Are you a dirty girl?

I'm going to be completely honest.

Dirty Girl is not the greatest movie in the world.

The dialogue is syrupy. The premise is cheesy. The music is awkward.

But none of that matters because this movie is FUN.

It's kind of like the theatrical version of a strawberry Starburst. It's a unnaturally sweet. It's just a tiny bit sour. It's not good for you at all. But when you look back, you don't regret opening that wrapper.

This 2010 film revolves around Danielle (Juno Temple) who is the ultimate dirty girl. She's a promiscuous little bad ass suffering through high school in the mid-1980s. As if that isn't bad enough, she lives in a little trailer with her crazy mom.

The sassy blonde is forced to partner with a miserable overweight gay kid, Clarke (Jeremy Dozier), for a homework assignment and the two realize they have more in common than they thought: they're both outsiders and hopelessly misunderstood.

When Danielle realizes her mom intends on marrying a creepy religious man, she persuades Clarke to drop everything and cross the country to search for her real father.

There's bad singing. There's dancing. There's heartache. There's realization.

It sorted reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite fused with Mean Girls.

The cast of Dirty Girl is pretty amazing. William H. Macy, Milla Jovovitch, and Mary Steenburgen are just a few of the big names. Plus, I was pretty impressed with the two young stars.

It's important to note the film highlights the struggles of gay acceptance, which is obviously our civil rights movement right now.

It's a poignant little film perfect for a girls night in or lazy afternoon.

I highly recommend netflixing it.

The Strangest Movie You Need to Watch

I fell in love with a movie over the weekend.

As I get older, it seems more rare that I come across films that mesmerize me so much they automatically get promoted to my favorites list.

So, I'm really excited.

The film is called House.

It is a Japanese fantasy/horror film from 1977. It is considered by many critics to be one of the strangest movies ever made.

Half of the people who watch it become obsessed with it. The other half deem it unwatchable because it's just too weird.

While I agree the movie is bizarre, it is exactly that element which makes it so endearing. I don't believe it is too weird to watch at all. It has an easy-to-follow storyline and charming characters and deliciously cheesy and over-the-top special effects.

The movie is a cross between the Powerpuff Girls and The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Or, what an old Disney movie would be like if it got high.

Intrigued yet?

The film revolves around seven adorable giggly teenage girls (with their own distinct personality traits, like the Spice Girls) who spend their school break at a haunted house.

Craziness, adorableness, and creepiness ensue.

The movie was a mega smash hit in Japan when it was released 35 years ago. Especially among children.

It really changed the tone for Japanese cinema at the time. The country had never seen a movie like it before. Critics weren't sure how to review it. Parents weren't sure if they wanted their kids to see it. Studio executives weren't sure if they were happy the film succeeded.

After all, the movie studio had spent the previous two years trying to put the film script on the back burner, hoping it would be forgotten.

When Nobuhiko Obayashi wrote the script earlier that decade, everyone thought it was a joke. No director in the Japanese film industry wanted to touch it.

Frustrated, Nobuhiko used social networking in order to promote his undeveloped film.

 

He spread the word about it to the media. He passed out business cards promoting the film. He released manga and book versions of the script. He even created a pop music soundtrack for the film.

With all the hype and publicity already surrounding the script, the studio had no choice but to allow Nobuhiko to film it himself!

Most of the actors he chose were virtually unknown. But when the film was released, they became movie stars overnight.

And the film to this day remains a cult classic. House is heavily discussed in film classes. It is showcased in independent movie theaters all over the world.

If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend netflixing House.

I think everyone could use a little weird in their life.

Good Girls Gone Bad

There's a dirty, unspoken rule in Hollywood.

If you're a kiddie actress, the only road to a legitimate career is spreading your legs. On film. White powder and booze are encouraged bonuses.

The latest victims of this sentiment are, of course, Disney princesses Vanessa Hudgens and Selena Gomez in the cringe-worthy movie Spring Breakers.

 

 

Vanessa, the once spotless role model of High School Musical fame, plays a sociopathic nympho with an alarming thirst for violence.

 

 

Selena, the former Disney Channel darling, plays a hopelessly confused Christian who cannot for the life of her understand why doing drugs and dancing naked with STD-soaked penises is BAD.

("But we were just having fun!")

 

 

This film is basically the quickest and easiest way for both Vanessa and Selena to tell the world they've grown up, tossed out the Disney halos, and want to be taken seriously as actresses. It is also a hall pass to audition for more serious roles in serious films.

Like, seriously.

"I was getting kind of repetitive in terms of the roles I was picking,” Selena Gomez told Interview Magazine, “and I really wanted to do something that was completely different. It was a mark thing for me — like, ‘This is what I want to be doing.' I want to be taking myself seriously as an actress, and this was definitely a stretch. I mean, I'd never smoked a cigarette before in my entire life. It was really funny — they had to show me how to do it."

I'm not sure what's worse, the fact that these young actresses are so willing to play these sex-fueled roles to prove they're grown up, or if Hollywood is simply not offering any other solutions.

Why does a girl who is famous for being a princess have to act like a slut to change the tone of her career? I'm not saying these girls have to remain innocent their entire lives, but is going from one extreme to the next really the only way to grab attention?

It worked for Anne Hathaway. She has admitted that during her Princess Diaries fame, it was nearly impossible for her to snag serious roles.

That's the reason she made Havoc in 2005. In the indie film, she plays a sexually confused rich girl who cures boredom by hanging out with gang members. Nudity, sex, drugs. No tiara in sight.

 

And guess what? Her next film was the award-winning sensation Brokeback Mountain.

 

Child star Dakota Fanning raised eyebrows in 2010 by starring as vixen rocker Cherie Currie in The Runaways. It was the first film to really showcase the then-17-year-old as an adult.

 

In the edgy film, she wore fishnet thigh-highs and corsets, showed partial nudity, and had a sex scene with Kristen Stewart.

Her career hasn't slowed down since.

And even 20 years ago, Drew Barrymore used the technique to star in Poison Ivy, in which she played the ultimate sex-crazed bad girl.

Today, she's already a Hollywood legend.

But, the good-girl-gone-bad trick doesn't always work.

Remember Elizabeth Berkley?

If not, that's the reason. In the midst of her squeaky clean Saved by the Bell fame (she was the feminist nerd, Jessie Spano) she jumped right into the film role of a shameless stripper who will do anything to get ahead. The movie was called Showgirls.

 

Despite the glorified nudity, sex, and blatantly R-rated content, the 1995 movie was a cheesy, disastrous, and unintentionally hilarious flop. Her career never recovered.

These days, you'll be lucky if you catch her in a handful of CSI: Miami reruns.

So, where lies the fate of Vanessa and Selena?

Who knows.

Both acted pretty well in Spring Breakers, with Selena being more notable.

Vanessa does have some interesting films lined up, especially Gimme Shelter, which centers around her playing a street-wise teen desperately seeking her wealthy father. If all goes well, it could earn some awards for the 24-year-old.

Selena has a few less-interesting films lined up, but her shinier celeb status as Justin Bieber's ex-or-not-ex may help strengthen her showbiz career.

 

It's a toss up.

Both girls are talented and deserve to be carefully considered for more serious films.

I just wish it didn't take sex to make it happen.

Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel

Over the weekend I netflixed a very cool documentary. It is called "Diana Vreeland: The Eye has to Travel."

This short biopic showcases the life of one of the most influential fashion icons in history, Diana Vreeland, who was the fashion editor of Harper's Bazaar and eventually editor-in-chief of Vogue.

From the 1930s until the 1970s, Diana Vreeland WAS fashion.

She was an editor more terrifying than Anna Wintour. She was close friends with Coco Chanel. She brought the bikini to the United States.

She discovered future Hollywood legend Lauren Bacall, was the fashion adviser for First Lady Jackie Kennedy, launched Twiggy's career, and was instrumental in the modeling paths of Cher, Edie Sedgwick, Barbra Streisand, and a jaw-dropping number of iconic supermodels.

She celebrated physical flaws by accentuating models' quirky characteristics. For example, when she featured Barbra Streisand on the cover of Vogue, she focused prominence on Barbra's large nose, which was considered unattractive at the time. The photo shoot was legendary and changed people's perception of the famous singer.

The reason supermodels today are not cookie-cutter perfectly sculpted blondes is based on her direct influence. If it was not for Diana Vreeland, supermodels like mole-faced Cindy Crawford, gap-toothed Lauren Hutton, and wide-faced Tyra Banks would never have made it in the industry.

Some believe Diana's obsession with the imperfect stemmed from her own insecurities. Growing up, the socialite was always deemed "ugly" by her gorgeous wealthy mother.

By the 1970s, Diana was already a living legend. Instead of retiring into obscurity, the elderly style icon partied with Andy Warhol at Studio 54 and flirted with handsome movie stars Jack Nicholson and Warren Beatty in Hollywood.

She died of a heart attack in 1986.


What do you think of Diana Vreeland? Did you know much about her before? Have you seen this documentary?

Book Review: Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.

I swear half of my book list comes from Erika, the fashion and beauty genius behind Cafe Fashionista. She always has the most fabulous suggestions.

A while ago, when I realized she was reading Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M.: Audrey Hepburn, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and the Dawn of the Modern Woman I figured I needed to pick up a copy from the library immediately.

So, I did.

And, as I expected, it's awesome.

The book, written by Sam Wasson, gives a very detailed behind-the-scenes look at the film Breakfast at Tiffany's.

If you love the movie, you seriously need to read this book.

The making of the film is incredibly fascinating and complex. The influence it had really changed the world. Before Holly Golightly and her little black dress, women wouldn't have dreamed of living in a tiny apartment in the big city, on their own, struggling to get by, and being fabulous every step of the way. It truly foreshadowed the independent woman as we know her today.

Plus, the movie created shock waves throughout the film industry. It completely changed Audrey Hepburn's career and created an entirely new genre for young audiences.

As a devout fashionista, I own the Audrey Hepburn box set, so I was able to watch Breakfast at Tiffany's while reading the book. It was fun to jump to certain scenes of the movie after reading all the juicy tidbits about what actually happened during each take.

Of course, I own the novella Breakfast at Tiffany's as well, so it was fascinating to flip through those pages during the chapters about Truman Capote.

Fifth Avenue, 5 A.M. is entertaining and easy-to-read. It'll introduce you to fashion icons you never knew existed, and twist the opinions you had about familiar names.

It's fascinating and delightful and glamorous. Just like Holly Golightly, herself.

Have you seen the film Breakfast at Tiffany's? Or read the novella it is based on?

Book review: The Night Circus

Once in a blue moon, there comes along a novel that sets the world on fire.

Not because it has a gimmick like vampires, sex, or zombies, but because it is genuinely dazzling.

Recently, that book has been The Night Circus.

The novel, by Erin Morgenstern, revolves around Le Cirque des Rêves, an enchanting and spectacular circus that is only open at night. Front and center are Celia and Marco, two star-struck lovers entangled in a complex, mystical game. Surrounding them are colorful and lovable quirky characters whose fate rest in their hands.

I'm hesitant to say anything more about the plot. I feel like trying to describe the inner workings of a book that already paints it so perfectly would be an injustice.

It is one of those books you simply need to read. Allow the words, characters, and plot to envelope you with the turn of each page.

What astounds me the most is that The Night Circus is the debut novel for Erin Morgenstern, a Massachusetts-based artist. The book is so beautifully written, with such vivid details and descriptions, it seems like the work of someone who has been publishing novels for a long time.

When you read this book, you truly see, with stunning clarity, every color splashed before your eyes. You can practically smell the waft of caramel apples in the air and taste the mouth-watering chocolates on your tongue.

This isn't a book you can breeze through easily. Time goes back and forth. The plot is complex. Things are not what they seem. But those elements are what makes this book refreshing. It bends and twists and turns and flips your mind.

After researching the author, I was shocked to learn that this novel, which was written in 2005, was turned down by 30 literary agents before getting a bite. It proves that no matter how talented and brilliant you are as a writer, getting a book published really just comes down to pure luck. It was a reality that actually kind of depressed me. I mean, if this work of art received 30 rejections in five years, I guess that means the flimsy piece of crap I'm working on must be doomed. Sigh.

Anyway, I highly recommend this novel. Especially if you love Harry Potter and Jane Austen novels (magic and romance).

Have you read The Night Circus? Do you want to read it?

Best-dressed Bitches

Rian and I recently finished watching every season of Dynasty.



Several months ago, we got the first season of the outrageous 1980s mega-drama as a joke. We thought we'd share a good laugh over it.

By the second episode, the giggles had ceased and we sat stone-faced in front of the television, hands clenched, hearts racing with anticipation.



It's a really, really good show. Cheesy. Melodramatic. Addictive.

And the fashion. Dear god, the fashion.



The show revolves around oil tycoon Blake Carrington and his beautiful sweet-as-pie second wife, Krystle. They live in a sprawling Denver mansion with his adult children.



The premise to the show is very basic: Blake's ex-wife Alexis, who owns another major oil company, is out to destroy him.



Seriously. That's the entire plot to the show, from the first to last episode. You know, like Tom & Jerry. And just like the cat and mouse cartoon show, it's endlessly entertaining!



Like any good soap operas, there are murders and kidnappings and evil twins and scandalous affairs and cat fights.



But the main reason to watch the show is because of it's jaw-dropping fashion. The style from the show was so iconic, it defined the decade.



And Joan Collins, who plays the ex-wife Alexis, is the star of the show in that respect. Draped in the hottest fashion of the time, the stunningly beautiful scorned woman playfully exchanges witty banter and backstabs everyone around her with poisonous verbal daggers.



Dynasty is basically a giant 1980s fashion show, featuring Joan Collins wearing gigantic sequined gowns, futuristic shoulder-padded power suits, massive wide-brimmed hats, and glamorous Hollywood-drenched fur stoles.



Her costumes were created by the legendary costume designer Nolan Miller, who was provided $35,000 a week to come up the lavish ensembles.



The over-the-top wardrobe complimented the over-the-top character like a skin-tight satin glove.

Of course, Joan Collins was not the only style icon from the show.

Linda Evans, who played Alexis' nemesis, Krystle, portrayed a more sophisticated, and less flashy, style.



Her country club attire consisted of cozy fur coats, sleek gowns, and ritzy, yet casual, jackets.

Heather Locklear, who starred as Krystle's gold-digging niece, had a deliciously tacky wardrobe, which highlighted her cheap, standoffish personality.



Look at that hair!

The fashion from the show was so famous, it inspired a Barbie line and sewing patterns.





As usual, here is my little polyvore tribute. I hope you like it.

So what do you think? Do you like Dynasty fashion?