The 31 Day Film Challenge: Day 24

31 Day Film Challenge--Day 24: Your "guilty pleasure" film. I actually don't really feel all that guilty about it. It was a film that was suppose to launch the 80's, but celebrated the end of the 70's. A few things I'm not a fan of: Steve Guttenberg has no rhythm and seemed to scream most of his lines...Bruce Jenner proved he can't act...Paul Sand (enough said)...but two stand outs from this film are Tammy Grimes and Marilyn Sokol who should have been spun-off into their own buddy sitcom. With a soundtrack featuring the original Village People that is in my top 10 albums, this "quasi-biographical" film about the formation of the Village People is a film I can watch just about any day or time of the week. You can't stop the glamour, you can't stop the excitement, you can't stop the dancing, you can't stop the laughter, but most of all you CAN'T STOP THE MUSIC!

After Dark December 1979 (The Ads)

Sometimes, my favorite part of an issue is the ads. This issue had some great ones that I wanted to share. First up, is an ad for ads. After Dark was reaching out to business to market and publicize their products in the magazine. I mean, with an audience of After Dark readers who were affluent, professional, educated, label-conscious and high-end drinkers, you couldn't go wrong.

Record companies always had a lot of ads in issues of After Dark. Casablanca had the hottest, new LP from Cher called Prisoner.

Not to mention, Casablanca also had the newest album from the Village People, Live and Sleazy. I love this photo of the guys.

Disco legend Gloria Gaynor had a new record from Polydor called I Have a Right.

And finally, two divas together: Barbra Streisand and Donna Summer.

Clothing ads are always great to see. They are usually filled with hot guys in very trendy clothes from Eleganza. But, this issue's only fashion ad worth showing was not for the clothes themselves, but just the hot guy in Dolfin Shorts.

Club, food and travel ads are always a lot of fun to look at. This first example is for a restaurant called Reverse. I just love the owner's statements. It seems it was more than just a restaurant with a cabaret and hours until 6 AM. This ad is very simple and I think that's the reason it struck me in this issue. It wasn't a quarter-page ad, it was a full-page ad and it was simple.

BC Club Miami wanted you to skip Fire Island and visit them in the winter. You could stay with a friend (or three...)

I think my favorite ads though, have to be for the weird products you could get. I'll post the conch shell earmuffs and nipple bra ads sometime in the future, but this issue had Attitude, an adult paperdoll book. Gee, you could dress Lance in leather and levis and play with him or thirty of the other "tricks and treats between these sheets". Yeah, this magazine didn't cater to gay men at all. Right. Who has a copy of this book?

I'll collect all the weird ads like the paper doll book together in one post sometime in the future. It will be good for a laugh.

After Dark December 1978 The Final Chapter

Well this issue has been a ride. So much to read and see! From Dorothy and The Wizard of Oz to superheroes to fantasy art to Mommie Dearest to Dracula. "Dracula?" Yes, the Count from Transylvania also made a few appearance in this issue. Brant Mewborn had a great little piece on "The Fang Gang". There were many versions of Dracula appearing in theaters and here were the ones that were featured:


Raul Julia who was starring in Dracula in New York City;

Jean Leclerc who was on tour throughout the U.S. in Dracula;

Terence Stamp, from the London production of Dracula;

David O. Combs with Teresa Link in the New York City production of The Passion of Dracula;

Jose Greco in the Boston production of The Passion of Dracula;

Jeremy Brett with Margaret Whitton in Dracula in Los Angeles;

and finally, George Chakiris in London production of The Passion of Dracula.

Next we go from Count of Transylvania to the Transylvanians from Transexual--The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The film version of the stage show The Rocky Horror Show was making the midnight rounds and the loyal fan base was imitating the onscreen shenanigans with re-enactments in front of the screen. Little Nell (Nell Campbell), Patricia Quinn, Tim Curry and Richard O'Brien were becoming famous to a new legion of fans.

I don't know anyone who hasn't seen the film at least once. I remember my days playing the parts in front of the screen. I never got to be Frank N. Furter. I was always Brad, Ralph, or Richard O'Brien's Riff-Raff.

Richard O'Brien and Patricia Quinn as the brother-sister combo of Riff-Raff and Magenta would reunite for the "sequel"--Shock Treatment.

What I wouldn't give for abs like Peter Hinwood as Rocky (here with Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Barry Bostwick).

Brant Newborn also wrote a short article on Frank N. Furter himself and what he was up to. Well, the biggest thing Tim Curry was doing was putting out an album from A&M Records.


Speaking of albums, I know you have this one in your collection. I know I do. I have all the Village People albums. This ad was featured on the back cover of this issue. Everyone has a favorite Village People member and song, what's yours? Mine--Cowboy Randy Jones, of course. Constuction Worker David Hodo was a close second, but Randy always had that smile that got me. My favorite song--"Can't Stop the Music", the theme from the film of the same name. I've got it going over and over in my head now, but that's okay.


Lest I forget, the Christmas pin-ups I"ve promised:

Here are Bonnie George and Philip Traub in a phot by Bill Bernardo:

Darlings--
Though we're lapsed conservationists
And even worse conversationalists
We're very generous with our sins--
We'd love to get you under our skins.

Here's Woody Brown in a photo by Jack Mitchell:

Here's hoping
you get more
than you've got
And may all your
Christmases
be white hot!

Stocking stuffers standing Kevin Lambert and Woody Brown with Frank Campisano in another photo by Billl Bernardo:

Deck your halls
with body stockings,
One size fits all!

Herb Ritts took this hot photo of Fred Harris:

Unwrapping is the best part of getting gifts.

I know it's only May, but all I have to say is "Happy Holidays!"