Bill Cunningham New York a film by Richard Press

"we all get dressed for Bill"- Anna Wintour

This documentary isn't seen as intrusive, but celebratory, as we don't see much of his private life and he only briefly talks about it right at the end. There is something intriguing about him as a person, but also something sad about his life, as all he does is take photos. "I have a feeling he doesnt sit down and talk to people very much" Iris Apfel. He is interesting as he is always distancing himself from the people he photographs and when he documents charity events he never accepts any more than a glass of water. He is mysterious, the only indication of who he really is, is through his work. "A legend or a fixture"- Editta Sherman.

I love how bill cunninghams work is shown in the New York Times where he focuses on one detail or narrative or concept of fashion and there will be a whole spread on it- for example…

These screenshots show some of his older work from the 80's and 90's as collectives. I love these photos as I am biased in preferring anything from the 80's era, but I love the fashions, just as Bill obviously did.

Watching documentaries on people who clearly have a passion for a sub-genre of photography ignites my passion and inspires me to do something similar.

This Is England

If like me you liked the 80's and wish more than anything that you were a teenager in the height of the best decade for fashion and music, then you will love this film. This Is England is gritty, realistic and truthful, something that is recognisable in all of  Shane Meadows films, and something I think is not appreciated enough in todays big budget franchise cinematic industry.

The film begins with a montage of archival footage showing positive things from the 80's such as Roland Rat and Top of the pops but then goes on to show the nationwide miners strike and the effects of Margaret Thatchers ruling as prime minister and other political, ethical and moral issues of the 80's. I think Shane Meadows chose to show the good going to the bad to reflect how the film goes from a positive group of people to a negative controversial storyline. 

As a big fan of the skinhead culture it's hard to see this film in a positive light as Meadows has chosen to concentrate on looking at the racist side of the culture of them times. From just a small cast you can really see the divide of the nation. Looking at this film in the times we live in now we view it as disgusting behaviour, something that would be highly frowned upon, but then it was more common.
I don't want to paint this film in a negative light in any way though, it is a fantastically truthful film that is more a lesson than anything, a sign of what life could be if we were to not be so open to the change in time. An amazing soundtrack, the best skinhead haircuts and doc martens and genuine charismatic characters such as Woody and Shaun (played by never before acted Thomas Turgoose) brings it all to life and is the heart of this film that balances it all out.

As a photographer I like the clothes, the Fred Perry, Ben Sherman, loafers with white socks, skinhead haircuts, braces, the lot. I always want to take photos of people if I see them wearing stuff like that, I want to be able to pull off clothes and style like that as well. The use of natural light, muted colours and grain of the film makes the fact that its set in the 80's believable and  its something I use in my more documentary style photos, to add a sense of seriousness to them. 

'ive been picked on three times today, all because of my trousers!!"- Shaun Field

Running theme… The divide of the skinhead culture.

Favourite cinematic still… 

A question you will definitely ask… "What did Combo do so Woody didn't have to go to prison?"


The still that sums up the whole film… 

The Royal Tenenbaums

The Royal Tenenbaums is a film that proves difficult for me as a person who wants to review it. I think it is both underrated and overrated. I've seen it only twice as I want to keep a fresh opinion when viewing it yet I still think its one of Wes Andersons best films.

His fictional characters have intense characteristics , they have the type of personalities and keen interests that I and so many envy, to seem so sure of yourself and what you want in life. But, as you may know if youve seen the film, the characters lives do not develop in that way.

The storyline is typical Wes Anderson, something so simple yet fitting so as to allow the concentration on the personalities and the relationships and how the characters interact with each other.

As a photographer I admire and practically drool over the colour palette used, the precision when choosing location/set/props/costumes and how perfectly they fit together aesthetically is amazing. This and the use of symmetry has influenced me greatly in my own  photographs. Other favourites include his use of panning, no one pans quite like Anderson.

Also his chosen font when labelling certain sets/props, this simple detail adds to his already perfect signature style that the world instantly recognises…

Running theme… dysfunctional families. 

Favourite cinematic still…. 

A question you will definitely ask…  "Can I be a part of the Tenenbaum family?" ( OR you will say "thank god I am not a part of the Tenenbaum family")

and

"How can anyone stand being around Margot Tenenbaum when clearly she must smell like an old ashtray?"

The still that sums up the whole film…

  

The importance of COLABS

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/we-spoke-to-the-artist-who-helped-inspire-die-antwoord

Were you OK with them using all your images without permission?"For every one photography fan, there are 10,000 music fans, which means that having Die Antwoord spread the Roger Ballen aesthetic makes my audience that much wider."

Outland

http://www.bjp-online.com/2015/04/video-roger-ballen-outland/


Ballens' work spanning over 20 years was assembled together to make this book 'Outland'.
His work in relation to my own brings attention to how I am constantly struggling between the aesthetic of my photographs and the story I am trying to tell or represent…



"I feel much more like a painter than a photographer right now. I am using a camera, but I am not using it in the traditional way as an observer."

I appreciate the reality of his photographs, surreal photos being both represented by a documentary feel and the uncertainness of how much the subjects are really 'acting' in the photos. 
The harsh flash and shadows created behind the subjects is something I would like to experiment with in my own photography and portraits.

Horns

I've been meaning to watch this film for a long while, and it did not disappoint, but maybe not in the way it would have hoped.

Firstly, Daniel Radcliffe has an awful whiney American accent and stiff acting which presents so many cringe worthy moments. Horns was not off to a good start from the beginning for me due to his pre pubescent face reminding me of a boy I once drunkenly kissed on one of many nights out (he was not a good kisser). For me, this made the film laughable and I could't take it very seriously.

I'm not going to describe the plot as I haven't got all week, but in short, he's a 'fallen angel' who has to work out and then tick off one by one the people that could have killed his girlfriend using his newly acquired powers making anyone around him admitting their selfish inner desires.  

As the film progresses you become sympathetic for his character, I repeat, his character, not him as an actor. I like the idea of the film but the script is not as strong as the films premise.

As a photographer I don't enjoy the colour tones, they are much too rich, browns, dark greens and reds with high contrast. It is very typical of the thriller/horror/fantasy movie genre. On the other hand the location in which it is shot is very interesting to me. It looks as though it is set in an old American town, the buildings and houses look large but the countryside is prominent and important in surrounding the characters, making them seem vulnerable. 

Running theme…. sexuality and the power of attraction.

Favourite cinematic still… 

A question you will definitely ask... "when will it end???" 

The still that sums up the whole film…