CLOSE UP: Joan Baez

Joan Baez, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

Joan Baez- "Diamonds and Rust"

Bob Dylan and Joan Baez- 1965

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

Laura (1944): Classic Film Noir Featuring the Lovely Gene Tierney

     Laura (1944) is a great Film Noir style piece that showcases Gene Tierney's acting skills and breathtaking beauty at the peak of her career (long before the nut house and the shock treatments), and it is, perhaps, her best film. With a good story of infatuation, admiration and jealousy, the film holds back a few surprises along the way.

     Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney), a beautiful advertising exec and socialite, has been murdered: her lovely face rendered unrecognizable by the tearing of a direct shotgun blast... 

     A homicide detective (Dana Andrews) takes on the case with gusto, interviewing the two main suspects: Laura's admirer and benefactor: Waldo, and her Fiance: Shelby (Vincent Price). Along the way, a strange thing happens, as the detective begins to fall in love with Laura himself, via a portrait hanging on the wall, hearing descriptions of her ravishing allure and reading her diary... 

     The investigation is thrown into turmoil when Laura returns from a long weekend, very much alive... 

     Now the detective must find out who the woman was that was murdered in Laura's apartment, and the identity of the killer... 

     Everyone is a suspect, even Laura herself...

Laura- movie trailer

CLOSE UP: Brad Roberts (Crash Test Dummies)

Brad Roberts, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

Crash Test Dummies- "Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm"

For more info, visit: http://www.crashtestdummies.com/#/home

Don't Bother to Knock (1952): Classic Marilyn Monroe

     One of Marilyn Monroe's first starring roles, in Don't Bother to Knock (1952), gives a glimpse of the raw acting talent she possessed that was tragically underutilized in the remainder of her short career. A great supporting cast rounds out this film nicely... Richard Widmark, Jim Bacchus, Elisha Cook... and a young Anne Bancroft in an early role. 

     A couple in need of a babysitter make the bad decision of hiring Nell (Marilyn Monroe), an emotionally disturbed woman freshly released from the Asylum... 

     Nell can't seem to resist trying on the lady's fancy clothes... 

     jewelry and other accessories... 

     All of these adornments enhance her beauty for the man across the way at the hotel (Richard Widmark), who is in need of some female companionship after a tiff with his girl... 

     But he soon finds out that Nell is severely ill, as her mental capacity slips and she pines for a long lost love. The child she is watching interrupts them and the result is not very nurturing... 

     Nell is crazy. She has already attempted suicide once in the past. Something must be done...

Don't Bother to Knock- movie trailer

CLOSE UP: Rob Potylo

Rob Potylo, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

Rob Potylo- On Censorship

Rob Potylo- Creepy Dickhead Eyes

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

The Unknown World (1951): Classic B Movies

     Reflective of the paranoia of the fallout shelter obsessed 1950s, The Unknown World (1951) demonstrates the fear and extreme thoughts entertained in the hypothetical scenario.

     A group of scientist have come up with a plan for the human race to survive the inevitable Atomic War.

     They come up with a plan to design a machine (a cyclotram) that will allow them to burrow towards the center of the Earth, live and thrive anew in the caverns, fissures and air pockets that pepper the planet's crust. 

     The initial plan falls through, due to financial reasons. Eventually, a wealthy benefactor finances the expedition on the stipulation that he be allowed to come along on the maiden voyage. The machine is built and they enter the Earth through an extinct volcano.

     Inside the planet, they find various caves and caverns, but nothing that seems to meet their needs.

     They travel further, a thousand miles or so, and the unexplored terrain proves treacherous. They lose a few members of the crew in the process.

     Meanwhile the rich patron is falling for the sole female scientist, and she seems receptive to his advances. 

     Further on, deeper into the Earth, they find a promising spot, but the realities of living in such a place seem all the more unreasonable. They must make tough decisions and tensions are growing.

      Do they stay, abandoning all the glory of the Earth's surface... or not?

clip from The Unknown World

CLOSE UP: Stephin Merritt (The Magnetic Fields)

Stephin Merritt, 2012. By Travis Simpkins

The Magnetic Fields- "Papa Was a Rodeo"

The Magnetic Fields

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

Howard the Duck (1986): Classic Cult Films

     Produced by George Lucas, Howard the Duck (1986) had a pretty big budget to play around with, and it shows. What is also apparent are the creative special effects using robotics and a little person in a duck suit (before modern films became over-reliant on CGI). The film is well-made and brings with it a feeling of nostalgia, typical for the 1980s.

     An experimental laser on Earth inadvertently targets a far away planet of ducks and Howard the duck is literally sucked out of his living room and dragged to Earth through outer space. Confused, he immediately meets with hostility because of his appearance. By chance, he meets a rocker girl and the two become friends... 

     More than friends... 

     and creepily affectionate towards one another... 

     A bumbling group of scientists discover the mishap with the laser and decide to send Howard back to his own planet. When they power up the laser, however, it malfunctions again and sucks down an evil alien that enters and inhabits the body of one of the scientists... 

     Calling itself the Dark Overlord of the Universe, it vows to bring down others and destroy the planet. It's up to Howard the Duck to save Earth... 

     and send the Dark Overlord packing...

Howard the Duck- movie trailer

CLOSE UP: Sophia Cacciola

Sophia Cacciola, 2011. By Travis Simpkins

Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling- "First We Take Manhattan"

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

Showgirls (1995): A Guilty Pleasure... Enticing, Controversial, Sexy, Provocative and Infamous (Risque Modern Cinema)

     Often cited as one of the worst movies of all time, much of the criticism surrounding Showgirls (1995) can be dismissed as guilty pleasure. People are embarrassed to admit that they enjoy it. Also, especially in retrospect, the film production is not nearly as bad as it seemed nearly 20 years ago. If for no other reason, Showgirls has earned it's little spot in Film History for the controversy surrounding it. The main star, Elizabeth Berkley, was a former teen actress on the TV show Saved By the Bell. Her image on the TV show was very upright, proper and clean... the polar opposite to her role in Showgirls, in which she is nude for 3/4 of the film and scantily clad for the remaining 1/4, engaging in rough sexual acts and performing sensual strip tease dances. Suffice to say, the film is far from being a masterpiece, but it definitely does not deserve all of the negativity it receives.

     Nomi Malone has come to Las Vegas with dreams of becoming a star Showgirl. Immediately upon her arrival, mistrust and deception surrounds her.  In the meantime, until she gets her big break, she is working as a simple stripper... 

     She performs strip teases... 

     and lap dances... 

     all the while hating her job and her clientele, longing for something better... 

     Nomi catches the eye of Crystal, a popular star Showgirl. Their relationship is love/hate. Despite her dislike for Crystal, she may be Nomi's ticket to the top... 

     But what will Nomi have to sacrifice, and who will she have to hurt to attain her dreams?

Showgirls- movie trailer

CLOSE UP: Niki Luparelli

Niki Luparelli, 2010. By Travis Simpkins

Niki Luparelli

Lainey Schulbaum, Travis Simpkins, and Niki Luparelli- 2007

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

Gilda (1946): Classic Film Noir, and a Star-Making Performance by Rita Hayworth

     Although it is a decent film regardless, the real reason Gilda (1946) remains popular 66 years later is Rita Hayworth's sultry physique featured in a scene stealing performance. She had a simple array of moves (a flick of the wrist, a leg reveal, a toss of her hair) that still drives viewers wild. Miss Hayworth also had a good voice, with her version of "Put the Blame on Mame" in this film becoming a hit song.

     Glenn Ford is Johnny, a down-and-out American gambler and con man living in Argentina. He meets a wealthy Casino owner and ends up becoming the man's assistant. After his boss runs off to get married, Johnny is dismayed to meet the new sexy wife, Gilda (Rita Hayworth)... 

     It seems Johnny and Gilda have a secret past together... 

     Now Gilda is playing one man against the other... 

     and Johnny is finding it hard to decide where his loyalties rest... 

     Gilda is enticing, sexy, voluptuous, forward, willing... and shrewd... 

     What is a man to do?

Gilda- movie trailer