Molly Ringwald’s List of Best Iconic Hairstyles in Film
The fantastic Molly Ringwald, one of the most recognizable stars out there, as much for her movies as for her fiery red hair, tells us the best iconic hairstyles in film.
Jean Seberg in Breathless: What else is there to say about this look that hasn’t been said. An eternal classic.
Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour: In a lot of ways, Deneuve is the French version of Hitchcock’s classic blond ice queen. Hair back in a twist until she’s ravished, and then it’s down. Hard to argue with this one.
Brigitte Bardot in And God Created Woman: Best example of boyfriend hair there is. Almost impossible to achieve this look without hair extensions.
Pam Grier in Foxy Brown: There is no statement quite like Pam’s hot powerful Afro. White people tried to jump on the bandwagon in the seventies, but if you don’t have the hair or the attitude, don’t bother.
Faye Dunaway in Bonnie and Clyde: Long sleek bob, beret optional.
Rita Hayworth in Gilda: Even in black and white you can tell this lady is a redhead. She sports the same peekaboo hairstyle that Veronica Lake made famous, but Rita’s looks undone and far sexier.
Yvonne Elliman in Jesus Christ Superstar: Sexy, long-layered, hippie, windswept, razor cut.
Louise Brooks in everything: The inspiration for everything from Something Wild to Pulp Fiction.
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All images from Google
To learn more about Molly Ringwald, check out her book Getting the Pretty Back, now in paperback.
Remembering Elizabeth Taylor
As of today, with the passing of Elizabeth Taylor, we are left without one of Hollywood’s greatest actresses. We can look back to some of her most memorable movies, like Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, and A Place in the Sun, to really know why she was so legendary. And did we mention what a knockout she was? Check out these 100 jaw-dropping photos of Taylor on Buzzfeed.
Here is a scene from Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf–some of the best acting ever in just 1 minute 41 seconds. Dont you think so?
Your It List Holiday Giveaway – Avatar Prize Pack!
As 2010 comes to a close all of us at Your It List are looking back at an amazing year and want to say thank you to you. Over the next few weeks we’ll be offering up some prize packs for you to enter to win. First one up… Avatar Prize Pack! It’s hard to believe that a full year has gone by since the film that has forever changed the way movies are made was released in theaters. Now you can relive the experience of seeing Avatar for the first time with the Your It List / Avatar Prize Pack.
What you’ll win: 1 Avatar DVD, 1 Avatar Blu Ray + DVD and 1 copy of the New York Times bestseller Avatar: An Activist Survival Guide.
What you have to do: Follow us on Twitter! Head over to www.Twitter.com/ItBooks and follow us. Then tweet a link to this post (http://bit.ly/AvatarYIL) and add the hashtag #AvatarYIL. We’ll select 5 winners at random at 7:00 pm est on Friday, December 17 and DM you for your mailing address.
Black Swan: or, Showgirls 2
Wow, those people online sure are crafty! Some genius out there as done a mash-up trailer for the too-gay-to-function camp classic, Showgirls and newly released Natalie Portman vehicle, Black Swan. The similarities of the two films are striking, and I’m surprised it took this video to make me realize it. If you’ve never seen Showgirls, shoot yourself run to the Netflix immediately, invite a friend or two over and open a bottle of tequila because you’re in for a treat. The bar is high, Black Swan….I hope you can keep up.
The NSFW trailer below:
Showgirls | Black Swan Trailer MASH UP from Jeffrey McHale on Vimeo.
Cowboys & Aliens: The Book
Before it was the most anticipated summer movie of 2011 (watch the just-released trailer here), Cowboys & Aliens was a hit graphic novel. We’ll be re-issuing the book in its entirety on March 22, but until then, check out the page spreads below, then pre-order a copy:
Book images © 2006 Platinum Studios, Inc.
Enter for a chance to win a spectacular IMAX Harry Potter Experience
*****Contest is closed; all winners have been chosen*****
YourItList.com and IMAX have teamed up to offer you the chance to enjoy a spectacular Harry Potter film experience.
Read in Harry Potter Film Wizardry how the Warner Bros. creative team brought these beloved stories to life, and marvel at their concept art, behind-the scenes photos, and removable printed prop replicas from the movies themselves. Then experience Harry Potter’s world for yourself with passes to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1: The IMAX Experience, and bring the excitement home with the movie poster.
To enter for a chance to win, just send an email to filmwizardry@harpercollins.com with your mailing address before 1:00PM (EST) on Thursday, November 18th. We will randomly select 1 First Prize winner, 3 Second Prize winners, and 6 Third Prize winners from the emails received. No purchase necessary. The last entry will be accepted at 1:00 PM (EST) on November 18th, 2010.
1st Prize (1): 1 copy of Harry Potter Film Wizardry, 4 IMAX tickets, 1 IMAX poster (approx. retail value $125.99)
2nd Prize (3): 1 copy of Harry Potter Film Wizardry, 2 IMAX tickets, 1 IMAX poster (approx. retail value $87.99)
3rd Prize (6): 1 copy of Harry Potter Film Wizardry, 1 IMAX poster (approx. retail value $49.99)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1: The IMAX Experience has been digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® through proprietary IMAX DMR® technology. With crystal clear images, laser-aligned digital sound and maximized field of view, IMAX provides the world’s most immersive movie experience. Visit www.IMAX.com for more information and to find a theater near you!
Click here to view the official rules. Open to U.S. residents only.
Fat-bottomed Kazakhstani girls
Sacha Baron Cohen, of Ali G/Borat/Bruno fame, has reportedly signed on to play Queen frontman Freddie Mercury in an upcoming biopic (via the Laugh Button). Rarely has there been such a perfect match of actor and subject. Casting directors must have a term for this these sort of slam-dunk lookalike casting jobs, but alas, I don’t know any casting directors. Apparently it’s still up in the air whether Cohen will actually sing on camera (the Reese Witherspoon) or lip-sync (the Jamie Foxx), but having heard Borat’s rendition of “Throw the Jew down the well,” I’m hoping for the latter.
In honor of this flawless casting, we bring you a few more pairings that are ripe for the picking:
Michael Sheen and Tony Hayward
This one is almost too easy. The second the BP oil spill scandal broke, it was clear who would play villainous CEO Tony Hayward when the eventual film version hits theaters: British actor Michael Sheen. If he’s too busy, or expensive, maybe Tony Blair–whom Sheen played in The Queen–could step in.
Jeffrey Tambor and Dr. Phil
It’s quite unlikely that they’ll ever make a Dr. Phil “The Movie,” (I pray), but when they announce the Oprah Winfrey story, I imagine casting directors will be lining up on George Bluth, Sr.’s doorstep.
Middle-aged Adam Sandler and Middle-aged Bob Dylan
This one doesn’t sound like a slam dunk at first first, but I’ll let the photos speak for themselves. Of course, Sandler’s pretty much the only person who didn’t play Dylan in Todd Haynes’ post-modern biopic I’M NOT THERE. It would also be the first time in musician biopic history that the actor has to sing worse in order to bring authenticity to the role.
Lovely Catfish
So. I saw two films this week. At the theater. I like to live large you know. And while I am no film critic and I am just plain critical, so here goes.
The first movie I saw, Lovely, Still, stars Ellen Burstyn, who in my opinion is one of the most underrated American actresses. Did you see The Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood? Come on. Lovely, Still also stars Martin Landau who I swore was Walter Matthau. Turns out he’s not. Elizabeth Banks who is best know for her Overshoppe.com (see below) commercials and who I have a total sister crush on, plays Burstyn’s daughter. WAIT! … can you imagine if Ellen was my mother and Elizabeth was my sister? I’d die. Dead.
I was drawn to this tiny indie film 1) because it was on New York Magazine’s approval matrix in good company with my friend Rachel Shukert’s Everything is Going To Be Great and 2) the trailer to Lovely, Still had me skipping down the halls of my office with delight. I love love. #gay.
The actual product was a bit more disconcerting. I won’t spoil the barely believeable twist, but I was none too pleased. And, there are these odd dream sequences that would be been better placed in Contraception, that horrible movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and that girl from Juno. Weird dreams aside the cast is really quite perfect and Ellen Burstyn in particular is lovely, still. (you see what I did there? … I worked the title of the movie into my critique of it. I believe that would be two entendres … you’re welcome.)
The next movie that I saw I’m going to go ahead and say was the best movie I’ve seen all year. Seriously. I got a call from my friend Teddy yesterday asking me to see some movie called Catfish at midnight. On the Upper West Side. Midnight. I’m too old for that, kids. I fully expected to fall asleep.
You must go see Catfish. I’ll go with you. I was told by Teddy not to watch the trailer, so naturally I did. But when I started playing it I thought it was an ad for that Facebook movie, so I stopped watching. Turns out, that it actually was the trailer. I’m not selling it, I know. It’s a documentary about a New York photographer who meets someone online through one of his photographs. I shouldn’t say anymore. It’s equal parts funny, touching and very surprisingly and successfully suspenseful. Please go. Then call me. If you want to watch the trailer, it’s here.
Also, it stars this guy, who I am a little bit in love with. He may call me as well.
Yes, that's a retainer.
“The Kids Are All Right:” Just another functioning, dysfunctional family
Nic and Jules are quite the pair.
Two teenage kids, two lesbian mothers and one anonymous sperm donor father is a recipe for a delightful film, filled with heart and wonderful scenes of unadulterated awkwardness. When Paul (the “donor dad”) receives a call from a sperm-donor agency which he donated to many years ago (something he forgot he had done), the shock on his face and in his voice is palpable, as low key as he is. His meeting with his 18-year-old daughter, Joni and his 16-year-old son, Laser, is similarly priceless. After going through the hand shakes and obligatory-I’m-fine-how-are-you’s…what do you say to the kids you didn’t know you had? Naturally, Paul decides to find out what his kids are all about. “What about you, Laser, what do you do?” Joni immediately chimes in: “Laser is an amazing athlete.” When asked if he ever played any sports in high school, Paul responds, “Team sports got on my nerves after a while, it’s like HEY LET’S GO KICK SOME ASS MAN!”…only to find out that Laser only plays team sports…soccer, basketball, baseball. More awkwardness ensues.
The two gems of the movie, however, are Nic and Jules, the “moms,” played by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore. Nic is the type-A, doctor and breadwinner of the family, while Jules is the low-key mom who is dabbling with a career in “landscape design” – which, she notes, is different than mere gardening. (The plot becomes all the more interesting when Paul becomes Jules’ first client). Jules and Nic’s chemistry and performances are both amazing, their ups and downs raw and real. Nic feels threatened as Paul encroaches on her family and relies on red wine to solve her problems; Jules feels Nic’s distance and turns to others for consolation.
The family meets the sperm donor, Paul.
Despite the southern California family’s many abnormalities, they are a strikingly normal, dysfunctional but functioning family. The kids rebel, as teenagers do, and love their parents as much as they are embarrassed by them. The moms – especially Nic – try to tighten the reigns as the kids are growing older, and as Joni goes off to college.
Nic and Paul bond over their favorite Joni Mitchell song.
Relationships evolve in this complicated web of family ties – Nic and Paul bond over an acapella rendition of Joni Mitchell’s “Blue” over the dinner table, while they initially clashed over fundamental life differences (Paul didn’t go to college…and he rides a motorcycle – gasp!). Another refreshing aspect of the film is its focus on the moms as parents and lovers – not just lesbians. This film is a real crowd-pleaser, regardless of your age, sexual orientation, or your take on motorcycles.
No Country for PVC Men
Thanks to the prolific tweeter @ebertchicago for alerting us to the mashup masterpiece that is Cormac McCarthy’s Toy Story 3 by Ruben Bolling.
Read the whole comic here.
Cyrus: Three’s a crowd in this offbeat, romantic comedy
Cyrus, featuring John C. Reilley, Jonah Hill, and Marisa Tomei.
“Seriously, don’t fuck my mom,” Cyrus said, half-jokingly, to his mother’s new love interest over dinner. Cyrus, which just opened last weekend, is not your typical romantic comedy. It’s a refreshingly original film about a 22 year old with quite an Oedipus complex.
Obese Cyrus (Jonah Hill) and his striking mother Molly (Marisa Tomei) are very close. They live together. They spend mornings together taking photos. When Cyrus has a “night terror,” Molly, is there to cradle him as he goes back to sleep.
So it is not altogether surprising that Cyrus has an issue when Molly gets a boyfriend, John. Cyrus makes it his mission to get John (John C. Reilly) out of the picture and ruin his life. John tries desperately to maintain his relationship with Molly and declares war with Cyrus: “Listen you little weirdo…if you’re going to mess with me, I’m going to mess with you right back,” he threatens, all while pretending to be a father figure.
Recently divorced John, who describes himself as “Shrek in the forest” (I have to admit, he has some Shrek-esque features) meets Molly at a party. “YOU are flirting with ME?” he asks Molly, bewilderedly. The audience is similarly surprised.
Cyrus and his mother are an affectionate pair.
What attracts Molly to John is how candid he is about his wants, needs and feelings. Similarly, what is so refreshing about this comedy is how human these characters are – how outright desperate they are in some cases (“I have so much to GIVE!!,” John pleads woefully to a woman on a couch at a party. She quickly leaves).
Even the scheming Cyrus, after all, is just having a hard time growing up – to say the least. “He’s very mature, but he’s not come into himself yet,” Molly maintains to John. This love triangle makes for a hilarious, psychological comedy. The packed theatre on West 42nd street clearly enjoyed the film as much as I did.
Netflix: Uncaged
There’s only one word to describe Cageflix: genius. Cageflix lets you add all of His Royal Nicness’s films to your Netflix queue in one simple step. Think of all the time you’ll save by not having to type in “National Treasure: Book of Secrets” and “Captain Corelli’s Mandolin.” Probably enough time to watch Honeymoon in Vegas for the umpteenth time. Ah, flying Elvis.
Makeup inspired by Alice in Wonderland
One of our favorite books this year is Camille Rose Garcia’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. So when we saw the video tutorial below–posted on YouTube by Haleybean–we were super excited. We asked Haleybean to tell us more about why she chose to create this makeup tutorial inspired by Camille’s incredible artwork.
I recently did this make-up tutorial based off the cover art that artist Camille Rose Garcia did for a rendition of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. To start with, Alice is my all-time favorite piece of literature so I’m always on the prowl for different ways people find to interpret the Alice stories. I was in a bookstore one day and saw Camille’s work and fell in love with it immediately. She presents Alice in a way that is so new and original it’s ridiculous. She holds true to the story while bringing in her own fresh new take on it.
I started google-ing more of her art and I really enjoy her work. I regularly do my make-up tutorials on YouTube, I have been doing so for the past 2 1/2 years or so and I get most of my inspiration from artwork and movie characters alike; I automatically pulled inspiration from Camille because it has all elements I love and presented me with the challenge to take in her interpretation and do something completely different to add that Haleybean twist to it.
If you liked my video be sure to check out and subscribe to my YouTube channel and follow me on Twitter or check out my Facebook page.
Is there a Nobel Prize for fart jokes?
Paul Krugman, credit: Träger des Preises für W
Tonight marks the opening of Russell Brand’s new comedy, Get Him to the Greek, in which he reprises the role of the hilarious enfant terrible rocker Aldous Snow from 2008”s Forgetting Sarah Marshall. This time he and Jonah Hill take off on a cross-country odyssey with the goal of getting Snow to L.A.’s The Greek Theater in time for a show. I haven’t seen the film, (yes, loyal readers, I was shockingly left off of the guest list for the Hollywood premier), but according to A.O. Scott’s New York Times review, his colleague Paul Krugman (Times columnist, Princeton economics professor, Nobel Laureate) makes a cameo. In honor of that surprising news, we give you a list of other notable cameos by famous personages.
Marshall McLuhane in Annie Hall: In the famous cinema queue scene in Annie Hall, Allen pulls a living, breathing McLuhane into the film to settle a dispute about the famous academic’s theories.
Kurt Vonnegut in Back to School: What could be better than a Dangerfield/Vonnegut tag-teamed term paper?
(video NSFW)
John McCain and James Carville in The Wedding Crashers: One pals around with Palin, the other was Bill Clinton’s campaign manager, but McCain and the Ragin’ Cajun both shook hands with this guy in the wedding crashers.
Count Basie in Blazing Saddles: The inimitable Count brings his orchestrations to the desert in the Mel Brooks’ classic.
Before you see Get Me to the Greek, read up on Russell Brand’s real life bad boy antics in his memoir MY BOOKY WOOK.
How Twilight Works
Finally, an explanation of why Twilight drives so many straight females crazy. In video form!
Via Buzzfeed
Alc-O-Vision
In an amusing recent New York Times dining column, Wendell Jamieson writes about his predilection for drinking themed cocktails while watching DVDs. His pairings tend to be a bit highbrow (Sabrina-inspired martinis, absinthe for A Very Long Engagement), so our writers have added a few YIL-worthy options for the lower-falutin among you:
Kate:
A spiked Orange Mocha Frappuccino when watching Zoolander. At Starbucks, this beverage is known as a Mocha Valencia – you can pick one up there and then add a shot of Absolut Orange vodka. The film’s star, Derek Zoolander (played by Ben Stiller), and his three male model friends enjoy virgin versions of the beverage while cruising around in their jeep listening to Wham right before his pals are killed in a freak gasoline fight. Drinking a spiked Orange Mocha Frappuccino numbs the pain of their loss while watching the film. Make the drink a double if you feel particularly saddened by Rufus, Brint, and Meekus’s demise.
The Aviator follows the life of influential movie producer and aviation magnate Howard Hughes from the late 1920s to 1947. What better way to celebrate the life of this daredevil pilot, played expertly by Leonardo DiCaprio, than by sipping a classic Aviation cocktail? Dating back to the 1920s, the Aviation is a delicious mix of gin, maraschino liqueur, and fresh lemon juice, shaken and served in a martini glass (maraschino cherry optional). Both the drink and the movie recall the daring and glamor of flying in the 1920s, before it became the commercialized practice it is today.
Being a Wisconsin boy born and bred, I naturally feel the pull of the White Russian. Dairy drinks are in my blood. Couple that with my Jeff Bridges obsession, and all signs point to a match made in Lebowski heaven. While the Dude may call his drink of choice a “Caucasian,” we’re talking about the same booze-meets-cream concoction. Next time you’re enjoying a night in with your pals Sobchak and Kerabatsos, don your finest bathrobe and slippers and pour yourself a Caucasian on the rocks.
Should you be weary of drinking on an empty stomach, don’t forget to check out these movie-inspired food recipes as well.
In case you’re looking for even more ways to incorporate hard liquor into your everyday activities, check out HOW TO BOOZE: EXQUISITE COCKTAILS AND UNSOUND ADVICE which promises “The Right Drink for Every Situation,” including stalking your ex (Pisco Sour), reading the Good Book (Angel Face) and the last drink before AA (the Hudson Monarch or Arsenic and Old Lace).
Rebel with a gun
Fifty-six years ago two young actors appeared together in a twenty-three minute episode of General Electric Theater. Today, both men have reached heights of popularity and cultural significance neither could have predicted. And after more than half a century “The Dark, Dark Hours” starring James Dean and Ronald Reagan has been discovered.
The Atlantic has the video – edited down to 6 mins – of James Dean portraying a rebel with a gun (10 months before the premiere of Rebel Without A Cause) holding a doctor (Reagan) and his family hostage while trying to get medical attention for his wounded friend.
What struck me most about this short film is the hint of roles to come in Dean’s performance, most notably the conversations between Dean (calling Reagan ‘Dad) and Reagan (calling Dean ‘Sonny’) and the physical altercation between the two followed by the emotional breakdown of the younger actor.
The physical altercation between Dean and Reagan plays out much in the same fashion as Dean’s altercation with Jim Backus, who played his father, in Rebel Without a Cause – though this time it’s the father figure attacking the younger man.
Reagan attacking Dean quickly escalates into Dean’s emotional breakdown – mimicking, almost exactly – the scene Dean may already have been preparing for in East of Eden, when he, as Caleb Trask, tries to buy his father’s love (Raymond Massey) only to be rejected, sending him into a tailspin of self-destruction.
In many ways ”The Dark, Dark Hours” can be seen as a sort of screen test for Dean, working through many of the themes and acting styles that he will then bring to the three film roles he left behind, in Rebel Without a Cause, East of Eden and his final picture, Giant.
Make yourself a dang quesadilla!
I was once a lone wolf: a man who appreciates the art of cinema, but is equally as passionate about all things gustatory. The modern world just isn’t meant for refined Renaissance men such as I, I would lament. Then Urban Daddy tipped me off to this new website. A place where those who watch Billy Madison and think, “How can I recreate that extra sllllllloppy Sloppy Joe sandwich for my own enjoyment,” or, between fits of uncontrollable laughter, wonder, “Where can I get my hands on some of that My Big Fat Greek Wedding bundt cake,” will be enlightened.
Rejoice! There are others like me! Now I’ll know where to turn when my next viewing of Napoleon Dynamite evokes a full-on cheese quesadilla hankering: movierecipes.net.
See What I’m Saying
After this year’s Academy Awards, you might think that everything’s been done. A woman finally won best director, the lady from Speed won a best actress nod and the phrase “uber bingo” was used in an acceptance speech. That’s why we’re excited about the upcoming documentary “See What I’m Saying,” which breaks new ground for the deaf community. Directed and produced by filmmaker Hilari Scarl, the film not only follows four deaf/hard of hearing performers–a subset of the entertainment community that mainstream audiences know little about–but every print of the film is open captioned making it available to all audiences, including those who don’t know sign language. Unlike most films, where deaf audiences are limited to only a handful of options if they want to catch a captioned screening, all showings of SWIS will be accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing.
This heartfelt documentary follows four entertainers in the deaf community as they attempt to cross over to mainstream audiences during a single year: CJ Jones, an internationally celebrated comic in the deaf world, but virtually unknown to hearing audiences fights to cross over to the mainstream by producing the first international sign language theatre festival in Los Angeles; Bob Hiltermann, a drummer in the world’s only deaf rock band, Beethoven’s Nightmare, produces the largest show in the band’s 30 year history; Robert DeMayo, a brilliant actor who teaches at Juilliard, struggles to survive when he becomes homeless; and TL Forsberg, a hard-of-hearing singer finds herself caught between the hearing and deaf communities when she attracts a major producer to record her first CD “Not Deaf Enough.”
The world premier is being held at Hollywood’s Egyptian Theater on March 18th.
Tickets are available here.
The film opens in Los Angeles March 19-April 1st. Tickets are available at www.seewhatimsayingmovie.com
The film premiers in New York City on April 9th – April 22nd at the Village East Cinema.
Tickets are available here.
For more information and screenings, visit www.seewhatimsayingmovie.com
Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway
The Runaways, one of our most highly anticipated movies will finally debut in theaters on March 19th. We’ve been waiting a very long time to see seems to be two great actresses bringing to life two amazing performers: Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie.
Buy the book at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book-A-Million, Borders or an Independent Bookseller.
Click here to read a preview of the first two chapters.
About Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway by Cherie Currie
Cherie Currie, with her signature Bowie haircut and fishnet stockings, was the groundbreaking lead singer of ’70s teenage all-girl rock band the Runaways. At the tender age of fifteen, she joined a group of talented girls—Joan Jett and Lita Ford on guitar, Jackie Fox on bass, and Sandy West on drums—who could play rock like no one else.
Arriving on the Los Angeles music scene in 1975, they catapulted from playing small clubs to selling out major stadiums, headlining shows with opening acts like the Ramones, Van Halen, Cheap Trick, and Blondie. Currie lit up the stage with the provocative teen-rebellion songs “Cherry Bomb,” “Queens of Noise,” and “Born to Be Bad,” riding a wave of hit songs and platinum albums, all while touring around the world.
On the face of it, Currie’s is a riveting story of girl empowerment and fame. But it is also an intensely personal account of her struggles with drugs, sexual abuse, and violence. She and her bandmates, runaways all, were thrown into a decadent, high-pressure music scene where on the road, unsupervised for months at a time, they had to grow up fast and experience things that no teenage girls should. Neon Angel exposes the side of the music industry fans never get to see, and chronicles the group’s rise to fame and their ultimate demise.
Shocking and inspiring, funny and touching, Neon Angel stunningly re-creates a bygone era of rock and roll, all the while providing an inside look at growing up hard under the relentless glare of the public eye, and chronicling one tough woman’s fight to reclaim her life.
About The Runaways
The Runaways is based on lead-singer Cherie Currie’s book ‘Neon Angel’ – a reflection of her experiences as a rock star, but also delivering a strong anti-drug warning to teens and others. David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” serves as a metaphor for the narrative– a slow countdown, a surreal but spectacular rise to fame, then alienation and burnout – a long long way from home.
The movie chronicles THE RUNAWAYS from 1975 – 1977; formed by teenage girls living near Hollywood, CA., and heavily manipulated by their manager Kim Fowley as ‘jailbait rock’ (all the girls were 16 or younger when the band recorded their first album). The band ultimately succeeds on their own merits as musicians, becoming the first all-girl rock-band to ever break into the world of arena-filling hard rock acts.
The movie focuses on the band’s formation, and their meteoric rise to fame. Their first single, ‘Cherry Bomb’, gets some attention in the United States, where THE RUNAWAYS’ U.S. tour hits major venues (Cobo Hall, with RUSH) and sleazy rock-clubs, often pairing them up with The Ramones, Cheap Trick, Tom Petty, and other popular 1970′s rock acts. But ‘Cherry Bomb’ and several other songs from THE RUNAWAYS’ first 2 albums become huge hits in Japan — and their arrival for a set of shows there in 1977 is like Beatle-Mania. The band is overwhelmed by the Japanese reception. Almost prophetic, THE RUNAWAYS’ last big hit song in Japan is ‘Neon Angels On The Road To Ruin’.
Cherie is initially thrilled to be in the band, and lives the rock star life. She pushes the edge — and their records sell well, generating lots of media controversy and hype. But during the tour of Japan, her personal life disintegrates, and she burns out — ultimately leaving The Runaways when they return to the U.S. The bass player (Jackie Fox) quits too, leaving only Lita Ford, Joan Jett and Sandy West. Joan Jett has decided that rock & roll is her life, and that The Runaways is her ‘family’; she is upset by Cherie’s decision to leave, but knows that decision is best — for Cherie.
THE RUNAWAYS’ success was earth-shaking in rock music — changing the rules forever. But with the successful 5-girl lineup no longer intact after the Japan tour, their future was dubious, at best. Lita Ford (guitar) and Sandy West (drums) still think the band can make it big again, so they persevere with Joan Jett.
Burton & Depp versus Jim & Arnold
In honor of the opening of Tim Burton and Johnny Depps’ Alice in Wonderland tomorrow, the always superb Vulture blog catalogs Cinema’s 15 Greatest Actor/Director pairs. Cameron & Schwarzenegger; Scorsese & DeNiro; Allen & Farrow–they’re all there.
We won’t spoil the whole piece for you, but here’s a fun tidbit from the entry on John Landis & Eddie Murphy:
We’ll let Landis explain this one: “The guy [Murphy] on Trading Places was young and full of energy and curious and funny and fresh and great. The guy on Coming to America was the pig of the world — the most unpleasant, arrogant, bullshit entourage … just an asshole.” Amazingly, they did actually work together again after that (on Cop III), but it’s safe to say it ain’t happening again.
First Annual Your It List Oscar Pool
This year’s Oscar season seems a bit more tame than past years. What with the 35 nominated films for Best Picture (none, by the way, being (500) Days of Summer, ahem). There are a lot of familiar names on the nominees lists, not quite as many “Who?” nominees… a lot of people seem to think the winners will be the obvious choices.
I’m hoping for a return to the surprise a la 1966 when Richard Burton lost the best actor nod for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf to Paul Scofield in A Man For All Seasons. Luckily Mrs. Burton won that year for Virginia Woolf, though rumoredly the couple abstained from attending due to Mr. Burton’s fear of losing (and worse his fear of losing and watching Mrs. Burton win). It was the first time either Burton ever abstained from anything.
The votes have been cast, somewhere a really boring looking accountant has them in a sealed briefcase. But let your voice be heard in the first annual Your It List Oscar Pool.
Click here to let us know who you think is going to win (don’t forget to leave your email address so we can contact you!).
On Monday, the person with the most correct answers will win a FULL BOX of movie flavored books, including:
Heads On and We Shoot
Avatar
My Word is My Bond
Pieces of My Heart
George Lucas’s Blockbusting
Showgirls, Teen Wolves, Astro Zombies
Tales from the Script
Some Like It Hot Companion
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland
Shutter Island
Crazy Heart
Coraline
Making of Coraline
We’ll announce the winners on Monday!
Click here for complete rules.
[Insert Very Important Date Joke Here]
The Royal Premiere of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland was held in rainy London last night. As can be expected when you mix Burton, Alice and the British, some wacky fashions were on display. Here are just a few of the wild styles from the red carpet (via HuffPo), and you can check out more here and here.
P.S. Little known fact: this movie is based on a book!
Alice star and Tim Burton’s wife, Helena Bonham Carter
The UK’s Michelle Obama: Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
Singer Paloma Faith
Re-visiting The Door in the Floor
Thursday’s New York Times features an eloquent love letter to Jeff Bridges, written by my favorite contemporary film reviewer, Manohla Dargis. Her rhapsodic prose makes me want to lock away my keyboard and retire from this whole wordsmithing gig, but, alas, I must put bread on the table.
Bridges has long been one of my favorite actors–an avuncular leading man whose characters would be a hell of a lot more fun to hang out with than any Clooney-portrayed slickster. And unlike most of his out-of-touch peers, you get the feeling the man himself would be a great guy to (political cliche notwithstanding) have a beer with.
Dargis’s piece did a fine job of capturing those very same qualities that make Bridges such a compelling actor, and her graceful words do him justice better than mine can. Yet in her short career retrospective, she left out my favorite Bridges’ performance: as children’s book writer/illustrator Ted Cole in 2004′s The Door in the Floor. The film–an adaptation of the first third of John Irving’s novel A Widow for One Year–didn’t make much of a splash commercially, and I only learned of it from my much better informed filmmaker friend Joel. But there’s something really special in Bridges’ character that has stayed with me more closely than his other fantastic roles.
In her piece, Dargis quotes the legendary film critic Pauline Kael as saying, “Jeff Bridges is enough to make a picture worth seeing.” This certainly holds true for The Door in the Floor. What could come off as a melodramatic (children have died, parents grieve, beaches are wind-strewn), mediocre film is elevated to must-see status by the complexity of Jeff Bridges’ performance. He’s a man employed to write books less than 100 words in length, yet he hires an aspiring writer as an assistant–ostensibly to type and retype his brief manuscripts, but in actuality to act as his chauffeur since he has a suspended license. He plays squash in a caftan in a converted barn. He’s a fucker and a fighter, but you get the feeling it’s only to conform to the stereotype of the aggressive, masculine artist pioneered by his Hamptons’ predecessor Jackson Pollock. In other words, this is The Dude, if only recreational bowling and pot smoking paid as well as writing blockbuster children’s literature. You get all of the nonchalance and unforced coolness of his classic Lebowski role, in a setting that’s much more relatable to your average viewer.
If you haven’t seen The Door in the Floor, and you’re looking to brush up on your Jeff Bridges’ oeuvre, add it to your Netflix queue for an excellent pre-Oscars primer. Then when he finally gets his long-deserved Academy Award on March 7th, you’ll have even more reason to cheer the Academy’s good sense.
