Saturday

Paul Simonon, Painter

You know him as the bass player of The Clash, the writer and singer of "Guns of Brixton", and a man deserving of his own L.A.S. "Icon of Style" award, but it doesn't end there. Here are some of his paintings...






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Thursday

Andy Summers, Photographer

Most people know Andy Summers as the guitar player from The Police, but not everyone knows he's a photographer - his book "Throb" from 1983 was the first time i'd seen his photos. I couldnt buy one then due to some 'artistic nude shots' (parental veto), but now that i'm old enough to make my own decisions i've got one, and you can find old copies fairly easily. All black and white, and all very 80s to me, in the best way...









Saturday

THEN and NOW

Houston and Lafayette THEN...



and NOW...

Trifecta of Shame

In a time when the U.S. of A has slipped to an appalling 18th dumbest in the world's educational rankings, it's important to not overlook the value of learning in our day to day lives. A broad understanding of art, sociology, and even psychology allows us to lead more rewarding lives, and makes us better people, and a better country. But it's equally important to remember that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull lad". So, in our continuing effort here at LAS-NYC to bring you all the best life has to offer, we again shift our focus to literature, in hopes that a combination of all these things will enrich your lives, and help restore this country to greatness!

So, this week, we'll have a look at three important books. The first is film related, a study of the artistic and commercial side of cinematography, and it begs the question, "If you can get paid for doing what you love, is it even working at all?". "Pornography for Fun and Profit", written by James Harvey (Edka Books, Inc), puts a magnifying lens on the world of film erotica, "zooming in" on the techniques and methods required to become a successful pornographer, and through this, a person of high esteem in the community. A must for any ambitious auteur.



An understanding of sociology often helps us to navigate through the tricky twists and turns of society's more negative constructs. Some women are beleaguered with problems, often guilt and shame. NY Times bestseller "Nice Girls Do", by Dr. Irene Kassorla, teaches us that it's okay for women to give in to the poking and prodding of men (50% of the population), and allow themselves to be the sensual beings nature programmed them to be. Again, a MUST for any woman seeking to be taken seriously in modern society!



Finally, in order to function optimally in today's world, we must accept that not everyone can agree with us, all the time. Many resist the notion that "our way is the right way". This is where a bit of psychology comes in very handy. "Get Anyone to Do Anything and Never Feel Powerless Again" by David J. Lieberman, Ph.D., not only teaches us how to avoid being manipulated and taken advantage of, but also how to TAKE CONTROL OF EVERY CONVERSATION AND SITUATION! Imagine the possibilities when armed with this mental weaponry - the world, quite literally, becomes "your oyster"...



Now it's easy to read a few books, and even embrace their lessons, but it's important to remember to APPLY them in real-life situations. I personally have had great success using a combination of these arts and sciences, and i'd like to share one story with you right now, here, in this forum. I had a friend, who doesn't speak to me anymore, we'll call her "Lucille" - who was always talking about Hollywood and wanting to be in films, "being an actress", etc, blah blah blah. I mentioned to her that i not only was a bit of a "filmmaker" myself, but that i embraced ALL the arts, and gave her a bit of literature to read, specifically James Harvey's filmmaking/pornography book i mentioned earlier. She took it, and a few days later, on the weekend, we discussed it over a glass of Zinfandel and Kools, but she admitted she had some reservations. I explained how "that was natural", and again recommended a book to her, this time "Nice Girls Do", by Dr. Irene. She took it, and the following Tuesday, during a phone call she revealed that while the book had "freed" her somewhat, allowing her to 'get in touch with herself', she wasn't entirely sold on the particular film treatment i had suggested, an erotic adaptation of "The Horse Whisperer". Well, now it was me who was posed with the dilemma, but, turning again to science and the arts, i APPLIED THE LESSONS i personally had learned in Dr. Liebermans's book, and approximately eight days later finished editing "The Vagina Whisperer", which is now screening at an all-nite matinee on 42nd Street.

Be all you can be America!!

-KM

Saturday

ICONS OF STYLE



In the sleazy underbelly of society lurks a sordid and disgusting underworld of crime, shame, and punishment. Robbers, hoods, bozos, scalywags, pimps and pushers, drifters, nomads, gypsies, tramps, and thieves, bunco artists, pill-heads, nibblers, twits, delinquents and meatballs, nipples, molesters, desperados, buttnuts, punks, arsonists, pickpockets, fruitloops, free-loaders, boosters, pederasts, needlemen, flops, binkies, phonies, wall-flowers, muppets, creepy-crawlers and ding-dongs are all out to cause problems and ruin your day. It's tough to stay looking sharp, and few did it better than Jim Rockford, private investigator. Rarely seen in less than some type of checked houndstooth blazer, a tasteful button-down, and a nice pair of trousers, (often accessorized with a pair of smoked sunglasses), you could count on him to take care of business - IF you could afford his rates ($200 a day plus expenses - about $1,100 per day in today's troubled economy).

I believe it was Tipton Newquay from the U.K. who said, "you can buy fashion, but you can't buy style"- and Jim Rockford exemplified this to the fullest. Never ostentatious, his vehicle of choice was a '77 Firebird and he lived in a trailer on the beach. And as consumate ladies' man, Jim wasn't the type to kiss and tell, but since it was a TV show, we the viewers eventually did find out about these shenanigans.
Its his combination of street smarts, taste, and a panache for clean living, that makes Jim Rockford this week's ICON OF STYLE.







-KM

PIN-UP OF THE WEEK

After a deluge of complaints saying there wasn't enough sexiness on LAS-NYC, (obviously no-one's seen the pictures of the band) we've decided to turn up the heat as they say, and offer a little visual titillation (that doesn't mean what you think it means, Ricky C of Des Moines). But as with everything we do, we're keeping it classy and sophisticated, like a soft-focus Cinemax porno on a Tuesday afternoon.

So the inaugural "Pin-Up of the Week" is Debbie Harry....



(CLICK on the contact sheets to enlarge, it's worth it i promise)










Wednesday

"Ladies And Gentlemen, The Fabulous Stains" featuring The Looters



The Looters: featuring Ray Winstone, Paul Cook, Paul Simonon, and Steve Jones....

From the movie, "Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains", featuring an illegal 15 1/2 year old Diane Lane, a young Ray Winstone (fresh from the set of Quadrophenia), Fee Waybill from the Tubes, and also Laura Dern - not to mention Marin Kanter from Kathryn Bigelow's first feature "The Loveless".

Steve Jones contributed four songs to this 1981 cult classic, only one of which ("Join the Professionals") made it to the Professionals album, "I Didn't See It Coming", but in the movie there are short live performances of the others, and they sound great - just like the Professionals, only with Ray Winstone singing. In the credits there's a mention of a soundtrack, which apparently was never released originally, but Rhino Records recently did re-issue (can you re-issue something that was never issued?) it for download on Amazon.com, but then strangely pulled it after two days. It's still listed there, but as "unavailable". I called and emailed Rhino to ask about this, posing as the owner of a record store, but got no reply. This happened before with the Mad Max repro motorcycle stuff and i'm starting to feel like Rodney Dangerfield here..

**10/15 - Rhino Records finally did get back to me and stated that there are no plans to re-release the soundtrack, but that they would forward the idea up the chain of command for possible re-consideration..



Anyway, if you've never seen the movie, it's easily available and while far from perfect, it's easy to see why it became the cult favorite that it is..


I want that purple coat.