quotidian / journalist's garb: 'zodiac' (2007)

The rise and fall of writer for the San Francisco Chronicle Paul Avery in Fincher's Zodiac is easily charted through his clothes. We begin with ascots of varying colors and designs; mainly jewel tones like bottle green and navy blue and a surprising canary yellow. All against emerald and mustard-toned button downs sometimes sitting underneath a satin vest of similar hues that probably belongs with a flashy three piece suit tucked away somewhere in his wardrobe. Paul Avery is doing well. He's the Chronicle's top crime writer and after the Zodiac case breaks in 1969, the anonymous killer eventually writes to Avery directly showing Avery's importance and status at the newspaper. Played so elegantly by Robert Downey, Jr. (pre-Tony Stark during his "comeback phase") Paul Avery is notorious. He's brash, he chain smokes, drinks straight liquor at the bar after work. He's social and confident and cocky and he outshines Jake Gyllenhaal's Robert Graysmith as Graysmith becomes enthralled with the case and eventually proves to be more helpful than Avery himself. Paul Avery is depicted as someone who thrives off of his social status. If he's well respected, praised, and admired at work then he's doing well. As soon as the Zodiac case blasts off across the state of California, and more and more chaos clings to the Chronicle and those around it, Avery begins to slip away from his spotlight.

As the Zodiac case begins to grow bigger than Paul Avery ever expected it to (he laughed at Graysmith's fascination), Paul Avery begins a noticeable decline. He starts to do away with the jewel-toned silk shirts and ascots and dons more of a grungy 70s look with denim and corduroy shirts in safe shades of blue, layers of beige cargo jackets and army vests (a nod to his service in Vietnam), and light wash jeans. Jeans at the office. The story focuses itself on Robert Graysmith and his ad nauseam search for the Zodiac killer. Eventually Paul Avery fades from the main story line as well as the lives of the characters in the film. When Graysmith pays a visit to Avery to request some old Zodiac documents from the retired reporter, we see Avery's rock bottom: living on a dirty house boat, drinking at 9am, silk shirts no where to be found. His only priority is far from Graysmith's and he becomes horrified at the state of decline of Avery. And so do we. His unhinged behavior: fighting with lead detective Dave Toschi (an extremely handsome Mark Ruffalo wearing true 70s plaid blazers), barking and disrupting office moral at the Chronicle, and preying on Graysmith and his introverted and shy tendencies all lead to his demise in the film. This isn't to say that cargo jackets and jeans are the uniform of demise but when you started with silk shirts and ascots, its hard not to associate the two with success and failure.

quotidian / journalist's garb

September's series on quotidian films is all about the journalist's uniform. Something about it feels very back to school. The journalist in the movies I'll cover always wears no-nonsense clothes; something light and easy, something that doesn't require a lot of thought and isn't flashy or distracting. A lot like a school uniform. The clothes don't really do the talking; the hard hitting story does, of course. But I like to look at clothes that aren't out of control. I like them to work with the character, not against. I like them to take a back seat to the real story at hand. I like them to feel lived in and real. I relate a lot to the Andrea Arnold's and Richard Linklater's and Sean Baker's of the world because they tell stories about everyday life. And with everyday life comes everyday clothing: the trusty denim you keep in the back of your closet as a fail safe, the same old white linen button down that you wear under sweaters at work during the fall and over a swim suit in the summer, and white sneakers that go with absolutely everything.

So throughout September, as the kiddos go back to school and we all gawp over the back to school supplies section at the market, I'll be watching journalists report on some of the most iconic stories in history while wearing unimpressive khakis and sweaters using fresh legal pads and new ink pens. After studying journalism right out of high school in a big city, this will be a nostalgic series, one that I'm ready to welcome along with a crisp breeze and the first leaves that change color.

All the President's Men (1976), The Post (2017), Zodiac (2007), Spotlight (2015), Nightcrawler (2014)

How To Conquer Valentine's Day Through Movies

Valentine's Day is what I like to call a day of indulgence. Chocolate, fancy dinners, alcohol - they're all associated with the day of "love". What else should be associated with the day of love? Self love. Self care. Coupled with someone or not, Valentine's Day should definitely be about love: loving and appreciating the one you're with and (not or) loving yourself. And binging on movies is one of the most "self care-y" things I can think of. Along with the above mentioned food and drink combinations, of course. I used to not enjoy Valentine's Day but then I allowed myself to love pink and romance and yeah, self love. And now I use it as an excuse to eat candy, drink rosé, and watch my favorite movies. Here's a list of all of my favorite films that include passion and love and sex and friendship and company. Indulge yourself and watch a few paired with a few drinks.

Before Sunrise (1995)

Those Sweeping Romances That Will Make Your Heart Burst - Romantic Dramas

1. The English Patient (1996)
2. Atonement (2007)
3. The Edge of Love (2008)
4. Before Sunrise (1995)
5. Before Sunset (2004)
6. Before Midnight (2013)
7. Far From the Madding Crowd (2015)
8. The Way We Were (1973)
9. Carol (2015)
10. Revolutionary Road (2008)

Recommended for Ultimate Viewing Pleasure:
- Snacks/Drinks: Pasta. Literally any kind. It will make your heart a little happier after that gut-wrenching ending from The Way We Were
- Self Care: you're probably going to be crying and letting it all out during at least one of these so slap on a face mask that does the same. Glossier's Galaxy Greens Mask is good as well as Formula 10.0.6's Pores Be Pure Clarifying Mask.

When Harry Met Sally... (1989)

Romantic Comedies That Fueled Slumber Parties and Can Now Fuel Your Self Love Party - Romantic Comedies

1. Love and Other Disasters (2006)
2. Beaches (1988)
3. Some Like It Hot (1959)
4. Barefoot In the Park (1967)
5. When Harry Met Sally... (1989)
6. You've Got Mail (1998)
7. Friends With Kids (2011)
8. 10 Things I Hate About You (1999)
9. Bachelorette (2012)

Recommended for Ultimate Viewing Pleasure:
- Snacks n Drinks: a pint of Ben & Jerry's (or Jeni's if you're going all out). My favorite from B&J is The Tonight Dough and Wildberry Lavender and Riesling Poached Pear Sorbet from Jeni's.
- Self Care: a face mask that won't break when you're laughing during When Harry Met Sally... (so not a clay base or a sheet mask) - I suggest a good moisturizing mask: Caudalie Moisturizing Mask or Glossier's Moon Mask

Adore (2013)

Let's Talk About Sex Baby - Erotic Dramas

1. 9 1/2 Weeks (1986)
2. My Mistress (2014)
3. Adore (2013)
4. Nymphomaniac: Part 1, Part 2 (2013)
5. Unfaithful (2002)
6. Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013)
7. Secretary (2002)
8. The Graduate (1967)
9. The Dreamers (2003)

Recommended for Ultimate Viewing Pleasure:
- Snacks n Drinks: a good bottle of red, dark chocolate with sea salt, a fancy-ish dinner.
- Self Care: why the hell not - paint your nails red! The color of lust! Favorites include It's Raining Men by Deborah Lippmann, Pepper by Zoya and Fishnet Stockings by Essie.

Safe Haven (2013)

Shh...Don't Tell Anyone You've Seen Every Nicholas Sparks Book-to-Movie Adaptation - Guilty Pleasures

1. Safe Haven (2013)
2. The Longest Ride (2015)
3. Fifty Shades of Grey (2015)
4. The Best of Me (2014)
5. Serendipity (2001)
6. Two Night Stand (2014)
7. Letters to Juliet (2010)

Recommended for Ultimate Viewing Pleasure:
- Snacks n Drinks: go ahead and do it. Order that greasy take out. It's guilty pleasure time.
- Self Care: while we're going all out, do a hair mask AND a face mask. For hair masks I love Moroccan Oil's Intense Hydrating Mask.

Cinematic (Holiday) Style: Kate Winslet's English cottage in 'The Holiday'

I've been thinking a lot about homes in the English countryside: their coziness, their warmth, their gardens, candles, white framed windows, perfectly broken in kitchens, comfy reading nooks, books spewing out of shelves. And of course I was mesmerized by the cottage Cameron Diaz stays in in The Holiday after watching it for the millionth time (that's the joy of re-watching movies: you get something different out of them each time). I don't know if I had a past life living in the U.K. at one point or if being there is my true calling, but I always feel a home-like attachment to England. It's the only explanation I've been able to give myself so far. That or the universal sings of comfort and staying in all snuggled up are quite British: hot tea, rainy and misty weather, grey skies, meat pies, soft tartan and sherpa, a Thomas Hardy or Jane Austen novel. If only Cameron Diaz's character could relax for a minute, put the kettle on, watch Love, Actually, and enjoy a British meat pie then The Holiday probably would've been a bit less dramatic but hey, those are the holidays for ya.

Film Countdown: One on One Films

For some odd reason I love films that only feature two main characters. That way the story can focus on the juicy content: character development. I love what can come from a great, well-written dialogue between two people, and even better if it's in one set place - like a few of the films on this list. I like how intimate it is watching two people unfold for an hour and a half.

I gave myself a little criteria check list for compiling this and I found out that the best one-on-one films are when 1) There are only two characters (obviously). Three or more gets too out of control character development-wise (the movie Carnage with Jodie Foster and Kate Winslet is a good example). 2) The movie is set in one place - one building or one city - not jumping around to different locations. It distracts from the characters. 3) Strangers have to meet. Not old friends meeting up. The exception is obviously Before Sunset but I'm letting it slide because the two characters don't "meet up", they run into each other and it's a continuation of a story (and it's so damn good, ok). 4) It must be set in real time. All of these movies document an hour and a half of the characters' time. We watch them walk, talk, and live every minute right before our eyes. It makes for a more intimate and raw exposure of personalities and stories.

6. Two Night Stand, 2014, dir. Max Nichols

This one is probably the cheesiest and most deliberate of them all but all the basics are there: two strangers connecting on a deeper level only because they're being unintentionally forced to by a snow storm. Even better: it takes place in a tiny Brooklyn apartment.

5. Night Owls, 2015, dir. Charles Hood

Wonderfully acted for two relative unknowns, Night Owls also takes place in a home over the course of a night. The concept is simple: two strangers who were meant to just leave it as a random hook up end up spending the night together, one keeping the other awake all the while gossiping, flirting, and cooking a casserole that involves potato chips. Past issues are brought up, personality flaws are brought to the table, and, in the end, the two become more or less friends.

4. Before We Go, 2015, dir. Chris Evans

Chris Evans' directorial debut is pretty solid for a superhero! But for real, this isn't a terrible movie, it's just a bit dragged out. But what I do like about Before We Go is that the relationship between the two main characters remains, for the most part, pretty platonic. No sex is ever shown between the two which I found refreshing. I also like that it's set throughout New York City during the wee-hours of the morning - the best time, in my opinion, to be wandering the streets having intimate conversations.

3. Interview, 2007, dir. Steve Buscemi

Another movie that features its director in the main cast. Interview is probably the most heated of all the films I've picked out. The two characters are constantly trying to one-up each other, catching one another in a lie or picking out flaws from their personal lives, when their relationship was supposed to be just business related. As with most of these movies, the characters learn something about themselves through the other person which somehow makes the arduous night all worth it the next morning.

2. Before Sunrise, 1995, dir. Richard Linklater

The mecca of all one-on-one films is the Before trilogy by Richard Linklater. The first film in the series, Before Sunrise, takes place, again, during the early morning hours in Vienna, Austria. The conversations here are pure. They're full of curiosity, naïveté, passion, and love. They're harmless and inquisitive and innocent and there's never a lull even though the entire movie follows Jesse and Céline wandering around Vienna at night.

1. Before Sunset, 2004, dir. Richard Linklater

The reason I chose Before Sunset as number one was because of a few things: 1) it takes place during the day, in the late afternoon. Every other film on this list takes place at night where it's easier to have intimate, private conversations that can be hidden by the dark, night colored blanket. Jesse and Celine's conversations are exposed by the afternoon Parisian sunlight. 2) There's an already establish rapport between the two characters. Even though this is Jesse and Celine's first time meeting in nine years, their conversations still flow like the first time they met.

Films of 2015

My fourth annual films of the year! I gotta say, this year I wasn't as excited as I normally am to compile this list. Probably because I was preoccupied this year. But nonetheless, I always have time for movies and lists. I watched a lot of newer films this year and caught up on the Oscar nominations from last year. And, on the subject of films, I ended up making my own short film for the film class I took this fall and loved it. While this list shrunk in comparison to last year, my love for film grew.

View past lists here (excuse the formatting) and view every movie I watched here

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night (2014)
Watched: 26 May
Director: Ana Lily Amirpour
Writer: Ana Lily Amirpour
Thoughts: It's dark, it's weird, it's got a great soundtrack. It gave me nostalgia being shot in the California desert and it made me want to wear a cape and take up skateboarding. I try to watch a few foreign films a year and I completely forgot this one was from another country because it felt relatable and current.




Boyhood (2014)
Watched: 11 January
Director: Richard Linklater
Writer: Richard Linklater
Thoughts: Put this on my list of films that made me cry the hardest. In order to fully enjoy this one, I think you have to be one of the main characters. It makes it hit closer to home.




Chef (2014)
Watched: 13 February
Director: Jon Favreau
Writer: Jon Favreau
Thoughts: Sometimes you have to love a happy ending. This movie is feel good, the whole way through. Cuban sandwiches, friendship, cross country trips, a booming business? Sounds like fun to me.




Children of Men (2007)
Watched: 26 January
Director: Alfonso Cuarón
Writer: Alfonso Cuarón, Timothy J. Sexton
Thoughts: Those continuous shots! It's a cinematographer's dream. Never mind the great shots, the story line could be all too real, too soon. What happens when women can no longer produce children? Clive Owen must save the day.




Copenhagen (2014)
Watched: 27 May
Director: Mark Raso
Writer: Mark Raso
Thoughts: Doesn't everyone love to travel to a foreign country and fall in love? It's a classic story but this one is slightly illegal and more romantic. No sex, just bike rides at dusk in Denmark.




Creep (2014)
Watched: 01 August
Director: Patrick Brice
Writer: Patrick Brice and Mark Duplass
Thoughts: A simple psychological thriller involving a wolf mask. Watch at your own discretion.




Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Watched: 21 March
Director: Jean Marc-Vallée
Writer: Craig Borten, Melisa Wallack
Thoughts: If you don't get easily sucked into the lives featured in Dallas Buyers Club then you're not watching properly. It's a rough story to get through but it needed to be told.




Death Proof (2007)
Watched: 23 October
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Writer: Quentin Tarantino
Thoughts: I don't know what came over me but I'm not going to question it. I was - and still sort of am - addicted to Death Proof. It's grungy and got a high contrast 70s charm to it. Not to mention amazing car chases and kick ass ladies.





The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby: Her and Him (2014)
Watched: Her (18 April), Him (20 May)
Director: Ned Benson
Writer: Ned Benson
Thoughts: When your two favorite actors come together to make a gut wrenchingly beautiful romance you hop, skip, and jump to see it. It's a typical love story but it's oh so unique. Best to watch Her and then Him and not Them. It's so much more delightful when it's told through one pair of eyes.




Dior and I (2015)
Watched: 27 May
Director: Frédéric Tcheng
Thoughts: Raf Simons is an angel - I knew this going in. But I learned that he is as sensitive as I am and that the true heroes of a runway show (especially a couture show) are the seamstresses at the atelier. And I fell in love with that debut Dior show all over again.




Far from the Madding Crowd (2015)
Watched: 19 July
Director: Thomas Vinterberg
Writer: David Nicholls
Thoughts: I'm such a sucker for those British-period-piece-romances. Especially when it involves a fresh faced British rose like Carey Mulligan and a hunk of a man like Matthias Schoenaerts.




Her (2013)
Watched: 26 Febraury
Director: Spike Jonze
Writer: Spike Jonze
Thoughts: This movie is so beautiful. It's so lonely but heartwarming and comforting all wrapped in one. The cinematography is killer. It's so romantic watching someone self destruct through rose tinted lenses.




I Hate The Way You Love (2005)
Watched: 14 August
Director: Morgan Lebus
Thoughts: I know The Kills are a big deal. They're only one of my favorite bands of all time. But what I wasn't full aware of: the incredibly gorgeous, respectful, unique and strictly platonic relationship between Jamie and Alison. I love you guys.




It Might Get Loud (2008)
Watched: 02 April
Director: David Guggenheim
Thoughts: *I love my music and fashion documentaries* The original guitar heroes. It's such a powerful thing watching three beautifully talented people like The Edge, Jimmy Page, and Jack White all jam together. And it's even more powerful watching them all admire each other. We're all fangirls.




The Longest Week (2014)
Watched: 20 July
Director: Peter Glanz
Writer: Peter Glanz
Thoughts: This movie made it onto the list not because of the fancy directing or the mind blowing story line. It's the colors, the costumes, the interiors, the cinematography (again!)! Olivia Wilde's character in this made me want to transition my wardrobe into a strictly 60s mod themed collection and wear cat eyeliner everyday. It's one of those stylish movies that just hits you in all the right places.




The One I Love (2014)
Watched: 27 April
Director: Charlie McDowell
Writer: Justin Lader
Thoughts: DO NOT READ ANYTHING ABOUT THIS MOVIE BEFORE WATCHING, JUST WATCH. It's stunning, yes, the acting - oh my goodness. But the twist! The story telling! It's what I watch movies for.




Predestination (2014)
Watched: 02 December
Director: The Spierig Brothers
Writer: The Spierig Brothers
Thoughts: Sarah Snook stole my heart in this one. She plays a man and a woman; as a man she sort of looks like Dane DeHaan and Leonardo DiCaprio's love child. Another good twist here, also. It's about time travel and it makes you think but don't let that stop you.




The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)
Watched: 01 December
Director: Kyle Patrick Alvarez
Writer: Tim Talbott
Thoughts: What's crazy about this film is that it actually happened. I know a lot of films are "based on true stories" but this one is legit. What's also crazy? That someone (or a lot of someones, rather) let this happen and let it escalate the way it did.




Speed (1994)
Watched: 10 December
Director: Jan de Bont
Writer: Graham Yost
Thoughts: Laugh at me all you want, yes, I put what a lot of people would easily call one of the worst movies of the 90s. It's cheesy and it's cliche. Keanu Reeves kills it though. Dennis Hopper is the ultimate bad guy. And Sandra Bullock saves the day is only the damsel in distress for the latter half of the movie. We need bad movies like we need bad food. Speed is good for the soul.




The White Stripes: Under Great White Northern Lights (2009)
Watched: 03 February
Director: Emmett Malloy
Thoughts: The magical, mystifying relationship and dynamic between Meg and Jack White is just as ominous as outer space. But what we do know very well about both is that it works and that it creates beautiful things.