All Dressed Up

I confess I've been shopping more than I should lately. I'm supposed to be on a budget, but when I saw this little dress in a shop it called for me to try it on. Well, once I had it on, the thought of taking it off made me want to cry, so I bought it. I find it's very classic, something I've always liked. There's something very... Bette Davis about it.

One Month to Go

Well, there's only one month to go until Christopher Nolan's new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight" comes out in theaters! We've all been waiting on this one for a while and I'm sure it's going to be amazing! 

Here's a few reasons to go see The Dark Knight on July 18th:

1)It's Heath Ledger's last movie: and according to the few people who have seen it, he's crazy good

2)It's got an all star cast that includes Christian Bale as Batman, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Aaron Eckhart, Maggie Gyllenhaal, the list goes on and on....

3)It's Chris Nolan's latest picture: for those of you who know him, he directs awesome movies (Memento, The Prestige, Following) but there aren't very many of them so any addition is bound to be amazing. 

4) It's freakin' Batman! 

5)Ledger's death, Nolan's fan following, the movie's viral marketing campaign and the latest addition to a well known franchise determine that this movie will be the greatest cult experience of our generation. There are even rumors of midnight screenings and costumes! For anyone who's ever wished they were there when "Rocky Horror Picture Show", or "Phantom of the Paradise" came out, this movie's for you. 

I know I'll be there: will you?

History Repeating or: The Right Way to do Retro

We all know that the over the top Hollywood glamor-inspired looks are passé, but I'm still a fan of the clean cuts and elegant shapes that continue to re-appear in fashion. Here are some of my favorite retro inspired looks from the Fall 2008 ready to wear and the 2009 Resort collections.

Grace Kelly in Rear Window works a fabulous, fitted green suit like the Valentino one seen here.


This detailed off the shoulder look works for both the gown worn by Grace Kelly and this new Elie Saab dress.

This white Valentino coat shares the same cut and collar as the Givenchy one worn here by Audrey Hepburn in Charade.


Audrey sports a fitted white dress with a black belt similar to this Chanel ensemble.



Hepburn looks gorgeous in this loose, white casual dress, as does the model for this Martin Grant dress.


The embellished detail on Veronica Lake's gown is similar to that of this Elie Saab dress.



This Jasmine di Milo evening gown echoes the flattering neckline of the one worn by Gene Tierney.


I love this Lanvin update of Rita Hayworth's black silk dress and "one glove off" look in Gilda.



Katherine Hepburn and this Antonio Berardi piece share billowing, loose fabrics.


Lauren Bacall's fabulous outfit and this Jasmine di Milo dress share boxy, square shoulders.

I love all these retro looks, and I think they work much in moderation!

Movie Review: Strangers on a Train

Year: 1951
Color: Black and White
Genre: Thriller/Crime
Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock
My Rating: 8.5/10

I saw this movie a couple years ago and have been meaning to see it again for a while, so I rented it yesterday. Re-watching it made me realize how amazing it really is.

Alfred Hitchcock's 1951 masterpiece stars Farley Granger as tennis star Guy Haines, who encounters by chance strange yet charismatic Bruno Anthony (Robert Walker) on a train. Bruno tells Guy of a brilliant scheme he has about how to commit the perfect murder: two men, completely unrelated to each other agree to commit each other's murder, thus eliminating the threat of being caught for motive. He proposes that he kill Guy's hussy of a wife, so Guy is free to marry the lovely senator's daughter, Anne Mortan. In exchange, Guy must kill Bruno's father, who is trying to have Bruno institutionalized. Thinking that Bruno is a complete wacko, Guy laughs the idea off, only to find himself in a tight spot when Bruno actually commits the crime.

Farley Granger gives a solid performance as the tortured Guy, but the performance Robert Walker delivers as the psychopathic Bruno is brilliant, unforgettable and intensely eerie. This, combined with Hitch's direction, homo erotic subtext, and genius cinematography render this film not only a timeless classic, but an incredible artwork. Give it a shot: you won't be disappointed.

Cool Stuff:

-The 1987 comedy, "Throw Momma from the Train" with Danny DeVito and Billy Crystal is a spoof-remake of this film
-Cat Stevens said his song, "Peace Train" is inspired by this movie
- Shows like CSI and Law and Order have periodically "borrowed" the idea of "swapping murders" from this film.

Beginning

Hi everyone! Welcome to 24 Frames per Second. This blog will mainly talk about movies, but there will also be stuff on music and fashion etc... Keep checking back for new posts, because I hope to update regularly this summer! If you have any recommendations, suggestions, or opinions feel free to post because I'd love to hear them. Enjoy!
-Mariel