THE COVETED » Le Ciné http://the-coveted.com/blog be stylish • be lovely • be coveted Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:35:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 en Lady is The Boss.. Kung fu bikes http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/10/12/lady-is-the-boss-kung-fu-bikes/ http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/10/12/lady-is-the-boss-kung-fu-bikes/#comments Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:56:41 +0000 jennine http://the-coveted.com/blog/?p=2872

If you like bikes, kung fu, kicking ass… watch this.

God bless the internet.

]]> http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/10/12/lady-is-the-boss-kung-fu-bikes/feed/ Mad Men, Mad Women http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/09/19/mad-men-mad-women/ http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/09/19/mad-men-mad-women/#comments Fri, 19 Sep 2008 22:15:16 +0000 jennine http://the-coveted.com/blog/?p=2580 Please forgive me for being slow on the uptake when it comes to television. Blame the Atlantic, but I’ve only recently been able to get my hands on Mad Men… For the past few days I’ve been stuck in bed with the flu, and in my attempts to recuperate, I’ve watched every single episode of Mad Men. It was like that Thanksgiving weekend in 1991 where I watched the entire Godfather trilogy back to back. To be sucked into a particular story like that is very strange…it’s almost like an entire life has been lived.

Mad Men, in case you haven’t heard is a television series on AMC about an advertising agency in early 1960’s New York.  It’s a show that doesn’t do any rewriting of history, where the gender lines are well defined, smoking, drinking, infidelity, smoking, drinking, and driving around without seat belts. While all the characters have depth to them, none of them flawless, I’ve come to be most fascinated with Betty Draper, the house wife and Peggy Olson, the female copywriter. I know, I know, Joan… but for some reason I’m just captivated by the repression of these two ladies, nothing is obvious, perhaps it’s a character trait I wish to have… but then, what good of a blogger would I be then?

She’s a Betty

From the beginning, I knew I would love Betty Draper. She kind of reminds me of my grandmother, only my grandmother is very vocal… but they have certain perfectionist tendencies. Betty’s ascent into cabin fever, caged madness under a very well presented classic Grace Kelly exterior.

Peggy didn’t get married…

Career girl by fate, she’s interesting because she doesn’t go by the rules, per se… but she doesn’t break them either. She’s innocent looking, a girl, but a woman. I’m so interested to see her thirty years later. My favorite outfits of hers are her church suits and now she’s starting to wear suits to work, like this checkered dress… it’s so lovley with the buttons down the side. Very femme.

Stills via the AMC photogallery, and the Betty in the Butterfly Blouse, and Peggy in the checkered dress are from the Chicago Tribune.

For those of you who aren’t living stateside, I’ve found this site helpful.

]]> http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/09/19/mad-men-mad-women/feed/ The Beloved B http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/09/08/the-beloved-b/ http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/09/08/the-beloved-b/#comments Tue, 09 Sep 2008 06:45:59 +0000 jennine http://the-coveted.com/blog/?p=2467 the town that boars methe town that boars me

the town that boars me

The A’s are overrated. A-list celebs don’t make reality TV shows or star in B movies, preferring to take their of set careers to the theater. Personally, I have always loved B Movies, especially ones that revolve around shoes, or at least have a pair play a major role in the loosely assembled plot.

The Town That Boars Me is a 15 minute web film done in a musical B-movie style. If you loved John Waters early films or the Rocky Horror Picture show, you’ll have an appreciation of the campy plot of a sociopath butcher boy/high heel fetishist. For such a short film by young director Ben Charles Edwards, it has an ensemble cast Starring Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Sadie Frost, Jodie Harsh, Zandra Rhodes, Dee C Lee, Natt Weller and Kelly Osbourne.

It’s pure camp, and while some people may prefer more polished cinematic features, I remain a lover of films that are slightly (or very) twisted.

Watch the The Town that Boars Me here:

The Town That Boars Me

Female Trouble

A John Water’s classic, because you know nice girls don’t wear cha cha heels.

]]> http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/09/08/the-beloved-b/feed/ Coveting Chinatown, a Visit to 1930’s LA http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/08/22/chinatown/ http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/08/22/chinatown/#comments Fri, 22 Aug 2008 07:10:15 +0000 jennine http://the-coveted.com/blog/?p=2334 Sometimes California seems so new, it’s easy to forget that there may be interesting bits of history and stories to tell. In college, I was captivated by Mike Davis’s City of Quartz and James Ellroy’s noir novels, they paint such a rich landscape of a Southern California I always thought to be culturally bankrupt (I say this with love).

Welcome to California, Just Add Water…

Chinatown is by far one of my most favorite films. Loosely based on the irrigation controversies in 1930’s Los Angeles, the multi layered plot twists and turns while retaining cinematic perfection. Starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway, it’s a neo-noir film directed by Roman Polanski. The other night we were watching it, and I just couldn’t help but to notice Evelyn Mullwray’s (Faye Dunaway’s) wardrobe. Unlike some other modern stars, her costume is fabulous, but holds some semblance of continuity, like the brown envelope clutch (I must get one), the pearls and red lipstick. Each piece is perfectly put together. I don’t want to ruin the movie, because if you haven’t seen it, please do… it’s excellent.

chinatown faye dunawaychinatown faye dunawaychinatown faye dunawaychinatown faye dunawaychinatown faye dunawaychinatown faye dunawaychinatown faye dunawaychinatown faye dunaway

The Hair

In the film of course, Faye Dunaway has gorgeous hair. I’m assuming they have hairstylists on the set making sure she looks perfect in every shot. For us non-starlettes getting a 1930’s doo can be more tricky. If you’re in LA, Revamp does these wonderful vintage emersion classes where they go over beauty tips from yesteryear. If you can’t get to LA, you there are lots of great tutorials on YouTube.

The Clutch

Here are a few vintage brown clutches I found on eBay… It’s amazing she could fit everything in that clutch… but as you may know how I feel about big bags.

Vintage GivenchyBrown ClutchFendi Crocidile Clutch

Givenchy Leather Clutch : Brown with Tortise Clasp Clutch : Fendi Crocodile Clutch

]]> http://the-coveted.com/blog/2008/08/22/chinatown/feed/ Great movies I’ve just now noticed http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/12/18/great-movies-ive-just-now-noticed/ http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/12/18/great-movies-ive-just-now-noticed/#comments Tue, 18 Dec 2007 23:49:00 +0000 jennine http://the-coveted.com/blog/?p=727 In the spirit of being the last to see great movies…over the weekend, we watched The Science of Sleep the Michael Gondry film (Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind) I have to say it was really a wonderful film to watch… just because it was so genuine in many respects… like you can see the reasons why the two characters Stéphane(Gael García Bernal) and Stéphanie (Charlotte Gainsbourg) connected, and also, regarless of the fantastic surreal qualities of the film, and the fact that it’s in two languages, I feel I know people who converse they way the characters did… very refreshing.

So… next on my ‘last one on earth to see it’ film… Amelie I know, I know…
What’s on your ‘last one on Earth to see it‘ list?

]]> http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/12/18/great-movies-ive-just-now-noticed/feed/ Red Balloon… I’ll catch you one day http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/11/30/red-balloon-ill-catch-you-one-day/ http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/11/30/red-balloon-ill-catch-you-one-day/#comments Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:09:00 +0000 jennine http://the-coveted.com/blog/?p=695 jennine, lumiere cinema, san francisco, red ballon, albert lamorissered ballon, albert lamorisseWay back, I posted about the film The Red Balloon, a film about balloon that follows a boy around the streets of Paris (I remembered it the other way around). The film was originally released in 1955, It has been re-printed and released this month. In fact, it was playing at a cinema just two blocks from my home. Unfortunately, I missed it… by a day, but check to see if it’s playing in your town, also with the release another one of Albert Lamorisse films The White Mane is part of the package, so you get two beautiful short films, with no words…

While we’re posting images with me in them… I realize I haven’t been doing as many ‘Today’s Attires’… mostly because I haven’t been doing that much shopping, and I don’t want to bore you with my outfits using the same pieces over and over. Like I have had all these clothes forever… but i thought I’d show you my way of covering a loose button, my dress has a button back, and the last one busted, so i just layered it with one of my favorite skirts… It added a bit of texture and whimsy to a rather straightforward outfit.
jennine, today's attire, black dress, purple tights

]]> http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/11/30/red-balloon-ill-catch-you-one-day/feed/ My favorite childhood movie… http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/11/16/my-favorite-childhood-movie/ http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/11/16/my-favorite-childhood-movie/#comments Sat, 17 Nov 2007 03:29:00 +0000 jennine http://the-coveted.com/blog/?p=673 The Dark Crystal was one of those movies I couldn’t wait to see. I begged my mom to see it, had dreams about what it was like. Recently, I saw it again, visually it’s really great, even for a movie that’s 25 years old. The puppets are really quirky yet they have a life that really, I don’t feel so much with digital animations. So if it’s raining… snowing… whatever, maybe see it? My favorite characters were the Skekses… they are so weird and funny…

]]> http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/11/16/my-favorite-childhood-movie/feed/ Mid-week Halloween http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/10/31/mid-week-halloween/ http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/10/31/mid-week-halloween/#comments Thu, 01 Nov 2007 00:02:00 +0000 jennine http://the-coveted.com/blog/?p=647 In my world, going out on a school nite is a good idea, as long as I’m home by 10pm. Holy moly. That’s sad, but I like my morning oatmeal. So if you are a goody two-shoes like me and you want to celebrate Halloween, here are a few options.

1. Passing out candy.
2. Dressing up, making costumes with what’s in your closet.
3. Visit a haunted house in your neighborhood.

and then there is:
4. Watch scary movies with your friends…. or alone if you are tough enough.

I’m not a die-hard horror freak, but I do like a scary movie here and there, of course there is always Shaun of the Dead, anyone with a sense of humor can watch… but there are also some cool fashionable ones too….

1. Cat People (1942): For the noir at heart
This was the first movie to use your imagination as the monster. A low budget film with a great story line is really fun to watch. It’s considered horror, but it’s not that scary.

2. The Others (2001): Tasteful and creepy
Nicole Kidman stars in this Post WWII ghost story, in foggy England. It’s entertaining, and believable enough to give you the heeby geebies.

3. Night of the Living Dead (1968): A classic, that’s not for rookies.
I’ve seen this before, and written a critical essay on this movie, and I still won’t watch it alone at nite.

4. Cabinet des Dr. Caligari: A movie I want to see, but can never find.
It looks cool, and critically acclaimed, but has anyone actually seen it? Mysterious. If you can get your hands on it, let me know how it is, will ya?

5. Psycho & The Birds… How can you not want to watch Hitchcock?

If you are jaded by films and bad special effects, listening to Coast to Coast AM with Art Bell will creep you out any day of the week. This radio show is about the supernatural, and airs daily. The audience is pretty intense and most believe what they are calling in about is real. If you are not totally laughing your ass off, you may be shivering sleeplessly tonight.

OH and here’s another idea… if you live in a city or particularly haunted area, ghost hunting may be fun. When I lived in Clerkenwell, London, my friends and I would go ghost hunting at the old plague pits and old city of London at 2am. We never found anything except a couple of drunks.

Happy Halloween!

]]> http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/10/31/mid-week-halloween/feed/ Pure Candy http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/10/26/pure-candy/ http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/10/26/pure-candy/#comments Fri, 26 Oct 2007 22:49:00 +0000 jennine http://the-coveted.com/blog/?p=643
Last night, I opted for a relaxing evening in… Rented Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, mostly because I have not seen the movie even though I had pretended to a couple of times, like the time I was at a press preview for Marie Antoinette’s perfume at the de Young. The curator at the Legion of Honor asked me if I knew anything about her… uh oh, I didn’t want to seem like a complete idiot…

Unfortunately, I kind of wish I had admitted to not knowing anything about her because the movie was rather boring. It had no story, to get the gist of the whole movie you might as well just watch the above clip. As much as I hate to say it, a girl can not live on cake and shoes alone. Even if you were to watch my daily habits you may question whether or not I am being sincere in that statement. You may be aware of my shoe habit, and today, I have eaten a slice of coconut pudding pie, two slices of lemon cake (birthdays!), and two Halloween size packs of minikisses. You might think I was a candy addict, but to be honest, I think I’m going to vom.

On a completely different and more relevant note, I did love the film’s costumes and the colors. It inspired me to imagine the life of Marie Antoinette, her decadent wardrobe. It made sense for her life, however if I were to dress decadently, it would be out of place and costumey. Much like these beautiful polaroid shots by Mike Brody.

]]> http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/10/26/pure-candy/feed/ Medea http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/07/27/medea/ http://the-coveted.com/blog/2007/07/27/medea/#comments Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:47:00 +0000 jennine http://the-coveted.com/blog/?p=478 Lars von Trier’s Medea (Danish, 1988) based on the Greek myth, is one of those films that are so emotionally moving and visually stunning that it’s hard to forget about it. I saw it probably when Dancer in the Dark came out a few years ago, and since then, it’s been kind hanging out in the far reaches of my memory. It’s about the older wife being exiled to be replaced by the new younger model. It’s emotionally gripping, as you can follow Medea’s pain and anger even though she inevitably commits unspeakable acts.

A couple of things on the runways made me think of this film, the shiny black dress, the turbans and resurgence of headgear, the muted color palettes. Revisiting Medea, I am reminded why I loved it so much. Visually I particularly loved the connection with nature, it’s purity. It’s such an intense movie… I’m glad to have seen it again. Originally made for Danish television, von Trier used a process of shooting the film on 3/4″ video transferring it to 35mm then back to 1″ video, so the experimental quality of the film is truly unique.
For more of my screen shots, click here.

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