Tuesday, December 15, 2009

We're the Stains, and we don't put out!

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains, Lou Adler (1982)

caroline coons (who worked as a special consultant on this film) hit on the perfect outfit for the teenage girl: blouse/no bra, tights/panties/no pants, black high-heeled booties/red frilly socks. what i would have given to wear this when i was 15 (and now!) without the obvious consequences of wandering out in public sans bra/pants! how did edie sedgewick, blondie and the rest of them get away with it? bravery? the protection of wealth and fame? putting out?


anyway, here is 15 year old diane lane, looking the same (only infinitely radder) as corinne burns, aka third degree burns, who shouts from the stage "i'm perfect! but nobody in this shithole gets to have me, cause i don't put out."
you will most likely notice laura dern as her cousin jessica, christina lahti as her aunt linda, and, as the members of the band the looters - paul simonon from the clash, and steve jones and paul cook from the sex pistols.
you most likely will not recognize ray winstone as billy, the looter's frontman, dressing a bit like early joe strummer and talking like johnny rotten. but it's him - beowolf! the cockney uncle! the thug/first mate/police captain!

ladies and gentlemen, the fabulous stains may be the most joyful and adorable movie i've seen since up. it's also pretty fantastic as a feminist anthem, fashion spread, social satire, who's who of punk rock, and period piece. and, if for no other reason, you must watch til the end to catch of glimpse of steve jones wearing the coolest sweatshirt i've ever seen.


Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Jean-Luc Godard's Pierrot le Fou, 1965


back, and with a big list of my favorite things: anna karina (of course her hair and her insouciance, but also and particularly in this movie: her white ruffle-y dress, her red ruffle-y dress, her sailor outfits, all the eyeliner), jean-paul belmond0 (this is anna karina's film, but you just can't overlook belmondo. he had that french chic/weasely thug thing going on way before vincent cassel... and he's the absolute best part of a bout de souffle (or breathless) - pardon my accentlessness!)...
back to the list - island living, um, facepaint and explosions? pierrot le fou really isn't my favorite godard movie, but it is my favorite of his to look at. here's why:

Thursday, December 3, 2009

SYLVESTER STALLONE'S ROCKY III, 1982
In honor of our weekend trip to Philadelphia tomorrow (by train! the best way to get there!) I decided to add the sweetly homoerotic (or at least bi-curious) Rocky III.
Below are a few of the progressively amazing training/jogging montages from the first 3 Rockys - the South Philly market, all the outfit changes, the kids, the dogs... Burgess Meredith in his little cap...
...the iconic PMA run in Rocky...

...familiar territory by Rocky II...

...entirely new territory for Rocky III!

and
Can anyone argue that Apollo Creed was Rocky's classiest nemesis, or fremesis? Thrilling that they gave him another chance to show his stuff (and how!)