Posters at work

A wonderful example of the movie poster in action.









Photograph by Vivian Maier

"SHE TEXTED. WE KICKED HER OUT."

Woman kicked out of Austin's Alamo Drafthouse for texting. Listen to her drunk, dumb-ass phone msg:

http://drafthouse.com/blog/entry/she_texted._we_kicked_her_out

Icons

There are so many parameters and directives attached to my personal tastes in collecting that it's humourous to relate to somebody the different sub-sections and variables that end up making me almost completely open to anything. Or seemingly. There is a definition but it's not very tight. And I tend to be moody and/or change my mind.

But, oh, the constants. There is such a nice and warm feeling when you find another piece in a puzzle you secretly hope you never actually finish. But you're armed with the knowledge that if it does finish, you will have already (possibly long ago) started another similar flight of fancy. I have many and take great comfort in knowing they will be with me for some time yet. Two icons of sex films that I always tend to stretch for are Rene Bond and the ever-obvious Uschi Digard.



I don't really know why the former appeals so much but there's just something about her. I haven't seen many films but, again, her appeal seems to be very simple and it's likely attached to a time when some of these girls just seems so normal and everyday. Maybe in my subconscious, there is some real person I once met as a child who resembles her or something...I don't know. It's just there and I accept it like I do my odd obsession with Barbi Benton.




Uschi is legend. She just pops up (literally!) all over the place and makes great films magnificent by smiling and moving through the frame. I do intend to have paper on every single film in her wonderful career and I get doubly supportive of any scraps that actually have an image of her. Same goes for Bond, of course. If you fail to show these girls, you fail to properly advertise the films to the proper audience. Get with it.


Two new grabs that fit the bill.








And, oh what the Hell, while we're here...

Super Sexe

A sampling of porn ads lurking on the edges of the regular movie listings in the Montreal Gazette in the mid-to-late 70s...

we wanted Can-Con. we got it.

Sprinkling

Just a quick smattering of posters from the Distribpix archive and now lovingly resting mere inches (are they ever mere?) from me. More to come in the following days and weeks of the season but here's a trio to give you some quick and effortless joy.

Hickory sticks

All these jetsetting Toronto smartypants forever going on about their storied cinema past glories. I'm here to point out that we simple folks in the sticks had our own awesome cinemas and mine in particular was a Stinson theatre and we got all manner of lesser movies and I swear it's where I came from. Me. Stuff that in your can(nes) and smoke it!

Anyway, last week I found this very brittle newspaper in a wall that was being modified. It was Scorchy that caught my eye, naturally. The upper portion was too destroyed but you can make out that Cannonball was playing along with some Corman picture with Ron Howard and fast cars that wasn't Eat My Dust.

This was my town and my favourite place ever for movies in 1977. Check out the awesomely sick advert for Deep Red! Almost as gruesome as Rabid.

Pimping (#2)

If you've ever spent a moment perusing this blog and found yourself wondering how you could become more like me, I'm here to tell you that it is possible. And admirable, thanks. Spend more and more of your free time (and money) acquiring film posters of a curious nature and completely override your living space with them and other assorted things that help subdue the everyday horrors of contemporary life. Keep hope alive!

One fastracky method would be to get in touch with Steven Morowitz at VideoXPix. I am not a paid representative but I did recently have a wonderful transaction that resulted in a haul of very fine posters from a much treasured era of 60s/70s filmdom.

There are a handful of 'studios' that created distinct and, at times, easily recognizable posters for the films they produced or distributed. Some of my favourites are Mitam, Essex, Mishkin and, of course, Distribpix. The Distribpix poster is often found with perfect 60s lettering and illustrations, copious copy and a collage of images from the film. Mostly. There are variants of course but those were the styles that most made me notice and start collecting Distribpix whenever and wherever they popped up.









To learn of Steven's heritage, the company and the work he carries on, I would highly recommend a visit to his superb blog. In short, his family began in film distribution based on the Eastern coast of the USA and went into video distribution as it began to rule the market. But there's more. And the company now works at releasing polished DVD releases of their past catalogue greats as well as carefully documenting the era which is something we desperately need more of. He both talks the talk and walks the walk, thankfully. On some forum some time ago, I found out that he would be listing a stash of posters and when they finally hit the street, I was thrilled and got in touch. I suggest you do the same or forever just live in longing. At least have a look!

I haven't had the chance to completely photograph what I scored but I do have some titles from the years of dedication to give you an example. And there will be more in the coming weeks, I promise.






You may have seen this particular poster behind Mick Jagger if you ever spent some time with headphones and Exile on Main Street, as I did.

get me some tail

the simplicity of film titles

more TO movie scene Nov 81 - the drive-in & Bobby Ming!

November 1981 – Toronto

On the eve when the most exciting film being released this weekend is Fast Five, look at the amazing choices that were offered in this ad! And this is only one ad with a small selection of cinemas! Stay tuned for more ads!

before it was a temple of rock...

For all the Toronto cinema and concert goers out there, check out Eric Veillette's post on Allen's Bloor Theatre which opened in 1919. It existed as a movie theatre until 1957, but know the space is now known as Lee's Palace and was one of the locations in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.

BEFORE

AFTER

Fall 1981 - Midnight Madness at the Eaton Centre?

November 1981 – Toronto

How times have changed! I would pay money for EACH of those movies.

a bit of light reading

VHS scare

Yet another one from The Scandy Tangerine Man's Tumblr. A buffet of amazing .gif art! From The Deadly Spawn.

gif-tasm

From The Scandy Tangerine Man's Tumblr. He's been doing some filthy things with .gifs and we love it.

tight pants and loose morals

I feel that for today's Easter Sunday sermon, we address the problem of today's youth with "tight pants and loose morals"

Pimping (#1)

This is Matt and I met Matt through something I'm unable to discuss in public that has nothing to do with the law or prison. Anyway, I am presenting this video review of Scre4m because, aside from being an entertaining watch, it's actually from a series entitled, 'Watch This Instead', and the this that Matt is suggesting here in none other than one of my all time favourites, Peeping Tom. I can't believe he only just saw it a couple months back but everything he says is true and there's even more still plus a unique look at the cinema patron as voyeur and the stunning Moira Shearer. If you haven't seen it, watch this clip and then watch it. It may be out of print on Criterion, as Matt mentions, but there is a smashing Blu-Ray available from the UK and that is the way to go, if you can. Plus, I get to post these again.

oh Jane!

This one goes out to Jesse.

Moll Flanders en croute

A naive but promiscuous British woman (Jane Birkin) comes to Paris to work as a cook, and basically has to resort to prostitution just to have a bed to sleep in. But she eventually manages to turn the tables on all the French lotharios she meets when she "incorporates" her, um, services.

This would be an irredeemably stupid sex comedy without the presence of Jane Birkin. She is so sexy and so frequently naked or clad in impossibly short mini-skirts that, I have to confess, my critical judgment was completely scrambled (not that I have that much to begin with). She also proves a pretty decent comedienne, playing a character who makes Emanuelle Arsan or Erica Jong seem like Queen Victoria. Of course, one poor guy (who later becomes her "accountant") she will only sleep with in the most literal sense. Another guy, however, (Jean-Pierre Aumont) comes home to find her occupying his bed and they have a LONG sex scene while they hilariously discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various sexual positions. In another incredible scene she is frugging away at a disco in her glittering micro-mini ensemble when she locks eyes with a guy across the room. Minutes later, and seemingly without a word of dialogue, she has shimmied out of her dress and is bare-ass naked in his bed. (No wonder he mistakes her for a pro and , much to her surprise, presents her with 500 francs afterwards!)

going up on the walls

Was in Asheville, NC last week for ActionFest and was able to visit my favourite poster vendor at a ramshackle antique market. The booth is tucked away, forgotten in a corner. All the posters are 30% off and apparently the owner of the booth is blind! Can't wait to get these up on the walls in the homestead and glad my lady agrees with my decisions.

Back from the beach

Back from cavorting with starlets on faraway beaches, to resume the duties at the cinema that I have neglected. Big thanks to Jesse and Michael for carrying on and sweeping up the popcorn and discarded bottles of rye from the aisles.

Party like it's 1977

This week I was perusing the Twitterings of the awesome Hal Kelly (exact awesomeness unavailable as all gauges need to be calibrated and re-set to his leading format) of Trash Compactor magazine/Deviant Culture Exchange legend and he kindly alerted me to the release of this book which I then ordered in about three minutes time.



If you'd been to Rotate This in past months, you may have noticed, as I had, a collection of early Toronto punk rock photographs by Shadowy Men (among many other bands) drummer and possibly the best writer (the old backpage BLAB coming close) reviewer Exlcaim! ever had, Don Pyle. Along with the recent release of Treat Me Like Dirt (which I mentioned previously in these pages) I was hoping we might get to see a book of Pyle's great shots and now here it is by the chair really near where I type this now. I'm about three-sevenths through it and it's worth double every penny. Early and special copies come with a 7" record with some Toronto punk memories but I haven't had time to play it yet. The collection of shots, xerox posters and concert stubs (along with great writing) is enough for sure.

I didn't see any show that Don saw back then (I was a bit younger) but I did see Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet downstairs at Sneaky Dee's when it was at Bloor and Bathurst. Greg Keelor was sitting at the bar, backwards, and watching. The only seat my girlfriend at the time and I could grab was by the ventilation grate and all the cigarette smoke came past us. Even with dying eyes, it was a superb show. I got drunk and left a care package I had brought from home here (I was a recent transplant to T.O.) under the table and always wondered what the person who found it thought of tin-foil wrapped turkey, some canned soup and an alarm clock.




There is a fucking amazing picture of Gord Lewis (I was a big Teenage Head fan) on page 159. It's total rock and roll! Go and get it right now or just keeping being a jock asshole or something.

Welcome spring

...and then summer and fine weather and spirits.

Never 50%

Three half-sheets printed to represent the full glory that is a Doris Wishman film.

1963



1962



1965