Style Icon: Juliette Lewis

I have loved Juliette Lewis for years.  I think my first introduction to her was in From Dusk Til Dawn, and with Natural Born Killers being one of my favourite movies, she has stayed on my radar for years.  But it wasn't until a few years ago, when Juliette transitioned into music that I really started taking notice of her style.  She has often been my hair icon, with her messy waves, big bangs, and grown out brunette colour.  I remember spending hours watching her videos on YouTube, and being totally enamored of her Indian headdresses, leather pants, bodysuits, sequins, and glam rock makeup.  I was completely inspired, and to this day, whenever I have an excuse to get dressed up, I want to throw one or all of these elements into a crazy outfit.  

  

Style Inspiration: What a Way to Go

I know that this is a hot topic for blog posts these days, so maybe I'm slow to catch on, but I recently watched What a Way to Go, and now I fully understand the gravity of Shirley Maclaine, Edith Head, and 1960s glamour.

The story is great, the acting is fantastic, and the costumes speak for themselves.  Shirley Maclaine's style transforms with every man she marries (not an easy task), and every costume is better than the last.  It makes me want to wear nothing but glitter, feathers, bright colors, hats and fur, just what I need for winter!  And it makes me want to dye my hair pink too!

*I've left captions off the pictures intentionally, I sincerely urge you to go watch this movie ASAP!

Hipster Must-See: Machete

I rarely get an opportunity to post about big budget, mainstream movies.  To be frank, most of the time, I don't go watch these movies, let alone like them enough to devote my time to posting about them.

So am I surprised that I would feel so strongly about Machete, that I would want to write about it?  Absolutely not.  Since seeing the Machete trailer during the Grindhouse double-feature (which I saw three times in theaters), I have been counting down the days until this movie was released.  Robert Rodriguez Mexploitation starring the severely underrated Danny Trejo is full of mass, pointless violence, campy dialogue, and hot chicks.  Everything a grindhouse inspired throwback should be.   Robert Rodriguez knows a few things about casting, action, and violence, and this movie has all three.

It's about time that Trejo, who has a million imdb credits, finally got the recognition and lead role he deserves.  I loved Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, and even Lindsay Lohan in this film, which is no easy feat considering I don't care for any of those actresses.  And an appearance by the magnificent Tom Savini, and De Niro*?  How can the movie not be epic?

In light of the recent racial issues and controversy surrounding Arizona, the timing for this film could not have been more perfect.  I left the theater wanting to see it again and again.  It will definitely be a must-own for my collection, and should be a must-see for you!

http://www.vivamachete.com/

*Can I just mention how brilliant it is when De Niro starts to go all crazy and gets into a taxi?  Amazing for all the right reasons.

Currently Idolizing: Ann-Margret

When I was a kid, my favorite movie was Newsies.  To this day I can still sing all the songs, recite all the words, and even do some of the dance moves.  It's a bit ridiculous, but hey, I was six.  Newsies was coincidently my first introduction to the amazing Ann-Margret, and I never thought much of it.  It wasn't until my recent years, more importantly, my first viewing of Tommy, that I realized that Ann-Margret might actually be important.

Maybe it's the red hair, or the fact that Elvis sent her flowers to every single stage show she ever performed in until he died, either way Ann-Margret has something.  From the 60s-now, she still gets cast as a sexpot.  To me, it's like she's the Swedish Sophia Loren.  Completely classy, sexy, talented, and timeless.

Ann-Margret, it may have taken me a while to catch up, but I salute you.

Style Icon: Angela Chase

Due to my bed rest last week and current unemployment this week, I have had a lot of time to re-watch old TV shows, mainly My So-Called Life. Now this is not my first watching of MSCL. In fact, I've watched the entire series probably 4 or 5 times, if not more.

Re-watching this show has made me decide one thing...I want to be Angela Chase.



Claire Danes perfectly captured that teen angst that the 90s was known for. I understand feeling that way at 10, then again at 12, 15, 17, and at 23. Only, Angela did it better. That hair, those friends, those emotions, that family, that drama, and more importantly...




That boy. Ahhh, Jordan Catalano, you were the childhood crush I never recovered from. You have been and always will be the perfect bruting male. If I dye my hair can you pretend that you wrote "Red" about me, and not your car?

Let's not forget the clothes. The flower prints, the plaid, the boots, the perfect shapelessness of Angela's dresses.




It makes me think that the 90s coming back won't be such a bad thing. I'm dusting off my Doc Martens in anticipation.

This Might Make You Hungry: Julie & Julia

As I've mentioned before, I rarely, if ever attend any sort of movie in New York. Lately, due to my recent unemployment, I have had a lot more time on my hands, which means that I got off my lazy butt on Saturday, went into the city, and accompanied my roommate to the movies.

There was difficulty deciding what movie to see. My top three choices were: The Cove, Food Inc., and It Might Get Loud. Yeah, I'm no fun, when I go to the movies I want to see a real story, or zombies. My roommates top three choices were: Harry Potter, District 9, and G.I. Joe. Choosing movies can create a problem for the two of us, so we reached a compromise and choose a lighthearted film based on actual people, actual events, and actual food.

Not to anyone's surprise, but both Meryl Streep and Amy Adams delivered wonderful performances. Streep's accent alone was worth the $12.50, she was Julia Child. I learned so much about Child's life that I would have never known otherwise, as well as learning a very small amount about French cuisine, which I am also somewhat new to. Adams, as the blogger on a mission delivered a believable performance full of happiness, sadness, and determination.

And of course, it is impossible to not talk about the food. Oh, the food. Raspberry creme, duck, mushrooms, and butter, lots and lots of butter. I left the theater not only wanting to eat everything in sight, but also enroll in a cooking class. Food is more then just fuel, it is an experience, and Julie & Julia proved that food can be a lifesaver, as well as a soul saver.

I laughed, I cried, my stomach rumbled, and I left the theatre feeling as though my time spent taking various classes, trying various internships, and learning new things has not been in vain. After all, Julia Child didn't become Julia Child until late in her life, and her legacy is one we cannot escape today. I can honestly say that this is one of the few movies I've seen recently that I strongly recommend to anyone, old, young, male, female, omnivorous, plan-ti-vo-rous? It may not teach you about Japan's whaling policies, or the food industry, but it will leave you feeling happy and hungry. Bon Apetit!

Hipster Must-See: Moon

Okay, so I rarely go to movies in New York City. This is for two reasons, the first is that movies always take some sort of planning, making sure I'm getting to the theater on time, what theater to go to, and my life doesn't always accommodate planning. The second reason is with $12 price tags, I can't always bring myself to spend the money.

Well, due to recent drunkface activities, I've decided to give the movie going lifestyle a second chance. This morning I went to see Moon, starring the amazing Sam Rockwell. Upon never having seen any real previews of this movie, I was under the impression that it had something to do with aliens, and I guess in a way it did, but maybe it's the fact that I was misinformed that has caused me to lack a decisive yay or nay about the film.

Essentially it felt like The Parent Trap, except instead of twins, we had clones, and instead of parents, we had the government/space agency, and instead of summer camp we had the moon. It was definitely different from anything I've seen in a while, and Sam Rockwell gives an amazing performance, and I don't mind staring at one of him, so two? Okay, I'm on board. Finally, Kevin Spacey as the voice of the robot, priceless, I'm reminded of falling rose petals all over again.

I suppose that Moon is one of those movies that if you're into Sci-Fi, you'll probably enjoy, or if you just have nothing better to do on a lazy afternoon. Maybe I'll change my opinion tomorrow however, I think this movie will need some time to digest.

The New 90210, Changes Already?

Okay, so I have to admit that although I don't watch Gossip Girl, I do have a slight addiction to the new 90210. Okay, maybe addiction is pushing it. I have a nostalgia for the old 90210 followed up with a dvr set to record the new one. Fair? If I miss an episode it doesn't break my heart, I don't try to watch it online, and it's not exactly a topic of conversation among my group of friends.

But like it or not, I gotta say that I'm shocked to hear the new casting news. According to Entertainment Weekly, Dustin Milligan will not be returning full time next season. I have to admit that this news leaves me rather disappointed. I kind of liked the fact that the hunk on the show, wasn't exactly a hunk, and he looked like he could have been in high school, oh and he seemed like a nice guy....wait. WAIT WAIT WAIT. I get it. None of the aforementioned qualities produce high ratings. Right. I forgot about that.

Either way, Dustin Milligan is a Canadian actor, who I've seen in random Canadian shows during my college years and therefore, I have a soft spot for him. I can't guarantee I will continue to watch after this season, but then again, I can't guarantee that I would have continued to watch even if Dustin Milligan would've stayed on.