Style Icons: Female »Marianne Faithfull

Singer and Icon

Part smiling innocence of the girl next door and part scandal ridden sexpot who got into mischief with the Rolling Stones, the inimitable Marianne Faithfull was one of the most interesting it girls of the 1960s. A singer in her own right, she was also well known as one of Mick Jagger’s girlfriends and The Girl On A Motorcycle.

Today she is on top again as the raspy voiced grandma of cool but, of course, her wild days didn’t initially lead to such apparent happiness. She suffered truly crippling drug addiction and anorexia for decades before finally emerging wiser and well with a new singing career. We’re glad she made it.

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Posted on November 9, 2010

Hunks »Jason Statham

Charming Action Guy

It might seem difficult at the very least to exude any personality at all, let alone charm, in a career built on using ones environment to beat up multiple men (including girl tossing) and driving super, super fast – but with limited grunts and an occasional smirk, Jason Statham does it in spades.

He will always remind me of a few women I used to work with who were smitten enough with his undeniably manly ways to see any piece of crap he was in (for the record: in my book? Transporter = good crap, Crank 2 High Voltage = just crap). He’s also made a name for himself in several of the Guy Ritchie movies, which may mean that I’ll just have to finally see that movie Snatch everyone was talking about a decade ago (does it spoil it if I already know Brad talks funny?). Who knows, I might even netflix The Expendables if my recent need for watching dumb stuff continues. (A need currently being fulfilled by several seasons of the incomparable Silk Stalkings).

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Posted on October 8, 2010

Hunks »Oliver Reed

Great Actor and Drinker

Oliver Reed was a brutish, manly alcoholic with immense acting talent and the kind of burly rugged handsomeness that’s hard to come by in your modern movie star. He certainly didn’t live an exemplary life but his presence on screen is undeniably mesmeric. His escapades a a drinking lad often outshone his work – in one instance “Reed invited 36 rugby players to a party at his home. Between Saturday night and Sunday lunchtime, they managed to consume between them 60 gallons of beer, 32 bottles of Scotch, 17 bottles of gin, four crates of wine and a lone bottle of Babycham. The entertainment concluded with Reed leading the players on a nude dawn run through the Surrey countryside.” He passed away in the middle of the filming for Gladiator.

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Posted on September 26, 2010

Hunks »James Cagney

Dancing Gangster

From dangerous wise guy to fancy footed musical man, the uniquely manly James Cagney has had several faces in his varied career. Born on the Lower East Side, he was a real life tough guy before playing one in gangster films. And while it seems strange that a sex symbol would be born out of smashing a grapefruit in a woman’s face, here we are. Cagney’s real life persona was a far cry from a brute though. He stayed with his wife his entire life and was once s left leaning liberal (like so many, he veered more to the right the older he got). Also, in a very modern man move, he stayed out of the spotlight by purchasing his own farm where he would retire to often throughout his life. Plus, he’s got that crazy hair wave that defies explanation and makes me so happy.

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Posted on August 15, 2010

Style Icons: Male »Dick Powell

Singing Tough Guy

I know and love Dick Powell from his early musical days where the goofy grinned, wavy style haired gent always starred as a playful “juvenile” role and sang such great Bugsby Berkeley classics as “Pettin’ in the Park” and “Honeymoon Hotel”. I was surprised to read then, that the man whose gentle silliness could be played with aplomb by Will Farell (well, minus the singing) reinvented himself in Hollywood as a tough guy in numerous noirs. It’s even more surprising that as film noir fans we’ve not seen more of them – except for the flashback Kurt Douglas thriller The Bad and the Beautiful. I’ve been sure to add Murder, My Sweet and Cornered to my queue. I will skip the last film he directed before he passed away, The Conquerer that bizarrely cast John Wayne as Genghis Khan.

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Posted on August 15, 2010

Hunks »Joseph Gordon Levitt

Indie Stud

Joseph Gordon Levitt, or “Jiggles” if you want to get cute with his initials (and who wouldn’t) has become a surprisingly dignified star from his beginnings in 90’s sitcom to his current status as indie darling. He is adorable but with a tailored manliness that the great suits he always seems to be costumed in can’t take all the credit for. I find him quite irresistibly charming and he seems to be the very rarest of actors: un-douchey. Though, it seems like every time I find myself applauding someone, they end up involved in some sleazy hi-jinx (it didn’t tale long for Shia LeBouf to get drunk at a Walgreens, and just the other day, I was saying that I liked Casey Affleck and …).

PS My brother in law shot the photo below.

Humble beginnings.

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Posted on August 8, 2010

Hunks »Montgomery Clift

Tragic Hollywood Star

The incredibly handsome Montgomery Clift was nothing if not tragic. His gradual decline after a face altering accident was called “the longest suicide in Hollywood history” which was fueled by alcohol, bisexual affairs, and drug abuse. Certainly not the most sunny life, but his career included some searing performances which he brought an element of internal turmoil to. I have always loved the movie A Place in the Sun and his performance (along with the amazing Shelley Winters and Elizabeth Taylor) is spectacular and quietly intense. Other stand outs are Suddenly, Last Summer and Judgement at Nuremberg and he was supposed to play the lead in Sunset Boulevard (the role went to William Holden due to scheduling conflicts).

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Posted on July 18, 2010

Hunks »Kurt Russell

Charming Leading Man

I have an affinity for fellow dimple cheeked persons but Kurt Russell would make my list of hunks even without them. I mean, who doesn’t love this adorable (yet manly) rascal? One of Hollywood’s steady and solid leading men known for his fetching anti-heroes (see Snake from Escape from New York), Russell can also show a softer, funnier side (see the incredibly entertaining guilty pleasure Overboard and his real life role as family man with the infinitely cute Goldie Hawn).

It’s been a few years since he’s graced the screen, and the last time was a great opportunity lost on a mess of a movie (apologies Grindhouse fans) so it’s about time he got cast again. Sadly it won’t be to reprise his role as Snake, as that has been handed out to the increasingly less and less charming Gerard Butler.

As an added note, from a perusal of his wikipedia entry I came across this unusual tidbit:

“It was long reported that the final written words of Walt Disney were Kurt Russell’s name scribbled on a piece of paper. Russell confirmed that he had seen the paper himself, but did not know what Disney was trying to convey.”

Maybe Kurt Russell was the name of Disney’s boyhood sled.

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Posted on July 11, 2010

Style Icons: Male »Adam West

Holy Batman, Batman!

One of the Olsen twins most ingenious moments was in the titling of their film “How the West Was Fun”, which could equally suffice for the title of a biography of our beloved Adam West (he went with Back to the Batcave, while Burt Ward, in a tell all tall tale of supposive missed opportunities and female fan orgasms, went with Boy Wonder My Life in Tights).

His delightful, deadpan yet over the top acting was the cornerstone of one of TVs greatest pieces of tongue in cheek, surreal comedies. Of course I speak of the ahead-of-its-time Batman series that, while certainly less universally lauded as the more recent extremely dark and grim take on the DC Comic character, is far more awesome in my estimation. I just can’t imagine Christian Bale growling “In good bat-climbing as in good driving one must never sacrifice safety for speed!”.

West spent many years type cast as the caped crusader but recently has gained new popularity as a voice actor in many popular animated shows.

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Posted on July 11, 2010

Hunks »Fela Kuti and Sahr Ngaujah

African Musician and the Man Who Plays Him on Broadway

Of all the Tony nominated plays and musicals from the year on Broadway, Fela! looks the most interesting. I’ve yet to see the acclaimed show but find the dynamic star Sahr Ngaujah stunning to gaze upon, especially when sporting an off white tuxedo with snake skin lapels as he did on the Tonys red carpet. The legendary musician, Fela Kuti, whom he plays is an equally intreguing, stylish and handsome man on top of being a revolutionary Nigerian activist and artist.

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Posted on June 20, 2010