You know when you can’t decide? You ruminate, reconsider and let your mind wander. Then go back over the possibilities which now seem totally different.
It's me, anyway, and this illogical pattern of thinking only makes itself known when i'm considering fashion.
…I love films. After viewing, my opinion is deepened and enriched with further study although it rarely, if ever, shifts to something completely different. I love outfits because when I stumble upon a discarded garment, or dare to try those outlandish shoes which will never work, every now and then, they somehow do.
The 2011 Spring/Summer collection was an example of when I couldn’t decide. The fearless colours atop dramatic shapes initially made me uncomfortable but as I digest them, they begin to make sense.
I was always of the ‘one stand-out piece’ school of thought. Rodarte, however, blew that out the water for me with funky earth-coloured Laura Ashley-styled prints mixed with sheer fabrics and irregular cuts. Bordering on Marvin the Marsian at times but nonetheless, very, very cool and weirdly wearable.
Raf Simons collection for Jil Sander seems to be a winner with everyone, although I have to say it doesn’t do much for me. White t-shirts tucked into burgeoning fluorescent skirts is modern and playful but it all feels unnecessarily garish, frumpy even. For a great look, I think you’ve got to work with the body’s curves rather than flanking them with boxy, over-long shapes.
More neon for Christopher Kane who mixed it with vintage-style flower prints on plain pencilled skirts. A contradictory collection which is, at every turn, bold, if not beautiful. I enjoyed the happy pastel-coloured summer dresses regimented by unyielding string-like detail.
Amid this appreciation of modernity and boldness it is necessary to pay homage to the classics and my favourite collection by far, Jonathan Saunders. Beautifully classic womanly shapes and lengths, floating fabrics, gorgeous greens, clean blues and caramels are the hallmarks of his collection. This embracement of 50s style is subtly modernised with minis, transparent overskirts, asymmetric fabrics, and unusual necklines.
To return to this notion of indecisiveness, it's not always the case. I dearly love a number of old and treasured pieces in my wardrobe. It doesn’t change the fact that it’s exciting to experiment and try out new looks we daren’t dream of (much like the 12” black suede platform wedges I’ve developed a relationship with in Jenners but not purchased yet. I ought to... they’re in the sale).
Hopefully these confused words have gone some way to explaining why girls can’t find anything to wear.
Have a look at the collection here
Sunday 23 January 2011
Saturday 8 January 2011
Becky's 2010 Film Round-up
Just watched Mark Kermode's video blog, 'Worst 5 Films of 2010' and have to agree with his comments on Sex and the City 2 being a colossal embarassment. Offensive for all involved.
I'm having a think over the films of 2010 and can't help but feel a bit saddened by the number of remakes and sequels on the go. Six of the top ten grossing films in the US were remakes or sequels. While Toy Story 3 is a great example of when it works, as a movie-goer I'd like to see more original stories, ideas and characters. When the audience feels the brand is being milked for all it's worth, I think it's time to move on. There's an abundance of brilliant ideas and potential adaptations just waiting to be played with. One such example of this at work is 2009's Up in the Air.
At this point, I ought to be honest with you and mention the gaps in my 2010 film viewing. I missed a couple of the biggies; The Social Network (which, I'm told is utterly brilliant), Kick Ass and Exit Through the Gift Shop, spring to mind.
One film I didn't see, though as a result of design, was the Human Centipede. 2010 had its share of horror and I love the genre but the old-school stuff, you know; suspense, excitement, dread... I'm not one for the pornographic gore of Hostel or Splice. So I politely declined the Human Centipede, the trailer for which remains etched in my memory.
On a different note, pleasant surprises last year included Predators which ticked all the boxes. I'm back-tracking to a degree here, after my quips earlier about sequels, but this one was removed enough from the original and good enough to stand alone. The storyline was well-thought out, nicely shot and convincingly acted. And seeing Adrian Brody transformed from the quellazaire-holding-Italian-suit-wearing gentleman into a sweaty, buff army-guy was a lot of fun.
My stinkers of the year have to be Sex and the City 2, Robin Hood (ahem, another remake) and Brooklyn's Finest. SATC2, I think, is a self-explanatory disaster. Robin Hood, while it had a good deal of cash thrown at the problem to make it look very pretty, just failed for me. Crowe appears to be flavour of the month just now and while I enjoy his films, I felt there were a thousand British actors who could have nailed this part (and kept the same accent throughout). Blanchett - another actress I enjoy, brilliant in Veronica Guerin- felt totally wrong for her part and dare I say this, a bit too old for Marion. As far as the storyline itself went, the historical reshuffling felt extrapolated and clumsy. It didn't take me long to lose interest in this one.
Brooklyn's Finest had one major flaw; it was just too depressing. I've no other qualms with the film except its failure to provide its audience with a lifeline as things start bad and only get worse. It's a shame beacuase they paid for a great cast with Don Cheadle, Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke. By the time it finished, my partner and I felt deflated and marginally suicidal. I guess I just don't think a film should leave you without any hope left in your bones which is why I mention it here.
2010, we doth our cap to you. As for 2011, we hope for great things.
I'm having a think over the films of 2010 and can't help but feel a bit saddened by the number of remakes and sequels on the go. Six of the top ten grossing films in the US were remakes or sequels. While Toy Story 3 is a great example of when it works, as a movie-goer I'd like to see more original stories, ideas and characters. When the audience feels the brand is being milked for all it's worth, I think it's time to move on. There's an abundance of brilliant ideas and potential adaptations just waiting to be played with. One such example of this at work is 2009's Up in the Air.
At this point, I ought to be honest with you and mention the gaps in my 2010 film viewing. I missed a couple of the biggies; The Social Network (which, I'm told is utterly brilliant), Kick Ass and Exit Through the Gift Shop, spring to mind.
One film I didn't see, though as a result of design, was the Human Centipede. 2010 had its share of horror and I love the genre but the old-school stuff, you know; suspense, excitement, dread... I'm not one for the pornographic gore of Hostel or Splice. So I politely declined the Human Centipede, the trailer for which remains etched in my memory.
On a different note, pleasant surprises last year included Predators which ticked all the boxes. I'm back-tracking to a degree here, after my quips earlier about sequels, but this one was removed enough from the original and good enough to stand alone. The storyline was well-thought out, nicely shot and convincingly acted. And seeing Adrian Brody transformed from the quellazaire-holding-Italian-suit-wearing gentleman into a sweaty, buff army-guy was a lot of fun.
My stinkers of the year have to be Sex and the City 2, Robin Hood (ahem, another remake) and Brooklyn's Finest. SATC2, I think, is a self-explanatory disaster. Robin Hood, while it had a good deal of cash thrown at the problem to make it look very pretty, just failed for me. Crowe appears to be flavour of the month just now and while I enjoy his films, I felt there were a thousand British actors who could have nailed this part (and kept the same accent throughout). Blanchett - another actress I enjoy, brilliant in Veronica Guerin- felt totally wrong for her part and dare I say this, a bit too old for Marion. As far as the storyline itself went, the historical reshuffling felt extrapolated and clumsy. It didn't take me long to lose interest in this one.
Brooklyn's Finest had one major flaw; it was just too depressing. I've no other qualms with the film except its failure to provide its audience with a lifeline as things start bad and only get worse. It's a shame beacuase they paid for a great cast with Don Cheadle, Richard Gere and Ethan Hawke. By the time it finished, my partner and I felt deflated and marginally suicidal. I guess I just don't think a film should leave you without any hope left in your bones which is why I mention it here.
2010, we doth our cap to you. As for 2011, we hope for great things.
Dunwich Horror... the forgotten film blog
This forgotten blog about the Edinburgh film festival hid on a laptop for a while so here it is making a rather late premiere...
‘We’re still not really sure what it should be billed as’ admit the cast and crew of the Dunwich Horror as they prepare for a Q&A session after the screening of their… film.
It starts much like every other cinema experience. Shuffle along the aisle, take your seat, lights go down, curtains open... But we are told, ‘open your ears and lose your mind’ as we experience this unique adaptation of H P Lovecraft’s Dunwich Horror.
Director Colin Edwards told the audience, “It’s just an idea that I have been mulling around. I wanted to do something on a really big scale, that could burst open the monster horror story. We weren’t restricted by the budget so it was really exciting and fun.”
Horror seems the best choice for such an ambitious venture, heavily reliant on sound, to drive the audience. There are certainly highly enjoyable moments as your mind sketches wild pictures and characters which drift on and off screen.
“Lovecraft’s horrors are almost indescribable. I got a blast that everyone has seen a different film, I think that’s a really nice aspect of doing this,” says Edwards.
Unquestionably, one of the most joyous aspects of the horror genre is the image we conjure up of the unspeakable, never having it confirmed on screen. Using a variety of fruit and veg, salad cream and even badgers to create the unsettling sounds, the film certainly gives you a lot to play with in the confines of your mind.
One downside is that frequently, the sounds muddle together, coming only from the front of the theatre. The monster appearing inches from your left ear would have caused some real ‘Yikes!’ but as it is, there aren’t too many hug-your-neighbour moments. Edwards acknowledges this and said it’s a drawback of such a project since cinemas are not equipped with the high-tech audio systems found in an editing suite, so the finished result may not work quite as well.
Refuting its label as a ’glorified audiobook’, sound guy, Carl said it is designed to be an ‘audio movie’. ‘It’s not a film but a cinematic experience. We wanted it in surround sound and always intended it to be experienced by a group of people.’
At times the film feels over-narrated and character dialogue borders on clumsy as the plot is extrapolates; perhaps a necessary evil of this type of project. The treat of seeing such a film in a festival is participating in new ideas and approaches to film. And without a doubt, the Dunwich Horror encourages you to think about the way you ‘watch’ horror.
Still, those involved clearly enjoyed the flagship project. Edwards confessed he is already thinking about another audio project, once again delving into Lovecraft’s anthology of horror lore and adapting the sinister ‘Rats on the Wall’. This time round he is keen to employ more full on horror. “It’s a great story, it’s seriously stark, disturbing and dark and a really brutal kick in the nuts.”
‘We’re still not really sure what it should be billed as’ admit the cast and crew of the Dunwich Horror as they prepare for a Q&A session after the screening of their… film.
It starts much like every other cinema experience. Shuffle along the aisle, take your seat, lights go down, curtains open... But we are told, ‘open your ears and lose your mind’ as we experience this unique adaptation of H P Lovecraft’s Dunwich Horror.
Director Colin Edwards told the audience, “It’s just an idea that I have been mulling around. I wanted to do something on a really big scale, that could burst open the monster horror story. We weren’t restricted by the budget so it was really exciting and fun.”
Horror seems the best choice for such an ambitious venture, heavily reliant on sound, to drive the audience. There are certainly highly enjoyable moments as your mind sketches wild pictures and characters which drift on and off screen.
“Lovecraft’s horrors are almost indescribable. I got a blast that everyone has seen a different film, I think that’s a really nice aspect of doing this,” says Edwards.
Unquestionably, one of the most joyous aspects of the horror genre is the image we conjure up of the unspeakable, never having it confirmed on screen. Using a variety of fruit and veg, salad cream and even badgers to create the unsettling sounds, the film certainly gives you a lot to play with in the confines of your mind.
One downside is that frequently, the sounds muddle together, coming only from the front of the theatre. The monster appearing inches from your left ear would have caused some real ‘Yikes!’ but as it is, there aren’t too many hug-your-neighbour moments. Edwards acknowledges this and said it’s a drawback of such a project since cinemas are not equipped with the high-tech audio systems found in an editing suite, so the finished result may not work quite as well.
Refuting its label as a ’glorified audiobook’, sound guy, Carl said it is designed to be an ‘audio movie’. ‘It’s not a film but a cinematic experience. We wanted it in surround sound and always intended it to be experienced by a group of people.’
At times the film feels over-narrated and character dialogue borders on clumsy as the plot is extrapolates; perhaps a necessary evil of this type of project. The treat of seeing such a film in a festival is participating in new ideas and approaches to film. And without a doubt, the Dunwich Horror encourages you to think about the way you ‘watch’ horror.
Still, those involved clearly enjoyed the flagship project. Edwards confessed he is already thinking about another audio project, once again delving into Lovecraft’s anthology of horror lore and adapting the sinister ‘Rats on the Wall’. This time round he is keen to employ more full on horror. “It’s a great story, it’s seriously stark, disturbing and dark and a really brutal kick in the nuts.”
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