Watch Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.  In this 1964 flick, martian children are enraptured with Earth programs and Santa Claus, so much so they do not eat or sleep, and this causes the leader of Mars to seek the advice of the planet elder, who tells them that martian children, who have never had fun, “need a Santa Claus”.  The leader then decides to kidnap Santa and bring him back to Mars.  Since the film was made during the Cold War, there are even references to the Soviets when the martian ship is noticed on US radar.

The film is beyond campy and cheesy.  It’s a wonder these actors ever kept straight faces especially either wearing or interacting with the martian costumes, which includes a scuba mask upside down, and delivering lines like “Mrs. Claus has positively identified the kidnappers as martians”.  There is plenty of sad visual effects as well, including an overwhelming use of stock footage and the most pathetic polar bear costume you’ve ever seen along with a robot that looks like a ten year old made it out of the old washing machine box and some duct tape.

The perk and, in my opinion, stunning thing about Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is that a good majority of the furniture in the martian homes is very modern and  includes many highly sought after mid-century furnishings, including Jacobson’s famous Egg Chair and Saarinen tables.  However not even that can save this mind-numbing flick.  The best way to watch Santa Claus Conquers the Martians is with Tom Servo and Crow T. Robot in the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version of the film, which offers up witty retorts to some of the embarrassingly bad acting and keep you laughing.

There is no doubt that the film is the epitome of the kitchy B-Movies of the 1960s, and you enjoy those movies that are “so bad, they’re good” you’re sure to love Santa Claus Conquers the Martians.

No Wednesday Wardrobe today, instead I want to take time to reflect on an actor that defined a generation with only three films: James Dean

On this day, in 1955, James Dean and his mechanic Rolf Wutherich set out for a race in Salinas in Jimmy’s new Porsche Spyder that he nicknamed “Little Bastard” (the name and number 130 was painted by George Barris just days before).  They had lunch with Jimmy’s father and a few hours later, just outside of Bakersfield, Jimmy got a speeding ticket – 65 in a 55 mph zone – it is the last time he will sign his name.  Then at 5:45, at the intersection of routes 46 and 41 near Cholame, Jimmy collided with a Ford that is turning, it was driven by Donald Turnupseed, who walked away from the crash, Wutherich was thrown from the car, surviving, but Jimmy died instantly.

There have been many stories surrounding James Dean and his infamous Porsche.  Some claimed the car was cursed, some say Jimmy had a death wish (while others strongly are against that claim, saying he was a young man who loved life).  But there are many ironic events surrounding the time of Jimmy’s death.  On September 17, while on the set of Giant, Jimmy did a commercial about driving safety for the National Highway Safety Committee.  The last thing he said was “Take it easy driving. The life you might save might be mine.”  Additionally, the last scene that he filmed was the “Last Supper” scene for Giant.

Born on February 8, 1931 in Indiana, James Byron Dean was the only child of Mildred and Winton Dean.  The family moved to California and in 1940, Mildred died of cervical cancer.  Jimmy accompanied his mother’s body back to Fairmount, Indiana and Jimmy then lived with his aunt, Ortense and uncle, Marcus who owned a farm.  During his growing up, Jimmy was involved with theatre, speech and debate, as well as being on the baseball and basketball teams in high school.

After graduating in 1949, he left for California were he attended Santa Monica City College and UCLA, participating in theatre and lands his first “professional” acting job – a TV commercial for Pepsi, where he drops a coin into a player piano and he and claps his hands while singing “Pepsi-Cola hits the spot”. He receives $30.00.  Jimmy did other theatre and TV movie specials while in California, but late 1951, on the advice of his acting coach, heads to New York.

In New York, Jimmy continued to do more bit parts for film and stage, including a Broadway production, See the Jaguar, which lasted three nights.  Meanwhile he also auditions  for and joins the esteemed Actor’s Studio.  This is where he met fellow actor Martin Landau.  In 1954, he took to Broadway again with The Immortalist, however he doesn’t spend much time there either, because he signs on for East of Eden, his first major role and heads back to California.  The role will also earn him an Oscar nomination – the first ever posthumous nomination in Oscar history.  In early 1955, he beagn shooting Rebel without a Cause, his most famous role and shortly after is signed for Giant, which earns him another posthumous Oscar nomination.

Jimmy’s road through Hollywood was also was tainted with his many difficult romances, most notably with Pier Angeli, whom many say was Jimmy’s true love.  Angeli broke off the relationship due to much pressure by her mother, since Jimmy was not Catholic.  Angeli married singer Vic Damone, and it is said that Jimmy went to the church where the wedding was being held and as the couple exited the church, he revved his motorcycle and sped off, though many friends, including Dennis Hopper believe Jimmy would not have done this.  Additionally, many have claimed that Jimmy was a homosexual or at least bisexual, but others believe that any homosexuality that Jimmy may have been involved with was only to chalk up with experience for future acting positions.

My fascination with James Dean began at an early age.  I had for a long while already been interested in oddities such as Jack the Ripper, and the Titanic, along with my passion for the 50s and 60s.  I think Jimmy fascinated me on the same level as the Titanic – each had such potential, each epic and their fates so ironic with their expectations and rumors surrounding them.  When I was eight, we went to the James Dean memorial, which is located at the crash site, where I bagged some dirt at the location.  The bag still sits on my bookshelf were I keep my Jimmy books (I own every biography of him published).  He had such an air of mystery about him, along with being a fantastic actor of a time period I love and he raced cars and was damn attractive to boot.

Obviously, I could go on and on about Jimmy…but I’ll end on this: James Dean’s short life was filled with complications and rumor.  Many who had brief encounters with him or actual relationships seem to enjoy embellishing upon them endlessly, each claiming to have know the “real” Jimmy.  His short, yet explosive, career has made him the stuff of legend, and will forever remain iconic.

Yesterday afternoon and evening was a very Ellis family moment…being the car buffs and retro enthusiasts that we are, my dad, my brother, Jeremy, his wife, Erin, my boyfriend, Patrick and myself made what I would deem a pilgrimage to the Dallas Motor Vu drive-in to see American Graffiti and Grease. My dad drove his little ‘29 Model A, and Jeremy drove his latest toy.  After Mapquesting the trip, we drove all 77.15 miles from Eugene to Dallas along old Highway 99.  Patrick really didn’t have much experience riding in the Model A, but I had, so I rode the trip in the rumble seat, while Patrick took the front seat by my dad where there was less wind.  Even with my hairclip, the wind whipped my face and a tangled mess ensued. (I don’t use scarves, since they always blow off) But thankfully I remembered my hairbrush and at every stop, I brushed it out.

Once we arrived, we were the third and fourth cars in line and took the opportunity to take car pictures in front of the sign.  The Dallas opens its gate at 7 pm, so for this night, that was roughly an hour before the movie would start.  Other cars began to crawl into the line, and we talked with other patrons.

The lot began to fill up as the evening grew darker, and while the cruise in was to be the next night, we figured some other vintage car owners who were in our same situation (unable to come that night) would show up, but they didn’t, and we ended up being the only old cars there, which my brother said was okay, since “It was neat being the center of attention.”  Before the show started, we went to the Snack Bar where we purchased the usual drive-in treats (I’ll admit, I was disappointed, my corn dog was soggy, my Coke was flat, and I didn’t much care for the popcorn – a very far cry from the quality at the 99W). We also took opportunities at taking pictures (more available on my Flickr) and chatting with other folks, and much car talk was exchanged.  But darkness crept upon us, and before we knew it, it was showtime…

When I lived in Tigard, my mom and I enjoyed weekends at the Newburg 99W drive-in.  I loved every second of it, aside from the entire experience, the 99W went all out.  Once the sun set, the owner would announce a hardy welcome, birthdays of patrons (which gave an opportunity to honk horns and flash headlights), followed by a vintage reel of the “Star Spangled Banner” (another time to honk and flash headlights) and then a reel about the decline of drive-ins.  It showed various abandoned drive-ins followed by a bold “CLOSED”.  At the end it read, “America used to have 4,063 drive-ins – Only about 400 survive today” and thanked us for coming to this one.  No such experience existed at the Dallas Motor Vu.  The first thing that came up on the giant screen was an ad for Olay body wash, then the previews.  No announcement, no “Star Spangled Banner” – nothing.  I was sorely disappointed.  I guess one could say I was spoiled, but I didn’t think so.  Intermission came after American Graffiti, and like many others, I dashed to the bathroom.  Upon returning, I noticed no intermission reels, my mind and mouth worked at the same time, “This drive-in sucks” (okay that was a little harsh).  The 99W intermission is filled with great old intermission reels! But after a few more minutes, some did crop up, thankfully!

Oregon has only four surviving drive-ins (Dallas Motor Vu, Milton-Freewater, La Grande and the Newberg 99W), and I see them as a true American icon.  A reminder of a time that in reality was quite complicated, but at the drive-in, it is easy to forget about the red scare and the cult of domesticity, especially while watching flicks that offer up the rose tinted version we all like to remember and look upon with nostalgia.

In the 1950s, the drive-in was a place for teenagers to escape from the clutches of their parents.  Drive-ins experienced a downfall in the late 1960s, and were often resorted to XXX cinemas by the 1970s, but today, the drive-in is making a comeback, and it is now a place to bring the family.  There are more pick ups and hatch back cars where families fold down backseats and pack in the pillows.  Radio stations have replaced the iconic speakers (due to theft) but still, the experience is the same.  So, if you have a drive-in close to you, please attend it.  Click here to find a drive-in close to you.

Remember, to check out past Wednesday Wardrobes, click the “Clothing” category on the left.

Today’s Entry: Bridget von Hammersmark

• Hat: Vintage, Dunlap, given as a gift
• Jacket: New, Target, $12.99
• Cami (unseen): New, Target, $7.99
• Skirt: Vintage, Prestige, The Clothes Horse, $14.00
• Shoes: New, Predictions, Shopko, purchased awhile ago, I think they were $12.00

Total Cost: $46.98

Actress Diane Kruger wears a cream blouse in the film, not owning a cream blouse, I chose to scratch the blouse, and instead am wearing a simple white cami to provide a buffer between myself and the jacket.  I felt that a white blouse would detract and look strange since I have no other white going on.

Titillating Tip

As mentioned in my previous entry about Inglourious Basterds, I simply loved the clothing that the two female characters wear is stunning and makes me long for the glamor of yesteryear.  But with a simple flip through my closet, I was easily able to pull together an outfit that made me feel like I stepped back in time.

When it comes to dressing 40s, shoes are key – more 40s shoes were really round in the toes.  Also make sure you wear skirts that are at your waist – not your hips!  As for fedoras, none of the new ones will do – you need a vintage one.  Fedoras back then, and through the 1950s had broad brims.  The fedoras of today are too stingy brimmed, which make them more 60s.

My goodness, it’s a satisfying feeling when I can go to my closet and whip up a costume with what I have.

Director Quentin Tarantino is known for his blood, gore and cursing, however, he should be looked at in a bit different light after Inglorious Basterds hits more audiences.  Inglorious Basterds opens with a very dramatic and serious scene which is well acted, and ends with a major shoot up, but spares its audience with  blood.  For the most part, I would say Basterds is a tongue-in-cheek drama with some scenes of prolonged and at times very bloody violence along with some humorous quips worthy of a good chuckle and overall is a very good film and highly entertaining.

Now, getting to period and historical correctness…throw what you know about the ending of WWII out the window.  And, sure, the film was based on true events, however the large majority of those events have been…shall we say, enhanced?  Not to mention there is utter revisionist history going on at the end.  Oh how I wish that is how it really happened…Anyhow, since the film was gripping, heart-pounding, on the edge of your seat exciting, not to mention a good chunk of it is subtitled, I had difficulty picking out mistakes, and I am not all that familiar with German military gear.  However, two mistakes did stand out to me.  First off, at the film premiere, there are cigarette girls walking about in the most adorable of costumes, however, their stockings were incorrect; they were not double welted or seamed.  Secondly, after the film’s climax, there is a scene between Brad Pitt’s character and Christopher Waltz’s character where the two are sitting at the table, and on the table is a telephone.  This phone has a coiled cord, however these were not yet invented.

Costume wise, the film is stunning with outfits that are do die for.  (Maybe I’ll go as Bridget von Hammersmark, played by Diane Kruger – seen on the right – this Halloween.)  However costume designer Anna B. Sheppard is an old hand at WWII era costuming with films like The Pianist and Schindler’s List as well as the mini series Band of Brothers under her belt.

Do I recommend Inglorious Basterds? You can bet I do.  I’ll be buying this on DVD they day it comes out.  While some may lable it “violence porn”, I found it to be a meticulous and well thought out story with entertaining characters (including some kick-ass and well dressed ladies) that hold your interest throughout.

Recently, I had a friend who was looking for a cool film noir poster for his entertainment room and he came across the poster for Portland Expose. I spent much of my growing up in the Portland Metro Area, and plan to move back there as soon as I graduate from the UO.  I think it’s a fantastic place, I could go on and on about it.  I snapped this beauty  up off Ebay for only $29.00, plus $6.00 shipping.  I usually don’t like to buy things off Ebay, because I think doing so takes a lot of the fun out of collecting, since I think the thrill of collecting is in the hunt, but this poster was just too awesome and personal not to buy.

As for the film itself, Portland Expose, I will sadly admit, is nothing too special.  It focuses on a family who runs a tavern and is hustled into using gambling pinball machines.  The result is a story of the tavern owning father trying to save his business and family from the gambling vice and the sins that accompany it.  The film stars character actor Ed Binns in the role of the father and tavern owner, Carolyn Craigg who starred in William Castle’s House on Haunted Hill, and Frank Gorshin, known for his 1960s Riddler in the Adam West version of Batman, also stars, albeit a rather small role.

The movie is obviously filmed in Portland with various shots that are noticeable and obvious, including the opening and closing shots which over look the city.  Several shots of various Portland locations are shown in the opening monologue, including the Rose Garden, the First Presbyterian Church and other sites.  The Simmons Hillvilla,  is also shown, it, however, no longer exists as a restaurant,  the building itself still exists as the Chart House.  The Portland Tower Apartments, which still function as apartments today.  The Portland Airport, and Union Station are also used as there is a scene in which the Steel Bridge is show in the background.

As for the aspect of pinball gambling, it was a very big thing in Portland, and is detailed greatly in Phil Stanford’s book Portland Confidential.  The poster for Portland Expose eludes to Life magazine doing a story on the situation presented in the film, however no such story is mentioned in Portland Confidential, nor have I been able to dig anything up on it.  So, if you have any information, please contact me!  I am very interested!

Like I said, the film itself isn’t that great, like so many other noir flicks that came out in this period.  However, I do think it is a great time-capsule for Portlanders.  The opening and close monologues are brilliant and include many noir cliches while also bringing in many elements of the Rose City.  If you haven’t seen it, and would like to purchase it, it is available on Amazon.  If you’re interested in renting it, it is available via Netflix.

Today, my mom came down from Salem to visit.  Somewhat of a late birthday celebration for her (her birthday was on the 5th) we spent the day shopping, seeing Julie & Julia and went out to dinner after.  At first glance and first viewing, Julie & Julia is virtually flawless in capturing the period, right down to carbon paper!  Additionally, there were so many wonderful dresses and hats!  It was seriously a fashion-gasm for those who love womens fashion of the 1950s.  Nothing stood out as being wrong right off the bat.  I doubt it will get the full on Thursday Cinema treatment until I either see it again, or it hits DVD.  I highly recommend the film as entertainment though.  Meryl Streep and Amy Adams never fail to make me smile, both are stunning an amazing actresses.  Julie & Julia is fun and warm, bringing a much needed colorful uplift to a rather cloudy day in Eugene.

Shopping included hitting the two Ross stores in town, as well as TJ Maxx – I was on a bra hunt, but ended up purchasing two more pairs of Converse (for a grand total of 44).  We also went to Goodwill where I purchased some killer and utterly outrageous boots.  I’ve been wanting a pair of Bettie Page style boots for sometime, and these were right there, fit, and only $7.99!  They zip up the side for easy putting on and taking off.  Conditionwise, they were wore more than a few times, and have some wear, but overall, in fairly good shape.  The brand is Pleaser, and retail for about $45.00 to $55.00.

As for my HeyWake desk, I dropped it off at my dad’s.  Since I live in an apartment, I do all of my stripping and refinishing at my dad’s house, where he has lots of ample room.  I forgot my camera when I dropped it off, so next time I’m at my dad’s I’ll take pictures and post them.

Tomorrow, Patrick and I are going to Shutterbug and Borders (yay 40% off coupon!).  Last week, Patrick dropped his Nikon D50, and broke the shutter.  Costs of fixing or replacing the shutter ranges from $90.00 to $250.00, so he’s looking into purchasing a D90 (upgrading is something he’s wanted to do for awhile) and fixing his D50 later.

During this summer term, I am enrolled History of Women in the US Part II (which covers the Era of Reconstruction through present day).  For extra credit, we, as students, can bring in news relating to women.  Yesterday, I brought in the news regarding President Obama giving the women of WASP (Women’s Airforce Service Pilots) the Congressional Gold Metal. I gave a brief history of WASP, so the class could get a gist of how ground-breaking these women were, how they were not considered military personnel, and followed with bringing it to today with Obama. My instructor for this class didn’t even know what WASP was!  Needless to say, I was mortified.  In the fall, I am taking a class all about WWII, and I hope to write about WASP, since I find them to simply amazing!

If you’ve never heard of WASP, like my instructor, here is a brief explanation: created in 1941, during WWII, women were called to duty to perform non-combat, ferry missions.  This left men to perform strictly combat missions.  The women of WASP were the first women to ever fly military aircrafts.  Over 1000 women joined, and 38 of them gave their lives during missions.  Since these women were considered civil service employees they did not receive military benefits.  It wasn’t until 1977, with the G.I. Bill Improvement Act, under the Carter Administration, with the help of Republican Senator Barry Goldwater (and 1964 presidential hopeful), who was a ferry pilot himself, did these women get their benefits retroactively.

Fast forward to today, on July 1, 2009, President Obama awarded WASP the Congressional Gold Metal for their service.  Obama said these women “answered their country’s call in a time of need while blazing a trail for the brave women who have given and continue to give so much,” he continued to say “Every American should be grateful for their service, and I am honored to sign this bill to finally give me some of the hard-earned recognition they deserve”.  These women were certainly pioneers, and certainly don’t get enough attention.

Also on the same note of female pilots, the trailer for the Amelia Earhart bio-pic, Amelia is out!  Earhart has always been an icon of mine, she was one of the gutsiest ladies in history.  The film stars 2-time Academy Award winner Hillary Swank in the title role, and co-stars Richard Gere and Ewan McGregor.  Release date is set for 23rd of October.  You can bet I’ll be there!

Like thousands of other across the country, I dressed up and stood in line to see the midnight showing of the latest Harry Potter flick; Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.  In sixth grade, my homeroom teacher, Ms. Rupp read us the first Harry Potter book, and found it fascinating!  I bought the first three and plowed through them at record speed, and purchased the rest of the books the day they were released, going to two midnight release parties at the local Borders.  For the most part, each of the Potter flicks has left me feeling pretty good.  With spot on cast movie after movie, I had little to no reservations about the latest film installment come midnight this morning.  Getting in line around 9:30 (with several news vans outside the cinema), all 14 midnight showing screens at the local Regal were sold out, and four 3:15 am showings had been added.

The film itself held up expectations, and I think was the most beautifully filmed of the six made so far.  There were also many, many funny parts which had me laughing (”Especially the pincers”).  There were several new character introductions that matched their book counterparts perfectly, however, several moments from the book that I was looking forward to were cut, and the ending changed dramatically, in my opinion.  But, needless to say, I’ll be seeing it at least one more time before it hits DVD.  The sad thing is, we now have to wait until November 2010 for the first film of the final book, which has been split into two films.  So…pretty much Harry Potter has spanned my entire adolescence, and then some.  But I’ll still be in line at midnight two more times – it’s worth it!

My ultimate career goal is to be a period consultant for films.  For years I’ve sat in the audience noticing period errors in films from incorrect phones to wrong wheels on cars.  But one thing I never thought of before was typography.  But font designer Mark Simonson has been noticing typography errors for sometime, and on his site, he composes a fantastic list of praise and inaccuracies in typography in films, entitled “Typecasting: The Use (and Misuse) of Period Typography in Movies”.  Using a five star scale, Simonson rates each of the films on how accurate they are in using period correct typography.  Many of my favorite films are on his list, including L.A. Confidential, which, sadly, receives two out of five stars, but That Thing You Do! (my number one favorite film) was given five out of five.  Simonson has continued to point out these errors in his blog.  Being the girlfriend of a graphic designer and typophile, I am usually annoyed by pointing out of fonts, but Simonson has a talent that all art directors in film need to consult with.  So check it out!