Above:
Phil by msbimages
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Thursday, September 12, 2013
Last Breath of Summer
On the East Coast, the window to partake in summer activities is starting to run out. The nights are cooler, the first leaves are falling and hurricane warnings are starting. Although Autumn is my favorite time of year, and winter a close second, I am not quite ready to dig out my parka and submit willingly to summer ending just quite yet... Over the next few weeks, before everything green turns orange, look for a few summer themed posts before taking that last breath!
Delft Blue: Phil by msbimages
I can't believe that a year has gone by since I last featured the work of Michal Boothe from msbimages. Michal's work is always a breath of fresh air as always hits the mark, capturing beautifully and cleanly the essence of what makes the man in front of his lens sexy, unique and most of all special. It is often frustrating seeing an image of great looking model that the photographer either had no clue how to shoot, or diluted the beauty of their model with overpowering distractions, concepts or editing.
In this exquisite set of images, Michal captures Phil. Not angry Phil, not clown Phil, not porn star Phil, not even model Phil, just Phil. Michal connected with his newest model through a photographer friend and while on his way to Tennessee, Phil stopped over in Dallas for the shoot. Just out of military, posing naked in front of the camera was a piece of cake compared to his previous gig of flying helicopters in Afghanistan.
'His eyes are delft blue and immediately grab your attention. It is hard not to stare or even to look away.'
Michal wisely keeps those eyes in focus in most of his shots of Phil (except of course when shooting Phil's beautiful backside). Blue is known to have a calming effect, evoking peaceful and tranquil feelings and Phil's eyes certain evoke those, and other feelings in me. I hadn't really known too much about the origin of delft blue, but a quick google search informed me it was a created color through the calcinations of cobalt with quartz sand and potash. Used commonly in glass and pottery, when first created in the 17th century, it was a time consuming and expensive process. A color once so difficult and complex to create, occurring so naturally in the eyes of Phil.
msbimages on FH
A Ton Of Bricks
Some of you may remember that I wrote a piece after the death of Elizabeth Taylor about never actually having seen any of her movies. At that time I had seen very few older movies actually, something I have more than rectified since. Thanks to the recommendations from several friends and blog readers, and of course the TMC network, I have escaped into the world of film classics ever since.
Last week I finally watched the film version of Tennessee Williams Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. I think I sort of avoided the film, having seen the stage production, along with reading about how the script removed almost all of the homosexual themes for the 1958 film. Script changes aside, I truly loved the film. The entire cast was incredible and I have never been so attracted to Paul Newman as I was while watching him play Brick. Through Newman's skillful portrayal, the themes removed from dialogue were still clearly present through his actions, eyes and anguish. Newman's Brick was tortured, yet still alluringly sexual, never more so than when drenched, outside in the rain. I look forward to a repeat viewing in the future.
After viewing the film, I decided to go on the hunt for other actors who inhabited the role of Brick. I found dozens and dozens, but below, are a few of my favorites.
Below: Ben Gazzara as Brick and Barbara Bel Geddes as Maggie, Original Broadway Production 1955
Below: Keir Dullea as Brick and Fred Gwynne as Big Daddy, Broadway revival 1974
Below: Daniel Hugh Kelly as Brick, Kathleen Turner as Maggie, Broadway revival 1990.
Below: Jason Patric as Brick, Margo Martindale as Big Mama, Broadway Revival 2003
Below: I love actor Jeremy Davidson who played Brick opposite wife Mary Stuart Masterson as Maggie at The Kennedy Center's Eisenhower Theatre in 2004.
Gray Powell as Brick along side Moya O’Connell as Maggie at the 2011 Shaw Festival in Ontario.
Kelby Akin as Brick and Georgia Lyman as Maggie at Boston's Lyric Theatre, 2009
Below: The delicious Benjamin Walker as Brick, Broadway revival staged earlier this year.
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