Curio: Movie Vinyl

Alexa from Pop Elegantiarum here. I was fascinated by this article in the Wall Street Journal a few weeks back on the collaboration between Barnard Herrmann and Alfred Hitchcock. Little did I know that Hitchcock originally wanted the shower scene in Psycho to be silent, and that he may have had some insecurities about how much his style relied on Herrmann's music. Certainly there have been many attempts at duplicating that synergy (Brian De Palma used Herrmann at his most Hitchcockian; M Night Shyamalan and James Newton Howard try hard for something similar). So when I spotted this LP of the soundtrack to North by Northwest, I had to snap it up.


Shawn at Movie Vinyl sells lots of great vintage soundtracks for you vinyl junkies like me. Here are a few other choice ones. As soon as he finds a rare Bugsy Malone LP, I'm ordering it.

"we have 12 vacancies. 12 cabins, 12 links."

<-- poster for The American. I like. Do you?

links
Word Smoker I love this piece on Tangled and its evocations of "tentacle porn".
Some Came Running a piece on Cyrus which is quite a funny if inconsequential movie. Glenn Kenny is so fun to read.
Movie|Line Nicolas Winding Refn (Valhalla Rising) on Wonder Woman and what he'd do with her in a movie. This is a pretty intriguing interview. I would love them to give this project to someone who has an idea, you know. Not just another generic superhero movie.
The Awl proclaims Toy Story 3 "totally bonkers" and the best movie of the year. Good piece
The Wrap I didn't know this: Influential guilds are rallying to have IMDb lose those birthdates, claiming it leads to ageism in a youth-obsessed business.
/Film A Toy Story short coming next year? Oh Christ Almighty. What happened to going out with a bang?

Psycho is 50
I really meant to commemorate it myself but until I do...
WSJ great piece on Psycho (1960) and the Bernard Hermann score
Sunset Gun "50 Years and a Remake Later". I love discovering that cinephiles I respect are also fond of the Gus Van Sant recreation. Throw your stones elsewhere I'm not the least bit embarrassed about it. I like cinematic experimentation.

and here's a YouTube video on shower scene parodies/homages/ripoffs (hat tip to JA)



off-cinema
Sociological Images fun art project visualizing "masculine" images through "feminine" processes. We need more of this since Toy Story 3, though often brilliant, continues Pixar's little boys rule / girlie things not as cool messaging.
Us Magazine Ryan Kwanten is writing a sex guide book. Anyone who has ever watched his sex scenes on True Blood will surely buy it. Best Seller!
Boy Culture Is Queen Latifah softening her stance about coming out?

finally, Rob Will Review top ten Glee performances season 1. But I really must take exception with Kurts coopting of "Rose's Turn" not being on the list. That's just crazy talk.

p.s.
I find it very annoying --and I wonder if any of you have noticed -- that blogger no longer has accurate comment counts. It's very annoying because I read every comment and if it's lying to me about when you're commenting, I might miss some. grrrr.

don't wanna link, don't wanna touch...

♪ ... just smoke one cigarette and hush
don't call my name, don't call my name, Roberto ♫

Stuff No One Told Me Love this. Disney and Porn = eternal human frustration.
MNPP Everything you ever need to know about life... you can learn from Psycho (1960)
Antagony & Ecstasy looks back at the evolution of Warren Beatty's Dick Tracy in a summer blockbuster history series
Cinematical Paul Rudd, soon to be the Idiot Brother, gets four fine funny actresses as co-stars

Emma Frost illustration by Adam Hughes

Movie|Line the angsty drama of 'how will Sandra bullock follow that Oscar?' Methinks her team is thinking too hard. Nobody wants her doing prestige pics.
Socialite's Life Matthew Morrison (Glee) recording a solo CD. I'd be thrilled to buy this (his voice is amazing -- check out the CD of Light in the Piazza for proof) but for the fact that he's gettin JustinTimberlakey with it. Yawn.
What's Good/ What Blows the dismaying punishment of Charlie Sheen.
Cinematical Michael Fassbender has his choice of two supervillain roles. Which will he go with? Either way he ends up opposite a fine actor (James McAvoy in X-Men: First Class or Jamie Bell in Spider-Man)
Empire speaking of X-Men... seems that Rosamund Pike may be up for the part of Emma Frost, the White Queen. Now that is a casting decision I can really get behind. Love both the actress and the character.
I Need My Fix True Blood season premiere brings the stars out. Is there a more attractive cast on television?
The Big Picture looks at the critic vs. audience divide on Splice.
Boing Boing more on recent silent film discoveries. I always get so excited to hear about found films
In Contention could "Shine" be an Original Song hopeful at the Oscars? I'm still struggling to understand what everyone else sees in that highly praised Waiting for Superman documentary (I didn't like it) but I agree that it's probably going to be up for the doc Oscar.

More on Lady Gaga's "Alejandro"
my piece yesterday in case you missed it
Low Resolution "Instantly Dated Thoughts"
The Critical Condition "Theft and/or Borrowing"
The Critical Condition ...and an interesting follow up piece about the cultural awakenings that happen in our youth.
Flavor Pill "Guide to Madonna References"
Rolling Stone director Steven Klein talks about the video, avoids the Madonna question.
popbytes (I do a brief weekly column here now). The video got me thinking about freaky movie nuns.
Guardian rounds up the groups claiming offense.
The Atlantic Katy Perry vs. Lady Gaga "The Battle of the Bras"