Archives for December 2010

Chapped lips have met their match: Smith’s Rosebud Salve

December 16, 2010 by

Smith's Rosebud Salve keeps dryness at bay.

 In the 1941 movie “Citizen Kane,” Chas K. utters the word rosebud, providing what seems to be a clue to the mysteries of his personality and the essence of his existence. It was also rumored (off-screen, of course) to be code for the word clitoris.

 While Smith’s Rosebud Salve can offer neither a foray into philosophy nor risqué anatomical cipher, it is by far the best the best lip moisturizer I have ever used. Never heavy and eminently wearable, it’s aces at softening and protecting my lips from the elements.

 I don’t leave the house without it and I always apply before bedtime. The salve has been around since 1892 and comes in a delightfully retro round tin with a deep blue border. It’s easy to spot in your makeup bag or purse and takes you back in time for a second or two when you reapply during the day. According to the container, Smith’s is: a trade-secret blend of cotton-seed oil, aromol and essential oils in a special petroleum base. Whatever aromol is, I really like it. 😉

 Before I found this product, $6 at beauty supply stores, I was a Vaseline loyalist and Vaseline is still a great backup but, compared with Smith’s, I find Vaseline’s consistency to be slightly inferior. Smith’s consistency is substantial enough to feel protected yet not so thin as to give that sliding-off-your-lips feeling. The salve blends well with lip color, helping to sheer your coverage. Additionally, Smith’s works on parched hands and nails as well as lips.

Product Source: From my own collection; I did not receive products or compensation from Smith’s.

Filed Under: Noir Stuff Tagged With: , , , , ,

‘Chinatown’ mixes classic intrigue with ’70s cynicism

December 13, 2010 by

Chinatown/1974/Paramount Pictures/131 min

A nervous femme fatale with a slight stutter. A stocky PI with a hot temper and a bandage plastered on his face.

Perhaps not the most promising characters at first glance; in fact they are among noir’s finest. Faye Dunaway and Jack Nicholson deliver knockout performances in 1974’s “Chinatown,” a neo-noir that ranks as one of the greatest films ever made. Certainly, it’s among the top 10 movies of the 1970s.

With an Oscar-winning screenplay by Robert Towne, directed by Roman Polanski, and produced by Robert Evans, “Chinatown” clearly has roots in classic noir, but also reinvents and subverts the tradition. The movie’s intelligence, artistry and uniquely dark vision elevate it beyond a simple homage.

Set in 1937 Los Angeles, “Chinatown” tells a story of corruption both personal and public. Nicholson stars as J.J. ‘Jake’ Gittes, a cynical ex-cop turned private investigator with a penchant for shiny, cream-colored suits, matching hats and spats, and a tendency to fly off the handle. One day, Gittes gets a visit from a black-clad blonde (Diane Ladd) who claims that her husband Hollis Mulwray (Darrell Zwerling) of the water and power company is cheating. She wants Gittes to provide proof, despite his urging that she let sleeping dogs lie.

Roman Polanski called on memories of his mother when creating Faye Dunaway's stunning look in "Chinatown."

But it comes to light that the real Mrs. Evelyn Cross Mulwray (Dunaway) is the daughter of multimillionaire Noah Cross (John Huston). And she wants Gittes off the case – or she’ll sue. But when Mulwray’s body is found in an empty water reservoir, Evelyn wants Gittes back on her side. Once there, Gittes uncovers lots of facts that don’t add up – for instance, in the middle of a drought, water is being dumped. At the core of the mystery is a struggle for control of LA’s water supply.

There’s lots of money to be made and power to be gained if you can dry out vast patches of land, then buy them on the cheap. (The California water wars, a fight that started in 1898 over water rights between LA and other areas, including the Owens Valley, influenced Towne’s story.)

Gittes has his work cut out for him. The cops, led by Lieutenant Escobar (Perry Lopez), give him grief. Russ Yelburton (John Hillerman) and Claude Mulvihill (Roy Jenson) of the LA Water and Power Company don’t like him. A menacing man with knife (a cameo by Polanski) warns him not to be so nosy – and just to drive home the point, he slices off a bit of Gittes’ schnoz.

Once he’s cracked the case, though, Gittes can’t play the hero to the dishonesty, greed and perversion that surround him. The evil continues, unchecked. “As savior and restorer of a moral order, [Gittes is] a complete washout, a genre first,” writes Foster Hirsch in “Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir.”

So why is this a great work of art? First, it looks so striking—vintage LA, poised to become a big city—and Polanski’s voyeuristic camerawork (from the viewpoint of a standing onlooker) lends dark sophistication. The bleak themes of betrayal and corruption give the film enormous power.

Then there’s Jerry Goldsmith’s score and of course Towne’s smart, sexy and funny dialogue. In an interview for the 1999 DVD re-release, Towne explains that he wrote the part with Nicholson in mind and was inspired by the actor’s temperament, manner and the way he uses language.

And despite the fact that Gittes’ character has roots in earlier screen detectives, such as Philip Marlowe, Towne says, “I tried to draw characters from life, not from film.”

Private investigator Jack Gittes is one of the best performances of Jack Nicholson's lengthy and prestigious acting career.

Some of my favorite Gittes’ lines:

“I goddamn near lost my nose. And I like it. I like breathing through it.”

“He passed away two weeks ago and one week ago he bought the land. That’s unusual.”

“You’re dumber than you think I think you are.”

Huston, avuncular and charming, and Dunaway, delicate, otherworldly and aloof, turn in resonant, affecting performances. (Ali MacGraw and Jane Fonda were also considered for the part of Evelyn.) Polanski recalls on the DVD interview that between every take Dunaway touched up her makeup. Her thin eyebrows and Cupid’s bow mouth was a ’30s look he helped Dunaway create; it was inspired by memories of his mother.

Though alluring, glamorous and dressed to a T, Evelyn Cross Mulwray is not a femme fatale. As Towne says in the interview, Evelyn sets up the expectation of being a black widow, but she is the heroine of the movie, the one person in the film who is operating out of decent and selfless motives. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Neo Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,

‘Chinatown’ quick hit

December 13, 2010 by

Chinatown/1974/Paramount Pictures/131 min

Few films rank as one of the best of their decade but that’s the case with “Chinatown,” a neo noir, set in 1937 California. Of the many things there are to admire, No.1 on my list is Jack Nicholson’s portrayal of private eye Jack Gittes. Secrecy and sex, profit and power, specifically control of the LA area’s water supply, are pieces of a potentially deadly puzzle that lands in his lap.

Also on the admiration list: performances from Faye Dunaway and John Huston, razor-sharp writing from Robert Towne, the mood of cool menace, and Roman Polanski’s directorial flair.

Filed Under: Neo Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,

Surprise someone special with a tarot-card reading

December 12, 2010 by

Madame Pamita's tarot readings

Madame Pamita's tarot-reading gift certificates make holiday shopping so much easier.

Just as smoky eyes and comfortable stilettos are great staples for noir girls, so is a glimpse into the future. I’m talking about tarot-card readings and if you live in LA I’ve got a wonderful source.

For the holidays, occult treasure Madame Pamita is offering the chance to buy readings as gifts. Prices range from $10-$90, the certificates never expire and Madame Pamita will drop a note in the mail letting your recipients know they have a thoughtful, unique present from you.

During my reading at a Cinebar benefit over Labor Day weekend, she was sweet and soulful, perceptive and perspicacious. Her reading was oddly motivating as well – she knew I was up to something* and encouraged me to stick with it – a considerable feat, given my prodigious talent for lounging around, or as the Italians say: il dolce far niente – the sweetness of doing nothing.

What’s especially nice is that after your reading Madame Pamita records a brief summary so you can preserve the feeling of good tidings and growth that comes from her look at the cards. A reading is a fun surprise for just about anyone on your gift list. For more info, visit: www.madamepamita.com.

*Not to be confused with up to no good

Image courtesy of Madame Pamita

Filed Under: Noir Style Tagged With: , ,

Jacques Tourneur, Robert Mitchum and Jane Greer make ‘Out of the Past’ required viewing

December 12, 2010 by

Out of the Past/1947/RKO/97 min.

As famed critic James Agee put it: “Robert Mitchum is so sleepily self-confident with the women that when he slopes into clinches you expect him to snore in their faces.”

While none of my Robert Mitchum fantasies involve snoring, I can’t say I’d kick him out of bed just for a few noisy ZZZs. One of Mitchum’s finest vehicles is “Out of the Past” (1947) by French-born director Jacques Tourneur.

If I happened to meet someone who wanted to know film noir and only had 97 minutes to live, this is the film I’d recommend. But pay close attention, little dying chum, because there are plot twists aplenty.

Mitchum plays Jeff Bailey (aka Jeff Markham) who runs a gas station in a small town. He’s seeking a quiet life, where he can put his messed-up past behind him. Ha! Free will doesn’t stand much of a chance in film noir, so when menacing Joe Stephanos (Paul Valentine) comes to town looking for Jeff, we know he’s about to be plunged back into the darkness.

Mitchum tells his shadowy tale to good girl Virginia Huston.

Once Jeff learns that his former nemesis, gangster Whit Sterling (Kirk Douglas), wants a reunion, he decides to bring his pure and wholesome girlfriend Ann Miller (Virginia Huston) up to speed on his shady past and so launches a filigree of flashbacks with some of the most haunting images in all of noir.

Before he pumped gas, Jeff was a gumshoe whom Whit hired to find his double-dealing girlfriend Kathie Moffat (Jane Greer). Jeff finds her in Mexico, having escaped from Whit with a little help from a gun and a bigger helping of his money. It’s a long time into the flick before we see this fabulous femme fatale but when we finally do, she’s breathtaking. James Pallot in “The Movie Guide” calls Greer’s appearance “one of the greatest entrances in film history.”

Jeff, a self-confessed sucker, falls for her in about 3 seconds and decides that Whit Sterling can go to hell. As far as Whit’s cash, Kathie says she didn’t touch it and asks him: “Won’t you believe me?”

He replies: “Baby, I don’t care.”

The two relocate to San Francisco where they can hang incognito and go to movies (sounds divine!). Still, there’s that niggling bother of Whit, brilliantly played by Douglas, and he cares quite a bit.

Jane Greer is the girl who changes everything for Mitch.

Meanwhile, Jeff’s ex-partner in the detective biz Jack Fisher (Steve Brodie) catches up with the couple, angling for a pay-off to keep his mouth shut re: their new life. Jeff and Fisher come to blows, but Kathie decides to cut to the chase and shoot him dead.

Earlier Fisher comments: “A dame with a rod is like a guy with a knitting needle.” In fact, a knitting needle can double as a handy weapon but it’s far less efficient than a gun, as Kathie clearly knew.

Whit figures Jeff still owes him, and makes him part of the scheme to steal incriminating documents from attorney Leonard Eels (Ken Niles). In on the set-up is Eels’ secretary Meta Carson (Rhonda Fleming) a Jane Greer lookalike and good-time girl. Over drinks with Jeff and Meta, Eels remarks: “All women are wonders because they reduce all men to the obvious.”

“And so do martinis,” Meta says.

When Eels ends up dead, Jeff appears to be the fall guy, but he staves that off by hiding the body. The next snag? Kathie signed an affidavit (at Whit’s insistence, she says) that Jeff killed Fisher. But Jeff doesn’t give up easily and, after tracking the above-mentioned documents, is happy to exchange them for $50,000 and the affidavit.

As the treachery escalates and the bodies start piling up, Kathie has all her men exactly where she wants them, but then noir guys are awfully recalcitrant…

“Out of the Past” is director Jacques Tourneur’s noir masterpiece. In a series of celluloid paintings almost baroque in their intensity, Tourneur and director of photography Nicholas Musuraca create a seamless and sinister world that captivates from the first shot to the last. As Eddie Muller in “Dark City: The Lost World of Film Noir” describes it: Musuraca achieves “the richest chiaroscuro cinematography of any noir.” And as Michael Wilmington wrote in the Chicago Tribune, the movie is: “Moody and poetic, filled with some of the most strangely beautiful images ever to grace a crime movie.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Classic Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

‘Out of the Past’ quick hit

December 10, 2010 by

Out of the Past/1947/RKO Radio Pictures/97 min.

Juggling men is a key skill for any femme fatale. Jane Greer tries to keep seductive gangster and ex-boyfriend Kirk Douglas at bay while she explores new opportunities with laconic, cavalier Robert Mitchum. Not as easy as it sounds, given that Douglas hires Mitchum to track her down. See Jane work all the angles in French-born director Jacques Tourneur’s seminal film noir.

Filed Under: Classic Noir Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Wishing for non-stop noir? SF film fest will oblige

December 9, 2010 by

Something splendid is going on next month: The Film Noir Foundation’s Noir City 9, San Francisco’s annual film festival celebrating classic dark-side flicks.

The schedule of films and the new poster will be revealed Wednesday at the first Noir City Xmas double feature. The films are: “Remember the Night” 1940 and “Mr. Soft Touch” 1949.

“Remember the Night” stars Barbara Stanwyck and Fred MacMurray (they reunited for the ultra-famous noir classic “Double Indemnity” 1944) as well as Beulah Bondi. Preston Sturges wrote the original screenplay and Mitchell Leisen directed.

“Mr. Soft Touch,” a comedy-drama set in San Francisco, stars Glenn Ford and Evelyn Keyes. It was directed by Gordon Douglas and Henry Levin.

Film Noir Foundation founder and president Eddie Muller always does an amazing job with the festival and I can’t wait to hear the details for next year.

Noir City Xmas is Wednesday Dec. 15 and Noir City 9 runs Jan. 21-30, 2011, both at the Castro Theatre. For full details, visit www.noircity.com.

Last year’s highlights included:

Marilyn is both steamy and scheming in "Niagara" from 1953 by Henry Hathaway.

Marilyn Noir: “Niagara” 1953 and “The Asphalt Jungle” 1950.

Bad Girls of Film Noir: “One Girl’s Confession” 1953 and “Women’s Prison” 1955.

The Magnificent Gloria Grahame: “Human Desire” 1954 and “Odds Against Tomorrow” 1959.

Image from pixdaus.com

Filed Under: Noir Style Tagged With: , , , , ,

Cozy travel candles are perfect little gifts

December 5, 2010 by

Travel candles: great to give and keep.

Nearly every time I go holiday shopping, I have the same problem: I find item after item that I can’t seem to live without and the list for other people languishes at the bottom of my bag. It’s uncanny – however detailed and thoughtful my list, its contents can slip my mind completely unless I make a point of fishing it out and clutching it every minute I browse.

So I love those serendipitous occasions when I find something that is give-able and keep-able. Such is the case with these lovely travel candles from Seda France; also available at beauty/pharmacy stores. Lightweight and elegant, they burn with a clean, fresh scent and won’t take up much room in a suitcase. They are sweet stocking stuffers or a nice little something for colleagues, neighbors and your favorite jet-setters.

You can’t go wrong with French Tulip, though Elegant Gardenia, Parisian Orchid and Japanese Quince sound intriguing as well. At just $9, you can treat yourself to several. Damn, I did it again! OK, at just $9 each, you can buy a bunch for other people and watch your gift list dwindle.

Product Source: From my own collection; I did not receive products or compensation from Seda France.

Filed Under: Noir Stuff Tagged With: , ,

Meet the Daughters of Veda Pierce

December 3, 2010 by

Ann Blyth as Veda

Most of the men in 1945’s “Mildred Pierce,” starring Joan Crawford, are “heels” as Mildred’s friend Ida (Eve Arden) puts it. But they could all learn a few things from Mildred’s venal and grasping daughter Veda (Ann Blyth), who enjoys taunting her mother in French and taking what she thinks should be hers – pretty much anything that’s not nailed down.

Maybe Veda was misunderstood in the stoic, stiff-upper-lip era of post-World War II America. If she’d come of age in the ’80s or later, she’d be a classic material girl, albeit with a few little boo-boos that warrant a criminal record. And it’s entirely possible that as child she was terrorized by Mildred’s ubiquitous and intimidating shoulder pads. Couldn’t we cut Veda a little slack?

Pica, aka VedaCat

I chose Veda as a nickname for my impossibly demanding and sometimes vicious cat whom I rescued from a shelter. Try as I might to shower her with attention, cater to her every need and lavish her with the finest cat food, treats and toys, she’s quite likely to lash out and give me a scratch for no reason at all. She’s just a natural-born bitch.

So, à la director Jim Jarmusch who founded the Sons of Lee Marvin Club for tall, deep-voiced dudes who like to watch Westerns, my kitty and I launched the Daughters of Veda Pierce Club, for women and pets who keep their claws sharp and aren’t afraid to use them. We’re designing a line of T-shirts, clothes, jewelry, toys and accessories for our members, except we don’t want to do any of the actual work or put up any of our own money.

Ce serait terrible, no?

Filed Under: Noir Style Tagged With: ,

Six sexy lips colors I couldn’t live without

December 1, 2010 by
Lip color – stick, stain or gloss – is my weakness. Maybe because it’s the first cosmetic I ever dabbled with and I remember watching my Mom applying her lipstick, then passing me the tube to try a little. Or maybe finding the perfect red, rose or raisin conjures other, more recent, memories, a tad more racy. Even when money is tight, it’s usually still possible to treat yourself to a brand-new tube. Herewith is my current list of favorites.

Six sexy lip colors for smokin' hot holidays

Chanel never disappoints. When I choose my old standby Rouge Allure lipstick in Passion, $30, from a masterful range of reds, I’ve had strangers stop me and ask me what lipstick I’m wearing. The idea of trying Rouge Allure liquid luminous satin lip lacquer, $32, gave me shivers of anticipation. Perhaps it’s the vaguely old-school name – lacquer just sounds so 1947, so silk stocking and cold cream-esque. And then there’s the fun of telling Boyfriend Du Jour that “it’s not lipstick, silly, it’s lacquer.” Or perhaps it would be: “It’s not lipstick, silly, it’s liquid luminous satin lip lacquer.”

At the Beverly Hills Saks counter on a recent Saturday morning, my eye was immediately drawn to No. 78. “That’s the color I want,” I told the woman helping me, a far cry from my usual dithering and debating and drawing countless stripes on the back of my hand. Indeed it is a perfect creamy soft rose, bright but light and luxurious. And lacquer, which I’d thought would be more like a stain, turned out to be a cross between a stick and a gloss. Afterward, as I window-shopped my way along Rodeo Drive, a tall, gray-haired guy stopped me and asked for my phone number. I took his instead. 😉

Much as I enjoy shopping on a Saturday, it’s almost more fun to leave work early, head to your nearest department store and buy a pretty lipstick on a weekday afternoon. To lose yourself in those vast, fragrant, shimmery aisles, packed with possibility, is akin to sipping a fluteful of Veuve Clicquot just for the joy of it. Even if you don’t buy anything, there are always free samples to score.

Guerlain's lipstick compact is sleek, shiny and chunky.

Oh who am I kidding? Me not buy a little product? Splurging is my special skill. Hence my acquisition of Rouge de Guerlain jewel lipstick compact, $46. Holding this drop-dead gorgeous tube – sleek, shiny, chunky – and springing open the mirror is a singular frisson and sure-fire conversation starter. It is without question the coolest compact I’ve ever seen. Smooth and silky, Guerlain lipstick glides on effortlessly every time you apply (I chose No. 65) and gives your lips a subtle but very sexy vibe.

Also combining pretty and practical is YSL Rouge Volupte, $34. The charming gold tube is topped with a handy mirror so a touchup couldn’t be easier. I bought mine a while ago and I got a really nice four-color sample set that even included a brush. YSL offers wonderful colors, feels great on your lips and the color is long lasting. No. 1 is a versatile pink/beige that can be brightened or bolded as you desire.

I also adore Laura Mercier’s lip glace, $22, in Plum Noir. What’s nice about this au courant shade is that you can blend a smidgen into a lighter color (such as the above-mentioned YSL) and you’ll get a gorgeous daytime look – sheer and shiny with just a hint of iridescence. And if you want to amp it up, just add another layer of gloss for a full-on plumintense pout. It’s almost like having two shades in one and it’s never overly thick or cloying the way some glosses can be.

Lest you think I plump exclusively for lip color with a double-digit price tag, let me assure you I spend plenty of time in drug-store aisles, less shimmery and fragrant perhaps, but chock full of irresistible bargains and endless opportunities. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Noir Stuff Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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