http://www.ultraswank.net Retro Living and Design from the 50s, 60s and 70s Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:59:46 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/destination-berlin/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/destination-berlin/#comments Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:00:18 +0000 Oline Eaton http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3650 Sometimes, the city in which a movie is set plays a role more important than that of the main characters and, over the years, New York and Paris and London have provided lively settings for many popular films. But what of Berlin? With its combination of old world glitzy decadence and the stark deprivation of [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/destination-berlin/feed/ 1 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/destination-london/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/destination-london/#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 07:06:58 +0000 Oline Eaton http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3605 Sometimes, the city in which a movie is set plays a role more important than that of the main characters and, over the years, many filmmakers have been drawn to the old school majesty of London. Here are a few films where London—a city of striking contrasts— makes an appearance. Indiscreet (1958) “How dare he make [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/destination-london/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/three-classic-movies-to-get-you-into-the-holiday-spirit/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/three-classic-movies-to-get-you-into-the-holiday-spirit/#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 07:05:59 +0000 Jesse Kowalski http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3600 Christmas is around the corner and to make the wait for Santa’s arrival less excruciating, here are three classic movies from bygone years that are sure to get you into that special holiday spirit and festive mood. Which are your favorite Christmas movies from the past? Holiday Affair (1949) This is a romantic comedy about [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/three-classic-movies-to-get-you-into-the-holiday-spirit/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/destination-new-york/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/destination-new-york/#comments Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:03:30 +0000 Oline Eaton http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3581 Sometimes, the city in which a movie is set plays a role more important than that of the main characters and, over the years, many filmmakers have been drawn to the crusty liveliness of New York. Here are a few films where, even when cast alongside screen legends like Audrey Hepburn, Robert Redford and Marlon Brando, New [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/destination-new-york/feed/ 3 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/destination-paris/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/destination-paris/#comments Tue, 18 Oct 2011 11:15:47 +0000 Oline Eaton http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3560 Sometimes, the city in which a movie is set plays a role more important than that of the main characters and the City of Love, in particular, has long been a favorite of filmmakers. Here are a few films where, even when cast alongside screen legends like Audrey Hepburn and Marlon Brando, Paris was undoubtedly [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/destination-paris/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/hollywood-legends-%e2%80%93-where-are-they-now/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/hollywood-legends-%e2%80%93-where-are-they-now/#comments Sat, 03 Sep 2011 05:24:37 +0000 Oline Eaton http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3454 Gone with the Wind, Spartacus, Pillow Talk, To Have and Have Not… these are some of the films that comes to mind when we think of “Classic Hollywood” today. But what of the actors and actresses who appeared in them, the men and women who defined glamour and romance during Hollywood’s golden age… where are [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/hollywood-legends-%e2%80%93-where-are-they-now/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/saul-bass-%e2%80%93-title-designer/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/saul-bass-%e2%80%93-title-designer/#comments Mon, 09 May 2011 05:51:36 +0000 Katharine Miller http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3281 When the opening credits for an Alfred Hitchcock film start rolling, it’s impossible to not be instantly captivated. The simple concept, bold graphics, and dynamic animations are all evidence of Saul Bass’s genius at work. Saul Bass began his career by designing print ads for movies. His first collaboration with director Otto Preminger was the [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/saul-bass-%e2%80%93-title-designer/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/airport/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/airport/#comments Tue, 12 Apr 2011 05:27:21 +0000 Jesse Kowalski http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3234 The first of its kind, Airport set the standard for the disaster films of the 1970s. Films such as The Poseidon Adventure (1972), The Towering Inferno (1974), and my favorite – Rollercoaster (1977) collected A-list, B-list, and C-list movie stars and put them into some pretty crummy situations. But their pain is our pleasure; the [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/airport/feed/ 2 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/the-party/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/the-party/#comments Tue, 05 Apr 2011 05:16:03 +0000 Katharine Miller http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3205 What happens when Blake Edwards, Peter Sellers and Henry Mancini collaborate on a motion picture? Usually, a Pink Panther movie. The exception was the 1968 comedy The Party, with Blake Edwards once again directing Peter Sellers and his antics to a swinging Mancini soundtrack. Edwards and Sellers team up to make a slapstick comedy for [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/the-party/feed/ 2 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/maurice-binder-title-designer/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/maurice-binder-title-designer/#comments Mon, 21 Feb 2011 07:00:30 +0000 Katharine Miller http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3111 The name’s Binder, Maurice Binder. You may not recognize the name but you’d know his work if you saw it. The opening sequence of James Bond looking down a gun barrel is one of the most iconic moments in film history. Through saturated colours and tantalizing silhouettes, Maurice Binder created the most memorable, eye-catching title [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/maurice-binder-title-designer/feed/ 6 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/mans-favorite-sport/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/mans-favorite-sport/#comments Thu, 27 Jan 2011 06:45:38 +0000 Jesse Kowalski http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=3044 Rock Hudson and Paula Prentiss star in Howard Hawks’ film Man’s Favorite Sport? (1964). This screwball comedy is a loose remake of Hawks’ earlier film hit Bringing Up Baby (1938), which starred Cary Grant and Katharine Hepburn. The plot for this film is relatively complicated for a comedy. Rock stars as Roger Willoughby, a salesman [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/mans-favorite-sport/feed/ 1 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/santa-claus-conquers-the-martians/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/santa-claus-conquers-the-martians/#comments Sat, 18 Dec 2010 06:34:10 +0000 Jesse Kowalski http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2943 Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) begins with a hastily prepared animation sequence set to the sonic stylings of children singing “Hooray for Santa Claus.” Once the songs ends, we are told by the newscaster for KID-TV that they have sent a news crew to the North Pole to interview Santa Claus. I got excited [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/santa-claus-conquers-the-martians/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/tickle-me/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/tickle-me/#comments Fri, 26 Nov 2010 06:36:24 +0000 Jesse Kowalski http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2850 What do a dude ranch, a hidden treasure, and an Elvis-battling ninja have in common? Tickle Me! Elvis Presley’s 18th studio film takes us to a dude ranch in the American Southwest where Elvis is helping out. Like many men his age, he wants to earn enough dough so that he can join the rodeo [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/tickle-me/feed/ 1 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/halloween-special/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/halloween-special/#comments Wed, 27 Oct 2010 05:32:48 +0000 Jesse Kowalski http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2756 Being a big fan of horror films and organ music, I present my film suggestions for your Halloween viewing pleasure. Carnival of Souls (1962) Carnival of Souls features young Mary Henry as a wayward organist. Mary doesn’t fit in well with her congregation, so she drives aimlessly from her home in Kansas to the Western [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/halloween-special/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/a-tribute-to-dudley-moore/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/a-tribute-to-dudley-moore/#comments Wed, 29 Sep 2010 05:05:16 +0000 Jesse Kowalski http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2712 My introduction to Dudley Moore was with the 1978 film “Foul Play”. The film starred Chevy Chase and Goldie Hawn in a well-written homage to Hitchcock and featured a dwarf, an albino, a kung-fu fighting Burgess Meredith (The Penguin in Batman), and a papal assassination. But the hero of the film, at least to this [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/a-tribute-to-dudley-moore/feed/ 1 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/thoughts-on-raquel/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/thoughts-on-raquel/#comments Fri, 20 Aug 2010 05:37:06 +0000 Jesse Kowalski http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2663 All you need to know is “Raquel!” stars Raquel Welch and was “filmed on location in London, Paris, Acapulco, Mexico City, Big Sur, Sun Valley, Yucatan, and Los Angeles!” She sings. She dances. And Bob Mackie designed the costumes. Prepare yourself to step into a time capsule that is so quintessentially 1970. “Raquel!” starts off [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/thoughts-on-raquel/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/an-homage-to-louis-armstrong/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/an-homage-to-louis-armstrong/#comments Fri, 13 Aug 2010 07:19:42 +0000 Chris http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2652 Shot by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Vilmos Zsigmond as a modern re-imagining of early silent film, LOUIS is an homage to Louis Armstrong, Charlie Chaplin, beautiful women and the birth of American music. The grand Storyville bordellos, alleys and cemeteries of 1907 New Orleans provide a backdrop of lust, blood and magic for 6 year old [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/an-homage-to-louis-armstrong/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/thoughts-on-alfie/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/thoughts-on-alfie/#comments Thu, 05 Aug 2010 05:50:57 +0000 Jesse Kowalski http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2643 After honking her horn, Alfie (Sir Michael Caine) takes his leave of his make out partner, Siddie (Millicent Martin), to speak directly to the camera about his latest conquest, who incidentally is married with low self-esteem. Ready for more action, Alfie winks at a stray dog on the street and hops back in the car. [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/thoughts-on-alfie/feed/ 0 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/thoughts-on-the-silencers/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/thoughts-on-the-silencers/#comments Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:32:25 +0000 Jesse Kowalski http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2612 Loosely based on the series of Matt Helm novels by Donald Hamilton, “The Silencers” features Dean Martin as erstwhile counter agent Matt Helm. Not to be confused with the counter agent at Northwest who lost my luggage last week. Helm isn’t a secret agent who spies and stuff, he just causes problems for other spies. [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/thoughts-on-the-silencers/feed/ 4 http://www.ultraswank.net/film/thoughts-on-barbarella/ http://www.ultraswank.net/film/thoughts-on-barbarella/#comments Fri, 18 Jun 2010 07:34:17 +0000 Jesse Kowalski http://www.ultraswank.net/?p=2546 The first memory I have of Jane Fonda is from watching my mother’s copy of Jane Fonda’s 1982 exercise video, aptly titled “Workout,” based on Fonda‘s even more aptly titled LP “Jane Fonda‘s Workout Record.“ Hot off the heels of early ‘80s HBO mainstays “Nine to Five” and “On Golden Pond,” Fonda appeared on the [...]]]> http://www.ultraswank.net/film/thoughts-on-barbarella/feed/ 2