Chew 'Em Up and Spit 'Em Out: Toxic Hollywood

I could see it in her eyes, things weren't the same. The bubbly, blue-eyed blonde, devoutly Christian girl from Illinois liked to sing and dance. She was a rising star in her hometown-- the one to watch. Like so many others, she loaded up her car and moved out to Los Angeles to be an actress. She got an agent and a personal manager (with a company I worked for.) Right out of the starting gate, she booked one of the first roles she'd auditioned for-- a principal role on a kids cable series.

She was the envy of all her acting friends. She thought she'd taken off. She thought her star was rising-- that her wholesome beauty and talent would fuel her to the zenith of Hollywood-- that the promise of fame would nourish her. Things sped along beautifully until-- the cable show tanked, the industry slowed down, and the auditions dwindled down to nothing.

We told her we needed new photos. She said she would, she just needed to get some money. She told me to submit her for anything-- even roles with nudity (something she'd vehemently been against before.) Bills were piling up; desperation had set in.

The last time I saw her, I couldn't ignore the changes. Her bubbly personality had flattened as she tried to force a smile. Her blonde hair had lost its luster. Her skin had lost its glow. Hollywood wasn't as easy as it started off to be. She walked out of our offices as a ghost of her former self-- or the "self" that she thought Hollywood had been looking for. She stopped returning our calls. A few weeks later, we ran out of her headshots.

There are so many like her-- the Ellie Parkers. Hollywood is harsh and shark-infested. It's a survivalist's game. Even those who succeed are only moments away from drowning. I think of this now, with the passing of Andrew Koenig last month and Corey Haim just a few short days ago. Oddly, I'd just watched License To Drive about 2 weeks ago for the first time in at least fifteen years. As I'd listened to the interview of Corey Haim on that disc, well before his untimely death this week, I felt the same as I'd had the last time I'd spoken with the blonde: Something in them had been forever altered.

Hollywood loves to crown its kings and queens and is quick to knock them flat. Hollywood can be toxic and it will poison you if you let it. Don't change yourself to what you think Hollywood wants. Be the person you want to be. Those with the surest sense of themselves-- the ones that know who they are as people, not actors, have the best chance of survival.

Acting is not everything. Success doesn't make you. Money can only do so much. And none of it will last. Keep stretching toward your dreams, but don't ever let them consume you whole. And if you feel that you are drowning, resist the urge to reach for drugs, alcohol, or other self-destructive crutches-- instead reach for help. It is out there.

© Copyright 2010 by KLiedle

Dressing The Part: Motion Picture Costume Design

The empty cloth body of a doll is placed on a sewing table. Sawdust pours into the doll's body, giving her form. Then, yarn hair is attached, button-eyes are sewn in and suddenly a little girl in a yellow raincoat we come to know as Coraline falls into the next frame. It is with this same attention-to-detail that a costume designer approaches the challenge of dressing characters for a film.

I've always been in awe of costume and fashion designs. My mother taught me to sew by hand. All it took was a needle and thread, some cloth, and a vision. Simple, yet complicated. Enriching and intoxicating. And the details... always details.

A few years back, I discovered the Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition at FIDM [Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising] in Downtown L.A. Since then, I've gone to the exhibit every year. It offers a rare chance to see some of the best motion picture costume designs up close. When I stand in front of a some of those costumes, I can see the individual stitches, the layers upon layers of fabric, the authenticity and sheer style of the designs. Only then, can I imagine the absolute enormity of a costume designer's task.

Costumes say so much about character, about the world he or she inhabits, about the story that's unfolding before us. Designers like Michael O'Connor (The Duchess), Janet Patterson (Bright Star), and Sandy Powell (The Young Victoria) had to brush up on history and pour over research before even beginning to think about how to dress the actors in their respective period films.

It was fun to see the fashions of Julie & Julia-- from Julie Powell's contemporary chic Manhattan apparel to Julia Child's tailored suits, skirts and aprons. From the exhibit, I learned that part of costume designer Ann Roth's challenge was the real Julia Child's immense height-- a factor I hadn't thought much about in relation to costuming. Roth had to create an illusion of height and thereby help "sell" the figure of Julia Child through costuming. Otherwise, the waistlines would be off or the fabric wouldn't hang correctly. With the use of experimental shoes for Meryl Streep and countless fittings to see what could be cheated, this was achieved.

Designer Colleen Atwood had a different challenge-- creating colorful, sexy costumes for the heavily female cast of Nine, while constantly being aware of how those costumes would respond to the choreography and movement required by the actor in any given moment. Wardrobe malfunctions weren't an option. The costumes had to dazzle, but they also had to fit precisely.

A change to this year's exhibit brought about the most fun for me, personally. Puppets from the stop-motion animation film, Coraline are on exhibit. When I think about animation, I don't often think of wardrobe. With Coraline, costuming went hand-in-hand with the style and intricacies of the stop-motion animation of the film. Coraline, voiced by Dakota Fanning, had to reflect the fashions of what girls her age are actually wearing. Additionally, fabrics had to be tested to see how they read on film. Some colors and textures could be interesting for distant shots, but too much for close-ups. According to the Lead Costume Design Fabricators for the film, a total of 28 different puppets were used and each of them had numerous costume changes. The challenges posed here would be enough to drive me batty!

I was surprised and excited to see a number of stars at the exhibit, too. The real Wild Things are on display from Spike Jonze's film, Where The Wild Things Are. I was dwarfed by being in the mere presence of Carol, K.W., Alexander, and Judith-- towering above me. Up close, they look just like I imagined them to be from seeing the film [ and reading the book.] When I look up and see moisture from a runny nose glistening on Carol's face, it makes me feel sad. And when I look into her friendly, glass eyes, I feel like she's real even though my adult brain tells me she's not.

Designing the Wild Things and pulling it off in live-action form, was perhaps, one of the most difficult, yet imperative tasks of the film. The costumes for the wild things had to be a perfect combination of form and function (so the actors could move around in them.) What they couldn't be were fake-looking, giant man-suit puppets. The Wild Things had to look like creatures with the capacity for real emotion and humor. Then, there was Max's wolf suit--one costume he wears throughout the film. One costume--easy! Wrong. Since so much rides on that one costume, Max had an entire wardrobe of identical suits for different appearances and actions in the film.

Each year, the FIDM exhibit gets bigger and better. And each year, I learn more and more about the specific challenges each film poses to a costumer designer. It's rather amazing to get to be an insider for a brief moment and see the artistry and detail up close. For anyone who thinks that costume design for film is just a matter of shopping or buying fabric, think again. For the rest of you, the Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition at FIDM is open to the public until April 17, 2010. The exhibit is free and open to the public Tuesdays thru Saturdays from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Fashion Institute of Design And Merchandising [FIDM Los Angeles]
919 S Grand Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90015

2010 Exhibit -- Costumes On Display from the following films:
The Duchess, The Last Station, Bright Star, Sherlock Holmes, The Young Victoria, Amelia, Broken Embraces, Inglorious Basterds, Coraline, My One And Only, Pirate Radio, Julie & Julia, An Education, Public Enemies, Where The Wild Things Are, A Single Man, Night At The Museum, Star Trek, The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus, The Soloist, Watchmen, G.I. Joe, Aliens In The Attic, Nine.

Copyright © 2010 by Kliedle
Where The Wild Things Are poster/Fox Searchlight
Costume Designers Guild poster/IATSE Local 892
www.costumedesignersguild.com

Electric Youth Spurs Modern Love

The other day I saw Fabio shopping at the local mall. A day later, I saw Debbie Gibson at the movies. It was a throwback to the '80s-'90s sort of week. Toss in a little bit of valentines to top it off and voila, this post was born... Enjoy!

****

IM Googled, status updated, linked, and blogged. Thumbs flying, ear-buds blasting; Match.com, here I am. Did you get my text? 'Cause I am next: I am Electric Youth. Valentine's Day may be just around the corner, but how can modern love compete with my latest tweet?

In the late '80s, Electric Youth was not an adolescent with ADD and an ipod in his hand. No, no-- it was a Debbie Gibson album and a popular perfume that teenage girls clamored for. Back then, remember? Valentine's Day was still fun and untainted. We handed out Looney Tune valentines to our classmates. We baked heart-shaped cookies. We passed notes. We left notes in lockers signed, Your Secret Admirer. And we silently prayed for that boy to send us flowers and candy.

We were all hormones and innocence and Lost In Your Eyes. Big surprise...

Now, Debbie is Deborah and we barely look up. We twitter, we text, but in many ways—we don't connect. No one seems to write letters anymore. Even a phone call takes too long. Texting is fast and gets to the point. It's quickly become the most popular way to communicate because we don't have to touch... heck, we don't even have to speak.

By February 2009, Twitter had reached 7 million unique visitors (Nielsen Wire) By 2009, 72.2% of cell phone users had a text-messaging plan on their cell phone and text usage went up by 107%. An astonishing 2.3 billion text messages are sent every day! (Paul Wise, Texting Statistics, Random Facts, and Blackberry Cell Phones)

With all these distractions, modern love is certainly complicated! And to think that online dating used to be scary and utterly taboo? Now, it's become the thing to do. Online, you never have to actually meet people or talk to them face-to-face. You can date from your living room and never leave the couch. You can pick your partner like you pick your kitchen tile. We're connected to technology, yet removed from each other.

It's become way too easy to poke fun at how technology's changed our love lives. Modern Love, the latest episode of the web series, It's Always Smoggy In L.A. did just that-- hilariously showcasing the pitfalls of modern love. This year, you may rush to make reservations and order flowers or you may wear black and scowl until the Valentine's sugar high has lifted. Whichever camp you find yourself in, unplug yourself for once, spend time with each other, and become one with the world.

Happy Valentine's Day Weekend!

Copyright ©2010 by KLiedle
Photo credit: starberryshyne/flickr.com

What You Might Have Missed...

I just want to thank TotalFilm.com for mentioning my blog on their recent post:

600 Movie Blogs You Might Have Missed ... the weird, the wonderful, the well-informed.

If you're tired of watching movies from your Netflix queue, you can spend the rest of 2010 scrolling through this treasure trove. I admit, it's a little overwhelming... BUT in less time than one might think, I discovered some great new sites to bookmark. It's definitely worth checking out.

A Brief Encounter And Glimpse Of A Midlife Crises

I am a big believer in public transportation. Mostly the subway, sometimes [not often] the bus. Whenever I can realistically ditch my car, I will. Yes, sometimes my fellow riders smell funny or scratch themselves or speak in funny languages I can't understand. But other times, my encounters are more revealing in other ways. Occasionally, I'm touched by the snapshots of life I'm able to observe and those people that fleetingly pass through my day. Here's one from awhile back:

Midlife Crisis on the Orange Line

Another stop. The doors open. A Latino man sits next to me. He is of stocky build and after only a moment I realize that he is in search of some kind of human connection. He asks the woman across from us if the book she is reading is good. She has her nose buried in a Margot Kidder paperback. She has short, straight blond hair and the demeanor of a typical librarian. She looks at him momentarily and replies, "Yes," and goes back to reading. She crosses her legs. The man looks away in the direction of our future destinations.

Another stop. The doors open. Some students get on. The man notices them, turns to me, and asks if I'm also in school.

"No," I reply. "It's been awhile."

I try to be polite, but I can't think of anything else to say. The man glances again at one of the students and says,

"High school... that was the best time of my life... not a care in the world."

He pauses. The student looks at him briefly and turns away. The man then hangs his head and says, unremarkably and rather glumly:

"I turn 56 next month."

Another stop. The doors open. The man and I get off. We say friendly goodbyes--as polite strangers do. I watch him walk away-- a man unaware that he has many adventures ahead if he only looks for them.

****

Copyright 2010 by KLiedle

Photo credit: Metro Library And Archive/flickr.com

Technology: Wii, Mii, and Getting Ahead.

When it comes to computers and technology, I can usually figure things out-- mostly out of perseverance. That isn't to say that I necessarily like it or that I'm even close to being technologically advanced. In some ways, it's really gotten irritatingly fast and furious. Damn those printer drivers and software updates that have rendered the "scanner" function of my perfectly good printer useless. (Thanks again, HP!)

It was only last year that I finally got an ipod. I do enjoy it, especially for working out and music on the go. Yet, I'm only utilizing a fraction of its memory and I've run out of data. I can't even fill 4GB. Does that make me an ipod loser? Then again, I'm not a downloader. I still come from the school of CDs and full-length albums. It just seems strange for me to download an itune.

I don't have texting on my cell phone. There are no games or apps and I can't surf the internet with a click of a button or check my e-mail remotely. I'm on Facebook, but I can't even begin to compete with those who change their profile pic every couple of days and put way too much thought into coming up with a catchy, cool status update to send from their iPhone [appropriately enough.] I don't have the time, the inclination, or the iPhone for that.

I got a GPS for Christmas two years ago and it was only six months ago that I finally got around to opening the box.

"This is actually pretty convenient," I thought as I wondered why I hadn't tried it earlier. [Although, I still have an old school Thomas Guide to L.A. in the car-- still the "go-to guide" as far as I'm concerned. ]

This year, I got Wii Fit Plus for Christmas. I decided to be more "up on things" this time around so I hooked it up. Although, it will never replace my regular workout, it definitely has its pluses-- especially on those rare, rainy L.A. days-- like today. I like the balance games-- namely the snowboarding, the ski slalom and even the aerobic hula hooping even though I feel [and look] ridiculous doing it. The yoga and training exercises have potential, but I hate having to listen to the trainer explain every little movement. I have exercised before in my lifetime. The little, jumping Wii balance board icon with its ultra computer-sounding voice can be super-annoying, too. Apart from that, I think I may actually use my Wii often enough that it won't collect dust. I've even gotten a reluctant friend hooked on some of the Wii activities. We're competing on top scores.

Some, okay most, of this technology is highly unnecessary. We've just allowed ourselves to get lazy and bored. I was perfectly fine without the ipod, the GPS, the Wii, and even e-mail [way back when] but all of it opens up a new world of possibilities.

When jogging with the Wii, for instance, a friend pointed out, "OR you could just jog for real outside..." Well, yeah, sure I could, but Wii jogging in place in front of a faux waterfall won't replace real jogging-- it's just a different experience.

Microwaves have become ubiquitous, yet they still haven't replaced ovens. And we were, I might mention, the last family in the neighborhood to get a microwave. (My mom was convinced that it was shooting radiation microwaves into our brains. I guess the jury's still out on that. I still try not to stand in front of the microwave for that very reason.)

In short, technology has its ups and downs. Some days I hate, hate it and other days, the convenience factor makes me never want to look back. On the other hand, some people have trouble looking forward. To this day, my mom still has dial-up internet. She can't even view episodes of our web series, "It's Always Smoggy In L.A." and she pays more than I do for DSL. Her new years resolution is high-speed. By the time she gets it, technology will be onto the next big thing and we'll both be left in the dust.

Certainly things will continue to somersault ahead of me faster than I want to follow, but technology has certainly improved some things. Although, HP, if you're out there, stop with the software updates-- seriously. Not all of us can afford to get a whole new system of doing things every time you decide to upgrade.

Copyright 2010 by KLiedle
Wii Photo Credit: Bakerella/flickr.com

Nine Divided by Nine = One Movie That Could've Been Much More

2009 was the year of the Nine: As the decade came to a close, Hollywood capitalized on Lucky number '9' by bringing us District 9,( a sci-fi action film),9 (a post-apocalyptic animated film), and as if that weren't enough: Nine ( a movie based on a musical based on a film by Fellini.)

By all accounts, Nine, has suffered much from critics-- even considering its award recognition, including 5 Golden Globe Noms. LA Weekly was harsh. The Hollywood Reporter felt that much of the talent brought together for the film was all-and-out squandered. Rotten Tomatoes users and reviewers have ranked it a dismal 37% thus far.

It didn't have to be this way. Directed by Rob Marshall, who successfully brought Chicago to the screen, Nine boasted a regal cast of talent: Daniel Day-Lewis (Guido Contini), Penelope Cruz (Carla), Marion Cotillard (Luisa Contini), Sophia Loren (Mamma), Dame Judi Dench (Lilli), Kate Hudson (Stephanie), Nicole Kidman (Claudia), and Fergie (Saraghina.) It was the big-screen adaptation of a Tony Award-winning musical, itself based on a classic film by Federico Fellini. It could've been a dazzling, sexy, stylish, and visually stunning music-o-rama, but that film, it turned out, only existed in the 3-minute version of the film (otherwise known as its trailer.)

I read the reviews, heard the word-of-mouth, but was nonetheless intrigued to check it out for myself the other day. Two hours later, I'd drawn my own conclusion-- I agreed with the critics. In my opinion, "Nine" ultimately falls flat.

My opinion came with a certain amount of sadness because I really wanted to like the film. Not that there aren't entertaining moments (because they are), but the film never quite seems to gelatinize into anything meaningful or memorable. Yes, Nine has an ensemble of some of our greatest actors, wonderfully executed shots here and there, and glimmers of seducing Italiano razzle-dazzle, but it's just not enough.

The film meanders through Guido's life directionless (reminiscent of 8 1/2), but unlike that film, we as an audience, never get into Guido's head. We never really know him nor do we get a sense that he knows much of anything about himself. We do learn about the torturous pressure his success has brought him and the seductive lure of all the women in his life-- beautiful women who seem to flitter into his seemingly enchanted life like snowflakes. Each of them, uniquely yet similarly touch his skin, but remain ice-cold in one way or another. There is a disconnect to these relationships. Women who could be sexy and strong, sensitive and assertive, are instead only objectified by Guido (and by transference Marshall's lens.)

The editing merges the past and present with color and black and white-- as if a dream. The film opens with promise, as Guido escapes and seeks reassurance from his unfletchingly confident Lilli (played by the always superb Judi Dench.) Then, things start to go amiss. The musical numbers are entertaining at times, but nothing sticks-- not in the way that songs in musicals are supposed to stick. Musicals are supposed to have scores, musical numbers that define them. Day-Lewis, Kidman, Cruz, Cotillard, Hudson, Dench, Loren, and Fergie all have what equates to a "commercial break" worth of musical material. Kidman, as film star Claudia Jenssen, gets a little more than a turn at a screen test while reminding Guido that she has yet to see a script. Penelope Cruz plays the eye candy on the verge of suicide--allowing her to model a fantastic selection of lingerie, as well as shed a tear of two. Fergie and Hudson gets the lion's share of what turns out to be the film's only memorable songs, "Cinema Italiano" and "Be Italian," respectively, but even those songs are played out ad nauseum. The song selections could've been stronger, the choreography more showy and innovative. For a Hollywood movie musical, Nine merely goes through the motions.

For me, one of the most interesting aspects of the film had nothing to do with the costuming or the sets or the musical numbers. It had to do with Guido's relationship with his art and its conflict with his relationship with his wife. In this, Marion Cotillard holds her own. She's not particularly showy and she doesn't get an irritatingly memorable song to sing. Yet to me, she shines above them all. Cotillard plays Luisa with heartfelt emotion.

She stood alone onstage singing "My Husband Makes Movies" and I was captivated. She channeled real emotion; she sung with passion. I could feel her pain, her love for Guido and yet her resentment toward him, specifically the art that occupies his time and focus and the women that fill out his fantasies-- complete with corsets and fishnets. And then Cotillard's moment is over and one can only hope that Guido learns that Luisa is just the direction and stability that he needs to accomplish his art. For me, it is in this that Nine redeems itself. In the final shot, as Guido and the younger version of himself rise above the stage on a camera crane, and Guido yells "Action," I only wish that the rest of the film could've taken some and fulfilled its own potential.

Luisa Contini: Thank you.
Guido Contini: What for?
Luisa Contini: Thank you for reminding me I'm not special. You don't even see what you do to me. Even the moments I think are ours, it's just... you working to get what you want.

(From Nine --Directed by Rob Marshall, Screenplay by Michael Tolkin and Anthony Minghella.)

Review by Kendra Liedle
Copyright 2010 by KLiedle