland, her favorite blog inspirations, and the would-be suitors who might become the subjects of her next series.

—Michael Slenske

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In the first scene of Sound of My Voice—a sci-fi drama from first-time director Zal Batmanglij—a couple follows directions into the garage of a suburban house. They are met by a stranger who instructs them to wash up, thoroughly, and put on hospital gowns. The stranger then handcuffs and blindfolds them, and leads them into a van.

Their restraints are removed once inside another location, where they are led into a basement and, after a series of elaborate handshakes, are welcomed into the group and introduced to Maggie.

Barefoot and veiled, Maggie enters the room with an oxygen tank in tow. She sits cross-legged on the floor, lifts her veil and proceeds to tell the story of how she came to be. The story concludes with her showing the group her tattoo of a delicate anchor and the number 54. “See, I come from 54,” she says. “2054. Your future.”

This all takes place within the first 12 minutes of the film—viewable here—and the rest of the film is equally engaging. It is later divulged that the couple, Peter and Lorna, are actually documentarians who want to make a film on cults and expose Maggie as a fraud. But Peter and Lorna get in over their heads, and begin to question their own beliefs—and each other.

Though it was shot on a micro budget, Sound of My Voice is impactful, raising questions about the power of belief, the search for truth and how the two can be easily confused. Brit Marling is particularly enchanting in her role as Maggie, disorienting and disarming cult members—and moviegoers—with her celestial beauty and poignant performance.

Each scene in film builds on the last, and amounts to a wonderfully complex narrative that is as fantastic as it is real.

Sound of My Voice is in theaters April 27th

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I have some dumb tattoos. I LOVE dumb tattoos. I’m in Lafayette, Louisiana so decided why not get more? All I knew was it was either going to say Game Recognize Game or On With The Show. I saw a wizzzzzzzard and instantly recognized he had mad game. The guy tattooing me did not have a portfolio. He seemed cool and had been in the tattoo game for two years, so I just went with it. Half way through the wizzzzzard I saw the ICP on his forearm. I was so excited. Like when I see cake. We talked about ICP. He mad dedicated to them. Word. After we finished I asked if he had any more ICP ink. BAM he did not disappoint. Thanks Josh. This Faygo is for you.

—Roger Gastman

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Britany Nola ‘Brunette’, Photographed by Jonathan Leder at the Superlodge in Kingston, NY.

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I was so excited when I saw previews for Project X. I put the release date on my calendar and everything. Planned to see it on the first screening. I’m lazy I suck and I didn’t. Several of my friends called and emailed and texted and told me to stop everything I was doing and go see it that second. I finally went by myself cuz I’m a loser.

I am still shaking from it. It’s like someone went into my brain and took a zillion of my life experiences, and dumb things we dreamed happening (midget in an oven). I didn’t laugh once during the movie. My eyes didn’t blink. I don’t know how I’m going to sleep tonight. Like I think that movie was real. I’m confused. Now I know how war vets feel when they see war movies and have a flash back.

Also, the movie takes place in Pasadena. I was there today at my DR. for my yearly check up. Once again he didn’t believe me that I don’t do drugs or smoke or drink. Motherfucker. But he was psyched on me cuz I lost close to 20lbs since I was there last. Don’t worry people, I am still a fat fuck.

You know where I am going to be Wednesday, Thursday and every night the rest of this week? That’s right, by myself at the movies watching Project X over and over again. The only downside is that I didn’t eat my peanut M&Ms or drink my Barqs Root Beer – I was too taken in by the film. True cinema. Big Shout out to my dawg Eugene Levy & Stiffler’s mom in the American Pie Reunion film preview I saw before Project X.

—Roger Gastman

Have you ever lived Thursday twice? I have. I was in Japan then I flew to Hawaii. I left Japan at midnight Thursday – and landed in Honolulu at noon on Thursday. Damn. We felt like shit. But we had a crazy few days in front of us. We knew what we had to do in our few free hours – hit the Dole Pineapple Plantation. See where those tasty yellow things come from. So that’s what we did. We hated it so much but found it so awesome that we went back again the second day in-between jobs. Both days we had the Dole Whip. That is basically pineapple flavored soft serve. I also got it a third day in a row at the mall food court. But that’s a story for another post.

facts:
Did you know it takes 3 years to grow 2 pineapples on one plant – then the plant dead? Well it does.
Another fact – I tried to clean out the gift shop.

—Roger

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A look back at some of the most ludicrous, over-the-top and straight-up inspirational song lyrics from Mannie Fresh, Baby and the crew from Ray Smiling‘s collection of essays on the topic. Play this in the background for maximum effect. Grab “Quotations from Cash Money” here.

—Alix

Those of you that have had the unfortunate pleasure of knowing me might think sometimes I am a bit creepy. What ever – get over it, I’m just keeping it real.  Not much has changed since I was 16. Same damn soundtrack also. The point of this… I am flipping the channel, end up on Law & Order SVU – see a 9 year old girl as the rape victim. Man, I recognize her! It’s Sam from iCarly! Jennette McCurdy. Yes, I watch iCarly – it is an amazing show. The new episode this past Saturday has a warm bag of dog poop in the first scene, then they go to Canada and check out the Hostess type factory called Fat Cakes. Moral of the story is watch iCarly. And Jennette is actually pretty funny, I follow her on Twitter. And it ain’t even creepy.

—Roger Gastman

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Musician and writer Kat Meoz takes us on a journey, and eventually reviews Blue Ivy, the potent strain of cannabis named after Beyonce and Jay-Z’s baby girl.

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Britany Nola photographed by Jonathan Leder in Land O’ Lakes, Florida.

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I am going to give you my opinion and my opinion says that holidays are not that cool unless it’s Halloween over and over again. But Dave who runs this site thinks you dear readers want some new fresh gift ideas. So in no order at all I give you a bunch of crap to waste your money on for your ungrateful friends – BOOO!

—Roger

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Register to win a free print with the purchase of $99 in canned food goods from 99 Cent City on the first floor of The Macy’s Parking Garage at 1 Hoyt St. in downtown BK. contact us at info@firstandfifteenth.net to get a shopping list. 4 Todd James prints and 4 Steve Powers prints are available. First to register gets first choice. Goods are to be delivered at 2pm on Saturday to ICY Signs, 200 Livingston Street.. If you’re late you lose your place. Canned goods will be donated to a local food bank.

We are happy to introduce a new, recurring slideshow feature on the site from the talented photographer Jonathan Leder.

Shot Marlo again for the upcoming issue of Jacques Magazine ( Jacques 8).

—Jonathan Leder

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—Roger

We are happy to introduce a new, recurring slideshow feature on the site from the talented photographer Jonathan Leder.

Marlo Lavonne on her 1972 Honda CB750.

Photographed by Jonathan Leder in Woodstock NY

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