matouenpeluche

Wildcat! Wildcat! Mr. Quiche.

Welcome to Wednesday (*sigh*). OK, I'll admit that it was the album cover that had my full attention initially, but this L.A. based outfit are actually kinda interesting. Wildcat! Wildcat! are what the love child of Peter Frampton, ELO, Cheap Trick and Yes might sound like. Oh and a smidgen of Bee Gees too which can never be bad thing. I've been a fan of falsetto singing ever since I first heard Emotional Rescue by the Rolling Stones. You can check out their single Mr Quiche here. What do you think?

Viva Mad Men!

Snazzy jackets - Mad Men episode five season five.

I've been downloading Mad Men season Five almost hot off the press via i-tunes. Usually down here in Aus we have to wait an eternity for new seasons to become available, but this time we're only an episode or three behind. Absolute bliss!

So far I have thoroughly enjoyed the first double episode Little Kiss, but haven't so much enjoyed the next two: Tea Leaves and Mystery Date. I thought episodes two and three were a bit forced and melodramatic. I was actually feeling a bit concerned for the whole series, but then along came episode five! Signal 30! Wow wee!

Please note---> if you have not already seen episode five you'd better look away now.

There's lots to like in this episode. Essentially it is Pete's in a way:

1) Pete fixes a leaking faucet and flirts outrageously with a young thing at the driver's education class.

2) Megan and Don go to the 'burbs to a Pete and Trudy Campbell dinner. Megan, as always, looks ravishing. Don gets all macho and fixes Pete's faucet as it...springs a leak.

3) Ken Cosgrove, we discover, is still writing short stories. He writes in the sci-fi/ fantasy genre. Cool or what? We also learn via Peggy that one of his stories is about an alien woman who lays eggs. It just doesn't get any better than that.

4) Lovely Lane Pryce scores a dinner date with a potential new client: Jaguar. He doesn't do terribly well, and so the boys are called in: Don, Roger and Pete. Everything goes swimmingly between the three big guns and the client, however, the next day everything goes horribly wrong and the client is lost. This results in: a fist fight between Lane and Pete! Awesome stuff!

5) And then...after the fisty cuffs Lane kisses Joan who is most mature about the whole thing. Lane says memorably: Is there no end to my humiliation today? Although, in retrospect, I don't feel Joan totally rejected Lane's kiss...hmmmm...

6) Pete cries in front of Don in the lift on the way to lunch after the fight. Clearly Pete is losing the plot a little.

7) "Ode to Joy" from Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is featured which always makes me feel good and reminds me of A Clockwork Orange which can never be a bad thing.

I've been reading reviews of this episode and critics have been raving about it. So, it's not just me then. It is a pearler. I, for one, am going to watch it again!

All images from here.

Ten Great Years

I thought this poster by Argentinian graphic designer Max Dalton was pretty neat. You can see more of Max's work and posters here --> Max Dalton.

In other Beatles news, I see that Yellow Submarine has been cleaned up and restored. Ah! I have such fond memories of that fine film! When it was having a re-run at the Roseville cinema, my Dad used to take me to see it most weekends. It was a very enjoyable way to fill in a few hours together. The music's fantastic and the fab animation certainly appealed to a me as a small girl. You can see the trailer here.

Poster image from here. Yellow Submarine from here.

Down By Law

I was having a surf through one of those 1000 films you must see before you die books and it was arranged by year. It was actually very interesting. I was particularly struck with the mid to late '80s. 1985 had My Life as a Dog, Pee - Wee's Big Adventure, A View to a Kill, Brazil and European Vacation. I only remember that 1987 had Withnail and I which is probably all you needed to see that year anyway. However, 1986 had the super fine Jim Jarmusch film Down By Law. I remember going along to the cinema and seeing it quite a few times. I don't think I'd ever seen anything quite like it.

Set in Louisiana, it is the story of two wrongfully imprisoned men who meet for the first time in their cell: Jack a pimp played by John Lurie and Zack a DJ played by Tom Waits. A third man, Italian tourist Bob (Roberto Benigni), is also put in their cell. Speaking barely any English but an incredibly chatty person nonetheless, Bob is the exact opposite in temperament to the other two uber cool cats. Jack and Zack don't get along terribly well, but they somehow all end up escaping the prison together thanks to Bob. They wade through Louisiana swamps, walk on foot quite a bit and eventually end up at a house owned by a woman named Nicolleta. Bob instantly becomes smitten by Nicoletta and he stays on at her house while Jack and Zack continue on their way.

Why it's one of my favourite films of all time:

1. Its unhurried character driven plot is by turns meditative, hilarious and intriguing.

2. The humour is central to the appeal of this movie for me. It is not only provided by the effervescent Benigni but also by the laid back Jack and Zack. Jokes are not set up like they would be in a traditional comedy, they unfold.

3. Shot in black and white, it's very lovely to look at.

4. John Lurie and Tom Waits provide the fab music score to the film.

If you haven't already seen it, you are in for a treat!

Images from here, here and here.

Masked (penguin) Ball and other scenarios

So this is a drawing I did a few weeks ago: Masked (Penguin) Ball. I haven't really got much to say about this print as I think it speaks for itself.

However, I have been thinking about the sort of masked ball or fancy dress party I would like to go to and I have decided on these two themes:

1) A James Bond fancy dress party.

Can you imagine? Fine, fine John Barry/ Shirley Bassey e.t.c. music playing all night long and heaps of opportunities to be over the top silly. All. Night. Non. Stop! I suppose everyone would either come as Blofeld or James himself circa Sean Connery. I'd like to think someone would have the chutzpah to come as Jaws (Moonraker) or Christopher Walken (A View to a Kill). I wouldn't mind going as Solitaire in Live and Let Die (v.snazzy long haired Jane Seymour in '70s New Orleans/ New York Bond). I quite like Tiffany Case in Diamonds are Forever (favourite all time Bond film my friends - give it a watch - it is magic!). Then again, I think I'd like to come as Sean circa You Only Live Twice as in wet suit clad and arriving in a toy helicopter thingy. Or perhaps I'd come as Odd Job (Goldfinger baddy). Although, I wouldn't mind actually being Goldfinger, come to think of it, as I could go around all night saying "Goodbye Mr. Bond" in my best heavily accented German/ English. I'm just rambling now...pardon.

2) *Ahem* The other party I was thinking of would be a Beatles party and you'd have to dress as your favourite era of Beatle.

I think I'd come as John Lennon circa Hamburg with a quiff and a leather jacket and smoking a rolled up cigarette or perhaps a white suited Lennon with long hair and a middle part à la Abbey Road (favourite album after all). Then again, would it be permissible to come as George Martin? Hmmm...that's possibly a bit tricky...

 

Debbie Harry

Debbie Harry - why not? After all, it is Monday...and you might like to accompany this post with this song here or possibly this one here (which is my personal fave).

 

All images from here.

Love part 2 - Epic love triangle

When someone says "epic love triangle" to me I immediately think of George Harrison, Pattie Boyd and Eric Clapton. I'm sure there have been other epic love triangles, but none that are as recent or legendary as this one. Pattie had a thing for iconic guitarists and they had a thing for her. She had several love songs written for her by these two gentlemen; the three most famous being Something, Layla and Wonderful Tonight. Incidentally, Frank Sinatra said Something was the best love song ever written.

As you may or may not know, Pattie Boyd was a model and the "It" girl of swinging sixties London when she first met George Harrison. They met on the set of "A Hard Day's Night" and instantly fell in love. Two years later they were married. However, George was allegedly a bit of a philanderer and when he was not allegedly philandering he was meditating. Meanwhile, George's close friend Eric Clapton starting pursuing the lovely Pattie in a most romantic manner. Several years of the epic love triangle followed. Anyway, one thing led to another and Pattie ended up leaving George for Eric.

Pattie was with Eric for a decade or so before they too divorced. She is now a well thought of photographer and the author of a book about her famous loves and life called Wonderful Today: George Harrison, Eric Clapton and Me.

My first instalment of "Love" can be read here.

All images from here and here.

Bianca Jagger

Nicaraguan beauty Bianca Jagger is perhaps my favourite of Mick's ex-girlfriends/ wives.

Love this last photo of them together. Imagine seeing these two walk into the room! Wow!

Images from here and here.

Goodbye Ken Russell

I was saddened to hear that the grand old man of British cinema, Ken Russell, had passed away this week. I have seen most of his films and enjoyed them immensely. My favourites are the great composers series he did for the BBC such as Elgar, Strauss and Delius, "Lair of the White Worm" (absolutely hilarious!) and the documentary he made about his own life which stared his little son (so sweet!). Bits of The Who's "Tommy" were also pretty terrific but my all time, hands down favourite Ken Russell film is the musical "The Boy Friend". Have you seen it? It's set in the 1920s and tells the story of the stage production of a musical by an English theatre troupe. It is very, very funny, beautifully acted and exquisite to look at. Think Georges Barbier meets Busby Berkeley via swinging sixties London! Twiggy, its star, is ravishing as are the costumes and sets. There is a a very good review of it here.

I was lucky enough to actually see Ken Russell being interviewed on the stage at the State Theatre many moons ago as part of the Sydney Film Festival. It was an absolute honour to hear him speak and answer questions. He was totally naughty, disobedient and hilarious!

Goodbye to a great British artist.

Top image from here and the others from Le Cinema Dreams.

Happy Friday links!

Lion by Nick Brandt

There's nothing I like more than a romantic photo of a lion! Isn't he wonderful?

...and happy Friday! I have collected some links here for you to explore this fine Friday afternoon:

1) If you live in Melbourne there is a fab market this Saturday entirely devoted to glorious buttons---> Button Fest!

2) A darling baby ocelot kitten.

3) A strangely hypnotic stop motion animation tribute to toys of the '80s called "The King of Legoland".

4) New favourite Etsy shop Small Adventure for all your finely printed paper goods and selection of handmade item needs.

5) A lovely new design blog to explore--->  Escapade.

I hope everyone has a fine weekend full of fun and frivolity!