I think Good Style Improves the Enviroment for Everybody - Zelda Kaplan (Advanced Style)

Last night a group of us vintage fashionistas went to Palace Centro to see the documentary "Advanced Style".

 

Advanced Style examines the lives of seven unique New Yorkers whose eclectic personal style and vital spirit have guided their approach to aging.(IMDb)

I have been a big fan of Ari Cohen's Blog http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com.au/ where he photographers 'older' women who radiate fabulous style & charisma, so when I heard he had made a documentary on this subject, I was very excited.

What to wear to a movie about unique style????

In my cupboard of fairly stock standard black, red and navy outfits I decided to wear one of my favourites. A 'vases' novelty print rayon 1940s frock that has the most lovely scalloped detailing on the sleeves :)

 

 

This doco focused on only seven of Mr Cohen's subjects but these seven ladies were simply extraordinary.

During the film there was much swooning, hands flying to chests with gasps of "Oh My!" and peels of laughter at some of the wonderful quotes from these aged women.

The ladies of this documentary (who range in age from 62 - 95) have the most beautiful attitude towards life.  Although each of them posses their own unique (sometimes a bit wild & crazy) personal style, the message they all share seems to be the same.

EMBRACE YOUR OWN UNIQUENESS

BE YOURSELF

STUFF WHAT THE WORLD THINKS

YOUR AGE MEANS NOTHING

DON'T FOLLOW THE CROWD.

THE 'SUPER' ADVANCED STYLE QUEEN Mrs Chrissy

As I was watching I could see certain people I know in the personalities of each of these women!!
Not naming names!!! LOL

There was one lady in particular who I thought was simply divine and had me sighing whenever she came on the screen.
Joyce who is 80.
She epitomises classic style and glamour. Unlike the other ladies who were all about very bright colours and outrageous hats and jewellery, in most settings, Joyce had on a simple black outfit but with a exquisite tartan or silk wrap and always a string of pearls. Stunning.
Yep. I thought.
I want that to be me when I am 80.
I loved her quote "I never wanted to look young. I wanted to look great."

JOYCE

I came out of this viewing feeling all warm & fuzzy.  I felt like I wanted to start wearing more vibrant colours, more fuck off big flower corsages and buying a mountain of 1940s silk lounge wear so I can just laze around sipping exotic teas whilst looking fabulous.

I also kept thinking of my own grandmother who is 81 years old. My Nanny is all about style and always looks immaculate. In the doco one lady comments that she didn't wear a particular outfit for 7 years because she couldn't find the 'right' earrings.  My Nanny is like that. Before she goes out into public she must be completely co-ordinated.
Every time I visit her she takes my arm & leads me into her bedroom where we spend the next 30 minutes viewing her latest buys..
"Oh Vicki I got this beautiful blouse from Lifeline for only $5 but I thought the buttons were just lovely so then I just HAD to go to Millers and buy some nice slacks to match. I realised I didn't have the exact right shade of navy shoes & bag to match so luckily I found some in Target and well I already had these lovely gold earrings to match. You see how they brings out the colour in the buttons?..... Now THIS outfit is another story..............."
Hmmmmmmm this explains A LOT about me..... I think it might be genetic.

Addy expressing her own individual style.

I can highly recommend this movie.  I think that if you love style & fashion you will just fall in LOVE with these women and their message about aging in today's youth and fad obsessed society. 

SIMPLY WONDERFUL & UPLIFTING DOCOMENTARY.

"INTERMEDIATE" ?? STYLE

FOR MORE INFORMATION GO TO:  http://advancedstylefilm.com/

20. Waiting for Superman (2010)

WOW.
If you are thinking "Gawd why would I want to watch a film about the public schooling system in American?!. Borrrrrringgggg" Think again.
JUST WOW.
I got dry mouth watching this doco because my mouth was constantly gapping in between exclaimations of " Bloody Hell!" "HOLY CRAP" and my sobbing.
SCARY SCARY STUFF.
It's funny how sometimes the most horrific movies are documentaries about REAL LIFE.
Personally I admire anyone who could be a teacher. I couldn't do it.
I would LOVE to hear the opinion of a teacher who has seen this film.
Thank God there are some people in America TRYING to change the system. A system which is... to put it bluntly... a total fuck-up.
I don't have any children so I have no experience with the schooling system here in Australia but even though I'm not a religious person I  friggin' PRAY it's not like the system in American.
HORRIFYING & COMPELLING.
I couldn't stop talking about it for an hour afterwards and even now when I think about it I feel like crying. Crying for the poor children & families who just want an education and to make a better life for themselves but because of 'the system' can't and crying for joy for the people who are slowly but surely forcing the change. True heroes. AMAZING.

EVERYONE MUST SEE THIS DOCUMENTARY.
5 STARS

 

YOUR THOUGHTS?

9. HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA (2012)

OK I'll get this out of the way from the start.
I LOVE ANIMATION. LOVE IT. So I couldn't WAIT to see this movie.
Is it any good though?
OMG It is awesome. It is SO SO SO funny. As usual with me I really love the secondary characters.
In this film I just loved the zombie staff, the gremlin (?) husband and wife and the thing that reads the bingo numbers.

Right from the start I had a big smile on my face and there are numerous laugh out loud moments.
Once again my movie knowledge ignorance shone through because imagine my surprise to find out that ADAM SANDLER (one of the actors on my most hated list) does the voice of Dracula!!
You would never know.
Steve Buscemi as the were wolf is excellent.
I would love to have some toys from the movie especially the zombies. It has a couple of slightly scary moments for little ones but not many.

I was only going to give this film 4 stars but due to the fact that I am dying to get to the shops and buy a copy of this movie so I can watch it over & over makes me give it more.
As soon as I finished watching it I wanted to watch it again straight away.
I reckon you'd find more & more funny things in it with each watch.

5 STARS Bleh bleh bleh !!!

3. Raging Bull (1980)

I am a HUGE fan of boxing films. I don't quite know why that is. I have vague recollections of standing outside the boxing tent at the Oakey and Toowoomba shows and loving the sight of the big burly men lined up outside, the smell of sweat and saw dust and the raucous blood thirsty bellowing of the crowd.

So I pressed Play already excited about seeing another round of boxing glory.
Firstly, I'm a dickhead.
I did not know that this movie was A. In black and white & B. prodominatantley set in the 1940s. BONUS!
What can I say? This movie is amazing.
From the musical score to the simply stunning visuals to the fucking incredible 'acting' (I use the term acting loosly because at times you really do feel like you are watching a documentary the acting is so incredible) this film is faultless.

Be warned it is also shudderingly violent.. and that's not even in the boxing ring.
Joe Pesci is terrifying and well Robert De Niro is incredible.  It must have taken AGES to film simply because of the incredible body transformations Jake La Motta goes through. Buff to fat to buff to fat.
And how AWFUL is Jake? What a scum-bag arsehole! A complete psychopath. Scary as.
One of the most despicable 'characters' you will meet.
Cathy Moriaty is just wonderful as Jake's beautiful suffering wife. (yes I couldn't stop looking at her outfits & hair).

Finally, the fight scenes. HOLY SHIT. jaw hits the ground. I need to watch 'the making of' because I cannot see how these scenes could have been faked. Those punches (seem to be) actually connecting and pounding. Especially Jake's final fight scene with Sugar Ray Robinson.
Insane.
If you love boxing films like me you MUST see this movie.
If you love noir films. You MUST see this movie.
 If you simply love movies that are completely faultless with scarily 'real' acting.

You have to watch this.
5 out of 5 stars.
Beautiful.