In my latest post at the Movie Morlocks I interview fellow film blogger and all-around groovy gal, Klara Tavakoli Goesche who manages Retro Active Critiques. Klara also makes videos and she recently produced her own short film highlighting some of the San Francisco locations seen in Hitchcock’s VERTIGO. I asked her if I could debut the video at the Morlocks because I thought classic film fans would appreciate seeing where Hitchcock shot his movie and thankfully Klara agreed. She also made time to answer some questions about her blog, video work and favorite Hitchcock films. We’ve been chatting online for a long time but it was  a lot of fun getting to know her better. If you’d like to see Klara’s video and read our Q&A please make your way over to the Movie Morlocks!

- On Location With Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo

The look that started it all – Model: Actress Nancy Kwan

Vidal Sassoon cutting designer Mary Quant’s hair

Vidal Sassoon gave actress & singer Joyce Blair her signature look for Be My Guest (1965)

Vidal Sasson & his wife, actress Beverly Adams, on their wedding day. Adam’s is modeling a Sasson cut (1967)

Carol Channing getting her hair cut & styled by Vidal Sassoon

Super model & ’60s “It Girl” Peggy Moffitt modeled Vidal Sassoon cuts throughout the decade

Peggy Moffitt & other models on the set of Michelangelo Antonioni‘s Blow-Up (1966)

Peggy Moffit & other models sporting Sassoon looks on the set of William Klein’s Who Are You, Polly Maggoo (1966)

Peggy Moffitt was married to photographer William Claxton and the two were close friends with actor Steve McQueen. In this Claxton photo Moffitt & McQueen do their own take on Norman Jewison’s The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)

Mia Farrow models her Vidal Sassoon cut originally styled during the shooting of Roman Polanski’s Rosemary’s Baby (1968)

Mod little me modeling my own Vidal Sassoon inspired haircut in 1971 or ’72

My latest post for TCM’s Movie Morlocks is a compilation of quotes from Jean Cocteau about classic films and their stars. From my post:

“When Jean Cocteau’s name surfaces most of us think of the visionary artist, poet and director who made films such as BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (1946), BLOOD OF A POET (1930), LES PARENTS TERRIBLES (1948) and ORPHEUS (1949). Cocteau is all these things and more but he also happens to be one of my favorite film critics. I hesitate calling Cocteau a critic because it’s a term I’m not particularly fond of. Cocteau was first and foremost a film fan. A genuine cinephile and a champion of the cinematic arts. His affection for the medium and the people who made the movies he loved is self-evident in the many journals and letters he left behind. He wasn’t ashamed of expressing his outright devotion to the cinema. His passions and prejudices shine like beacons on the printed page pointing readers towards great films and great performances. Cocteau is one of a handful of writers that inspired me to start writing about film and I often return to his work for inspiration.

Today I thought I’d let Jean Cocteau takeover and share some of his most insightful and interesting comments about classic films and their stars. These quotes were compiled from various sources including Past Tense: The Cocteau Diaries Volume One, Opium: The Diary of a Cure and the essential Art of Cinema.”

Make your way over to the Morlocks to read Cocteau’s thoughts on films like Orson Welles’ MACBETH and Robert Wiene’s THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI as well as many actors including James Dean and Bridgette Bardot.

- “A film is a petrified fountain of thought.” – Jean Cocteau @ TCM’s Movie Morlocks

One of my favorite working actors is the beguiling Charlotte Rampling and I recently got the opportunity to watch Angelina Maccarone’s new film, CHARLOTTE RAMPLING: THE LOOK (2011). THE LOOK is an atypical documentary and Rampling reveals very little about her past but she does talk a lot about the fine art of acting and (indirectly) how it has informed all aspects of her life. Rampling’s a natural beauty who hasn’t had any plastic surgery and at age 66 she’s still stunning. In a business where women are often forced to retire at age 40, Rampling is somewhat of an anomaly and I can’t begin to express how refreshing it was to see an actress of her caliber talk openly about the pitfalls of cosmetic surgery, the ups and downs of aging and her craft. I reviewed the documentary for TCM’s Movie Morlocks this week and here’s a brief outtake from my post:

“The actress avoids talking directly about her personal life and focuses on her work and thought process instead, which I deeply appreciated. While some critics have complained about the film’s lack of focus and Rampling’s aloofness, I found THE LOOK to be an insightful examination of her creative abilities, which interests me much more than vague reminiscences about her love life and childhood traumas. And it’s the acting, along with the need to carefully break down and reassemble human emotions, that clearly concerns Rampling the most. She’s a consummate performer and that’s plainly apparent if you’ve seen her work but it becomes crystallized in this absorbing documentary. Rampling spends the entirety of the film discussing the importance of being present in the moment (“Withdrawing won’t protect you.”), being a good listener (“Let them feel that you want to get to know them and want to hear their story, it’s the incredible gift you give them.”) and suggesting that we can find strength in the painful experiences of the past (“The best remedy for any form of pain is to let it happen to you.”) while stressing the need for spontaneity (“You don’t prepare for life. Life happens.”) These are all critically important lessons for any actor and that’s really what THE LOOK conveys. It’s an indirect rumination on the acting process and ambiguously relays how we can all benefit from the skills that great actors have at their disposal.”

You can find my full review at the Movie Morlocks:
- Charlotte Rampling: The Look @ TCM’s Movie Morlocks

- “Spy Games: Matchless (1967)” @ TCM’s Movie Morlocks

I’ve also compiled a gallery of images from MATCHLESS that you can find on Flickr.

My latest post at the Movie Morlocks takes a look at the making of THE PICASSO SUMMER (1969) starring the fabulous Albert Finney & Yvette Mimieux. Here’s a brief excerpt from my post:

“Few films come with a pedigree as spotted as THE PICASSO SUMMER. Some names that were directly or indirectly associated with the movie include artist Pablo Picasso, author Ray Bradbury, French directors Francois Truffaut and Serge Bourguignon, cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond as well as renowned animators Faith & John Hubley, Wes Herschensohn, composer Michel Legrand and songstress Barbra Streisand. Not to mention producer and beloved comedian Bill Cosby, Spanish bullfighting legend Luis Miguel Dominguín, actor Yul Brynner and the films stars, Albert Finney and Yvette Mimieux. Now that I’ve hopefully got your attention I suggest you proceed with caution. The story of how THE PICASSO SUMMER finally got made and was shelved for years is fascinating, funny and sad. This is a film that deserves to be rediscovered but it’s also a tragic reminder of ‘60s Hollywood excess and it left a lot of battered egos and unrealized dreams in its wake.”

You can read the entire piece & see a clip from the film by following this link:
- “A Tale of Two Films: The Picasso Summer (1969)” @ TCm’s Movie Morocks Blog

This week at the Movie Morlocks I take a virtual trip around the globe and visit some of the world’s most unique movie theaters. Fair warning! If you don’t suffer from wanderlust already you will after reading my post so use some caution before you follow the link posted below.

- “10 of the World’s Most Unique Movie Theaters” @ TCM’s Movie Morlocks Blog

I really enjoyed TCM’s British New Wave Mondays in March and I made time to revisit some of my favorite films included in the series such as Jack Clayton’s THE PUMPKIN EATER. I hadn’t seen the film in years but I found it even more powerful and chilling than I had remembered it. I couldn’t resist writing about the film so this week I shared some thoughts about THE PUMPKIN EATER and director Jack Clayton at The Movie Morlocks. Here’s an outtake from my blog post:

“One of the most frightening aspects of Clayton’s work is the ways in which he makes monsters out of children. Adults in Clayton’s film procreate beyond reason and without responsibility. They give birth to babies they can’t financially or emotionally care for in some vain attempt to fend off their own mortality or fill some bottomless void. While it’s easy to see the children in Clayton’s films as victims of circumstance, it’s impossible to ignore the cruelty they often display towards adults and one another. Clayton began his career as a child actor and he often talked about how much he enjoyed working with kids. He was able to get some incredibly nuanced performances from the young actors in his care. But it’s wrong to assume that his films simply depict children who are corrupted by the adult world when their roles are much more complex and far reaching than that. In THE INNOCENTS and OUR MOTHER’S HOUSE, children aren’t just pliable blameless creatures. They’re menacing, malicious and bloodthirsty. They often display a viciousness that’s more organic than conditioned. Even in films like ROOM AT THE TOP (1959), THE GREAT GATSBY (1974) and THE LONELY PASSION OF JUDITH HEARNE (1987) children act as barriers (or bad mistakes), blocking the adult’s road to happiness while depriving them of true love and financial security.”

Follow the link to read the whole piece:

- “The Children Are Watching” @ TCM’s Movie Morlocks blog>

I also created a Fickr gallery with images from the film that you can find here.

The inaugural San Francisco Fashion Film Festival takes place in April and they’re screening one of my favorite fantasy/sci-fi films, Roger Vadim’s BARBARELLA (1968) along with classics like ZIEGFELD GIRL (1941) and modern movies such as MARIE ANTOINETTE (2006) and THE MATRIX (1999). The originators kindly took the time to answer some of my questions about the festival for TCM’s Movie Morlocks blog and I hope readers as well as fellow bloggers will find the interview interesting & informative. The San Francisco Fashion Film Festival was the brainchild of three women bloggers and it’s a great example of what creative folks with like-minds can accomplish by working together.

The link below will take you to my Q&A with the creators of the fesival:
- The 2012 San Francisco Fashion Film Festival @ TCM’s Movie Morlocks

Most of my regular blog readers are aware that I have another blog called Mid-Century Living where I share updates about my ongoing home restoration/renovation project as well as vintage Americana and other fun stuff. I recently moved Mid-Century Living over to WordPress so I could manage all my blogs easier and wanted to make note of those changes here. I also uploaded some images from a 1964 Sears catalog that happened to feature one of my favorite actors, the incomparable Vincent Price, selling art for Sears and I couldn’t resist sharing it. If you’d like to see more images from the old Sears catalog feel free to stop by Mid-Century Living anytime. The site is full of vintage eye-candy.

My latest post at TCM’s Movie Morlocks focuses on the controversial comedian Jerry Lewis who is celebrating his birthday tomorrow. From my post:

“On Friday, March 16th, Jerry Lewis will be celebrating his 86th birthday. Jerry’s been on my mind a lot lately so I didn’t want to let the occasion pass without making note of it. I love Jerry Lewis but it’s not always easy being a Jerry Lewis fan.

Jerry’s said and done plenty of things that have made my toes curl and my hair stand on end. I often think of him as that loony uncle I never had who was a lady’s man in his youth and is now feeling the pull of time so he fights off melancholia with sharp barbs and off-color jokes. You enjoy spending time with him and he always makes you laugh but he can wear out his welcome mighty fast once he’s had a few too many drinks and his ego gets out of control. But when you love somebody and think their work is brilliant it’s easy to overlook their flaws and failings. And that’s the way it is between Jerry and me. I love him. Even if I don’t always like what he says and does.”

You can read the rest of my piece by following the link:
- “The King of Comedy: Jerry Lewis at 86″ @ TCM’s Movie Morlocks

My latest installment of “Spy Games” is available to read at the Movie Morlocks and this time I’m discussing Mark Robson’s sxy espionage thriller THE PRIZE (1963) starring Paul Newman, Elke Sommer, Edward G. Robinson and Diane Baker. Here’s a little sample from my Morlock post:

“THE PRIZE was based on a bestselling novel by Irving Wallace and scripted by Alfred Hitchcock collaborator, Ernest Lehman. Besides writing NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959) and FAMILY PLOT (1976) for Hitchcock, Lehman also adapted many successful stage plays and musicals for the screen including THE KING AND I (1956), WEST SIDE STORY (1961), THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965) and WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? (1966). Lehman was capable of writing smart amusing scripts with plenty of twists and turns. And THE PRIZE will undoubtedly remind many viewers of an Alfred Hitchcock film even if it never reaches the baroque heights of Hitchcock’s best work. But Mark Robson was also a talented director and THE PRIZE has a lot going for it, including an attractive cast, nice location photography and a terrific jazz influenced score by composer Jerry Goldsmith.”

Follow the link to read more:
- “Spy Games: The Prize (1963) @ TCM’s Movie Morlocks

I recently took a quick look through my blog archives and discovered that I’ve written about British Cinema more than any other topic. I shouldn’t have been surprised because the truth is that I adore British Cinema and I could probably spend all my free time writing about it. One subject that particularly interests me is the British New Wave or “Kitchen Sink Dramas” released in the ’60s. When I started blogging six years ago there was very little information about the British New Wave available online. The topic was rarely discussed among blog critics and film journalists in the US. When it did come up it generated mixed reactions and very little passion. The truth is that British cinema has often gotten the short end of the critical stick but thankfully that’s slowly changing and the general outlook towards British Cinema is much more positive than it was just six short years ago.

With this in mind, I was was particularly happy to learn that TCM will be playing host to British New Wave Mondays In March. All month long British film fans will be able to tune in to TCM on Monday night and watch British films all evening until the early hours of the morning. Here’s a complete schedule of all the films being shown:

March 5

Room at the Top (1959)
The Entertainer (1960)
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning (1960)
Morgan: a Suitable Case for Treatment (1966)
Victim (1961)

March 12

A Kind of Loving (1962)
The L-Shaped Room (1962)
The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner (1962)
A Taste of Honey (1961)
Girl With Green Eyes (1964)

March 19

This Sporting Life (1963)
Billy Liar (1963)
The Servant (1963)
Seance on a Wet Afternoon (1965)
Only Two Can Play (1962)

March 26

Kes (1969)
Darling (1965)
The Pumpkin Eater (1964)
The Knack . . . and How To Get It (1965)
Petulia (1968)

You can find more information about British New Wave Mondays In March On TCM here. I’ve also tried to collect some (not all) of my relevant posts about the films, performers and directors associated with the British New Wave, which you can access by following this link:
- British New Wave @ Cinebeats

I especially hope that you’ll take the time to read my article and interview with The Alan Sillitoe Committee. Alan Sillitoe is responsible for writing and scripting some of the most important films to emerge from the British New Wave and The Alan Sillitoe Committee is committed to preserving his legacy.

Back in January I mentioned that I had picked up some old issues of Screen Stories and one of those issues featured a cover story on The Monkees titled “The Secret Heartache of the Monkees.” It contained a back story about the band that I found particularly touching so I thought I’d scan the story as well as the cover and share it here. Coincidentally, this issue also contains a story about Christopher Plummer but I only had time to scan The Monkees story. Enjoy!

RIP Davy Jones 1945-2012