movie inspiration: Some Girls

I was disappointed to learn that the house in Some Girls (1989) was just a set, but still it is the most gorgeous set - probably my favorite. Art nouveau eye candy in every scene, plus Patrick Dempsey and Jennifer Connelly. The story is a little thin, but the art direction is perfect. So much carved wood and stained glass and warm low-key lighting. I had to lighten these stills signifigantly so you can see the details.




that upstage wall with the unicorn tapestry has a hidden door





carved wood smoke curls everywhere.. really on every surface. And those fat-bellied sconces are another amazing detail.





and in white





check out those peacock lamps - they are part of the bases of the banisters





nouveau wallpaper, black & white tiles, gothic furniture, Catholic icons




ferns everywhere - and that giant swirling design in the floor is outstanding. And yes, that's naked Patrick Dempsey.




more tile work in the bathroom




and kitchen




It's sometimes available on Hulu to watch free, and some months it's free to watch instantly on Netflix. Right now it's not available for streaming at either place, but check back there or put it in your queue.

movie inspiration: Heisser Sommer

This East German gem from 1968 is so bad it's good - Heisser Sommer. Absolutely dreadful song and dance numbers, but really great haircuts, and some hilariously bizarro scenes. Basically a lot of boys go camping with a lot of girls. Boys are dumb and horny. Girls are crazy and horny. You know...





cute pjs
So this is what dudes do camping when no girls are around..



That army of chicks does the stupidest dance ever here. The movie is kind of worth it for this dance alone.




cutest super-short haircut #1 on the right here -


and cutest short-but-not-too-short cut here, along with perhaps the greatest line ever uttered on screen -



it looses nothing in the translation. East German Keira Knightley has it all figured out.

movie inspiration: Mr. Wong

This is the best hat I've seen in a little while - from Mr.Wong in Chinatown (1939)

movie inspiration: Foreign Intrigue (1956)

[click first pic to watch instantly on netflix]



This is along the lines of Mr. Arkadin, but it's not done by Orson Welles so it's no where near as good. Still, these are my favorite kinds of films - post-war pan-European mystery/adventures. Robert Mtchum is in this one and is great as always. But what intrigued me most was this:



While I agree that the new Balmain collection is terribly dull, let us remember what real Balmain was all about -








I also love this pastel femme fatale ensemble -



+++EDIT - to be clear - that hat is just a regular wool felt beret she's wearing, just like you can still get today. Wikipedia says people have been wearing berets since the Bronze Age, which I think is wild.
In fact that whole outfit can be bought new today - and for the last 80 years.