Thursday, February 25, 2016

The Fearless Vampire Killers

Roman Polanski, Iver Heath, UK, 1967 
photographed by Douglas Slocombe (1913-2016)




Douglas Slocombe died the other day at the very old age of a hundred three, and most of the obituaries led with his being Spielberg’s favorite DP and the photographer behind three of the four Indiana Jones films, which is really too bad, especially as he was responsible for much better, even great work.  My favorite of the films that he shot is, of course, the Fearless Vampire Killers.  When they were shooting at Pinewood Studios, Kubrick was shooting 2001: A Space Odyssey in an adjoining studio and his crew was said to be rather envious of the jovial spirit that pervaded Polanski’s set.  I believe that spirit comes through in the staggeringly beautiful images above, and that Slocombe could take a fair amount of the credit for this beauty.



















Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Mathieu Charneau

in BUTT, Luis Venegas, April 2012


The interview conducted by the photographer isn’t very revealing, but Matthieu is primarily a model, not a talker, and the photographs are as charming and sexy as an admirer might ask for, though, as the name of this zine suggests, there’s just enough ass, but no dick.









Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Beverly Johnson House

7017 Senalda Drive, Hollywood, California 
Lloyd Wright, 1963


I took all the photographs above and below two days ago, except the last one down, which comes from Eric Wright’s website and shows his addition to his father’s structure, a bathhouse and pool, done at the request of its present owner, David Lynch, in 1995.








Below can be seen the property as viewed on google maps in its aerial view.  I doubt Mr Lynch can be very happy to have strangers looking down on him from on high, but at least at present our vision isn't x-ray.


Thursday, February 4, 2016

Tom Neal 1914-1972

Film Actor 1938-1959 (Jungle Girl, Behind the Rising Sun, Crime Inc, Club Havana, Detour, I shot Billy the Kid,)  Amateur Boxer, Landscaper





He’s best remembered for his performance and presence in Ulmer’s Detour, but he’s also known for his severe beating of Franchot Tone over their common relationship with Barbara Payton in 1951. Fourteen years later, he killed his wife, Gale Bennett, and was found guilty of involuntary homicide in Palm Springs, CA. He served six years in prison, was released in 1971 and died the next year.  He came from a wealthy family in Evanston, Illinois, and studied Mathematics at Northwestern University.  In Detour he’s the very image of the doomed but sensitive jazz musician.