VHS Box Art Of The Week - Veronica 2030

Sexploitation. The kind of ultra softcore that could only be appealing to my confused 12 year old self. And appealing it was. I remember a lot of covers like this as I pretended to pass through the section of my local videostore that, from my memory, seemed to specialize in real-life gore videos and these half-animated-naked-women-on-the-cover movies. I really wish I could remember the titles of some of the films that seduced/repelled me as a child. I find it impressive that a few of these films may have escaped the internet (and my memory... although admittedly this is not the case with Veronica 2030). Interestingly, the same New Hampshire rental joint I used to frequent as an adolescent is now selling all of its vhs. I thought I had bought out the stock 2 years ago, but inexplicably they had more when I returned from Oakland this summer. The woman at the counter didn't know what the prices were, and seem surprised that I could purchase them, which leads me to think that perhaps I am the only one buying these. 

Italy in the '70s: Style

I've failed to write a post for two months, so bear with me. Fashion, hair, and make-up were the reasons I was initially drawn to italian cinema. My fondest childhood moments were spent watching 1970s Indian films. When Ryan introduced me to non-new wave Italian cinema, I noticed elements of   1970s Bollywood style and current trends in fashion. So I continued watching. 

The '70s was a time for great hair. "Cold Eyes of Fear" is a giallo set in "swinging" London but the look is irrefutably italian. The mullet has popped up as a trend in the past 10 years. Though it has disappeared in most respects, all-womens' colleges the world-over continue to adopt this super-styled mullet. Here are his and her mullets:

Make up is a hard subject to discuss, because I don't know how to use it. But I know what looks good when I see it.

Here are some examples of excellence in face painting:

This screenshot is from Dario Argento's "Inferno." This incredibly attractive female engages the camera for a few minutes with her bewitching good looks and her cat. What adds to her allure is her smokey eye make-up and smoldering tinted lips, without which she would just be some girl in a classroom with a cat. This changes the scene from weird to seductively engaging.

This photo is a still from "Forbidden Photos of a Lady Above Suspicion," which prominently features women with intricately painted faces and bourgeois outfits. The film is more of a mystery than a typical giallo. This photo features a look from the 1970s that will likely never be revived: the curled piece of sideburn that juts into the face. I've noticed many women in Italian and Indian cinema during this time with hair shorn to sideburns to achieve the look. 

In addition to being reviewed on Whip Zooms and Stinger Chords, "The Perfume of the Lady in Black" should be praised for its use of neutral clothing to turn Mimsy Farmer into an ethereal pixie-ish beauty. Note: All of her outfits are repeatedly re-designed for wear today by major labels and chain retail stores alike. 

Here her angelic and menacing beauty is juxtaposed with her lanky friend's "dated" 70s look. 

Note: Many people would not dress like the lady to the right today. The author is not included in this category of people.

This entry on fashion would be incomplete without the inclusion of Daria Nicolodi. She is not only a brilliant writer and actress, but she has a strong sense of style. Her style mixes menswear and silky fabrics in a way entirely inspirational. Designers today often try to seek this balance in masculine-feminine apparel, but few women can carry it off like Ms. Nicolodi. 

Please excuse the shallowness of this post.

--Sana

VHS Box of the week: Blood for Dracula

This week's VHS was acquired down the street from the apartment Sana and I recently moved into. I really enjoy the modifications locally owned (I'm not going to say, Ma and Pop, nobody says that outside of Rue Morgue columns) stores used to make to their cassettes.

We found this among a variety of films we had been meaning to watch for a while. I was holding out for the criterion laseridisc, but I think this is just as attractive, in its own way.

-Ryan