Retro Active Critiques

Invigorating Effect of a Relentless Beat

2012-02-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

New Sensation (INXS)

Songs with a repetitive guitar riff or a relentless beat always have me feeling especially invigorated and inspired –– and simultaneously at peace. This feeling often draws me to songs produced in the 80's in terms of tempo and style. There's a reason songs from that era have been sampled so much, as they tend to have unique and signature beats.

Take Me Home (Phil Collins)

My enjoyment of a repetitive beat or riff could also be due to personal energy. We all have varying types of energy. What moves us can be determined by our chemical makeup. Other people are affected similarly by certain rap or hip-hop songs, or music with epic, dramatic tones (i.e. from bands like Arcade Fire and The Killers.) Those are examples of music with sounds that leave me cold, and bored by what I feel is an inauthentic attempt at seeming powerful, or important. That's not intended to offend anyone who disagrees –– just my personal perception.

Boys Of Summer (Don Henley, looking like Bryan Cranston)

Whether that repetition is found in a hard rock song, or in a softer, mellow tune, a driving pulse-like rhythm so often found in 80's productions (examples below), bring me to life in a profound way. Famed neurologist Oliver Sack describes various musical phenomenon related to rhythms, beats –– and even how people can suffer terribly by them –– in his wonderful book Musicophilia. There are some fascinating neurological elements at play in the very personalized ways we hear and respond to music. Songs with repetitive beats and rhythms can also harder for me to ignore. So if one of them starts to play somewhere, I have a tougher time tuning it out, my heart starts pumping and I'm invigorated by that driving sound.

Boys Of Summer (Don Henley)

I also find this type of song more meaningful and symbolic of life –– because there can be a certain day-to-day drudgery, routine and repetitiveness to life you have to just give in to and surrender to in order to overcome or transcend it... Maybe surrendering to the beat of a certain song has a similar affect. The following are several songs that capture that for me (there's plenty more, but these were the first ones that came to mind) either with their beats, meanings or both. Also interesting to note that two of the songs that came to mind here are solo efforts by artists who are drummers at their core (Phil Collins and Don Henley) –– as this is essentially beat-driven music.

'New Sensation' by INXS

'Save It For Later' by English Beat

'Boys of Summer' by Don Henley (looking like Bryan Cranston)

Don Henley - Boys Of Summer by jpdc11

'Temptation' (Live) by New Order

'Take Me Home' by Phil Collins

'Panama' by Van Halen

'Everybody Wants to Rule the World' by Tears for Fears

'I'm Your Man' by Wham!

'Brilliant Disguise' by Bruce Springsteen

'More Than This' by Roxy Music

Do you relate –– and do you have other examples of songs with that similar driving beat and persistence?

How Much I Adore Mary Tyler Moore

2012-02-01T00:37:00.000-08:00

If you happen to be part of my niche audience, you might have expected that this blog post could "make it after all" since my adoration for Mary Tyler Moore is no secret. It's been evident here on Retro Active Critiques (see the side bar and various posts) along with elsewhere with my online presence (and videos), just as it has been in my personal life.

As a boundless Mary fan, I'm happy to see her being acknowledged for her significant contributions to TV and films, once again, as she should be. I'm glad she was recently honored by The Screen Actors' Guild with a Lifetime Achievement Award, an award she chose to have presented to her by none other than her equally adorable TV husband from long ago, Dick Van Dyke. She's entertained us for decades and continues to enchant audiences with her positive energy and smile –– so the recognition is more than deserved.

Here's to MTM aka Mary Richards aka Laura Petrie.

I can never get through 'Ordinary People' without crying my eyes out, in large part because of Mary Tyler Moore's uncharacteristically cold performance. Her stoniness is so viable, it makes us feel even more sympathy and grieve for the other characters, just as we should.

MTM is also one of the namesakes for my cat, Mary Jane Goodnight.

Mary Jane Goodnight

She's been a huge part of my life, especially during the rougher times when I just needed to feel better and relax in the comfort of my "Mary Tyler Moore Show" DVD set, some years before Hulu. I'd rested my woes against the pleasant, soft light and coziness of the 70's travails of Mary Richards and company. That show is my safe and gentle form of escapism.

And don't get me started on 'Thoroughly Modern Millie' and Change of Habit'.

I dressed up as Mary Richards for Halloween in 2008, wearing all of my own clothes –– which made it amazingly simple to pull together.

Dressed as Mary Richards for Halloween 2008

I also pleaded with my husband for weeks (maybe it was months) to dress up with me as Rob and Laura Petrie for Halloween last year. Even though he finally refused, I almost convinced him –– which also says a lot for Mary Tyler Moore, Dick Van Dyke... and a TV show from five decades ago.

I could go on to make this a very lengthier, gushing blog post. I won't do that, because I simply wanted to share a little more love for Mary, even at a time when "love is all around" her. Again, as it should be.

'We'll Take Manhattan': Whovian crush Karen Gillan stars as Jean Shrimpton

2012-01-11T00:40:00.000-08:00

I could be one of the biggest Jean Shrimpton fans alive. I read her (then out-of-print) autobiography many years ago. I've made two fan videos for the excellent film she starred in, 'Privilege'. I styled myself after her for my own wedding. So my devotion to The Shrimp is (at least) equal to the Whovian's to Doctor Who – and therefore, Karen Gillan, also known as the 'Ginger Goddess'.

This puts me at an odd contingency to suggest: although Karen Gillan is as lovely as she can possibly be, she doesn't quite do it for me as Jean Shrimpton. I realize this is dangerous territory, given the fandom she has. Please forgive me, Whovians, I'm just that partial to The Shrimp. There was something so otherworldly and doll-like about Jean Shrimpton's face. Not that I can think of an actress who can do her look more justice than Ms. Gillan.

From what I understand, Jean Shrimpton did not want to be involved with the production of this film. However, she did ring up Karen Gillan, herself, after she previewed 'We'll Take Manhattan'... to tell her she thought it was well done and an accurate take on what happened. And that's the best recommendation her performance and the film could get, since Jean Shrimpton is nothing if not absolutely straight-forward and grounded.

I've been excited to see 'We'll Take Manhattan' since I heard it was going into production. I'm not sure when it'll get to us across the "pond" (har-har ;)), but I'm ready. David Bailey, of course, happens to be one of my all-time favorite photographers. Their relationship was a fascinating one and together they changed the face of fashion.

Jean Shrimpton was the very first real supermodel the world had ever known. This tends to be debatable, but I personally stand by that in terms of how influential she was. Even the dramatic popularity of the miniskirt in the 1960's is credited to her, and you can look that up. She inspired the young Lesley Hornby –– better known as Twiggy –– to want to be a model, and we all know how that turned out. Of course, David Bailey was the visionary photographer boyfriend behind Jean Shrimpton's meteoric rise, as well as several other notable beauties after her. 'We'll Take Manhattan' is the story of how that all began.

Here is the just released trailer for 'We'll Take Manhattan':

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T14:20:00.000-08:00

In keeping with the theme of my previous post about the holiday season, here's my all-time favorite New Year's Eve scene from a movie... the final scene from 'When Harry Met Sally'.

Happy New Year to all, from Retro Active Critiques!

Holiday Romance & The Meg Ryan Trilogy

2011-12-24T12:51:00.000-08:00

Everyone has their special holiday films. They're the ones you take pleasure in watching annually... ones that capture the spirit of the season for you in a particular way. When I think of a "holiday film" or films that make me feel warm or fuzzy – & offer a sense of the familiar – my mind rests on what I think of as "The Meg Ryan Trilogy": 'When Harry Met Sally', 'Sleepless In Seattle' & 'You've Got Mail'.

When I though about The Trilogy this holiday season, and once again craved a viewing, I wondered why it's such a romantic time for me. I think of the holidays as a time to be close to someone you love. Going for walks, seeing the beautiful Christmas lights in the streets, shopping together, staying home and being cozy together. It can also be about the melancholic feeling of being alone for the holidays and thinking about being in love. This could all be due to the years I spent in New York, where this feeling is prevalent. And the Meg Ryan Trilogy certainly picks up on those feelings.

But then I realized what it really might be. One holiday season in New York, I was actually single for the first time. I reluctantly went to a small Christmas Eve party... and that's where I met my husband. It was genuinely love-at-first-sight. We were drawn to each other like magnets and we've been together ever since. So December 24th (today :)) is our 8th anniversary of the day we met & it will always be a romantic day for us, both.

So what is your favorite holiday movie? And why do you think it holds a special significance for you? Wishing the happiest & most romantic holidays to you all, from Retro Active Critiques!

Beyond the Silver: Eternal Bond of the Le Bons

2011-12-16T00:11:00.000-08:00

In time for the holidays, here's a real treat.

If you're thinking bonbons, you're close, since I'm thinking about sweetness of the Le Bon nature.

I frequently post about dynamic, lifelong couples on this blog (my post with the most amount of traffic happens to be one) and Yasmin and Simon Le Bon are one of the most endearing and noteworthy. After all, here we have the quintessential rock star/supermodel pairing people typically wouldn't expect to work in a way that's eternal. But these two are so far from typical. Many other famously glamorous couples have tried. Few have out-shined or outlasted these two. (Of course there are other exceptions, like Keith Richards and Patti Hansen, who deserve their own post.) And 2011 marked Simon and Yasmin Le Bon's SILVER anniversary, believe it or not...!

For 25 (gorgeous) years, this British couple has been going strong. Their 26th anniversary is coming up on December 27th. So here's to another happy holiday anniversary.

Off topic, for a moment: I'm surprised no one has suggested before that beautiful Yasmin Le Bon was surely an inspiration for a young Keira Knightley growing up in the UK, (where Mrs. Le Bon and her Mr. Le Bon are as close to royalty as you can get.) What I love most about Yasmin Le Bon is her speaking style. It is so particular and arresting. Yet, somehow, her style of speech will sound remarkably familiar to you – and that's simply because (this is my belief) Keira Knightley fashioned her speaking and mannerisms after this gorgeous woman, who must have been her idol growing up. See and hear the uncanny resemblance below.

Yasmin Le Bon was also emblematic in showing the world that a great model can continue to work (and be in high-demand) well after what could have been considered her prime.

It should be noted, definitely, that Simon Le Bon, too, deserves praise for his incredible knack at commitment. Even if he happens to be married to someone as fabulous as his wife. When asked what keeps their marriage so strong, Simon Le Bon said: "I wake up in the morning and for ten minutes or so I just get to look at her sleeping peacefully. That's kind of all you need to know about me... I guess I'm very lucky that I picked somebody really bloody good in the first place! She's great fun, fantastic, beautiful and we laugh all the time. It's not always easy at all. But I really want to stay married for life."

Their love is very real and that's what resonates.

Aside from his long-term ties to his marriage and family, Simon Le Bon has also proven similarly commited to his career as front-man of Duran Duran... a relationship that was depicted so well in their recent video for the song "Girl Panic". The song and video, both, are epic and classic Duran Duran. (I find it especially adorable when YLB, as "The Guitarist", says in her most haughty tone, "I'm not a member of Duran Duran.") And with that, let's celebrate the holidays with a toast to the eternal bond of the Le Bons.

Alma & Alfred Hitchcock: The Dynamic Duo

2011-12-15T21:16:00.000-08:00

During a summer trip a couple of years ago, I began to read "Hitch: The Life & Times of Alfred Hitchcock" by John Russell Taylor. I'd found the book some time ago and was glad to finally begin reading all about old Hitch.

Inside my (used) copy, first published in 1978, I found a page torn out of a British magazine, 'Country Homes', with listings and markings from the previous owner of the paperback. So this particular copy had made the rounds in Hitchcock's native England before finding its way to me in San Francisco. That was the first bit of intrigue in reading it. I felt as if it was left there for me to try to unveil a mystery of: who had this book before me? And what did that torn page with home listings mean? But that's getting into Agatha Christie territory.

The second bit of intrigue about this book was that the man who wrote it, John Russell Taylor, a critic, actually wrote the biography with direct cooperation of Alfred Hitchcock himself... as well as Hitchcock's inner circle. Since the book was written in the 1970's, it seems odd and interesting to observe how the writer refers to his friend, Hitch, in the present tense. And that also made for some fascinating insight into a rather mysterious person.

The third bit of intrigue that came to pass was – and is – by far my favorite. That one is about Alma Hitchcock. I knew very little about her when I started reading, apart from knowing she had a good deal of involvement in the making of her husband's films. So everything about her was already of a heightened level of interest for me.

I discovered that Alfred Hitchcock fell in love with Alma Reville, whom he'd met at a British film studio called Balcon-Saville-Freedman, where she was a film editor. She was editing films at the age of sixteen and needless to say, that was it for me. I was in complete adoration of Alma from at that point on. As was Alfred Hitchcock, for his entire life.

I even noticed now a striking resemblance between Alma and Joan Fontaine's character, Lina, in Suspicion (one of my all-time favorite Hitchcock heroines & plot.)

Joan Fontaine as Lina in 'Suspicion'

People have so often noted Hitchcock's fascination with those memorable cool blonds who occupied his films, but his lifelong love was reserved for his own 'Monkey Face', Alma. On that note, how remarkable is it, even, that Alma Hitchcock was such a noteworthy filmmaker in her own right, decades before women were carving the slightest presence for themselves in the work force?

Alma Hitchcock was a very special lady, indeed. She is a great example of the woman behind the man. In her case, much of what we equate to Hitchcock's genius was in part because of her talents and contributions.

Having been rather smitten with their story, my own husband recently shared the news that a movie is now in production called 'Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of Psycho' (not a very elegant title) in which Alma will be depicted alongside Alfred. And rightfully so.

Soon the general public will finally get to know more about the Hitchcocks' fascinating work relationship and marriage.

80's Obscure - 'Let's Go' by Wang Chung

2011-12-08T12:34:00.000-08:00

This song-and-video combo makes me smile. Together, they're just so distinctively 80's. This also pops into my head frequently, since it's easy to think "let's go" in various capacities throughout the day. Or even "Wang Chung" for that matter. Just yesterday our cat, Jane, yelled what sounded like "Wang!" which led me to think about Wang Chung and invariably : "Let's Go". (Check out the hair and suits!)

Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965)

2011-10-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

Recently, I had the chance to watch Otto Preminger's long dismissed film from 1965, 'Bunny Lake Is Missing'. I had been curious to watch it for several reasons. For one thing, I wondered why it had developed a sort of cult following at some point, despite not having had a similarly positive status upon its release. I was also intrigued by the title. Who is Bunny Lake? Why has she gone missing? Of course, that mystery is the entire premise of the story from start to finish.

Having seen it now, I can recommend 'Bunny Lake Is Missing' with only minor hesitation. First, the movement and style is compelling and captivating so that you willingly go along for this ride despite any reason to want to resist. Resist you might, depending on your tastes, since this film is in black and white. I only offer that as an issue because Preminger's choice to film 'Bunny Lake' in black and white in 1965 -- with color so readily available by then -- was a decision that may have actually hindered the popularity of his film.

While watching 'Bunny Lake Is Missing', I could not help but notice a great alignment between Carol Lynley's performance as Ann Lake -- the desperate mother of the missing little girl Bunny Lake -- and the great Hitchcock blondes. And again, I wondered how she might have been better received and remembered had she been featured in technicolor. Ann Lake, the young, single American mother in London, wearing her trench jacket over her prim sweater and skirt, hair tied back in a pretty ponytail, seemed to me like she could have easily become a great style reference or even Halloween costume, in the vein of a Rosemary Woodhouse (or, as I mentioned, any of Hitchcock's heroines.) But alas, it appears she wasn't as remarkable to recall in black and white.

Aside from Carol Lynley's potentially iconic turn as Ann Lake and Otto Preminger's deft direction, the film also includes performances by Laurence Olivier and Noel Coward, portraying a weary detective and a surly neighbor, respectively. My favorite scene in the film also has to be when Olivier as the detective and Lynley as the troubled mother sit at a pub to discuss the distressing situation over drinks while The Zombies (one of my favorite 60's bands) are playing on the TV above the bar. The Zombies are showcased well throughout these scenes here. It's so charming to think that when the film was released, they were a very new, up-and-coming hip band... and this feels significant, in an enchanting way, when viewed today. Watch a clip from this scene (albeit dubbed, in Italian) below.

The story itself is as compelling and eery as you'd expect when a missing child and a mother's sanity are in question. As I'd posted before, stories about a parent fearing a child to be in any trouble are automatically of the most frantic and chilling sort. My least favorite scene in 'Bunny Lake Is Missing' comes towards the end, since it is drawn out to be too long and manic. Yet the film, as a whole, is one that had great potential to be a classic thriller and only missed that eventuality by a few doll hairs.

How Channeling the Likes Of MTM Hit The Runway

2011-08-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

Here's a funny little recollection. Along with the likes of MTM inadvertently, I inspired one very unassuming Helmut Lang runway look for Fall 2003. I worked for Helmut Lang from 2002-2004, right before he left the fashion world (and his label) to work full-time as an artist. My job was easy and low-maintenance, so combined with the minimal aesthetic of the brand, the experience was monastic. This fulfilled my (strange?) childhood dream of becoming a monk...!

I was working at Helmut Lang's pet project, a perfumerie shop (with incredibly clean fragrances that are still a favorite of mine) in Soho. The shop resembled an apothecary-type lab and it also housed an art installation. It was extremely white and pristine and people seemed generally intimated by the place. Those who dropped in the most seemed to be celebrities who loved his clothes. My job was to stay there all day and represent the brand. So there I would wait, listening to French radio (Radio Nova) or the selection of music that fit the mood of the label. Several times, I helped the PR and marketing departments that lived across the street, but in general, that was it. Overall, I really enjoyed my solitary time there.

I interacted with Helmut Lang several times - which required very few words, as he is indeed a quiet man. I remember the first time he came in when I worked there. This was towards the end of 2002, and he seemed to be intrigued by how I had worn his clothes. He took a very long look at what I was wearing. My work wardrobe at that time consisted of some fitted, dark gray sweaters - one with a v-neck and buttons and one with a round neck - beautifully cut black pants, some white button down shirts and a few other items, including great shoes.

These items were worn in rotation, but somehow I seemed to be the only female who paired the white button down under the round neck sweater, sometimes with the shirt poking out from the bottom. It was a preppier, even girlier version of how the other people at the company wore the clothes. As it happened, I was just channeling what always personally inspired me, an assortment of looks from Francoise Hardy, "Two For The Road", "Love Story", Jane Birkin and "The Mary Tyler Moore Show". These were my daily style inspirations and I wore whatever items of clothing I had in that way.

Here are the ladies in my frame of reference at the time (and still):

But again, this was 2002. At that time, this rather conservative preppy late-60's/early-70's aesthetic was not the norm. Although with plenty of incarnations since, it does look very normal today. In 2002, the style norm was extremely different... or dare I say it, rather dodgy looking. Women were wearing low-cut jeans and belly-baring tops, and tended to be inspired by the mainstream hip-hop-dancing pop stars of the day (if you don't remember, it's an easy search.) Those were styles I never registered or considered wearing... they even failed to cross my line of sight, since I lived in a fairly tight retro bubble.

In that context, it isn't surprising that one quiet, minimalistic and forward-thinking designer (and as I noticed, on several occasions, famous high fashion models staring at my version of "street wear" with some level of fascination) should pause and notice how I was wearing his own clothing differently than he'd anticipated. Soon after that first visit, one of his head designers also stopped by at the store, which never happened before or since. We smiled a lot and made chit-chat, but he didn't seem to have much reason to have dropped by. Then, some time later... ta-da! When the photos from the Helmut Lang Fall 2003 runway show were released, my coworker and I were staring at the images and both gasped at what Natalia Vodianova was given to wear on the runway. The look was me, incarnate.

Given how I was in the designer's line of sight and it was so incredibly easy for them to just pair those pieces together, it made perfect sense. But it managed to look interesting at the time and really stood out from the rest of the show. What's most fitting is that any influence I had was so unintentional. And where else would that sort of simple (but definitive) point of view have been recognized, if not through the eyes of such a quiet and observant designer?

That is a nice memory I was able to take away with me, along with some fabulous pieces I still wear. For fun, I recently checked Style.com for a review of that particular show. Especially amusing (and so great) is how such a very simple look was singled out in the review... which goes to show how surprising it happened to be in 2002. Little did Helmut Lang himself realize he was inadvertently inspired by the likes of Mary Tyler Moore... ;-)

Here's the excerpt from the review posted on Style.com for Helmut Lang's Fall 2003 show: "He certainly hasn’t abandoned his minimalism-with-a-gorgeous-kick: when he sent out Natalia Vodianova wearing a men’s shirt, skinny sweater and plain short skirt with a fringe of goat fur swinging from the front, his fans all but fainted." (Fainted?!)

Summer Lovers (1982)

2011-06-29T17:46:00.000-07:00

Chances are you haven't watched 'Summer Lovers', but it is more than likely that you'd enjoy aspects of the film if you did. This is a surprisingly good movie with some fine elements. The best part of it is that you'll feel like you've taken a mini vacation to Greece. The cinematography is unexpectedly good, the setting is gorgeous... and the actors are all just as easy on the eyes as the location.

From the start of the film, I was taken with the sight of Daryl Hannah and Peter Gallagher looking young and in love - because together, they look eerily reminiscent of Hannah's real life romance with John F. Kennedy, Jr. in the 80's. I also found myself partial to Daryl Hannah's sporty, preppy casual vacation wardrobe.

The story involves a menage-a-trois with a lovely French woman (Valerie Quennessen) who is an archeologist staying nearby the vacationing couple. It isn't exactly a menage-a-trois, since it's more like Peter Gallagher with the two ladies. I suppose it's a male fantasy, since the women are not as involved with each other as they are with him. But the threesome becomes sort of like a family unit as they spend more and more time together.

'Summer Lovers' is a harmless movie - and in some ways very enjoyable. I live in San Francisco, so I enjoy watching films that provide a warm, vacation-like atmosphere... the typically cold and foggy climate here can leave much to be desired in the summer.

One dubious element that pops up is when Daryl Hannah's character's mother turns up, out of nowhere (with her best friend, in tow) to 'surprise' her daughter and boyfriend during their vacation. The only purpose for that in the story was to have someone outside of the three principal characters' experience show how they would react to it. A mild reaction, nonetheless - so a fairly useless plot point.

An amusing element was the ending. I did not expect to see a 'sad' montage to Chicago's 'Hard To Say I'm Sorry' rearing its head... there was no prior indication for that to happen from the music that preceded it. The couple has lost their girlfriend, who has decided to stay away because it's too difficult to say goodbye to them. But then it becomes quite a happy ending, as the threesome lives on - together in Greece. Hurray! It all makes for light and pleasant entertainment from the summer of 1982. A perfect getaway.

Enjoy the trailer...

Video Surprise - You'll Never Guess Who This Girl Is, 'Captain of Her Heart' Video; 1986 (Denise Richards)

2011-06-09T17:26:00.000-07:00

These photos are screen shots of a young woman who appears in the video for the song 'Captain of Her Heart' (by the Swiss group, Double) from 1986. A short while ago, I used some footage from that video for one I made to go with Spandau Ballet's 'Gold'. And this tremendously chic punk girl appears at the very beginning (see below.)

To me, she epitomizes one of the best looks from the 80's, one that Agyness Deyn successfully adopted when she started gaining notice in the fashion scene a few years ago. This look on Deyn seemed fresh to some... but it was obviously not new, as it was recalling mid-80's punk style.

Agyness Deyn

So here's the surprise. I have a knack for recognizing faces and I still would never have guessed this one, it is so tricky and utterly shocking. Lo and behold... who was this bleached blond beauty? Apart from a quick mention on her Wikipedia page, there is not a shred of photographic evidence online (until now, since I've posted these screen shots.) This is Denise Richards.

Denise Richards

She was just 15 years old here, but what a transformation. It makes me wonder why someone can possibly go from this unaffected, serene and effortlessly cool look (one of my favorites of all time) to look like just about every other person in Hollywood. Albeit, with a more stunning face than many, in my opinion. I read somewhere that she had surgery a little while after this, because she admired her then roommate's far bustier look. So she decided to enhance her own chest area (to put it delicately) but it was a mistake. The doctor went overboard in proportion to her frame. She had to have additional corrective surgeries, as well, and she has said she regrets having done it, at all. (I agree, you'd have been better off without it, Denise.)

A young Denise Richards

If it weren't for that alteration, perhaps she would have made other choices in life altogether. I can imagine how her natural (though peroxided) look could have proven just as beneficial to her career, if not more.

Denise Richards in Double's 'Captain Of Her Heart' video

I can't understand people who go to great lengths, or make important personal life decisions, with the hope of becoming a different person. Some people try so hard to project an image to others that never rings true. And, just as in this case, but across the board, those efforts ultimately never satisfy. Be yourself. It's always more appealing and attractive, refreshing and unique.

And here is the elegant but cheesy video (also linked above) featuring several other beauties - along with the lovely and authentic version of Denise Richards, who appears at 0:30. And note the stunningly gorgeous gray-haired lady at 1:10.

Surprising Video Element - Belinda Carlisle's 'Mad About You' (1986)

2011-06-08T15:36:00.000-07:00

Belinda Carlisle's song 'Mad About You' is an 80's summer classic. But I discovered recently that the video has a certain life of its own that lends well to the song's ultra romantic feel.

It's been well documented in interviews and in her memoir 'Lips Unsealed' that Belinda Carlisle has had her share of obsessive-compulsive addictions, from drugs to food and any number of things. Back when she led the Go-Go's the super stardom, the press was very unkind to her about her weight. Although she is a phenomenally gorgeous woman, either way, she understandably felt disenchanted by the Hollywood image roller-coaster she was firmly planted into.

She has stated in interviews that when she made the video for 'Mad About You', she celebrated her newly slim and mature appearance and she had never felt so beautiful before. This was also right after she had kicked her massive addiction to cocaine for the first time. But the most interesting (and romantic) thing about the video is that it features her husband, Morgan Mason, son of the great actor James Mason. Carlisle and Mason were newly married and she attributes her desire to clean up her act to his love and support.

So when you see this video within that context and frame of reference, it takes on a whole new meaning. She says, 'I'm mad about you, you're mad about me, babe...' and it is clear how much they are in love.

There is a sense of newfound freedom in it, evidence that he loves her unconditionally, whatever her weaknesses or frailties and that together they've created a solid foundation for their future. It is also charming that they seemed to have been such very different personalities - he being the more subdued and quiet of the two, Belinda Carlisle clearly the wild-child rock star learning to grow up.

And they are still married, incidentally. It's always fun to discover a romantic story like that. See the video for yourself, below...

White Dog (1982)

2011-06-08T14:44:00.000-07:00

'White Dog' was Sam Fuller's final film and it was terribly misunderstood at the time of its release.

It wasn't given an adequate reception here in the U.S., although the film did quite well in Europe, especially in France. Groups like the NAACP mistook its very anti-racism meaning for something more aligned with racism itself. That's most unfortunate, since Sam Fuller was known for being a great champion of equal rights. Imagine how difficult it must have been for Fuller when his last (and arguably greatest) film was so profoundly misinterpreted.

After the wonderful Criterion Collection gave 'White Dog' a proper DVD release, niche audiences were finally able to embrace Fuller's captivating movie that deals with racism in a very touching way - through the eyes of a dog trained to hate black people.

So 'White Dog' went into my Netflix queue and I anticipated seeing this unusual movie.

[Oddly, and very sadly, I happened to be watching 'White Dog' on May 27th when I got word, during the viewing, that one of my personal heroes Gil Scott Heron had passed away that afternoon. It was strange to absorb the terrible news in the midst of this film. Unlike many who discovered the greatness of Gil Scott Heron for the first time that day, I had been a passionate follower (along with my husband) of Gil Scott Heron and his music for at least the past decade. Incidentally, I first started hearing his music frequently on French radio years ago when I worked for a high fashion design label/house in New York – so it's also strange that France would have to introduce me to this incredibly gifted American performer. My husband and I had seen Gil Scott Heron perform live twice in the past couple of years. Once for my birthday. I even had a chance to talk to him, thank him for his music and shake his hand. I told him how much I admired him. For me, Gil Scott Heron's sudden absence from this world was deeply sad, as I felt like I'd lost a troubled hero and friend. But at least I had appreciated him, his incredible mind, his wit and his musical style... great JAZZ artist that he was, in case you've been misinformed... as fervently as I did, while he lived among us. I'm glad I have pictures and a video of one of his last performances.]

The character of Keys attempts to cure the dog

But back to 'White Dog'.

There are a great many reviews and blog posts now dedicated to this touching movie. What I can add is that this movie is still probably not for everyone. It has a distinctively early 80's feel, which I love about it, and the direction in some ways reminded me of the great DePalma films of the 70's.

'White Dog' is very filmic and beautiful. The story is immensely moving because there is a certain urgency to it... you hope beyond hope that this dog can be cured of its terrible, human-imposed affliction. But you know that this will probably end badly for the poor, innocent creature.

Anyone who loves animals, as these characters also do, will feel tremendous sadness and empathy for the dog. And if they ever handed out awards for movie animal trainers, the ones behind this film are most deserving... I honestly never saw a performance by a dog (there were several white dogs acting in the role) that was this intense and realistic. The dog's performance here is truly astounding.

The dog gives a powerful performance

Another fascinating insight to 'White Dog' is that it is based on Romain Gary's novel, 'Chien Blanc', originally published as a short story in 1970.

Incredibly, the story was inspired by real-life events. Romain Gary was married to the beautiful Jean Seberg at one time (both tragically committed suicide years later, Gary within a year of Seberg) and he and Seberg actually found and adopted a 'white dog', not realizing at the time that the dog had been trained to attack black people. They were shocked and dismayed at the terrible discovery. And from there the story was born.

Romain Gary was friends with Sam Fuller and when the story was to be adapted to film, Sam Fuller and Curtis Hanson wrote the screenplay together. 'White Dog' was indeed a collaboration of the highest order and still is. 'White Dog''s lavish and sadly delayed acclaim would have made all of those involved (Sam Fuller, in particular) glad for their well-intentioned efforts.

Kristy McNichol as the actress who finds and hopes to save the dog

Here are two clips from the movie... The first is a touching moment between the dog and his newfound adopter.

The second clip features a wonderfully earnest performance by Kristy McNichol when she encounters the abominable racist responsible for training her ill-fated white dog, (but what follows the clip is a fan video which incorporates an oddly upbeat song.)

Musical Impact - 'Veronica' by Elvis Costello

2011-05-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

Sometimes the magic of a truly exceptional song hits you when you least expect it. This happened to me recently with Elvis Costello's 'Veronica', a song I'd loved when I first heard it in the 1989. It came on the other day via a Pandora station I was listening to while out in public - so it was an inopportune time for me to get extremely emotional, but I did. I was surrounded by people and almost had to run away, since I was in tears, but I kept my composure as well as I could while listening to the song through my headphones.

I was then struck by how incredibly effective a song can be in stirring emotions you never knew were there, when that song is a legitimately great one. As is the case of Elvis Costello's 'Veronica', which he co-wrote with Paul McCartney, who also plays his bass on the track. The song is co-produced by T-Bone Burnett. It's a beautiful, emotion-filled and catchy tune, a perfect pop song.

But Elvis Costello wrote this song for his grandmother, 'Veronica' - and it depicts so movingly, with the greatest artistry and such intricate lyrics, his experience in watching her struggle with Alzheimer's disease. Although I'm not witnessing this experience as he did, I now have a grandmother like 'Veronica' too. Despite my infinite number of questions to my mom about this confusing experience, my emotions about it were somehow locked away. I thought this song was beautiful before. But it has touched on feelings in me, because of an awareness of this disease that has affected my family, that I could hardly have grasped until now. Elvis Costello, with this one lovely song, made me understand with great intensity what we're dealing with here... It's something very mysterious that a wonderful person, so full of life and experience named 'Veronica', someone who could be anyone's grandmother or grandfather', has sadly fallen victim to.

This is the sort of music I will always treasure. There's so much more I could say about it, but I am truly grateful for Elvis Costello for giving me that good cry I seemed to need - and for doing his best to clarifying for others what happens to be a very confusing experience for anyone to go through. We all know that there is so much more to our own Veronicas than what we are left with.

I'll leave you with the beautifully poignant song here...

Julie Christie in 'Darling' is anything but... (1965)

2011-05-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

'Darling' has been an interesting film for me to experience over time. When I first watched it, years ago, I felt as if it were my duty as a fan of the Swinging Sixties era to see it. I was initially curious about the film since Julie Christie had (deservedly) won the Best Actress Oscar for it in 1965. This was the breakthrough performance that made her a bona fide English star. John Schlesinger directed it, so it had to have some depth. But I wondered at the time what it all meant. I wondered what the point of it was.

After watching it again recently, whatever I hadn't grasped before was abundantly clear. The character of Diana Scott in 'Darling' is anything but what the title suggests. The film manages to show us there are Diana Scotts, of varying degrees, in our world - both then and now. Diana is someone whose only talent lies in getting whatever she wants.

She admits to it early on as she describes her life - that even as a child, she was always someone who was picked for things. She is incredibly self-centered and opportunistic. There is absolutely no meaning in her life other than to get satisfaction in some way. Every moment of her existence and in every experience she has with other people is reduced - by her - to simply being about her. Every relationship she has must service her own needs. Not once in the entire journey we take with Diana Scott does she think about someone else's feelings. She is, in fact, one of the most deplorable, selfish and unattractive female characters in movies.

Julie Christie plays Diana Scott with a very believable but chillingly singular beat. She may have varying emotions, but she maintains the same rhythm no matter what the situation. 'I, me, mine' is her mantra. It is understandable that decent people can be taken with her, since she has a childlike charm and innocence. But there are moments when it's staggeringly evident that Diana Scott is nothing short of a monster.

Diana Scott's journey is one that allows her to go from London housewife, to mistress, to famous actress, to a European princess. Perhaps all of the visions or hopes that any attractive woman might have ever had for herself, Diana Scott manages to experience in her lifetime. Yet she is never grateful and she is never happy. Even she doesn't seem to realize it, as she alters much about herself when she retells her story in voiceover for a magazine article. And at the end of the film, despite her every questionable act or behavior, no one in the public is even aware how void of humanity this woman is when they see her photo on the cover of a magazine and pick up a copy. To the outside world she has lived a charmed life and she is darling. It's chilling to think how many successful (or simply famous) people today might fit that very description. Now I see where Schlesinger was going with this. 'Darling' speaks volumes about people who incessantly seek attention, validation or power. The vehicle is a thing of beauty, but it's sad and pathetic story.

80's Obscure - When Music Videos Had Impact, Featuring Bronksi Beat's 'Smalltown Boy' & Toto's 'Africa'

2011-04-15T18:18:00.000-07:00

A still from 'Smalltown Boy' by Bronski Beat

'No, you never cried to them, just to your soul...'

The first time I saw 'Smalltown Boy' is an experience I'll never forget because it made me cry. I felt enormous empathy for the protagonist and really didn't know why. I was young and I didn't actually know what it meant for someone to be gay. I only saw that he was terribly alienated and it seemed so real and incredibly sad that it tore me up.

The song itself is very moving, even without any visual representation - but this was the first time I realized a music video can have great emotional impact. In fact, there is more power and gravitas in the video for 'Smalltown Boy' than in an alarming number of feature-length films. Another video that attempts a similar storytelling angle is Pat Benatar's 'Love Is A Battlefield', but hers is over-the-top and unintentionally kitschy. "Smalltown Boy' manages to tell one of the most poignant stories I've ever seen in just five minutes. I still get terribly choked up when I watch it now. Given the recent, long-overdue attention to the issue of bullying, it also feels quite current.

Watch it for yourself here...

But 80's videos that have an impact are not necessarily sad ones. For the most part, they have a simple but unique visual qualities that are no longer present in music videos.

A still from 'Africa' by Toto

Toto's video for 'Africa' is not as emotionally moving but its impact lies in a unique aesthetic quality that makes for a satisfying experience. This video made me want to travel to 'Africa' and it just feels warm and inviting somehow. Again, that is a great visual representation of how the song, itself, sounds and feels - which lends to its cohesion. It appears they didn't have much to work with (and were on a tight budget) but they still managed to create the right feeling.

Check out 'Africa' below...

Olivia Newton-John in 1978 (Totally Hot Tour)

2011-04-07T00:56:00.000-07:00

In 1978, fresh off her iconic turn as Sandy, the goody-goody who becomes hot in 'Grease', with the tight black spandex-clad vision of the blond beauty fresh in people's minds, Olivia Newton-John capitalized on Sandy's transformation with one of her own. She embarked on her Totally Hot Tour to support her album (aptly named 'Totally Hot' of course.)

Before 'Grease', ONJ was essentially a wholesome country singer - albeit an Aussie one - who typified a squeaky clean image. What came after 'Grease' was an exploration of the theme of her own transformation into a sparkling, shining vixen. This period of ONJ's career could have been called 'Totally Pink'... because she wore a lot of it. (In these tour photos, her outfit looks lavender - but it was actually very pink.) She still maintained her clean image, whatever she did and wore. Because despite any effort to play up a sexy image, who she is within shines through and takes that to another level of a more goddess-like appeal. Not many people can rock pink spandex with a sparkly pink top and look like an exquisite Barbie doll (in the most authentic sense.) Of course, many have tried and failed.

As a side - and jumping forward a few years to her heyday in the 80's - my first recollection of seeing Olivia Newton-John was when she performed her song 'Make A Move On Me' on a Solid Gold. That image of her bounding around the stage with her high-watt smile in a pirate outfit (her pirate stint was short-lived, but memorable) recalls for me the first moment in my childhood when I thought, 'That's something I might want to do...!' This appearance found itself an indelible place within my psyche and I never forgot it. Incredibly, someone uploaded that performance on YouTube, so here it is...

I did perform quite a lot in my youth, on stage in some instances. And as an adult, it turned out I could sing in a 'pure soprano' according to a seasoned Broadway coach who insisted on hearing me do scales (I was inadvertently watching his class.) I can sing any of her songs on key and even auditioned to play Sandy once in New York... and made it through a couple of rounds. Although being a performer was not what I wanted to pursue, a (brunette) ONJ is the closest thing to what I might have become, had I chosen to make it my life's work and was touched by some level of fate to do so. Despite any number of differences, our birthdays happen to be very close and we have similar dispositions.

So when I watch an ONJ performance circa 1978, I marvel at what it might have been like to be her - at that specific point in time, just before she 'peaked' - while being acutely aware there's never been anyone quite like her since.

Two From One Time: 1979 ('Breaking Away', 'All That Jazz')

2011-04-03T21:49:00.000-07:00

BREAKING AWAY (1979)

I watched 'Breaking Away' (again) recently, one of my film inspirations. In terms of storytelling, it has the perfect blend of a bubbly confection and poignancy that is difficult to achieve (it won the Best Screenplay Oscar for 1979, for good reason.) This is a film you can smile through the entire time, while simultaneously being moved by the proceedings. There is neither pretension to the story, nor in its characters. How can anyone not adore 'The Cutters' (or 'townies'), a group of friends who feel like they are neither here nor there? But then, even those collegiate brats they feel so belittled by aren't exactly jerks, either - as becomes obvious in several scenes with the group's greatest preppy nemesis, particularly when he succumbs to appreciating The Cutters' great achievement in the final act. He cracks a smile for their deserved win, never mind that he and his friends lost. The Cutters and the people in this Indiana town are ones you can care about and that is what I love in a film. This one is a rare film I can 'file away' in that place in my mind of having learned something great - in this case, it is about what one can do with storytelling, something so vital to entertainment but lacking in too many of our more contemporary movies.

ALL THAT JAZZ (1979)

And far on the other side of the spectrum in 1979 there was also 'All That Jazz'. I saw this film recently, as well, and was completely blown away. Not so much because of the content, although I'm impressed by what is there - but the fact that this was Fosse. Bob Fosse is also a huge inspiration for me, second only to Stanley Donen as a dancer-choreographer turned filmmaker. The editing in the film is impeccable and garnered an Academy Award (again, very deserved.) This is rhythm incarnate - however manic. And the mania of this masterful man is something to behold. I am forever in Fosse's court of admirers, although I would never want to emulate the man, himself, or his life choices. His stamina was indeed a thing of fascination, but drug-induced, and that is where my admiration becomes finite. All in all, I've got mad, mad respect for Bob Fosse and 'All That Jazz' which plays as a capsule of his freakishly fantastic existence. Really, I have no words for this one when you get down to it - as I'm fairly awestruck from discovering the whirlwind energy of Fosse.

To take us out, here are two of my own video montages that made ample use of "Breaking Away' and 'All That Jazz', respectively...

Two From One Time: 1973 ('The Paper Chase', 'American Graffiti')

2011-03-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

THE PAPER CHASE (1973)

'The Paper Chase' is a very well made film featuring bright characters, which makes it enjoyable to watch. The story centers around one brilliant first year Harvard Law School student's relationships with his intimidating contract law professor and his new girlfriend (who inconveniently - or conveniently - turns out to be his professor's daughter)... as well as the challenges he faces during that pivotal and transitional year. The film questions whether it should be of such importance to always chase paper at different levels in life - from a birth certificate to school diplomas to marriage certificates to a will - particularly for those who study and practice law for a living. It has a quiet but strong philosophy. It is magnetic as a whole, with solid writing and performances. I imagine that when the film was released in 1973, it had an impact on law students everywhere and become an instant classic or go-to-film for that particular experience. And it probably remains the one to watch for them, still. It is altogether a very pleasing film and worth checking out.

AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)

Who doesn't love 'American Graffiti'? There is probably little to say about this movie that hasn't been said. but for me, this one will always be special because I watched it several years ago at The Bryant Park Film Festival in New York (the city's annual summer outdoor film screening, which was probably my favorite thing about NY summers) on a date with my then boyfriend, now husband. For us, it was the perfect date, watching the 1950's style confection on a big screen outdoors in the park. It inspired the feeling of being at a drive-in and took the nostalgia of George Lucas' teenage vision to yet another dimension. For a feel good movie experience, it doesn't get a whole lot better than that.

For Japan With Love

2011-03-18T16:21:00.000-07:00

There is only so much one can do to ease the devastation in Japan, but my heart and mind have both been over there ceaselessly since last Friday. I'm happy to take part in Bloggers Day Of Silence today, organized by Ever Ours and Utterly Engaged. Please donate and get involved if you can. Sending lots of love to Japan and beyond...

Retro-Themed Videos: Klara's Tops - Video Playlist

2011-03-17T15:55:00.000-07:00

Since most videos I've made tend to be retro in theme, I'm including them here on my blog. Below, you'll find a playlist of my most viewed and most beloved ones - and feel free to check out my YouTube channel. The playlist will also be located at the upper right of this blog from now on. The videos I make are often for songs that are dear to me that don't have an official 'video' (like this one that is only found on Vimeo) or a film I love that doesn't have an official trailer.

Hope you enjoy them, as so many of my YouTube viewers have - I've received such lovely and enthusiastic responses from complete strangers who stumble upon them (even by the musicians or songwriters themselves) and I occasionally find myself feeling inclined to get the word out a little. I certainly enjoy making people smile and it's nice to know that these have done just that.

Elsa Martinelli in 'Hatari!'

2011-03-10T23:03:00.000-08:00

Stunning Elsa Martinelli on location for 'Hatari!'

Elsa Martinell, a baby elephant and John Wayne

Hatari! is a lot of fun for many reasons. The incredible supporting cast of elephants and big cats, the cinematography and Howard Hawks' directing on safari, Henry Mancini's instantly recognizable and adorable song 'Baby Elephant Walk', the free floating story-line, John Wayne... But what has had a memorable impact on me watching Hatari! was the lovely Elsa Martinelli. I love her look in the film in the midst of the beautiful surroundings and sweet wild animals.

Elsa with The Duke

More baby elephants with Elsa

Elsa in fab green pants relaxes with her costars

Elsa and another little friend

Elsa's friend, just as gorgeous as she

Pretty Elsa

One Season Wonderful: Richard Benjamin & Paula Prentiss in 'He & She'

2011-03-08T00:10:00.000-08:00

Opening balloons

There is something so sweet but sophisticated about 'He & She' starring Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss. The show only lasted one season, but being an avid watcher of 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' and currently watching my grainy, poor quality episodes of this rare show, I have definitely witnessed where the comparisons come into play.

'He & She' is the direct predecessor of 'The MTM Show' and that Mary Richards, Rhoda Morgenstern and every one of the WJM News crew in Minneapolis - especially Ted Baxter - might not have existed if it weren't for Dick and Paula Hollister or Oscar North a.k.a. Jetman of 'He & She'.

Dick and Paula at home, tolerating the antics of Oscar/Jetman

As I'd mentioned in a previous post, even the interior of the New York City apartment where Dick and Paula live resembles the Minnesota lair of Mary Richards. At first, it's disarming to see the same windows, the front door in just the same place, the little platform and stairs leading to the door... and Dick or Paula (especially Paula) frequently bounding toward the door in much the same way that many of us have become accustomed to seeing Mary Richards doing numerous times, in every episode.

Even Paula Hollister's physicality and style is a reflection of what was to come with Mary... long limbed, she is usually wearing above-the-knee skirts or shift dresses with various levels of opaqueness in her hosiery, shoes with a slight heel, even her hair has that soon-to-be-exceedingly-famous flip. At a peripheral glance, as Paula rushes to the door in 'He & She', one can't help but think of Mary.

Mary's apartment is nearly identical to Dick and Paula's

Paula's style and hair flip, similar to Mary's in Season 1

But I also can't help but think it's a shame that 'He & She' - despite being critically acclaimed and endearing to those who watched it when it aired, receiving five Emmy nominations in 1968 (it won for best comedy writing, while Richard Benjamin, Paula Prentiss and Jack Cassidy were all nominated for their acting) and for just being all around great, the show never had the chance to become a lengthier series we can now freely reference in our culture, as well.

'He & She' aired on CBS following the popular 'Green Acres'... and it's been said that Richard Benjamin for one (and rightfully so) believes that having had the opposing energy of the city-life sophistication of 'He & She' following a show so completely different in comedic tone was detrimental to their ratings. (On a side note, it seems like CBS has had quite a history of this sort of problematic decision making... so you'd think they'd have learned by now.)

TV Guide cover with 'He & She'

The show is a bubbly confection but it is also very well written and acted. I have found myself getting somewhat choked up by numerous supporting performances, whilst Dick and Paula stand aside, soaking in the moment with great empathy.

The acting couple had been married in real life almost twice as long, by 1968, as the fictional couple in the show. Their characters are presumably in their late twenties and have been married for five years. They live in New York. Paula is from the south, as she is in real life - and Dick is a born and bred New Yorker, just as he is in real life.

A still from the show's adorable closing credits

Their onscreen chemistry - and individual comedic timing - are of course terrific, but having some of the backstory of where their life together had led them until that point in time makes watching the show all the more intriguing.

In some ways, art doesn't imitate life - since in the show Dick plays a cartoonist who's created the comic strip 'Jetman'. His 'Jetman' comic is now a TV show that stars the bombastic Oscar North, who directly inspires the Ted Baxter personality in 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show' (Jack Cassidy, who plays Oliver North, even appeared on 'MTM' as Ted Baxter's brother.)

If it weren't for 'He & She', which was a little too sophisticated and ahead of its time, would there have been 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'? Or later in the 90's, 'Mad About You'? Perhaps.

Of course, a major revolutionary element of the 'MTM' show was that they built the show solely around the female character who had never married and was making her way in the world without a male counterpart. Instead, she interacted with her friends, neighbors and coworkers. So The MTM Show did up the ante in that regard, forever changing TV in its own way in 1970, when the first season aired.

In any case, 'He & She' brought a fabulous precedent to TV and set the bar high enough for similar shows that followed to be as great as they were.

A still from the equally adorable opening credit

I will follow this with some clips of the show from the DVD's, recorded from TV reruns, that I painstakingly sought (and happily found.) But apologies in advance for the poor quality. Yet another result of this show having gone unrecognized is there hasn't been enough demand for it to have ever made it to DVD. Or even videocassette! I'll do my best to upload as much of it as possible so that more people can watch and enjoy it! :) Meanwhile, here are a couple of CBS promos for the series.

80's Obscure - 'I Can't Hold Back' Video (by Survivor) Rips Off 'American Gigolo' & 'Risky Business'

2011-03-04T15:12:00.000-08:00

She likes bad boys - was she inspired by Lauren Hutton
in 'American Gigolo' to stalk him in the record store?
Bright, preppy sweater and all.

Lauren Hutton stalked hers (Richard Gere)
in a record store, too, wearing a canary yellow
cable knit crew neck sweater...

But back to this one - sure, he says,
I may be interested, depends which record you're holding.

Don't worry, it's an Elvis-themed magazine.

Dude... that hot blonde chick is digging our front man!
We have to stop this.

She is really all about the movies, this one.
Now trying the 'Risky Business' tactic in the subway.

(Her subway inspiration was 'Risky Business'.)

But... it was all his fantasy, after all (of course)!
He misses that train to hang with his band mates.
Lesson: be quick when a beautiful blonde
tries to pick you up in a record store.

John and Mary (1969)

2011-03-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

The controversial characters appearing in LIFE magazine

Peter Yates was masterful at entertaining us with films such as 'Bullitt and 'Breaking Away', but he also made a stark relationship film called 'John and Mary'. It is interesting to watch, if only because you get the sense that back when this film was released, a subject as trite as young people having one-night stands had only recently become common place in reality... and had yet to be addressed in depth on the big screen.

They still don't know one another's names

The film was somewhat controversial, despite its minimal story. But today, it manages to work as a time capsule. It had probably been less than a decade by 1969 that people were able to admit intimacy could even occur out of wedlock. This was the same year when the wonderful 'Bob and Carole and Ted and Alice' questioned monogamy in the suburbs, for the middle aged folks trying to be swingers. Stories like these would certainly have no place as contemporary film subjects, since we've moved far beyond those topics. And there is an element that can at times be captivating about watching an of-the-moment classic film, like this one: the fact that it is not timeless. There is also something unique about Dustin Hoffman and Mia Farrow, as John and Mary, dancing around one another in an awkward singles match of sorts.

Hoffman and Farrow were the hip, young stars of their time

The two backstories for John and Mary are told in flashbacks, which is a good thing since they are mostly coy with one another and have a hard time getting to know each other - this of course being throughout the-day-after their one night (after meeting at a singles bar) which is essentially all this story is about. They are trying to navigate their way through their next day together. If it weren't for flashbacks to their previous relationships, we'd have no indication why they are behaving the way they do with one another.

Beautiful Mia Farrow as Mary

I find myself wishing they could stop speaking in code and be more straightforward with each other, as I highly doubt people generally spoke this way in 1969. I expect at least one of them to be a little less uptight about the whole thing. They do their best to avoid getting close... while they can't resist wanting to. In the end, they decide to move in together, so it wasn't exactly a one night stand. And I guess not much has changed after all... since from what I've noticed, single people are still playing those games (little coded masquerades) today.

And to take us out, here is a video I made for 'This Masquerade' - a stunningly beautiful tune in which Karen Carpenter sounds her most sophisticated. It is one of my earlier video montages (you can find many more on my YouTube channel) and it includes a few lovely moments from 'John and Mary'.

Swingtown - One Season Wonder

2011-02-28T23:13:00.000-08:00

And in the end, the love we take is equal to... or maybe not

The backstory saga of 'Swingtown' might be the rarest of tales imaginable, that of a passionate TV network executive who takes a chance on a (perceivably risque) show she believes in - but in doing so, inadvertently eliminates any potential for that series to succeed. 'Swingtown' appeared on CBS in the summer of 2008 and lasted for just one season, 13 episodes. In that time, it garnered a fairly decent cult-like following among those who actually watched the show while it aired.

Suburban hausfrau trying quaaludes for the first time

The unfortunate thing about this show is that it was very, very good - much better, I suspect, than anyone who tuned in had expected. Its very fate, in fact, depended on those who didn't watch it but based their judgements on what they perceived to be its content, even solely based on its name.

Previous neighbors offer 4th of July leftovers

More unfortunate, still, is that the creators of the show were shopping it around before CBS came in and it might have ended up on Showtime, where it would have been a great fit. But the CBS executive read and loved it so much, she insisted it appear on her network with full-fledged support - therefore, shooting it D.O.A. with that same devotion... Sometimes, it's best to leave what you care about alone. Her dedication to the show would have been proved better served had she said, "Please go and find a home on cable television because I'd like to watch this show!" But there you have it.

Smart, liberated girl ready to dump summer fling for her teacher

I was intrigued by this 70's era show (set in 1976) and watched 'Swingtown' when it aired in the summer of '08. I felt invested enough in the characters, its attention to detail and story after that first viewing that I bought the DVD set from Amazon recently and watched it all over again. My favorite example of this great attention to detail - apart from the very specifically styled homes and decor - is how often you hear the comforting, muffled sound of a transistor radio playing hit songs from the era in various scenes, whether indoors in someone's kitchen or outdoors at a picnic. The soundtrack for the series is impressive. They managed to get rights to some of the best songs of that period, like Jackson Browne's 'Running On Empty'. What is especially great about the show is that it was conceived and created so independently of any recent 'period show' trends and it appeared shortly after 'Mad Men'. 'Swingtown' is as artfully crafted as 'Mad Men' but it should have had a place to truly develop, away from the confines of network television. Somehow, even within those confines, it was made beautifully.

New neighbors, new perspective

I really find 'Swingtown' to be such a unique one season wonder because it was a (kind, but misguiding) executive's love that ultimately brought it down. I uploaded a DVD extra segment from CBS to YouTube, so that it might help explain more to those interested, as I've given little away about the show itself - and I highly recommend you purchase this gem and embrace the sincerity and passion that went into its creation.

80's Obscure - 'Pale Shelter' (by Tears For Fears)

2011-02-25T01:30:00.000-08:00

'Pale Shelter' is a great find on YouTube. It was directed by music video pioneer Steve Barron, better known for a-ha's 'Take On Me' and Michael Jackson's 'Billie Jean'. Scrolling down Barron's list of music videos is impressive - I didn't realize the same person was behind many of them. But his style certainly had an impact. Several of my other personal favorites are his, such as Bryan Adam's 'Cuts Like A Knife' and Joe Jackson's 'Steppin' Out'.

This Tears For Fears video has great use of imagery throughout, from paper planes to a giant steaming iron burn on an airplane runway. It's a mood piece and suits the tempo and feeling of the song extremely well. It also recalls those Sure deodorant commercials (about raising your hand, if you're sure.)

I also love how Roland Orzabel and Curt Smith are dressed in soft, relaxed fabrics, in a best of the 80's kind of way. They wear classic shapes & could have been styled by (early) Helmut Lang. In many ways, this video stands as a clever time capsule of the early 80's.

80's Obscure - 'Love's Got A Line On You' (by Scandal/Patty Smyth)

2011-02-25T00:16:00.000-08:00

I've had a little thing for this video since coming across it on YouTube. I love the low-fi quality, the peppy song... and most of all, I love Patty Smyth's pink & purple striped jumpsuit, in which she gets all jumpy. It's an energized combo that instantly puts me in a springtime mood.

This was a demo to show record labels and there is a more official video for this song, as well - but I quite enjoy this simple version. They seem to be genuine, just having fun. You will also notice that Jon Bon Jovi makes an appearance here on guitar, despite not having been a member of the band. He sort of jumped into it to help out and it's all very charming in a makeshift way.

Speaking of 'Jump', Smyth was a contender back in the day to follow David Lee Roth's footsteps as the front woman of Van Halen after his departure. It's really no wonder she later became Mrs. John McEnroe - someone had to be able to keep up with his abundance of energy and who better for that than Patty, as you can see here.

I watched a lot of videos growing up. I definitely wanted my MTV whenever I could find me some, since we didn't have it at home. I've always especially loved the classic videos of the early 80's, when MTV was new, fresh & exciting. So it's especially fun to find obscure videos I haven't seen before via YouTube.

And here is the official video for the song (which I had also not see before YouTube.)

The Trifecta of Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell & Carole King - Thoughts On Casting

2011-02-18T10:34:00.000-08:00

Carly Simon... one of the 'girls' in Wellers' book

Over the past two years I've become friends with the incomparable Sheila Weller, which is a real joy since I adored her magnificent joint biography of Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon, 'Girls Like Us'. I read it a couple of years ago and I can't remember how we started to interact at the time, but I think I wrote a note somewhere about the book. She must have sensed my genuine appreciation because she reached out to thank me for it. At some point we were emailing one another. Later, I posted a review of her book on Amazon and highly recommended it. Sheila was very kind to offer to send me a signed copy of her book and I'm happy to house two of them on my bookshelf. My Amazon review (the only review I've ever posted there) for 'Girls Like Us' from October 21, 2009 reads:

"The only trouble with this book is that it ends. It is so hard to put it down. If you have any interest in music and culture in the late 60's and 70's, you would know something about the women featured in this great comparative story. But there is so much to Weller's book that is new, and it is an admirably researched and presented piece. The backgrounds and personalities of these three women - Carole King, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon - are so different, yet their lives intertwined incessantly when they became musicians. Each one has many surprising aspects to her life I personally would not have known about if it weren't for this in-depth read. All three are equally compelling and inspiring. And in each of these women you may find some part of yourself or some idea of how you might have felt during those turbulent and groundbreaking years - in terms of music, culture and particularly the women's movement. It's absolutely transporting and transfixing. I love comparative analyses and the people of that period - so I absolutely loved this book! The problem I'm having now is moving on and finding another book I like as much as this one. Highly recommended."

That was my heartfelt recommendation and still is... I love this book.

My personal favorite one of the three 'girls' is Carly because I somehow relate to her the most, but I did go through a Joni phase during and after college. My first Joni album was 'Court & Spark' and it's still my favorite, as by that then she was dabbling in jazz and I sense that she had come into her own and had a certain confidence. Carole is amazing and I sometimes feel in a 'Tapestry' mood. But it's Carly who I can grasp the most for her experiences - and for her sensitive but expressive qualities. Going into it, I knew a great deal about each of them - not least of all because each one had her deep relationship with James Taylor, one of my lifelong musical heroes (Carole partnered musically, Joni as the girlfriend and of course, Carly, the wife and mother to his children.) I had already read two biographies on Taylor and have enjoyed his entire catalogue of music. It was so great to be able to peel the layers of these three incredible women at such turbulent moments in their lives, their careers - and in society as a whole - via Sheila's book.

Joni Mitchell

Carole King

I have since been in touch with Ms. Weller and when I heard that this very rich story will be adapted for screen (by John Sayles) I was so excited. Like many who love this talented trifecta, I thought instantly at how challenging but fun it will be cast those incredible ladies - but who, indeed, could even carry such raw characters as these? Especially in a time when performers tend to be so unnatural, formulaic and calculated? For fun (and as an exercise, since I will be casting for my projects someday soon) I spent about a week writing lists and making notes on possible contenders. I chose a final three and made a video of my thoughts on casting for Carole, Joni and Carly and even shared it with Sheila. The casting process has not begun, but it was a pleasure for me to be able to share my findings with the writer who made them so vivid for me in the pages of her book.

I based my choices on (the potential for) a physical resemblance, (potential for) similarity of voice and expression, maturity on the part of the actress/singer in terms of understanding and appreciating the era... I even researched the personal backgrounds of each actress/singer to be sure she could relate to her corresponding role in a more personal way. Each of the final three checked out, in multiple ways, based on my criteria. Here is the video I made of three gals I believe should (at least) be auditioned for 'Girls Like Us'... when the time comes.

Exciting update (04/08/11): Sheila just showed me this link, and credits me (via Facebook) with choosing Carly. She went from 0 to 60 on it and she listened - and called it my 'never-say-die' advocacy for Mandy Moore, so it's all pretty satisfying ;)...

And here is the video I made:

And here is one of my favorite videos, Carly and James singing 'You Can Close Your Eyes' together. This moment in their lives shows how profoundly in love Carly was with JT. The memory of the love they once had for one another still lives on.

Golden Anniversary: The Enduring Love of Paula Prentiss & Richard Benjamin

2011-02-09T23:25:00.000-08:00

Golden couple

Seldom do we see celebrity couples in Hollywood who can withstand years (let alone decades) of commitment along with the pressures of their respective careers. Often cited as having succeeded in that challenging arena of their lives were couples like Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. I recently noted the well-sustained marriage of Sam Elliot and Katharine Ross here on my blog.

Meanwhile, Katharine Ross' costar in the fabulous original version of 'The Stepford Wives', the enormously talented comedic actress with a knack for playing kooky ladies, Paula Prentiss (whose work I have also loved in 'What's New Pussycat', 'The World of Henry Orient' and in her various other roles) has had an even longer marriage to equally talented actor-director Richard Benjamin, who starred in two of my favorite films - both featured on my blog - 'Goodbye Columbus' and 'The Last Of Sheila'. As individuals, they've both been significant to me in terms of their films... together they have appeared in at least three of my all time favorites.

Benjamin with Ali MacGraw

in the wonderful 'Goodbye Columbus'

Benjamin in the fabulous 'The Last Of Sheila'

Prentiss with Katharine Ross in the equally fab 'The Stepford Wives'

The Stepford Wives' sad conclusion

as they convene at the grocery store

Prentiss with Peter Sellers

in 'The World Of Henry Orient'

I have also recently ordered a very rare DVD copy (of a video copy) of a short-lived but groundbreaking TV show they starred in together called 'He And She', which has also had a mention here. I'm excited to watch it and will report back on that later...!

"He And She" CBS promotional photos

Two decades into their marriage, in 1980, the funny couple even hosted Saturday Night Live together. There have been many couples who've appeared on SNL together, but I hadn't heard of a couple who shared hosting duties on that stage, equally.

What I discovered in looking deeper into this magnificently lengthy marriage is there are aspects to their commitment to one another I couldn't have even imagined. It's an incredible story, a saga of sorts, that really shook and surprised me.

Prentiss and Benjamin met at Northwestern University in 1958 before either of them had started acting professionally, before they became famous. This had to have helped in their longevity, since they were able to evolve with their relationship and fame and see one another from a perspective beyond their (romantically challenged) profession. Prentiss, born Ragusa, was from San Antonio, Texas and it's been said that she wanted to become a doctor. Richard Benjamin was from New York City (born and raised) and had always wanted to be an actor. They both studied acting at school.

Benjamin and Prentiss in the early days

I found a People magazine article from 1976 that speaks volumes - and opens up this story to new interpretation (not to mention my noticing how much more politically correct even writers who write for entertainment publications are today than they were back in 1976.) Here is one excerpt I'd like to share from the article that chronicled their life together until that point, having already been together for 15 years (they were married in 1961) because only this piece in its own time can capture the real graveness of how Hollywood can be a frightening place to exist... or even coexist, as in their case (from People Magazine, 1976):

Their present plateau of success and serenity would have seemed unforeseeable just a decade ago when Paula experienced her harrowing mental breakdown. At the time she was in Paris filming What's New, Pussycat? while Dick was touring with Barefoot in the Park in Cincinnati. "One day during shooting," she recalls, "I just climbed up the ropes to the catwalk and started walking the beams. Very loudly and clearly I called down to everyone on the set, 'I'm going to jump.' A French technician grabbed me, and there I was, hanging by one arm."

Prentiss in 'What's New Pussycat'

She came to in a Paris hospital and later transferred to the Payne Whitney Psychiatric Clinic in New York. "It was horrendous. You're crazy because they say you're crazy," she says. "It was especially horrible because I couldn't figure out how to do what they wanted me to so I could get out." Dick took her to lunch once a month but usually found her so drugged up that "she wasn't Paula. I'd make believe everything was all right, but it was like taking a carrot out to lunch. What did I know about psychiatry? I was a Jewish boy, and in our house, if someone had a headache, no one worried about brain tumors or neurosis. It just meant you hadn't eaten enough."

Paula's crisis may have had some of its roots in the celebrity shock she sustained during her first years out of Northwestern University's drama school. She and Dick met there while studying under noted acting teacher Alvina Krause. Prentiss was born Paula Ragusa, an Italian from San Antonio who at a reedy 5'9" loomed over her classmates like a stork. Dick, a sardonic New York kid whose parents struggled in the rag trade, wowed Paula because she claimed on an earlier occasion he was the first New York Jew she'd ever seen. They started housekeeping together "before the pill," notes Dick, "when things were dangerous."

New York meets Texas

An MGM talent scout auditioned them but, ignoring Dick, signed Paula to a seven-year contract in 1960. "It was a life I hadn't picked," she says. "It was terrifying. I just allowed myself to be driven along." In less than a year, Paula cranked out three dizzy frivolities, beginning with Where the Boys Are. "I was such an idiot," Benjamin groans. "I accepted it all to be with the girl I wanted to be with." Even their marriage was arranged by the studio: Paula had to make a promotion junket, and in 1961 an unwed traveling companion was considered a no-no. They were forced to delay the ceremony before a New York judge for one hour so that the bride could log publicity mileage about the wedding with long-distance calls to Hedda Hopper and Louella Parsons. "The only thing that woke us up," she reflects now, "was that crash landing in Paris."

She dropped out of films and into analysis, while Dick began his breakthrough as Ali McGraw's schlemiel in Goodbye, Columbus. Along the way, Paula found her best therapy was co-starring with him in a 1967 CBS series called He and She that approached an almost Lear-like level of sophistication before its time. It died after a single season. Still, Paula believes, "It was worth it after what we'd been through. By working together we learned to live with each other again."

These two go way back

Despite situations that might have been too much for most couples, they seem to have always persevered. And I can only speak for myself here, but I do find the idea of Prentiss having been signed to a seven-year contract with MGM at the start of the 60's, just before so many social mores and messages in life - and subsequently, films - were about to change; then being forced into marriage to a man she loved only to keep up appearances in terms of where society still stood; then being trapped in a mental institution because of a supposed 'breakdown' on a film set (I'm hesitant to believe she actually had one, since she may have been temporarily immersed, as actors can be, in her role as a kooky, suicidal chick in the film 'What's New Pussycat')... it's altogether terrifying. Seems like they managed to keep their heads and keep their feet planted fairly well on that shaky ground to get past those heady times, together - and not fall apart. There are very few couples who made it through the multitude of changes happening in the 60's, 70's & all the way back until today... let alone film stars.

Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss may not be considered stars today, they may never be featured in People magazine again. But I for one have now gone from enjoying their work individually... to having the utmost respect and admiration for them as an unsinkable pair who've navigated this world (and Hollywood) together, whatever they may have been faced with. It is now 2011 so they'll have been together for exactly half a century! Apart from their list of professional accomplishments, they also have two grown children, Ross and Prentiss.

Happy golden anniversary to Richard Benjamin and Paula Prentiss, an inspirational Hollywood couple if there ever was one.

The golden couple... still solid and smiling.

And an update: here is the opening for the absolutely wonderful 'He & She'. I've received the series (not the best quality, but okay) and I've been watching it with fervor. I am really excited to report back on this fabulously sophisticated 'one season wonder' in an upcoming post. Stay tuned...!

'Goodbye Columbus' (Trailer)

2011-02-07T23:18:00.000-08:00

'Goodbye Columbus', starring Richard Benjamin and Ali MacGraw, is a charming and somewhat overlooked film. I made a trailer for it several months ago. So at least there is one for it now. There isn't an official trailer anywhere and mine appears to be the one and only. (You can also find more posts with MacGraw here & here.)

Based on a novella by Philip Roth and featuring original songs by The Association - "Goodbye Columbus" is about Neil, a poor Bronx librarian, and Brenda, a pampered Jewish princess from Westchester. It was both MacGraw and Benjamin's film debuts, playing Brenda and Neil as they try to cross class lines. A very funny and poignant comedy.

Plastic Joy (All The Men I've Loved Before)

2011-01-28T10:34:00.000-08:00

I was recently bestowed with the Plastic Joy Award from a fellow retro blogger (sweet & talented Dolly Rocker Girl.) Perhaps a dubious honor, but good fun. It meant I had to select five or more characters from film or television that make me dizzy, let's say... This proved to be more time consuming than I'd expected since I went a tad beyond the 'five or more' realm.

Traits belonging to the male characters who've had an impact on me are for the most part kind-hearted, collected, respectable, honorable, intelligent, adorable, sweet, charming, funny... all around good guys. With a few exceptions. Something else about my list is that almost every one of these gentlemen in some significant way (for me) resembles the man I married... How romantic an observation is that while making my list? The best part about loving the real thing, after all, is that he can love me right back :)

And here are some of the chosen fictional 'menses'....

Cary Grant as Roger Thornhill in 'North By Northwest'

He's just so dapper, cool under pressure, witty - the perfect man to have around when things get complicated. I could have listed Grant in every movie he's appeared in ('Suspicion' which I've blogged about before is another favorite) but his mistaken identity adventure in NxNW works for me every time.

Elvis Presley as Dr. John Carpenter in 'Change of Habit'

As a doctor who chooses to work in an inner city clinic, he plays guitar and sings to troubles teenagers, cures children of illnesses - all while winning over a nun played by Mary Tyler Moore... that is a big yes. Also, how cute does Elvis look wearing a sweatshirt, jeans and a pair of Chucks?

Marcello Mastroianni as Marcello Polletti in 'La Decima Vittima'

Marcello is always sleek but he is also mod here. Bonus points. I love this Italian sci-fi film about a deadly game (here's more about La Decima Vittima) and he is definitely a major factor.

Donald Sutherland in anything - here as Hawkeye Pierce

(with Elliot Gould as Trapper John) in 'M.A.S.H.'

Goofy and funny, cool under pressure - good heart. Once again, traits that win me over. If you can laugh and make the best of The Korean War while helping others around you, to me you are golden, solid and unforgettable.

Peter Cook as The Devil in 'Bedazzled'

Has there ever been a sweeter, more charming or fun Lucifer than Peter Cook's interpretation? Even Dudley Moore's frustrated Stanley Moon voiced his admiration several times - while dealing with evil one's mischief and antics - telling him that no one else had ever been so nice or showed such interest in him before. There's some comedic poignancy in that, to be sure! If the real devil was as affable as this one, I might be all right with offering my soul to him, as well.

Donald Sutherland as Calvin Jarrett in 'Ordinary People'

I could make a list only with Donald Sutherland roles. Here, he plays a father and a husband. But his family is falling apart. Despite having no control over what transpires, he is the father and husband anyone would want to have. A true sweetheart which makes him a hero.

Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock in 'Star Trek'

Spock is able to maintain a cool, intellectually functional exterior, while passion lives underneath and drives him. He is Vulcan, but he is also what good humans can be.

James Taylor as The Driver in 'Two Lane Blacktop'

Here's the first exception on my list. I love the young James Taylor. And only the fact that he was in this great movie puts his Driver character on the list. But the guy was actually a bit of a jerk, someone I wouldn't want to hang around with... somehow he's making an appearance here, anyway.

James Stewart as Mike Connor in 'The Philadelphia Story'

Yes, Mike got a little ahead of himself... and had to come back down to earth after spending some quality time with a 'goddess'. But like Frank Sinatra after him, Stewart's Macauley Connor was the perfect guy to distract a girl from her duties and her destiny - even if for just one champagne-fueled, wonderful evening. And Jimmy Stewart is another one on my 'in any role he's in' list (i.e., 'The Man Who Knew Too Much', 'Rear Window' and countless others) - just like Cary Grant, Donald Sutherland and one more coming up...

Jeremy Irons... being Jeremy Irons

Here is the second exception. But I can't even get into it right now. He just has an effect on me and it started in my early teens. He certainly doesn't get cast in roles of the man with the most moral compass but somehow...I'll try to get back to this one, I promise.

Tom Hanks as Kip Wilson in 'Bosom Buddies'

(and in any role in his early 80's films....)

I don't remember much about this show, I saw some reruns and just loved it as a kid.I do know he was adorably charming as Kip, so in love with that bubbly blond chick who couldn't know he was in drag and not really a chick. Side note: my husband literally reminds me of a blond hair/blue eyed version of a young (early 80's variety) Tom Hanks... I'm a lucky gal :)

Tom Hanks as Sam Baldwin in 'Sleepless in Seattle'

Again, the sweetheart... I know this one is the played-out classic romantic male lead. But it is the one that pioneered them all in the latter part of the last century. This film worked a kind of magic and it's one that it still maintains. A huge reason why it worked so well was that the character of Sam, especially the way Tom Hanks plays him, is endearing.

Tom Hanks as Jim Lovell in 'Apollo 13'

I'll have to include this one for reasons personal and universal. Personal, because I love this movie and find it so exhilarating and because my father was a rocket scientist who worked for NASA (he helped build one of the Apollo space shuttles.) But the journey the Apollo 13 crew take, led by Jim Lovell, is one of the most fantastic survival stories in history. Jim Lovell is an inspiring person on film and in real life - and I love Hanks' portrayal in this.

Tom Everett Scott as Guy "Shades" Patterson in

'That Thing You Do!'

No, I'm not quite through with Hanks yet, since he helmed this one :) I adore this film. And I love Guy Patterson because he's so solid. A dependable kid to his parents, a good friend, a great drummer, a jazz aficionado - and so very, very thoughtful to sweet Faye (played adorably by Liv Tyler) that she couldn't help but ditch her selfish, unappreciative BF for him. The nice GUY wins!

Taylor Kitsch as Tim Riggins in 'Friday Night Lights'

Oh, Tim Riggins... All of Dillon, Texas has a thing - something - for this seemingly troubled football hero. But ever since Season 1, when he seemed to be careless, I knew he was more together than anyone else (beside Coach and Tami Taylor, of course.) He is all heart, but he is also one of the most steady and dependable people on the show. And this is a show with plenty of full hearts and good intentions. The fact that Riggins is like a beacon at times - in a town where everyone has a moment or two to shine - is impressive.

Kevin Costner as John J. Dunbar in 'Dances With Wolves'

(by default, because I like the character of Dunbar so much but also Costner, in general.) This is a good segue because.... and you heard it here first, you really did... Taylor Kitsch reminds me so much of Kevin Costner, in looks but especially because of their voices. Trust me, listen to Kitsch as Tim Riggins next time and think of Costner - it's uncanny! I also would have listed Costner in The Untouchables, JFK, Tin Cup or any number of films. I'm 'one of those' who just loves Kevin Costner. He is another one of the 'any role he's in' guys on the list.

Aaron Eckhart as George in 'Erin Brockovich'

How nice was George??!! From what we can gather from the film, Erin Brockovich could not have gotten anything done if it weren't for sweet George looking after her kids. What a guy. I'm not sure if this character was for real or if he was fabricated. But I know he is fab. With what that amazing woman was able to achieve, helping so many people and managing a major legal coup... if there really happened to be this 'good man' behind the 'good woman', more power to them both.

Rob Lowe as Franklin "Skip" Burroughs IV in 'Class'...

He really handled that thing where his prep school roommate got together with his dear mum (albeit Jacqueline Bisset - but still, his mother) very gracefully. For all his pranks and jovial hijinks, Rob Lowe's character in 'Class' proves he has more class than anyone around him.

Timothy Olyphant as Wes in 'Damages' (or other roles

The character of Wes in 'Damages' could be on the 'bad boy' side of the spectrum - but despite his not being particularly trustworthy, he had a way of making one trust him... and he was just trying to do his job. In fact, it isn't even a particular role that lands Timothy Olyphant here, but those were the stipulations and I'm just being compliant.

Last but not least, each and every James Bond.

I am wiped out from all of this, so with James Bond I will just take it easy and say... Nobody does it better.

Images of (Fashion) Heaven - Video

2011-01-24T12:06:00.000-08:00

Although I've created - and uploaded - quite a lot of videos on my YouTube channel, Vimeo channel and elsewhere by now, somehow I had neglected to post this one on my blog. But it's definitely fitting that I do. Here is what I had originally posted as a description for it: "Merged two things I love - slow motion 60's fashion films (read: 60's-70's fashion, in general) and one of my favorite tunes, Peter Godwin's 'Images of Heaven'. Also feels like an ode to my time at Videofashion."

And this is what Mr. Godwin himself had to say about it, among other kind words:"Thanks for this Klara, I like it.. Strangely appropriate... :) It is a very cool exploration of the themes - and I love that it's also a celebration of your own passion for retro fashion, especially the timeless "futurism" of the 60's and 70's. :) Thanks again for creating this - and for turning on so many people to the song... Peter."

I can never get over what an amazingly ethereal (and surprisingly little known) synth-pop masterpiece this song is. And I couldn't ask for a better endorsement for the heavenly images I associated with it than from the artist behind this incredible song himself.

Retrospective: How Technology Tore The Roof Off My Cozy 1960's Fort

2010-11-27T16:09:00.000-08:00

I just discovered that this is my 60th post since starting this blog! Which only means I should be posting more often. But because the 1960's hold such a major significance to me, I'll celebrate this little milestone by bringing that fascination into the spotlight. And what better way than by merging together a small history of this passion of mine with how the internet affected or diverted it?

The rise of the internet is responsible for so many great

things in our lives. It's difficult to imagine living without limitless possibilities - online, that is, and especially in terms of information. If you had been passionate about something pre-internet when information was far less accessible, however, you might have had to come to terms with the fact that a cozy existence you'd spent a fair amount of time building on your own - with considerable effort or sacrifice - is now shared by any and all in a mere instant. (This can of course be said for many things, even skills and trades that have become computerized to the extent that anyone might do with the click of a button what others had to be trained to do prior... namely in music, filmmaking, photography, etc.)

I had always led a sort of double life: one right here in our current time and another fantasizing and being immersed in all that is the 1960's. My childhood and youth took place in the 80's/90's but my heart and devotion belonged to the 60's as soon as I had my first inkling that a bygone time was so magnificent. My dedication to knowing everything there was to know about the era, whether it was the music, films, design, society, culture or science of the time, led to a borderline unhealthy pursuit of the subject. I guess the same can be said for people who are overly fascinated by the Renaissance period or Civil War era... things of that nature (although I've never attended a convention, or recreated an event with other individuals - but you get the idea.) In another sense, it was as if I was working towards earning a PhD in a course of study I had created for myself. For what purpose? I wondered then and I still don't know today.

Perhaps I could have been an expert on the subject if it weren't for the abundance of information at everyone's fingertips via the internet. I can honestly say I hoped the time I spent in that endeavor would someday reveal itself to be worthwhile, back when the 'work' really started... I fancied I could be a 60's era style expert for any number of fashion magazines or that I could be a filmmaker with a 60's flair (and at some point, that meant writing a screenplay based on a late 60's spy thriller which came adequately close to being picked up by the largest creative agency in the business... I knew the aesthetics and was able to apply them to every page effortlessly.)

But alas, my aspirations were foiled by the internet. Today it's so easy to pull inspiration online and make connections that anyone who might have dedicated themselves to developing specific knowledge in any given area is essentially obsolete - in a sort of 'man replaced by machine' sense - at least in a culture that works on smaller and smaller time constraints. Knowledge is all about speed. It's another form of consumption and dispensing (not necessarily pertaining to any level of depth of content.) My deep immersion in all that was the 1960's, an appreciation that directed a good portion of my formidable years, can be applied to many other people and any experiences that have been devalued with the development of the internet. Not that this is a bad thing... it is simply a fact to be observed.

Looking back, I did have a feeling as a child that I was reincarnated but had lived in the 60's. This might account for something, but how would anyone really know? I had many odd moments growing up that would point to that - especially since I didn't even knew what reincarnation meant. Part of the allure of the 60's for me was that how well the era fit my personality and style - preppy, minimal, free but refined - and it still does. Maybe it's not so much that I was drawn to the 60's as much as it was to me... My first significant relationship (and the only one worth maintaining in my life besides my husband) was sparked by a mutual and religious love of The Beatles. We met while on a double date (both were with someone else at the time) but when the subject turned to The Beatles, we were goners. I'll never forget the looks on our dates' faces as they inched closer to each other and stared at us in disbelief. One of them actually said, "They found each other." I had found a partner who wouldn't mind joining in a 60's quest.

By the time I was 19, I had read the biographies of every famous woman who fascinated me who was vital to the era in some way (particularly because of their beauty, style or talent.) Mia Farrow, Catherine Deneuve, Brigitte Bardot, Joan Baez, Jane Fonda, Jean Shrimpton and Ali MacGraw are a few that come to mind. Of course, to Audrey Hepburn I dedicated a whole other part of my existence, altogether. Since then, I've read bios of other classic ladies, swinging chicks and some fascinating men - Twiggy Lawson (Leslie Hornby), Grace Kelly, Natalie Wood, Linda Eastman McCartney, Patti Boyd Harrison, Peggy Lipton, Peter Sellers, Roger Vadim, Warren Beatty, James Taylor, Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell (oh, I do love the 70's, too!!) And plenty more. I love being immersed in those other lives for the length of a book. It's a great way to travel in time and visit whatever era they roamed.

And I'd spend hours and hours in libraries just scouring old fashion magazines. What a thrill to find the section and then start pulling down those plastic covered issues from long ago. I'd marvel at the funny chauvinistic ads and just melt with love while staring at the beautiful images of those women, their hair, their clothes, those designs... It was another private and treasured escape into that other world. Wherever I happened to be, I needed to know where the nearest library was. In fact, it may be interesting to map all the libraries that I'd hit in the various cities I lived and visited. This was the most fun I could possibly have, for years, apart from watching old movies or listening to music that could allow me to reminisce about what had never even been... at least not for me in my current lifetime.

I was what one would call a lone wolf. The

time I dedicated to individuals found through movies, books and films could have been spent instead on cultivating actual friendships. I realize that now. Fortunately, I had a like-minded boyfriend for a good part of my early 20's and didn't have to be completely alone in my odd and potentially lonely fantasy.

Back when I was in college, things were just starting to develop in the online world but it was still used predominantly as a means of communication for the masses. Email was becoming less of a novelty... but all of those wonderful searches that are possible now hadn't infiltrated our lives yet. Despite being a member of a very social organization, a sorority, I would steal away plenty of time for myself and walk through campus alone - whether I'd go and watch classic or foreign films in the film department or look up as many old fashion magazines I could make time for at the library. If anyone back then wondered what I was up to, walking alone here and there... now you know.

I managed to maintain friendships (being too balanced a person to actually be antisocial) but I had my own world to resort to if things weren't keeping my interest in this one. After all, I was becoming incredibly versed on all things 60's, whereas the 90's and 2000's I only experienced peripherally. Yes, I was 'one of those'. I didn't own a TV for nearly all of the 2000's and didn't want to. So this involvement with a bygone era was my only source of entertainment and it was still going after college when I predominantly lived in NY despite a short stint in London and some time spent in LA. I found and bought books and old magazines from or about people in the 60's. I'd scour bookstores for photography books - my favorite being David Bailey, but my best find altogether was a rare first edition copy of one of Linda McCartney's photography books. I'd cut out photos I liked and make collages out of them. One collage in particular I attached to cardboard and would take it around with me to any location I moved. These (sad to say, really) were my 'friends' and gave me a sense of comfort.

This collage of "friends" (made of photos from books and pasted to cardboard) traveled with me to several cities.

This was true for films, as well. I would rent rare films (on videocassette and later DVD), purchase the ones I wanted for my own collection - and sometimes I'd keep one (after politely paying for it, of course) if I couldn't bring myself to return it to the video store. I also discovered TV shows like 'The Avengers' (with which I developed a mad respect for Emma Peel and her kung fu fighting), The Mod Squad, Bewitched, Gidget, etc. I often wondered if all of this would lead to anything or if I was wasting my precious youth. I cannot describe adequately enough how little I socialized and how very comfortable I was with that fact. At some point I came across the film 'Privilege' and the look I wanted to have for my wedding was thus realized... several years before I would be married. And when Francoise Hardy made her way into my life, I worked for years to finally achieve her hairstyle which I wear today. It took a lot of effort to grow it the right way despite the many bad haircuts I endured to get it. It takes a great deal of focus to have one image in mind for years despite all others that may come to view. And despite incompetent stylists. But again, that was part of my dedication to the 60's I had idealized.

Near the start of the Francoise quest; my hair now.

All of this holds very different meaning to today's lifestyle. A person can be anti-social and still maintain a decent level of social existence by way of social networks. And someone who is as passionate about something - the way I was about the 1960's for such a significant portion of my life - will find that any person can access something that had taken genuine time and energy to gather and develop over the course of many years with only a few easy clicks on their favorite search engine. It's instant gratification. The general public can be exposed to what would have taken a great amount of digging, pre-Internet. In a sense, someone like me can feel connected to other like-minded individuals (I have seen some terrific retro-inspired blogs, for example, since starting mine) and feel like there is a community for those with similar passions. I refer to it as passion because obsession is much too manic a word for something incorporated so intricately into daily life... A passion that is harmless yet significant enough to be incorporated in daily life is more like a hobby.

In any case, one must indeed have appreciation for how the internet has augmented accessibility to any subject in this universe (and beyond) to anyone and everyone. But to those of us who worked to build a world - or a cozy escape - that required a lot of commitment, time and effort while spending a less than healthy amount time in the company of actual human beings... well, it can certainly feel a bit like having the roof of your fort lifted off and your space exposed. I'm sure anyone who got nerdy over something can relate. Maybe I shouldn't have been hiding in that fort all day long, anyhow, and I should have just played with everyone in real time... but it was great fun for a cat like me. Of course, the internet allows for finding more 'material' today with greater ease (wonderful, rare images for example) than when I had searched around in my hard copy searches of yore. I appreciate that as much as anyone else. Yet the real gratification is gone to some extent. It is too instant. But who has time to go into a library and search old magazines for fun? I've grown up and technology has changed how things work. I can move on while maintaining the 'happy place' I'd built over the years. (I really have moved on, despite my Francoise Hardy hair.)

Personally, I don't think this is a matter that should concern me or anyone, really. Everything has changed so drastically in the past decade in terms of what people do and how they do it and so much of what we did a decade ago is obsolete... People have had to rethink almost everything about how they live their lives. In comparison, my adjustments have been minor. I've always led a fairly simple life and it translates easily to where we are now. I think of this experience as another aspect of that change as we continue to transition into a fully computerized existence.

In fact, we're at least getting somewhat closer to the space age fantasy of the future that was imagined back in the 60's! I'm all for that. And I still escape to that other great decade of change whenever I need a quick fix.

Katharine Ross and Sam Elliot in The Legacy (1978)

2010-09-23T00:58:00.000-07:00

Retro Active Critique #21

I love good 60's/70's-era Katharine Ross. She is an inspiration. And my husband loves Sam Elliot's mustache (of course, I have to agree with that one, too.) I've anointed these real-life marrieds our 'favorite celebrity couple' today and then ventured to see their film pairing, via Netflix. Katharine Ross and Sam Elliot first appeared together in "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" in which Sam Elliot had a bit part. Years later, they starred together in this 1970's 'horror' film, which led to their decades-long marriage. So I had to see the film for myself.

For a mystery thriller film in the vein of an Agatha Christie story that also veers into the occult, featuring a British eccentric (who happens to be passing on his Satanic legacy throughout the film), a massive English estate with a nurse who morphs into a white cat unbeknownst to anyone, the odd inclusion of Roger Daltry (who meets his bitter end by way of choking on a chicken bone) - as well as the many (awesome) scowling looks of Sam Elliot, throughout - even for all of that, "The Legacy" is actually not half bad. If you're in the mood, it's pretty okay.

Speaking of Mr. Elliot, he really has that one look down: scowling suspiciously at everyone. Between that mustache and those bushy eyebrows lives a perma-scowl of mockery and skepticism. You practically expect him to break out of character and say, "Are you kidding me? Do I really have to respond to this hokey line or even be in this asinine story? Dang it all to heck." And then walk right out. In fact, I'm pretty sure that's all he does in this and many other films. But like everyone on the planet, I love him and that profound mustache of his. He can appear in every movie as far as I'm concerned. There can never be too much Sam Elliot.

Ms. Ross, on the other hand, is a tad disappointing with her recycled acting in this. Everything she does in "The Legacy" seems borrowed from her "The Stepford Wives" role as Joanna Eberhart. But one can certainly excuse her for sitting back on cruise control here since there isn't much for her to do in terms of character development. She looks good (although not as good as in "The Stepford Wives") and that's all I had wanted from this Katharine Ross experience, anyway: for her to look pretty, sweet and bewildered. She's very good at those things and I am eternally a fan.

Another amusing aspect of the film (as pretty much everything in it is amusing) is the style of clothes they wear. If you've been out shopping at all recently - whether at Bergdorf, H&M or anywhere in between - you will see these clothes. The folks in "The Legacy" are very leather and fur clad, autumn-friendly, comfortable, with motorcycle and riding boots - stable chic. So I've noticed we are currently in 1978, trend-wise. But if you happen to catch this post a few months from now, this too will have passed... I'm just glad the wonderful real-life pairing of Ross and Elliot has endured, long after "The Legacy".

And the photo and video, below, offer a brief look at those styles I mentioned.