Double Vision: Passion, Fashion, and The September Issue
Later, a trip to Paris reignites the inner fire that looked to be extinguished. In a film full of flash and fashion, and pretty pictures, it’s this section that shows the inner beauty, particularly as Coddington overlooks the gardens at Versailles, an inspiring perspective emerges: “You have to go charging ahead, you can’t stay behind.”
And isn’t that what fashion, and life, is all about. The September Issue is a glimpse into the glamour, but more so it’s in-depth insight into the relentless passion it takes to create, and the frustration that can happen along the (run)way.
The September Issue cinematographer: Robert Richman.
A Big Fan of Fran
When the end credits appear, there’s a desire for more Fran; likely Scorsese felt the same way, squeezing in one more sharp sentiment from the woman of the half-hour during the credits. Wishing for a sequel, Mr. Scorsese, “Pretend It’s Still a City.”
Bundle Up: Four Films for Fall
For many of us, skies are still blue and temps are still warm. So it may be hard to get into fall-season feels. But before you know it, nature’s A/C will kick in, and we’ll find ourselves wanting to bundle up under a throw, and get all comfy, cozy, and ready to watch a fall-season flick. Here are four films that are the motion-picture equivalent of a great big hug, ones that make you feel warm, not like on a summer day, but in a warm and fuzzy kind of way:
Screen Time
“I didn’t know who you were with.”
Come on in!
“You’re taking all the caviar?!”
Change of Heart
Nine years prior to You’ve Got Mail, there was Rob Reiner’s When Harry Met Sally… The Nora Ephron-penned screenplay gave new life to the romantic comedy, allowing the viewer to watch the relationship between a man and a woman, the former who believes men and women can’t be friends, develop into just that, and eventually something more. Like summer turning into fall, the film is all about transition: each goes through a major breakup (Harry with Helen, Sally with Joe); the passage of time, complete with changes in fashion and hairstyles; and most significantly, time, and life lessons, cultivate a slightly more mature Harry, and a slightly less persnickety Sally. No one is completely transformed, but each undergoes a change of heart, entertaining the notion of letting someone in, not just someone new, but someone drastically different.
“Well sometimes I vary it a little.”
“And I started to cry.”
“I love that it takes you an hour and a half to order a sandwich.”
Shue In
This next movie may not immediately conjure up images of autumn, or New York in the fall, but Chris Columbus’ Adventures in Babysitting has that fall-season state of mind. The 1987 comedy is set partially in the Chicago suburbs, and Columbus once again captures crisp, upper-middle-class living, suddenly turned upside down (a theme he would continue to explore in 1990’s Home Alone and 1994’s Mrs. Doubtfire).
Shue’s Chris Parker is the anti-Ferris, an underrated heroine of the ‘80s teen-comedy genre.
The adventure begins.
“You want some orange?”
Mama Drama
Chris Columbus’ films showing the family structure in disarray still managed to have a comedic tone; Mrs. Doubtfire the prime example of this, as it tackled divorce, and what happens when a parent is replaced by someone who not only fills the void, but seemingly fills the position better. In 1998’s Stepmom, Columbus continued with the theme of divorce and parental replacement, but added more turmoil and tears.
“You guessed the wrong secret.”
“Are you dying?”
“Not today!”
So when that autumn chill begins to fill the air, get comfy on the couch with one, or all four, of these fall-inspired flicks. Which one will you bundle up with first?
A More Mature Miss Jackson: Janet’s 1998 Velvet Rope Tour
While Janet Jackson’s 1998 Velvet Rope Tour shared the introspective (“You”; “Special”) and the provocative (“Anytime, Anyplace”; “Rope Burn”), Miss Jackson also made room for retrospective: her attitude-rich ‘80s tracks and lighthearted ‘90s dance-pop jams. The “Control Medley” and the “Escapade Medley” are impressive reminders of the impact she had already made in a (design of a) decade. Both sections include phenomenal period moves from her corps of dancers, in particular Tyce Diorio during “Nasty,” “Throb” and “Love Will Never Do Without You.”
Yet after all the set dressing and costume undressing, it’s the simplified four-song encore that reveals Janet at her most authentic and most comfortable, from the soothing “That’s the Way Loves Goes” and the soulful folk sound of “Got ‘Til It’s Gone” to the heartwarming “Together Again.”
Kylie Minogue Shares Golden Moments
Kylie Minogue’s Golden Tour is full of golden moments indeed, like the opening reveal. “Don’t you feel that sun on your face?”:
There’s also an homage to disco and Studio 54, featuring a medley of her songs, including “New York City,” which Kylie couldn’t find a home for on Golden, and this version of “The Loco-Motion,” which samples a recognizable lyric from Donna Summer’s “Bad Girls.”