Having spent a little time away from touring or releasing records, New York indie kingpin Adam Green is finally returning with a new project… a film adaptation of Aladdin. However typical to the former Moldy Peaches man’s world unique view, the all star movie is set in a homemade wonderland meticulously created out of papier mâché, while it will be accompanied by an album’s worth of new songs for the soundtrack. Introducing the project, Green has written Q a guest column with tips on how to create your own world out of paper and paste… plus watch an Aladdin teaser clip below too.
Hi Q Readers! Today after three years in the making I am releasing a glorious teaser video for Adam Green’s Aladdin – it’s my own ulta modern-day DMT version of Aladdin set in a completely papier mâché videogame world! It looks like this:
This hot mess of a movie stars many chappies from the NYC art and movie world including: Macaulay Culkin, Natasha Lyonne, Alia Shawkat, Francesco Clemente, Devendra Banhart, Jack Dishel, Zoe Kravitz, and Har Mar Superstar. England’s own polymath Bip Ling plays the decadent Princess! In my Aladdin the lamp is a 3D printer that prints out an analogue version of the internet, and the planet gets a sex change – it’s not your Uncle Grandma’s Aladdin.
A soundtrack album comes out in the Spring along with the movie! The core players on the album are Rodrigo Amarante (Little Joy/ Brazilian heartthrob), Stella Mozgawa (Warpaint) and Josiah Steinbrick (from Devendra Banhart’s band). This will be my ninth solo album. I was just typing up all the lyrics for my record label yesterday and it felt like I was reading Chaucer – look out for the first single and music video soon!
The Aladdin Concert Tour kicks off with the UK in May, the cast will join up with me and my band for some surprise drunk appearances! I’m excited to return to the stage and be the singing version of myself again. Also I’ve been studying ballet constantly and I have earned the title “Primo Ballerino”.
I’d encourage you all to make papier mâché universes of your own if you have time away from the internet! For this movie we made over 500 props and 30 rooms all from cardboard, glue, house paint, tape, and newspaper. This is how you might do it: I start by making an object out of cardboard, crumpled newspaper and tape. Then I make a paste to dip the newspaper strips in. The mixture I use for the paste is half ‘Elmer’s Glue All’ and half water. Then I put 2-3 layers of dipped newspaper strips over the object and wait 24 hours for it to dry. Then I prime it white and then paint it with acrylic paint to look however I want. Use a painters tarp underneath or you’ll ruin your floor. The glue gets everywhere! It’s messy as fuck and you’ll start to have dreams about glue.
I hope to see more papier mâché worlds coming our way. There is something incredible about hand-making another reality object by object. It’s like knitting a reality-quilt. I see my movie as a giant community project and a crazy piece of folk-art. I’ll be back soon to tell you more about when the movie and album will be coming your way! Until then please watch the teaser video above, I hope you enjoy!! Your friend x AG
Adam Green@AverageCabbage
For more head to Adamgreensaladdin.com.
