Ultra Swank - Retro Adventures
Video
Written by Christopher in Film

An Homage to Louis Armstrong

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 Louis (Anthony Coleman) as he navigates the colorful intricacies of...

Thoughts on Alfie
Written by Jesse Kowalski in Film

Thoughts on Alfie

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. Upon dropping Siddie off where she will meet up with...

Video

I love seeing modern music videos that carry a retro twist. The artists always seem to have so much fun and introducing new audiences to retro fashion and culture is never a bad thing. Those of us interested in dressing up in retro fashions might find it too expensive or too difficult to locate the items to do so, but we can always live vicariously...

Lalo Schifrin
Written by Steven Padal in Music

Lalo Schifrin

Lalo Schifrin is by far one of the most talented and sophisticated musical artists of our time. Not only is Schifrin well known for composing the theme to “Mission Impossible,” he is also a pianist, conductor and performer of jazz, bossa nova, and classical music. Schifrin began his musical journey in Argentina, his native country, while training and studying piano and classical music at an...

Thoughts on The Silencers
Written by Jesse Kowalski in Film

Thoughts on The Silencers

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. Which is good work if you can get it. Helm...

Swank Mid Century Desert Pad

The Brick House have visited a couple who have done a fantastic job of redecorating and restoring their home back to its original style and feel. Located in the high desert of Southern California, they invites us to a house tour. Jill and T.K. have been DIYing the crap out of their mid century pad for the past six years and while it’s still a...

Visions of Space – Part 2
Written by James Vaughan in Kitsch

Visions of Space – Part 2

Our journey through space travel science fiction has our coordinates locked onto the 1950’s The most Ultra of the Ultra-Swank decades. Receding in our aft view screen is the pulp pre-war period of the 1930’s and 1940’s – the times of cowboys in space. They rode rockets instead of horses and blasted bad guys with ray guns instead of six-shooters. Our mid-century destination is where...

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