I Need a Good Title For this Post...How About Ferris Bueller's Year of Living Dangerously?

What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Or so said a young lady named Juliet. But what'd she know? She was a teenager who took her own life.

But is the sentiment true of films? Would The Godfather be as good a film if called The Fighting Corleones? Or would The Searchers be the same film if named Looking For Debbie? How about if It's A Wonderful Life was The Incredible George Bailey? Yeah, as a matter of fact they probably would be.

A good or bad title is ultimately far less important than the work of the movie's editor, costume designer or even the key grip. Still a good title can pique your interest almost as much as the film's trailer. Some films even live up to their titles. It's also nice when a title gives us a notion of what the film is about. I much admired the film for which Halle Berry won her Oscar, Monster's Ball (2001). But the meaning of the title had to be explained and had little to do with the movie. There's no such ambiguity with a title like Woody Allen's Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993). Here are some movies I admire that have excellent titles.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986). Frank Johnson's Day Off would be a good title. But Ferris Bueller? Unforgettable. Both first and last names are quirky and mark the film as something special. Also the title tells us a lot about what we're about to see. Ferris Bueller is in fact going to take the day off. And what a day!

The Year of Living Dangerously (1982). This is a weird title. It translates to: 12 months of existing in peril. Hmmm, still weird. But the deal is, that's largely what the movie about. A guy living in danger for a year. Great title, great film. Peter Weir directed and Mel Gibson starred.

Hail the Conquering Hero (1944). It's an ironic title because the main character is neither a hero (least not the kind we expect) nor a conqueror. Eddie Bracken played the hero. Preston Sturges wrote and directed. Our hero was first hailed then fell out favor before being hailed again.

Do the Right Thing (1989). Big plus right off the bat, it's a quote from Malcolm X. It also is the theme of the movie, for Malcolm's full quote was "you've got to do the right thing." That's your film right there. Spike Lee wrote and directed and I'd bet a nickle he conceived the title.

I Am A Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932). He was indeed a fugitive from a chain gang. He was real and on the lam when the movie about his life hit theaters. Those facts add even more to the power of the title. Of course the immediacy of the title "I am" is powerful all by itself. Paul Muni starred, Mervin LeRoy directed and it's this Saturday's TCM essential.

If... (1968). You'll note that virtually all the titles on this list are long. Here's one of the shortest titles of any film ever. Of course the ellipse is what makes it. We immediately wonder "if what?" The title is intriguing and remains so after watching the movie. It suggests possibility, choices. From Lindsay Anderson, made a star of Malcolm McDowell.

Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981). Because of my sports affiliations I've often joked that I wished the movie were instead called, 49ers of the Lost Ark. Be that as it may, it's a title that gets your attention. I remember when I first heard it I wondered what the hell a lost ark was and who a raider of it would be. Sounded cool though. The subsequent sequels all had mundane titles.

The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962). We knowing going in that a man named Liberty Valance is going to be shot. We also know that his death will be important. We don't know who did the shooting, but whoever it is must be a person of significance. Again, if the title was The Man Who Shot Frank Johnson, not so good. But Liberty Valance? I'm in.

The Trouble with Harry (1955). Harry is dead and the fact of his corpse lying out there in front of one and all is a real problem. So the title is perfect and the movie just about is, too. A dark comedy from Alfred Hitchcock. Cast includes Jerry Mathers in his pre Beaver Cleaver days. (Photo above.)

Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid (1982). They don't? Who says? That's an odd title. Then you see the movie and think, "yeah, that makes sense." Not that there are any dead guys in plaid that I can recall. From the mind of Carl Reiner. Steve Martin starred.

Along Came Jones (1945). We gotta figure that there's some bloke named Jones who is going to show up somewhere at some point and either be eagerly anticipated or make a real splash. Gary Cooper was Jones and get this, his first name was Melody. Melody Jones. How cool is that? Loretta Young and William Demarest also featured. Great title, Great cast.

Callaway Went Thataway (1951). Okay, full disclosure. Never seen it. Guess I'll have to now. I just love the title. It rhymes! It has the word thataway in it! Come on! That's a fantastic title. I see where it's going to be on TCM on May 11. I'll set the DVR now.

Okay, so what are some of your favorite film titles?

Busted! $12 Million Stolen from Jewelry Manufacturer

Talk about a golden parachute. When Jacmel Jewelry hired Teresa Tambunting 27 years ago, little did they know that she would steal over $12 million of their gold – right under their noses.

The Scarsdale mom and Vault Manager (of all things) was busted for stealing millions in gold and jewels by slipping them out piece-by-piece in her purse lining, prosecutors said.

The 50-year-old woman hoarded her treasure trove in five-gallon buckets in her basement, according to law enforcement sources.

The theft began to unravel in January, when the company audited its Long Island City headquarters vault and discovered $12 million in inventory missing, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.

When Tambunting got wind of the audit, she decided to confess, arriving at work in early February dragging luggage bags filled with some of the stash.

"The first time, she returned one bag with eighty pounds of fine gold. Then, on another occasion (one week later) she came back with another bag," Jacmel president Jack Rahmey told New York Daily News.

"She confessed she had been stealing for some time."

Ummm, yeah.

"With gold trading at nearly $900 an ounce, the defendant is accused of establishing a virtual mining operation in Long Island City which siphoned off millions of dollars' worth of the precious metal from her employer," District Attorney Richard Brown said.

She is expected to argue through her lawyer that she has a form of obsessive compulsive disorder, one source said.

Yeah, she obsessively wanted to get rich and was compelled to bite the hand that fed her.

The Queen of the Cleptos faces up to 25 years in prison, if convicted, and was released on $100,000 bail Wednesday.

What do you think should happen to her? Does sticky finger syndrome deserve 25 years? What about her confession? Should that bear some weight? Weigh in!

Yellow Gold Goes to the Movies

Big movie premieres have been littering the calendar this week, and stunning yellow gold jewelry is almost upstaging the stars themselves.

I’ve been covering the growth of the golden trend all month, and it’s clear the mellow yellow metal push is only going to get more intense in the coming weeks – especially with the May Is Gold Month bonanza underway.

Mom-to-be, Jennifer Garner, lit up the red carpet at her Ghosts of Girlfriends Past premiere in Los Angeles. And Party of Five alum, Lacey Chabert, joined her looking all grown up in an off-the-shoulder gown with a Coomi 20k yellow gold and sliced diamond spring cuff with a matching handbag.






















































Wolverine fans had more than Hugh Jackman to cheer about. Costar, Lynn Collins, wore H. Stern's Zephyr cuff in 18K yellow gold to go with her stunning red ensemble, and the always lovely Halle Berry one-upped her with her own golden wristwear and a LBD to die for.





















































Will the woman please have a bad hair day or something so we can all feel better about ourselves?

Across the country at the Tribeca Film Festival Kim Kardashian added jewelry maven to her growing resume, as she stepped out in a gold statement necklace with (you guessed it!) another yellow gold cuff.



























And that doesn’t begin to cover all the golden glow. Check out Jewelry.com's Facebook page to see more celebrity gold looks for your drooling pleasure.

And for you sweepstakes fanatics - you know who you are - don’t forget about the May Is Gold Month sweepstakes on Jewelry.com to win your favorite gold jewelry piece.

Yup. There's a gold cuff just ripe for the taking...

Nick Verreos Special Appearance at DECA Conference Friday, May 1st

Nick in the OC!I am very excited to have been asked to make a "special appearance" at DECA's 63rd International Career Development Conference, which takes place April 29-May 2 at the Anaheim Convention Center. DECA, which stands for Delta Epsilon Chi, is an international association of high school and college students who are studying marketing, management and entrepreneurship in business, finance, hospitality and marketing sales and service. It helps improve education and career opportunities for students interested in these fields as well as support the development of their skills in these particular areas.

If you are a DECA member and are attending the Conference, please stop by the FIDM Trade Show, Booth 203, Hall B of the Anaheim Convention Center. I will be there Friday, May 1st, from 11 AM-2 PM !!! Come say "Hi"!

yay or nay?

I'm eying a pair of those on Ebay but I'm not really sure...they could be a little over the top :/ What do you think, yay or nay?

Jessica Simpson 'Lopez' boots

I Ended Up On You Tube Again....

The missus and youngest daughter have commandeered the TV to watch a few episodes of House. I'm in another You Tube mood. Being on You Tube can variously lead to a serious case of time-wasting or soul searching or strolling down memory lane or therapeutic laughter. (And yes, I note that those strolls down memory lane take longer and longer with each passing year and that each year that passes does so at an accelerating rate.)

Here's one video I looked at. I'm only vaguely familiar with the song, it's nothing I'd ever buy but goodness what a toe tapper. It calls to mind my distant youth and nights out on the town. On the dance floor with a few belts under my belt bouncing and swaying rhythmically to whatever was playing. Just cutting loose and enjoying. Out with friends. The rugged guy with the enviable self confidence. The nerdy fellow working up courage by gulping down liquid courage. The sexually ambiguous bloke -- which way would his night go and how come we never found out? Of course there was the thrill of the chase. I won't get vulgar about the terminology then employed. Suffice to say there were natural passions invoked. What excitement, what anticipation. Might I meet someone? Would it amount to a few dances? Maybe securing a phone number? Or dare I hope, an overnight guest?

No apologies from this corner. All natural stuff. My God when you weren't in a serious relationship the whole male/female stuff was so intense. Scary as hell. Not being with anyone for awhile could be devastating. Sometimes meeting someone was worse. All the worry about stuff like when to call her. And God forbid you should fall head over heals. The potential for heartbreak was often too much to bear. "I've met someone." "I think of us as friends." "I think blah, blah, blah, that we should yak, yak, see other people..." But there could be true love or passionate love making or both. All that runs through your mind in a millisecond when you see that cute girl across the room and wonder if it's you she's smiling at. (The rugged guy would know she was. The nerdy guy would know she wasn't. The ambiguous guy would...hell, I don't know.)

I recalled all that and more from one lousy song. It's the ultimate turn-off-your-brain-and-have-a-good-time song. It recalls the youthful ability -- it was a need too, wasn't it? -- to disconnect from those few troubles that then vexed us. We had youth and with it all the power to dream and believe. The future was a blank slate that was ours to fill as we wanted. We knew that songs like that were empty calories and didn't care a wit. After all it was party time. If we didn't "meet someone" we could at least have one helluva fun night.

And then I came across this one. This is high school, baby. I can't tell you how often I listened to this song. Like many songs of the time it was part of our anthem. I literally could write a book about my high school experience. Berkeley in the late Sixties early Seventies. No prom, no spirit week. No homecoming rally. It was cutting school to go to protests at the Cal campus. Getting tear gassed. The National Guard encamped across the street from school. It was experimenting with drugs. It was a fervent belief that our generation was going to change the world. Bring down the man. This was a shock and awe directed at our government. With flowers not guns.

We believed anything was possible. We were serious. We had grown up while the Civil Rights Movement was making the most inspiring and wonderful sort of history. We were being serenaded by The Beatles. Our hair grew. We were DIFFERENT. Being young is a powerful drug, add the changes we felt that were partly our making and the literal drugs we took.... Maybe that's why a few years later we took to disco. We needed the break.

So the old geezer (as youngest daughter calls me) that I am today was shaped by a very atypical high school experience. None of the traditional stuff. Plenty of counter culture. No wonder I'm such a contrarian. But also no bloody wonder I can temper my well earned cynicism with hope.

So I got nothing on movies today. I'll be back with something in a day or two. Meanwhile I leave you with this final You Tube that the better half recommended. It's a hoot.

(P.S. I've got a new quote on the blog. Anyone who noticed gets extra credit. If you don't know the quoted person run out and rent Good Night and Good Luck (2005). NOW!)

Jewelry Shines at Tom Hanks Tribute

When the movie industry honors someone like Tom Hanks, all the heavy hitters come out to play. Everyone from Ron Howard and Steven Spielberg to rocker, Bruce Springsteen, showed up at Lincoln Center last night at the Film Society’s 36th Annual Gala Tribute, and of course the A-list ladies made a glamorous showing for their talented pal.




























My jewelry crush, Charlize Theron, resurfaced in a stunning Lanvin little black dress with diamond cluster earrings and an icy cuff to go with her silver python shoes. What can I say? She continues to rule.

While always the effortless beauty, Julia Roberts continues to bore me on the red carpet with a black cardigan over a Dolce & Gabbana white sheath dress (apparently the same one Tom’s publicist wore to the event) and barely-there gold drop earrings. According to Access Hollywood, her tribute speech was anything but dull as she cursed like a sailor and teased the star about some of his flops.

And Rita Wilson – Tom’s better half – perhaps tired of sharing the spotlight with her acclaimed hubbie, wore an attention-getting ensemble that was half Big Bird half Bob Mackie. Good thing she has the gams to pull it off. Showing signs of restraint, she accented the look with a simple diamond cross necklace and classic diamond studs.

The evening consisted of a variety of clips, anecdotes and accolades presented to the two-time Oscar winner, whose celebrated career spans from his Bosom Buddies days on TV and his first collaboration with Ron Howard in 1984's, Splash, to his Oscar winning performances in Philadelphia and Forest Gump and his latest project with Howard, Angels & Demons.

Previous Film Society honorees include Meryl Streep, Dustin Hoffman, Al Pacino, Susan Sarandon, Martin Scorsese, Clint Eastwood, Jane Fonda, Charlie Chaplin and more.

You've seen my secret garden where all of my flowers grow...

blazer & blouse - Zara; pants - Cheap Monday; boots - Vagabond; ring - Sportsgirl from Brisbane

Telekinesis!

My boyfriend just introduced me to this band and I'm already head over heels in love with their music. Check out 'Tokyo'... I haven't been able to get this song out of my head all weekend ^o^. Plus the video is really cool and makes me miss Tokyo so much...<3

spring in Tokyo

from drop snap

Rihanna’s Rocks Still in Police Custody

It’s bad enough when your boyfriend turns out to be a big loser, but to lose your jewelry on top of it all? Insult? Meet injury.

Pop sensation, Rihanna, is seeking the return of $1.4 million in jewelry she was wearing the night she was allegedly beaten by jerk, I mean, boyfriend, Chris Brown.

Donald Etra, an attorney for the "Umbrella" singer, filed a motion Tuesday asking that Los Angeles police and prosecutors return a pair of earrings and three rings, which were seized as evidence.

The motion states that Brown's attorney, and a Los Angeles Police Department detective overseeing the case, do not object to the return of the items. They have agreed that photographs can be used if the case goes to trial.

The filing includes a general description of the items, saying they all are made of "yellow metal" and all but one includes "white stones."

Leave it to the fuzz to take away any modicum of glam in their diamond description. White stones? Please.

The good news is, Rihanna is not responsible for the jewelry once returned. The filing indicates the baubles were loaned to the singer by four companies, which want the items back for events overseas.

In the meantime, Rihanna is moving on with her life expressing her desire that prosecutors and Brown reach a plea agreement before a trial, but that the 21-year-old singer would testify if called.

bling bling

I recently got this vintage rhinestone necklace:

I'm planning to hunt down more of those and wear them all at once over a washed out shirt or something very minimalistic. I love the idea of mixing lots of bling-y necklaces to create a chucky mess around my neck ^o^ Wish me luck on finding more of these beauties!

Extra! Extra! Newspapers and Their Reporters as Depicted on the Big Screen

One of the saddest consequences of the recent economic downturn in this country is the demise of so many daily newspapers. Many of those still publishing are on life support. For those of us who love to be able to fold, write on, and carry to the bathroom, our news, these are troubling times. Fortunately there can be some solace found in the usual place. Movies.

Films have a long been successful at capturing the atmosphere of the newsroom. They've also seen the heroic and immoral inherent in so many newspaper people. So while it may not be the same as toting our news, sports, comics and movie listings around, at least we can vicariously experience the excitement of breaking news and investigative reporting. I now provide my readers (both of us) with 10 movies featuring a newspaper reporter. I do not claim this to be a definitive list but I guarantee its a good one. I believe I qualify for this assignment as I am not only a film buff but my first career was as a newspaper reporter.

Edward G. Robinson as Joseph G. Randall in Five Star Final (1931). As powerful a movie on newspapers as was ever made. It's a film that movingly demonstrates that all reporters are not heroes or even nice guys. In this case Robinson is the editor of a scandal sheet plumbing the depth for juicy headlines. When the result of their sleazy tactics is a suicide, the editor's pre existing conscience emerges and he rails at the money mad publishers. Boris Karloff appears as something scarier than Frankenstein. He's a reporter who'll masquerade as a preacher in pursuit of sensational story destroying a happy family in the bargain. Robinson is wonderful as the editor. The great shame of the film is that is currently not available on DVD.

Dustin Hoffman as Carl Bernstein and Robert Redford as Bob Woodward in All the Presidents Men (1976). You've heard about them and their story right? Something about Watergate and the ultimate fall of a president. One of the best aspects of the film is the re-creation of the newsroom atmosphere. That sure looks like it must be the actual Washington Post they’re working in. While Redford and Hoffman have earned much deserved praise for their performances, tips of the cap are also in order for Jason Robards, Martin Balsam and Jack Warden as various Post editors. This is a film that somehow managed to be exciting despite the facts that a) we knew how it turned out and b) a lot of what we watch is the daily grind of digging for a story.

Cary Grant as Walter Burns and Rosalind Russell as Hildy Johnson in His Girl Friday (1940). There is a previous incarnation of the story called The Front Page (1931) and a later The Front Page (1974) with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon. They're good but this film is something special. Having Grant and Russell in the leads with Howard Hawks directing is tough to beat, if not impossible. Yes, His Girl Friday was a screwball comedy with a delightful romance mixed in, but it was also a look at a the newspaper biz. With Grant as the uber dedicated editor and Russell the ideal reporter (i.e. someone skilled at writing, interviewing and tracking down a story) we get insight into the thrill of coming up with "the story." Sometimes the story is a fresh angle on a known incident or set of events and sometimes its something the public was totally unaware of. So His Girl Friday is both one helluva lot of fun and an entertaining look at the 4th estate.

Barbara Stanwyck as Ann Mitchell in Meet John Doe (1940). A newspaper is acquired by new bosses who comes in and and starts firing people left and right. Among the sacked is female reporter Ann Mitchell. Well, by god she's going out in a blaze of glory by concocting the story of a John Doe fed up with society who's going to speak his peace before dramatically taking his life on New Year's Eve. The story is a hit and the paper has to keep her on board for more installments. Okay so she's deceived the public -- how naughty. But a series of stories comes out of it and a "real" John Doe is found (Gary Cooper, no less). Then a whole political movement is born. Stanwyck is great (when was she ever not?) as was James Gleason as the prototypical editor with ulcers. Doesn't necessarily put newspapers in the best light but then they don't always deserve to be.

Spencer Tracy as Haggerty in Libeled Lady (1936). How far would you go to get a story? How about marrying off your fiance to another guy? Sound weird? It's all part of the one more delightful films of the 1930's or any other time period. It also boasts an all star cast, in addition to Tracy there's Myrna Loy, William Powell and Jean Harlow. Tracy's Haggerty is one of those reporters who'll go to any lengths for a story, as we've seen, and no he doesn't really lose his intended to another man. But does he lose the story? Watch it and find out.

Robert Williams as Stew Smith in Platinum Blonde (1931). He went in search of the big story and came back with a wife. Not only that he married into wealth. Lots of wealth. But like any good reporter Stew Smith isn't beholden to the mighty dollar or the high society it can spawn. He wants to keep working and lead a relatively simple life. Can this marriage last? Will Smith leave the paper for a tux? Whattyou think?

Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane and Joseph Cotton as Jedediah Leland in Citizen Kane (1941). Many of you may be aware of this obscure film that's earned some critical praise over the years. Of course there's newspaper work splattered all over this film. Watch Kane buy up the best newsmen in town. Watch Kane break the big stories even if he has to create them first. Watch Leland write a scathing review of Kane's beloved, getting drunk to supply the courage. Watch Kane finish the review but fire Leland in the bargain. See the excitement of the newsroom. See how power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely and the part newspapers can play in the games of power and corruption.

Joel McCrea as John Jones in Foreign Correspondent (1940). Talk about a dedicated professional! War in Europe appears imminent and our hero is sent from the relative safety of New York across the pond in search of the big scoop. Fair enough but he could still just sit in a bar like Robert Benchley (the film's comic relief). Not our intrepid reporter who dashes about chasing Nazis and the story. Along the way Jones nearly gets pushed off a high observatory, pursues assassins through the Dutch countryside and survives a plane crash into the Atlantic. Does he learn anything? Does he get and report and the story? Hey, this is a spoiler free zone. Find out for yourself. Alfred Hitchcock directed. One of my favorite all time movies.

Burt Lancaster as J.J. Hunsecker in Sweet Smell of Success (1957). Some gossip columnists are lower than wharf rats. Nonetheless these power brokers who deal in pure grade slime have legions of readers and are bowed before like sultans. Lancaster portrayed one such king making, scribe in this classic film. I grew up reading a great but morally commendable columnist, Herb Caen. Others in newspaper history have been scandal mongers. Hunsecker is a great example.

Robert Downey Jr. as Paul Avery in Zodiac (2007). Many reporters are portrayed as drunks. This may be because they are. Or at least were. During my newspaper days I wasn't shy about taking a drink or 12. Avery was a real life reporter who pursued the story of the Zodiac killer for the San Francisco Chronicle. He had what is euphemistically referred to as a substance abuse problem. Even so he was a fine reporter. Zodiac not only shows us Avery but the paper at which he worked during the 60’s and 70’s -- in historic detail. Of course the real hero of the story is an editorial cartoonist, Robert Graymsith played by Jake Gyllenhaal, and no I'll not be doing a separate post on great cartoonists in films.

"Out For Work" Snapshot: Nick Verreos

It's All About Flat-Front Pants: Out For Work founder Riley Folds, and Nick Verreos

Last weekend, I had the privilege of giving a lecture/seminar at UCLA as part of the "Closing Day" of the first ever West Coast Conference for Out For Work, a non-profit organization that educates and assists LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender) students in making the transition from college to the real working world. My topic was about "Dressing for the Work Place" and all that encompasses--depending on what kind of job or career the students chose to go into, as well as how important that "first impression" is. Group Photo: Nick Verreos poses with "Out For Work" members and students attending the West Coast Conference

And of course, the "How is Heidi (Klum) and how was it going through Project Runway?" questions came up, which I enjoyed answering in my own fun "Nick" manner. I had a great time with all the students and meeting Riley Folds and the Out For Work board members who devote their time for this very helpful organization.

in full bloom

Another outfit I wore in Copenhagen.

Blazer from Hanjiro, Tokyo; lace shorts from Sydney; white tee Gina Tricot; biker boots Vagabond; Jacket Zara


^ I had to wear it with a scarf and jacket in the morning as it was still quite chilly in Copenhagen.

Whattaya Call That Block That Writers Sometimes Get? (AKA Worst Blog Post Ever)

Not today. Couldn't string together words that made any sort of sense. Not to save my life, though thankfully I was under no such threat. Tried two previous posts and it was a no go. Abort! Abort! This was not so much a case of writer's block as writer's Rock of Gibraltar (you see, I don't even know if that makes sense and I'm pretty sure its not funny).

By God I tried. I stared at the keys and the computer screen and my fingers. I pecked. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Nil. Zero.

So here I am so desperate to get something posted that I'm writing about not having been able to write. You see not posting wouldn't be such a big deal were it for the fact that, not only was this not a work day it wasn't even a go-somewhere-day. Plus I didn't get much else productive done. If I manage a blog post well that's something in the plus column. I did a very half assed job of yard work that further convinced me that I'm not a house guy. I'm an apartment guy. I'd much rather watch a movie than pull weeds.

Last night the missus and I watched Ruggles of Red Gap (1935) (tried to blog about it today but like I said...). Among the cast was Roland Young who pretty much comes with a guarantee that you're watching a good movie (among his other credits are Topper (1937) as the title character, The Philadelphia Story (1940) as Uncle Willie, and another movie that I'll get to in a second). Today we watched The Young in Heart (1938) in which Mr. Young also featured (told you we'd get to it).

In both films he's a fun and fun loving English gentleman. In Ruggles he's a man of means who loses his valet (Charles Laughton in the title role) in a poker game to some rich Americans from the sticks. In Young at Heart he's the father in a family of four high class swindlers, moochers and card sharks. Billie Burke plays mom with Janet Gaynor and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. as their young uns. At the risk of being obvious it's a great cast, especially the notion of sweet as candy Janet Gaynor being a rogue.

So I've managed two movies in two days. Big deal. It's not like one of them was epic length, or even two hours. I also squandered time being unable to write. I fumbled and stumbled at gardening (I'm really a sight with a rake, like a fish wearing a hat). I read about three pages from the book I'd been breezing through until I crashed into today.

I hate to blow my own horn but I did manage something I'm quite proud of. The missus prepared a large and delicious dinner and I selflessly consumed a large portion of it. Please, please, no applause.

As the evening wore on I watched an episode of the Jack Benny Show (proudly sponsored by Lucky Strike cigarettes) on You Tube. His very special guest was Humphrey Bogart. It was a hoot. You Tube is one of the greatest ways to waste time ever invented. Here's an example: I watched Woody Allen and Nancy Sinatra on Password circa 1965. I watched old TV commercials. I watched a bit of Captain Kangaroo. I watched a few Oscar acceptance speeches, Diane Keaton, Liza Minnelli, Robert DeNiro and Matt Damon/Ben Affleck were the winners. By this time I was beginning to bore myself.

Just to prove that my time wasting was an all day affair I will report that in the morning I had an extended conversation with the cat. Of greater interest was a chat with oldest daughter (still in Europe) on Skype. And hey how about this, I washed the sheets. I spent time wondering if in a past life I had a fling with Myrna Loy (pictured above) which come to think of it is no waste of time at all. Watched some baseball. Washed the dishes (twice!) Watched last night's Letterman. Wondered about Charles Laughton. And here's why: according to his IMDb Laughton was gay, though married to actress Elsa Lancaster for the last 33 years of his life, they had no children. Further, Laughton reportedly became an agnostic because of his experiences as a soldier in World war I. No details provided which makes me all the more curious about what he saw there. Also of note: filming on Ruggles was "delayed when Laughton was hospitalized for several weeks for a rectal abscess." Oh my.

So if you've read this far you may gather that today was not a total waste. I've again established that I'm a grand master at frittering away time. I also got a blog post out of my inability to write a blog post earlier. By the way you need not have read this far out of any sense of obligation. I have to be here but there's no reason why you have to suffer.

I'm hopeful that my case of writer's block (rather presumptuous, assumes that I'm a writer -- ha!) is of the 24 hour variety and I'll be back in form tomorrow. I do have blog post drafts ready to be built into something I can show off at the county fair.

I leave you with this fun fact from the Letterman show: the Chinese are working on a submarine that can go above water.

That's it. I'm out!

crimped hair

Somehow I'm finding myself strangely fascinated by crimped hair after watching the Karl Lagerfeld Fall09 show again. I'm drawn between loving and hating this look..hm. I'd love to try it though.

Karl Lagerfeld Fall 2009 RTW via Style.com

Class With the Countess Takes Flight

Gold hoops, diamond studs and an unfortunate bra incident were the fashion highlights when the New York Housewives stepped out to support one of their own this week.

Housewife no more, LuAnn de Lesseps, celebrated the release of her Miss Manners book, Class with the Countess, in New York’s meatpacking district, and everyone but the legally challenged Kelly Bensimon came out to show their support.

And support is what she must really need right now after her surprise split from her husband of 16 years (aka “The Count”) earlier this year.

According to a recent People magazine interview, Luann admits the split has been difficult – especially now that her book is hitting shelves.

“When I wrote the book I felt very secure,” says de Lesseps. “And that’s totally changed.”

The book, which is dedicated to her husband, contains a chapter titled “How to Get a Man to Stay in Love.” Yikes.

So why didn’t her own tips work?

“You can try all you want,” de Lesseps responds, “but if you’re not getting reciprocation from the other person, it’s not your fault.”

Another unfortunate development was fellow housewife, Jill Zarin’s fashion choice for the event. Known for bringing the gasp back to gaudy, Zarin’s usually over-the-top fabric choices are the stuff of legend. This time, she misfired with the dreaded white bra under a mesh top move.

Oh, Jill.

But costar and celebrity chef, Bethanny Frankel, brought out the glam in a diamond collared little black dress with icy studs and the cutest pumps. And Broolynite, Alex McCord, looked lovely in her fringe dress and gold hoops.

The Countess channeled her inner Angelina with an emerald cocktail ring to go with her simple black number, and even brought out her commoner mother to take part in the festivities.

You have to hand it to her – she might cringe when the help doesn't address her properly, but she knows how rock an outfit.

shopping in copenhagen

grey bustier top, pink baloon skirt, striped tights, collar, Manga tote bag

earrings

pale pink dress

Crime May Not Pay But it Can Be A Blast

*Super Spoiler Alert*

Dying in a hail of bullets. In reality it would doubtless be a gruesome way to go. In films it can be positively romantic. Especially if your demise comes at the end of the film and you've had one helluva fun ride along the way.

If you haven't seen Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) or The Wild Bunch (1969), avert your eyes. Better yet, click out of this window and watch whichever of these outstanding movies you missed. Thank me later.

Released within two years of one another, all three depicted robbers cum killers living and loving to the fullest until death does them part from this world. Their similarities, like their popularity, were no accident. Western culture was transforming in the late 1960's and rebellion was in. Of course none of this troika depicted rebellion but their anti establishment sensibilities were pretty clear.

Bonnie & Clyde came along first. Here were a duo whose unconventionality even tinged their love making, or the curious lack thereof. They also teamed up with three unlikely compadres. Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway as the title characters were every bit the beautiful and charismatic leading couple audiences wanted (and then some). But their designated driver C.W. Moss, played by the ever eccentric Michael J. Pollard, took the notion of what a gangster looked and acted like and turned it upside down. Pug nosed, quirky, imps who sobbed after nearly botching a getaway were something new for a new time. Along with Gene Hackman as Clyde's brother Buck, there was the hysterical sister-in-law Blanche. A role that garnered Estelle Parsons an Oscar. While the Barrow gang's two leaders were classic gorgeous Hollywood anti heroes, the rest of the quintet seemed like people we might run into at the grocery store. Their fates were sad, yet ordinary, a sharp contrast to the blaze of glory with which Bonnie and Clyde shuffled off this mortal coil. Grand fates were reserved for the truly grand.

Like Bonnie & Clyde, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid immortalized a historic twosome. Both movies took great liberties with the truth of their stories in pursuit of art. Butch and Sundance, of course, were a couple of guys. But not just any guys. Goodness me, has the movies ever had a pairing of men so appealing as Paul Newman and Robert Redford? It would be hard to think of a twosome that could match them let alone one that did. While Bonnie and Clyde plied their trade during America's Great Depression, Butch and Sundance were, symbolically methinks, cavorting about at the end of an era. Specifically the closing of the American Frontier. Indeed it started closing in on them so fast they had to lam it to South America. Australia would have been next.

Both pairs of heroes were careful to do their pilfering from banks leaving poor folk to have their pittance. This was another appeal to audiences then (and now for that matter). No better way to "stick it the man" than heisting his loot and if you could spread a little love around to those in need, all the better.

Butch and Sundance did not have a motley crew. They did have Katherine Ross and there was nothing motley about her in 1969. Thus these three protagonists were very easy on the eyes. When crooks look like models rather than sewer rats they're a damn sight easier to root for. And when those beauties are shot to pieces we feel all the worse for their fate (that their real life counterparts were not nearly so undeserving is immaterial). In Bonnie & Clyde we see seemingly every damn one of those umpteen bullets penetrate their bodies. It's more balletic than brutal. More artistic than awful. In Butch Cassidy we see nary a single shot deface out heroes. They freeze in tableau as the hail of bullets are fired at them. Round after round. The scene is left to our imaginations and most of us choose just to remember them poised and posed in time. Gory details are absent. The cessation of their lives suffices to punctuate their story.

The Wild Bunch is in many ways a very different movie from the other two and may strike some as an odd choice to include here. There is a gang, not a dynamic duo. The heroes are not beautiful people, but symbolically to the story, aging gunslingers. There is no romance just a drunken romp with a few female Mexican villagers. The Wild Bunch did not have quite the same appeal to young audiences as the other two films and may not seem to be an anti authoritarian a movie to some.

Like Butch and Sundance, the gang here was doing its deeds at the end of an era and there is even more symbolism to their time and venue. It was Southern Texas and Mexico just before World War I fully introduced the modern age of killing. We get a glimpse of this as the gang employs one of those new fangled machine guns to mow down the enemy. Indeed by the time the bloodletting is done it seems the romantic Old West has bled to death too.

William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Warren Oates and Ben Johnson were not exactly spring chickens when they starred as the Bunch. And of course that was part of the point. These were old men trying to hold on to their old ideas long enough for one last score. They end up taking on a corrupt and just god awful Mexican general and his army. So there you have at. A gang of outlaws decide suddenly to do the right thing. With Holden uttering one of Hollywood's greatest ever two word lines -- "let's go" (but it's the way he said it) -- they embark on a suicidal attack against the military. You don't get any more rebellious than that, folks.

As in the other two films our heroes die by gunfire -- lots of it. But in this case, though bloody and operatic, it is a bit less dramatic than the aforementioned films as they fall one at a time. Also, these heroes actually win their final battle, though of course making the ultimate sacrifice in the bargain.

In all three movies audiences found themselves not just siding with, but heartily rooting for blatant law breakers. However we had plenty of reason to cheer them. Women, children and virtually anyone “innocent” was spared. These were anti heroes and part of that heroism was that they lived life on their terms (don’t we all wish we could? Most of us can’t even tell off the boss, let alone rob the b*stard). And by God they were having one great big barrel of fun in the bargain. Some of these heroes were witty, some were good looking, some were philosophical. All shared a passionate hatred for any constraints society tried placing on them. Jail was out of the question. Hell, a 9-5 job was unthinkable.

They had to get blown away at the end though. They were paying for our sins, those misdeeds of theirs we rooted on and imagined ourselves doing. (It was left to A Clockwork Orange (1971) a few years later to go the next step and leave its criminal deviant alive and well thus leaving to us to wrestle with our consciences.) These were not the crime-doesn't-pay endings of Film Noir. Their deaths made them and their exploits legendary. Its hard to forget such endings, and with no further exploits to come, we remember their deeds all the more.

Of course whatever these films were about would have been moot were it not for the fact that they were visionary in style. The honor roll of directors: Bonnie & Clyde, Arthur Penn; Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, George Roy Hill; and The Wild Bunch Sam Penckinpah.

I could have gone in ever so slightly a different direction and included Robert Aldirch’s The Dirty Dozen (1967). It did, after all feature a bunch of cons, though led by a legit Lee Marvin and performing a noble mission during WWII against the Nazis. It had many of the same elements of three films featured in the post. Especially with Charles Bronson’s clarion call to the Sixties as its closing line, “I hate officers.” (Thanks to my friend and fellow film buff Marty for pointing out to me the significance of this line.)