smoke pretty

if you had come to me when i was fifteen years old and asked me if i would ever end up smoking cigarettes, i would've told you, emphatically, "...no!" wow, how my mind has changed. i could take the easy excuse and claim that i only started smoking because i worked in the restaurant industry, but that might not be entirely accurate. but i DO know that's when i started smoking. i was working at the legendary Rock-Ola cafe, when i made friends with a very cool girl with a stud through her tongue. it's insane that i can't remember her name. she offered me a cig after a grueling shift. and from that moment, i started buying them. i chose Camels because my favorite movie at the time was 'lawrence of arabia.' i know i became close to this girl, because i went to visit her in the hospital for some reason... but i have NO memory of her name. but, all that aside, i'm glad i'm old enough to remember when cigs could be advertised on tv. so dig this magazine ad for a brand i'm sure you can't get anymore. i think i can safely say i've never smoked an 'eve.' but i DO remember seeing them for sale. hey, light'em if you got'em, ladies.

dorsey worship

i just found this one like, last night. and you know i couldn't resist passing it on. man, i can't believe i don't own a copy of 'tootsie' right now. i don't remember where i found this shot, but its obviously a publicity thing for when the movie came out in 1982. he seems to love her. hey, he's so complicated like, 'method actor'-wise, that maybe he did. in the movie, michael dorsey's character says that he wished she 'looked prettier.' well, i've always thought dorothy was pretty. and apparently i'm not the only one. evidently john van horne and julie's dad 'les' thought she was pretty hot, too. man, i love this movie. and i LOVE that lucynell and jean-lucien love it, too. man, i love you guys. and ps: "...can i borrow...that little yellow outfit...?" hey, you know she's talking about "...da Hawlston...??" (click to enlarge)

doesn't mean you're queer...

hey, it doesn't mean i'm queer because i love looking at the long-legged sexy ladies! and hey, illustrations of them doing 'lesbo-junk' is perfectly normal stuff to have on my hard drive. especially when that chick-on-chick erotic stuff was created by the legendary patrick nagel. i don't think i even need to say that he's best known for painting duran duran's iconic cover 'rio.' but, anyone who had 'playboy' in their house growing up knows he regularly illustrated the 'after dark' feature. after all this time, i still haven't begun to outgrow the coolness, the streamlined sexiness of patrick nagel's work. this seems like a pretty rare one. so dig it, and kiss a girl-for-the-cause. (optional.) (click to enlarge)

come and knock on our door...

hey, you know 'em, you love 'em, its the cast of 'three's company.' and i've invited them to spread some christmas cheer. i probably don't need to tell anyone that this shot was taken relatively early in the series. because the ropers and suzanne somers are still hangin' on. and janet still has her curly do. (actually, in retrospect, i think that was her cutest look.) man, i love jack tripper. i mean john ritter. its tough for me to NOT think of them as the same guy. suzanne looks really cute in this picture, and i actually love what janet's wearing. i dig that they're holding those wrapped boxes... i wonder if there was anything IN them, or if they were just 'empty-for-props.' fun fact: normal fell can be seen in the late '6o's masterpiece 'the graduate,' as ben's suspicious landlord, in the second half of the flick. (also, a very young richard dreyfuss ALSO shows up in 'the graduate.' he has one line: "...you want me to get the cops? i'll get the cops!") so hey, peace on earth, good will towards men... and fake 'tinkerbells,' jack. ahhh, can't wait for someone to run a marathon.... ya hear me, tv land? (ps. an alphonse mucha reproduction can be seen on their wall, over jack's shoulder.) (click to enlarge)

annual alphonse mucha

it has become a christmas tradition that my mother sends me the latest and lushest calendar featuring artwork of the Master, Alphonse Mucha. this year was no exception. my marvelous mom came through with a real sweet one. the cover of it was lovely... and even though it's not yet January, i couldn't resist putting it up. i tacked it up right beside my little zen-computer pad on the floor. and this image, (one of my all-time Mucha faves) is the picture for January. i have actually been lucky enough to have seen some of his originals in person, like, at a museum in Raleigh several years ago. it was like a religious experience for me... to know that i was looking at the materials he actually touched. i even got close enough to see some pencil or charcoal erasures. jean-lucien said he looked at this painting when he was teaching himself how to successfully render 'ribbons' and 'streamer' shapes in his cutting. i love the colors, i love the composition, there's nothing i don't like about it. he really was the best at what he did. he created a certain style that has since been ripped off like, nine thousand ways. (google 'alphonse mucha' and see how many tattoos you see.) beautiful stuff.

jareth, i think...

okay, its been way too long since i posted anything over here. and, i don't really know if i have the right 'mood on' to do it, but i wanna try... like, the longer i go, the tougher its gonna be. so umm, dig this! it looks like a hand-made rag doll guy based on david bowie's 'jareth' character from the cult hit 'labyrinth.' annnd, i'm really glad the 'dollcrafter' propped it up next to a pack of 'labyrinth' trading cards, otherwise, it might've taken me a LOT longer to figure out who it's supposed to be. its actually pretty cute, like... in its simplicity.

listen to me kids!

this is what i might classify as a 'shameless post.' i am posting this entry for only one reason: to persuade more people to explore the genius music of michael nesmith; inside and outside of 'the monkees.' he was one of two genuine songwriters and musicians that were hired for the 60's tv show. he fought tirelessly for the right to play their own instruments on the records that were produced during (and indeed after) the show's popular run. i would post a musical example, but the way youtube is these days, its bound to be taken off within days. i love this shot of mike. it shows the underlying ferocity and dedication with which he approached his craft. i put him right up there with joni mitchell, r.e.m., etc. his boundless imagination, sterling voice, and superior musical ear combined to make some of the Best Stuff I've Ever Heard. the double album 'the first national band complete' is truly a 'desert island' selection. his work is varied in style, but consistent in quality. nesmith shoots often, and almost never misses. a National Treasure.

happy birthday walt disney

okay, first of all, in my defense, i want to say that i'm only paying tribute to walt disney because i kind of HAVE to... as an American girl who grew up in the 1970's and '8o's, my childhood was greatly influenced by the work of this odd man. in fact, the first movie jean-luc and i saw in the theater was the one depicted here; 'snow white and the seven dwarves.' (dwarfs?) i remember there was a big poster or standee in the lobby. i also remember it was before either one of us had glasses... so there's almost no doubt what we saw illuminated huge on that screen was considerably distorted. i remember being scared in a good way. but, in retrospect, i don't think it was anything on the screen that freaked me out... i think i was afraid and awed when i realized the Power of the Screen in general. it was the glimmering scarlet and black 'first kiss' of a lifelong love affair. i also remember that my mother and younger sister were not with us. it was just jean-lucien, my late step-father, and myself. HE made sure we saw 'snow white.' and for that, i thank him. (well, i realize it might not have been his idea, but he physically made sure we were there.) so um, thanks, walt disney... for all your insanity. some of it was, and still IS, truly lovely. had he lived, he would've been 108 on the 5th.

revelations

jean-lucien (artistic genius) has made it clear to me that he would be happy for me to post more of his glorious work. he created this one a little while ago... and, what can i say? like all of his stuff, it is glorious. breathtaking in the use of color, spellbinding in its composition. truly, he is my favorite visual artist. this swooping visual sermon consists of a spinning half-naked nun, (from ken russell's masterpiece, 'the devils') and the underrated anthony perkins from ken russell's underrated underground hit 'crimes of passion.' it has a 'stormy sky' sense to it that i positively love. and i am so glad that the scanning technology is keen enough to reveal, in places, his delicate and careful scissor cuts. remember, all the assembly is done by hand. computers only come into play in the scanning and posting process. wow, i could gaze at his work for hours. sometimes i can't believe how lovely and lush it is. so please, dig on it hard, and know that its all for The Cause. (click to enlarge)

guess who owned this book?

well, i guess technically, jean-lucien and i still DO. i even have a clearish memory of the day we talked our mother into letting us buy it from a record store that was at the top floor of the four seasons mall in greensboro, nc. i don't remember exactly the name of the shop... i think it was 'the record bar.' i DO know, that by the time i moved from there, there was an optical thing in its place. i know, because i got some contact lenses there. but, back to the duran book... i remember after we saw that book on the rack, we literally came right out and asked our mother to buy it for us. (something we almost NEVER dared to do.) i don't remember if she relented that day, but i DO know that we ended up with the very excellent book, (which was almost completely in japanese... but hey, we didn't care... we just wanted it to worship the pictures.) i remember we also got a similar book, with same glossy-type cover, but it was more like, red and orange-schemed. i'd love to have that book in my hands right now. man, i was so in love with those guys. (well, three of them.)

chug it!

hey, what's better than those candid black and white shots that reveal the hedonistic goings-on at studio 54? and this is a great shot to illustrate what i mean. its seems like, whoever happens to be pictured, celebrity-wise, seems to illicit the response, "...well, of course they were there." like, if you tried to make up a group of celebs who'd be hobnobbing at studio 54, no matter how mismatched the group seemed to be, you'd still believe they were actually there together. like, if someone told you they had a photo of tatum o' neal, gore vidal, divine, and a naked dude, you'd be like, '...sure, okay.' or like, perchance the grouping of bianca jagger, olivia de haviland, joey dellesandro, lou reed, and a tiger cub, you'd be like, "...i'm not even blinking." in THIS photo, it looks like we have bianca jagger, andy warhol, jerry hall... and are those last two people like, calvin klein, and lulu...? yeah, i'll bet THAT was a wild night that absolutely nobody remembers. i can't lie, though... part of me would love to have been there. coke it!

red and ragged

alright, this one's gonna be short and sweet. here we have the 'important' three duran's in their early days headlining in Birmingham's 'Rum Runner.' okay, first, let's get the horserace out of the way. and, from where I sit, its an easy one. john. mr. nigel john taylor wins this one pretty handily. simon looks very 'don't talk to me, i'm 'in between looks.' and nick seems to be saying, 'don't look at me, this is the worst look i'll probably ever have.' john looks a little vacant and pale, but doesn't seem to be ashamed of his look. in the interest in full disclosure, i admit i cut roger and andy completely out of the picture. because, let's face it, they were never really in the running to begin with. in closing, i would like to point out that they're all sitting at a big giant mirror. umm, all the better to 'chop chop' that white powder on, no doubt.

take a step that is green...

wow, this one hardly needs any comment, does it? i think most of the 'planetcoolers' are also 'three's company' fans. and when i say 'fan,' i mean, even as much as i love the show, i'm the first one to call 'cheesy' on the show when it gets, well... cheesy. which, let's face it, was (is?) pretty darned often. awww, sweet john ritter. how we miss him. what a knockout smile. i think this shot is pretty funny because, among other things, it stresses the 'chef ' aspect of jack's character. i also think its pretty 'sex'-ploitative, what with the girls leaning over with their mouths wide open like they're gonna give some hot california 'f'llatio.' i wonder how late this tv guide-style photo shoot lasted? probably quite a while.... which means most of that 'food' and 'vegetables' were probably fake. and we all know that green backdrop is just a sheet. i like the way 'chrissie' looks bored, with her hand on her hip and her eyes wandering. and there's like, salad oil and peppermills hanging on. man, i love that show. can you get the whole series on dvd yet? does anyone know? the best. (oh, and i think its also worth mentioning that suzanne's tummy-curve is visible in her black jeans. knowing these days, a sex symbol as famous as suzanne was then, would have her little tummy shape airbrushed out without fail. sigh... ) anyway, dig it!

total bull

okay, the original image i'm using for this one is kinda small, so i hope it's readable. jean-luc pointed out what we both think is a pretty lame tagline: "...they were the world's greatest con men... almost." i have no clear memory of this movie (which apparently came out in 1990...!) so i punched it up on the ol' IMDB. according to the synopsis, the two stars play 'dual roles.' (groan!) wait, it gets better. ah, what the hell... here's the whole plot outline. "Roger Moore and Michael Caine play dual roles in this off-beat and highly silly caper-- a pair of smalltime con men and a partnership of nuclear physicists. As con-men, they use their uncanny resemblance to the high-living scientists to con their way to the scientists' safety deposit boxes, but in doing so, become entangled in a shady world of spies and international intrigue." Ugh! Apart from the two leads, the only other name i recognize -at all- in the cast is Sally Kirkland. just to make sure, i even expanded the IMBD credits, and scrolled alllll the way down, and... credited dead last, is... john cleese, who plays, 'man on the beach who looks like john cleese.' no, i am NOT making that up. and, two names above Cleese is patsy kensit, as 'sick lady on train.' all in all, it sounds like a winner. again, anyone out there who has ever seen this 'gem,' i welcome a review.

umm, i don't dare

okay i know its been a real long time since i posted anything over here. so hey, bear with me whilst i try to jump back on this dark horse that rides through the night sky, dazzling all witnesses with its coolness. i guess this is as good a place to jump back on as any. hey, i love movie posters, and this is a real sweet one. now, i know cher has been a huge star for a long, long time... but i can't find anyone who's ever seen this movie. and the poster is a scream. first of all, maybe its the way this poster was once folded, but i don't seem to remember cher's boobs ever being that big. and, speaking of 'flat,' what about that award-winning expression on her face. she doesn't look very alluring, or afraid, or even all that tough. and hey, how about that high quality pencil-type drawing of a truck pulling away in the background? i'm surprised there aren't even like, 'chug-chug' puff-puff exhaust clouds coming out of the tailpipe. if anyone has ever seen this little bit of cinema gold, i would LOVE to hear the review.

mike is cruisin

i saw the 'cruisin'' video long before i got 'into' the monkees, sometime around summer 1986. i'm sure a lot of people think this song is called 'lucy and ramona and sunset sam.' but its actually 'cruisin.' and mike looks his shaggy best in the video. and the rollerskating sweethearts aren't too shabby, either. so hey, now i think i have to hit that bed... thanks for being patient as i try to learn this new snowleopard machine.

miss vivien

hey, its the wild and apparently very bisexual miss vivien leigh. i admit, i don't know all that much about miss leigh... but i love to watch her face on film. if you watch her, she actually mugs and makes a lot of faces and really 'gives it up.' i know it sounds ridiculous, considering 'gone with the wind' and all of that, but i happen to generally think she's slightly underrated. in lesser known movies like 'waterloo bridge,' 'that hamilton woman,' and 'the roman spring of mrs. stone,' she kills every single scene she's in. and she could hardly be more beautiful. she's one of those few women that i would trade bodies with. and i love the sound of her voice. and hey, apparently she 'bagged' laurence olivier. hey, i'll bet there aren't too many broads out there that can say that.

suspiria creaps

okay, for the next several days, you guys are gonna have to give me some slack. i'm working with a whole new operating system. i'm still trying to learn it... like driving a car with a foreign shift. BEN: "...do you know how to work a foreign shift...?" (2-3-4... mrs. robinson shakes her head) "...you don't...?" so i'm more or less still practicing... in other words, please take all posts and typos easily... some of the posts may not seem marvelously relevant, and some of the typing skills may not be a hundred percent... but, as pete townshend says, i gotta 'keep on working.' so, recently, i was fortunate enough to enjoy a 'gratis' rolling of 'suspiria.' online, i found a few shots from the visually arresting flick. i used some of those shots to practice my new photo-trick program on... here is one slide, re: the juicy results. i hope you dig it. that's the starlet, jessica harper on the right... i'm sorry to say i don't know the other actress's name. dig it.

testing

okay, its been a little while, but i'm back-with-a-mac, thanks to my angel, lucynell. and here goes a test, and who better to honor lucy than with a rare shot of her fave guy from the fab four. (wait, john is your fave, isn't he?) well, even if he isn't, you'll have to dig this cool shot of him recording. judging by his hair and stuff, i'd guess it was around 'revolver' era. (mmm, i'm not used to typing on a flat keyboard... but hey, i'm getting the hang of it.) well, here goes... let's see if this photo uploads like its supposed to. hey, sweet... it looks like it works! this might be the only thing i post tonight... its been a long day, and i'm pretty tired. its good to be connected again.

the machine stops

wow, my computer totally bit the dust today. i don't know if it can be repaired or what, but in the meantime, i'm managing. just popped into the main house to check my boxes and whatnot. i hate not being 'plugged in.' oh well, it comes with the game. i must send a huge thanks to my good friend linda... who brought me a radio, so i can play mix tapes and cds and the radio until i get a system up and running. so, to convey my pouting mood, here's a gorgeous collage jean-lucien made some time ago. it stars the pouting and fantastic miss sylvie vartan. dig it. i hope to have more soon. love.

ant doll

hey lovers! i know i haven't posted a lot latley, but i had a busy week. and tonight, well... i'm just pretty tired. so, to hold my place here on planetcool, please dig this funky little adam ant doll! jean-lucien sent me the pic. hopefully, the coming week will bear more groovy fruit.

happy halloween from planetcool

happy halloween everybody! hey, the freaks come out at night, so i guess that makes me a freak. (mmm, something new for me.) here's a shot from ken russell's marvelous 'mahler,' where the composer encounters a painted pumpkin head outside his lake house. the man is robert powell... and we suspect his wife alma, (played by my darling, georgina hale) is responsible for the startling placement of the pumpkin-guy. i love all my friends, and wish them all the treats they can handle, and only the best kind of tricks.

video veritas

jean-lucien and i have always had a good eye for facial recognition. which is kind of odd, since we're both so nearsighted its not even funny. (actually, that may account for our keen sense of ID... the blinder you are, the more vulnerable you inevitably feel; hence, the more vital it is, survival-wise, for you to be able to evaluate visages and deem them as threats or trusted ones as quickly and efficiently as possible.) anyway, jean-lucien has been swearing for quite some time that the chick in adam ant's very great 'stand and deliver' video was none other than the slinky and sensual actress, miss amanda donohoe. well, i did some googling around tonight, and it turns out, jean-luc was absolutely right. apparently it was among her very first acting parts when she was trying to 'make it in the biz' over in england. i also have to give jean-luc credit for capturing this shot. it was his quick fingers that snagged this shot of amanda in her KILLER DRESS! like, adam wants 'your money or your life,' me? i just want THAT DRESS...!!

pets allowed

hey, just recently, a good friend was kind enough to say she thought 'planetcool' was the 'home of sexy.' i couldn't be more flattered. that encourages me to 'keep the sexy coming,' you know? so, here's what i have for you tonight. i didn't have to dig too deep to find this gauzy 70's doll. i know the image is less than perfect. it was obviously scanned from a magazine cover that was like, 30 years old. but it's just the kind of 'cake' i like, you know? she's brunette, all bohemian, and all willing to show her 'cookies,' for lack of a better term. with her black lacy bra pulled down, we can see her pretty all-natural jewels. smallish, but beautiful. like i said, i wish this was a better-quality scan, but hey... you can see what i'm talking about. dreamy.

natural hussey

i am totally in love with olivia hussey, and have been for a long time. she's just about perfect. a true groovy brunette, with those bright brown eyes, deep dimples, her cool expressive voice, and a saweeeet d-cup shakespearean 'treasure chest,' if you know what i mean. she's an accomplished actress, best known for playing juliet in the 1960's. and she was also a doll in 'death on the nile' in the 70's. in the 80's, she showed up in a bizarro sequel to 'Psycho' with henry thomas. but here, she's starring in a lovley cosmetic ad. i lovvvve cosmetic ads. like, if there was a website out there with absolutely nothing but cosmetic ads on it, i'd waste a hell of a lot of time on that website. here, miss hussey is shilling for the (i think) british makeup company, 'Yardley.' i love the art nouveau slant that Yardley uses for its stuff... and its a great picture of olivia. i love white lace blouses on 70's ladies. love, love, love them. makeup, olivia, and a white lace blouse.... sighhh. (click to enlarge)

the game

okay, jean-lucien sent me this earlier today. its apparently a board game, somewhat-kinda-sorta-based on duran duran...!?! now, i just wanna say up front, that i didn't know any duran fans crazier than WE were, 'back in the day,' and we here at planetcool have absolutely NO MEMORY of there ever being a professional, real board game based on the band-on-tour. like, it was put out by Milton-Bradley! you can't get any more legit than that. i can't imagine it being any fun. (well, i have to admit, i don't really enjoy board games in the first place.) unfortunately, this is as large as the original image gets... so i can't tell you how sorry i am that i can't blow it up and read the directions. like, in that last shot... look at all that small print! how damn complicated is this game? i would KILL to read that stuff. like, you know its gotta mention their names. like, for instance: '...if you recieve a Simon card, advance two spaces.' or like, '...the Nick card allows you an extra dice roll.' and man, if you think that looks like a lot of directions, there are like, a ga-zillion game pieces. (let me try to see if i can upload all four of the shots jean-lucien sent me.) yeah, there... look at all that crap!! man, i'd love to read what's on all those little cards. does it mention like, 'getting torn apart by fans,' so you have to go back four spaces, or what? i can just see like, 'john' pieces being eaten up by the spitty family dog. or 'andy' pieces being stolen by the weird girl down the street who loved andy. like, does it mention their songs? man, the curiosity is killing me. i looked it up earlier, and it seems some people are selling theirs, but hey... i don't want it THAT bad. just makes me wonder what ELSE is out there that i never knew about.

morrissey

it just came to my attention earlier this evening that morrissey collapsed and went unconscious last night during a show in Swindon, UK. he was reportedly unresponsive as members of his band pulled him off stage. the last i heard, he was awake, alert, and in an English hospital... apparently it was a case of 'exhaustion.' i can hardly be surprised. the man is 50 years old, and although he only eats vegetables and is in excellent health, he does work very hard. he's almost always on the road, playing live... or on a television show, or at a rock festival somewhere, or he's recording, or doing press-related stuff. so i just wanted to say that i love him, and i hope he's feeling better soon. maybe he needs to get laid and eat a steak-for-the-protein. i wanted to post a picture of him, so here's the most recent one i could find. like, its from this month, i think. he looks great. sexy-and-great. hey, morrissey... don't work so hard, okay? (i know, easier said than done.) sincerely, i hope you're back on stage soon. because i know you love to do it. peace.

lennon listenin'

umm, okay... you know i love john lennon. that being said, i think this screen capture is hilarious. like, i assume it was taken from the video for the 'still-excellent-by-today's-standards' hit single 'nobody told me,' from like, 1981. (or thereabouts.) i mean, its obviously from his new york city days. and i gotta say i lovvve the way john looks 'rockin'' that military outfit. i seem to remember the cool mrs. ono-lennon also had her own military mini-shorts outfit, too. but... this shot is like, '...okay, john's effing around again...' he's like, listening to the 'heartbeat of the street,' i guess. i realize that 'good ideas' are harder to come up with than some might think when you've got a loaded camera rolling on you. and when the record company's clamoring for their video, you've gotta get something out, fast... even if you ARE john lennon. that being said, i have one question: where did the stethiscope come from? did he like, leave the apartment with it that morning? how could he have known that far in advance that he was gonna do a 'listening to the street' gag? or was he out filming, and got the idea, and somehow made his way to a medical supply store? or did he see somebody at random, maybe in the park? some crazy person with stethiscope, maybe....? and was he like, '...hey crazy person, could i buy that stethiscope off you for ten quid so i can 'listen' to the street for a sight gag?' but in closing, you know i love john lennon. and this video. and the song.

inflatable doll

mmm, yes... chicks, yes. and some of the sexiest chicks there are (were), are the chicks from the pages of 70's 'playboy.' i can't see the date too clearly, but i think it says 1977. and its not too hard to find the hidden bunny on this one... like, its the big blue blow-up toy. but hey, not like you'll even notice the blow-up bunny with a saucy babe like this hot brunette hangin' on. mmm,where do i start? she's slim, she's shapely, she's cute-in-the-face... she's got sweet medium sudsy boobs, slightly squished against the bunny head... and man, is that a cute little butt or what? jussst the right amount of 'cheek' going on. but hey... you all know me... MY eyes seem to go straight for those strappy, sexy shoes! check out those perfect strappy, sapphire blue 'disco heels!' and what a gorgeous curve her calf muscle has! now, i don't remember ever owning this issue. if i did, it most likely had the cover torn off... but hey, fortunately, i can still enjoy it NOW, thanks to the miracle of modern digital machinery. wow, i can't take my eyes off her butt-and-legs-and-shoes! hey, she really knows how to 'bring sexy back,' to planetcool! (mmm, like it ever left.) (click to enlarge)

happy birthday franz liszt

ahhh, who the hell am i kidding? i'm not the biggest fan of franz liszt. this is just a shameless opportunity for me to promote the genius of ken russell... once again. ken's outlandish view of some of liszt's life is required viewing, seriously. even by today's wild standards, 'lisztomania' can make jaws drop. its over the top, even when its 'in the gutter.' anyone who's ever seen the rapturous 'giant phallus' musical number has almost certainly never forgotten it. it boasts nazi frankensteins, a bevy of topless and nude females, piano toruture, ass sculptures in the wall that 'really fart' on you, an oliver reed cameo, a nell campbell cameo, a ringo starr cameo... huge fake cocks, guillotines for said fake cocks, matches struck off the glans of said fake cocks, maypole dances winding ribbons around said fake cocks, five or six topless girls riding on said fake cocks, hey... just a lot of 'fake cock' action going on. and there's also like, voodoo dolls, charlie chaplin impressions, kenneth colley, and... did i mention huge fake cocks? seriously, its a movie that HAS to be seen. ken russell shot a good deal of his 'freak load' with that one. and, as usual, i thank him for it. so... um, to the point... i guess i should mention that franz liszt would've been 198 years old today. i wonder what HE would've thought about some scouse rockin' longhair (roger daltrey) playing him, wearing a purple ladies' gown, riding atop a massive, huge, fake cock? (its a pretty darn good prop by the way... the fake cock.)

green christmas

okay, i love cosmetics ads from the 1970's. at first glance, one might think this ad for the classic perfume 'emeraude' was published in a women's magazine, but a closer look would seem to indicate that it was most likely published in a men's magazine, like, 'playboy' or something. and, knowing that, it seems a little sexist, possibly. and that's because of the ad copy... which reads, "...to all those men who have loved Emeraude on their woman, but didn't know it was Emeraude." and, directly above that, there's a cheesy little green 'scratch n' sniff ' label. that should've been my first clue, because women have never needed to have scratch n' sniff devices on their perfume ads in order for perfume to be 'sold' on them. most of the time, all it takes to sell women is like, hazy photography, beautiful skinny models, and the implication of an international romance. so umm, back to THIS ad, apparently, it seems to indicate that men have smelled all sorts of different scents on all the many skanks they've banged in the past... and they find themselves wishing the uptight broad they ultimately married would somehow smell like that freaky chick in college who made their balls hard as bacarat crystal... all those years ago, before they were a henpecked, sexless 'wallet-on-legs.' but darnit, they just weren't paying attention when that 'freak-chick' mentioned the name of her fave cologne. so this ad steps in to help a brother out. like, they can 'scratch n' sniff ' here, experience an 'aha!' moment, like, "...yes! that's it! that's the way Sabrina Johnson's cleavage smelled!" then they can take that magazine page with them into the department store when it comes time to buy a christmas gift for their tired ol' nutcutting wife! i love the psychology of advertising. (click to enlarge)

the golden age of cover art

i just want to say, right up front, that i'm not one of those staunch lp purists that bitches and moans all the time about how micro-available music has all but done away with the traditional 12" square album cover art, and the sometimes-extensive liner notes that often went along with it. ( them. it?) no, i understand technology, and the 'way things work' in the business. so, all that said, there are some albums covers i consider iconic and beautiful. i don't insist, however, that the iconic beautifulness has to be 12" squared. for instance, i've always loved this groovy, glassy, inventive, and 'sorta mysterious' album cover from the tech-savvy thomas dolby. (and, to those who may be curious, that IS his real name... as far as i know... sorta. i think i remember hearing in an interview back in the 80's that his real full name was: thomas morgan dolby robertson.) so, we've established the cover is groovy enough... but i also want it noted that the songs on this record are some of THE coolest i ever heard... in the 80's, or otherwise. let's see, we've got the cool and soaring blue sounds of 'airwaves,' the funky-yet-romantic storyline of 'europa and the pirate twins,' the eclectic and jazzy goings-on in 'commercial breakup,' and the throughly original and sexy grindings of 'windpower.' and so many more. like the sometimes-lost-depending-on-which-pressing-you-have lovlieness of 'wreck of the fairchild.' seriously, this is electronic pop at its finest. it is an album i would be lonely for if i was ever without it. dig it.

playing secretary

yes, the sweet, sweet pages of 'playboy.' i happen to be quite well-read when it comes to vintage issues of the magazine. (from say, 1070 to 1984) this cover stands out to me because it was one of the first ones i remember reading. i think i was about nine when i snagged this issue from my father's collection. i loved garters and stockings as much then as i do now. not to mention the white laciness showcasing her hot rear... and those strappy high-heeled shoes...? sex-ee! i like the little 'feature blurbs' on the cover of this one. in particular, the one that says, "...how the bee gees got to be so big." ummm, let me guess, you turn to page 117 and it simply says, "...'cause they sound real good." end of story. and i also like that one about "...do men NEED to cheat on their women? a new science says YES!" mmm, somehow i think this article was 'accidentally' left out, open, for many a wife to happen upon and read. and finally, as many of you probably know, almost every 'playboy' cover had a little 'bunny' artfully concealed somewhere on the cover. and i realize its difficult to see after i shocked up the contrast, but the 'bunny' on this cover was actually represented by the 'two-eared' shape of the ivory ribbon on the lady's garter stud. dig it, the sexiness. (click to enlarge)

georgina hale

ahhhh, god. i am so in love with this chick. its hard for me to remember the first time i ever saw georgina hale. i'm sure it was in a ken russell movie, but its hard for me to say which one. this is a picture of her i found a long time ago, when she was obviously quite young... her hair a bit darker than the angelic platinum blonde she's usually known for. wow... she's beautiful. anyone who's followed 'planetcool' for any length of time knows how madly in love with her i am. she's quite well-known in England, even to this day, for her work on screen, stage, and television. her voice is a glinting mix of velvety lows and childlike, sometimes piercing highs. her face, when she acts, is expressive and brave... unafraid to scowl, knit her brow, and look 'ugly,' if the scene requires it. what a darling. ahhhh, georgina. i wonder her middle name is? if she has one. i think her largest role in a ken russell movie has to be her role in 'mahler,' as alma, mahler's wife. so, i guess what i'm trying to say, if you're curious as to why i'm so crazy about her, your best bet for a 'big taste' of her goods would be 'mahler.' that, or 'the devils,' where she steals every scene she appears in. only, her hair isn't blonde in 'the devils,' but that doesn't mean she's any less frickin' spellbinding. ohhh, my darling georgina... if only i had a way to tell you how much i adore you. hey, maybe one day she'll get bored wherever she is, and someone might just tip her off to a groovy blog... a blog called 'planetcool.'

sweeet skulls!

hey, you know i love the halloween season. partly, because skeleton-guys are so cool, and this time of year, they're everywhere! i found this pic a few nights ago. and i can only imagine its for some kind of candy, something called 'sweet skulls.' now, i'm not familiar with this particualr candy first-hand... like, i don't think i've ever eaten a 'sweet skull.' and i don't know what they look like. (although, i can guess they probably sorta look like skulls.) here, we have the main, menacing skull guy, in blood red robes, coming after me with his bony hands. but if you ask me, his magnificence is effectively upstaged by that white-style skeleton dude on the right. he seems to be eager for a taste, as he crawls up from a headstone, skeletal-smile intact. i think he should have a speech balloon that shows he's saying something like, "...hey, save some for me!" or "...its a taste to DIE FOR!!" or even cornier, "...make no bones about it, they're delicious!" so hey, 'dig' it, no pun intended.

'haxan' fever!

hey, i've got the fever! jean-lucien's got it, too! yeah, just about a week ago... (maybe a little less) jean-lucien got sucked into 'haxan.' its a silent film. directed by benjamin christensen, it's a fantastic exploration of witchcraft through the ages, and of how the paranoia of witches so easily sprouted and spread in an effort of absolve personal guilt and explain the unexplained. there are so many incredible shots. this is one of them. its a nude female figure... awakened and tempted from her bed, wandering into the night, beckoned by the calls of witches and devils. i can't seem to praise this movie enough. it was like, the Coolest Schoolfilm You've Ever Seen. hey, don't get me wrong, it was straight-up highly educational, and the titlecards read like a book... but the imagery, at times, was so wicked and lascivious that it startled and stunned even me. so, if you have the 90 minutes to devote to it, do yourself a favor and find yourself a copy of 'Haxan.' (at the time of this posting, the entire movie is available, in 10 min. chunks, on YouTube.) witch it!!

apple creaps

the first movie i ever saw in the theater was 'snow white and the seven dwarves.' we were five years old... so, i know i've seen this image like, 'up on the big screen.' and it probably creaped the eff out of me. that is, IF i could actually SEE it... (we didn't get glasses until much later, so it might've been an even-creapier 'blur-style' version i saw.) here, we see the wicked queen's master plan begin to gel with her creation of the almighty poison apple. i don't have a clear memory of the poison-dip coating making a 'skull-face,' but i guess it did. i guess i could really stand to 'really screen' that movie again. i remember not wanting Snow White to die, because; well... because i thought she was a real 'sexy piece,'... yes, even at the age of five i remember thinking that. what's more, i also remember thinking she could've used some 'more boobs.' but, all that aside, since its Halloween season and all, i thought i'd post this frame. true genius artists and animators at work here. not only is it a very believable accidental 'skull-dip,'... it also almost looks like its grinning. gorgeous.

there's one for the blog...

...is what i said to myself when jean-lucien sent me this today. its a screen shot from a video by the um... ahem, multi-talented 'marilyn.' he was 'not-famous' for only one reason: being sorta friends with boy george. now, i don't know which 'hit' video of his this shot is from... but hey, he's kinda lovely, no? if looking like a drunk girl in ft. lauderdale with weirdo hair extensions is 'lovely.' now, at first, i just dug this because its a pretty groovy-looking still shot from a music video, but upon closer inspection, i realized the most hilarious thing about it is this: you can see from the superimposed blurbs that its no. 80 (eighty!!) in a countdown of the 100 Worst Videos Ever. (crickets) ...what? are you waiting for me to contradict that?

songbird

my 'amadeus' dvd has been living in my dvd player over the last few days. it almost goes without saying that i've taken a few screenshots from it. here's a lovely shot i managed to snag and trick of miss christine ebersole as catarina; the catty diva. i love this shot... her gear is Turkish! and i think its a scream that she's the same chick from 'tootsie' that shoots down his "...i'll bet you like to run barefoot on the beach..." come-on. the same chick who rolls her eyes as she gives him that loose-fish obligatory hug. and he shoots back with the lame-ass line; "...thank you for liking me..." (click to enlarge)

its midnight on saturday...

...and you know what that means.... its time for 'rocky horror' somewhere. i guess its no secret that i was once a serious devotee of the Rocky Horror scene. i dressed up. i played Frank. i played Janet. I played Magenta. i played whoever they needed me to play at the Carolina Circle 6, way back in the late 1980's. having been 'into' rocky horror for so long, i stll get a thrill when i see a rocky-related picture that i know i've never seen before. like this one, given to me by jean-luc. it shows the director, jim sharman, directing peter hinwood (who played the title role) and mr. tim curry, who played the legendary dr. frank n furter. i love this shot because its clear and well-taken. and i've never seen it before. and tim looks great. so dig it, babies....!! (click to somewhat enlarge.)

for the boys

anyone who's followed 'the planet' for any length of time knows how much i love carroll baker. she's a resident goddess. and here, in this shot, provided by jean-lucien, she's cheeky and playful and radiant in her military jumpsuit gear. carroll actually went overseas at one point to entertain the troops with bob hope. she famously wore an almost-see thru gown scattered with rhinestones. but she's somehow sexier and more accessable in this outfit. she seems to have a great sense of humor here... knowing the phrase 'property of the USMC' is branded over her pert little ass. i just love her. so dig it, the patriotic cheesecake. (click to enlarge)

brady fun

yes, i admit it... i dig the Brady Bunch. and that's largely due to Mike Brady. (Robert Reed.) he may have gone to his grave thinking nobody truly appreciated his acting skills, but i'm here to say it out loud: i think he was marvelous. as i watched those re-run episodes through the years, i came to realize that Mike Brady was one of the main reasons why i was watching. he's thoroughly convincing as the straight dad. he's got those amazing blue eyes, too. he's the dad everyone wanted. firm, but loving. here he is, (thanks to some clever capturing from jean-lucien) in a couple of frames from the episode where Carol and Cindy both had laryngitis at the same time. if you've seen the episode, you know what the deal is... and, if you haven't, there's not a quick way i can explain it now. (click to enlarge.)

court composer

so, i've been watching my widescreen 'amadeus' all day and all evening with the french subtitles on. and now that i come to the 'midnight keys,' i see that its wayyyy time for me to start a new picture file. so, i'm going to get that going, but in the meantime, i'm going to let f. murray abraham-as-salieri hold my place. man, he rocks! (but i don't remember there being a 'rock me salieri' song topping those early 80's charts.) still, here is salieri, holding his cat mask in place, as he holds MY place here on the planet. i should have some more new groovy stuff posted soon. until then... i love you all.

mucha holds my place

okay, its late... i can't think of anything to post, but i wanted to mark my place and wish everyone a night of sweet dreams. and since this alphonse mucha work is currently on my desktop, i thought it was cool to use it as a bookmark. i love you all. more later.

happy birthday mark hamill

okay, this isn't going to be the longest entry. but i just happened to notice it was luke skywalker's 58th birthday. yeah, i know... he's done 'other things,' career-wise, but... c'mon, right? so then i had to go do a quick dive into the cold waters of the Cyberverse for a picture of 'him-as-luke' that i hadn't seen like, 6 million times already. and i think this one is the coolest and rarest one i was able to find in literally like, 14 seconds. i gotta tip my hat to luke, because he's leia's twin brother, you know? its like, he's the jean-luc to my almadora. and he really is great in that movie. in all seriousness, can you imagine anyone else as luke skywalker? i sure can't. and wow, he's 58! i mean, i realize its not that old, but when you've got 'A New Hope' rolling on your high def bluray deev, and you see his skin, that complexion... those flashing youthful turquoise eyes and white teeth... he looks so alive and real its a little odd to think he's almost 60. so happy birthday Luke. and hey, i almost forgot.... may the Force be with you. (click to enlarge)

cig pants!

hey, if you smoke those vile and deadly cigarettes (which i do, guilty) then you've GOTTA get yourself a pair of of these ultra-dated, groovy looking Cig Pants!.. from the good people at Winston. what better way to let the world know that you 'don't give a damn about' your health OR fashion?! and you've just gotta accent those Cig Pants with some mod shades and a clingy, white, longsleeved top. so, round up your $2.95, clip that coupon, and send away for those pants! nobody will know how diseased your lungs look on the inside, when you look THIS groovy on the outside! i don't smoke Winston's myself. (mmm, as if that matters at all.) hey, it just occurred to me... when Winston ran this promotion all those years ago, they MUST'VE had like, a shitload of these pants already made, and like, ready for the hundreds of redeeming Winston customers. and they must've had them in a variety of sizes and everything. and it would seem almost certain that at least some of those pants still exist today. i wonder who's got them? like, they can't ALL be in a landfill by now, can they? (cut to a shot of a yard sale going up this Sunday. we see a rack old clothes on some lawn cluttered with junk. as the camera pulls in, we see a pair of the Cig Pants hanging next to a faded 'Mork' T-shirt with rainbow sleeves that says, 'Nannoo-Nanoo' : Translation - Is It Friday Yet?' ) (click to enlarge... a lot of the copy should be readable.)

mary, mary

...you're IN the 'strip' vid! man, i love this wild machine! with very little digging i was able to ascertain the identity of the sleek, sultry blonde chick in the adam ant video for the song 'strip.' i'm not traditionally into blondes, (with the exception of georgina hale, sharon stone, and maybe a few others) but i've always thought the babe in this video was sexy-cute. and her name is mary stavin. apparently, she was a minor Bond Girl in two later bond films, 'octopussy,' and 'a view to a kill.' (mmm, who could've predicted she was a Bond Girl...??) yes, she's a doll. and thanks to jean-lucien's video-hungry tricking skills, i have this lush and luminous shot of her, IN the video... doing the whispery spoken-word part: "...at times like this, the great heaven knows... that we wish we had... not SO many clothes..." etc, etc. and hey, she's swedish! (yet another newsflash.) her credits also boast 'girl in bar' from Caddyshack II. so hey, please enjoy and appreciate jean-luc's talent for picture-spearing... because i guarantee you, he got this shot without the benefit of 'frame-dancing.' man, they don't make videos like that anymore.