Velvet Goldmine: Celluloid Pictures of Living

by Kimberly Lindbergs | August 30, 2011

Categories | Movie Reviews, Musicals, Modern Mondays, Gay Interest

“Histories, like ancient ruins, are the fictions of empire. While everything forgotten hangs in dark dreams of the past, ever threatening to return.”
- from Velvet Goldmine (1998)

When Velvet Goldmine was originally released in 1998 it confused and frustrated a lot of critics who were turned off by its uninhibited style, hyper editing, abundant close-ups and nonlinear narrative structure. They also bemoaned the film’s playful take on musicals and biopics. This glam infused Citizen Kane homage didn’t appeal to a ‘90s audience hooked on grunge rock. Ticket sales plummeted as many critics and the general public turned their backs on Velvet Goldmine but I embraced Haynes’ film. I had become familiar with Haynes work in the early ’90s after seeing Poison (1991) on video followed by Safe (1995) during its initial theatrical release but Velvet Goldmine turned me into a lifelong Todd Haynes’ fan.

As someone who came of age in the ‘70s and later bummed around in various bands as a keyboardist during the ’80s while struggling to find work as a music journalist, I immediately formed a deep kinship with the film’s main protagonist, Arthur (Christian Bale). Like Arthur, I went down the rabbit hole and managed to come out the other side but I’m also a little worse for wear. An unrestricted look deep inside the bowels of the music industry took a lot of the sparkle off the blinding light of celebrity. Watching Arthur transform from a spotty adolescent kid seduced by the power of music into a jaded adult trying to sort out his past is all too familiar to me and Bale makes his character’s journey a convincing one.

“Meaning is not in things but in between them.” - from Velvet Goldmine

I also appreciate the way director Todd Haynes captured the downright dirty and dangerous side of rock ‘n’ roll. As a gay artist, Haynes knows what’s it’s like to be a real outsider and he understands the appeal of beautiful boys who are willing to bare all on stage while they exploit our deepest desires and fears. Unlike Cameron Crowe’s godawful Almost Famous (2000), which offered viewers an “insiders” look at the life of a young “rock journalist” but is completely devoid of passion and creativity, Haynes’ film gives us a journalist’s romanticized fantasy populated by the shadows of ’70s pop idols like David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, Marc Bolan and Bryan Ferry that’s much more imaginative and heartfelt than the incredibly benign and dreadfully dull Almost Famous. Velvet Goldmine works because all the talented performers involved (Christian Bale, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ewan McGregor, Toni Collette, Eddie Izzard, Micko Westmoreland, etc.) fully embrace the glamorous world they’re inhabiting and give 100% to their roles. And Haynes’ kinetic directing style also gives the film a real energy that should be a prerequisite when you’re making a film about the power of music. Naturally critics loved Crowe’s Almost Famous, which has currently earned a whopping 88% of “like” votes at Rotten Tomatoes while Haynes’ Velvet Goldmine languishes at 55%. It’s a sad reminder of how conservative and conventional film criticism was 10 years ago. Thankfully the predictability of film criticism seems to be slowly changing and that’s partially due to the onslaught of film blogs and film sites that are willing to champion lesser seen or forgotten movies that are often overlooked by mainstream critics. And speaking of Velvet Goldmine and alternative film sites …

I recently had the opportunity to write a little tribute to Velvet Goldmine for Fandor. Fandor is an online movie service devoted to independent films where you can watch award-winning titles, festival favorites, and international gems. If you have eclectic film tastes and are looking for an alternative to Netflix I highly recommend giving Fandor a try. Fandor also publishes articles and news features about the films they program on their Keyframe blog. Earlier this month, the editors of Fandor asked a group of writers to contribute a brief piece about a film that portrays a “vanishing way of life.” I decided to share some thoughts about Velvet Goldmine. It might seem like an odd choice and I suppose it was but I had just seen the film again recently so it was fresh in my mind and I wanted an excuse to write about it. Hopefully I’ll find the time to write a longer piece about the film someday since there’s much more I’d like to say about Velvet Goldmine but here’s a little snippet from my Fandor contribution:

“Todd Haynes‘ Velvet Goldmine is a love letter to a rock ‘n’ roll past that is often more fiction than fact, because the history of rock simply can’t be written. It’s told in tall tales exchanged in smoky bars where the drinks are poured generously and the music is so loud that you can’t hear what anyone is actually saying. Haynes knows this but he also wants us to believe that rock ‘n’ roll once had the power to change the world, or at the very least, it could transform the inner world of one teenage boy.”

You’ll find my full piece along with the others at the Fandor.com site:
- Last Picture Shows: Essential Films About Vanishing Ways of Life

Comments Off

Shammi Kapoor 1931-2011

by Kimberly Lindbergs | August 14, 2011

Categories | News, Actors, Musicals, Bollywood

From India comes the sad news that the beloved Bollywood star Shammi Kapoor has died at age 79 due to kidney failure. Kapoor has been called the “Bollywood Elvis” and his films helped define the swinging sixties in India. I’ve only seen a few of the movies that Shammi Kapoor appeared in but An Evening in Paris (1967) is a personal favorite. It features some fantastic musical numbers and it’s just a terrific looking production full of stylish ’60s era costumes, great period details and eye-popping stage designs. After poking around Youtube I came across some of my favorite musical numbers from An Evening in Paris featuring Shammi Kapoor and his female costar SharmilaTagore that I thought I’d share here and links to news articles about the actors death are posted below. Enjoy!

Recommended Links:
- Star Whose Moves Defined India’s Swinging Sixties @ The Hindu
- Shammi Kapoor: The original Rockstar of Indian cinema @ Indian Express
- India’s beloved Junglee No More @ Times of India

Comments Off

Celebrating Father’s Day

by Kimberly Lindbergs | June 16, 2011

Categories | Rants & Raves, Westerns, War, Musicals, Steve McQueen, Elliot Gould, Clint Eastwood, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Steve McQueen in THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963)
Me and my dad (1972)

From my latest at the Movie Morlocks:

“I recently became an aunt again so I’ve been thinking a lot about family lately and with Father’s Day right around the corner I thought I’d share some thoughts about my own dad and how the movies we watched together helped make me the person I am today.”

- Life With Father @ TCM’s Classic Movie Blog

Comments Off

Vincente Minnelli’s Metaphysical Musical

by Kimberly Lindbergs | February 24, 2011

Categories | Movie Reviews, American Cinema, Musicals, Costume Design, Romance, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Barbra Streisand in On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970)

Last week I had planned on writing about some romantic films in honor of Valentine’s Day but I never got around to it. I’m still fighting off that cold bug but this week I decided to share some thoughts about one of my favorite romantic movies, Vincente Minnelli’s metaphysical musical On A Clear Day You Can See Forever (1970). This lush production has gotten a lot of negative press over the years and I’ve never understood why. I think it’s one of Minnelli’s best films and it features Barbra Streisand at her loveliest. It also contains some of the most beautiful costume designs ever created. Few films can boast the talents of Cecil Beaton and even fewer films feature the work of acclaimed fashion designer Arnold Scaasi but On A Clear Day You Can See Forever provided both men with an incredible canvas to showcase their artistry.

Unfortunately audiences have never had the opportunity to see Minnelli’s original film. An entire 60 minutes of On A Clear Day You Can See Forever ended up on the cutting room floor before it was released. My thoughts on the film as well as my plea to see it restored can be found at The Movie Morlocks.
- Vincente Minnelli’s Metaphysical Musical @ TCM’s Classic Movie Blog

Comments Off

Chase Away the Winter Blues with Ski Party

by Kimberly Lindbergs | January 3, 2011

Categories | Movie Reviews, Comedies, Musicals, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Frankie Avalon and Deborah Walley in Ski Party (1965)

Happy New Year! Last week I took a much needed net break but I did manage to post my weekly Movie Morlocks update about a fun-filled ’60s teen musical comedy called Ski Party (1965). If you’re looking for a silly ’60s movie to watch during the cold winter months I recommend giving this mindless teen romp a look. It’s the kind of movie that can be enjoyed by the whole family but you might want to warm up some hot buttered rum before you watch just to lighten the mood a little.
- Lets Have A Ski Party! @ TCM’s Classic Movie Blog

Comments (4)

35 Years of The Rocky Horror Picture Show

by Kimberly Lindbergs | September 28, 2010

Categories | News, Rants & Raves, Musicals

Whatever happened to Fay Wray?
That delicate satin draped frame.
As it clung to her thigh, how I started to cry
‘Cause I wanted to be dressed just the same.
Give yourself over to absolute pleasure.
Swim the warm waters of sins of the flesh.
Erotic nightmares beyond any measure.
And sensual daydreams to treasure forever.
Can’t you just see it? Whoa ho ho!
Don’t dream it, be it.
Don’t dream it, be it.
- Dr. Frank-N-Furter (Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975)

Edward Copeland recently celebrated the 35th Anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show over at his film blog. As part of the celebration he asked his fellow bloggers to contribute their own memories and thoughts about the film. I couldn’t resist participating myself and you can find some of my own thoughts about the movie posted there as well as contributions from Matt Zoller Seitz, Ivan G. Shreve, Jr., Joe Baltake, etc.

- I would like, if I may, to take you on a strange journey

Comments (2)

Scopitone A Go-Go

by Kimberly Lindbergs | July 1, 2010

Categories | Musicals, Movie Morlocks, TCM

Like a lot of people I probably first came across Scopitone films while watching Something Weird Videos. These short music films or stripteases were often included as extras on Something Weird Videos. That all changed thanks to the world wide web. Now you can find lots of information about Scopitones on great sites like Bedazzled and on Youtube there are now hundreds of Scopitone films available for viewing. Want to know more? Read my brief piece on Scopitones at the Movie Morlocks - Scopitone A Go-Go

Comments (4)

Modern Mondays: Love Songs (2007)

by Kimberly Lindbergs | June 22, 2009

Categories | Movie Reviews, French Cinema, Musicals, Romance, Modern Mondays, Gay Interest, Louis Garrel

When I first mentioned that I was going to start “Modern Mondays” at Cinebeats I briefly discussed how much I liked musicals so I thought I’d share a few thoughts about the best musical I’ve seen in recent years, Love Songs (aka Les chansons d’amour; 2007).

Love Songs was directed by the talented French filmmaker and writer Christophe Honore (Ma mère; 2004, Dan Paris; 2006) and features an original musical score by composer Alex Beaupain. It also stars one of my favorite working actors, the incredibly handsome and charismatic Louis Garrel (The Dreamers; 2003, Regular Lovers; 2005, Dans Paris; 2006). The film tells a rather simple and bittersweet story about three young lovers living in Paris who are torn apart physically and emotionally after one of them unexpectedly dies. Romantic films featuring bisexual threesomes instead of typical “boy meets girl” couples are rare enough, but I’m pretty sure that Love Songs is one of the first full-length musical involving a ménage à trois.

The film’s unconventional take on love and loss is refreshing and beautifully handled by director Christophe Honore. In many ways Love Songs is the director’s love letter to French cinema from the ’60s. Fans of classic French films such as Jacques Demy’s The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), Francois Truffaut’s Jules and Jim (1962) and Jean-Luc Godard’s A Woman Is a Woman (1961) will easily spot their influence on Honore’s film, but like the nouvelle vague artists that he celebrates here, director Christophe Honore is clearly interested in breaking new ground. He sidesteps much of the ambiguity that was often a trademark of ’60s French cinema to unabashedly deal in honest human anguish, passion and desire.

Love Songs is a sentimental film and I appreciated its sweetness and romanticism, but it’s also a thoughtful meditation on loss and the painful grieving process that occurs after we loose someone we deeply care about. There’s nothing more agonizing than the sudden and unexpected death of a loved one and I think Love Songs greatest achievement besides it’s wonderful score, smart script and beautiful cinematography is the way in which it expertly conveys that overwhelming sense of unexplainable sorrow that can become paralyzing after you suffer a great loss.

READ MORE

Comments (8)

The U.S. Premiere of Les Idoles (1968)

by Kimberly Lindbergs | November 16, 2008

Categories | Movie Reviews, News, French Cinema, Musicals, 1968, Pierre Clementi, yé-yé

If you live in New York or will be visiting the area on November 25th, you won’t want to miss the U.S. Premiere of the French pop musical spectacular, Les Idoles (1968). New York’s Film Society at Lincoln Center will be showing the film November 25th and following the film you can attend a fabulous yé-yé afterparty where DJs J Tripp, Melody Nelson, and the Film Society’s own Gabriele Caroti will spin French psychedelic ’60s pop.

For more information about Les Idoles and it’s upcoming U.S. Premiere please visit the official site for the Film Society of Lincoln Center.

Les Idoles was based on a popular stage play performed by the Center for Theater & Experimentation on Actor Performance founded by Marc’O (aka Marc-Gilbert Guillaumin) who also directed the film version of Les Idoles in 1968. The film’s stars were all originally members of Marc’O’s avant-garde theater group and in many ways Les Idoles was an accumulation of the work they did together on stage. This psychedelic musical satire serves as both a critique and inadvertently a celebration of French pop music and yé-yé culture in the sixties, which seemed to fuel the revolutionary spirit in French youth while also offering up easy escapism. Les Idoles apparently received a warm reception in France when it debuted in 1968, but for one reason or another the movie was never released in the United States.

The film centers around the rise and fall of three pop stars who sing and dance their way through Les Idoles. Pierre Clémenti plays the unruly and rebellious Charly “the Knife” le Surineur who is supposedly based on the real French pop idol Johnny Hallyday and the lovely Bulle Ogier plays the kooky, sweet and naive Gigi “the Mad” la Folle who seems to be a combination of two popular yé-yé girls; Sylvie Vartan and France Gall. And finally there is Jean-Pierre Kalfon as the singer with psychic powers known as Simon “the Magician” le Magicien. Although the quality of the musical numbers in Les Idoles varies, the three leading actors give some of their most energetic and sensational performances in this uncompromising musical.

I first discovered Les Idoles during a trip to Tokyo in late 2005. The film had just been released there and many of the music shops I visited displayed large advertising posters for Les Idoles DVDs, as well as CDs, books and other yé-yé related promotional materials. The Japanese seem to love French pop music from the sixties and it heavily influenced the Shibuya-kei scene made popular by great Japanese bands like Pizzicato Five so it’s not too surprising that Les Idoles would find an enthusiastic audience in the “Land of the Rising Sun.” Thanks to the upcoming U.S. premiere of the film, American audiences will now get the opportunity to enjoy Les Idoles as well.

I’ve never had the opportunity to see Les Idoles with English subtitles myself and since I don’t speak French it’s impossible for me to really write a thorough and detailed review of this imaginative film. I can tell you that the film has a distinct visual vocabulary and a wonderful sound that appeals to my senses and reaches well beyond any language barriers. If I do get the opportunity to see a subtitled version of Les Idoles in the future there’s a high probability that it will become one of my favorite films.

Besides the creative direction from Marc’O and the talented cast of actors who perform some great songs in the movie, Les Idoles also features some truly incredible set designs and striking interiors by Laurent Gire as well as stylish period costumes created by Jean Bouquin. All of this combines to make Les Idoles easily one of the most interesting and eye-catching musicals made in France during the sixties.

I’ve previously mentioned how much I admire and adore the actor turned filmmaker Pierre Clémenti, but his show-stopping performance as Charly “the Knife” le Surineur is truly one of his greatest roles. Clémenti was always ahead of his time and he brings an edgy youthfulness and bold abandon to the character of Charly “the Knife” that’s reminiscent of great iconic music artists from the late ’60s and early ’70s such as Jim Morrison and Iggy Pop. The lean pale figure clad in black leather that prowls the sets of Les Idoles could have easily given up acting to become one of the pop idols he mimics and that’s what makes his performance so compelling and dynamic. Clémenti is the picture perfect protopunk with the soul of a decadent 19th century French poet.

If you’re interested in experimental French film or just enjoy colorful French musicals from the sixties, then Les Idoles is definitely worth a look. Hopefully the U.S. premiere of the film will lead to a subtitled DVD release in the states so those of us who can’t make it to New York on November 25th will be able to enjoy this extraordinary film in the future.

If you’d like to see more images from the film you’ll find them in my Les Idoles Flickr Gallery.

Some recommended links:
- REVOLT INTO STYLE: Les Idoles. Sam Di Iorio’s insightful article about Les Idoles for Film Comment.
- Yé-Yé Land. A great site with lots of info about French pop music created by my pal April.
- Ode to Marcel. My previous tribute to Pierre Clémenti celebrating his role in Belle de Jour.

Comments (18)