Easy Rider (1969)

Dennis Hopper broke with a lot of conventions in his directors debut, portraying two hippies on their search for the pure experience of freedom riding their, at the time pretty rare, Harley Davidson chopper bikes. The 'easy riders' encounter a range of characters either agreed to their lifestyle and ideals as well as violently opposed to it.

Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper star as the ultimate hippies, driving with just a bag and a woolen Indian type blanket on the back of their bikes. Although Jack Nicholson steals the show with his foolish but superb acting. The characters they meet on their way through the American highlands are dressed as interesting. An overload of traditional americana wear with Wrangler western shirts, Levi's type III denim jacket, many jeans and ivy-style sweaters.

But in the end Easy Rider is the walhalla for the vintage sunglasses collector. I would love to give you the names of all the different frames seen, I simply couldn't get them. The shades worn by Peter Fonda are the Ray Ban Olympia I Deluxe, Jack Nicholson's seem to be a Clubmaster at first sight, but a closer look reveals they're slightly different. Comments on the remaining glasses are more than welcome.

Blood In Blood Out (1993)

"Miklo, orale, carnalito. What's up, ese?"

Damian Chapa impersonates the Miklo character in this movie, one of his first roles and since then on he would became obsessed with chicano gangster movies, both as actor and director. Too bad he's just not that good in both.. But at least he knows how to dress up properly as a chicano.

A film about three cousins growing up, one active as painter, the second as a narcotic officer and the latter as the leader of the La Onda prison gang. Director Taylor Hackford shot the film inside the San Quentin State Prison and managed to get a great deal of prisoners to act in the film. As for style concerned it's a chicano gangster walhalla; pleated (khaki) chino's, tanktops with flannel check shirts, completed with derby hats. When in prison they wear light blue shirts all with the button up top, denim jeans and jackets, navy colored beanies and all black sunglasses.

Badlands (1973)

Badlands is the first feature-film of one of my favorite directors: Terrence Malick. He wrote some scripts for features before but they were never shot the way he had in mind. With Badlands he directed his own script in a brilliantly way, the same he would do with his next three features.

The story was inspired on the Starkweather-Fugate incident in the late '50's. The 18-year old Starkweather ran away with his 14-year old girlfriend and they let a trail of murders behind. Starkweather was deeply intrigued by the 'Rebel without a Cause' image of James Dean, and wanted to look and act like him.

Certainly Malick made a good choice with Martin Sheen, who's got the James Dean look all the way. A movie for the true vintage denim fans, Martin Sheen wears his white tee with double denim: Levi's 501xx jeans and a Levi's 507xx denim jacket (which is priceless these days). Another great detail is the voice-o-graph booth, where you can record your song or text that is immediately pressed on a 7" vinyl record.

What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1992)

The real rural American life depicted in this movie is pretty poignant, set in a simple small village setting and brings to us social difficulties that can be universally extended. Gilbert tries to escape this environment in where he has to deal with his handicapped brother (played by a superb young DiCaprio) and his mother struggling with overweight.

I had some dilemma about whether I could appoint What's Eating Gilbert Grape to a whole post or not. The problem is that there isn't so much to see in the movie except for the character of Johnny Depp, whose style is simply exquisite during all of the movie. He rocks his brown trucker jacket all day long, with different longsleeves or striped shirts underneath it, accompanied by his light-blue Levi's 501 denim and his pair of Red Wing 8181 shoes. I love it. Although there's the handyman played by John C. Reilly, dressed up as a the typically truckdriver, who's pretty cool here: trucker cap, worn out Levi's jacket and another pair of Red Wings.

The Limits of Control (2009)

I have to apologize for the low number of stills lately, due to visits to Berlin where celebrating the new year and last week my visit to the International Film Festival Rotterdam. The five days Rotterdam where great even though the city hasn't that much to offer apart from the film festival, the world-famous Boijmans van Beuningen museum and some stores. From the movies I've seen I would strongly recommend Essential Killing, The King of Devil's Island, Black Swan and 13 Assassins. Okay back to another film by Jarmusch.

In the Limits of Control Jarmusch brings coolness to a higher level, partially due to the efforts of probably the greatest cinematographer alive right now; Christoper Doyle. His sense for composition, color, focus and depth is incredible. So combine the sense for style, items and details from Jarmusch with the superb cinematography by Doyle, there only lacks some substance in the form of very interesting dialogues about the subjectivity of art. Once again Isaach de Bankolé is present in this Jarmusch flick in the role of the secret agent. His mission is to destroy the bureaucrats that know what it takes to make art and how to explain it. He communicates with his fellow agents by codes hidden in fantastic 'Le Boxeur - Fabriqué au Cameroun' matchboxes. The Limits of Control is subjective to the bone and asks a little effort from your own imagination, as any good movie should.