sequin: my groovy new book

yeah, i really wanted to christen a new book tonight, but i didn't really know if i was gonna have the energy to actually conjure it in any kind of groovy way. but, the mood took me, and i have to admit, i'm pleased with the dreamy pinkish result. i don't know if i've ever had the sultry french temptress sylvie vartan on the cover yet. but if not, then she's wayyyy overdue. like, she's a confirmed High Priestess of the Eternal Bisexual Slumber Party. (mmm, i'm so tired and physically wiped out right now, i'm probably gonna read this in the morning and be all like, '...jeez, i hope nobody read that.' but anyway, where was i?) oh yeah, so i decided to depart somewhat from my 'dots across the bottom' formula. i'm pleased with the shapes and splashings of color i ended up with. it seems jussst 'femme' enough for my 'slinky-but-tough' beret-and-cigar miss vartan. i think the picture was taken from one of her several early 70's french tv specials... (which i would KILL to get my hands on a copy of... as long as it would be compatible with my machine... those specials were the 'costume change' most!! ) okay, so who else do we have down there? that pink 'sunset strip' is a scrap i've been holding onto for literally years. then, from left to right, we have a very cool rainbow-glitter steely dan logo, peter tork dressed like a hippy-dippy indian chief, my sweet george harrison, and finally, my darling ian holm, from 'alien,' as the evercool science officer ash.

overall, i'm pleased with it. i don't have any of the inside pages done yet... and nothing stuck on the back... but that'll probably come to me in the morning. until then, dig it! (click to enlarge)

jaws joke!

i may have posted this before, a long time ago... but i've been rolling 'jaws' so much lately, i thought i'd post it again. the artist is, of course, the great Mort Drucker.

...and now for something completely kinky

mmm, what would 'monty python' be without their sexy 'sister chick,' the statuesque and stunning miss carol cleveland? va-vooom! she's got the curves where it counts, and the talent to make us laugh out loud. with qualifications like that, she could be one of the sexiest women of the 70's. or indeed, of any decade. who could fill her shoes in the 'vocational guidance counselor' skit? nobody, that's who! she rocked some frosted white lipstick... she deliciously filled out a corset or bikini... and was so 'game,' no matter what the writing called for, i've never heard of her complaining. we should all be so lucky; to have a Band of Brothers like Idle, Jones, Cleese, Gilliam, Palin, and Chapman. (did i leave one out?) (click to enlarge)

true clews

when people ask me, '...who's your favorite artist?' i have one response: jean-lucien. here's one of his recent pieces i'm proud to say i had a hand in. it's a cool melding of both our interests, influences, techniques, and tastes. wow... its hard to actually write about this stuff. for so long, these pictoral paintings have existed between jean-luc and i...and the language, the telepathic shorthand we invariably use when discussing our work, is surprisingly tricky to translate. so... (deep breath) let me just say that jean-lucien and i both hope that you think our pieces as groovy as WE think they are. it would take me too long to account for all the hundreds of little scissor cuts and thousands of individual artistic decisions that are considered in the making of a collage no bigger than a playing card. um... i could spend a lot of keystrokes documenting where all the clippings came from, and what they 'mean' when assembled... but i think its best i leave THAT office of Art up to the Observer. there will be more 'jean-lucien/almadora' works featured in the very near future. until then, we welcome (and indeed thirst for) any manner of feedback. and thank you for your attention. (and hey, jean-luc... does this one have a title yet?) (click to enlarge)

more georgina

yes, thanks to the quick spearfishing of jean-lucien, i have a brand new silky shot of miss georgina hale to share with you. here she is, as phillipe, in ken russell's masterpiece, 'the devils.' wow. could she BE any more beautiful, i ask you? in this scene, she is gleefully witnessing the 'burning-at-the-stake-style' execution of her ex-lover. left pregnant and alone, she went on to bear her bastard child. she was also witness in the gallery as he was brought up on charges of witchcraft and heresy. she laughed and drank from silvery goblets as his flesh burned and sizzled. what becomes of phillipe and and her child are never expressed in 'the devils.' but her impact on the storyline cannot be understated. she, along with a lovesick, swooning, hunchbacked nun (played by vanessa redgrave) brought father grandier (oliver reed) to the men who would ensure to his destruction. you can never have too much georgina, ladies and gentlemen. she is criminally underrated as an actress. (at least in this country.) but i for one, will never pass up an opportunity to sing her praises. sigh. (click to enlarge)

happy birthday brian de palma

brian de palma... would i say he was one of my favorite directors of all time? well, if i was able to judge him on the power of one film, then i would have to say the answer is 'yes,' ... and that one film would be 'carrie.' released in 1976, and based very tightly upon stephen king's practically perfect novel, 'carrie' is one of the most genuinely terrifying pieces of cinema i have ever seen. there is not one scene that doesn't add to the taught, gory, gorgeous pageant of terror, pain, dolor, and electric cruelty. impeccably cast, the story drifts and jangles along through expert pacing, keen screenwriting, and once-in-a-lifetime performances. i think i read the book in one day. i checked it out from the Griffin Middle School library, and couldn't put it down until i had finished it. sissy spacek is carrie. completely. piper laurie devours every scene she's in with the zeal of a jackal. amy irving is very real and serves as a solid 'everygirl.' the audience anchors a bit of themselves onto her as the carnival of holy tragedy swarms around her. william katt is just as he should be; the dumb blonde. and let us not forget nancy allen, as the poisonously popular christine hargensen. she is venemous and sexy as one of the Earth's most malevolent and plainly meanest creatures ever to walk amongst us; a typical teenage girl. i don't remember exactly where i found this shot of nancy, just about to yank the rope that spills the pig's blood, but i love it. it sort of represents the crossing of a line. sort of a theme in that movie, now that i think about it. do yourself a favor, if you haven't seen 'carrie' in a long time. find a good copy and roll it. it is amazing, and still holds up by any filmmaking standards of today.

this is for life

death.

carroll and eli

...baker and wallach. okay, i realize i already gave kazan and his risque 'babydoll' a legitmate

'shout-out,' but hey, what can i tell you? my fingers still feel like typing, so... here we have a great close silky screen shot from kazan's mid-50's masterpiece 'babydoll.' this is from the infamous 'swing sequence,' one of the sultriest things i've ever seen on celluloid. ummm, i'm not gonna go into the plot or anything like that... but i will say that i read carroll's autobiography once, and she admitted being genuinely turned on by mr. wallach... and it shows. hot stuff.

(click to enlarge)

happy birthday elia kazan

okay, once again, i admit i don't know too much about elia kazan, the Man... but i DO know that he directed what may very well be my favorite black and white movie. and i noticed that today, mr. kazan would've turned 99 years old. he was also responsible for 'on the waterfront,' and some other stuff... forgive me, i don't feel like looking it up right now i've seen 'waterfront,' and i've seen 'babydoll,' and i have to say, i think 'babydoll' is the better picture. now, i can already hear people criticizing that stand... but i stand by it. i think 'babydoll' broke spooky, sexy new ground in cinema. i realize it was probably made with the intention of being sexy, but i'm not sure if the surreal spookiness was accidental, or if some ghosts just assisted with the final cut like, 'ghost in the machine'-wise... but there's certainly something witchy going on in that flick. even the sound is spooky, disjointed, and unexpectedly surreal. i'll never be able to reccommend this movie strongly enough; but at the same time, i DO realize that 'babydoll' is an acquired taste... like collard greens and vinegar; like homemade biscuits and liver pudding... like stove-stewed oatmeal, whole milk, rich butter, and brown sugar, 'babydoll' is a slumming indulgence of the highest order. what more can i say...

ferry frame

okay, i admit i don't really have a whole lot to say about this screen shot... except that i took it from a very groovy roxy music dvd i got from my partner some time ago. i'm just in the mood to post, so i guess anything goes. its weird, when i watch bryan ferry... i mean, he's incredible, and very 'lovely-to-me-in-the-face,' but... jean-lucien knows as well as i do that certain parts of his face bear an uncanny, even scary resemblance to a certain 'man-in-my-past.' i try not to think about that, about him, when i watch mr. ferry do his very fabulous thing. sometimes i'm able to turn it into a bizarro form of revenge. like, i watch bryan ferry, and enjoy his hot looks, knowing i would NEVER now entertain the other guy's looks, despite the similarities. like, the other guy can only wish he was as cool and flash and talented and sexy as bryan ferry. so yeah, i took this shot a long time ago from a 'deev,' and i think the tricking turned out alright. i think he was wailing out the marvelous 'roxy' song, 'do the strand' on some kind of tv program. man, he IS super-cool. (click to enlarge)

happy birthday chrissie hynde

hey, i readily admit, i don't know too much about miss hynde... like, her private life and all that. i DO know she's friends with morrissey, she's active in animal rights, and she is one of THE coolest rock stars of the last 30 years. she never fails to 'kick ass and take names,' rock-wise. i've always dug her minimalist-feminine 'look,' ...like, the black hair and all that mascara. she doesn't need to be a cupcake to command attention. all she has to do is like, sound like that. its hard for me to think of a Pretenders song that i don't like. like, even to this day, despite how many times i've heard it, if 'back on the chain gang' comes on, my very first thoughts are those of 'turn-it-up-edness.' she's hard, she's hot, she's rough... so you can imagine my surprise when i found this shot of her, so much softer, but still recognizeable, in a yearbook photo from the late 1960's. and today, she turns 57 rockin' years young. she's special... so special...

it's a man's life...pearldiving for new pics!

yes, i've got some stuff to trick and some stuff to go looking for... but i hope to back on the planet soon.

i love you all.

hot marlene

okay, i rrreaallly hope i don't get 'flagged' for this; the chick being 'full frontal' and all. i really like this playboy centerfold for a lot of reasons. first of all, i dig it because, upon first glance, she doesn't seem at ALL like my 'type.' like, she's got that wild sorta, late 70's slightly-country-rock biker vibe to her... do you know what i mean? like it looks, at first, like her favorite song might be something like 'khatmandu' by bob seger and the silver bullet band. its something about that headband and that belt that makes me think maybe she'd wear one of those leather-strip hairclips with the beads and the few feathers at the end. like, you'd get into her black pontiac firebird and she'd crank up the allman brother's band doing like, 'jessica' or 'ramblin' man,' you get the idea. but hey, first impressions are often incorrect. perhaps she digs to the sweet mellow sounds of seals and crofts doing 'summer breeze' or like, fleetwood mac doing 'tusk.' (great song, by the way.) i wish i was able to tell you this chick's whole name, but i only noted her first name: marlene. hey, the longer i look at her, the prettier she seems to get. i don't usually prefer blondes, but she's got a bright, fierce face, with bright eyes... she looks happy, and her sweet boobs, although smallish, are practically perfect, and (thank god) all natural. so, again, please nobody flag me for celebrating this lovely lady. we all like looking, don't we? so everybody should be happy. (click to enlarge)

...almaaa....!!

i love this screen capture. jean-lucien nailed it, and sent it to me quite a while ago. it didn't have the pink caption on it IN the movie; i added that myself. but the bloke in the picture IS actually saying it... in the movie, i mean. and which movie would that be? its from ken russell's masterpiece 'Mahler,' starring robert powell as composer gustav mahler, and georgina hale as mahler's wife, alma. the guy in the picture isn't robert powell though... i'm disappointed to admit that right now, as of this 'precise moment,' i can't come up with the actor's name. but, in the movie, he's got a bit of a crush of mahler's wife, and calls out her name, hurling out ivory pages of sheet music, as the train thunders on towards the horizon. and, for those of you out there, wondering if this movie had anything to do with my pen name, then you are dead-on accurate. it had a great deal to do with it. you might even say that georgina's portrayal in this movie "put the 'alma' in 'almadora.'" so dig on this gorgeous shot, and if you can ever get your hands on a copy of the movie, do yourself a favor and roll it. its not the most action-packed movie in the world... like you won't see 'trans-robo-trons' destryoing a major city, or subways blowing up, or like, pixar-talking table lamps making 'gas' jokes or anything like that, but you will see one of the most lovely, lyrical, and wildly inventive movies you've ever seen. (hey, georgina's costumes alone are more or less worth the purchase price.) oh, and god bless ken russell.

'eglantine' : unknown

ahhh, i love jean-lucien. he sends me some of the most beautiful stuff. he sent me this movie poster a little whild ago... i instantly thought it was 'desktop-worthy.' and jean-luc had the same reaction; it was already on his desktop. and as of 'now,' its on mine. i have never seen this movie... i have never heard of this movie. (mmm, imagine that.) but i think the poster is so elegant and cunning and lovely, that i just couldn't resist giving it an electronic place of honor. i love the boy and girl children in the lower foreground; the boy in official dark navy little soldier's dress, and the girl in very feminine pink ruffles, etc. it reminds me of jean-luc and i... finding our way through the woods. i'd love to say i've heard of the director jean-claude brialy, but honestly, i have not. in fact, none of the French names ring familiar. but i thought the poster was pretty enough to stand on its own. and i love that word: 'eglantine.' i have no idea what it means, but it sounds good, looks good, and feels good rolling off the tongue. so dig it, and perhaps i'll have the pleasure of screening 'eglantine' sometime in the future. (click to enlarge)

sunday night mind meld

...it IS 'meld,' isn't it? i mean, its not 'melt,' is it? so... would you believe i've just recently started paying any kind of real attention to star trek? its odd, considering almost every man i've ever been involved with has been a fan. what can i say? i tend to attract the 'star-trek-star-wars' type. i've watched several episodes of the show recently, and i dig it. its just predictable enough to make it fun. i thought kirk would've gotten on my nerves, but i dig him. he's so... so Kirk, you know? but he's not the one i enjoy most. i gotta admit the truth, i like spock. facially, he's quite lovely... and i can relate to his fact-based, logical, virgo-esque ways. so, thanks to jean-luc, here's a shot of my man, (can he really be called a 'man?') my smooth Vulcan spock, (he IS a Vulcan, isn't he...?) putting the famous 'mind meld' on a wicked chick. so, i expect i'll see more 'trek' in the future... until then... i will 'boldy go' to sleep pretty soon, before starting off the new week. (oh, and just for the record, i'm hopeless when it comes to successfully putting up the 'live long and prosper' trek hand signal. my fingers just don't naturally split that way. its pathetic.) but here's to Spock. he's super-cool.

satis-factory

when asked about andy warhol, i have mixed feelings. it is impossible for me to deny his tremendous, even groundbreaking impact on the world of modern art. still, i think he got really, really lucky. he landed at just the right time, with just the right vibe. at no other time in history would his excuses for art have been accepted and even hailed as actual art. and so, i find myself jealous. if his stuff rocked the world and practically deified him, why isn't MY stuff similarly hailed? then, i have to remind myself, that if it hadn't been for 'weird art' pioneers such as Warhol, then there'd be even less of a path and audience for MY (our) psychedelic, unconventional stuff. i have to remind myself that he dared to push the concept of 'what passes for film,' ...paving the way for the visionary directors i enjoy to this day. and i must keep in mind that his experiments in 'cross-pollenating' from several pop culture 'hives' and disciplines to create new, free, original hybrid schools of Art are almost directly responsible for my large, inclusive embracing of the 'cut-up' method on an almost phantasmic scale. i'm not making any sense, am i? well, Andy might've been able to dig me. as much as i could sit here and 'bag' on him, i DO hope he digs me. Us. i hope he's out there somewhere, going: "...wow, those guys have the right idea... they're following the righteous path..." i can only hope so. (click to enlarge)

happy birthday donald o connor

yeah, i guess we all know donald o connor best from his role as gene kelly's sidekick in 'singin' in the rain.' he kind of got a raw deal back then in the hollywood 50's, because he was, in MY opinion, every bit as fine a dancer and gene kelly himself. you watch numbers like 'moses supposes,' and you'll see what i mean. and i've always thought donald was cute like a duck. with his smooth carmel blow wave hair, cute face, and quick wit, i've always found him terribly charming. he was making movies since he was a teenager... even playing the 'young' version of gary cooper in the black and white adventure film 'beau geste,' also starring an extremely young and handsome robert preston. and i think ray milland was the third guy. i don't remember who the chick was. but, in any case, donald o connor turns 84 years old today. and he's one of the men who's had the pleasure to brag that he kissed marilyn monroe on the lips. (in the 'showbiz' extravaganza 'there's no business like show business,' which also starred the firecracker mitzi gaynor, and the very, very legendary ethel merman.)

rare hot color

okay, i'm super-tired right now, so don't expect my writing to be up to my usual level of clever excellence. but i just realized how long its been since i did an entry over here at the planet, so i thought i should put something down. and hey, i know how much we all love jack lemmon, so i thought this pic would be cool. it's a great rare color shot of tony curtis and sweet jack, in full drag-costume for the classic billy wilder comedy, 'the showgirl and the sweet transvestites.' no, just kidding... it's 'some like it hot.' (mm, no shit.) i think jack is positively adorable. i've heard 'hollywood babylon' rumors that tony curtis was super-comfortable in drag, and like, took to it right away. but really, how great is this movie? its one of those flicks that i'll stop the dial and watch almost any time i see it rolling. and you know, most people think of it as a marilyn monroe movie, and yeah, i guess it is... but in all fairness, marilyn doesn't show up until like, nearly 40 minutes into the script. so for the first big chunk, its just the two guys... and i don't think i'm going out on a limb to suggest that if it had only been tony curtis in that first part, then it would've just fizzled. i guess what i'm trying to say is this: 'some like it hot' is Jack Lemmon's movie. completely. ohhh, what i wouldn't give for a little squeeze of that Lemmon!! really, you remove jack from that film, and it flattens like an inflatable falsie with a pin in it. (click to enlarge)

va-va-va valmont!

you don't need a reason to celebrate valmont. i mean, check it out... he's smooth, gorgeous, sexy, velvety, and a master of seduction. his voice, his swaggering manner, the look in his eyes... who can resist? well, I can't... join the club. i got this screen capture a long time ago... which is a miracle in and of itself, on account of the only dvd release (so far) is 'crappy' at best. hopefully there'll be a 'criterion' or something released in the near future. wow... the longer i look at a photo like this, i realize it kinda sucks that guys aren't encouraged to walk around dressed like that these days. then again, i don't know how many 'modern' guys could 'rock' a look like this one so successfully. hey, these days, i don't know many 'modern guys' period... but that's beside the point. so.... as this may be the last entry i post tonight, dig that face.

upskirt

hey, i don't know who these chicks are, but i DO know one thing... they're wearing real panties...! mmm, deelish. i have such mixed feelings about modern girls' underwear. like, i know a lot of girls love the 'thong scene,' apparently some find them more comfortable, or think they're sexier... maybe they just do it because they want a smooth line, maybe some wear 'em because they're in style, maybe some wear 'em because they think that's what a guy these days expects to see, but... (sigh) i must be real hardcore 'old-school,' because i don't think anything compares to a real sneak-glimpse of real all-covering panties. perhaps its a fetish thing. i don't know. perhaps its my age... i don't know. but whoa, look at these legs, that sweet lacy fabric... the 'forbidden-ness' of it just enchants me. i love the low-heeled, modest patent leather shoes, i love the swinging purses, and i love the boys in the background, checking out the leggy gorgeousness. dig it. (click to enlarge)

any more for the christian dior...?

okay, this entry isn't going to be very long. i just HAD to post a shot of this dress. now, THAT'S a red dress, ladies and gentlemen. hey, i just 'wanna wear it' so hard its making my vision blur. i mean, hey, is that a perfect red dress or what? sigh... i remember one time jean-luc and i went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art when they were hosting an exhibition of Christian Dior dresses... it was like, 'soul-porn' for a girl like me, if that makes any sense. i hate to say it, i don't remember any specific dresses i saw... like, it was 15 years ago... but man, it was some gorgeous stuff. Dior was the favorite designer of Eva Peron, and its easy to see why when looking at miraculous little numbers like this one. man, the sleeve-length is perfect, the color is 'just right,' and i know it would flatter my ample figure, too. the more i look at it, the more i wanna put it on. someday man... someday...

emerald jelica

i think its cool that i've just recently (well, relatively recently) learned that anjelica huston once had a flourishing modeling career. and thanks to the 'sweeping-cape' nature of 'This Wild Machine,' i'm able to see some of the groovy photos that were produced over those years. i really like this one. here we have the crucial-and-beautiful miss huston, dreamily dolled up in cool, minty, dreamy, jungly shades of green. wow, look at those eyes... how they glint and glitter like malachite. she seems to be ...acting, like, conveying an emotion, even though its 'just a photo shoot.' i love the jewled vest... i dig the flowing, long legs of the outfit. but above all, i just love that look on her face. so bright, so positive, so lovely. she looks both 'smart and logical,' yet still 'wistful and hopelessly romantic.' i love this era of clothing and photography. i wish there was a lot more stuff out there just like this. groovy. (click to enlarge)

sporty spice

hey, twins, man, twins...!! here we have twin sisters yvette and yvonne sylvander, on the cover of 'sports illustrated' back in january 1980-something. now, ladies and gentlemen... THOSE are bathing suits! i almost can't decide which one i like better. personally, i prefer to wear one-pieces, on account of my high waist and all. but these chicks don't appear to have any figure flaws to be concerened with. and fortunately for us, this picture is old enough that chances are, the girls are real... (maybe there's been a little airbrushing, but not much more.) i mean, they obviously don't have those fake-ass bubble boobs... i hate those. like, what's wrong with soft, sudsy boobs? like, when did they go out of style? plus, you know i love it when cheesecake girls look like they're genuinely happy and having a good time. and hey, they're twins! like, who could ask for anything more? just a great summertime picture. dig it.

jack as baxter

well, its been a week, and i still don't seem to be completely 'over' my crush on an mid-'60's jack lemmon. i probably don't even have to say it, but this is a shot from the academy award winning picture, 'the apartment,' co-starring shirley maclaine. here shirley is, as fran, appointing jack's (baxter's) jacket with a flower from her own lapel. through elevator conversation, she learned he had a big job interview... which could possibly lead to a big promotion. not only does she lend him a flower, she also cares enough to deliver some advice that's far more vital when it comes to making a good first impression... right before the elevator doors slide shut, she instructs him: "...and wipe your nose." if you haven't seen this movie, you owe it to yourself to watch it again. upon several viewings, i realize the content must've been pretty scandalous when it was released in... 1961, i think? i mean, it deals with topics such as adultery, lies, class discrimination, sexism, suicide, sex, and love. notable in the supporting cast? ray walston (...mr. Hand!) as one of the corporate Yes Men.

back to bach

contrary to popular belief, the actress barbara bach, (seen here) is no relation to the Duke's cousin, daisy, played by catherine bach. that cleared up, dig this great magazine ad from the mid 70's. we see barbara, all hippied up in her girly pad, looking wistful. according to the copy, she's apparently dreaming of all the Lenox china she's gonna get when she meets her prince charming and gets married. hmmm, something tells me that when this chestnut-haired bombshell met and married a certain mr. RINGO STARR..., yes, THE beatle, ringo starr; something tells me there probably wasn't an overflow of cheapish department store dishware at that reception. i think the most famous drummer in the entire universe was probably able to afford something a little more dazzling than plates and saucers. i always thought they made a super couple. i always liked barbara, too... she even managed to swallow a little bit of pride and starred alongside her husband as 'Lana' in the 1981 ...cult hit? "Caveman." (also starring Dennis Quaid, as you probably know.) hey, part of me wants to see that movie again... and a larger part of me really, really does NOT. but barbara's still cool in my book. hey. she's sexy, she's a Beatle wife, and i dug her in "Force Ten From Navarone." (and what's with that bizarro 'snakeoid' stuffed animal toy at her feet?)

jack

i've been having strange dreams lately. in them, i'm romantically involved with a mid-60's jack lemmon. although i've always been a fan, i have no idea why. i haven't traditionally thought of him as a sex symbol. but for some reason, he seems intent on finding me when i sleep and getting me to make out with him. yes, crazy, i know. so i went diving for some pictures last night; looking for some that seem to represent what he looks like in my dreams. this picture was pretty damn close. so jack, wherever you are, you may smile knowing a girl who was born in '72 is asleep somewhere, having erotic dreams about you. in my opinion, there is no actor alive that is better than you were. hopelessly drunk or sassily in drag; clearing your sinuses or straining spaghetti with a tennis racquet, you are an American treasure, and you never fail to move me. thanks, jack. (and maybe i'll see you tonight...??)

sexy sally

okay, its starting to storm outside. groovy. and what's groovier than a tropical summer storm? hey, how about a gorgeous emerald shot of miss liza minelli, at her absolute peak. obviously, this is during the filming of fosse's 'cabaret.' i was lucky enough to get my hands on this shot once before, but it was too small for me to really have fun with. so, a few nights ago, i was lucky enough to land this sizeable piece of 'picksh fish.' she was just perfect back then, wasn't she? what a magnificent triumph of costume, makeup, actor, and character. when i was like, nine years old, the way she looked in that movie, made as big an impact on me as the movie itself. i mean... green nail polish??? that blew my little mind! as did the eyelashes, and the pointed cut of her jet-black bangs. i knew even then that i sympathized with sally's character. and i was also cautioned by it... by her portrayal, and the brilliant lyrics; most notably perhaps, "...the day she died the neighbors came to snicker; well, that's what comes from too much pills and liquor." my father even made a point of stressing that for me. i remember once, a long time ago, i was riding in the backseat of his car, during a visit in florida. the 'cabaret' theme song was playing on his stereo tape deck... and, when liza sang that line, he turned slightly, towards the backseat, and waggled his finger in our direction, warningly, at us both, as he sang along with the tape. i'll never forget that. its seems rather tragic-comic now, but that may have been the best advice... perhaps indeed, the ONLY advice, he ever gave us. (click to enlarge)

cool plunge!

jean-lucien sent me this vintage album cover a little while ago. i thought it was pretty groovy, and had kind of a summer feeling to it. and hey, lucynell... i know you like all that retro-glam stuff, so i thought you'd like to take a peek, too. i've never heard this record, but i know who nelson riddle is, so i expect its pretty mild and easy on the ears. but I'M more concerned with what's 'easy on the eyes,' ...this floating chick is what i mean. i love the colors jean-luc was able to coax out of it. what's the title again? 'sea of dreams?' I'LL say... like, those dreams that are the opposite of drrryy...?? (shot of me winking real big.) i love that the girl looks happy. i always like my cheesecake dollies to look like they're having a good time. as opposed to that 'aggressive porno' face that a lot of Penthouse Pets were pulling around 1980. YOU know the face, the face of a tanned girl in a banana yellow bikini next to an aqua pool, all oiled up, pulling her bottoms down and her top aside, her slutty red lipstick-greased lips pouting, and her eyes like evil slits, seeming to say, '...you want some fuckin' nudity? then hey, buster! you'll GET some fucking nudity!! now, get horny for me before i rip your scrote off with my inch-long fingernails...!!" you've seen those chicks, i'm sure. i always preferred the chicks that looked like they had NO plans to rip my scrote off. (mmm, the scrote i don't have, what with me being a chick myself and all.) (?)

poetry corner

here's a quick poem about the heat. i'm gonna make it up on the spot, so don't expect emily dickinson.

-THE HEAT-
its hot. damn... it totally sucks.
so i'm gonna spend some 'bitching bucks.'
i've been saving them up for a day like today,
now i'm gonna have my '...its too hot !!! ' say.
all day long sweat dripped down my back,
went out for a cig, and the sun baked my rack!
you know what I'm sayin,' all of you ladies,
(its like i) went to feed the cat, hey, my cat lives in Hades!
didn't wanna move, like an egg in mid-sizzle,
too hot ta 'do the nasty?' straight up 'fo' shizzle...!'
man, it was 'hardcore,' like when Pacino played that mobster,
i was dressed like a rock star, but i felt like a lobster.
-(shot of cartoon lobster claws going 'pinch-pinch)-
the mercury rises, damn its such a bummer,
wishing the temps were as cool as joe strummer.
when its 'hot in the city' you can smell all the trash,
why, why, why can't it be as 'cool' as the clash?
they were the coolest, with their combat rock,
its steamier, creamier, than jeff stryker's -BLEEP-

that's it, kids... that's it!!

liza!

okay, this is just for fun... like 'comic strip,' of sorts. i found the picture, then i found myself 'captioning' it. hey, i have great respect for liza. she's a firecracker. but the whole studio 54 thing, i find it all very fascinating. like, if you wanted to get a picture of two people who'd never under any circumstances be in a photograph together, then all you had to do was get them inside of studio 54, and -snap!- you've got your photo. like, for instance... do you want a photo of Divine and Tatum O'Neal...? no problem, just get them inside that club. what's that you say? you want a candid pic of Normal Mailer, Liz Taylor, Jacques Cousteu, and an anonymous 'almost-nude-dude?' just get them inside those doors. so hey, here's my little '54'-fied comic strip.

1980's video boxes!

yeah, who can forget all those hours in the 80's, spent browsing all the dusty shelves of various video stores. and hey, i'm NOT talking about Blockbuster. i'm talking about all those local, independently owned video outlets... like High Point Mall's 'Candid Camera'... and the unforgettable 'Club Vid' accross that came around in the mid to late 80's. and 'Action Video,' which was slightly more well-known through the Carolina area. there was also that one place... the one out past the roll-a-rink, the one that had the popcorn machine, and the irresistible '5 for 5' deal. was it like, 'VideoAdventures?' man, i can't remember. and when we lived in Georgia, there was something called 'Turtle Video,' I think. and in the 'realms of my own mind,' there's the ever popular (albiet fictional) 'Wildcat Video.' ...and what was the one near the Kroger? was that an Action Video also? anyway, it was always my opinion that the more independently owned a place was, the more unusual and varied the coverboxes were bound to be. Beta, VHS... i must've read a thousand and one 'backs' of clamshells and sleeves. here's just one i remember. i can feel it in my hands... christ, i can almost smell it. dig it.

yer blues, john...

wow, i am soooo glad someone had JUST this bit posted. last night, i posted a shot on 'planetcool' of a hippy john winston lennon slipping his slinky hand inside carnal mick jagger's shirt, so as to grab at his 'stones' man-tit area. i even think my mate lucynell commented on the sleek black straightness of mr. jagger's hair. well, i knew when i posted it that i was almost 100% certain that the pic was taken around the exact time of 'the great rock and roll circus,' ... if not on the very set of the tv production. so, i dove into the Videos tonight, hoping that someone had realized the rock n' roll hilarity of this one-minute's-worth of film. like, could they be more baked? and what are they eating? and man, i don't know what's funnier... the '...i wanna hold your MAN...' line, from saucy john, or the hazy, eeee-baked tribute mick gives, long after lennon's out of the frame; "...you're blues john... you're blues, john... you're blues, john..." hey, maybe its just me, but this little bit never gets old.

beatle chicks

okay, you'll have to bear with me on this one. when i found this picture, the caption just gave me the information: beatle wives. but i'm not sure they were all actually wives. and since there was no 'clockwise from the top' indicator, i'm just gonna have to do my best with the 'beatle chick' knowledge i already possess. now, let's see... if i can take a good look at those groovy, mod, undoubtedly lucky faces, this is my best guess. clockwise, from the top we've got: the sorta frumpy-in-the-face mrs. cynthia lennon, then ringo's chick... maureen starkey... yeah, judging from the eyes, that looks right... then on the botton, i think that's paul's pre-linda chick, jane asher. and (sorta) by process of elimination, at the nine o'clock position, i'm pretty sure that's pretty mrs. patti boyd harrison. its a pretty good picture of all of them. but hey, even if they weren't 'fab chicks,' its still a groovy 60's depiction of mod fashion. dig it... and be jealous of the fact that they... Knew the lads, if you know what i mean. (hey, hey, i'm hinting at the 'Biblical sense.') (click to enlarge)

umm, okay

um... no comment.
except to say that i doubt i'll see anything this funny all day.
love you all.
oh, and peace.
xoxo

oh i wish

i remember when i was a kid, i'd see ads for this kind of all-in-one stocking-garter-combo nylons advertised in the backs of adult magazines. and when i was a kid, i remember thinking they looked kinda square. but... now, as a grown woman who has had to endure the humid hell of traditional pantyhose, this model is looking pretty good to me. they should really put these things back on the market. just think of it; you'd get the support and smooth-legginess your daytime professional life requires, ... and still, the hottest areas remain clear of confinement... free to pee, free to radiate excess heat, free to be. and forget about the hassel of hooks and garter studs and all that. like, just one piece, pull 'em up, yank up your panties, and go about your professional, well-ventilated business. its hard for me to believe there's nothing like this on the market these days. hell, if they offered them for a reasonable price, i'd probably even sleep in them. and i think they look real sexy, too. and hey, if you wanna get 'down and dirty' about it, they can even be worn during sex. hot stuff. (click to enlarge)

shameless john and cat pic

yes, it's shameless... a very cute shot of john lennon, shnuggling with a precious siamese kit who is undeniably very dead now. perhaps the lithe and lovely animal is comforting john now, where ever he is, if you know what i mean. i like this shot because the cat doesn't know john's famous... like, its just showing its nuzzling cat love because it loves john's human-ness, just as it is. the puss doesn't know he's 'mr. hard days' night,' all she knows is he's gentle, and smells good, and knows how to rub her black-and-tan fur the 'right way.' she doesn't know anything about ed sullivan or george martin or throngs of screaming teenage girls... she just knows john is there, john is engaged, john has positive vibes coming off... and john seems to love her back. cats and beatles, beatles and cats... two things i've been in love with ever since i was old enough to listen and feel. groovy. (click to somewhat enlarge)

happy birthday peter o toole

okay, i'll say it before somebody else does... i mark a LOT of so-called 'celebrity birthdays' here on planetcool. and... they'd be right! and hey, here comes another one! tonight is the 77th (!) birthday of the great, almost iconic peter o' toole. now, i've known who peter o' toole was my whole life. but it wasn't until my mid 20's that i started watching 'lawrence of arabia.' over and over and over again. i bought a double-tape copy on VHS, (after falling in love with the public library's copy) and i must've had that long thing on an endless loop for about two months solid. it was around that time, (the mid 90's) that i started smoking cigarettes... and yes, the fact that i chose Camels is soley, completely, 100% because i was obsessed with this movie. now, i know i could've gotten a better shot if i'd been willing to put my dvd in and snag a few screen captures from it... but hey, let's face it; its late, and that movie is LONG. so this shot is the result of a quick bit of pearldiving. but i like it, because this may be one of the most homosexual scenes in the whole flick. we see peter o' toole, as lawrence, being singled out for a stripped-down, sado-maso whip-and-switch job by the clearly bi-curious turkish officer played by jose ferrer. its some A grade rough trade... hot scene, david lean!

happy birthday kate bush

well, i admit i'm about ten minutes late for this one, if you wanna get technical about it. thursday, july 30th was kate bush's 51st birthday. i think its fair to say i first saw kate bush, or became aware of her, when simon le bon and nick rhodes came on MTV sometime in early '84...? and played her witchy, sexy, sultry, crazy 'sat in your lap' video. in subsequent years, i learned more about her. i think it was around '86...?? when her medium-sized hit 'running up that hill' was making its leisurely way up the US charts. eventually, i found video stores that stocked her tapes, and became familiar with her intensely artistic visual style, her eclectic and consistently exceptional music, and of course... her great beauty. here she is, in a rare photo, obviously years away from her first chart-topping hit... but even at this tender age, her lovely darkness... her introspection, her bravery, and yes, even her witchiness, shows. a beautiful child who grew into a popular and wildly influential artist. she paved the way for probably countless female artists... from annie lennox to tori amos to pink, ...she was tough, smart, witchy... but always gentle, delicate, sensual, and gorgeous. ...of course, i must say... i wonder if kate would've been able to come on the scene so easily if the great joni mitchell hadn't cleared the way. not to take anything away from kate, but... hey.... joni mitchell. (click to enlarge)

pet-tastic!

here's a sweet vintage magazine for you. its the cover for the october 1977 issue. i have no idea who the chick is, but she's a doll. i love the fact that she's smiling; making her seem playful and bright. and i love the whole 'outfit,' if you can call it that. great little bra; great lacy corslet, and hey... yeah, i'm gonna say it... great panties. i like the pose. i love the fact that she appears to be 100% silicone free. i'm totally wild about the opaque black stockings. and hey, you girls know what i'm gonna say next... i love, love, love those strappy late 70's disco shoes...! i love the way her ankles are coming up off the shoe a little. these days, it wouldn't surprise me if that wouldn't be considered a 'flaw,' and thus; airbrushed over with 'normal' feet. this world is entirely, fatally, fixated on a false sense of female beauty. all that said, i really dig this girl. i wish i knew her name so i could give her some well-deserved credit. she's a super pin-up. and i think its also safe to say that i never had this issue growing up. and if i did, it was missing the cover by the time it got to me. but thanks to the Cyber-Gods, i am able to admire her now. so lovely. (click to enlarge)

happy birthday clara bow

i hate to make clara's notice so quick, but its getting late. the legendary clara bow was born 104 years ago. she's the female valentino, in my opinion. if you ever get a chance to watch her legendary silent masterpiece, 'it,' then see it. she's purely delightful.

happy late birthday mick jagger

yeah, carnal mick's big bad birthday was like, on the 26th, and i missed it. but yeah, mick is a member of 'the club,' so i thought i'd throw him a birthday bone. it goes without saying that his contribution to the music world is almost impossible to calculate. but, with juicy roles in movies like 'ned kelly,' 'freejack;' and his smoldering role in the cult classic movie 'performance,' he's a legit film star as well. honestly, i think his acting 'chops' are pretty damn good. i'm sure anyone that knows me, knows how incredible i think 'performance' is. and the picture i've chosen here is actually a shot from that movie. he's playing a reclusive rock star named turner purple. he takes in a british gangster on the run from his bosses; a gangster played groovily by james fox. the two of them (and the groupie pherba, played by rocker chick anita pallenberg) do 'shrooms, freak out, and explore the puzzle of Identity. man, just talking about it is making me wanna roll it right now. so... according to my sources, mick just 'turned' a still-rockin' 66 years old. i have no doubt that mick will 'keep on rockin'.' happy birthday, mick. (click to enlarge)

my new book; take a lick!

yeah, i didn't expect to start a new book tonight... like, its hot and i didn't really feel like getting down on the floor like, 'low-down' with the scissors and glue stick and glitter stickers and all that. its far more strenuous than one might think to get a cover on one of these things. seriously. but, as you artists out there well know, the wave just swept over me, and the next thing i knew, i was doing it. and it was a good thing the muses decided to stop by, because my last book was dangerously close to the final useable pages. so yeah, i pushed and cut and glued and placed and made a thousand and one tiny desicions and calculations. because, yeah... i never use rulers or anything to get my stuff straight... its all done by sight. so, i'm happy to say i'm pleased with it... i just wish my photo-equipment was better, but oh well, you work with what you have. so let's see what we have here, models-wise. it seems like my angel joe strummer has the rare honor of being on more than one book. he's a two-time cover boy. this is a great shot of him on the tom snyder show... back when he was on tom snyder. i have no idea what year it was. man, he's effing gorgeous. so sweet, and candy-deelish; hence the title, 'lollipop.' plus, i just like the way the word looks. now for the medallions. from left to right we have: actor richard dixon as oofy prosser in the 'jeeves and wooster' series; sylvie vartan snipped from one of jean-lucien's marvelous collages; the post-'babydoll' glamorous miss carroll baker; the one and only terry jones; the ...multi-talented...?? nell campbell from 'the rocky horror picture show' ; david bowie from 'the man who fell to earth,' ; and finally, but never least, semi-trashy disco chick, debbie harry. so um, dig it... my groovy new book. (click to enlarge)

the films of stanley kubrick - video montage

i thought i might as well post this here, as part of a late birthday celebration for mr. kubrick. as film montages go, i think this one is exceptional. just get past the relatively slow start, and you'll be wowed.

happy birthday stanley kubrick

actually, its a late birthday. and i've gotta run through it really fast, and stanley really doesn't derseve that, but i've got a communication on the other line. so, yesterday... (maybe two days ago by now) was master stanley kubrick's birthday. the source i was looking at said he was 81. that can't be right... is that right? well, anyway, here he is in 1962, during the filming of the daring film 'lolita,' with the title character, played by sue lyon, in between takes. you hardly recognize him without his beard, right? i've seen this film recently. and although the 60's version is rather diluted, when it comes to the sexual content, its still an incredibly compelling piece of storytelling. required viewing. i wanted to post a shot from 'the shining,' or 'barry lyndon,' but since i didn't have the time or energy to do so, this shot will have to do. i know MY head wouldn't be what it is today without kubrick... so, yeah... he's a Master of the Art. happy birthday.

stars and hits

i've gotta give my brother jean-lucien big credit for this one; on account of he found it, tricked it, and sent it to me. again, its a super-cool magazine cover, and once again, its hard for me to remember if i had this one. i know i probably had at least one friend who had it. if jean-luc and i did have it, it was early enough that we were more concerned with getting the pin-ups on the wall, and less concerned with preserving the magazine intact-for-the-future. obviously, the duran duran lads are the big stars here. and real quick, while we've got the lads in front of us, let's see who wins the horserace! mmm, you know, i might meet some differences of opinion on this one, but i'm gonna have to say nick. yeah, in my opinion, sweet nick rhodes wins the prize. but it should be said that its a pretty good picture of all of them. okay, judgement out of the way, let's see what other features this issue boasts. hey, according to the upper-left corner, we get a groovy pull-out of the lads in spandau ballet. and for some reason, i think its funny that the words 'sony walkman' are on the cover at all. like as if a walkman was a dude. dig it. (click to enlarge)

helen, o helen

yes, here at 'the planet,' you get two, two, two sexy helen mirrens for the price of one! yes, i suppose this post is yet another bit of evidence as to me being something other-than-straight, but guess what? i don't care! if there's one thing i can't resist, its a sexy, creamy, milky-sweet, light-brown-sugar-fied photo of miss helen mirren, wearing something so sheer i don't even have to try to 'see what's goin' on,' if you know what i mean. and i think you do. but hey, i've done myself 'one better,' with back-to-back shots of the british goddess. and i almost can't decide which dress i like better on her. but i CAN say i love her 'slept in' - 'gently tousled' dark blonde haircut. my hair doesn't really 'do' bangs like that... i've tried to get them cut that way, but i'm repeatedly told my hair wouldn't do it. i actually found this 'double shot' as part of a website to show how stars have gotten 'boob jobs.' apparently, in the shot of helen on the right, she's supposed to have noticeably larger, pumped-up, silicone boobs. and i think the dude running the website doesn't know what he's talking about. i think they're just like, laying a different way. i mean, hey... you ladies know what i mean. every time you move your bod your boobs look a little bit different. i think they look almost exactly the same in both shots... the dress and a matter of four years can make all the difference. still... dig the cinnamon creamy goodness. (click to enlarge) ( no pun intended)

the secret world of advertising

okay, first of all, i'm instantly drawn to this ad because of the era, the pretty models, the 'love story' yarn caps, and the aesthetics of the picture in general. now, that being said, let's think about this a little harder. who are these two chicks? sisters? bitchy high school rivals? 'best friends?' well, whatever they are, they certainly have no problem getting 'kiss close' in the middle of a wheatfield, with their corresponding cans of spray deodorant. like, how did this come about? i mean, did Chick A. call up Chick B. and say something like, "...Brenda, meet me in the wheat field behind the new drugstore and shoe place at 4:45 PM ... wear your yarn cap; you know, the one that matches mine?" Chick B: "...sure thing, Suzanne... what for?" BRENDA: "...don't worry about that, just put on some lip gloss, and meet me out there... i know a guy who wants to take our picture..." SUZE: "...not 'nudies' again?" BRENDA: "...No, my uncle's on parole, he can't even come to the house... no, its another guy... from Drama class." SUZE: "...okay, i'll have to sneak out, though." BRENDA: "So sneak out!!! If you don't, then you're not my 'true friend...'" (longish pause) "...Oh, and Suzie... one more thing..." (2-3-4) "....bring your deodorant...!!" (saying the last word in an urgent, secretive whisper) CUT. yeah, i imagine it might've gone something like that. (click to enlarge)

take the spandau train...!

umm, i don't know if i'm gonna wish i hadn't posted this in the morning, but whatever. here we've got three of the early 80's spandau boys, on tour, presumably, lugging all their flash new wave junk onto their train. notice they don't seem to have a lot of roadies or assistants and people like, helping them with it. okay, i guess i should identify the blokes, 'left to right'-style. okay, from the left, we've got tony 'front man' hadley, steve 'blonde hair-bangs' norman in the middle, and last but never least, we've got gary's older brother martin kemp on the right. he looks mildly pissed about something. maybe its because the last train lost his 'little bag,' the one with all his black socks, therefore, or rather, hence, the blinding white booties he's got on here. somehow they still manage to look 'serious' about the fact that they're about to take public transportation. i wish i could like, put into words why i think this picture falls into that 'unintentionally hilarious' category, but it does. ...it just does.

god bless america

mmm, yes... the land of the free, the home of the brave, sexy girls who have, throughout history, taken it 'all off' for the cameras. i know i had this issue once, many years ago, because i distinctly remember cutting out the american flag part and using it in a collage. and i think the chick's face also made it into a collage at a later date. yes, she's got that cherry-lipped, pouting, lipsticked look, she's got the bod, she's got the 'awkward-in-real-life' posing abilities, but you know what I can't stop looking at...? yes, ladies, say it with me... '...those shoes...!' mmm, strappy, scarlet, daring, spiky, and all-around 'just right.' i have to admit, i have no idea what this lovely leggy lady's name is... but she's a hot one. i think this issue was from like, July 1974 or something. so dig it, the sleek, disco-era female sexuality. god bless higher-scale 'girlie magazines,' and God Bless America.

star-crossed lovers

somehow i feel weird about even posting this shot. i mean, we all know what happened to these two lovely people. still, they are both so beautiful... i kind of can't help it. i guess i feel like, if i can help celebrate the little bit of life these two kids shared together, it will armor me against... something. yeah, i know, it sounds crazy. and the whole 'thing' surrounding her death is one of the witchiest things i've ever borne witness to. still, these kids were what they were... talented, young, vital, brave, beautiful, ... and do i dare say lucky? that, perhaps, is going one step too far. even saying the name: sharon tate... even typing it... it seems almost like i'm asking for trouble. why is that? why should we give that sick clan that much power over the legacy of a lovely lamb like sharon? damn, the more i think about it, the angrier i get. i read the bugliosi book when i was like, 13. i saw those pictures. they never left my head. they haven't even faded. so i choose to remember them like this. free, alive, in love, and fearless. so there. (click to enlarge)

here comes the bride

hey, she's french, i guess we can cut her a break. yes, i recently found this adorable shot of miss catherine deneuve, in the mid-to-late 60's, marrying some guy i don't recognize. classic shot. i think this is one of the best 'upskirt' shots since marilyn monroe straddled the subway grate in 'the seven year itch.' the sexiness is puncutated by her otherwise 'innocent' attire. a very demure bride, but all it takes is one breeze to sweep us off our feet. and she's smiling... which is, of course, extremely sexy. and to all of you who are tempted to say she's wearing 'granny panties;' grow up. historically, there's almost nothing sexier than white underwear just like that. (well, at least, in MY humble non-lesbian opinion.) if she were wearing a trashy thong, then it just wouldn't have the same impact. i'd love to have had a camera in the room on THAT wedding night. woof! (click to deliciously enlarge)