all aboard for funtime

great idea. The Alamo Drafthouse and Levi’s® present the 2010 Rolling Roadshow free outdoor screenings throughout the summer.

xmas, west coast feel

kirsten dunst

the cult of cinema

not for the meek

actor ralph meeker is such a total honey in 'kiss me deadly' that this one performance eclipses his other 107 screen credits, making this performance truly legendary.

the film is so cool yet kinda creepy.

open at your own risk

images: 'kiss me deadly' stars ralph meeker and maxine cooper/the films very bad girl/arthur rackham illustration

bad boy

i enjoyed this book so long ago but i see it continues to stay in print. team errol! he was a gorgeous man in his early days on film but he was also a lovely actor later on. his role in john huston's 'the sun also rises' is truly great.

flynn and friend

awesome snap courtesy of 'the impossible cool'

'hold your horses'

straight from the thoroughbred herself.

forever 'dwayne'

he was so excellent as diane keaton's tense and tilted brother in 'annie hall.' christopher walken is like bill murray in that he is a true favorite. no matter what either of them do, they are just who they are in our minds: totally interesting and cool people. i once took a silent ride in an elevator alone with walken. he is tall! he also has an amazing face for a photographer with vision.

photograph by andrzej dragan

baby face

i watched the early stanwyck film 'baby face' again last night. while working as a file clerk, barbara sleeps her way up the company ladder. there is one moment when two secretaries share a humph of disdain over barbara's obvious game plan. even though gloria grahame was only 11 years old at the time of the film, how can this not be her adorable face?

lest we forget

actor pierre clementi was hypnotizing.

patience itself

either actor michel picolli was a patient man as well as a wonderful actor or just a dang great actor. he was paired with bardot in 'contempt' and with deneuve in 'belle du jour', two films that centered around a couple torn assunder. in both cases it was the man who stood still with his head spinning as his wife made moves based on motivations he would never comprehend.

photo: picolli and deneuve

what goes around

in the performance of a lifetime, dirk bogarde brought as much class and emotional stress to 'death in venice' as director visconti brought beauty to every detail. in the painful scene of the ailing musician giving himself up to the administrations of the hairdresser, dirk exited the parlour with great dignity, his pleasure mixed with bafflement.

i am not the least bit surprised that fashion designer john galliano was inspired by that movie.

the audrey effect

the phone call we all wait for

'you're joking, right? i'm going to own an island someday?' j. depp takes a baby step in 'nightmare on elm street.'

till death do us part

the real deal. in hollywood that is saying plenty. bogart and bacall were truly a match made in heaven on earth.

dick and liz

they detested being called that but what could they do? in their 9 year marriage they were even bigger than that diamond ring he bought her. the public could not get enough of them, even if the public did not like many of the films they made together.

i am nearing the end of the newest book on their love story. richard said elizabeth thrived in hot climates. here she is, thriving.

love of his people

when richard burton was asked who was the most courageous welshman during the war he replied:

illustrating a story

it is well documented in books that rock hudson was not too fond of his 'giant' co-star james dean. while making the film, james and elizabeth taylor seemed to have great affection for one another. elizabeth and rock also look happy off camera. so, what did rock find such a turn off? a picture really does speak a thousand words.

ancient practice

A milk bath for supposed medicinal purposes for a dying child can be seen in the 1931 film Night Nurse, an early barbara stanwyck film.

unsung

'breakfast at tiffany's' had awfully beautiful art direction.

making stylish music together

a sweet scene from 'Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky' (2009)

who'd have thought

now that 'inception' is huge, people may wisely look at cillian murphy's earlier films. those lucky enough to choose 'breakfast on pluto' will be given a prize in the form of singer bryan ferry in a chillingly great cameo.

beyond her years

look at this photo of elizabeth taylor. she was just a little kid! yet she looks fluent in ten languages.

say a prayer

in 'valley of the dolls' sharon tate was sweetness itself.

motivation

As a teenager, I didn’t want to be me; I wanted to be many different people. -marion cotillard

not 'mad' about 'men'

i understand the desire to dumb it down. still...

e.

that's how richard burton addressed his wife elizabeth taylor in the tons of letters he sent to her. whether she was hours away from home making a film or in the next room, he never ceased to declare his affection for her in a letter.

international acceptance

Both Moreau and Bardot were nominated for Best Foreign Actress in 1967.

big light of the small screen

the most recent production of charles dickens' 'little dorrit' is impeccable. head to toe. one of the most endearing characters was the gatekeeper's son who worked alongside his father at the debtors prison. this guy had humility, patience, and enough kindness in his soul to light the world. 'john chivery' was played by russell tovey and he really made a lasting impression.

plus, he could rock a cap or tophat which is no mean feat.

francophile

it would be pretty hard to not like this guy. tearjerkers, comedies, soaps... james franco just keeps putting his foot down where no one thinks he will and he doesn't seem to be stepping on any toes. next up is his portrayal of poet allen ginsberg.

the main attraction

when to say yes

even though i have only seen a couple of the films she has done, actress michelle williams seems to be making really cool career choices.

totally mcqueen

in summation, speed was his thing.

sharing the wealth

when richard burton went to mexico to film 'night of the iguana, wife elizabeth went with him. elizabeth, a great lover of jewelry, claimed she did not particularly enjoy the ownership of her jewels, more that she loved being able to feast her eyes on their brilliance. she readily let visitors try them on.

i just love thinking this photo was orchestrated by her.

play it again

12 years after they killed each other in 'double indemnity', barbara and fred met again in a considerably more wholesome film called 'there's always tomorrow.' those two movie titles could not be more different, right?

by 1956 they were both less impulsive, their minds less in the gutter, but still, they were tops in their field. now on dvd.

the one and only

purple reign

gary oldman

making marilyn

mosaics! so fun and sometimes super costly. it takes up to 3 months and up to 10,000 semi precious gemstones to make a portrait like this one created by 'gemstone creative.'

p.s. their suppliers follow the guidelines laid out by the Responsible Jewellery Council!

hanging on the telephone

i absolutely go weak watching this guy flit around london in 'blow-up.' david hemmings forever.

'sweater girl'

lana turner may have earned the nick name but she did not like it one bit. the amazing shot of her lipstick rolling along the floor on its way to the feet of john garfield in 'the postman always rings twice' ended with john gazing from the floor and up her bare legs. by then she was well over knitwear.


photos: a great sweater still works/lana

we belong together

Marion Cotillard + Guillaume Canet from the film 'love me if you dare.'

in common

musicians and actors, iggy pop and johnny depp

look in the trash

beautiful marilyn appears to be trying to remember where she stashed the seconal. i've been there.