The Notorious Bettie Page (2005): The Story of the Iconic 1950's Raven-Haired, Pin-Up Girl (Risque Cinema)

     Although an HBO movie, The Notorious Bettie Page (2005) has the grittiness and feel of an independent film. The cinematography is superb, shot mostly in black and white with occasional color vignettes, it fits the subject and looks like a 1950s magazine. Overall the acting is strong and it is a fine effort and suitable tribute to Bettie Page, a true pin-up icon.

     The story traces Bettie Page's (Gretchen Mol) life from adolescence up to her "redemption" and retreat from the spotlight, but jumps around in a non-linear effort to make the storyline more interesting. After a youth, troubled with men who used her for her good looks, Bettie Page moves to New York City and decides to put her good looks to use as a model... 

     She eventually hooks up with camera club people (groups that surround scantily clad and nude women and snap photos), which in turn leads her to a Hollywood head-shot business that sells bondage photos on the side... 

     Naive to the trend, Bettie poses for the photos, but it eventually leads to her involvement in a Government investigation regarding pornography... 

     A vacation to Miami leads Bettie to Bunny Yeager, a fresh photographer with which she has an instant bond, and they take many beach photos together (nude and otherwise)... 

     Magazine covers and postcards abound...

     Bettie Page's life seems to be great, she is naughty but having fun with it. But the ever-pulling question of religion troubles her... and she seeks a new path...

The Notorious Bettie Page- movie trailer

Comparison: The real Bettie Page and Grethchen Mol playing her

Elizabeth Ziman: Profiles from the Illustrations

Elizabeth Ziman, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     Growing up in Greenwich Village, NYC, Elizabeth Ziman was surrounded by art and music. From an early age, she began studying classical piano and later moved on to vocal training. In 2001, she began at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, having been awarded the ASCAP Leiber and Stoller scholarship for her original song, "Like Water is to Sand."

Elizabeth & the Catapult- "Race You"

Elizabeth Ziman, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     Elizabeth had intended to devote her studies at Berklee to film scoring, and wanted to pursue it as a career path. In 2002, however, she was chosen to go on an Ella Fitzgerald tribute tour and she became fascinated by Jazz. Upon returning to Berklee she teamed up with two other students to form Elizabeth & the Catapult. They released an EP, Elizabeth & the Catapult in 2006.

Elizabeth & the Catapult- "Mama's Boy"

Elizabeth Ziman, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     With the success of the EP and the devoted following they were getting from their live shows, the band was soon signed to Verve Records. The songs from the EP were included with several new songs on their first album, Taller Children, in 2009. While this first album had a fun, sarcastic side, the band explored new emotional avenues on their next album, The Other Side of Zero (2010), and continues to evolve today... 

Elizabeth & the Catapult- "Taller Children"

Elizabeth & the Catapult- "Hit the Wall"

Elizabeth Ziman, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

For more info, visit: http://www.elizabethandthecatapult.com/

Golden Bloom: Art and Music (Songs that Inspired the Illustrations)

Golden Bloom (Shawn Fogel), 2011. By Travis Simpkins

Rhyme the Reason

King of Carrot Flowers (cover)

Golden Bloom (Shawn Fogel), 2011. By Travis Simpkins

Doomsday Devices

The Season I like Best

30 Lives (cover)

Fan the Flames

Golden Bloom, 2011. By Travis Simpkins

For more info, visit: http://goldenbloom.net/

New Portrait Illustration: My Nephews

My Nephews, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     My sister's kids vary in terms of interests, but are alike in that they are all easy-going, affable and studious. In an effort to challenge my skills in child portraiture, I wanted to capture each one's unique personality in relation to one another.

     Andrew, the youngest (age 10), has an encyclopedic knowledge of animals, and often wows people by answering Jeopardy questions that even the contestants miss. He also likes to make homemade movies using his iPod and LEGO sets.

Andrew Gebo, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     Timmy (age 11) was recently accepted into the Goddard Scholars program. When I asked him what he wanted to be, he was indecisive, but said he would "probably become a teacher."

Timothy Gebo, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     Matthew, the oldest (age 16) is set to finish High School with Honors. He is also a music enthusiast, singing and playing guitar in a local band.

Matthew Costa, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

The Great Flamarion (1945): Classic Film Noir (Obscure Films)

     Erich Von Stroheim was born to play the hard-nosed, disinterested, infallible guy. Everything about him screamed it. From his posture and facial expressions to the harsh accent and tone of his voice, he seemed an impenetrable, stone wall that only the loveliest of ladies could break through or scale.

     In The Great Flamarion (1945), Von Stroheim plays Flamarion, a traveling vaudeville performer whose talent is astounding skill and accuracy in acts of sharpshooting. 

     His assistants are a husband and wife team, who perform a skit as Flamarion shoots around them and at various items of their apparel. 

     The wife has grown sick of her husband's heavy drinking, however and comes up with a scheme to get rid of him. 

     She convinces Flamarion that she is really in love with him. Reluctant and hesitant at first, Flamarion eventually caves in and reciprocates her love. 

     The scheming, seductive temptress persuades Flamarion into thinking that the only way for them to be together is for him to "accidentally" shoot her husband on stage. 

     Blinded by love, he concedes and kills the husband. After the investigation, Flamarion is cleared, but the woman has skipped town, leaving him with the realization that he has been double crossed and she was lying and using him all along. He must track her down to enact his revenge...

scene from The Great Flamarion

Addams Family Values (1993): Films from Comic Strips (The Sequel)

     A sequel to the 1991 hit, "The Addams Family", Addams Family Values (1993) has all the family actors reprising their roles from the first film, with the exception of the grandmother, who was replaced by Carol Kane, and given more lines. Addams Family Values lacks some of the freshness and "pop" of the first film, but it is quite entertaining nevertheless.

     Things are as usual in the Addams' home... 

     Then Gomez and Morticia Addams welcome a baby into their family. 

     The addition of a little brother upsets Wednesday and Pugsley, who make every attempt to get rid of the child. 

     After a search for a Nanny turns out fruitless, a sexy woman named Debby shows up wanting the job, her true motive being to marry Fester Addams, kill him, and steal his fortune... 

     The children are just in her way... 

     Wednesday is wise to Debby's scheme, so Deb convinces the parents to send them to Summer Camp... 

     Hilarious turns have Wednesday and Pugsley as Indians taking part in a Pilgrim play at the camp, changing the script, and scalping and burning the settlers' village...

     In their absence, she marries Fester and convinces him to disown his family, and makes repeated failed attempts to kill him...

     The Family must work together to stop Debby and rescue Uncle Fester...

Addams Family Values- movie trailer

CLOSE UP: John McCauley (Deer Tick)

John McCauley, 2011. By Travis Simpkins

Deer Tick- Spend the Night

For more info, visit: http://deertickmusic.com/

The Handsome Family: Profiles from the Illustrations

The Handsome Family, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     Multiple influences, both geographical and personal, have worked to shape the unique sound of husband and wife team, Brett and Rennie Sparks' music.  He is from Texas, she is from New York. Their band, The Handsome Family, was founded in Chicago in 1993 but got new-found inspiration upon moving to New Mexico in 2001. Some would categorize them as "alt-country" but their style defies labels.

The Handsome Family- "Bottomless Hole"

Brett Sparks, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     Everything is balanced. They are a humorous pair, the name The Handsome Family is derived from a sarcastic joke made at Brett's expense. On the other emotional extreme, Brett's breakdown in the mid-90s has added a sense of melancholy to some of the songs.

The Handsome Family- "So Much Wine"

Rennie Sparks, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     Beautiful writing keeps their songs lively. Rennie's haunting lyrics and Brett's moody rhythms are perfect compliments to one another. They tour all over, and with eleven albums out, they continue to build up an already strong following.

The Handsome Family- "Flapping Your Broken Wings"

The Handsome Family- "Giant of Illinois" (about Robert Wadlow, the World's Tallest Man)

Brett Sparks, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

For more info, visit: http://www.handsomefamily.com/

CLOSE UP: Rick Jenkins (The Comedy Studio)

Rick Jenkins, 2011. By Travis Simpkins

The Comedy Studio- Cambridge, MA

For more info, visit: http://www.thecomedystudio.com/

New Portrait Illustration: Tim Mason (Poet)

Tim Mason, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

     I've known Tim Mason for about twenty years or so. We met when he and his family moved in a few houses down from mine in Worcester, MA around 1990. At the time he was managing the Old Vienna Kaffeehaus and it was through him and his ex-wife, Jan, that I was inspired to learn more about Folk music and poetry. He is a gifted and prolific poet, and he still promotes and organizes Folk acts around New England at venues like Club Passim in Cambridge, and Hezekiah Stone's Coffeehouse in central MA.

Timothy Mason- "Peace"

Tim Mason, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

Timothy Mason at GAWF

Timothy Mason circa 1991

Tim Mason, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

For more info, visit: http://www.timothydmason.com/

Wait Until Dark (1967): Classic Audrey Hepburn

     Alan Arkin said the toughest part about his time on the set of Wait Until Dark (1967) was that he had to be mean to Audrey Hepburn. She was such a kind and adorable person, it broke his heart to have to torture her, even if it was just acting. Despite any apprehensions the cast faced, the end result is a top-notch thriller... one that is unique and set the tone for future films in a similar vein.

     A doll has been cut open and used as a vessel for transporting heroin. The runner's plan to abscond with the drugs backfired when she handed the doll off to an innocent photographer, who took it back to the apartment he shares with his wife, a blind woman (Audrey Hepburn)... 

     Now Roat (Alan Arkin), a psychopath and his two henchmen are determined to get the drug-stuffed doll back at any cost... 

     An elaborate ruse to trick the blind woman into handing the doll over doesn't go according to plan... 

     She is too smart for the thieves... 

     A gripping climax puts Audrey against Arkin in a test of wits and fortitude... 

     The blind woman is disadvantaged and overcome with crippling doubt, confusion and fear... 

     But somehow, she must manage to stay alive...

Wait Until Dark- movie trailer