November 2007 - Style Of Eye

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Style of Eye - November 2007

movie posters III

November 30th 2007 01:31

This category is possibly my favourite. It’s such a rich and rewarding experience searching and discovering, and re-discovering the weird, wild and wonderful world of movie poster graphic design and artwork.

I’ve indulged my more lurid tastes this time round, hell, I’m a lurid kinda guy! Exploitation and seedy genre flicks, the sexadelic and the futuristic, the macho posturing and the foxy allure. There’s so much room for experimentation and for pushing the boundaries of good taste. And therein lies The Rub.

Sometimes it’s the artwork that does cross the line from what might be considering ‘”classy” unto something that is deemed “crass” that actually makes for a more interesting movie poster image, especially if it captures the essence of the movie more succinctly than something trying only to suggest or hint at.

I’m a sucker for strong and vivid use of figures and faces and bold and creative use of typeface. I think you’ll find this represented solidly in this selection. And a touch of the provocative too, just for good measure.

Often foreign (ie non-English) artwork is more left of centre, even more abstract than the original Western (or Hollywood) design. For example the Polish poster art for the movie Alien, which, let’s face it, is downright strange. But then, hey, the movie is called Alien, so the graphic designer must have interpreted the title literally. I'm all for creative freedom!

I see ol' craggy-faced Charles Bronson features twice, now he was a well-used poster face in the 70s. But what about my favourites here, apart from the fact that I love them all, I guess if I had to whittle it down to a top three, I'd single out Forbidden Planet, High Plains Drifter and To Live and Die in LA. But hey, that was difficult ... the poster for Deathrace 2000 keeps staring me down!

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Posted By: Raoul Duke - Category: graphics

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cartoon characters

November 22nd 2007 04:34

Cartoons are a part of all of our lives. Legendary cartoon characters date back to the end of the roaring 20s, such as Popeye and Mickey Mouse. Other Classic Disney characters such as Goofy and Donald Duck followed in the early 30s. Even now there are so many new cartoon characters appearing on television and in the movies it’s impossible to keep up.

I grew up with many of the famous Warner Brothers and Hanna-Barbara cartoons; Tom & Jerry, The Flintstones, Looney Tunes, and Hong Kong Phooey were frequently watched after school shows. I also had an obsession with the Japanese show Battle of the Planets featuring G-Force and the villian Zoltar, although it was dubbed in American voices, so as an impressionable boy I had no idea it was an early Asian Anime creation, all I knew was a had a crush on Princess and pretended I was the genetically-created Keyop (“Brrrr-toot-toot!”).

On Sunday afternoons there was an odd, and unintentionally creepy, cartoon called Clutch Cargo, which featured a unique optical technique called Synchro-Vox, which enabled the animators to superimpose real human mouths onto the faces of the cartoon characters, who were often motionless. It was this special effect which kinda creeped me out as a boy, as well as the use of intense cliffhanger endings to the five-minute long episodes.

Another comic strip which I used to altogether strange was Rupert the Bear. He’d feature as one of the syndicated cartoon strips, always in the middle of some bizarre caper or adventure meeting some kooky character, his trademark scarf blowing in the breeze. I swear the creator of Rupert was on something.

As I moved through puberty my affections for G-Force’s Princess moved to Archie comics’ Veronica Lodge. I harboured a secret infatuation for the rich-bitch leggy brunette, and felt jealous of Archie, especially since he could have Betty White any day, and leave Ronnie for me. It amuses me that spunky Sydney-based pop-rockers The Veronicas named themselves after Ms. Lodge.

Of the print variety I’ve been a long time fan of Kiwi creation Footrot Flats, especially The Dog. I liked Horse too, the battle-scarred tomcat. But my personal favourite has been the undeniable brilliance of Calvin & Hobbes; the misadventures of an intensely imaginative young boy and his opinionated stuffed tiger.

As an adult I was seduced by the late night black comedy of Dr. Katz, professional therapist and the extraordinary Ren & Stimpy show; there hasn’t been another cartoon duo like them; outlandish, subversive, scatological adult humour in the guise of an irreverent madcap children’s domestic cartoon. Outrageous entertainment!

Still, there’s a handful of cartoon characters I still champion, ever since my youth; those underdogs, always suffering at the hands of Murphy’s Law, or their own stupidity, but possessing more personality chutzpah, witty perspective, and dark sardonic edge than South Park could ever hope to muster (that’s right, I’m not a fan of Matt Stone & Trey Parker’s creation, never have been, never will). I’m talking about Sylvester the Cat, Daffy Duck, and all-time favourite, Wile E. Coyote.

Dr. Katz with his son Ben and his receptionist Laura

So many favourites here, so many fond memories! From the burger lovin' nonchalance of Jughead and Wimpy to the surrealism of Samurai Jack. But if I had to nail it down to a Top Three (oooh, I just thought of another cartoon character I enjoyed; Top Cat!), it would have to be: Wile E., The Pink Panther, and, um, errrrr, dang it, Sylvester, no, wait, Calvin & Hobbes! But wait, I've completely forgotten Donald Duck! Ooops! Sorry Donald! I do love ya!

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Posted By: Raoul Duke - Category: art

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faces II

November 14th 2007 03:30

Mo’ of the mug! The selction is mostly actors, but a couple or so from outside the thespian square. No matter how good your acting chops are, if you don’t photograph well, fuggidaboudit!

There’s the smile, the teeth, the eyes, the brows, there’s the chin, the dimples (or not), there’s the cheekbones, the lips, the ears, there’s the haircut, the frown, or perhaps the quizzical gaze, and then there’s the cheeky smirk.

I read in a newspaper article a couple of years ago that a study revealed that the most photogenic face was one that was of Eurasian heritage. Intriguing, I thought. Could it be the almond-shaped eyes? Could it be the complexion? Or was it the dark hair? There’s an argument for symmetry as well, although where exactly are the legs for that argument I’m not sure. If everything looked the same on both sides of the face, surely that would make the face a tad more boring …?

There needs to be character in a person's face, regardless of how handsome or glamourous they might appear. The person's personality must be substantially evident, or at the very least, a glint in their eye. But of course, time and time again; one person's fine chalk is another person's smell gorgonzola.

The windows of the soul have a lot to do with a person’s facial appeal. So what happens when they’re not looking down the barrel of the lens? Does that elusiveness exhibit anything that detracts from the initial appeal? Does the lack of eye contact create a sense of mysterious allure?

Am I talking absolute rubbish? Probably … so I should shut up then. Let the faces do the talking. Peace out.

Puh-lenty more striking visages to come .... But in the meantime the fairest ones here for moi would be the classy elegance of Liz Taylor, original supermodel Ms Turlington, the demure beauty of "It" gal Clara Bow, the Phoenician perfection of Elana Drago, and the wide-eyed troubled stare of Peter Lorre. But hey, they're all captivating in their individual way.

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Posted By: Raoul Duke - Category: photography

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sexy - feminine II

November 8th 2007 04:19

It’s round two, and it’s just as hot. I couldn’t resist swinging back this way again. It’s a visual avenue I do like to saunter down. It might get me into playful trouble with my lover, but hey, she’s the one who gets to have me for real between the sheets at the end of the day, or on the sofa, or on the library floor (yeah, we have a library, it’s a room set aside for all our literature, movies and music).

Once again though it’s not just the figure that commands the allure, or the clothing they wear, no matter how little. It’s the photography that ultimately influences the viewer as to whether they find a photograph of someone sexy or not. They not realise it, but the skin tones, the shadow of the figure’s curves, the light playing on their hair, these are all affected by the skills of the photographer, and if they’re not done right, someone whom normally might be deemed sexy might appear ordinary, or even bland.

Expression plays a big part too. A smile, a wink, a cum-hither glance, even a scowl, can affect the sexiness of a person in a photo. Some people look damn hot when they appear angry. Others can look very alluring in a lonely kind of way.

When discussing the sexual allure of women in the eyes of red-blooded men, there's the argument of big breasts vs. medium breasts, big ass booty vs. slender hips and small buttocks, legs vs. tits vs. derriere ... Each to their own, I say. Me? I'm just a sucker for a pretty face, I guess.

The fashionista in me, of course, has to place emphasis on the threads. As wonderful and mesmerizing as nudity is, often the sex appeal of a person is down to having nudity suggested: topless, but with a weathered pair of denim jeans on, say, or a singlet almost exposing the areola, while the trouser zipper alludes to the top of the pubes. Pants pulled back to reveal the top of the buttocks, while the person lies on their stomach, arms outstretched.

At the end of the day sexiness is completely in the eye of the beholder. So, enough of the pontificating, let me share with you some more of my little eye.

Those pants of Holly's are very cool, but bring on summer I say! My lover has just bought I new black tie-up bikini, and I'm lookin' forward to a little beach action, where she can show off that shapely derriere of hers, and I can lay back and admire. These women and girls ain't got nuthin' on my butter-fly babe! But hey, if I had to choose, I'd say Brooke Valentine has some serious booty, Katie Fey makes a black wrap around look smokin', and Heidi Marie makes me jus' wanna rock and roll!

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Posted By: Raoul Duke - Category: photography

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sandcastles

November 2nd 2007 02:47

“… and so castles made of sand, fall in the sea, eventually,” sang Jimi Hendrix. And he was eloquent in his observation of love and aspiration.

We’ve all built a sandcastle of three in our lives. Some of us still do. Some of us have made it a passion entering competitions around the world. There is something intrinsically endearing about the fragility of a sandcastle that makes the process of building it, so much more satisfying than marveling at the finished product.

There’s also something monumentally upsetting about having your sandcastle trampled on by some spiteful or jealous kid who’s got a smaller shovel than you.

The art of sandcastles encompasses a joy of the beach, an eye for design, a love of sunshine and a resignation to the surf. There’s also the shared appreciation of onlookers.

Although the post is headed “sandcastles” I’ve included sand sculpture as well, although I’ve tried to keep the sand sculptures beach-bound. Some of these creations are quite stunning.

So what pray tell is the best sand to work with? What is the secret to the level of moisture in the sand? And what is the record for the tallest sandcastle?

Here by thy sandcastles, tread carefully, and don't forget to apply sunblock, you could be here awhile.

Some people have got far too much time on their hands! But hey, I'm impressed!! Surely the bigger the sandcastle the more upset when it comes down? My favourites here are the last one, man that is one mother of a sandcastle! The black humourist in me finds the 9/11 depiction rather amusing. I love the huge head buried in the sand, and the dragon eating the man. But my ultimate fave is the hands covering the head. Some fine sandiwork there indeed!

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Posted By: Raoul Duke - Category: art

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