Movies »F for Fake

directed by Orson Welles (1974)

Orson Welles‘ (mostly) documentary film, F for Fake, is a kinetic, meandering, stimulating experiment in story telling that would be a great watch for anyone interested in the art of editing and inventive movie making. While it doesn’t hit one hundred percent of the time and can take a little bit for the viewer to get into the pace and tone of it all, it’s very interesting.. or as Jim put it more succinctly and probably better “it’s fun to watch a master just fuck around”.

The story Welles’ is fucking around with here is one of fraud. Elmyr De Hory is the world’s greatest art forger. We see him create Matisses and Picassos on camera (which he burns) and his work has fooled the greatest “experts” and museums in the world. Clifford Irving is the man fascinated with the man and writing a biography of his exploits.. but it seems Irving has a few of his own fakeries going on. Welles touches on his own greatest fraud/work of art the radio program War of the Worlds, a story of Pablo Picasso and a beautiful lady (with an even more beautiful wardrobe that you can see in the stills below/after the jump) and ultimately the innate element of lying whenever anyone creates something.

As Welles’ last film, it was sadly a total failure upon its release in the US. Its avant garde style was largely frowned upon but is now considered highly influential. Criterion released the film a few years back and it’s currently available on netflix instant.

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Posted on August 8, 2010

Songs »Reunited

by Peaches and Herb (1979)

Peaches and Herb is a quintessential seventies disco ballad duo who’s hit Reunited is the epitome of modern day “cheesy”. So much so that it’s featured in a commercial where a dad is so lame he dares to sing it.The dad also has power tools, so it’s never registered with me as to what the ad is for but it does put the song in my head and that puts a smile on my face.

By the way Herb’s real name is awesomely Herb Fame and the role of “Peaches” has been performed by different women over the years. Reunited features Linda Greene.

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Posted on August 8, 2010

Songs »The Wild One

by Suzi Quatro (1974)

I saw The Runaways. Thought it was shot nicely, the costumes were cool, but am I the only person that was totally bored by the end? No matter, it did remind me of the great Suzi Quatro hit abroad, (she rarely made the charts in the USA) The Wild One.

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Posted on August 1, 2010

Songs »Turn the Page

by Bob Seger (1973)

Yes, Bob Seger’s been here before (see Still the Same). His songs are just too good to ignore. Turn the Page is a somber lament about a rock stars life on the road. I am particularly partial to the references to Midwestern boobs making fun of the long hair since both my dad and husband sport the do, I’ve seen the confused faces plenty. While Metallica’s take on the song was not as mismatched as one might expect, I still prefer the lonely original that evokes the empty sound of deserted roads passing by.

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Posted on June 6, 2010

Movies »The Eyes of Laura Mars

Directed by Irvin Kershner (1978)

While I didn’t notice the first time I saw Eyes of Laura Mars years ago, but it’s an American version of a Giallo if there ever was one. And as such it’s got the genre’s shining points and flaws: technicolor red blood, dramatic music cues, silly plot twists that end in a preposterous conclusion, a high body count, and style, style, style! There’s plenty to recommend this 70’s hit despite moments of mediocrity (like a terrible Babs song).

First, the cast. Faye Dunaway is in her prime of easy glamorous wide eyed star power, Tommy Lee Jones brooding is more charming than usual, in an all too brief appearance Raul Julia is the ultimate deadbeat gold digging ex, supermodel Lisa Taylor plays herself, and perhaps most importantly the film opened by eyes to the awesomeness of perhaps my favorite actor, Brad Dourif, who is here the foxiest creep ever put to film. Bomber jacket, jeans, flannel and a chauffeurs hat have never come together so perfectly.

That brings us to the second point: every scene has something fantastic to look at. The styling had me asking myself minutely “hmm, do I need a _____ (hat, blouse, skirt, hairdo, apartment, etc) like that in my life?” The answer was invariably “yes”.

Third, the centerpiece of the movie visually is the provocative work of photographer Helmut Newton. One of my favorite artists who sets the aesthetic tone.

You can watch it now with Netflix on demand.

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Posted on May 2, 2010

Songs »Delta Dawn

by Tanya Tucker (1972)

The Southern Gothic tale of Delta Dawn is a sad one, and even sadder as it was based on a real lady. Once stood up my a suitor, she became obsessed with his return to her and aimlessly walked the town growing more and more mentally ill. Doesn’t make it any less catchy and engaging as an old timey country hit though in the hands of Miss Tanya Tucker. It calls to mind the memorable Faulkner short story A Rose for Emily.
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Posted on April 25, 2010

TV Shows »Callan

Originally Aired 1967-1972

Callan is a serious minded and intelligent spy show that came out of Britain in the late 1960s. Edward “The Equalizer” Woodward plays a reluctant, obstinate but gifted (and handsome) killer who works for a shadowy government agency called The Section. Morals, plots and allegiances are ambiguous and you’ve really got to pay attention to appreciate the twists and plotting.

The thrills here are more subdued and psychological and Callan lacks the gadgets, cars and big explosions of typical spy fare. Not surprisingly, the recommendation came from good friend and spy aficionado Matthew (of the blog Double O Section) who also set us up with the similarly intelligent and complex Sandbaggers, which came to BBC a decade later.

Only the third series, the first in color, and subsequent are released on DVD, so if you do Netflix these prepare yourself to be dropped in the middle of major story arch – but don’t worry, you’ll figure out what’s going on in no time.

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Posted on April 18, 2010

Albums »Stretchin’ Out in Bootsy’s Rubber Band

Bootsy Collins (1976)

The centerpiece of Stretchin’ Out in Bootsy’s Rubber Band is the fantastic “I’d Rather Be With You”. It’s an absolutely perfect example of the kind of slow groovy/sexual innuendo/hip swaying spectacle that is funk at its best. A live, jammy, white-caped version is also worth a looksee.

I’d Rather Be With You, despite being a huge hit, was (blissfully) left off the play-lists of the oldies stations we grew up with, so it’s been spared the obnoxious overplaying that’s crippled so many genre classics and feels as fresh and exciting as the day it was made – but, even though I’m devoting so digital ink to this one song, I don’t want you to think that the rest of the album is mere filler.

Love Vibes (featuring the lovely vocals of Leslyn Bailey), Vanish In Our Sleep, and Physical Love – they’re all so much fun! Which is exactly what this album is all about, as is pretty clear from the rainbow font and motorcycle photograph on the cover. It’s absolutely perfect listening for the beginning of spring.

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Posted on March 28, 2010

Songs »Culture Clash/Blues Symphony

Corky & Siegel-Schwall (1971)

Before purchasing an original concert poster of the band Siegel-Schwall (from this week’s website pick, Wolfgang’s Vault) I was curious to know more about the unfamiliar band.

I found this phenomenal youtube clip where classical chamber music meets the blues and love it! Sadly it’s not exemplary of all their musical releases which (from a quick browse through iTunes catalog) seem more traditionally blues.

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Posted on March 21, 2010

Books »Woodstock Handmade Houses

by Robert Haney and David Ballentine (1974)

I have Ivanhoe Books to thank for introducing me to the incredible photo book Woodstock Handmade Houses. Each page has an image of the kind of quirky, bohemian interiors that pepper my wildest dreams: geodesic domes, reconstructed barns, stained glass, and Hobbit-like huts… there’s so much here to love and inspire flights of fancy of moving to deep into the woods and building my own home.

Authors Haney and Ballantine searched winding roads and hidden lots to find these amazing houses that represent a new kind of lifestyle that was popping up on the edges of society. Many images are below/after the jump for your enjoyment.

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Posted on March 14, 2010

Laughs »Lololololo

L0, lo, lo, lo, lo, lo, lo, lo, lo, lo

I think I like this Russian pop song (recently brought to my attention by Luke over on Rotating Corpse) most because of the complexity and depth of its lyrics.

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Posted on March 14, 2010

Laughs »British Public Information Films

Children Can Die In So Many Ways

It would seem that the goal of the latest local public service announcements is to make us sick to our stomachs with the consequences of our indulgent lifestyles (fingerless smokers or sodas made with human, bulbous, bile filled, reddish fat anyone?) but in Britian back in the 1970s they had their sights on the nation’s children, who time and again were shown the myriad ways they could be killed in every day situations.

The Apaches, a particularly gruesome film about a group of kids dying in various ways on a farm is a bit of a cult classic but the threatening drowning film “I Am the Spirit of Dark and Lonely Water” is a favorite of mine (and I beg anyone with a heavy metal band to do a song with that title). There are tons of these on youtube (type in “British Public Information Films”); I’ve included some stills below/after the jump.

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Posted on February 21, 2010

Style Icons: Female »Mahogany

directed by Berry Gordy (1975)

On a co-worker’s recommendation, I pushed the Diana Ross as young upstart fashion designer/model vehicle Mahogany to the top of my queue strictly for the over-sized jewelry (which, no doubt you know, I’m a big fan of – ever want to get me a gift, just type HUGE into the vintage jewelry section of eBay).

It’s a terrible movie, but the style is fantastic – plus, you’re exposed to constant flashes of the unbelievably broad smile of one the most charismatic men around (the great Billy Dee Williams) as well as a riveting and creepily realistic performance by go-to weirdo Anthony Perkins as a Machiavellian fame wrangler (at least, it feels accurate to me, though I’ve never personally been to the gun room of a Phil Spector type, but I imagine Perkins got it right).

The plot (which calls to mind a dumbed-down, simplified take on the story lines of Jacqueline Susann) is as thin as Ross, who plays “young” not entirely convincingly, but with an amazing amount of sassy charm – there’s a reason that this broad is a star! And there’s a reason her creation, Mahogany, is my style icon: it’s all kimono sleeves, rainbow gowns, jersey capes, feathers, statement hats, body paint, gonzo hairstyles, Egyptian influence, and sequined or Navajo wraps. LOVE IT. There are a good many stills to peruse below/after the jump.

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Posted on February 14, 2010

Movies »Hausu

directed by Noribuki Obayashi (1977)

You might recognize Hausu from a viral video I blogged about months back. Surely, you might assume, the entire movie can’t be as insane as that clip of the killer lampshade and those images of severed limbs and demonic cats… but if that’s what you assumed, I’m happy to report that you are so, so wrong.

To describe this film as crazy, schizophrenic, bonkers, and wild is a gross understatement; it’s an excess of experiments that will blow the mind of the viewer and open the doors of perception to any artist (especially those working in film and video) to just how far the boundaries and tropes of the medium can be pushed… It’s basically the craziest thing I’ll probably ever see and my grand kids will probably hear tell of its cinematic insanity.

What happens is this: a group of school girls go to visit one of their auntie’s for vacation. Before you know it, a decapitated head jumps around and bites a girl’s butt, an old lady has an eyeball in her mouth and dances with a skeleton, another girl is eaten and dismembered by a piano, and a man turns into a pile of bananas after enjoying some ramen with a bear. What, really, can you expect from a film that lives by the logic “Old cats can open doors, but only ghost cats can close them again.” The ghost cat in this case is Snowflake, the coolest Persian ever put on screen, who is frequently flung into the arms of actors by off-screen feline throwers. The movie certainly has a sense of humor.

Director Nobuhiko Obayashi is an experimental icon whose career only just began with this masterpiece of mayhem. His other titles include If She Looks Back, It’s Love, The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Beijing Watermelon, I Want to Hear the Wind’s Song, and only just a few years back, Before That Day. While much of his work is even harder to come by than Hausu, here is a site that features some of his early experimental work. And despite what you or anyone might think based on the description, Hausu does not quite qualify as purely experimental. It was, in fact, a huge hit in Japan upon its release.

If you’re ever able to access a copy of this movie and you want to know what it might be like to be an insane person, do not let the opportunity pass you by; we have our good friends Matthew and Nora to thank so very much for the DVD-R we now proudly own. The IFC theater on 6th Avenue played it just the other night (sorry for not giving enough warning), in the meantime, gaze upon the stills I’ve gathered below/after the jump.


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Posted on January 31, 2010

Movies »The Conformist

conformistdirected by Bernardo Bertolucci (1970)

Fans of exquisite cinematography might be familiar with Bernardo Bertolucci’s classic The Conformist, scenes of which are frequently cited in serious discussions of the craft. It truly is a gorgeous movie and every single shot is an aesthetically pleasing piece of art. Photographer Vittorio Storaro‘s work here inspired Francis Ford Coppola’s Godfather films.

The art direction and costumes, as well as the acting is all phenomenal. You might recognize Jean Louis Trintignant from the bizarre gialli, Death Laid an Egg, his love interests (Dominique Sanda and Stefania Sandrelli) are as lovely as the photography.

Of course, a movie is more than just the sum of its cinematography and leading ladies and this is one quite odd and coldly effective. I’ve never read the book by Alberto Moravia, but if it matches the tone and mood of Bertolucci’s adaptation, I’d assume it shares much with the work of Kafka and Sartre, although the specific horrors depicted here (giving up one’s identity and soul to a Fascist regime in order to fit in) are far from metaphoric; this story comes out of a very real and very recent chapter in Italian history.

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Posted on January 17, 2010

Movies »Pumping Iron

pumping_irondirected by George Butler and Robert Fiore (1976)

It’s always been hard for me to believe that Pumping Iron is a great movie, not just as a piece of bizarro kitsch, but a respected documentary that  frequently tops reasonable peoples’ lists of their favorite films… until I watched it, of course. The film, set during and before the 1975 Mr. Olympia competition in South Africa, follows the king of the sport, Aaanold as well as his upstart competition, a then sweet and dopey kid named Lou Ferrigno, his friend and fellow champion, Franco Columbo and other lesser known men striving to achieve success in the unique world of body building.

The movie shares much with some of my favorite documentaries: the well renowned The King of Kong and the criminally forgotten Derby in that it’s an intimate portrait of a small subculture that is strange to most of us; it’s always fascinating to get into the minds of people obsessed with what they love.

It’s a well made piece of vérité that’s infinitely quotable:

“It’s like I’m cumming all the time” – Arnold

“I’m the kind of person that’s like the kind of dog that’s going to bite back” – Mike Katz

“I was always dreaming about powerful people – dictators and things like that” – Arnold

“Milk is for babies. When you grow up you drink beer” – Arnold

After years of being unavailable, the DVD can now be widely purchased, so do enjoy!

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Posted on January 10, 2010

Movies »The Lord of the Rings

Ralph Bakshi's Lord of the RingsDirected by Ralph Bakshi (1978)

Believe it or not (I’m hoping my facetiousness is apparent), I was a huge Tolkien fan when I was a kid. I’m sure I can’t remember what year it was, but the night my dad brought home our first family VCR we rushed out to the (sadly now defunct) Video World and grabbed the two tapes my brother and I would watch again and again over the next several years: the Rankin/Bass Hobbit and John Boorman’s the Emerald Forest (for years that was his favorite movie, go figure… BTW: Boorman nearly adapted LotR himself, he reused the sets he built for Excalibur).

I actually had two maps of Middle Earth hung on my bedroom wall (one was next to an image of the members of Public Enemy hanging out in a maximum security prison; pretty sophisticated juxtaposition of the kind of things boys in their pre-teens are drawn too – thanks for offering the tools needed to create such a dynamic collage, Prints Plus!).

I hoarded copies of the author’s books, which wasn’t all that easy considering that until the advent of the Book Barn years later, there really was no local spot that dealt in used books, though occasionally the Booksmith in New London would have an unusual looking pressing of Smith of Wootton Major and Farmer Giles of Ham.

And in an gesture I’m still in awe of, the first time I met my father-in-law he presented me with a hardcover copy of the edition of the Hobbit he himself illustrated (awesomely).

But of all things Tolkienian, the Bakshi movie has made the deepest impact.

I’m not going to list to list its many inaccuracies (Tolkien enthusiasts have already complied lists taking care of that), and I’m not going to compare it to Peter Jackson’s films (plenty of articles are out there for the reading); while there’s no way to deny that this movie has its flaws, it’s an amazing work of art and it’s the imagery I’m really, really into.

I’ve collected a number of stills below/after the jump giving special attention to what I think is the film’s finest sequence: Frodo’s encounter with the Black Riders just outside Rivendell; it’s here that Bakshi’s impressionistic vision is most successful. As the wounded Hobbit breaks away from his party, the background dramatically fades to an expressionistic, nightmarish landscape, partly rendered in slow motion. It’s an absolutely amazing series of shots that truly captures the terror of the Ring Wraiths and Frodo’s almost submarine decent into their world of shadow.

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Posted on December 6, 2009