ACDC vs Iron Man

I'm gonna start off by saying I'm not really an ACDC fan and don't really have any interest in the Iron Man films but I just found out that an amazing promo event for the new Iron Man 2 film took place a few days ago just down the road from me at Rochester Castle in Kent. These amazing visual effects were projected onto the walls of the last standing keep of the castle. I'm sooo annoyed I didn't hear about this event happening, I bet it was stunning to see it live. Do spend a couple of minutes watching the video, it is very cool indeed!

Alan Sillitoe

BBC News - Author Alan Sillitoe dies in London aged 82

Just saw this on the beeb, I watched The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner just yesterday, and Saturday Night Sunday Morning is one of my all time favourite book/films. Sad news indeed.

The Boat That Sucked

Last night I made the rather unwise decision of watching The Boat That Rocked, this film is set in 1966 aboard a pirate radio ship. I lasted 45 minutes.

At first I forgave them the men's 70s shirts, as I was quite enjoying hearing a bit of classic 60s pop. But then some girls all dolled up in pvc and polyester appeared and one was wearing the worst pair of "60s retro" pointy toe stiletto heel boots with op art cut outs, you know the sort you get in nasty online fancy dress shops. Then they played Arthur Brown - Fire, this epic song wasn't released until 1968, then an Ike & Tina Turner song came on as a Deram labelled record was playing! I turned it off.

I know this was supposed to be a comedy film, but the 1960s was such an important time for music and fashion to me and a million others I'm sure, and it should be respected, just as now the fashions were quite different year to year. You wouldn't make a film about the 90s and put the characters in skinny jeans and ugg boots now would you!?!


So to make me feel better here are some cool people on a boat in the 60s, from the September 1966 edition of Rave magazine.

The Plastic Joy Award

I have been tagged by the loverly Christina at Fashion's Most Wanted for The Plastic Joy Award.

The rules of the award are you have to pick five or more characters from film or television that you think are rather scrummy. It has to be the character, not the actor and tag a few more bloggers to pass it on to. Here are my choices.

Jean Pierre Leaud as Antoine Doinel from Truffaut's "Adventures of" series of films which I love dearly and of course I had to include a gorgeous 60s frenchman. 

Antoine Doinel! Antoine Doinel! Antoine Doinel!

Luke Wilson as Richie Tenenbaum in The Royal Tenebaums, one of my all time favourite films. 

I love him in this I even have a little cartoon robot thing of this character on my desk at work!

The divine Dickie Attenborough as Pinkie Brown in Brighton Rock, cos we all love a bad boy and I like his suit.

Josh Harnett as Trip Fontaine in The Virgin Suicides - "you're a stone fox..." 

I will overlook the awful wig.

David Hemmings as Thomas in Blow Up. 

The only man who can get away with white jeans.

Richard Beckinsale as Geoffrey in The Lovers. Need I say more?

One person I really wanted to include was Cillian Murphy who I have a major crush on, but my favourite character of his is Kitten in Breakfast on Pluto and I wasn't sure if that would count, although I do think he looks gorgeous in that film!

So here is your mission if you wish to accept it.....

Dolly Rocker Girl

Helga Von Trollop

Living Reflection of a Dream

Snowy Stylista

Summer Sunday and a Year

Pics credits 1 2 3 4 5 6 

The Birds & The Deadly Bees

The Deadly Bees is one of those films I first watched really late at night only because it was released in 1967 so I was hoping to catch some fab 60s fashions, yeah not too much excitement on that front but, it's actually quite a fun cult british horror. 

The basic outline of the story is that a beautiful young singer played by Susanna Leigh is stressed out by her fame and collapses whilst singing on a TV show, so she is sent to the country to relax but whilst she is there she discovers some strange goings on in the village...... and yes a creepy guy is breeding killer bees!

My favourite part of this film is a cameo by cult 60s beat group The Birds (with an i not a y!), this group actually feature a very young Ronnie Wood and Kim Gardiner (later of The Creation), they only released a handful of singles which are pretty rare and pricey, but they are an awesome example of mid 60s freakbeat.  
This clip of them performing "That's all I need you for" is a very rare chance to see them in action..... check it out!

Pics from here, here & here