Archives for September 2011

Noir in a tube: Gloss in Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Genre, Chase

September 5, 2011 by

Chinatown in Crime is a hot pink.

On the 1974 movie “Chinatown,” by director Roman Polanski, Faye Dunaway reportedly touched up her makeup between every take. Bee-stung lips are a bit high-maintenance. Too bad she didn’t have a Chinatown Glossy Pencil from Lipstick Queen, $20.

The easy-to-use pencils combine vibrant, subtle color and super-sheer texture. The moisturizing gloss feels light on your lips with zero stickiness. And it comes with a sharpener.

The Chinatown line was inspired by Polanski’s movie as well as the fact that the company’s New York office is near the Canal Street subway. Colors include: Crime, Mystery, Thriller, Genre and Chase.

Poppy King

“I wanted lipsticks that gave me the look of the 1940s,” says founder Poppy King, a Melbourne native who started her first lipstick brand in 1992. She was 18 at the time, having finished high school with “lackluster grades and 101 ways to get out of phys ed.”

My kind of girl.

To buy the product, look under Stores and find one near you – if you order directly from the Lipstick Queen site, you may get frustrated as it seems many items are out of stock.

Product Source: From my own collection; I did not receive product or compensation from Lipstick Queen.

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

An impeccable noir and an insightful portrait: ‘Love Crime’

September 2, 2011 by

Love Crime/2010/UGC/106 min.

“Love Crime,” a splendidly suspenseful ride, just might be the late Alain Corneau’s best film. A great script, excellent actors, perfect pacing and a terrific final twist make this a must-see movie.

Sleek and savvy Christine (Kristin Scott Thomas), a powerful exec at a multinational company, seems to have a charmed existence – success, style, a glitzy social life and a gorgeous lover, Philippe (Patrick Mille). Reporting to Christine is ambitious, hard-working and eager-to-please Isabelle (Ludivine Sagnier).

Their relationship is subtle and complex – a mix of admiration and affection, rivalry and rude awakenings. Isabelle’s first jolt is when Christine takes credit for Isabelle’s work. (In corporate life, really?) Acting as a pawn in their mind games and manipulation is Philippe, one of their many male colleagues. It’s not long before barbed convo at the water cooler shifts to a malevolent life-and-death battle. (In corporate life, really?) We see that Isabelle’s methodical, meticulous approach applies to every project she tackles, at the workplace and beyond.

Corneau, who died last August at age 67, referred to the film as one of his little Fritz Lang labyrinths. “It can be summed up very simply,” he said. “After you have committed the perfect crime, of which you will definitely be suspected, how can you prove you are innocent by making yourself look guilty?”

“Love Crime” is an impeccable noir with a stark look and restrained palette from director of photography Yves Angelo. It’s also an original, insightful portrait of two characters’ identities. Corneau, aided by co-writer Natalie Carter, explored fresh terrain by focusing on female characters. “I’ve recently discovered how exciting it is to have women in leading roles,” said Corneau. “I thought, without knowing why, that it would be more spectacular if the labyrinthine plot were feminine.”

Spectacular it definitely is; and of course sad that his first foray into the inner lives of women was also his last.

And one more thing. There’s particular attention paid to Isabelle’s blonde hair. She starts out with a mane of slightly messy curls; as she climbs the corporate ladder, she taps her inner Veronica Lake for a peek-a-boo effect that’s smoothly sexy and seductive. Looking good is always key, especially when you’re up to no good.

“Love Crime” opens Sept. 2 in Los Angeles and New York.

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

Honey, your September horoscope is here …

September 1, 2011 by

Yvonne De Carlo

Evan Rachel Wood

Fate reigns supreme in film noir, but that doesn’t mean we don’t love us some zodiac fun. Hope your September is full of intriguing possibilities and sublime pleasures. And happy birthday, Virgo and Libra! A special shout-out and remembrances to alluring Virgos Yvonne De Carlo (Sept. 1), Salma Hayek (Sept. 2), Evan Rachel Wood (Sept. 7), Brian De Palma (Sept. 11), Tommy Lee Jones and Oliver Stone (both Sept. 15), Lauren Bacall (Sept. 16) and Sophia Loren (Sept. 20) and exquisitely talented Libras F. Scott Fitzgerald (Sept. 24), William Faulkner, Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones (all Sept. 25), Gwyneth Paltrow (Sept. 27), Naomi Watts (Sept. 28) and Lizabeth Scott (Sept. 29).

Virgo (August 24-September 23): With a birthday nigh (or just celebrated) you may be pondering the possibility of a little shot of Botox that no one but you and your dermo need to know about. But, for the price of that needle, you could buy a lot of massage time and yoga classes, which offer benefits aplenty. And you still look great. Remember what Virgo icon Sophia Loren said: “Sex appeal is 50 percent what you’ve got and 50 percent what people think you’ve got.” At work, your precision pays off. At play, romance comes to the fore. Enjoy!

Libra (September 24-October 23): You will feel especially powerful this month as you easily connect and hit it off with nearly everyone you encounter. Celebrate your magnetism and relish your independence. A rivalry finally subsides and a friendship follows. At work, remember to provide a pat on the back to a colleague; it will be appreciated. Men are like putty in your hands. Well, what else is new? [Read more…]

Filed Under: Noir Horoscopes Tagged With: , , ,
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