POPULAR SCIENCE: MARCH 1948 COVER

This is one of my all time favorite magazine covers.

I think it's better looking than most movie posters!

There's so much going on in this painting ( check out the people in the windows and the dog ).

It was painted by Reynold Brown for the March 1948 issue of POPULAR SCIENCE.

You can read about Mr. Brown in ILLUSTRATION MAGAZINE ( ISSUE NUMBER SEVEN - PDF FILE ).

FEMME FATALES: MAGAZINE

First cover of the 2011 version of FEMME FATALES magazine

Once upon a time, the original version of FEMME FATALES was one of the most beloved cult MOVIE magazines ever published in the U.S.A.


Cover of the original version of FEMME FATALES magazine


Another cover for the original version of FEMME FATALES magazine

FEMME FATALES was different. It stood out from the crowd. But there were some behind the scenes scandals ( including the suicide of the founder ).


Paget Brewster in ANDY RICHTER CONTROLS THE UNIVERSE

The publication was sold and relaunched. I had high hopes for the NEW version, especially after I saw that Paget Brewster had a column in it.

Unfortunately, the content just got worse with every issue. They shot themselves in the foot repeatedly.

Their new version, did NOT focus enough attention on CULT MOVIES, or TV SHOWS, or actresses. Instead, they became just like all the other generic men's magazines that flooded the market.


Cover for the previous "new" version of FEMME FATALES

Models, porn stars, cyber sluts, reality tv contestants, tattoo chicks, female athletes and MEN, are NOT femme fatales. But, those are exactly the types of individuals they seemed to focus on.


Another cover for the previous "new" version of FEMME FATALES

What they did to FEMME FATALES is the equivalent of purchasing SPORTS ILLUSTRATED and focusing the articles on skateboarders and pogostick riders. Then putting video game players on the cover and proclaiming they're all athletes. They're NOT athletes.

If the owners of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED did that, they'd be out of business.

Yes, they have the SWIMSUIT ISSUE, but that's ONCE A YEAR. Plus, it APPEALS to their main customer base, which is still composed of MEN.

You don't change the subject matter of a publication and expect your customers to continue forking-over their hard earned cash. So the customers left. I should know, because I was one of those FORMER customers.

Anyway, I've lost count how many times the magazine has been relaunched ( after vanishing from the face of the earth numerous times ).

Just for the record, if you're going to publish a magazine called FEMME FATALES, then the least you can do, is find out what that term means.

You can find femme fatales in noir, crime and even exploitation flicks.

The following ARE examples of femme fatales...

Barbara Stanwyck as Phyllis Dietrichson in DOUBLE INDEMNITY ( directed by Billy Wilder )

Lizabeth Scott as Jane Palmer in TOO LATE FOR TEARS ( directed by Byron Haskin )

Peggy Cummins as Annie Laurie Starr in GUN CRAZY ( directed by Joseph H. Lewis )

Linda Fiorentino as Bridget Gregory in THE LAST SEDUCTIION ( directed by John Dahl )

Virginia Madsen as Dolly Harshaw in THE HOT SPOT ( directed by Dennis Hopper )

Leslie Brooks as Claire Cummings in BLONDE ICE ( directed by Jack Bernhard )

Lara Flynn Boyle as Suzanne in RED ROCK WEST ( directed by John Dahl )

Joanne Whalley as Fay Forrester in KILL ME AGAIN ( directed by John Dahl )

Zoë Lund as Thana from the movie MS. 45 ( directed by Abel Ferrara )

The ultimate fate of any business rests in the hands of it's customers. They decide whether a company succeeds or fails.

FYI: I've always made it a point, NOT to be NEGATIVE or BASH on my blog. Why? Because it takes NO talent to destroy, anybody can do that. Hope I wasn't too harsh, but I wanted to be honest about my feelings.

I hope this version of the magazine is far better than their previous attempts...

BODY DOUBLE

DIRECTOR:
Brian De Palma

WRITERS:
Robert J. Avrech
Brian De Palma

CAST:
Craig Wasson
Melanie Griffith
Gregg Henry
Deborah Shelton
Guy Boyd
Dennis Franz
Barbara Crampton
Unknown ( killer's dog )
And many others...


Jake ( Craig Wasson )


Gloria ( Deborah Shelton )


Sam ( Gregg Henry )


Holly ( Melanie Griffith )


Detective McLean ( Guy Boyd )


The killer ( find out for yourselves! )

Poor Jake just got fired from his latest acting gig.

Then he catches his girlfriend, Carol, fucking another man. Since the house belongs to Carol, he's now homeless AND unemployed.

During acting class, Jake meets a man called Sam. Afterwards, they go to a bar to talk.

Sam ends up giving Jake a housesitting job. But that's not all, Sam introduces Jake to a telescope, which enables him to peek at their neighbor, Gloria. Sam informs Jake, that Gloria puts on a "show" every night at the same time.

Before you know it, Jake is addicted to Gloria. He then starts to follow her. He quickly notices that she's being stalked by a tall man.

Jake follows her to a beach, at which point he informs her that she's being followed. But, before she has a chance to say anything, the tall man steals Gloria's purse. Jake chases the man and recovers her purse.

A short time later, Jake witnesses Gloria's murder. While searching for clues to the killer's identity, he gets involved with a porn star called Holly. She doesn't know that she unwittingly helped the killer.

Soon, Jake and Holly will be fighting for their lives.

Welcome to a world filled with movie-making, voyeurism, love, hate, betrayal, professional fornicators and murder... It's just another day in HollyWEIRD...





QUOTES:
Jake: "Excuse me, someone is following you"

Jake: "Hey, you guys stop!... There's a woman being murdered!..."

Detective McLean: "Maybe, you're just a harmless panty sniffer, is that right?"

Narrator for porn commercial: "Holly body keeps this business where it belongs - IN THE GUTTER"

Porn actor: "Hey, I'm NOT just some fucking stunt cock, I'm an actor!"

Holly: "I do not do animal acts. I do not do S&M, or any variations of that particular bent, no water sports either. I will not shave my pussy. No fist fucking, and absolutely no cumming on my face. I get two thousand dollars a day, and I do not work without a contract"

Jake: "You and I were set-up by a murderer!"

Detective McLean: "Hollywood's busiest sex offender"

Killer: "What a terrible way to die, especially since you're so claustrophobic"

Holly: "You're one of those necrophiliacs, a corpse fucker!"


QUOTES FROM THE TRAILER:
"He thought he was watching her, but she was watching him"

"He thought he was trespassing, but he was invited"

"He knew he had gone too far; he couldn't stop"

"He saw exactly what she wanted him to see"

"Brian DePalma, the modern master of suspense, invites you to witness a seduction, a mystery, a murder..."

"Body Double, you can't believe everything you see..."



VIDEO INFO
Online
WIDEscreen
Color
Region - Not applicable
Company - Sony
Rated R
Extras - Not applicable
Inserts - Not applicable





OBTAINED AT - Crackle

PRICE - Free



DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
NO!...

I really didn't think much of this movie when I first saw it - back in the 80's - but now I love it.

I think it's REALLY UNDERRATED, and A LOT of fun!

FYI: For those that don't know, Barbara Crampton has a small, but VERY funny and sexy, part in this movie.

THE MISFITS

DIRECTOR:
John Huston

WRITER:
Arthur Miller

CAST:
Marilyn Monroe
Clark Gable
Montgomery Clift
Eli Wallach
Thelma Ritter
Kevin McCarthy
Unknown ( Gay's dog )


Roslyn ( Marilyn Monroe )


Gay ( Clark Gable )


Perce ( Montgomery Clift )


Guido ( Eli Wallach )


Isabelle ( Thelma Ritter )

Gay is an aimless old cowboy, and he wanders the west with his dog. He can't seem to deal with the way the world is changing around him.

Guido is a guilt-ridden mechanic. He doesn't seem to realize that his self-loathing and bitterness are killing him slowly and adversely affecting the people around him.

Isabelle is a old and tired divorced woman. She's still on good terms with her ex-husband.

Perce is a run-down cowboy with a good heart. He can't seem to find his place in the world.

Roslyn is young and recently divorced. She feels alone and confused. Her values aren't for sale.

During a round-up of wild Mustangs, their true colors are exposed...


Roslyn: "How do you find your way back in the dark?"
Gay: "Just head for that big star straight on"

QUOTES:
Isabelle: "I'm so sick and tired of myself"

Isabelle: "If you throw in your ring, you'll never get married again"

Roslyn: "The trouble is, I always end up back where I started"

Roslyn: "You could blow up the world, and all you would feel sorry for, is yourself!"



VIDEO INFO
DVD
WIDEscreen
Black & white
Region one
Company - MGM / United Artists
NOT rated
Extras - Misfits trailer
Inserts - None



OBTAINED AT - Oldies

PRICE - $6.98



DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
NO!...

I did NOT appreciate this movie when I was younger, but now I like it a lot.

Who's bright idea was it, to call Clark Gable's character "Gay"?... Everytime somebody mentions his name I laugh. That detail has NOT aged well!

I think Clark Gable really kicks ass during the round-up scenes.

Marilyn Monroe really gets into her character, and when you watch her, it feels as if she's really in pain. She really did an outstanding job. Plus she looks very beautiful.

CLASH BY NIGHT

DIRECTOR:
Fritz Lang

WRITERS:
Clifford Odets
Alfred Hayes

CAST:
Barbara Stanwyck
Paul Douglas
Robert Ryan
Marilyn Monroe
Keith Andes


Jerry ( Paul douglas ) owns a fishing boat in Northern California. Jerry takes care of his alcoholic-troublemaking-father and his ungrateful , opportunistic 'political-uncle'. Jerry ends up marrying Mae and having a baby with her. He's a big guy with a big heart. Jerry is loyal, loving, and always tries to 'do-the-right-thing'. In other words, he's doomed!


Mae ( Barbara Stanwyck ) is Jerry's wife and mother of their child. She's also an arrogant, selfish, thoughtless, and heartless-homewrecking-harlot. Mae loves 'bad-boys', then when they behave badly she complains about it. She wants Earl to scratch her libidinous itch. She's extremely bitter about her life and takes out her frustrations on others.


Earl ( Robert Ryan ) is Jerry's best friend. He's just as bitter about life as Mae. He also has the charisma of a bigot ( he loves to make fun of Chinese folks ). Mae makes his loins burn with forbidden passion.


Peg & Joe ( Marilyn Monroe & Keith Andes ). Peg is Joe's girlfriend and soon-to-be-wife. She acts tough but is really just scared of being emotionally vulnerable. Joe is Mae's brother and Peg's boyfriend. Even though he's more honest about his feelings than Peg, he still shares her fear of emotional vulnerability.

Anyway, Jerry smells something fishy in the air. Is it because Mae has a hygiene problem? Nooo! It's something far more insidious than that! Jerry thinks Mae has been sharpening Earl's pencil ( think about it folks ). Jerry's suspicions are confirmed after he goes snooping in Mae's drawers and finds lingerie that he didn't buy.

Mae comes home with Earl in tow and one thing leads to another. Before you know it, the ugly truth has exposed it's horrifying face.

Later on, uncle Vince exploits Jerry's heartbreak, confusion and anger by convincing him to confront Earl. So Jerry visits Earl at the movie theater projection booth. Jerry's hands decide to have an intimate discussion with Earl's neck ( think about it folks ). A few moments later, Mae walks in and keeps Jerry from murdering Earl.

Jerry takes their baby and heads to his boat. Mae goes to the boat and asks Jerry to give her another chance.

Will Jerry kill Earl?

Will Jerry forgive Mae? Or will he murder the bitch and throw her body into the ocean?



QUOTES:
Peg: "You marry a fellow and the first thing he does is boss you"

Earl: "Don't you ever want to cut-up a beautful dame?"

Jerry: "I suppose that's what everyones afraid of; getting old and lonely"

Mae: "I'm one of those women who are never satisfied"

Jerry: "You're no good. You're rotten"

Joe: "Listen to me blondie. The woman I marry, she don't take me on a wait-an-see basis. I ain't a dress she brings home to see if it fits and if it don't, back it goes. In my book, marriage is a two way proposition. You're just as much responsible as I am. So if that little eye is going to roam, if what you think is, Joe is alright until something better comes along. Honey, you better take another streetcar."

Mae: "We're tough. We're hard. If someone suffers becuase of us, that's just too bad. That's the way life is... how many times have I told myself that?"

VIDEO INFO:
DVD
FULLscreen
Black & white
Region one
Company - Warner Bros.
NOT rated
Extra #1 - Commentary by Peter Bogdanovich ( plus audio snipits by Fritz Lang )
Extra #2 - Theatrical trailer
Inserts - None

OBTAINED AT - Big Lots

PRICE - $3.00

DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
No!... I love this flick!...

Nobody dies physically, but there are many emotional deaths.

The many ways in which these folks hurt their 'loved-ones' is something that even semi-functional human beings can identify with.

If I were Jerry, my foot would have countless intimate conversations with Mae's slutty-betrayful-behind. Then I'd kick her betrayful-ass to the curb! As for Earl, I'd set him on fire! Too harsh? Or not harsh enough?... LOL.

THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH

DIRECTOR:
Billy Wilder

WRITERS:
Billy Wilder
George Axelrod

CAST:
Marilyn Monroe
Tom Ewell
Evelyn Keyes
Butch Bernard
Robert Strauss
Sonny Tufts


Sexy female neighbor ( Marilyn Monroe ) is renting an upstairs apartment for the summer. She works in TV commercials and used to be a model. She's smarter than first impressions would indicate.


Richard Sherman ( Tom Ewell ) works for a company that publishes paperback novels. Richard is a clueless shmuck. Helen is his wife, and Ricky is his son. He learns a thing or two from his new upstairs neighbor.


Helen Sherman ( Evelyn Keyes ) is Richard's wife and Ricky's mother. They are the world she revolves around.


Ricky Sherman ( Butch Bernard ) is Richard and Helen's spoiled little bastard son.


Mr. Kruhulik ( Robert Strauss ) and Tom ( Sonny Tufts ) are victims of Richard's runaway imagination.

Richard has a wife and kid that love him. He also has a career and gets to live in New York. Does he appreciate how lucky he is? NO!.. All he does is daydream and whine, whine, whine... Richard is a douche-bag....

Helen and Ricky are away for the Summer. So now Richard must fend for himself.

A sexy female neighbor moves in upstairs and they start becoming friends. He loves checking her out. He immediately starts having guilty thoughts and Walter-Mitty-esque daydreams about infidelity and it's repercussions.

Richard never cheats on his wife. However, he does trick his sexy neighbor into kissing him.

That's pretty much the movie in a nutshell.... yawn... yawn... yawn....


"Do you feel the breeze from the subway? Isn't it delicious?"

QUOTES:
Helen: "Poor daddy has to stay in the hot city and make money"

Waitress: "Nudism is such a worthy cause. We must bring the message to the people. We must teach them to unmask their poor suffering bodies and let them breathe again. Clothes are the enemy"

Richard: "What happened at the office? Well, I shot Mr. Brady in the head, made violent love to Miss Morris, and set fire to 300,000 copies of Little Women. That's what happened at the office"

Sexy female neighbor: "When it's hot like this, you know what I do? I keep my undies in the icebox"

Ricky: "Mommy, mommy, come quick! They're talking about daddy on television!"

Helen: "You lie to me Richard. Don't you lie to me!"

Sexy female neighbor: "I know if I were married, and I came in on my husband making cinnamon toast with some blonde in the shower, I'd shoot him!"

VIDEO INFO:
DVD
WIDEscreen
Color
Region one
Company - FOX
NOT rated
Extra #1 - Back story: The Seven Year Itch ( Read details below )
Extra #2 - Deleted scene: bathtub
Extra #3 - Deleted scene: subway
Extra #4 - THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH theatrical trailer
Extra #5 - THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH Spanish language theatrical trailer
Extra #6 - Movietone News Reel: THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH
Extra #7 - Poster gallery
Extra #8 - Restoration comparison ( Read details below )
Extra #9 - BUS STOP trailer
Extra #10 - GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES trailer
Extra #11 - HOW TO MARRY A MILLIONAIRE trailer
Extra #12 - THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SHOWBUSINESS trailer
Inserts - Yes. Contains a six sided folder with black and white photos.


EXTRA #1 is a feature called BACK STORY: THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH. It mostly deals with the censorship problems they were going through. They also talk about other topics, such as the Walter Matthau sreen test. He was cast as Richard, but the studio decided against hiring him! I thought this extra was far more interesting than the movie!


EXTRA #8 is the restoration comparison. It shows how deteriorated the film was. They did an outstanding job of restoring this movie.

OBTAINED AT - MovieStop

PRICE - $10.00

DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
Well, I hate to say it, but YES...

This movie bored the shit out of me.

Hype, hype, hype... If Marilyn Monroe wasn't in this movie, this film would have disappeared into obscurity a long time ago. There, I said it, and now I feel better.

Evelyn Keyes isn't given much of a role. Her character, Helen, doesn't seem to exist for any other reason than to give Tom Ewell's character a reason to feel guilty.

The movie has a lot of cute moments, but that isn't enough for me.

When I was a kid, the sight of Marilyn's legs over the subway vents was enough to keep my attention. But now, the ONLY things I like about this movie, are Marilyn's performance, and the color shots of New York in the 1950's.

SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE

DIRECTOR:
George Cukor

WRITERS:
Bella Spewack
Sam Spewack
Nunnally Johnson
Walter Bernstein

CAST:
Marilyn Monroe
Dean Martin
Cyd Charisse
Alexandra Heilweil
Robert Christopher Morley
Phil Silvers
Wally Cox
Tom Tryon
Eloise Hardt
John McGiver
Grady Sutton
Steve Allen
Jeff ( Tip the dog )


Ellen Arden / Eve / Ingrid Tic ( Marilyn Monroe )


Bianca and Nick Arden ( Cyd Charisse & Dean Martin )


Lita and Timmy ( Alexandra Heilweil & Robert Christopher Morley )


Insurance agent ( Phil Silvers )


Shoe salesman ( Wally Cox )


Stephen Burkett / Adam ( Tom Tryon )

Nick's first wife, Ellen, was lost at sea years ago. So Ellen has to be declared legally dead before Nick can marry Bianca. After that is taken care of, they get married.

Bianca and Nick board a jetliner and head back home. Meanwhile, Ellen reappears at their home. She walks into the backyard and spots her children, Lita and Timmy, playing in the pool. The kids become curious as to why Tip, their dog, is being so affectionate to her. She asks them if they remember her, but they don't. However, Ellen does not tell them she's their mother. She hasn't seen her kids in over five years, so she's dazed, but overjoyed to interact with them.

Nick and Bianca finally arrive home and find Lita and Timmy building a treehouse in the backyard. Moments later, Nick is shocked when Ellen walks down the stairs and greets them. She introduces herself as Ingrid Tic, their new housekeeper.

Nick doesn't tell Bianca about Ingrid's true identity. Later that evening, Ellen goes skinny-dipping in the pool. The doorbell rings as Nick is about to tell Ellen to get out of the pool. The man at the door is an insurance agent. He tells Nick that Ellen and a man called Stephen were rescued off an island by an American submarine. Nick is not amused by the fact that Ellen called the man Adam and reffered to herself as Eve when they lived on the island. As the insurance agent leaves, he becomes flustered when he spots a nude Ellen sitting by the pool.

Nick walks down to the pool and questions Ellen about Adam and the island. Ellen quickly becomes frustrated, and demands he tell Bianca that she's back.

The next day, Nick tracks down Stephen. But he's not the timid little man that Ellen described.

At a fancy shoe store, Ellen convinces one of the salesmen to help her deceive Nick. They both go to the house. In the backyard, the three of them sit down and talk. Ellen and the fake Adam bullshit Nick. Ellen thinks she's succeeded, and Nick doesn't seem to mind. The fake Adam leaves, and Ellen proceeds to try and make Nick feel guilty about all his suspicions.

Seconds later, director George Cukor says: "Cut it. Good. Thank you". Then the screen fades to black....



QUOTES:
Bianca: "What you really needed in your first marriage, was not so much a maid, but a mother figure. Not so much a wife, as a soft warm bosom for a little boy to rest his tired little head on. Now isn't that what Ellen was?"

Ellen: "Can I cry for you?"

Nick: "I don't feel good"

Insurance agent: "Listen to that splashing. Must be doing the breaststroke"

Nick: "Did you always take a moonlight swim on the island with Adam?... Eve"

Ellen: "How long does it take a man to tell a woman his wife's back? That his wife's back! It takes two seconds. I just did it in two seconds. You've had two days!"

Shoe salesman: "I was very excited by the island's vegetation"

Ellen: "Aren't you ashamed of those suspicions you had about me?"



VIDEO INFO:
DVD
WIDEscreen
Color
Region one
Company - Image Entertainment
NOT rated
Extras - Not applicable
Inserts - Not applicable



OBTAINED AT - CD Universe

PRICE - $11.49



DO I WANT MY MONEY BACK?:
NO!... absolutely not!... SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE is found on the MARILYN MONROE: THE FINAL DAYS DVD ( the movie starts on chapter 19 ).

There are two versions of this DVD. One is by FOX, and the other one is by IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT. I've been told the IMAGE version is slightly longer, but I don't know if that info is correct. Regardless, I highly recommend this video...

I really feel they should have rewritten the first five minutes of the script. Why? Because it seems much longer than it is. They could have explained certain events in a much shorter and enjoyable way. However, I still like what I saw, and I feel a sadness when I watch the last scene.....

THE MISFITS was Marilyn's last THEATRICAL RELEASE, but it was NOT her last movie. SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE is Marilyn's LAST movie. The fact it wasn't finished and shown theatrically is Irrelavant. SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE was her LAST role....



Some superficial observations: I think Marilyn Monroe never looked more physically attractive than in her last two movies ( THE MISFITS & SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE ). In SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE she looked stunningly beautiful....

FYI: SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE is a remake of movie called MY FAVORITE WIFE. After Marilyn's death, SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE was re-cast and made into a movie called MOVE OVER DARLING.