Saturday, February 6, 2016

All Things Beautiful


Even in the midst of the clamorous, ridiculous, so often tedious parade that is Facebook, sometimes something stops you in your tracks. This went past a few days ago, and I've just spent a considerable amount of time tracking it down so that, in case you missed it, you too can spend a little time in a glamor-induced trance.

This... what? Remix? Mashup? Fever dream? is at once a meditation on Sondheim's great work and a bittersweet, achingly beautiful look at what fame gives and takes away. It takes as its unspoken foundation the knowledge that Follies, in part, comes from the famous Life magazine photograph of Gloria Swanson in the rubble of the once-grand Roxy theatre. From that point, it launches into a threnody of stunning moments and heart-wrenching juxtapositions. It's as if David Lynch and Busby Berkeley collaborated on a home-movie tribute to the very idea of stardom, and if doesn't, at least once or twice, make you catch your breath, I think you have no heart.

And, as if that weren't enough, it has lovely little glimpses of everyone from Martita Hunt to Reta Shaw, and a great many in between. Shake off your weekend blues, if you have them, and go, for just a few minutes, off into the past, for a memorable night out with the greats...

 This remarkable creation, FOLLIES @ THE ROXY, is by the very, very talented ed cachianes. Bravo!
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9 comments:

  1. Connie TurnerFebruary 6, 2016 at 12:15 PM

    That was so lovely, thank you for finding and sharing it with us.

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  2. Peter LappinFebruary 6, 2016 at 12:21 PM

    Note to self: no close-ups after 70.

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  3. UnknownFebruary 6, 2016 at 4:27 PM

    Thanks for researching the spectacle, sugar. Mesmerizing...

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  4. mrpeeneeFebruary 7, 2016 at 3:51 AM

    That was brilliant. How long must that have taken to put together?

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  5. BillFebruary 7, 2016 at 2:03 PM

    History, heartbreak, beauty, tragedy, wonder, delight, art, and so much more.

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    Replies
    1. MuscatoFebruary 7, 2016 at 4:37 PM

      I knew you'd get it. I keep watching and thinking, seeing new and different things. The editing is so delicate, so thoughtful, and yet is saying so many genuinely brutal things (that shot of old Bette Davis...). It also presupposes a level of connoisseur-ship - there's a specific kind of frisson, say, in knowing that the shot of Crawford, the elevator door closing, on "this one must be the last" is also her final moment of any kind on film.

      It doesn't hurt that "One More Kiss" is just about my favorite theatre song of any kind...

      Delete
  6. RobertaFebruary 10, 2016 at 6:49 PM

    Wow. From delight to heartbreak and desperation, and the inevitability of it all … Plus the knowledge that my eyeliner really isn’t helping. Thank you so much for posting.

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  7. Ian750February 13, 2016 at 9:16 AM

    Thank you so much for providing a link to this beautifully mastered clip. Not sure how it was done but it is exceptionally good. Sure that I will watch it again and again. Ian

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  8. UnknownSeptember 28, 2016 at 9:16 AM

    Thanks for all these encouraging comments. If you're interested, my new film can be seen here:

    https://vimeo.com/182530688

    ReplyDelete

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