tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post4725944036250543672..comments2024-03-26T05:01:57.793-07:00Comments on DREAMS ARE WHAT LE CINEMA IS FOR...: SHAMPOO 1975Ken Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-84868907828882328022020-09-09T15:19:12.262-07:002020-09-09T15:19:12.262-07:00Yes, I have seen MODEL SHOP. I saw it on TCM and l...Yes, I have seen MODEL SHOP. I saw it on TCM and liked it so much I now have the Blu-ray. Its such a great time-capsule of LA as a city that exists through the windshield of an automobile. It hadn't occurred to me before, but I agree with your observation that it has much in common with SHAMPOO. Especially with the always wonderful Alexandra Hay reminding me very much of Goldie Hawn's character in her exasperation with a lover who won't grow up. I've recommended MODEL SHOP to a couple of friends, and neither cared for it, but I think it's a fascinating movie, marvelously acted and beautifully shot.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-60691773092506588952020-09-07T18:37:58.555-07:002020-09-07T18:37:58.555-07:00Have you ever seen Jacques Demy's Model Shop? ...Have you ever seen Jacques Demy's Model Shop? They show it on TCM every once in awhile. Quentin Tarentino has cited it as one of the key influences for Once Upon a Time...In Hollywood. It was filmed in 1968 and released in 1969. Anouk Aimee plays this exotic older beauty who still works as a model/model broker in LA and Gary Lockwood is a hunky young architect in a convertible who may or may not be going to Vietnam. Like Shampoo its about personal, romantic, societal disillusionment only without any laughs. Jacques Demy directed The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, and I think this is one of his most interesting movies. Highly recommended!Kipnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-44072108858355680062015-07-13T16:46:58.551-07:002015-07-13T16:46:58.551-07:00Hi Doug
I can't imagine why your two other rep...Hi Doug<br />I can't imagine why your two other replies failed to show up, but I'm glad this one did. That's an interesting observation you made about one of my favorite scenes. Indeed, perhaps one of the reasons Goldie's well-timed tirade stands out so strongly for me is because it DOES have the ring of verisimilitude. Were I told it was taken from a real-life even, it wouldn't come at all as a surprise! Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-64760643425440625162015-07-13T16:07:46.343-07:002015-07-13T16:07:46.343-07:00I've entered two replies but neither has appea...I've entered two replies but neither has appeared or a note stating that my comment needs to be approved.That being said........Goldie's scene yelling at Beatty seems a little too spot on;I have a feeling that it happened in real life as well!doug denslowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11303000553553961134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-57115916142763098592015-07-12T08:10:57.183-07:002015-07-12T08:10:57.183-07:00Thanks for the heads up and compliment! Correction...Thanks for the heads up and compliment! Corrections noted!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-12269591135364534132015-07-12T00:03:29.534-07:002015-07-12T00:03:29.534-07:00I loved your review of Shampoo...just one minor qu...I loved your review of Shampoo...just one minor quibble: The actor you continuously refer to as Jack Weston is actually Jack WARDENAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-83863309616853231162015-04-07T05:10:05.956-07:002015-04-07T05:10:05.956-07:00Hi John
For one so young, you have a wonderful app...Hi John<br />For one so young, you have a wonderful appreciation and understanding of what 70s films attempted to do. I don't mean that to sound condescending, but often those who "get" 70s films are those who lived through them. <br />You were far too young when most of these films were released, but your discovery of them later sounds like a rich experience. <br />Your account of "Shampoo" and what it meant to you is very insightful and far ore penetrating than most pieces I've read online by younger film fans.<br />Sometimes i think the rapid pace of films today conditions people to grasp only the most superficial aspects of cinema storytelling. To look at "Shampoo" as merely the story of a Beverly Hills lothario is but to skim the surface. You really capture what is going on with the characters and with the film's theme. I really enjoyed reading this! Especially your take on the very sad ending. <br />Wonderful. Thanks, for the contribution, John!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-75825430927064920102015-04-04T19:33:43.537-07:002015-04-04T19:33:43.537-07:00Today I wondered, "I wondered if ken reviewed...Today I wondered, "I wondered if ken reviewed Shampoo" seeing that you reviewed Bonnie and Clyde. Yet again, we seem to have loved the same movies, for the same reasons (well mostly I guess). the first time I saw Shampoo, I was eleven. I was so excited to watch (ABC was showing it over Christmas break) mostly being a Goldie Hawn fan....and a Warren Beatty fan....only a little bit though. but...I only saw the beginning up to when Christie visits Lester at the office. I wouldn't see it again until 1983...and see in its entirety. I loved it, even though I was a bit stunned. getting to see the end....I was heartbroken. I hadn't felt hurt by love gone wrong since seeing Kramer vs. Kramer at the age of 9....watching the elevator doors close on Meryl.....asking if she looked okay before seeing her son. as Dustin smiles and says, "you look great"....end of movie. I was 9...but I got it, believe me. the same thing with Shampoo's ending. Christie driving up a hill to get away....Beatty following her and blocking her from her car to escape again. Never forget Beatty crying, begging her to give him another chance. And Christie saying, "you're too late....Lester and I have a tickets for the 4 00 flight". Beatty: "what do you mean, too late? we're not dead....." For me, one of the saddest endings in film...when Christie thinks for a brief moment...but decides on Lester. she drives off...Paul Simon sadly humming....George watches her below. Damn straight, it's too late. No boy gets girl in the end. No "Pretty Woman" ending. the credits with the beach boys coming out of the blackout, where George stands looking, as we see him from the back....is so honest and direct....how could anyone not cry or feel sadness in their heart. I'm sure Ashby wanted the audience to ask themselves....what will happen to George? For me, I really felt like I knew the ending was the ending. He made too many mistakes....he was given so many chances....and he blew it. The different moments at the end, as George's life collapses, like a house of cards blown over, explains it is over. Jill's confrontation with George, George desperately asking where Jackie might be at the shop, only to find that his boss' son was killed the night before in a car accident....to George having Lester admit to him that life is basically shit (as Nixon is proclaimed the winner on George's tv), you know he won't get Jackie to stay with him. I still have trouble watching the scene. seeing two people who were meant to be together....but separating because too much has gone wrong...too much has changed....hurts too much, I think. this is aleady getting too long....Shampoo has it all going for it. all star cast, a moving story, memorable scenes and characters (the political party scene at the restaurant? it doesn't get much better) and so many great scenes with very funny and memorable lines. my favorite of all, Christie grabbing a glass of wine, a bit drunk, pissed that George won't leave her alone about her drinking as she yells with contempt...."ONE MORE WORD OUT OF YOU AND I'LL GARGLE WITH IT!!!" (in fact, Christie has the best lines....her character the only one who realizes that everyone is full of shit...after experiencing shit after shit experience....and in no fear at all of letting people know.) I love Shampoo, everything about it. One of the best comedies in film. at the same time....it couldn't be more deadly serious. The scene where George shouts at the banker, "How are you supposed to help me when you don't know the first thing about my business???.....you asshole", as the banker ignores him....is the part of the story that hurts the most....life was about to change, quickly, for everyone. but no one would be prepared for the end of 60s idealism...and the beginning of a downfall.<br />John Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-90582660640818238492014-12-04T13:47:37.427-08:002014-12-04T13:47:37.427-08:00Thanks for that info, Chris. I've had similar ...Thanks for that info, Chris. I've had similar experiences...I always have to double-check facts because so many inaccuracies have begun to seep into the site.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-79010996235660604092014-12-02T05:45:13.130-08:002014-12-02T05:45:13.130-08:00IMDB used to be my favorite site, but it has gone ...IMDB used to be my favorite site, but it has gone downhill in terms of accuracy...I always have to double-check with wiki...BUT they are very responsive when you submit corrections. You can sign in for free and then fill out their correction form...I have made a few additions over the years that now appear on the site...angelman66https://www.blogger.com/profile/16471674180789592940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-90171058726981814722014-12-02T04:37:41.502-08:002014-12-02T04:37:41.502-08:00Thank you very much! To be honest, it was only aft...Thank you very much! To be honest, it was only after having already seen the film several times and then reading in a film reference book that Jaye P Morgan was in it, that I was then able to spot her. It took some effort.<br />As for IMDB, I'm not always sure what their practices are regarding listings. Although I rely on the site a great deal, it is nevertheless loaded with inaccuracies (like someone mistaking a character actor for Ray Bolger in 1982's "Annie") and omissions. <br />Thanks you for stopping by the site and commenting. Happy I could supply visual proof of something you'd heretofore only encountered in print.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-55695676826827505862014-12-01T20:33:26.627-08:002014-12-01T20:33:26.627-08:00Great article.You know,I found this by googling Ja...Great article.You know,I found this by googling Jaye P.Morgan/Shampoo.I know several places list her in the film as Tina.Yet on her IMDb profile,Shampoo is not listed.I've read a few articles about Jaye and the film,but your picture of her in the beauty shop is proof.I wonder why it's not listed on her film credits,even if it's uncredited.doug denslowehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11303000553553961134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-59263580693768882312014-01-21T01:18:03.210-08:002014-01-21T01:18:03.210-08:00Thanks for that, Ken, I immediately searched for a...Thanks for that, Ken, I immediately searched for and found this ad, as well as the "horizontal" version, and my first impression was you would NEVER see Miss Welch wearing such chintzy accoutrements under normal circumstances!Mark Vanselownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-54022287444814375572014-01-20T14:55:27.357-08:002014-01-20T14:55:27.357-08:00I love the point you make about everybody projecti...I love the point you make about everybody projecting upon George what they want him to be, and there being absolutely nothing there. I think you nailed, Mr. Beatty's particular brand of shrewdness right on the head: there is something canny in his portraying so many beautiful-but-dim males (Clyde, McCabe, Joe Pendleton in "Heaven Can Wait", Joe Grady in "The Only Game in Town." It made an of-puttingly pretty male a person you could empathize with. You like him, you don't resent him.<br /><br />It's obvious you like Mr. Beatty physically (can't blame you there), but it's just as obvious that you really understand and appreciate exactly what the filmmakers were after (both in tone and content) with "Shampoo." A very LA story that really couldn't have taken place in any other city on the planet. <br /><br />Should you ever write about this film on your blog, I know I would find your observations fascinating. Thank you very much, Chris! Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-66596922648919121152014-01-20T14:41:05.838-08:002014-01-20T14:41:05.838-08:00The coke thing is a minor detail to be sure, but t...The coke thing is a minor detail to be sure, but the cans are featured in so many scenes you'd think they'd at least go for that extra bit of period detail, since so much of the look flirted with contemporary 1975 trends.<br /><br />Link to 1970 Coca Cola ad promoting Raquel Welch's TV special:<br /><br />http://artskooldamage.blogspot.com/2009/11/love-sugar-raquel-welch.htmlKen Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-43955389904946279982014-01-20T13:51:14.737-08:002014-01-20T13:51:14.737-08:00Ken, this is my very favorite of all Warren Beatty...Ken, this is my very favorite of all Warren Beatty's films because he totally skewers and manipulates his own offscreen image to hilarious advantage--and turns Hollywood into a microcosm of our superficial, numbed-out society. The character of George is far from the calculating, shrewd, brilliant filmmaker and Hollywood Casanova that Beatty really was... instead he creates a spaced-out and inarticulate manwhore who is literally DUMB as a rock! Total satire. Though his role is pivotal and forms the apex of the action, George's perpetually blank stares and vapid "hey,babys" give some of the era's greatest actors--particularly Christie, Grant, Hawn and Warden--the chance to shine. Each of the players projects onto George what they want him to be...but there's absolutely nothing there. There's no coincidence that this movie was set against the twin backdrops of politics and the film industry...both arenas are pure smoke and mirrors, all image/no substance--and, as you beautifully pointed out, substituting narcissism for real relationship and connection. The film really captures "the me decade" of the 1970s to a T--the social numbness which set in following the assassinations of MLK and RFK in 1968, where this story is set. And yet it's such fun and not heavy-handed; it's all done so deftly and with a feather-light touch, like a Feydeau farce. And Mr. Beatty has never been as hunky and humpy in any other film as in this one...(maybe that's the REAL reason I like it so much...but I hope I'm not that superficial). <br /><br />Ken, thanks again for your taste in film! I love Le Cinema Dreams!!<br />angelman66https://www.blogger.com/profile/16471674180789592940noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-41683863763807791362014-01-20T03:58:22.407-08:002014-01-20T03:58:22.407-08:00I haven't seen "Perfect" in many yea...I haven't seen "Perfect" in many years, but I'm not particularly easy to find. I'm a student in all of Jamie Lee Curtis' aerobic classes and in several shots I am behind Travolta. But as they shot most of these scenes crotch level, you have to look for sea green dolphin shorts, grey leg warmers(!) and a cut-off t-shirt with "Body by Jessie" (Jamie's character) on it. Also, I think I have a Prince-like Jheri-curl.<br />Oy! What an experience. You'd need to be in "Can't Stop the Music" to have been on a gayer set.<br />By the way, I remember loving the posts on your site for these movies. "Moment by Moment" is ...one of a kind!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-44495944584221240382014-01-20T03:50:14.182-08:002014-01-20T03:50:14.182-08:00Ha! No, I've never seen "Black Shampoo&qu...Ha! No, I've never seen "Black Shampoo"! Honestly, but if its anything like the 70s exploitation of a films like "Disco Godfather," I'm sure it will be *memorable* when I do.<br />As per your comments on its period detail and an earlier observation about its anachronistic product placement, I think "Shampoo" has much to recommend it, but capturing the feel and look of of 1968 isn't exactly one of them. Thanks, Mark!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-8323517734596567132014-01-19T10:30:35.341-08:002014-01-19T10:30:35.341-08:00You've never seen "Black Shampoo"? I...You've never seen "Black Shampoo"? I purchased it several years ago on DVD--I watched it again after reading you've never seen this enduring cult favourite. The similarities between this and "Shampoo" are superficial to say the least. That said, "Black Shampoo" is scream-out-loud hilarious. The fact it has a sub 5.0 rating on IMDB says more about your typical IMDB reviewer than it does about the film. Much better than its reputation would otherwise suggest--and it was an early gig for cinematographer Dean Cundey! ("Halloween", numerous other John Carpenter films, the "Back to the Future" trilogy, and several other blockbusters). Clearly, anybody who thinks "Black Shampoo" is a "bad" film has no idea of what type of film it's trying to be.<br /><br />I must confess, I was a bit surprised when watching "Shampoo" to see this highly 1970s array of costumes, hairstyles and decor, only to then be thrown off by this chatter about Nixon running for President. Even as someone born around the tail-end of the seventies, it's blatantly obvious to me this film doesn't quite capture 1968 like it intended. <br />Mark Vanselownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-69269405908149501432014-01-19T09:48:42.941-08:002014-01-19T09:48:42.941-08:00Ken, I'm glad you mentioned the product placem...Ken, I'm glad you mentioned the product placement of Coca-Cola throughout "Shampoo". Not that I realised that Coca-Cola's Dynamic Ribbon Device was anachronistic to the period the film attempted to capture (nor did I, of all people, know ANYTHING about the Raquel Welch ads for Coca-Cola--thanks so much for the heads-up!), but your observation regarding "Shampoo" reminds me of one I had when watching another Warren Beatty film, "Heaven Can Wait". You may recall the sugar investment scene where health fanatic Pendleton/Farnsworth expresses his reservations about sugar ("It's no good"--"The deal?"--"No, the sugar. It's bad for the body"). Later in the film, Pendleton/Farnsworth (Warren Beatty) is seen drinking a can of Coca-Cola (what, no whey shake?). Despite all the care taken elsewhere in movies, I don't think much thought is given when product placement is inserted into films--and evidently, this was more than just a one-off agreement between Mister Beatty and Coca-Cola.Mark Vanselownoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-63747492570180198012014-01-18T09:42:56.181-08:002014-01-18T09:42:56.181-08:00Ken, not to hijack this post and thread, but I hav...Ken, not to hijack this post and thread, but I have done profiles on both of these movies!! Would I have seen you in the one?? That's a hoot.Poseidon3https://www.blogger.com/profile/10465785002285422594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-57913497764681171732014-01-17T13:58:14.826-08:002014-01-17T13:58:14.826-08:00I'm stunned I never made the connection betwee...I'm stunned I never made the connection between the time frame of this film and "Petulia"! I love it though, especially imagining what a character like Jackie would have made of a character like Petulia.<br />Happy to hear you're as fond of Hawn's dramatic outings as well. Her scene yelling at Beatty is one that always stays with me. She's so good in it.<br />Hugely flattering that you might watch 70s film and give a thought as to what I might make of it. The more posts I write, the more I'm coming to turns with what an impact that decade made on me.<br />And don't get me started on those two Travolta epics. One I appeared in an extra, the other is a concoction almost surreal in its wrongheadedness. (Actually, the latter really describes them both.) I'm sure to hit them one day. Thanks, Joe!Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-44110198183403379052014-01-17T13:51:38.721-08:002014-01-17T13:51:38.721-08:00Wow! She really does look a lot like Morticia. I c...Wow! She really does look a lot like Morticia. I can imagine that spawning all manner of lawsuits. She looks great though!<br />Thanks for that, Poseidon.Ken Andersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04940648971296673233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-47580003903742730752014-01-17T10:48:37.604-08:002014-01-17T10:48:37.604-08:00You already know how I feel about Julie Christie s...You already know how I feel about Julie Christie so there is little to add to your rave in that area (I'm tickled by the fact that the film is set in the year of "Petulia" - Do you think Jackie saw it?)<br />What you wrote about Goldie Hawn is right on. People forget now that she once appeared to be moving in a more serious career direction with "The Sugarland Express" in 1974 and then this terrific performance. I think she might have gone on to play roles in the vein of "Norma Rae" a few years later if she hadn't drifted back into comedy (no knock against her comic chops which were awesome).<br />Whenever I watch movies from the 1970s now - especially ones set in California - I always ponder what you might have to say about them. (Even stuff like "Perfect" and "Moment by Moment" which I don't believe you have tackled yet.)<br />Keep up the great work! Joe Meyershttp://blog.ctnews.com/meyersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2627032459273165000.post-30836485340260989812014-01-17T09:24:32.443-08:002014-01-17T09:24:32.443-08:00Here's Ms. Marshall (as what was then Phoebe M...Here's Ms. Marshall (as what was then Phoebe Munster) in the credits for "The Munsters" pilot:<br /><br />http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb0jdqflt71qzr8nao1_1280.png<br /><br />(I believe she was envisioned as being too close to Morticia Addams and thus the role was rethought and recast.)Poseidon3https://www.blogger.com/profile/10465785002285422594noreply@blogger.com