possessing the characteristics of Byron or his poetry, especially romanticism, melancholy, and melodramatic energy.
Regarded as one of the most important English poets, as well as a leader of the Romantic Movement of the early 19th Century. . . he was a revolutionary in the Greek War of Independence, a politician, as well as a major celebrity of the time!
Indeed, before Beatlemania – there was “BYRONMANIA”, as described by his own wife Annabella. Self-aware to the max, and huge proponent of personal promotion- his celebrity was equivalent to that of a modern day rock star of the time.
As an Aquarius, it is no surprise that he was extremely odd and eccentric about certain things. He had a fascination for the macabre and stories tell of him having a coffin at the dining table of his family’s Gothic manor, as well as collecting the skulls of animals which he proudly displayed in an enormous shooting gallery. He also loved to drink out of a monkey skull turned into an elaborate chalice…so they say.
His antics were legendary, however, as much as he enjoyed the spotlight, he retired to a self imposed exile from Britain later in his life. . . how Byronic.
He knew himself a villain—but he deem’d
The rest no better than the thing he seem’d;
And scorn’d the best as hypocrites who hid
Those deeds the bolder spirit plainly did.
He knew himself detested, but he knew
The hearts that loath’d him, crouch’d and dreaded too.
Lone, wild, and strange, he stood alike exempt
From all affection and from all contempt:
“The Corsair” (1814) by Lord Byron
Incredible to know these robes are all over 150 years old, and as beautifu and stylish as ever! Time traveled and dripping with the luxury of mystery . . . any of these robes are as home with Lord Byron in his gothic estate to modern day hype boys on the subways of New York City.
Check out for instance rapper FUTURE below wearing this incredibly opulent embroidered velvet robe with Vetements X Doc Martens shoes . . . time is relative – style is eternal.
One of the most outrageous things the notorious playboy did in his life, you will get a kick out of!
Back in the 1800s, it was quite customary for lovers to keep mementos of their love of letters, drawings, even a lock of hair – however, Byron took this to the extreme and kept clippings of each lovers pubic hairs and kept them in labeled envelopes in his library for safe keeping…
Now that’s Byronic!
{also…AQUARIUS, much?}
+
+MAKE SURE TO CHECK OUT THE {SHOP}+
30% OFF SALE UNTIL 02/01/2020
And in honour of LORD BYRON we’d like to highlight some recent acquisitions that absolutely conjure this unique style spirit from the {SHOP}
+MOODY BLUE+ Odd Fellows Initiation Ceremony Robe
Antique Embroidered Blue Velvet Luxurious Secret Society Robe
Below is a little style inspo gallery in the Byronic Hero fashion to put you in the mood. . .
Treasures and Artifacts of Days Long Past: Allegory for the 21st Century
“Tis the perception of the beautiful, A fine extension of the faculties, Platonic, universal, wonderful, Drawn from the stars, and filtered through the skies, Without which life would be extremely dull”
-LORD BYRON
That man of loneliness and mystery,
Scarce seen to smile, and seldom heard to sigh— (I, VIII)
The Corsair (1814)
+BONE+ Odd Fellows Initiation Ceremony Robe
Antique Victorian Bone Velvet & Champagne Silk Embroidered Luxurious Secret Society Regalia Robe
Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.
-Henry David Thoreau
That is a quote by the great American philosopher Henry David Thoreau, and it perfectly encapsulates what The Eye of Faith is about.
ESTABLISHED 11.11.11.
In fact, The Eye of Faith is a timeless universal message of having faith in your destiny, and knowing that there is a greater force watching over that dream – always guiding the way.
It is a symbol as old as man himself; and one that we inherently can all relate to at the end of the day. The Ancient Egyptians , the Alchemists, The Freemasons, The Vatican, The Oddfellows (who we will be touching base on quite a bit in the near {FUTURE}), and dare we mention…..the ILLUMINATI!!!!
8 years ago today (EST. 11.11.11.), The Eye of Faith was born of a dream to explore the {PAST}, bring it to the {PRESENT}, and help shape the future! There have always been so many incredible moments to muse over that you rarely see brought to the forefront- so naturally, we took upon ourselves to do just that!
Explorations through time of remarkable people, places, and things that eternally inspire. . . we began as a vintage style blog, and could never dream the opportunities we would get in the meantime. Since then we have had pieces perused over and purchased by international artists, style influencers, television and movies, celebrities, and museums around the world!
1100 (coincidence?) POSTS, and over ONE MILLION VIEWS!
We’ve also been blessed to foray our knowledge into creating original designs that adhere to our principles.
‘Raging Bull” Supercrawl 2019, photo by Cyprian Estrada – all made using repurposed, reused, and found vintage fabrics and materials by The Eye of Faith.
Every year billions of pounds of clothing and textiles are put to landfills, and it truly is a travesty when with a bit of ingenuity and an open mind- anything can be transformed into something truly special…which is why, our original pieces are made primarily using vintage materials and fabrics that we have been fortunate to collect and acquire over time.
Our hunt for premium quality vintage pieces that are timeless and unique continues…and we will be posting more of these treasures in our {SHOP}. Remember, you are invited to use code XIXIXI to receive 25% OFF from any purchase, and most of our items are FREE SHIPPING in the US. Don’t be afraid…just something to think about!
The Eye of Faith: Celebrating 8 Years of Hard Work & Mastery!
Style is knowing who you are, what you want, and not giving a damn
-Gore Vidal
So in honour of 8 years of hard work and mastering the illusions of time, we wanted to take a look back at our 8 highest viewed posts that have provided inspiration not only to us, but evidently thousands of others around the world. Many thanks to everyone who has supported The E.O.F. over the years.
No surprise with this one when looking at our site’s stats! In fact, this is exactly the kind of post The Eye of Faith was built to have inhabit it…a wonderful gallery of prime vintage workwear inspiration photos from actual photographs of the working man from the late 1800s to the 1940s, actual articles of clothing, advertisements, and details that all encapsulate that vintage workwear feel that is so popular at this moment, especially in men’ style!
Since the dawn of civilization, man has been hard at work building the great cities we live in, gathering the food we eat, and finding the resources we need to stay afloat on this mad wild planet. It’s never been easy, but someone’s got to do it. So next time you’re walking down the sidewalk, or taking a stroll down the grocery isle, save a thought for the hoards of men and women who have put their blood, sweat, and tears into making the vision of this world a reality for us all.
This one is a bit more surprising, but in an age of celebrity obsession, I guess it really shouldn’t be that much of a shock. These two were definitely the IT couple for a hot moment, and their matching hairstyles and 90s minimal cool definitely seem to have struck a chord and we can’t forget.
It’s like youth on fire with these two. Their energy is obviously contagious between the two, and they really seem symbiotic to eachother . . . . most of the time, at least. All good thing must come to an end, and it’s always best to leave the relationship at a high, we get that.
Keep meaning to do more of these VINTAGE RED CARPET ROMANCE posts (Julliette Lewis & Brad Pitt were another favourite, but just didn’t cut the Top 8) , and there are a few couples on the To-Do List, but please, if you have a suggestion…leave it in the COMMENTS below!
This one was no surprise, however! MAILA NURMI was destined to a be a part of The E.O.F. Style Idol & Divinity Squad, and to keep growing that section of our blog over the years. These posts are FIRE!
Especially, this one….Maila Nurmi or VAMPIRA, as most of us know her, was a pioneer; a groundbreaker of individuality and style. Can you imagine being a woman in the 1950s and living the life she did?! She was good friends with James Dean, was the first ever horror show host (and was nominated for an Emmy in 1954 for her work), and was an overall bad ass B . . .
“Vampira is a kind of entity (and you can call her a woman though she is androgynous) that survives in this world. I, Maila Nurmi, am not.”
We do always have our finger on the pulse . . . and its really no surprise to us that today on November 11, 2019 – the concept of androgyny is a hot topic and continues to shift the main stream perception of individuality and style.
No longer are the rules of gender as it relates to style so stuck. Concepts of unisex wardrobing is being embraced by not only street culture, but high fashion, as well.
This is one of our earliest posts, and a testament to the fascination our society has with gender and its role in our identities as people.
“As you know, I’m androgynous. I can wear a jacket that most guys wouldn’t put on. But you make it in guys’ sizes, and suddenly they’re wearing them. I think styles should get back to getting people to wear things that look so good that they don’t care.”
Such a good sign that Ms. Neile Adams made her way into the TOP 5 Most Viewed Posts…another E.O.F. STYLE DIVINITY – one who doesn’t get enough recognition in the mainstream, which is exactly why this post was made in the first place!
She was the long time love and companion of action superstar Steve McQueen, and an integral force in helping him make it through the wild rollercoaster of Hollywood. Born in the Philipines, she was an actress, model, and stylista in her own right!
So glad so many people found their way to her beautiful face. Make sure to check this one out!
“My life and times with Steve had spanned twenty-four years. More than half my life at the time of his death. They were over now. Gone. Finished.
That he loved me and that I had been the most important person in his life, I have no doubt. That I loved him and that he had been the most influential person in mine cannot be denied.
Good-bye, my friend. You are missed. It sure was one hell of a ride.”
Neile Adams {read more here}
3. {DO-IT-RIGHT} – HOW TO MEN’S VINTAGE-STYLE [SWIMSUIT INSPIRATION]
Of course, a vintage mens swimwear inspiration post would make its way into the TOP 3! We have had many of the years {check out our posts tagged SURF}, but this one seems to be the one that keeps people visiting year after year…amazing!
This is a unique post because we showcased some of our prime vintage photographs of dudes from the 1910s – 1960s in classic swim trunks and showed how the {PAST} has infiltrated the {PRESENT} in contemporary brands and their then latest swim trunk styles.
Just another testament to keeping it classic…you’ll never have to worry about a thing when it comes to getting dressed each and every day. With a world full of stresses…who needs anymore?
By looking through dozens of vintage photographs, advertising, fashion plates, and magazines we were able to sum up certain elements that characterized each era:
America had James Dean…France has Alain Delon. Bad Ass to the max. Handsome AF. Stylish doesn’t even cut it when explaining this savant of style, which is exactly why we have worshiped this idol consistently for years, and apparently you do too!
There hasn’t been a single day since posting this that someone from around the world hasn’t perused this post about the iconic and divine – Anita Pallenberg!
“I’d wear that [second-hand red fox fur coat] to modelling jobs with just my underwear, boots and a bag because you couldn’t leave your clothes lying around. The other models would steal them!” -Anita Pallenberg
A model in the early 60s, Anita made her way into movies and rock and roll. Starring in such cult favourites as Barbarella, Performance, and Candy. We love her spin as the great tyrant in Barbarella, where her voice is dubbed yet her appeal cuts through the screen. This exotic alien villian is the perfect yin to Jane Fonda’s yang in the 1968 cult classic.
Style maven supreme, rock goddess, bohemian queen – this is the internet’s best look at the ultimate E.O.F. Style Divinity. This post was designed to showcase some of the best Anita Pallenberg content this planet did ever see…so check her out ad take in her wild energy!
So, there you have it! 8 TOP POSTS for 8 YEARS of THE EYE OF FAITH!!!
Over ONE MILLION VIEWS and over ONE THOUSAND POSTS!
We could never have done it without you, so thank you so much for your viewership, your support, your contributions, and your faith!
Scientists often go unrecognized in the realm of style, and there’s definitely no one more deserving to be added to our roster of Idols & Divinities to worship than the original rocket man- Jack Parsons.
Like we always say, style is more than the clothes you wear, its how you carry on your life with purpose and integrity, and Mr. Parsons definitely didn’t hold back! Devilishly handsome, in tuned with his own special brand of spirituality, and ridiculously intelligent – he is definitely an idol worth worshiping.
His story is a strange one that verges on being absolutely unbelievable. Often referred to as the ultimate mad scientist, Parson’s research in the field of rocketry basically gave birth to NASA, and allowed for mankind to release itself from the atmosphere and deep into space.
A true Hollywood boy, Parsons was born on Oct 2, 1914 in Los Angeles and quickly became fascinated by rockets inspired by the many pulp sci-fi magazines he would read as a young boy. It is also said that as a child he would perform rituals to manifest the devil in his bedroom…
This obsession grew and grew over time, and after graduating High School, the young man alongside his best friend Ed Forman linked up with Frank Malina, a graduate student at the California Institute of Technology- forming what they would call “The Suicide Squad”…
Whilst the idea of rockets were perceived as nothing more than sci-fi fantasy, him and his peers moved forward with their experiments and research, proving that Parsons was a natural genius when it came to developing chemicals and mixing them in exactly the right amounts that these reactions could be explosive, but controllable. This knowledge was later used by NASA….
Of course, with this knowledge, came questions and queries of who exactly was Jack Parsons, and what the man had uncovered was shocking beyond belief.
While Parsons was pioneering rocket science, he was also an avid follower of occult circles in Hollywood. He was an attendant of the Ordo Templi Orients, and took part in meetings led by the father of modern day occultism – Aleister Crowley. He was even appointed West Coast leader of the OTO by Crowley himself.
Through the money he was making in his rocket business, he bought a mansion in Pasadena which became a party house to facilitate occult rituals and orgies.
Frank Malina’s wife said that the mansion was “like walking into a Fellini movie. Women were walking around in diaphanous togas and weird make-up, some dressed up like animals, like a costume party.” Malina shrugged off his partner’s eccentricities, telling his wife, “Jack is into all kinds of things.”
These stories led to Parsons being a bit of liability to the government, and he was paid out his shares of Aerojet, and was cast out from the field he had himself developed!
This led to a further delve into the occult. In 1946, he would host a series of ritual rites which he called the ‘Babalon Working’ which he performed alongside Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard. The ritual was performed from January to March in effort to manifest a incarnation of Babalon- a divine feminine spirit described by Aleister Crowley in this 1917 novel Moonchild.
After the first series of these rituals, Parsons was introduced to Marjorie Cameron who he regarded as the manifestation they were attempting to summon. An unsuccessful attempt was made to conceive a child through sex magic (which Aleister Crowley himself regarded as foolish), but nevertheless Cameron was regarded now as the Scarlet Woman / Babylon and the two quickly married.
You can spot Marjorie in Curtis Harrington’s “The Wormwood Star” and “Night Tide” starring Dennis Hopper. She also plays a pivotal role in Kenneth Anger’s 1954 art short “The Inaugaration of the Pleasure Dome” and is renowned as an influential and groundbreaking artist of her day.
His alienation from the world of rocket science, led him to work on explosives for the film industry, while the FBI still paid close attention to his movements.
On June 1952, Parsons was killed by an unplanned detonation in his home laboratory. He was 37.
Cameron and others who knew the man doubt that this genius would ever have made such a fatal mistake. A U.F.O. sighting above Washington D.C. just after his death, led her to believe this was Parsons making communication. Unfortunately her mental state began to deteriorate, and in 1952 she gathered a small clique of practitioners to create a cult called “The Children” whose aim was to create a mixed-race society of “moon children” who would be devoted to the Egyptian god Horus.
A new series on CBS All Access called Strange Angel starring Jack Reynor was just released last year, and attempts to bring this fascinating story to the world. We haven’t had a chance to delve into the series, but it looks like it captures Parson’s dapper charms, the mysterious underworld he treaded through, and the science he developed that changed the world!
I find it very interesting that this story is coming so strongly out of the woodwork, and being explored by a major mainstream network like CBS. Perhaps they are telling us something . . .
Parson’s work in science and the occult are fascinating because they are usually regarded as in opposition of each other. However, it seems like Parsons was able to tread the line between the two, and realize the two are related, if not the same.
Parsons will be known for being a true rebel, a playboy, a genius, and one of a kind of spirit that still permeates today. If there was anyone who represented Hollywood Babylon, it is most definitely him!
Check out these pieces from our {SHOP} to conjure the dapper and mysterious vibe of Jack Parson: the original rocket man!!!
Click here if you like what you see, and browse our other time traveled pieces!!!
Since the beginning of time (or at least, the beginning of our blog) we have been saying there is a definitive relationship our collective {PAST} plays into the {PRESENT} – always influencing and helping create what inevitably will be known as the {FUTURE}!
Well here we have a case of {PAST}, {PRESENT}, {FUTURE} featuring the notoriously infamous billionairess Kylie Jenner and her new man, Crown Prince of Rap, Mr. Travis Scott on the latest cover of GQ causing controversy for being a “cheap rip-off” of a now forty year old photo shoot of iconic French couple of cool Serge Gainsbourg and Jane Birkin shot by Helmut Newton.
It is absolutely undeniable, and I don’t think they were trying to be chill about the inspiration, or rather recreation, but who is to judge her for that. If anything, I find it strange that Paola Kudacki, the photographer, would feel comfortable putting her name on such a mainstream copy of the work of a great artist like Helmut Newton! Now the controversy has flooded the internet, but then again, for the right paycheck these days, a little backlash isn’t the worst if it pays the rent.
Obviously, inspiration from the past is one of the cornerstones of our beliefs, but being 2018, it might be nice to have a fresher interpretation of the past than just a flat out copy. Where’s the fun in that?
Take the past, and turn it on its head. Blend one influence with another. Go on a ride through the past and bring me forward into the future…
And if you take a look at the original photo series shot way back in 1978, the rawness, sexiness, and coolness really shines through! How can you be a rebel if you’re trying….Serge and Jane are just so relaxed, irreverent, and thereby: BAD ASS!
Needless to say, Jane and Serge will always be on top in most versus situations, so….sorry Travis and Kylie- maybe next time. And maybe next time, just be yourself!!!
I know Travis and Kylie have turned a few looks, but Jane and Serge really TURNED LOOKS! Just a few below!
FRANCE – AUGUST 28: Premiere : “Slogan” by Pierre Grimblat in Paris, France on August 28, 1969-(16555) Serge Gainsourg, Jane Birkin and Pierre Grimblat. (Photo by Yves LE ROUX/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)
We need more originality these daze . . . be inspired, but make it your own! That’s half the fun of life.
Not the most creative choice, but different strokes for different folks! Definitely appreciate her bringing to a whole new generation the beauty and boldness of Serge & Jane (who are definitely due for a {STYLE IDOL & DIVINITY} post or a {VINTAGE RED CARPET ROMANCES} story) … that is a really cool thing.
We know this story is all over the internet right now, but still wanted to give our E.O.F. P.O.V. on the whole situation.
So, let us know what you think in the comments section below!
Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti ( 17 January 1933 – 3 May 1987) better known as Dalida (داليدا)
+Before Beyonce there was Dalida.+
This exotic beauty of Italian descent and born in Cairo, Egypt rose to international fame throughout the 1960s and all the way to her suicide in the 1980s. A suicide over a broken heart only days after appearing in television interviews perfectly normal…love was her worst enemy in life.
She sold upwards of 140 million albums; Beyonce has sold 17 million solo, and 17 million with Destiny’s Child which really puts it into perspective (although, our girl Rihanna has sold upwards of 230 million records, so . . . ).
Special thanks to +THE ULTIMATE FASHION HISTORY+ Channel and its fabulous curator Amanda Halley for introducing us to this dazzling Diva. I’m sure we will focus on her again in future posts! The more you dive into her memory, the more incredible she becomes.
There was actually a biopic released in 2017 about her which we are dying to see! Check out the trailer here.
This is a wonderful disco extravaganza from 1979-1980 (?) entitled “GIGI IN PARADISCO”. It’s a total odyssey of 1970s crazy euro party glamour!
Let us know what you think in +COMMENTS+ below…
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance…
Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think.
When it comes to bad ass boho gods, I’m sure we could all name a few; but very little do I ever see the name Caetano Veloso pop up, and this is for us….OUTRAGEOUS!!!
We should be worshiping this icon of perseverance, elegance, rebellion, philosophical contemplation, compassion, counter culture, and activism. . .
Very few bohemian icons really get the credit they deserve when discussing men’s style . . . the mainstream would rather iconize GQ demi-gods Tom Brady or Ryan Gosling, and that’s all fine and dandy, but when it comes to that elicit feeling of cool. . . boho gods cannot be beat; and Brazilian tropicalia folk rock artist Caetano Veloso is on the top of our list!
Bad ass to the core, Veloso’s music touched a generation in the heart of Brazil with his inciting lyrics and enchanting melodies that brought a fusion of traditional Brazilian sound with psychedelic rock and folk helping create the “tropicalisimo” movement alongside best friend Gilberto Gil, Os Mutantes, and other bold and innovative artists of the time.
First premiering in 1965, fresh in Rio De Janeiro, Caetano won a lyrics competition for his composition “Um Dia”, getting him signed to Phillips Records. Two years later he received a standing ovation for his song “Alegria, Alegria” at the Brazil Popular Music Festival, marking the first time rock n roll music was ever played at the festival.
Him and his psych rock buddies were pioneers for a new sound, a new world, a new way of being; however, the powers that be would do anything they could to stop this burgeoning. Marxist students and communist supporters condemned the music for commercializing Brazilian culture, and incorporating musical influences from the United States.
The tensions between the Tropicalistas and the student left peaked in September 1968 with Veloso’s now-legendary performances at the third annual International Song Festival, held at the Catholic University in Rio, where the audience included a large contingent of students who were vehemently opposed to the Tropicalistas. When Veloso (backed by Os Mutantes) performed in the first round of the Festival’s song competition on 12 September, he was initially greeted with enthusiastic applause, but the situation soon turned ugly. Dressed in a shiny green plastic suit, festooned with electrical wires and necklaces strung with animal teeth, Veloso provoked the students with his lurid costume, his sensual body movements and his startling new psychedelic music, and the performers were soon being bombarded with loud insults, jeers and boos from the students, who became even more incensed when American pop singer John Dandurand made a surprise appearance on stage during the song.
Tensions would hit an all time high when he and his buddy Gilbert Gil were actually arrested in February of 1969 for little to no reason, and held in prison for three months, followed by four months of house arrest. Brazil’s military dictatorship which held the country under its grips until 1985, further had many and most of his songs banned or censored.
“… if you are the same in politics as you are in aesthetics, we’re done for!”
-Caetano Veloso
The two were exiled from the country for over a year, and spent most of their time in the dark and gloomy dims of London, England. However, by 1972 the pair were allowed back into the country quickly returning to their musical careers that have since landed Veloso 9 Latin Grammy’s and a Grammy for World Music Album in 2000.
Here at The Eye of Faith we always have great respect for people who stand for something. After all, if you don’t stand for something, you stand for nothing! And Caetano Veloso definitely exemplifies this.
Never fearing the opposition, never backing down on his own sense of self; apart from his penchant for wildly magical psych rock stylings, it is his character that truly makes this man an E.O.F. STYLE IDOL.
“I TALK too much…Everybody from Bahia is like this. We are always touching each other, too. We are a bit too much.”
-Caetano Veloso
Let us not forget this beautiful bohemian God and his willingness to stand for freedom, for beauty, and to live life to the fullest!
“Alegria means joy, or joyousness… It is the best-known song of any that I have written, and it was the opening song of tropicalismo, the first to use rock-and-rollish electric guitars. Whenever I sing it, it is just like the Rolling Stones singing ‘Satisfaction.’ It was the first anthem. It’s an affirmation-of-life kind of song, but it has an ironical hint to it.”
The song begins, “I’m walking against the wind, without handkerchief or documents in my pockets,” and ends with a chorus of “Why not?”
It’s about being able to walk and be alive and be real and feel the sun…It was against the dictatorship without saying anything about it. And everybody likes that ‘Why not?’ at the end.”
“They didn’t imprison us for any song or any particular thing that we said…It was a difficult atmosphere for them to understand, so they thought, ‘We might as well put them in prison.’ ”
We thought it apropos to delve into the fantastic and fundamentalstylish-ness of this poignant and severely under-rated film.
Whilst the flower power movement is mostly seen as Woodstock, flower children dancing in parks, peace, love, and rainbows – the counter-culture movement that began to arise from the horrors of the Vietnam War and injustices in America was also an aggressive and violent force ready for radical change.
Parties like The Weathermen, Baader Meinhoff, and the Black Panthers fought for revolutionary change from the capitalist bourgeoise regimes that still run the world to this day.
Much the way Antonioni’s fashionable masterpiece Blow-Up captured the Swinging London of the mid-60s in his chic docu-stylized manner, Zabriskie Point aimed to shed light on this particular moment in time.
The film even features a cameo by THE political power-force and activist Kathleen Cleaver (who is also very due to be inaugurated to the rank of E.O.F. DIVINITY}!
The turbulently good-looking Mark Ferchette plays Mark, an armed student radical on the run from the cops.
While flying an airplane over the desert he spots Daria Halprin who plays Daria, a gorgeous bohemian goddess who may or may not have a thing for wealthy older business execs, and they engage in an erotic (and dusty) desert orgy.
Whilst a desert orgy might seem like a tried and true climax for any film- the real climax drifts dreamily to Daria’s increasing discomfort and disgust over bourgeoise attempts to redevelop the gorgeous Mojave desert.
What follows this moment of realization is a fantastical finale that tells a thousand thoughts, statements, and poetic musings through the universality of cinema.
This final moment cannot be denied.
SPOILER ALERT!
{WATCH THE FINALE BELOW}
If you watched the clip, you can see why Zabriskie Point is really fuelling our psych-rock summer.
Would have to recommend musing over the desert love scene, if you’re in the romantic mood . . .
And whether you’re in it to take in all the timelessly cool/counter-culture chic/boho American stylings of costume designer Ray Summers or the epic psych-rock soundtrack that features a theme song by Roy Orbison, and tracks by the Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones, The Youngbloods, Patti Page, and the ultimate Pink Floyd– this film is ICONIC in every right!!!
Interestingly, both of the films stars were non-actors who both appeared in exactly three films.
Mark Ferchette was a carpenter discovered during a loud argument on the streets of Boston where he allegedly threw a flower pot at a woman, while Daria Halprin was spotted by Antonioni in the Jack O’Connell documentary ‘Revolution‘ which profiled the counter-culture movement in San Francisco.
The two make for a beautiful All-American bohemian brunette couple, whose enigmatic bond is as mysterious as it is inspiring…
They gained the status of the first counter-culture couple, and actually maintained a real life romance, which later led to them getting a string of magazine covers, TV appearances, and even joining a cult together.
After all, a couple that joins a cult together stays together!
”It put me in a kind of lifestyle and situation that in many, many ways I wasn’t ready to deal with,”
Whilst the film garnered lack lustre reviews at the time for its meandering plot and docu-surrealism which may have just been a little too ahead of its time.
But, that’s what’s great about exploring the {PAST} you have the opportunity of looking at it through the lens of the {PRESENT} and hopefully keep the dialogue going into the {FUTURE}.
In a world as messed up today (if not more than)- a film like Zabriskie Point is a fearless reminder of the people who almost 50 years ago cried for change, the timelessness of true style, and the dreaminess of the desert . . .
Where did this courage and fight go in our day to day? Have we really been brainwashed to believe everything will be OK?
Sometimes it feels like you just might pull a Daria, too?
Talk about American beauty . . . do yourself a favour and watch this film!
The R.M.S. Titanic hits an iceberg and the 20th Century will never be the same.
Imagine how different 1997 would have been without this megalith of a movie hitting the screens?We might not even have the same Kate or Leo we have today?! Winter of 1997/98 wouldn’t have been consumed by 12 theatre viewings of “TITANIC”!!!
We shudder to think . . .
+TITANIC 4 LIFE +
On a serious note; I’m not sure what it is about this majestic ship that has always captured my imagination. I’m guessing its a mixture of the Edwardian elegance, decadence, and grandeur of the ship – the microcosm of society contained within it – and the hubris of the upper echelon whose powers control the world to this day, and the tragedy that ensued as a result.
There are many many many fascinating details regarding this ship, but perhaps the most stimulating aspect of the Titanic’s untimely fate is that it was predicted 14 years earlier by a pulp novella entitled The Wreck of the Titan: Or, Futility which I was lucky to read before the film had even been in production.
Talk about psychic premonitions; author Morgan Robertson (also the self proclaimed inventor of the periscope) chillingly predicts much of the Titanic’s destiny with his fictional telling of an enormous “unsinkable” triple screw British luxury ocean liner named the S.S. TITAN which meets its untimely demise on a cold April night in the North Atlantic after it hits an iceberg losing almost everyone on board due to a lack of lifeboats.
CRAZY, RIGHT?! This is 14 years before the infamous disaster! Designs for Titanic‘s sister ship didn’t even go into production until 1908. How was it that Morgan Robertson could right a tale so shockingly similar to the Titanic’s actual events. Was he psychic? Was it planned?
TIME TRAVEL???
The whole thing is absolutely incredible, and definitely worth looking more into.
