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Wednesday 20 August 2014

10 cool things from 60's movies


  • Ken Adam's war room set in "Dr Strangelove"
  • Derek Flint's ring tone/ Z.O.W.I.E. chief Cramden (Lee J Cobb) hotline to the President.
  • The black armchairs in the Pentagon in "You Only Live Twice" (Ken Adam again)
  • Use of split screens (circa 1968, e.g. "The Thomas Crown Affair", "The Boston Strangler")
  • Saul Bass credits e.g. "Spartacus", "Walk on the Wildside"
  • The interior of Robert Mitchum's private jet in "What A Way To Go!"(1964)
  • Michael Caine's glasses in the Harry Palmer films
  • The multi-level set in Jerry Lewis's "The Ladies Man" (1961)
  • The first 10 minutes of "Goldfinger" (1964)
  • Dr No's underwater living quarters (complete with recently stolen Goya painting)

Friday 15 August 2014

Five classic chairs from 60's spy movies


  • The sheik's (Eames) executive lounge chair atop his hydrofoil in "Modesty Blaise" (1966)
  • The swivel (Eames again?) chair Derek Flint straddles in the poster for "Our Man Flint" (1965)
  • The chaise longue James Bond is dropped into, falling from a chute in the Tokyo underground (Tanaka's HQ) "You Only Live Twice" (1967)
  • Blofeld's super wide supervillain wing chair in his volcano lair (accurately lampooned in the Austin Powers trilogy).
  • The tan leather armchairs in the Pentagon in "You Only Live Twice" (Ken Adam again). 1967 was the high water mark for cool movie chairs.

Saturday 9 August 2014

Ten great Pet Shop Boys songs


  • Was It Worth It? (anthemic)
  • Left To My Own Devices (How can you resist: "Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat"?)
  • Dreaming of the Queen 
  • Decadence
  • Heart (Sir Ian McKellen plays a randy vampire in the video)
  • Love Comes Quickly
  • Paninaro
  • Opportunity (Let's Make Lots of Money)
  • Love, etc.
  • Two Divided by Zero