"You must see Drive!" I've been saying that everyone I know. And now, Buzzine readers, I am saying it to everyone I don't know. Drive is an unironic throwback to the slick cinematic style of the early 80s ala Michael Mann. It's an extreme departure from director Nicolas Wending Refn's previous indie, Bronson (a massively violent, extremely bizarre and meta prison thriller), starring the ubiquitous Ryan Gosling as Driver, a mechanic /slash/ film-stunt wheelman who finds himself drawn into the seamy, seditious underbelly of an evil L.A. drug cartel. Channeling neo noir strong and silent cool, ever-bathed in neon glow, his steady hand on the skinny wheel of a vintage Chevy Impala, Gosling is the lynchpin in this minimalist art-house thriller — but, stellar side performances by the likes of Bryan Cranston, Albert Brooks, Christina Hendricks, Ron Perlman and Carey Mulligan as the object of Driver's desire also impress.
Another gorgeous yet gritty gem predicated once upon a crime is Tammi's Sutton's Isle of Dogs. Setting up the story with a sublime credits sequence (usually such a neglected part of the movies nowadays), this Brit-situated revenge romp stars Barbara Nedeljakova, Edward Hogg, and Andrew Howard as the pointy tips of a rather unloving love triangle. All three are well-cast and well-directed, but it's Howard who really zings as the spurned spouse who will stop at nothing to get even… even if it means making sure his wayward wife is cut in two. But will her lover want the scraps? Fans of arch dialogue (Howard chews the considerable scenery in a monologue about dogs, bitches, and loyalty) and those who know their giallo (there's a wonderfully voyeuristic stalk and slash scene) will not be disappointed.
While the characters in the film noted above certainly don't like to face the ugly facts, the couple in writer-director Jim Hemphill's The Trouble With the Truth tackle it head-on and do nothing but talk about it. Lea Thompson and John Shea sit down 'My Dinner With Andre' style and chew the fat about love, life, longing and letting go, in this unexpectedly poignant, often wryly humorous, drama which takes place mostly in just one room. It doesn't hurt that the cinematography and editing keep the visuals coming, changing things up with the variety a 7-course meal, but the real feeling of fullness comes from The Trouble With the Truth's amusing, ambiguous ending.
Another movie with an open-ended ending is Martha Marcy May Marlene, Sundance's then-unsold Indie darling and now a limited-release drama dripping with sodden, psychological sadness. But its conclusion is not nearly so satisfactory. Elizabeth Olsen plays the title character, a downtrodden cult-escapee with so many identity issues, she's got back-issues. The narrative switches back and forth between M's time as a sex-slave in a Manson-like commune, to her not so smooth transition back into routine life under the roof of her newly-wed sister. M meanders a lot, as does the film. Though very well-acted, the story collapses under the weight of its own disjointed melancholia (Lars Von Trier's Melancholia: now, *there's* a movie! It's out on 11/18).
Segue into still more psychological spoilage, and you've got the trifecta of troubled triangles in David Cronenberg's A Dangerous Method. It's the chronicle of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, and their beautiful, batty protégé, Sabina Spielrein — played to perfection by Viggo Mortensen, Michael Fassbender, and Keira Knightley — and how they each played mental cat-and-mouse with one another using psychiatry as the pawn. While I was somewhat let down by the fact that this movie is "just a cigar" in that it's a very point-a to point-b narrative (especially when told from the surprisingly staid perspective of a once-risky, frisky auteur), I still say A Dangerous Method is one of the best dramas I have seen all year. I wish I could say the same for Anonymous. The subject matter is certainly intriguing — was Shakespeare a fraud? — but its presentation, sadly, is not. Directed with the usual sledgehammer hand of actioneer Roland Emmerich (2012, The Day After Tomorrow), the purple prose of the Elizabethan poet is mauled into the blue balls of Queen Elizabeth's suitors as the not-so-virgin Queen reigns supreme in the halls of shame. I won't give away the twist, but I will tell you the story would have been better-served without all the soapy scandal sudsed into it. While it's not terribly cinematic (a release by any other name would have smelled just as sweet on HBO), Anonymous isn't half-bad when it's sticking to the facts under conjecture. Rhys Ifans and Jamie Campbell Bower are both excellent as the elder / younger Shakespeare, and Vanessa Redgrave and (her-life daughter) Joely Richardson are perfect as the elder / younger QE. For those who simply can't get enough of period costume drama (and you still want to come back for more, even after The Other Boleyn Sister), then have at it. All others, don't 'beware the Ides of March' and go see that instead (more Gosling!).
Rounding out the round-up this week are two new documentary films, each by accomplished directors. Now playing on pay television is Martin Scorsese's George Harrison: Living in the Material World, and soon to come, one that explores the opposite of living in the material world or any other, is the death row downer Into the Abyss, by Werner Herzog. While I enjoyed both of these quite disparate docs just about equally, I felt equally let down by them in that I wanted more from the helmers who've made some of my all-time favorite films. Neither of these movies do much to invigorate the genre, especially in the way of visuals. We get lots of standard-set talking heads intercut with concert or crime-scene footage. Still, the subjects are both interesting — Scorsese's exhaustively follows Harrison from cradle to grave, while Herzog shows several sides of a tragedy in Texas which then leads to further trauma when the convicted killer is put to death by the State.
All in all, there are some genuinely worthwhile features out right now. They run the gamut from big budget studio wide releases (Anonymous) to as-yet undistributed indies (Isle of Dogs) making the festival rounds, and from focus on men of few words (Drive) to men with nothing but words (The Trouble With The Truth). This week, there really is something for everybody.
Went to San Francisco twice, went to Austin twice, went to Seattle twice, made it to Hawaii and Singapore for the first times, and saw Canada again and again
Coolest, most creative compliment: Paul Bettany told me I look like "a punk rock Rita Hayworth"
Helen Mirren loved my leopard on leopard Steve Madden shoes and silk stockings
Was "Terribly Happy" with Whatley
Froze at "The Wolfman" premiere
Saw able to spend the day with Tiffini
Saw Vadim's "Blood and Roses" with Terrence and Brian and Maria
Went "Crazies" with Tony
Learned from Chris that there's more to mumblecore than I thought
Hung out with what's left of "The Doors"
Did not play it Safe with Terrance
Learned two new words: diagrammatic (A plan, sketch, drawing, or outline designed to demonstrate or explain how something works or to clarify the relationship between the parts of a whole) and cognoscenti (connoisseur, cognoscenti. an expert able to appreciate a field; especially in the fine arts)
Did several photography series, the main being "Friends at the Friendship Bell" & "Project Wardrobe"
Took many photos of Gehry buildings, and even went to his house
Saw Billy Bob again in the studio with The Ventures
Checked out The Art of Stillness with The Other SW
Met Heather Langencamp. Met Vincenzo Natoli and Dario Argento on the same day, plus hung with two of my favorite Repo! men, Ogre and Bill. Also, encountered the "great Brian Trenchard Smith" (in the words of Jimmy, confirmed by MCH)
"Waxed" with Tony and the celebs
Finally saw Sisters, years after my interview with Douglas Buck, and rekindled our communiqués via Facebook
Got "Ghost Writer" with Shemmy
Saw Helen Mirren again at the Love Ranch junket
Covered low budget horror (2001 Maniacs) and studio big budget (Inception) and everything in between
I took my favorite photos of Bill Moseley and Clu Gulager
Did Comic-Con again, interviewed 99 people in one day
Got up close and personal with Megan Fox's cleavage
Got "Sticky With Champagne" personally from Justin Tranter
Found out that men really, really like to open their coats for me (see: photo album)
Rocked the high heels with @nnette
Saw Ken Russell in the flesh (but didn't get to meet him)
Ran into "my boyfriend" (Malcolm McDowell) a few times
Enjoyed Enzo's birthday breakfast the Top of The Mark
Saw a car wreck and corpse lying on the freeway
"Splat Pack" documentary, with myself as the sole female interviewee, came out on DVD
I taped my segment for the upcoming "Best Horror Movies You've Never Seen" doc
I got older
I got thinner
Heard the same jokes at least 10 times and didn't mind
Had the privilege of being invited into the homes of friends I adore
Was thunderstruck by ponies and lightning bolts
Went to several fantastic exhibits — Diane Arbus photography, Dennis Hopper photography, Beatnik-era ephemera, Leonor Fini, Art by Architects at LACMA
Cut my hair into bangs for the first time since I was 7
I got a job at AOL
I got a job at This Week In
Lisa was very important to me
Amanda and David moved away (boo)
Danny Trejo stopped in the middle of my interview with him to say he liked my outfit
M. Night Shyamalan told me a great story about Tak Fujimoto
I met one the actual Owls of Ga'Hool
Went to some great places with Fariba (she turned me onto Viento y Agua, and I showed her The Edison)
Saw Everything's Eventual, and it was prophetic
Had some fantastic Fulci moments
Got trapped in "The Triangle" with Doug
Was sent to detention by "The Tutor"
I was onstage at least twice that I can remember (judged a costume contest, and presented an award)
Covered ScreamFest, Shreikfest, and other fests that involve vocalizations of some sort (see: mumblecore)
Andrew Lincoln actually remembered me from our very brief interview at Comic-Con, when we met again at the October red carpet for Walking Dead
I read lots and lots of books, mostly memoirs and historical nonfiction
Saw Veronica for the first time in years
MCH and me both crushed on "the blue dress" in Amer
I wrote script for Annabel Lee in an hour of inspiration, put my cast together in the next month, and within 4 days got it shot — my first crack at directing, in the can (or computer, as the case may be) [Began principal photography on John Lennon's assassination date / ended on Jean Rollin's death night]
Had a fantastic "Girl's thrifting" day with most of my very favorite ladies, and plan to make it a regular habit
I missed Marco and Alex
Happy I met Brooke
Saw three of my fave movies with Enzo within 10 days of each other: The Social Network, 127 Hours, and Black Swan
Pamela shared her secret with me
Got good and bloody with "The Chrome Skull"
Had a revelation
Interviewed Colin Farrell while he was wearing nothing but skintight pants and vampire fangs
Photographed many amazing hotels — went inside The W (Hollywood) and The Viceroy (Santa Monica) for the first time
Caught up with Eric, finally
Got my first: Christian Dior, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Jenny Lee Couture [all BARGAINS, too!]
Had some much-needed coffee-tawk with Don
Discovered Jane Jenson and shared the love
Bought a diamond ring I really didn't want
Got me some good Creepy and Debi time
Brushed up again the Bowen beard
Lost the Eclipse
Saw Buz turn 21
Found out Jinny had a baby
Said goodbye to Sweet Judy Blue Eyes, after the fact
Saw my Dad more this year than ever, spent plenty of quality time with family, and enjoyed my birthday with my mom, Anna, Michael, Mhea, Tim and Rita
According to Wikipedia, there is nothing special about the duplicate-digit alignment of the numbers in my birthday this year.
I guess the big celebration should have been the August 23rd when I turned 23 — "A person's Golden or Grand Birthday, also referred to as their Champagne Birthday or Star Birthday, occurs when they turn the age of their birth day." Maybe when I turn 66 I'll have big party anyway.
I've always thought my birth year was pretty cool. I like double digits, it's just one 6 shy of being Satanic, and there's even a song about the route. What's more, it was the Year of the Fire Horse, and that only comes along once every 60 years. I also like the number 23 — there's a whole enigma about it, including a birthday paradox, and even a movie starring Jim Carrey.
This year, I will be spending the actual day with my mom — for the first time since I was a teenager! Looking forward to that has led me to thinking back…
= = =
Here are my mom and my dad's publicity photos from 1966.
Here's one of my early cheesecake shots.
Not much changed over the years…
1966 swimwear from Fredrick's of Hollywood
I was a fashionable little girl, thanks to my mom. I look like I'm straight out of the Sears catalogue!
Ponies, 1976 and 1996
Same dress, at 43 and 23
This is what I looked like when disco was all the rage. I'm not exactly in style... I was into hippie music then (and hey, whaddya know? I still am.)
2000 and 2010 - two side by side comparisons, 10 years apart - one glamorous and one NOT!
= = =
Back in 1966….
Brigitte Bardot looked like this, and Jim Morrison was the sexiest man alive.
Walt Disney died, and apparently so did Paul McCartney!
Liz and Dick were still a couple
LBJ was in office
Richard Avedon was photographing Lauren Hutton
These babies were born
In 1966, this was what people were reading
= = =
These were the popular records (Herb Alpert had the bestselling single of the year)
And this was entertainment
= = =
The cars and guitars of '66 (and it just so happens my favorite color combo was very popular in that year)
Me and the hotrod are the same age (and wearing the same colors!)
= = =
I saved the best for last… the funky, freaky, fab fashions and photography and art
The miniskirt was in style!
…Or was it on its way out?
Avedon
Halston
Johnson
Givenchy
St. Laurent
These boots were made for walking (and gawking)
Guy Bourdin was developing his style
Diane Arbus took this
Leonor Fini painted this
And BLOW-UP captured the zeitgeist: film, fashion, rock & roll, psychology and sex. (and I *love* that Jimmy Page made the trailer!)
