Deceptive Kaleidoscopic Views & Sharp Morality Shards

The Ice Storm is one of the best films ever released. Ang Lee proved to be one of our great contemporary film directors and he sure did justice to Rick Moody's novel. In fact, most people who enjoyed both will tell you that, surprisingly, they prefer the film over the book. One of the main reasons (besides great directing and solid acting) is the unforgettable music of  its SoundTrack..

From the opening titles, Mychael Danna's hypnotic melodies take you effortlessly two generations back, in affluent yet creepy American Suburbia. Unfortunately, the opening titles theme is not included in this release (my only complain). I would have loved to be able to listen to it while driving without Paul's (Tobey Maguire) monologue on top but no luck.

The same is also true for a number of memorable instrumental pieces. In fact, Mychael Danna's pieces on this soundtrack are limited only to Tracks 1-3. The rest are songs from the era that make a small or greater appearance in the movie.

Nevertheless, Danna's composition and execution are so powerful that this soundtrack deserves a place in your life.

Indeed, "family is the void we emerge from. And the place we go to when we die". 

Everything in between is music.

Heraclitus Was Right...

...one cannot step into the same river twice.

I remember coveting after these shoes when I was in high-school. No matter though, my parents could not afford such expensive shoes for all three of us (back in the 80's not everything was manufactured by children-workers or cheap Chinese slave labor, mind you) so I never got them when it would had counted.

Some months ago I noticed these remakes of the classic AirForce1 shoes in store window and picked them up on a nostalgia whim. The shoes are sturdy and comfortable and they can be worn with either jeans or chinos. They are an excellent pair of weekend shoes, especially in the summer.

But, you know, it is just not the same...

A Slice Of 60's Innocence (That May Never Have Been)

I like the cars with huge fins
and severe over-steering.
The minted escapism
of international flights.
And the cutting edge
of polyester shirts.

I like the manual cameras
and doors with single locks.
Vices than kept us human,
cold war machinations
and cheeks that could still
blush from time to time.

This was the under-informed generation.
Men with a lot of leeway
but also a sense of duty,
Women finding their wings.
And taking them.

The year is 1963.
JFK is still alive.
Andy Warhol is reproducing Elvis.
Love is tasted. Lost.
And found again.

Thank you for flying Pan Am.

Of All Things French...

When I was a kid I had to learn French. As far as languages go, it is not bad at all. Once you get over all that grammar, that is! That is why, at that age I found only two things making it bearable: the adventures of Asterix and Kickers shoes.

These Kicker's low boots (or high-tops, if you prefer) are the essence of simplified elegance. They are sturdy yet light, durable yet fast to acquire their own character. The leather will scuff but it will resist serious damage.

You too will appreciate the stitched-on crepe sole (insulating as well as resistant to both slips and squicks), the metal eyelets and the ample room for your toes.

These were the Doc Martins of my generation.  

A Carousel of Nostalgia

When things get bad, we tend to look to the past. And the bleaker the future looks, the further back we search for comfort. As the new millennium keeps disappointing us, TV shows set on the 50's and the 60's (once a rarity) keep growing in numbers. Many have tried and failed. Mad Men tried and closed the deal. And have been doing so for 5 seasons now.

Meet Don Draper (Jon Ham), a Madison Avenue water-walker (and based on real life ad-man, George Lois). He is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. He is brilliant and secretive. He wants to keep walking the tight rope with no safety net. And definitely no contract. He is a chain-smoking, hard liqueur guzzling, womanizing alpha male. He is a loving father of three, married to a picture-perfect ex model. He has it all. And yet he cannot find peace. Because he learned early on that the world is always yawning at your heels, eager to yank everything you love away.

From bursting with joie-de-vivre Roger Sterling (hilarious John Slattery) and ever scheming Pete Cambell (baby-faced Vincent Kartheiser) to the gorgeous women (such as barbie January Jones and refined Jessica Paré as his first and second wife, respectively), the cast is one perfect pick after another. And the writing is brilliant, reproducing the tastes and smells and nuisances of the era around Camelot, while drawing you in to the personal stories of characters polished yet inevitably flawed.

The 50's and the 60's were before my time so it is not nostalgia that makes me love the show. Yes, I find the era mesmerizing and (probably undeservingly) less complicated. If nothing else, though, back then they knew how to dress. Women looked feminine and men looked manly. You see January Jones on the red carpet, for example, all dressed up and groomed for a Hollywood function - and that modern image cannot hold a candle to herself dressed for everyday(!) life in the 50's. When did we loose it? When did we decide men should stop wearing suits and hats and women should start wearing sweat-suits outside the house? I, for one, blame the hippies!

This is one of the best TV shows ever. Seasons 1 - 5 have been already completed whereas season 6 is eminent - and the show has already been green-lighted for a 7th season as well. As I have said again before, good TV is best watched on DVD. Make weekends out of it. It is much more enjoyable to watch an entire season in a couple of days than having to wait week(s) between episodes. And (quite ironically, in this case), you will not have to suffer the...commercials.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

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Season One: A Carousel of Nostalgia

Season Two: Take it. Break it. Share it. Love it

Season Three: Framing Phone Calls

Season Four: Hams Worth Fighting For

Season Five: Something Beautiful You Can Truly Own