Reel Talk: West Side Story

The 1961 film version of West Side Story--one of the greatest musicals ever--continues to stand out in history as one of the most original and influential films of all time. From the timeless look of the Super Panavision 70 film and cinematography by Daniel Fapp, to the emotional and beautiful play book by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim, West Side Story is an incredible experience for film lovers and musical fanatics alike.


Based on The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet(arguably Shakespeare's most famous work), West Side Story tells the story of two rival gangs fighting over the territory of the west side of Manhattan: The Italian-American Jets versus the newly immigrated Puerto Rican Sharks. Within the tight knit groups grew the doomed love of Tony and Maria complete with a cast of unforgettable characters with classic 60's names such as Riff, Ice, Baby Jon, Chino, and Bernardo.


While the basic storyline is no surprise, the film version of West Side Story makes a significant impact on the audience on more levels than just the tragic level of lost love. Through numbers like "Gee, Officer Krupke" and "Cool", we begin to understand the internal pain and heartache of lost youths. The Jets thrive on loyalty and manhood in the wake of not wanting to face their own identity crises. Tony walks away from the gang, but still wants to support his second family within the gang. The casting of Russ Tamblyn, Tucker Smith, and Eliot Feld is perfect for balancing the love of the Jets as family and the fragility of their internal insecurities.


On the opposite side of the chain-link playground, the plight of the Sharks as shown through numbers such as "America" and "A Boy Like That" showed a still very closed minded film audience the hardships of immigration and racial discrimination within the so called "Land of the Free". As Bernardo and the rest of the Sharks are kicked out of Doc's store by Lieutenant Schrank whistling "My Country Tis Of Thee", the audience is hit with the feeling of disgust for the law, not the feuding gangs and their concealed weapons.

Bernstein's score leaps off of the screen with the help of Jerome Robbins' jazz inspired choreography filtered through glorious technicolor. While the "fight scenes" can't really qualify as violent or scary, they are filled with tension and beauty. You believe the blood thirsty rivalry (even though leg lifts and plies aren't usually mentioned on the 11 o'clock news after a gang fight).

West Side Story was considered "culturally significant" by the Library of Congress and preserved in 1997 for future generations. A film is not just considered special because it won Best Picture (1961), it is important because it teaches us about ourselves; our prejudices, our loyalties, our compassion, and our society. While it is a perfect time capsule for the early 1960's, the themes are universal and the production is timeless.

Eye-Dentity: Ann Margret

There are not many women who can hold a fickle nation's attention for longer than one or two movie cycles. There were not many women who had realistic chemistry with the King of Rock and Roll himself. Ann Margret has succeeded at both.

With an incredibly consistent movie career for the last four decades, Swedish born Ann Margret Olsson has become a style icon and idol for women in the most fashion forward decade and beyond. Known for her clean cut face and gorgeous strawberry blonde hair, Margret became the standard for young beauty (ironically she was always seen as American as apple pie). Men wanted to be with her, and women tried desperately to recreate her look. For a pretty realistic depiction of Margretmania check out season two of Mad Men. With a flare of flirty sexuality, Ann Margret's wardrobe consisted of the always classic turtle neck, button up tank tops, high waisted and tapered slacks, high waisted skirts and round skirted sundresses.

The magic of Ann Margret's easy style is clean cut lines and timeless pieces. From her breakout success in Bye Bye Birdie and endless collaborations with Elvis Presley--including his most famous Viva Las Vegas--no one could deny her effortlessly cool style. Even while the changing tides of fashion through the 70's and 80's began to influence her even as she played Tommy's mother in the terribly executed film version of The Who rock opera Tommy, Margret continued to flaunt her natural beauty by minimizing the theatrics of her makeup. To this day Margret continues to make films and share the iconic spotlight with ageless women such as Diane Keaton and Meryl Streep.


Long live Ann Margret!

Long Live Camden

The distressing news of England's series of riots, looting, and fires has torn apart a country and left some of it's greatest areas in rubble. After speaking with one of my dearest friends from the UK, she informed me that one of our favorite (or favourite) places to shop and hang out was in complete shambles: Camden High Street. Resembling a mix between the creepiness of the Venice boardwalk, and the quaint loveliness of London itself, Camden was a place to find cheap jewelry and fantastic vintage finds. Another merit of the area was that it was the only place a Southern Californian could go to get relatively good mexican food in the entire country. What follows are some snapshots of my times in Camden, and we can only hope after the destruction is finally over it will return to its former glory.

















Finally for your enjoyment, a club shot from our favorite Camden nights out!

It's Chili in the Woods

Most super bands of the world practice their new material in a large sound stage as to not be caught not knowing the words, or sounding less than impeccable. The Red Hot Chili Peppers are not most super bands. Following in the footsteps of their "Californication" lifestyle, RHCP fronted by Anthony Kiedis and energetically supported by bassist Flea took their unreleased tracks from the upcoming studio album I'm with You to Big Sur.


While the Henry Miller Library gives off the vibe of a venue more suited for an acoustic folk show or an intimate backyard wedding, Kiedis and co transformed the grassy starlit dance floor into a private party fit for the funk metal festival headliners. Considering that the price of a ticket to see RHCP at Club Nokia in August starts at $150, the audience shuffled in quickly and prepared for the once in a lifetime show about to start before them.

Coming on late--as every diva rock star does--Kiedis and Flea casually addressed the audience as their close friends and greatest admirers before jumping into a set comprised of 90% of unknown songs.


Semi Big Sur local Flea joked with the crowd as he started up his iconic bass playing, "If you guys know where I live, this would be a good time to rob me...because...you know...I'm not there!"

Even the most reluctant of music lovers couldn't help but get excited by hearing the sounds of a band they have heard on the radio for almost 30 years now. Whether you like them or not, the Red Hot Chili Peppers are iconic and represent the middle school years of almost everyone on the West Coast. There was a sense of warm nostalgia that pierced through the bitter cold Northern California night.

The fun sense of carefree summers can only take you so far before the audience begins to notice that Kiedis couldn't remember the words or get through an entire number without mentioning that his throat hurt. Passing most of the choruses by the end of the gig off to a second banana player, Kiedis continued to command the stage with an air of entitlement even as the light show consistently failed around them.

When they were tight and together, nothing could stop the audience from swaying and dancing, but these moments were few and far between partially because the 250 odd people didn't know any of the words of the songs played. Peppering old classics such as "By the Way" and "Californication" within the masses of new material, RHCP jump started the buzz and demand for their style and talent for their next world tour. My only hope is that they remember to play favorites like "Scar Tissue" and "City of Angels" at future shows as a thank you to the fans who have been there all along.

Track Take: "Gamma Ray" (Beck)

Bek David Campbell--better known as Beck Hansen or simply Beck--is an artist that pushed the boundaries of innovation, pop, grundge, and humor within his music for the last 20 years. While many feel that the last peak of his career occured in 2005 with the release of Guero, Hansen's 2008 album Modern Guilt continued to bridge the gap between the fun loving passion, and the incredible musicianship that make Beck albums so memorable.

From the immediate start of the Danger Mouse produced album, the "one-two" punch of powerhouse tracks "Orphans" and "Gamma Ray" lets the listener know that this is not an album to be overlooked or competed against. While the back up vocals of Cat Power on "Orphans" do add an extra layer of interest, Hansen's real genius shines solo through "Gamma Ray"

With an explosive start, "Gamma Ray" features fantastic surf guitar and bass lines: addictive and perfect. Of course a fantastic 60's style beach hit isn't enough for Mr. Beck Hansen. Enter the haunting voices that could have been escaping from the "Mystery Machine", and the poignant lyrics about a world in turmoil. The classic mixture of pop culture, musical detail, and self awareness brings the listener into Hansen's world with the help of the bouncing bass line, and catchy chorus, without becoming cliche.

In under three minutes (which is also a maturing feat for Hansen), Beck Hansen has asserted the playful and taylored tone of the album flawlessly.

4-D

Over 4,000 page views forModern Girls and Old Fashioned Men!

Thanks dudes,

J+B

Happy Independence Day!

love Bailey and Jess