Razors, bow ties and good tailors apparently took a vacation last week, attracting what looked like a small convention of scruffy, well-pressed Tarantino gangsters and pallbearers at this year’s Golden Globes. After enchanting Matt Lauer and then taking Amtrak to Washington, D.C., the Brooklyn hipster caught the red eye to LAX and invaded Hollywood. I just hope the Beverly Hilton Hotel stocked enough craft beer to go with those beards, bro.
Not only does it take us through an exquisitely photographed tour of 1958 Italy, The Talented Mr. Ripley takes us on a thrilling journey that begins with a borrowed college blazer and boils over into a cunning and deadly game of identity theft.
“I always thought it’d be better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody.”
I actually attended the New York premiere of The Talented Mr. Ripley. Matt, Gwynnie and Jude were there for the glamorous red carpet show and screening at MoMA, but what I remember most was the movie itself. My friend turned to me not even twenty minutes into the film and whispered “I love this movie.” I couldn’t have agreed more, and all of us in the theater seemed to be equally swept away by an incredible story, marvelous performances and gorgeous visuals.
I was never the world's biggest Wham! fan, but I would challenge anyone to deny a love/hate soft spot for "Last Christmas." I'll lay it on the line right here and admit that I went out and bought the Music…
Because his music remains among the most popular on the planet. Because he helped desegregate Nevada casinos and hotels in the 1960s. Because he likely influenced a presidential election. Because he was one of the first artists to start his own record label (Reprise). Because he could actually act, winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in From Here To Eternity in 1953. Because he refused to retire and stayed relevant, even after he officially retired. Because he started the “Duets” album format. Because he offered to “take care of” Woody for Mia. Because he actually had the connections to have Woody taken care of. Because the Empire State Building glowed blue for his 80th birthday. Because he’s the original pop star with a bad attitude. Because he accomplished all of this while maintaing a high standard of style. Because he’s the Chairman of the Fucking Board.
There is a scene in American Gigolo in which Julian (Richard Gere) takes a little taste of cocaine from his nightstand and turns to his closet and dresser drawers to pick out his clothes. With “The Love I Saw in You Is Just a Mirage” by Smokey Robinson and The Miracles playing on his stereo, he lays out jackets, shirts and ties in various combinations as he carefully considers the evening’s ensemble. It’s immediately obvious that he performs this ritual every time he gets ready to go out. It’s glorious.
American Gigolo is the first movie I can remember that depicted a masculine and reasonably sophisticated male character actively taking care and pride in choosing and wearing his clothes. Maybe the only movie. Written and directed by Paul Schrader and also starring Lauren Hutton, this 1980 noir-ish crime drama is about a successful Los Angeles male escort to older women (Gere) who gets pinned as the prime suspect in the murder of a wealthy client in Palm Springs. His liaisons have entangled him at the crossroads of the dark underworld and those who wield political and financial power, and he gets in over his head. In a role originally offered to (and turned down by) John Travolta, Gere turned his performance as Julian into a defining career move.
Sunday is my day to catch up, recharge and prepare for the week ahead. Part of the ritual entails what I think of as "prepping my arsenal," which includes cleaning, laundry, ironing and shining my shoes, which I demonstrate in…
For years, I've thought about what music I would choose if I were the producer of a men's fashion show or even if I were a men's wear designer. The music would (and should) reflect the season, the mood and,…
In Alec Baldwin's conversation with Jerry Seinfeld on Here's the Thing, Jerry spells it all out in a way that makes it all look so simple. After listening to this, it seems like he pretty much has a black belt…
In his now legendary 2007 "New Rules" rant against the ubiquity of Crocs, a mode of rubber footwear once exclusive to children and mental patients, Bill Maher observed that "we're a nation of slobs who won't be happy until we…
In this episode of the George Hahn Podcast, I touch on the success and positive effects I've observed about Citibike bike share here in New York City. Also, I've been listening to "Hesitation Marks," the fantastic new album from Nine…