Posts in Classic Cinema
Sexy Leopard Print [Science of Attraction]

The science of fashion is always a curious thing. I recently learned that cheetah/leopard prints make you more attractive. The scientific term is "Misattribution of Arousal" ... but since you probably don't want to sift through a bunch of medical journals, I will boil it down the main points: Ravenous wildcats have sharp teeth and want to eat you, therefore when one wears wildcat print men think of sharp teeth and being devoured, inciting a fear reaction, which somehow also increases feelings of attraction. 

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Be a Pest! Life Lessons from Lauren Bacall

Do a quick Google search on Lauren Bacall and you will get a steaming pile of stories of intimidation -- from what I can tell, a casual encounter with the woman could be an absolute dream -- or your worst nightmare. Perhaps it was her smoldering eyes that scared the living daylights out of people, but people seemed to be truly frightened by the woman.

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Classic Films Made Here: Wandering the Warner Bros. Lot

It goes without saying -- Warner Brothers has made some of the greatest classic films ever, from Casablanca to Citizen Kane. Recently I attended an event at the lot -- whilst others thrilled at the free hot pretzels, and the house music blared from Gilmore Girls' gazebo (the party was hosted in the "Stars Hollow" set, one could literally enjoy a coffee in Luke's Diner), I was in starstruck wonderment of a different sort. 

I wandered through the facades that once served as the setting for films such as Bonnie & Clyde, or Sinatra's Oceans 11; as you can imagine, I was in heaven. 

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A Few Of Her Favorite Things: Marilyn Monroe

Do you share some favorite things with the inimitable Marilyn Monroe

She was a truly a mysterious woman, and one who has enchanted generations of cinephiles. Behind her alluring image, Marilyn Monroe seemed to be a kind, gentle woman (don’t miss the story of her encounter with a gas station attendant), not to mention incredibly intelligent (the books Marilyn Monroe kept on her library shelf might shock you!).

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Marilyn Monroe's Hampton Cottage

Are flowers busting out everywhere near where you live? I have been noticing them creeping up all over the cement jungle of Downtown LA. Secret spots such as the Lillian Disney memorial garden at the Walt Disney Concert Hall, or the Japanese temples in Little Tokyo offer great respite.

These "blooms busting out all over" have been thinking a lot about flowers and the role they play in films, from Easter Parade to Rebecca. I love this sentiment from Emma Stone: 

The end of 'City Lights' makes me cry every time I see it - when Charlie Chaplin walks by the shop window and the once-blind girl brings him a flower and pins it to his lapel. 

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