(nov18) 87/365 - andy warhol style

(nov18) 87/365 - andy warhol style
Originally uploaded by handshakes&heartaches

I appreciate Leslie K's image, but what I really like is Andy Warhol's saying on it. I think it needs to be a cultural classic cliche like " In the future everyone will be world famous for 15 minutes."
You have to know the deeper story of Andy Warhol's life and art, to really appreciate him. If you know only the snippet's of pop culture renown, I wouldn't think he was that cool either, and I didn't for a long time. It was only when I read Andy's many bios (list) and watched some truly fab documentaries (Ric Burns, the one on Amazon) on the subject that I was inspired and fascinated with the man and his legacy with 20th century art, and the broader implications of culture, consumerism, america and social history.

There were also many fascinating characters that Andy "used to hang around with," who are almost as interesting as him. Many more than Edie Sdegewick. She is only the most famous of Andy's many friends and associates. There could be a movie about any number of people AW encountered. Brigid Berlin for one, Jackie Curtis, Candy Darling, Billy Name, Freddie Herkel,

Elisha Cook jr.

I saw him in "I Wake Up Screaming." He was the murderer even though Laird Cregar was the one obsessed with her. Carole Landis was a bright complex character and Ginger Rogers was a very one-dimensional character.

So then I saw him in??? Eddie Muller's book Dark City, for one. He was a supporting character in several noir films (name them here) SO--- I am studying this noir and wondering about this character actor. For the evening viewing --something seemingly far away from the world of American Film Noir ---a documentary called "A Life in Pictures: Stanley Kubrick"---Excellent by the way---and AND who should be in an early SK picture but fucking Elisha Cook Jr.!!!

I am probably the only person who thinks that is funny, incredible, like WOW or awesome---sorry for the word awesome. There is frequently a six degrees of separation aspect of film history. And that aspect pops up in my own life frequently.

Odilon Redon

Odilon Redon
Originally uploaded by fran001@yahoo.com

I have never consciously heard of this artist that I am aware of. Had a vast expanse of styles he experimented with. Dealt with the subconcious, color, and these strange monsters and creatures.

Laird Cregar

Laird Cregar
Originally uploaded by vidalia_11

When I go on my noir film binges-- I have done this for the last month--Laird Cregar has been in three in a row! I Wake Up Screaming, This Gun for Hire, Hangover Square. Sure enough, he is this huge cult figure in Noir film history. He plays an awesome character- creepy as hell in This Gun for Hire.--(Which I am dying to ask an expert, did this influence Le Samourai)? I Wake Up Screaming turns out to be a proto-noir film according to Eddie Muller, who did the commentary track. (I am going to buy his book this time.) And Hangover Square I just got today in the mail.

Bruce Lee and his ultimate 70s shades

Bruce Lee
Originally uploaded by Sobibor

This picture shows the quintissential Bruce Lee 70s look he sported near the end of his life. He would have been a huge star and made huge films-- had he lived. Very parallel situation to James Dean---both men had many artistic interests and pursuits outside of acting. Like all geniuses, Bruce Lee did so many things very well. He had more years on James Dean, who at 23 was pursuing still photography and looking to direct. Lee would have almost certainly directed.

Bruce Lee

Bruce lee
Originally uploaded by greg11373

Okay--why hasn't this movie happened yet? It is an empty space.The biopic of Bruce Lee Conduct a huge search to play the lead. His life is fascinating and tragic. born in San Francisco, he and his parents returned to Hong Kong and the Japanese occupation when Bruce was 3 months old.
His father was a renowned stage performer, Bruce made about 20 films as a child actor in Hong Kong films. He also got in trouble in school and had fights. One story goes that he beat up a member of an HK mobster and that prompted his move at age 18 to SF invoking his US citizenship for the first time.
It would necessitate a big budget film to create the 1970s California.
I think his life story rights are tied up with his widow Linda Lee
and she would have script approval and probably not approve of a version she doesn't like. Where to find out about this?
I bet Quentin Tarantino would back a great Bruce Lee biopic.

Ralph Fiennes

Ralph Fiennes
Originally uploaded by PD Wylde

I have my at home movie nights and I did my annual Ralph Fiennes double feature. The English Patient and The End of the Affair. The two films have many similarites and so do his characters. In both films he is a man obsessively in love with a married woman. In both films the women die. Both set with the WW2 as the backdrop. The English Patient though is a much much stronger movie. That is a whole blog entry unto itself. The English Patient Revisted 12 years later. I have questions about why it was billed as an independent film by Mirimax, but it really wasn't technically an independent film. That was written up by the film writers at the time but I fail to remember the details.
Ralph is actually photographed better in the End of the Affair. He luminescent eyes with an intense stare and beautiful skin. that why these two movies are part of my larger category of films call Women's porn. That is yet another post or maybe a whole thesis. At least a New Yorker type article.

Basically it is that these two RF films seem to actually take the woman's point of view into account--which I don't see a lot in many contemporary films. Esp, from a sexual point of view.I do know that in some of the historical films of the 1930-50s, the studios realized there was substantial regular- going female( paying) audience So they did have "women's films." And had actors who they knew would appeal to some or many women in the audience...

Millions of Americans love this type of film--often

Poster Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen _02
Originally uploaded by MyCine

Millions of people want a steady, exclusive diet of movies with huge explosions,car crashes and things being blown up. And some T and A. And there will always be a movie audience for whom that is all they want on the screen! Ever! And Mr. Bay appeals to that market. Fine--- because for every Transformers Michael Bay film, there can be two or three films made at their so called "art house" division. Like Sony Classic Pictures, Fox Searchlight and Paramount Vantage.
This type thing is be the future of the character based, "smaller" film industry. Non mainstream movies that won't necessarily turn a big profit. Like a lot of the foreign films in America. Maybe a slower pace--that Transformers audience would not pay to see. for those film And but if it catches on it is a nice surprise. Because there is a market for Sundance type winners now.
And the added bonus that it gives the studios cache. Therefore I predict these type of films have a huge future under the umbrella of a huge conglomerate corporation.
I hasten to add that I do not know which studio (s) made Transformers 2---whoever it is if they even have an art house division.

Ryan White and Michael Jackson

Does anyone remember when Ryan White was a well known media figure? I think we should return him to the national consciousness. I was reminded about Ryan when I saw an interview with his Mother on CBS news after Michael Jackson' death from what appears to be a drug over dose.
Ryan was a teenager originally form Kokomo Indiana, hemophiliac from birth, and acquired HIV during a blood transfusion in the 80's before people knew about the AIDS virus or tested the blood supply. He was kicked out of his school as many parents were afraid that their children would get AIDS from him. The spread of AIDS was little understood at that time. His parents sued the school and he was allowed back to the school by law---but he was not welcomed. His family moved to nearby Cicero Ind., where due to education at that point, he was more welcomed. he became an AIDS activist and celebrities befriended him and got behind his cause. Like Elton John and Michael Jackson. Ryan White died from AIDS in 1990.
I hadn't thought about Ryan White in quite some time until I saw an interview with his Mother on low-rated CBS morning news a few day's after MJ's death. She was speaking about MJ befriending her son Ryan. She expressed that Michael was a wonderful friend and she never ever was given any reason to be concerned about Ryan and Michael spending so much time together. What surprised me and caught my attention the most was that Mrs. White told how Michael was very concerned about the family after Ryan's death and called them quite frequently and stayed in touch for several years. That is the only interview I have seen with Mrs. White. I am assuming she was invited to Michael's memorial service. I sure never see her interviewed on Entertainment Tonight! I am impressed that MIchael truly seemed to care for Ryan White. His gift to him of a red convertible Mustang was widely publicized but what was not publicized was that Michael cared for the family outside of the spotlight and after Ryan's death.

Glass beauty

red, white and blue.
Originally uploaded by D.James | Darren J. Ryan

Can you believe this beautiful work of stained glass art? I cant' find where or what the building is. The interaction of the colors and shapes is amazing!
This is just a randomly found image on Flickr. I love glass work, and that kind of design. similar to ? several modern artists I must account for. Possibly Mondiran and Miro I am thinking of.
I went to the Chagall museum in Nice France and it had beautiful glass work.