Film Picks: "Girl Power"!

Ah yes, Valentine's Day. So we meet again. 

To be honest I don't give two hoots about the holiday (maybe I am repressing?). I am neither angry or elated. I mean, I got a Dum Dum and a couple Snicker bars from my friend so I am ALL SET. But I know that my "indifference" for such a socially shaped holiday isn't the norm.

Let's face it: you don't have a honey tonight and that is PUNK ROCK.  You don't need anyone! Turn that frown upside down! U rock, don't ever change!

Did that help at all? No? Okay. Here are my top "girl power" movies to get you out of your self deprecating slump.  

(see video HERE)

 Now and Then (1995)

Now and Then will make you cry. But in a good way. It's a flash back movie relaying the childhood adventures of a core group of girls in the '70s.  Christina Ricci plays the younger version of Rosie O'Donnell. What are you still doing here? Go watch it!

Never Been Kissed (1999)

Talk about one cheeseball of a movie. Never Been Kissed will make you laugh your head off, right before it rips your heart out when you realize the similarities between you and "Josie Grossie". But in all honesty, this movie has a great message. It's totally chill if you haven't experienced XYZ by now, and there will always be assholes in high school. So sit back, relax, and watch Drew Barrymore eat a pot brownie. 

Thelma And Louise (1991)

This is one of my newer film finds. Thelma and Louise are tired of the South's shit so they decide to go on a road trip when something terrible goes wrong (trigger warning: attempted rape). I know you're probably expecting another snarky line from me, but I have to be straight up when I say I have major estrogen respect for this movie. It is such a great homage to all of the cowgirls of the world who get shit on.  I thought the ending was THE BEST. Plus Brad Pitt.

 Whip It (2009)

I wont go into too much detail on Whip It (see my Film Muse post!), but this movie will always hold a special place in my heart. From the kick ass soundtrack to Bliss' "fuck-you" response to the idiot boy shown above, this film overall is TOO GOOD. Ellen Page and Alia Shawkat are goddesses. 

Romy And Michele's High School Reunion (1997)

Woah! A honorary mention appears? Romy and Michele's High School Reunion has made it into my Film Picks posts before, but I had to mention it again. If you are having a bad day, EVER, just put on this movie. The story is of two 28 year old women (best friends forever) who realize that their high school reunion is coming up! But wait - they haven't done anything with their lives! So they pretend they invented Post-Its. Just go watch it. 

Hope you all enjoyed! 

Will you be my Valentine? 

-Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion

Film Picks: '90s Pop Cult Movies!

Hello!

I thought I'd keep up with my Film Picks series, so I decided to make my top '90s Pop Cult list! Okay, so some of these are from the early 2000s. But they all embody that '90s nostalgia nonetheless. If you didn't see my Youtube video explaining my favorites, check it out HERE.

Pop cult to me means a lot of things. Mostly, I consider a film to be "pop cult" if it has a certain visual/emotional feel that surrounds the narrative. This can be shown through costume design, set design, camera work, dialogue, and performances. Basically, if I feel like I can take a screen shot at any point in the film and it would be considered pop art, I'd classify it as so. So in no particular order, here are my top '90s (ish) Pop Cult Films! 

 Ghost World (2001) - (I WILL FOREVER THINK OF THIS AS A '90s FILM)

Cynic and artist, Enid, finds herself drifting from everything she knows after graduating her horribly amusing high school. Thora Birch (Enid) delivers the most punk rock performance of a life time. Steve Buscemi is in this movie. Why are you still reading this. Why aren't you watching the movie. I can't write a proper synopsis of this film without hating myself. 

Jawbreaker (1999)

"Liz is the cat's meow": one of the most amazing lines from Jawbreaker spoken by Fern Mayo. What is Jawbreaker about? Death and popularity. After accidentally killing their best friend, a group of popular girls try to cover it up- by bribing a loser (MAYO) to keep her mouth shut in return for popularity and beauty. 

The Doom Generation (1995)

Two best friends are going nowhere on an open road when they meet "X", a wild and dangerous drifter. Upon going to the Kwik-E-Mart for some nachos, shots are fired and the gang flees the scene. What will happen? Sex? Drugs? More sex? This film is pretty amusing until the last few scenes. WARNING: GRAPHIC MATERIAL. 

Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001) (SAME THING AS GHOST WORLD)

A rockumentary of the ages. Hedwig, transgender rockstar, meets Tommy (Michael Pitt), an innocent bible thumper who becomes infatuated with her. Together, they make sweet music. That is, until Tommy gets too freaked out about their relationship, rips off Hedwig's music, and goes on to be a millionaire rockstar. Hedwig lays it down in a beautiful story, completed with full length music videos and animations. 

Clueless (1995)

An adaptation of Jane Austen's Emma, Cher decides to fix everyone's problems (especially when they benefit her). This film is '90s materialism on crack. If you are going to watch this film for anything, let it be for the costume design. Checkered yellow skirt suit combo? Yes. R.I.P. Brittany Murphy. 

"I could really use some kind of herbal refreshment..."

"Oh, well we do lunch in ten minutes. We don't have any tea, but we have Coke and stuff."

"No shit! You guys got coke here?"

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion (1997)

Romy and Michele have remained best friends since high school when they learn they have to go back for their reunion. Disgusted with how unpopular they were, they decide to fabricate how well they have been doing ever since they left. Go to the gym? Check. Rent a fancy car? Check. Tell everyone you invented Post-It Notes? Check. 

Cry-Baby (1990)

John Waters is at it again in this exceptional pop cult film. Set in the 1950s, greaser/bad boy Cry-Baby (Johnny Depp) tries to win over the good girl. Much like a musical mockumentary of Grease, this film is full of awesome script writing, beautiful makeup, and roll on the ground humor. Start out your John Waters marathon with this one!

"I'm so tired of being good!"

Pulp Fiction (1994)

You've seen it on the dorm room walls, Pulp Fiction is probably one of the most well known cult movies out there. Directed by Quentin Tarantino, this dark comedy crime film shows the lives of two mob hit men, a boxer, a gangster's  wife, and a couple of bandits (thanks IMDB). It's one of the those movies that you have to watch over and over again to completely understand it/appreciate it. So start now! 

"I said GODDAMN" 

Fear and Loathing is Las Vegas (1998)

Written by the real Hunter S. Thompson, Johnny Depp plays a tripping journalist who travels to Las Vegas with his lawyer. This dark comedy has some of the most entertaining costume design and cinematography out there. You know what? I'm just going to show you this. 

There you go! Some of the best '90s Pop Cult Films out there. I hope you enjoyed and start planning your next movie night with one of these picks. Have a good one.

Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion

P.S. I hope you enjoyed the college video art I did (top 4 stills/in the video). I might make them into GIF form for my Tumblr, we'll see!

Film Picks: Drug Movies

Hello ALL!

I get asked sometimes for movie recommendations. This prospect makes me incredibly excited yet also horribly flustered. There are so many great films out there - trying to narrow down a couple is almost impossible. So I'm picking themes now. 

Film Picks: Drug Movies

Drugs. For something so destructive I can't help but be attracted to the idea of them (don't do drugs, kids).  As modernized human beings we sometimes forget to be introspective - at least, more introspective than we have to be to get by. That's why I have a nice collection of drug films, because they let the viewer dig into the human psyche without having to experience it themselves. Highs/lows, uppers/downers, withdrawals- it's nuts. So without further ado, here are my top drug movies at the moment. 

Christiane F. (1981)

This German film is a true story about a young Berlin girl who frequents the '70s disco club scene. She meets a boy, Detlev, who she tries to get closer to by getting deeper into the drug culture. This film is graphic - a nice mix of heroin, barf, and prostitution. That and David Bowie pretty much did the whole soundtrack AND guest starred in the movie. It'll make you sober. 

(P.S. Here is a Crystal Castles album on Youtube with footage from the film, amazing.)

Enter the Void (2009)

This  film is literally a trip. If you have Epilepsy you best steer clear of this one. The movie tells the story from a first person POV of a drug dealer who gets shot during a bust. During the rest of the movie we see his perspective of limbo - or the void. The camera hovers over the city, seeing all of the chain reactions of his death. Paz de la Huerta plays his sister (AMAZING) and Olly Alexander (from my Skins post)  plays one of his best friends. This movie is super graphic as well, but worth it. Harmony Korine raves about Gaspar Noé (the director), so if you're looking for some new inspiration, check out his other stuff too.

Requiem for a Dream (2000)

Darren Aronofsky's best work in my opinion. The story shows the intertwined lives of 3 people and how they fell deeper in the drug world. A old granny thinks she is fat and buys diet pills from a sketchy doctor* which gets her addicted to uppers and essentially turns her crazy. Her story made my view the world differently. It's disturbing. My So Called Life fans see Jared Leto play a weed smoking drug dealer who shoots up heroin into a black and blue infected arm, too. Beautiful movie, awesome soundtrack, definitely worth a watch.

Trainspotting (1996)

One of those classic cult movies. Stars Ewan McGregor (young and cute) as well as Johnny Lee Miller. This movie, although it has it's gritty parts, is definitely more of a black comedy than anything. It's sort of a good time until it isn't. It will make you laugh and then cry. My favorite scene is when Ewan literally falls into the carpet after shooting up heroin (nice FX work!).

Across the Universe (2007)

One of my favorite movies of all time. It's a musical romantic drama set in the late '60s. I don't even like musicals and this movie MOVED ME. Julie Taymor (director) got the rights to a boatload of Beatles music and beautifully told a coherent story through each song. A young African American boy sings Let it Be during the 1967 Detroit Riots while later a reluctant Vietnam soldier sings I Want You (She's So Heavy) while carrying Lady Liberty through a Vietnam swamp/jungle. Fuck, BONO IS IN THIS MOVIE. There's some pot smokin, LSD drinking (don't drink the punch), and possibly some shroom action taking place in this movie, but I included it mostly because of the pure creativity of Taymor. You see scenes of proper '60s school dances transition to bonked out collage style circus acts. You have to check it out. 

Go (1999)

I've done a Film Muse on Go before, so I'll leave that post HERE. This movie is sort of like Run Lola Run where it loops over multiple times and shows different perspectives. It's a story about a drug deal for a rave gone bad. This movie stars our very own Katie Holmes as well. Cool soundtrack, cool people, cool cinematography, and definitely underrated. 

Prozac Nation (2001)

I admit, I get sort of territorial over this film. It's a rare gem, truly. It isn't a trip like Enter the Void, in fact, I think the only street drugs used in this film are ecstasy and weed, but this film is more about the pharmaceuticals: Prozac. It's a trigger movie, so watch out. It's true story of a young Harvard bound college journalism student (Christina Ricci) with a history of mental illness. She drives herself to become manic, pushing away everyone she loves (mother- Jessica Lange, friend - Michelle Williams). Prozac is seen as a method of breathing space in the end of film (not a substitute), and I wanted to include that because I don't think we have enough films about that type of situation. I cry every time I see this movie. Jessica and Christina's acting is heart wrenching.

If you have some drug movie recommendations for me, let me know in the comments! Hopefully I can take this series onto Youtube. I'm thinking about doing a post on '90s cult movies next. 

Keep it cool, 

Lauren Rose

Curbside Fashion