Three Things: Trip to the 70s

I watched a movie last weekend that I cannot recommend, but it sent my brain on a path that ends with more enjoyable fare. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie is one of John Cassavetes’ more grating films, and that is saying something. It’s meandering and momentum-less—some of the scenes set in the burlesque house go on FOREVER (and not in a way you’d want burlesque to). What is great about it, though, is its utter and complete 1970s-ish-ness. You are immersed in Los Angeles in 1976, and man is it a scene.

Without question, my favorite movie era is the 1970s. Actually, my favorite era in general is the 70s. I was born in 1971, so that is likely a factor. But I certainly wasn’t cognizant of the deeply groovy era in which I was living at the time. My Southern Baptist household was not watching Taxi Driver or spinning ‘I’m Coming Out’, I assure you. (In fact, I remember my mother harboring a particular hatred of Donna Summer…) 

It did not take me long as I grew older to realize what a richly heady time it had been. A president resigning in shame. The Great Inflation. A controversial war ending with Americans dangling from helicopters as they rose into the sky. Attica. But also… Empowered women. Black Power. Sexual liberation before HIV. Fashion that will never be equaled. I mean, just look at these pictures (first one is slightly NSFW). And of course, damn fine music. Here are some trips back in time for you.

🎵 Women of the 70s 

The initial inspiration for this post is a playlist I forgot I made. Recently referenced by two different friends, I revisited it and, hey it’s pretty good. Queue it up, close your eyes, and pretend you’re lying on a lawn chair in your front yard on a summer afternoon (baby oil, no sunscreen obvs).

🎥 Klute (streaming rental)

Jane Fonda made some ill-advised decisions in the 70s (lordy), but this was not one of them. Before Alan Pakula made All the President’s Men (and Parallax View; please watch both of these), he directed Fonda and Donald Sutherland in this noir thriller that is just tight as hell. She won the Oscar for her portrayal of a prostitute that is about as far removed from stereotypical as possible. 

📺 The Deuce (HBO Max)

I took my teenagers for their first visit to New York City this summer and when my 15-year-old expressed her deep disappointment in Times Square (“It’s like Disneyworld”), I consoled her by sharing what a den of iniquity it used to be. The Deuce is a series produced by (and starring) Maggie Gyllenhaal that plunges you directly into the old Times Square and the people who occupied it. It’s not perfect - James Franco bugs the hell out of me - but it has engaging characters, brilliant set design, and one hell of a soundtrack. It also has the distinction of being one of the first shows to employ an intimacy coordinator for its sex scenes. Which is nice.

Hope you enjoy these memory trips. Next week: Extra Scary Halloween edition!