STYLE IN ACTION
October 15, 2011
GARAGE PARTY 3
Stock up the fridge and warn the neighbors because Spy Vibe is having a 1960s garage party weekend. Track three: Follow David Hemmings into Antonioni's Blow-Up and this iconic scene with The Yardbirds featuring Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page.
GARAGE PARTY 2
Stock up the fridge and warn the neighbors because Spy Vibe is having a 1960s garage party weekend. Track two: early film footage of The High Numbers in 1964, a Mod band that would soon be managed by the film's producers and rechristened The Who!
October 14, 2011
GARAGE PARTY 1
Stock up the fridge and warn the neighbors because Spy Vibe is having a 1960s garage party weekend. Track one is a gem from those psychedelic rockers from Texas, The 13th Floor Elevators with You're Gonna Miss Me (1966). One of my old band-mates used to rave about these guys and I finally get why. This goes out to John and my fellow Elevator Tribe musicians.
October 11, 2011
ASTROSPIES
Spy Vibers scanning their radar for Space Age espionage should check out a documentary with a great high-concept title, Astrospies. From Amazon: "Millions remember the countdowns, launchings, splashdowns and parades as the U.S. raced the USSR to the Moon in the 1960s. Few know that both superpowers ran parallel covert space programs to launch military astronauts on spying missions. In Astrospies, NOVA delves into the untold story of this top-secret space race, which might easily have turned into a shooting war in orbit.
In Astrospies, viewers meet the elite corps of U.S. military astronauts, several of whom have never before talked about their clandestine training missions during the 1960s. As seen in footage broadcast for the first time, they practiced in full-scale mock-ups of the spy station, complete with spy cameras capable of resolving three-inch objects on the earth below. While the Apollo astronauts enjoyed ticker-tape parades, their astrospy colleagues trained in total obscurity until cost overruns and the new satellite technology doomed the program. Meanwhile, in response, the Soviets actually built three manned spy stations named Almaz and flew five missions during the 1970s. NOVA gains first-time access to a surviving Almaz station in a restricted Russian space facility, where an ex-cosmonaut demonstrates the high-powered spy cameras that were trained on U.S. cities. With a cannon designed to destroy hostile satellites or attack American astrospies Almaz was probably the only manned spacecraft ever equipped for space war. Astrospies is co-produced by Emmy Award winning producer Scott Willis and investigative journalist James Bamford, acclaimed best selling author of The Puzzle Palace and Body of Secrets." This 56-minute film is also available for rent on Netflix in the States. Looking for more space docs? I recommend In the Shadow of the Moon and For All Mankind.
In Astrospies, viewers meet the elite corps of U.S. military astronauts, several of whom have never before talked about their clandestine training missions during the 1960s. As seen in footage broadcast for the first time, they practiced in full-scale mock-ups of the spy station, complete with spy cameras capable of resolving three-inch objects on the earth below. While the Apollo astronauts enjoyed ticker-tape parades, their astrospy colleagues trained in total obscurity until cost overruns and the new satellite technology doomed the program. Meanwhile, in response, the Soviets actually built three manned spy stations named Almaz and flew five missions during the 1970s. NOVA gains first-time access to a surviving Almaz station in a restricted Russian space facility, where an ex-cosmonaut demonstrates the high-powered spy cameras that were trained on U.S. cities. With a cannon designed to destroy hostile satellites or attack American astrospies Almaz was probably the only manned spacecraft ever equipped for space war. Astrospies is co-produced by Emmy Award winning producer Scott Willis and investigative journalist James Bamford, acclaimed best selling author of The Puzzle Palace and Body of Secrets." This 56-minute film is also available for rent on Netflix in the States. Looking for more space docs? I recommend In the Shadow of the Moon and For All Mankind.
October 8, 2011
OCT 9TH EVENTS
A special weekend for fans of 1960s Art and music. Birthday wishes to John and Sean Lennon, who share October 9th birthdays (and congrats to Paul McCartney on his wedding this Oct 9th!). To get us in the mood, here is an amusing video mash-up that places James Bond at one of the summer 1966 Tokyo Beatles concerts. The filming of You Only Live Twice started in July 1966, so it's fun to imagine these major pop-culture events coming together.
In honor of John Lennon, Yoko Ono is scheduled to relight the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland this weekend. The structure was conceived from an idea that Ono had in the 1960s about architecture built entirely of light and prisms. The Imagine Peace Tower uses fifteen searchlights and prisms to create a shaft of light that reaches upwards of 4,000 meters. Construction was finished in 2007, and it is lit annually between October 9th and December 8th (the date of Lennon's passing in 1980).
In honor of John Lennon, Yoko Ono is scheduled to relight the Imagine Peace Tower in Iceland this weekend. The structure was conceived from an idea that Ono had in the 1960s about architecture built entirely of light and prisms. The Imagine Peace Tower uses fifteen searchlights and prisms to create a shaft of light that reaches upwards of 4,000 meters. Construction was finished in 2007, and it is lit annually between October 9th and December 8th (the date of Lennon's passing in 1980).
More info about how you can contribute to the event from Yoko: "Dear Friends, On 9th October 2011, I will be in Reykjavík, Iceland to relight IMAGINE PEACE TOWER at 8pm (9pm London, 4pm NY, 1pm LA, 5am Tokyo) in memory of my husband John Lennon. I hope you will join us at http://IMAGINEPEACETOWER.com for the live event where you can tweet, email & Facebook chat your wishes live to @IPTower and watch a live feed of the event."
A special John Lennon exhibit has been set up in NYC for the weekend, in honor of what would have been Lennon's 71st birthday. There is also an exhibit of Yoko Ono's work at Stoney Brook University through October 15th. More information at the New York Times here. Spy Vibe on 1960s surrealism and satire in the UK here.
My wish in celebration of John Lennon's 71st birthday, going out to the armed populations in the world- Camera Piece: carry a camera instead of a weapon for 1 day, then 1 week. Look at people through the lens until you see that you are one.
October 5, 2011
WINNERS ANNOUNCED
Thank you to the many Spy Vibers from around the world who entered The 10th Victim Blu-ray contest. What a great turn out! As a life-long fan of the film, I'm pleased to see it get the hi-def preservation and release it deserves, and to see so many people interested in exploring the movie. I chose four readers in a random drawing to win copies of the new release. For the many people who were not chosen, I express my sincere thanks and hope that you will order a copy of the film to enjoy in your own Spy Vibe library and to support the preservation and release of classics like The 10th Victim (Amazon page here). Thanks to Blue Underground for having me on board for the special features on the disc and for providing comp-copies for Spy Vibers.
The winners are: Bill from Seattle, Stephen from Australia, Bob from St Paul, and Jack from Brooklyn. Your discs are already in the mail!
The 10th Victim appeals as both a cocktail of cool aesthetics and as biting commentary on violence-as-entertainment- qualities that ring as true today as they did in 1965. Here is the iconic scene where Ursula Andress dispatches her prey with her infamous gun-bra bikini at the Masoch Club.
The winners are: Bill from Seattle, Stephen from Australia, Bob from St Paul, and Jack from Brooklyn. Your discs are already in the mail!
The 10th Victim appeals as both a cocktail of cool aesthetics and as biting commentary on violence-as-entertainment- qualities that ring as true today as they did in 1965. Here is the iconic scene where Ursula Andress dispatches her prey with her infamous gun-bra bikini at the Masoch Club.
October 2, 2011
10TH VICTIM CONTEST ENDS SOON
Enter to win a Blu-ray edition of the Elio Petri cult classic, The 10th Victim (1965), starring Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress. Contest ends October 4th! Details here.
From the New York Times review (9/30/11): "Petri won the foreign-language Oscar for his far superior 1970 film, “Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion,” but it’s “The 10th Victim” that lingers in the public imagination and has now been reissued by Blue Underground in an excellent Blu-ray transferred from the original negative. The playful production design, by Michelangelo Antonioni’s regular collaborator Piero Poletto, probably accounts for much of the movie’s continued appeal. His Rome of the future has been assembled out of the architecture of the Fascist past (Bernardo Bertolucci would return to some of the same locations for his 1970 period drama “The Conformist”) and festooned with the fetish objects of the Op-Pop 60s: inflatable furniture, Trim-line telephones."
From the New York Times review (9/30/11): "Petri won the foreign-language Oscar for his far superior 1970 film, “Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion,” but it’s “The 10th Victim” that lingers in the public imagination and has now been reissued by Blue Underground in an excellent Blu-ray transferred from the original negative. The playful production design, by Michelangelo Antonioni’s regular collaborator Piero Poletto, probably accounts for much of the movie’s continued appeal. His Rome of the future has been assembled out of the architecture of the Fascist past (Bernardo Bertolucci would return to some of the same locations for his 1970 period drama “The Conformist”) and festooned with the fetish objects of the Op-Pop 60s: inflatable furniture, Trim-line telephones."
September 24, 2011
AGENT WOODY
Woody Allen transitioned as a gag-writer and stand-up comedian to become a prolific filmmaker with unprecedented freedom to write and direct his own projects. With a new movie out almost every year since 1965, Allen's body of work carries a unique voice that channels his interests in philosophy, music, and culture. Woody Allen directed his first feature film during the great spy boom when he re-mixed two Japanese films into a hilarious espionage yarn about egg salad, What's Up Tiger Lilly?, released in November 1966. In this clip, director John Badham (Dracula, Saturday Night Fever), talks about how the studio struggled to define the movie- as evidence in their chock-a-block "trailer from hell":
Woody Allen rode the spy wave into his next project, Casino Royale. Truly a kitchen-sink movie with multiple writers and directors, the film does have its moments. The costumes included female guards with machine guns in Paco Rabanne-like gladiatorial garb, and the colorful space-age sets made it to some of the top-five spy sets in Spy Vibe's guest set event. Peter Sellers and Ursula Andress share an iconic scene to the tune, The Look of Love. Woody Allen played Jimmy Bond, the megalomaniac nephew of James Bond, with his characteristic slant on the quintessential baddie (dressed in Nehru jacket, of course!). In this clip, James Bond (David Niven) talks about his sex-crazed namesake on TV and introduces his nephew as a rather disappointing secret agent.
Woody Allen then made a mockumentary, Take the Money and Run (1969), about a criminal with great ambition (but zero talent). I can't imagine our current culture of parody without this seminal work. Allen returned to this form in his fantastic story of a human chameleon, Zelig, in 1983. In this classic scene, the main character's attempts to rob a bank are severely challenged by poor penmanship. (Check out the new reality show by fellow C.O.B.R.A.S. writer, Paul Bishop, Take the Money and Run here).
Crime and morality have continued to appear as themes in his films over the years, and these early comedies from the spy-boom era should appeal to Spy Vibers. I showed What's Up Tiger Lilly? to my high school students a year ago and they are still laughing about some of the scenes and dialog. If you are interested in learning more about Woody Allen, I suggest these excellent books: Woody Allen On Woody Allen by Stig Bjorkman, Conversations With Woody Allen by Eric Lax, Woody Allen Interviews by Robert Kapsis. This year's Midnight in Paris has been Allen's greatest box office success. If you haven't checked in with his movies recently, I recommend a double feature of Midnight in Paris (2011) and Scoop (2006). Allen is famous for his use of magic realism, and these two contemporary films are absolutely charming.
September 23, 2011
BEATLES AUCTION CANCELLED
Breaking news: Guernsey's has cancelled the bulk of a major Beatles auction that was scheduled for tomorrow. Astrid Kirchherr's photographs of the band's early years in Germany, as well as the intellectual property rights to the images, were originally planned to go on sale in a historic auction Saturday. But at the last hour, the company posted an announcement on their website stating that the entire lot has been sold in advance to an undisclosed buyer.
There is much speculation about the identity of the buyer. Many fans wonder if Paul McCartney has stepped in to preserve and manage the archives. Spy Vibe will update readers as soon as there is more information. In the meantime, the auction will continue tomorrow with many Beatles and other music-related treasures. One of the most notable items is Elvis Presley's first guitar!
Some Spy Vibers have been able to purchase Kirchherr signed photographs through Snap Galleries. They have a few Hamburg-era images listed in a current auction. Now that Kirchherr's archives have moved ownership, signed photos will certainly become quite collectible. I have a number of signed Beatles (and Spy TV/movie) items in my collection that I might list for auction in the future. Stay tuned!
There is much speculation about the identity of the buyer. Many fans wonder if Paul McCartney has stepped in to preserve and manage the archives. Spy Vibe will update readers as soon as there is more information. In the meantime, the auction will continue tomorrow with many Beatles and other music-related treasures. One of the most notable items is Elvis Presley's first guitar!
Some Spy Vibers have been able to purchase Kirchherr signed photographs through Snap Galleries. They have a few Hamburg-era images listed in a current auction. Now that Kirchherr's archives have moved ownership, signed photos will certainly become quite collectible. I have a number of signed Beatles (and Spy TV/movie) items in my collection that I might list for auction in the future. Stay tuned!
September 21, 2011
MILES DAVIS 1967
Sony has launched the Miles Davis Bootleg Series with Miles Davis Quintet Live in Europe 1967. The box set includes 3 CDs of these groundbreaking performances, as well as a DVD of all of the known film footage of the shows.
From Amazon: In the 1960s Miles Davis toured Europe several times with some of the greatest bands he ever led. As the first title in a projected series of boxed sets Sony/Legacy introduces MILES DAVIS QUINTET - Live In Europe 1967 - The Bootleg Series Vol.1 featuring Miles Davis Second Great Quintet featuring WAYNE SHORTER, HERBIE HANCOCK, RON CARTER and TONY WILLIAMS -- arguably the single greatest small group ensemble in jazz history.
The recordings from their 1967 European tour are some of the only existing documentation of the band performing compositions from the extraordinary series of studio albums they made between 1965-1967 -- E.S.P., Miles Smiles, Sorcerer and Nefertiti. Now fans can hear live versions of Agitation (from E.S.P.), Footprints" and "Gingerbread Boy ( from Miles Smiles), Masquelero" (from Sorcerer ) and Riot" (from Nefertiti); PLUS, Miles revisits some of the earlier classics he had been performing for years -- Round Midnight , On Green Dolphin Street , I Fall In Love Too Easily and No Blues -- all in strikingly different interpretations from the original studio versions. Seeing this band in action only further emphasizes their near supernatural rapport!
DVD Track listing:1. Agitation, 2. Footprints, 3. I Fall In Love Too Easily, 4. Walkin, 5. Gingerbread Boy, 6. The Theme, 7. Agitation, 8. Footprints
9. Round Midnight, 10. Gingerbread Boy, 11. The Theme
From Amazon: In the 1960s Miles Davis toured Europe several times with some of the greatest bands he ever led. As the first title in a projected series of boxed sets Sony/Legacy introduces MILES DAVIS QUINTET - Live In Europe 1967 - The Bootleg Series Vol.1 featuring Miles Davis Second Great Quintet featuring WAYNE SHORTER, HERBIE HANCOCK, RON CARTER and TONY WILLIAMS -- arguably the single greatest small group ensemble in jazz history.
The recordings from their 1967 European tour are some of the only existing documentation of the band performing compositions from the extraordinary series of studio albums they made between 1965-1967 -- E.S.P., Miles Smiles, Sorcerer and Nefertiti. Now fans can hear live versions of Agitation (from E.S.P.), Footprints" and "Gingerbread Boy ( from Miles Smiles), Masquelero" (from Sorcerer ) and Riot" (from Nefertiti); PLUS, Miles revisits some of the earlier classics he had been performing for years -- Round Midnight , On Green Dolphin Street , I Fall In Love Too Easily and No Blues -- all in strikingly different interpretations from the original studio versions. Seeing this band in action only further emphasizes their near supernatural rapport!
DVD Track listing:1. Agitation, 2. Footprints, 3. I Fall In Love Too Easily, 4. Walkin, 5. Gingerbread Boy, 6. The Theme, 7. Agitation, 8. Footprints
9. Round Midnight, 10. Gingerbread Boy, 11. The Theme
September 20, 2011
10TH VICTIM SHOTS
The Blu-ray website posted a review today of the new release of The 10th Victim (1965). A mostly-positive response with the added bonus of some of their fantastic screen-shots. Here are Ursula, Marcello, and Elsa in three memorable scenes from the film. I always loved the shot of Marcello's apartment decorated with pop art and a display rack of classic Phantom and other comic books- a great pad! How would you decorate your fantasy lair? What would be on your display rack?
Don't forget to enter to win a Blu-ray edition of the Elio Petri cult classic, The 10th Victim (1965), starring Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress. Contest ends October 4th. Details here.
Don't forget to enter to win a Blu-ray edition of the Elio Petri cult classic, The 10th Victim (1965), starring Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress. Contest ends October 4th. Details here.
KNOLL SALE
Looking for an Eero Saarinen, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, or Harry Bertoia piece for your secret lair? Design Within Reach has just opened their pre-sale list of many cool items from Knoll, including the Barcelona Chair below- designed in 1929 and winner of the Museum of Modern Art Award in 1977. Image from MOMA. Sale details here.
Don't forget to enter to win a Blu-ray edition of the Elio Petri cult classic, The 10th Victim (1965), starring Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress. Contest ends October 4th. Details here.
Don't forget to enter to win a Blu-ray edition of the Elio Petri cult classic, The 10th Victim (1965), starring Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress. Contest ends October 4th. Details here.
September 19, 2011
SEIJUN SUZUKI GOES BLU
The Criterion Collection has announced their upcoming Blu-ray titles for December. In addition to a vintage Hitchcock film, The Lady Vanishes, Spy Vibers can look forward to two 1960s cult classics by Seijun Suzuki!
From Criterion: Tokyo Drifter (1966): In this jazzy gangster film, reformed killer Phoenix Tetsu’s attempt to go straight is squashed when his former cohorts call him back to Tokyo to help battle a rival gang. This onslaught of stylized violence and trippy colors got director Seijun Suzuki in trouble with Nikkatsu studio heads, who were put off by his anything-goes, in-your-face aesthetic, equal parts Russ Meyer, Samuel Fuller, and Nagisa Oshima. Tokyo Drifter is a delirious highlight of the brilliantly excessive Japanese cinema of the sixties.
From Criterion: Branded To Kill (1967): When Japanese New Wave bad boy Seijun Suzuki delivered this brutal, hilarious, and visually inspired masterpiece to the executives at his studio, he was promptly fired. Branded to Kill tells the ecstatically bent story of a yakuza assassin (chipmunk-cheeked superstar Joe Shishido) with a fetish for sniffing boiled rice who botches a job and ends up a target himself. This is Suzuki at his most extreme—the flabbergasting pinnacle of his sixties pop-art aesthetic.
Don't forget to enter to win a Blu-ray edition of the Elio Petri cult classic, The 10th Victim (1965), starring Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress. Contest ends October 4th. Details here.
From Criterion: Tokyo Drifter (1966): In this jazzy gangster film, reformed killer Phoenix Tetsu’s attempt to go straight is squashed when his former cohorts call him back to Tokyo to help battle a rival gang. This onslaught of stylized violence and trippy colors got director Seijun Suzuki in trouble with Nikkatsu studio heads, who were put off by his anything-goes, in-your-face aesthetic, equal parts Russ Meyer, Samuel Fuller, and Nagisa Oshima. Tokyo Drifter is a delirious highlight of the brilliantly excessive Japanese cinema of the sixties.
From Criterion: Branded To Kill (1967): When Japanese New Wave bad boy Seijun Suzuki delivered this brutal, hilarious, and visually inspired masterpiece to the executives at his studio, he was promptly fired. Branded to Kill tells the ecstatically bent story of a yakuza assassin (chipmunk-cheeked superstar Joe Shishido) with a fetish for sniffing boiled rice who botches a job and ends up a target himself. This is Suzuki at his most extreme—the flabbergasting pinnacle of his sixties pop-art aesthetic.
Don't forget to enter to win a Blu-ray edition of the Elio Petri cult classic, The 10th Victim (1965), starring Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress. Contest ends October 4th. Details here.
September 12, 2011
10TH VICTIM CONTEST
Spy Vibe release party! I was fortunate to contribute to the new Blu-ray edition of one of my all-time fave films, Elio Petri's The 10th Victim (1965), starring Marcello Mastroianni and Ursula Andress. The Blu-ray from Blue Underground will be released tomorrow, and I have four copies to give away to Spy Vibe readers! I have to say, this edition looks very cool. After seeing the menu ported over the last couple of DVD editions, it is refreshing to see the film get a whole new package. The new menu is a celebration of the film's Masoch Club, the famous scene where Andress dispatches her prey with her gun-bra silver bikini. The folks at Blue Underground picked lots of great scenes to run during menu selection. There are many special features, including my collection of stills and posters. The inside of the case sports a French lobby card that really highlights the film's costume design. I think you all will enjoy it! I'm very happy to see the film preserved with style.OK, the contest: Send an e-mail to jason[at]spyvibe.com with "10th Victim" in the subject line and include your address. I will pick 4 winners in a random drawing on October 4th. And for my recent poster contest winners, thank you for your patience. I've finally finished my move to the new pad and can ship your posters at last.
Thank you, Spy Vibers, and good luck!
September 3, 2011
10TH VICTIM RELEASE
Blue Underground has moved the release date of The 10th Victim (1965) Blu-ray edition to September 13th due to manufacturing needs. Spy Vibe will have copies to giveaway soon- stay tuned!
August 31, 2011
THE MONKEES DVD
The Monkees (1966-1968) television show spawned a media phenomenon and encapsulated a 1960s cocktail of Richard Lester/Beatles surrealism, Marx Brothers humor, improvisation, and catchy pop songs. After years of being out of print, the original series will be released on September 27th by Eagle Rock. Pre-order info at Amazon here. Spy Vibers in the States can still rent the original Rhino DVDs from Netflix. Three of the band members reunited recently for a tour, but the last nine dates were cancelled due to business conflicts. Here is a clip from one of my fave episodes, The Spy Who Came in From the Cool (covered at Spy Vibe here).
August 26, 2011
IT TAKES A THIEF
Welcome back Spy Vibers! We just had a great series of poster contests, followed by the recent move of all operations to a cool 1966 pad! Yup, we're now located in a northern California lair with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, Hi-Fi, and the Spy Vibe library! Speaking of libraries, one of the last major spy shows from the 1960s waiting for release is finally coming out- It Takes a Thief- starring Robert Wagner as cat burger-turned-spy! The complete series will be released in a box set on October 11th by Entertainment One, and will include all three seasons, interviews with cast/crew, pilot episode, a collectible photo book, and more. The current price on Amazon is a bit high at $179.99, but we'll keep keep our eye out for deals. Amazon has often made The Man From U.N.C.L.E. box set, also a high-ticket item, available at a discount. Congrats to Entertainment One and to all of my fellow It Takes a Thief fans!
August 16, 2011
POSTER 3 WINNER!
Thank you to the many Spy Vibers from around the world who entered to win the Goldfinger movie poster! One winner was drawn at random- congratulations to Thomas Tucker. Your prize will be mailed soon.
CRITERION DEALS TODAY
Amazon is offering lightning deals on a number of Criterion Collection titles today, including the stylish and funny Mystery classic, Charade, starring Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn (Charade sale ends 10am pacific). Other titles include the Maysles brothers' The Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter and David Cronenberg's Videodrome. Details here. Spy Vibe's look at the Peter Stone penned films Charade, Arabesque, and Mirage here.
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