the glam that fell to earth: velvet goldmine

1998's Velvet Goldmine is more than just an attempt to capture Britain's (and marginally, America's) short-lived obsession with glam rock in the 1970s. It's a true aural-visual experience. There is dialogue, but not much of what the characters say is as affecting as how and what they're wearing while they say it.

Director Todd Haynes (Safe, Far From Heaven) has always had an eye for color, but the David Bowie-inspired Velvet Goldmine is a non-stop assault of jewel-toned and glittery beauty. The original idea for the project was a Bowie biopic, but Bowie didn't like the script and didn't allow any of his music to appear in the film. What may have first seemed a blow ended up being a boon to the project, as Haynes could take aspects of Bowies life and career, like his Ziggy Stardust character, and spin it off in his own direction. He not only had fun with his version of Ziggy, called Maxwell Demon, but also references Citizen Kane, and even channels an alien Oscar Wilde (many of the characters' dialogue is made up of Wilde quotes) to add to the benevolent excess.

Brian Slade, "Rock and Roll is a prostitute, it should be tarted up."

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Brian Slade (courtesy of Fan Pop)

Velvet Goldmine poses the question, a la Kane, of what happened to '70s superstar Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), after he hoaxed his death on stage — and his fans and critics abandoned him after the deception. A British reporter now living in America named Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) is tasked with the assignment of uncovering the disappearance of Slade. Stuart is at first reluctant, as his own troubled youth and sexuality are closely tied to Slade and glam rock. Scenes from Slade's rise and fall are intercut with interviews between Stuart and Slade's ex-wife Mandy (Toni Colette), and his attempts to contact rock star Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor), who was Slade's collaborator and for a time, lover. While Slade is clearly Bowie-esque, Wild's character has aspects of Iggy Pop, Lou Reed, and even Kurt Cobain.

Mandy, "What is true about music is true about life: that beauty reveals everything because it expresses nothing."

Toni Colette as Mandy Slade

Mr. & Mrs. Glam

The bisexual Slade seems to enchant everyone in his orbit. He seems to have genuine affection for his wife Mandy and lover Curt, but does he love them — can he love anyone? Fame seems to be the only thing that he truly desires or understands. He has as deep an impact on Curt, who truly loves him, as he does his young and naive fan Arthur, who only loves him from afar. As much as Velvet Goldmine may be considered a "gay" love story (and part coming-out film, from Arthur's point of view), what comes across most strongly while viewing the film is its romanticism. A very long kiss between Brian Slade and Curt Wild is heady and romantic, no matter what your orientation. Maybe, for just that moment, Slade is truly in love.

Curt Wild, "The world is changed because you are made of ivory and gold. The curves of your lips rewrite history."

Hello young lovers: Curt Wild (Ewan McGregor) and Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers)

Rhys Meyers and McGregor do a lot of their own singing in the film, but they are also ably abetted by  such music luminaries as Thom Yorke, Thurston Moore, Andy Mackay, Ron Asheton, and many others. Classic glam rock hits are reinterpreted for the film, including T. Rex's "20th Century Boy," The Stooges' "T.V. Eye," and Lou Reed's "Satellite Of Love."

When the mystery of Slade's disappearance is finally revealed, it isn't exactly equivalent to a "Rosebud" moment. But I was still sorry to see the end of Velvet Goldmine. There aren't many movies that are so beautiful to watch, from scene to scene, even frame-to-frame. That are so unabashedly sad, and goofy, and exhilarating, and romantic. I'm still thinking about it, days later, and may have to watch it again soon.

it's a matter of taste

People Magazine has once again released its "Sexiest Man Alive" issue, and the internets have been up in arms about its latest choice, singer Adam Levine from Maroon 5. The title itself is pretty ridiculous, but also designed for such debates. No matter what your opinion of the overexposed-in-the-media Levine, who seems to guest sing on almost everyone else's record when he isn't working on his own songs or is appearing as a judge on the uber-successful singing contest show The Voice, you undoubtedly should have your own candidates that you feel are more worthy. As do I. Some of my current favorite fellas include:

Benedict Cumberbatch

Bruno Mars

Tom Hiddleston

Steve Buscemi

The guys from Grimm

Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Lenny Kravitz

Peter Dinklage

Tom Mison

halloween marathon: dracula

Friday night premiered a re-vamped (ha) Dracula, starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers as the bloodthirsty count. Except he may not be a count in this version. Or reboot. Or mish-mash. Dracula was completely ridiculous, mixing vampire lore from previous movies, a Buffy-esque female slayer, Steampunk-inspired Victorian modernity, Tesla and Edison references, and some ninja-fighting on London rooftops. It was also a complete hoot, and I will definitely be tuning in for more vampy hijinks.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers as Dracula — let him in.

Fans of the Bram Stoker epistolary novel (like myself) will be happy that Victorian London is once again the main setting for the series, but they might want to let their familiarity with the rest of the original plot go and just sit back and enjoy the ride, as Dracula uses all the same major characters, but presents them in very different ways.

Warning: some spoilers abound if you haven't caught the first episode ...

Dracula (Rhys Meyers) is awakened from the dead and turns up in London in 1896 (a year before Stoker's novel was published — coincidence?), posing as a rich American named Alexander Grayson. Sporting an "Uhmuhrrican" accent, Grayson is on a mission to bring free electricity to the world, and crush a secret syndicate known as The Order of the Dragon, which makes its riches on petroleum. Note: "Dracul" means "Dragon." Sitting here in the modern still-petroleum-based world we may see Drac/Grayson as less of a visionary than a crazed idealist, especially when it is revealed that The Order has doing its bad deeds for centuries, and are responsible for the death of Drac's wife. Revenge is his main motivation, and throat ripping and blood-drinking aside, he is a sort of hero, so far.

Grayson holds a big party inviting all the rich snobs of London, where we meet the rest of the cast:

Renfield - Nonso Anozie (Xaro Xhoan Daxos from Game of Thrones) is impressive as Dracula’s handler and confidante. It's kind of nice to see a Renfield who isn't obsequious and constantly whining "Master, Master!" while trying to catch flies for lunch. But I wouldn't rule out a growing appetite for bugs as the series progresses.  

Mina Murray - In a nod to Bram Stoker's Dracula, Mina is the spitting image of Drac's long-lost love of his life. So far the actress (Jessica De Gouw) playing Mina is a little on the dull side. Paging Winona!  

Lucy Westenra - It took me a moment to recognize Katie McGrath (Morgana from Merlin) as a blonde. She is so far presented as Mina's outspoken friend, and very aware of Grayson's (so far unrequited) charms. She (the actress and character) has a lot more personality than Mina (sigh). Movies based on Stoker's book have mixed up the girls and their relation to Drac, so anything goes here.

The supporting cast, CW: Thomas Kretschmann, Oliver Jackson-Cohen, Nonso Anozie, Victoria Smurfit, and Katie McGrath.

Jonathan Harker - Harker (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) is a journalist in this version, as well as Mina's insecure boyfriend. It's not clear if his being a journalist will have any payoff for the story yet, although it did offer the opportunity for a beautifully-lit daytime interview scene in Grayson's manse, where Rhys Meyers had to dodge enormous rays of sunlight. 

Lady Jayne Wetherby - Victoria Smurfit plays a vampire hunter (not from Stoker's novel, and where did those other London vamps come from if Dracula has been asleep for 400 years?) who likes to sport a lot of cleavage. She is immediately hot for Grayson (and who can blame her?), and not shy about turning thought into action.

Abraham Van Helsing - In the biggest twist of the night Van Helsing (Thomas Kretschmann), who also lectures at the medical school where Mina is a student, turns out to not be the ultimate Dracula foe, but the hooded figure who woke him up in the opening scene. If anything he, not Drac, may be the architect of the grand revenge quest, as he also has an axe to grind against The Order of the Dragon. We'll see how smoothly their partnership plays out in future.

Mina (Jessica De Gouw) and Dracula — hopefully their relationship (and she) will become more interesting as the series progresses.

Dracula looks great, as does Rhys Meyers. I'm not sure how long he will keep up the American accent. But then, switching to British (for this native-born Irishman) wouldn't be exactly right, either, would it? Will we get flashbacks in a Transylvanian accent? When I first heard that Rhys Meyers would play Dracula, I was both excited and disappointed for the actor. Here he was again, in a larger-than-life role, after his turn as Henry VIII in The Tudors. Is he destined to always play the outsiders, the weirdos? Maybe. He is clearly having fun with the part, focusing his smoldering gaze on every cast member, as a predator would his prey. There are also hints that like Angel and other more modern vamps, he might want to eventually shake off his vampiric existence and lead a "normal" life.

The filmed-in-Budapest Dracula has definitely taken the "throw everything into the pot" approach. So far, it's done with flair, color and humor, and a minimum of splatter. Just enough. We'll have to wait and see what rises to the surface, but I'm on board for this (so far 10-episode series) as long as the extremely watchable Rhys Meyers is involved. Invite him in.

you don't take a photograph— you ask, quietly, to borrow it.—unknown

Steven Klein's photographs sometimes verge on the trying-too-hard department for me (subcategory: sweat), but I can't deny that I love these images of some of my favorites ...

I really like his work when it's a bit more focused on one or two subjects.

Daniel Radcliffe, from Details Magaizine

A Rod, from Details Magazine

Jonathan Rhys Meyers, for Energie

Madonna, W Magazine

Brad and Angelina, W Magazine

what difference does it make?

Inspired by a recent Culture Brats post . . .

I've been wondering if Morrissey's recent comments about the Chinese are as deluded as they sound or are just an example of someone who has no true filter. They shouldn't be equated or compared to his PETA-like statements against meat-eating. I played The Smiths and Meat is Murder in the eighties as much as anyone, but I never became an uber-fan. The guy makes clever music, but that doesn't make him an intellectual. Do I shrug off Morrisey's dumb comments because I have in recent years, shrugged off Morrisey? It brings up the question, asked across the internet—how  important is it to respect or be in line with the politics of an artist ones admires?

Don't worry David, you could never do wrong in my eyes

I know that I stopped watching Woody “the heart wants what it wants” Allen movies in the nineties after the whole Soon-Yi/Mia scandal. But the quality of his films had already receded long before he lost my respect. I have seen and liked Matchpoint since, but that's more because of Jonathan Rhys Myers than Allen.

Why should I care what an artist or celebrity does or believes? But somehow I think we all do. I didn't get deeply invested in the recent Polanski controversy. I wasn't interested in his morality or lack thereof—I love Frantic with its filming of the Parisian Statue of Liberty crowding into each shot as if to say, "I wish I was filming in New York." I also like his wack-a-doodle, but hard not to watch, Arturo Perez-Reverte/Johnny Depp mash-up, The Ninth Gate. And I have always loved Rosemary's Baby. But would I have signed his petition? Do I cut him more slack than Woody because I like his movies more? Hmmm . . .

As an artist I know that art and the artist are separate, but still somehow inextricable. A built-in conundrum that I feel when looking at an artist's work vs. the artist. A drawing I do can include imagery that some might find objectionable. But does that make me objectionable? Do I really dislike Eric Clapton's music because he lusted after George Harrison's wife and other stupid behavior, or is that just a convenient personal excuse instead of my saying outright that I just don't like his lazy-sounding voice and have never been the guitar-hero type? I haven't stopped watching Hugh Grant movies because of his infamous indiscretion.

I'm not sure whether this morally ambiguous opining will help me decide where I stand on the next celebrity scandal that comes along, or if I will even pay attention to it. But I do know that a lot of these questions would be moot if celebrities could simply do one thing. Shut up. Hear that, Morrissey?

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