Every now that then you see something that makes you angry, not because it offends you, but because you wish you came up with it. Back in February I saw Diablo Cody speak at Cinequest in San Jose and she said that The Wrestler had made her angry for that very reason.
Well, here's the item for this week that I wish I had come up with: A beautifully designed and smashingly edited rendition of the classic Stooges song. Why couldn't I have come up with this? It's not like I've been busy updating my blog or anything.
Oh well. I'm sure I'll be feeling the same thing tonight; I'm going to see the long-awaited (500) Days of Summer.
Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fashion. Show all posts
Friday, July 24, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Vanity Fair
I have to give this month's Vanity Fair major props for its 'Ain't We Got Style?' photo spread by Michael Roberts, Norma Jean Roy and Mark Seliger, especially for the fantastic portrait of Mila Kunis as Letty Lynton, the Joan Crawford role/character that has been hard to find for the past seventy-something years since it was court-ordered back into the MGM archives on copyright violations. My next thought, after taking it in, was 'Of all movies, Letty Lynton? Do people actually know about that movie?'
Apparently people know about the dress. "(T)he Letty Lynton dress, with billowing, diaphanous sleeves, became an overnight sensation" says the small text in the upper right corner. Previously, my only visual reference was a small still in the great book Sin in Soft Focus by Mark A. Vieira, which shows Crawford buried in silver fox, leaning against Nils Ascher. Indeed a google image search did turn up some terrific glamour shots of Miss le Seur in the white dress with big sleeves.
A YouTube search turned up something even more exciting: The entire movie, which I don't think has ever been on VHS (and certainly never been on DVD). Until it gets taken down, do seek it out. It's been divided into about ten increments.
I watched the first three or so last night, and I can't say I'm not completely impressed. The overall image quality is better than nothing, but still very dismal and washed out, particularly disappointing when you consider how gorgeous movies from that era at MGM usually looked. (The cinematographer Oliver Marsh, was also responsible for Dancing Lady, San Francisco, The Women and a few of the Thin Man movies.) The sets, by Cedric Gibbons, are disappointingly plain. As to the acting, let's just say nobody won any Oscars. Joanie is good, not great. Her wardrobe is more interesting. Robert Montgomery is charming, and more interesting to watch than Joan's wardrobe. Nils Ascher is good, but not the complicated General Yen you'd like to see. Character problems aside, the actors don't bring a whole lot.
Granted, I'm saying this after watching the equivalent of the first three reels. Maybe Letty Lynton will redeem itself in its second act. By the time I'm finished with my essays for English class, hopefully this faded apparent bootleg will not have been removed from the webitudes. In the meantime, I'm just glad it's available, glad that it didn't suffer the same fate as Convention City. Then again, Convention City was exciting enough to watch than it actually threatened the status quo. Letty Lynton scandalously (allegedly) plagerized an outside source material, but so far that's about the only aspect of it that's still scandalous today.
Apparently people know about the dress. "(T)he Letty Lynton dress, with billowing, diaphanous sleeves, became an overnight sensation" says the small text in the upper right corner. Previously, my only visual reference was a small still in the great book Sin in Soft Focus by Mark A. Vieira, which shows Crawford buried in silver fox, leaning against Nils Ascher. Indeed a google image search did turn up some terrific glamour shots of Miss le Seur in the white dress with big sleeves.
A YouTube search turned up something even more exciting: The entire movie, which I don't think has ever been on VHS (and certainly never been on DVD). Until it gets taken down, do seek it out. It's been divided into about ten increments.
I watched the first three or so last night, and I can't say I'm not completely impressed. The overall image quality is better than nothing, but still very dismal and washed out, particularly disappointing when you consider how gorgeous movies from that era at MGM usually looked. (The cinematographer Oliver Marsh, was also responsible for Dancing Lady, San Francisco, The Women and a few of the Thin Man movies.) The sets, by Cedric Gibbons, are disappointingly plain. As to the acting, let's just say nobody won any Oscars. Joanie is good, not great. Her wardrobe is more interesting. Robert Montgomery is charming, and more interesting to watch than Joan's wardrobe. Nils Ascher is good, but not the complicated General Yen you'd like to see. Character problems aside, the actors don't bring a whole lot.
Granted, I'm saying this after watching the equivalent of the first three reels. Maybe Letty Lynton will redeem itself in its second act. By the time I'm finished with my essays for English class, hopefully this faded apparent bootleg will not have been removed from the webitudes. In the meantime, I'm just glad it's available, glad that it didn't suffer the same fate as Convention City. Then again, Convention City was exciting enough to watch than it actually threatened the status quo. Letty Lynton scandalously (allegedly) plagerized an outside source material, but so far that's about the only aspect of it that's still scandalous today.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Studio Glamor
I recently bought a hard-cover edition of the brand new Bonnie and Clyde biography Go Down Together by Jeff Gunn. Since I am (slowly) reading about five different books right now, I haven't gotten very far; I've covered Clyde's harrowingly destitute childhood, but that's about it. I can, however, already recommend it very highly as an engaging and well-written piece of historical literature.
Go Down Together gets extra brownie points for its nice collection of illustrations, mostly rare photographs that relate to the principals' early lives. One of my favorite pictures is a 1925 (or thereabouts) studio portrait of a teenage Bonnie Parker, an item the low-born girl would have had to really save up for. It's a gorgeous picture, and worth contrasting with the famous snapshots of her clowning around with a shotgun. Those pictures were taken about twelve years later, and you can see the effects of a stressful and difficult life on twenty-something Bonnie. The woman in those pictures had aged quickly and no longer had any illusions about life.
The photographic gem below was purchased the same day as the Hawaiian vacation group shot, and from the same vendor. I don't have any information on the woman, but the picture struck me with its simple beauty and wonderful little details (look at those sleeves!) as well as its clarity.
Go Down Together gets extra brownie points for its nice collection of illustrations, mostly rare photographs that relate to the principals' early lives. One of my favorite pictures is a 1925 (or thereabouts) studio portrait of a teenage Bonnie Parker, an item the low-born girl would have had to really save up for. It's a gorgeous picture, and worth contrasting with the famous snapshots of her clowning around with a shotgun. Those pictures were taken about twelve years later, and you can see the effects of a stressful and difficult life on twenty-something Bonnie. The woman in those pictures had aged quickly and no longer had any illusions about life.
The photographic gem below was purchased the same day as the Hawaiian vacation group shot, and from the same vendor. I don't have any information on the woman, but the picture struck me with its simple beauty and wonderful little details (look at those sleeves!) as well as its clarity.
Matching Hats
This was another pick from Sunday. Not quite worthy of submission to Awkward Family Photos, but close. The dour expression on the little girl is priceless.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Bad Ideas: 40's Teeth
Here was a terrific find from Sunday's foray into snapshot hunting.
One thing I learned from this photo: Women with tragic grills tend to favor leopard collars (?!?) dramatic scream queen eyebrows (a given).
Also, I question the armchair upholstery. I know we can't see the whole thing with the Lois and Stewie in the way, but it just looks bunchy and unprofessional. That dashes to the rocks all my assumptions about the superiority of pre-1970 furniture.
The baby is adorable. How much you wanna bet those eyebrows turned him into a homosexual during his adolescence? There's a screenplay in there somewhere.
One thing I learned from this photo: Women with tragic grills tend to favor leopard collars (?!?) dramatic scream queen eyebrows (a given).
Also, I question the armchair upholstery. I know we can't see the whole thing with the Lois and Stewie in the way, but it just looks bunchy and unprofessional. That dashes to the rocks all my assumptions about the superiority of pre-1970 furniture.
The baby is adorable. How much you wanna bet those eyebrows turned him into a homosexual during his adolescence? There's a screenplay in there somewhere.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Clara Bow Endorses Nazis, Bland Millinery
The things you learn about people you love just by putting them into google search! Seriously, I have no idea what got into this girl, but you can tell she knows it's a bad idea by the way she's slouching and only half-smiling. The execution of this outfit is so shoddy. The swastikas look so slapped on. It's like that time in The Simpsons when they had to give Malibu Stacy a makeover and all they come up with was that cheap hat. Sorry Clara. Your attempts to usurp Pola Negri and Lina Basquette have failed.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Bad Ideas: Swimwear
Note the scalloped collar with matching cuffs (?!?), standing far left. Also, the feathered (?!?) bathing cap of the seated center girl. Also, intuition tells me that sausage curls don't hold up very well under moisture. Stay out of the surf, little miss Spanish shawl.
Mack Sennett Bathing Beauties, c. 1920. I don't know who's who but most of them look familiar. I really like the bowl cut, standing second from left.
Another bad idea: picking up strange women who wear triangular hats. You never know who they're bringing with them:
More Sennett girls. No date, circa 1918.
Jean Harlow Award for Excellence
I wasn't sure of what to write about today. I need to post something, otherwise I will have failed in my mission as a blogger. There's a lot going on but I feel extremely disinclined to write about it. After all, if I tried to work my issues out here, what would I talk to my therapist about? Jean Harlow?
I needed an excuse for posting pictures on here. A blog does not survive on written words alone. Therefore, I am creating the award for excellence in a particular field. Like being photographed wearing something I like. I will post new winners at my discretion. I am pleased to announce that today's winner is...
Jean Harlow, for her Chewbacca costume! Actually, this outfit is fantastic, don't you think? I don't know which movie this is from but I'm assuming based on the hair, that it's one of her earlier films. This is quintessential Harlow right here. You can almost see where her face ends and her hair begins. Lord only knows how many sables were harmed in the making of this fantastic example of fur coat cubism.
Also, I'm including in this post a gag photo that is most definitely associated with Red-Headed Woman. I'm reluctant to pick a favorite Harlow movie, but this one is up there. The woman holding the bottle is Gentlemen Prefer Blonds author Anita Loos, who wrote RHW's fantastic screenplay. It's a good thing we're having a power outage. It forces me to go somewhere public and do constructive things, like look for a job and stuff. Otherwise, I might be compelled to pop in that 'Forbidden Hollywood' DVD and spend an hour shouting 'Can you see through this? I'm afraid you can miss. I'll wear it!' at my computer.
I needed an excuse for posting pictures on here. A blog does not survive on written words alone. Therefore, I am creating the award for excellence in a particular field. Like being photographed wearing something I like. I will post new winners at my discretion. I am pleased to announce that today's winner is...
Jean Harlow, for her Chewbacca costume! Actually, this outfit is fantastic, don't you think? I don't know which movie this is from but I'm assuming based on the hair, that it's one of her earlier films. This is quintessential Harlow right here. You can almost see where her face ends and her hair begins. Lord only knows how many sables were harmed in the making of this fantastic example of fur coat cubism.
Also, I'm including in this post a gag photo that is most definitely associated with Red-Headed Woman. I'm reluctant to pick a favorite Harlow movie, but this one is up there. The woman holding the bottle is Gentlemen Prefer Blonds author Anita Loos, who wrote RHW's fantastic screenplay. It's a good thing we're having a power outage. It forces me to go somewhere public and do constructive things, like look for a job and stuff. Otherwise, I might be compelled to pop in that 'Forbidden Hollywood' DVD and spend an hour shouting 'Can you see through this? I'm afraid you can miss. I'll wear it!' at my computer.
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