Watching, Reading, Listening (Four)

This month's Watching, Reading, Listening is a bit late, due to the flu. Anyway, let's jump right into it.

TV

Patrick McGoohan and Guy Doleman in The Prisoner

I'm finally getting back into The Prisoner and trying to finish it (in, at least, one of the many orders of viewing). I'm not sure why I never watched it earlier but better late than never, right?

Witches of East End

If I believed in guilty pleasures, Witches of East End would be my newest. I watched every aired episode in one day. But I don't believe in guilty pleasures. I LOVE trashy tv but I need some kind of supernatural element (or a mystery) to keep me interested. I'm not sure why. But it does mean that Witches of East End is perfect for me. So, if you like witches and silly, fun TV shows, I highly recommend it.

Movies

The Double, dir. Richard Ayaode, 2013

I think I've only been to the movies twice, this past month, to see Guardians of the Galaxy which I didn't enjoy and Snowpiercer which I loved. At first, I wasn't sure what to make of Snowpiercer but I got right into it and loved it. I also watched The Double at home, which I liked a lot. It has an interesting premise and is absolutely stunning to look at. I keep looking at Mia Wasikowska in the still above and wanting to cut my hair off. Argh. It does have similarities to older films (namely Brazil) but that's not necessarily a bad thing in my opinion.

Books

Operation Margarine by Katie Skelly

This little graphic novel is right up my alley. It's about a runaway rich girl, Margarine, who meets tough girl Bon Bon & the two escape to the desert on motorbikes. The '60s influences in terms of both story and design are evident. It's a very quick read (I wish there was a little more story but I also quite liked the simplicity, for lack of a better word). You can buy a copy here or here.

I also read the first volume of Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie's Young Avengers. I can't wait 'til my library lets me know volume two and three are waiting for me. I don't usually read superhero stuff, because there's just too much, but I knew I liked Gillen & McKelvie's work so I thought this would be a pretty safe bet. (I've been loving The Wicked + Divine and I'm about to start Phonogram, too.)

Music

After seeing Grease on stage (I quite liked the current production) I couldn't stop listening to this recording of Those Magic Changes from the original Broadway production. It's such a great song and it's a pity it didn't get a proper showcase in the movie.

Watching, Reading, Listening (Two)

Here's a snapshot of what I've been watching/reading/listening to in the past month for my second media roundup post.

TV

I've just finished re-watching Pushing Daisies...again. How I wish this show had just had one more season. I think that could have capped it off perfectly. Too much and it may have gone the road of so many other shows that inevitably jump the shark, but being cut short at just two seasons was such a terrible shame. Sigh. Of course, now I just want to dress like Lonely Tourist Charlotte Charles every day.

 

With only two episodes left of this series of Penny Dreadful I'm getting pretty excited! I don't want it to end but I want to see how it's all going to wrap up. I believe it's been renewed for a second series which only increases my excitement. I'd watch anything with Eva Green in it but I am thoroughly enjoying this show. I think it does a very good job of bringing various characters of Victorian stories to life and weaving their stories together in a believable way.

Speaking of excited, Teen Wolf starts again next week - I'm not sure if I'm ready for it! Eep.

Movies

I've been letting my movie watching fall behind but I did finally get around to seeing Maleficent. I really loved it. It's nice to see different kinds of 'true love' are being showcased in fairy tale movies, and I really liked Maleficent's character development. It wasn't perfect but I liked it a whole lot. I enjoyed the bits of humour injected into the film, mainly with Maleficent's dislike of/awkwardness toward children and the interactions between Maleficent and Diaval (Sam Riley). And the costumes are quite gorgeous. This write-up summarises some of the reasons I liked it so much.

Books

OK, this isn't a book, as such, and I'm not actually reading it (again) but my thesis is all bound! And in the baby pink I've been dreaming of all year. It was actually really exciting to pick these up. When I went in to get it done, I looked through the colour options and settled on a light blue. Luckily, I mentioned I really wanted pink because the man working there said 'well, we do have pink we just don't advertise it!' Apparently most people want a hot pink but it was my perfect pink and I was so happy.

In case you can't read the spine, the title of my thesis was 'Enigma, Anxiety and Artifice: Interrogating Feminine Identity in Contemporary Photographic & Filmic Portraiture'. Unfortunately none of these copies are for me. I have to save my pennies until I can afford a copy of my own.

I've also finally started making my way through this. I can't seem to concentrate on novels lately, but I seem to be doing OK with this book. I figured I should read some of the non-fiction books that have been sitting on my shelves for years and, as I'd attempted this before, started with this one. It's a very smooth read, so far - it's not dry like some other film books I've read in the past.

I'm not sure if I'll follow up with the other book on film noir that I have, or maybe delve into one of the art history texts I never really got around to reading when I was actually studying. Oops.

Music

Well, I've been listening to this and that, lately, but today I'm favouring Beyoncé again. I've mainly been listening to B'Day on repeat - such a great album. Get Me Bodied is probably my favourite song on the album and it sure doesn't hurt that this amazing video is inspired by my favourite scene in Sweet Charity. The dancing in the music video is so impressive but, then, when is Beyoncé's dancing not impressive?

And, of course, it's always a delight to revisit this perfect video.

Oh, and my blog is now on Facebook! Let's hope I remember to use the page regularly.

What have you been watching/reading/listening to lately?

Watching, Reading, Listening (One)

Thank-you to everyone who commented on my last post. 

I'm not 100% sure I explained myself properly but thank-you, nonetheless. I've been working on a new layout but I'm still thinking about the colours, so it's not ready yet. I've also been working on some other things that have distracted me from this blog - nothing much, just time consuming for me.

One idea I've had is to do a post roughly once a month on what I've been consuming lately, media-wise. A little roundup. For now, I'll stick to TV, movies, books and music. I spent all day trying to think of this title, by the way.

TV

A friend asked me if I watch Death in Paradise because she wanted someone to talk with about the latest episode she'd seen (her exact words were 'flail over' - we flail over TV a lot, together). I hadn't been watching but decided to look it up, and I'm so glad I did. 

It's a lot of fun and quite lighthearted (so far - I'm only halfway through series two and I suspect more feelings are going to be involved soon). 

It's set on the fictional Caribbean island of Saint Marie, and relies a lot on jokes about the lead English detective not acclimatising to life there. But the characters are great, especially Camille (pictured), who I just love.

Even though I'm pretty easy to please when it comes to murder mysteries/detective shows, I'd definitely recommend this if you like detective shows. 

Movies

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

Last week I spent all Saturday in bed watching Russian and Czech movies from the 1970s, namely two adaptations of The Little Mermaid, both from 1976, and Valerie and her Week of Wonders. 

The Czech version of The Little Mermaid had these stunning 'underwater' sequences that were all filmed in a quarry but using lighting and movement and colour there was this real sense of it actually being underwater. It stuck a little closer to the original tale of The Little Mermaid, especially in its ending where the mermaid dissolves into sea foam. The Russian version deviated quite a bit but was also very beautiful. 

I felt like I probably missed a lot of the meaning of Valerie and her Week of Wonders (although I definitely got the Alice in Wonderland stuff) as I usually feel with surrealist work but I enjoyed it, nonetheless. It's beautiful and strange, two things I always appreciate in a movie. 

Before that I was going through some of Michelangelo Antonioni's films. I'd already seen La Notte, which I love, so I watched The Bride Wore Black*, Blow-Up, L'Eclisse and Red Desert, which was probably my favourite.

Monica Vitti in Red Desert

I love the women in Antonioni's films (which is probably why Blow-Up was the least successful for me). They're always going through a tumultuous point in their life, often deeply unhappy and uncertain, but not without the capacity for joy. I over-identify with them, I think. I'm still looking out for L'Avventura - I just love Monica Vitti.

You can see what other movies I've been watching at my Letterboxd account.

Books

As much as I love reading I don't really do a whole lot. I can be a slow reader if I only just like a book, but if I love it I can devour it in a few days. I have a ridiculous amount of unread books, though (approximately 200 - no, really) so I'm trying to read more. 

One of my favourites, lately, was Angela Carter's The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories. Her versions of well-known fairy tales are gorgeous. Dark and funny and feminine and clever.

I've also been in a comic/graphic novel reading mood. I enjoyed Joss Whedon's Fray although I felt like it ended just as I was really drawn into the story. I've also been reading Rat Queens, Batman 66 and Gail Simone's Red Sonja, but I've especially loved the new series Lumberjanes, co-created by one of my favourite artists Noelle Stevenson. (She also runs a great web-comic Nimona).

This comic is a lot of fun and adorable. It's about 5 friends at summer camp who discover some strange, supernatural happenings. There are some pop culture references and each issue has the tracklisting for a mix made by one of the five main characters in the back. So cute! If you like stories about interesting women/girls, definitely check it out.

Music

Well, I haven't been listening to anything obsessively lately but today I'm listening to Hunx and His Punx while I type and tidy and what-not. Good tunes!

*For some reason I added The Bride Wore Black in here but it's actually a Truffaut film. Don't know why I did that!

Review {Wearable Vintage Fashion}

When I wrote the review for Vintage and Secondhand London I alluded to having been asked to review another book which, indeed, I had. I received my copy of Wearable VintageFashion by Jo Waterhouse and Claire Bridge from Vivays Publishing a few days ago and excitedly sat down and went through the entire book at once and was very pleased with what I saw. You won't find pieces by big name fashion houses that you may see in other books but you will find a whole heap of gorgeous pieces selected from the authors' own vintage shop and some borrowed from friends.

The intent of the book is to showcase vintage fashion from the 1920s through to the 1980s with a chapter dedicated to each decade as well as a 'vintage street fashion' section at the back. The emphasis, of course, being on vintage as wearable fashion.

As you can see from these photos there are coloured tabs for each chapter/decade so it's very easy to look up what you want without having to scour the book.

The layout design of the book is very pleasing to the eye and makes it easy to flick through at one's leisure as almost every page has photos of gorgeous pieces, mainly selected from the authors' vintage boutique Second Hand Rose, to look at. Each chapter follows a similar format with a written introduction of the typical fashion of the era followed by sections such as daywear, evening wear (with look-books for each toward the end), icons and get the look. I love the idea of 'get the look' as they have taken vintage snapshots of everyday people (family photos, etc.) and picked vintage items that match the essential features of the outfits. It's done very cleverly, as well.

In the introduction Jo and Claire state that their intention with the book was to fill the gap that they saw when trying to provide their customers with inspiration with other books: plenty of information but not enough photos to illustrate. And I think they've achieved exactly what they intended to. The information provided may seem sparse, then, in comparison to other texts but gives a great overview. Coupled with the well-picked photos, this book makes an excellent illustrative summary of the fashion of the twentieth century that would be very helpful for someone just starting out in the world of vintage and wanting to get to know their eras. And it was still a lot of fun to read through for me (I've still a lot to learn but my point is that I'm clearly not a newbie, as it were.) Oh, it is all womenswear, as well.

Jo and Claire have also done a great job of illustrating how styles are recycled throughout the eras covered within this book and how they are still being recycled now, which I think will help their readers cultivate their own eye for pieces that will suit a specific era whilst not necessarily having been made at that time.

I loved the addition of the street style section at the back as well (not pictured), which really brought home the idea implied by the title: that is, of vintage as wearable fashion (as I think other books often present the pieces like they would be in a museum setting). Also, you may just find a picture of yours truly wearing one of my favourite dresses in this section (I was asked to be in it long before I knew I'd be asked to review the book) so receiving the book was extra exciting for me.

The book is currently available on Amazon, for pre-order on Book Depository and possibly elsewhere.

Vivays Publishing | Wearable Vintage Fashion

TL;DR: a valuable, colourful and fun addition to a vintage lover's book collection, especially those just starting out.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Review {Secondhand and Vintage London}

Around the same time that I was contacted by Collectif to review some of their clothes, I was also contacted by Vivays Publishing to ask if I'd be interested in reviewing a couple of their books on the subject of vintage. Well, I love books and I love vintage so I said yes! The first book that I was sent was Secondhand and Vintage London by Andrew Whittaker - now, some of you may wonder what an Australian who (I should add as a disclaimer) has never been to London might have to say on such a book. 

And I was wondering the same myself but I found I actually do have enough to say; the only things I can't comment on, of course, are whether the descriptions given to each places are accurate and that sort of thing. Hopefully this will still be a helpful review, though.

The book is quite a nice size at A5 - it's got a lot of information packed into its 160 pages so if it were any smaller I think it would be too thick and unwieldy. It's small enough to fit into a larger handbag or satchel so easy to cart around with you as well.

There is a reference page that will tell you how to use the book - it is divided up into chapters that each have a theme as well as an 'Only in London' section that has carboot sales, etc. Each entry is organised by location. Then there is the price guide so you know what kind of price-range you're in for at each store (though I always find that pricing and what's affordable and what's expensive will be relative to each individual).

Every store, market, etc., is nicely described by Whittaker and he concisely sums up each place in a few sentences.

As mentioned in the introduction to the book, you won't find high end antique dealers nor are there many charity shops (there is a page dedicated to a small selection toward the end) - instead, Whittaker has assembled a very fine collection of everything that sits in between the two extremes.

The organisation and layout of this book is fantastic - with each chapter providing you with an assortment of stores, markets, etc., combined under a common theme it's very easy to find what you are looking for.

I also think this would be a great book for anyone who is travelling to London and those who live there, alike.

The map section is very well set out using the colour code system from each themed chapter. Each map also has a QR code that you can scan with your smartphone if you find Google maps easier to use than paper maps. The maps accessed on your phone still have the codes for each shop and are updated regularly "to keep pace with London's evolving secondhand and vintage landscape".

One may wonder - why would I buy a book when I could just use google? Which is a valid question but sometimes it's just nice when someone else has done all the (hard, incredibly well researched) work for you! Plus, don't you ever find google overwhelming? Where do you start? I personally find books like this far less overwhelming.

Of course, in this digital age we may also wonder how up to date a book may stay when websites can be updated much more regularly but each of the entries has as much information as you could need - phone numbers, websites, opening hours, etc. - so you can always check up on your favourite entries to make sure they are still there by the time you get around to them. And the online maps, at least, are updated regularly.

And if I didn't want to visit London before (which I did) then I most certainly do now!

Vivays Publishing | Secondhand & Vintage London

TL;DR - well organised, articulate & concise, comprehensive, easy to use & navigate.

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Baby's in Black

Thinking back over what I've blogged about these past two years, I'm not sure I've ever written about my deep and unending love for The Beatles and most things related. I also don't think I've written very much about books. So, today I thought I'd write up a little bit about a gorgeous graphic novel I read not too long ago. It's called Baby's in Black by the German comic artist and illustrator Arne Bellstorf and tells the story of the relationship Stuart Sutcliffe (original bassist for The Beatles and John's close friend) and Astrid Kirchherr.

October 1960, Hamburg

Astrid Kirchherr has finished studying fashion and is working as an assistant for her former lecturer, the photographer Reinhart Wolf. Her relationship with Klaus Voormann, a young graphic artist, has long since been punctuated by arguments and is slowly disintegrating. One evening, after yet another fight, Klaus leaves the flat and roams through the city alone. In the might of the night, he's once more standing at Astrid's door, desperate to tell her what he has just discovered in St. Pauli: five young Englishmen playing rock 'n' roll under the name of The Beatles...

---

After a series of conversations with Astrid Kirchherr, Arne Bellstorf developed a pictorial narrative focusing on both the Hamburg subculture of the early sixties and the tragic love story between the young photographer and the musician and artist Stuart Sutcliffe.

I must admit I only knew Astrid and Stuart's story through the 1994 film Backbeat starring Stephen Dorff and Sheryl Lee, which is not entirely historically accurate. I also picked up a little through various texts on The Beatles I read when I first became mega-obsessed with them. But you don't need to know the story at all (in my opinion) to enjoy this book. I should probably also add that I don't read a lot of comics/graphic novels but, every so often, one will grab my attention and, as was the case with Baby's in Black, I'm utterly enchanted.

The illustrations are absolutely, positively gorgeous (if you can't tell already, I tend to be rather effusive in my praise of things I love) and I think Bellstorf has done a wonderful job of capturing the likeness of the people he has drawn - the above picture shows John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe and Astrid Kirchherr (Pete Best doesn't have much of a presence in the story). There were a couple of Astrid's friends that I kept getting mixed up, though, as they had the same hairdo and all wore black! Oh and there's just the right amount of text. Speaking of text, I know it is available in German and English, but not sure of any other languages.

When I've posted about the '60s or '60s related things on this blog before, it's tended to be the colourful side of the early '60s. As you can already see, you'll find none of that in Baby's in Black - the stark black and white illustrations suit the mood of Hamburg 1960 that Bellstorf has recreated in his work. It also works well with the fact that both The Beatles, influenced by American rock 'n' roll, and Astrid and her friends, influenced by French existentialists, wore a lot of black. (There's a rather amusing quote from Astrid, which I can only find a wikipedia reference for, where she says: "Our philosophy then, because we were only little kids, was wearing black clothes and going around looking moody.")

Above is an illustration, by Bellstorf, of Stuart and Astrid and below is a photo of them both, for anyone who may not have seen them before. I know it's not the best photo to show off their facial features but hopefully you can see what I mean about Bellstorf having captured their likeness well, whilst still sticking to his own distinctive style.

Has anyone else read it? I'd be pleased to know what you thought of it if you have! And if you haven't, hopefully I've inspired you to go seek it out. (I bought my copy from Book Depository but I'm sure it's also available elsewhere).

Bellstorf's official site

Baby's in Black site (I think this is partly in English, partly in German but I've not looked around the whole site.)

Love,

Andi B. Goode

x

Outfit Post

On Sunday I went to a BBQ at my friend Luna's, which was very nice and relaxing (Luna writes a blog about swing and other kinds of dance type things) - I haven't been to a BBQ in years!

I look a little angry, again! I think it's because I forgot to put on my sunglasses and left my eyes at the full mercy of the sun's rays.

Outfit details: hair flower - Diva; halter top - it's actually a strapless top I attached ribbons to but I don't remember where I bought the top from; trousers - Target; shoes - Big W.

Yesterday I went to the cinema to see Where the Wild Things Are with my friend Jacoba and her boyfriend Kyle. It was a little pre-Christmas get together so Jacoba and I could exchange presents. I bought her some chocolate and a Sunny Buick print and she bought me this nifty set of books:


Harlequin vintage collection (the image is from the Harlequin website). I can't wait to get reading!

Love,
Andi B. Goode
x

My latest finds.

So, today Mum and I went to a church op-shop and I actually found a few nice things - I haven't had a lot of luck in op-shops of late, but hopefully today broke the unlucky streak.

Left: 1980s plaid dress that looks very 1940s. I'm rather in love with it, actually. Right: handmade dress, not sure of era. I think it's a little too baggy for me around the top but Mum thinks it looks OK. What do you all think? Also, please excuse my untidy room and lifeless expression - I was rather a bit tired after a day of shopping and, well, the untidiness is due to the fact that I'm really quite lazy!

I also bought a very cute 1960s Terylene brunch coat, which still had its original swing tag.

And this book, published in 1957, which I think shall be rather an amusing read!

Love,
Andi B. Goode
x

Hairspray, gimme gimme control!

On Saturday I woke up with a case of the

Mean Reds so, in hopes of combating this feeling, mum and I went out to lunch. I felt that a little deviation from my regular style was in order and gave myself a beehive. Besides my ponytail and faux bangs, this is the easiest style, that I do, to achieve. I put the back up in a messy French roll.

I would love to be able to do this kind of beehive, one day, when I can be bothered taking the time to learn how.

The day out cheered me up as did finding this book in an RSPCA thrift shop.

Raymond Chandler has certainly become one of my favourite authors over the past year, even if I've only read two of his books to date. I plan on scanning the front and back covers of this one so I can print them out, again, and frame them for my wall.

In keeping with a 1960s theme, I Mad Men'd myself! (And made myself a Mad Men boyfriend, too, and stuck us together in photoshop).

It's really far too much fun.

Love,
Andi B. Goode
x