I can't beeeelieve that I haven't mentioned that I'm volunteering for BurlyCon 2020 as an admin/moderator!

BurlyCon is going all-virtual as we won't the 'Rona stop the glamour and fun. Tickets are still available and you can take classes a la carte or get the all-access pass. Classes are also recorded so that you can view them repeatedly and at your convenience.

The photo above is of Burlesque legend Coby Yee.

Addendum:

2020 Legend Guest of Honor

Coby Yee

BurlyCon is saddened to hear of the passing of our 2020 Legend of Honor, Burlesque Legend Coby Yee, who left us on August 14 at the age of 93.

Coby Yee mesmerized audiences from the 1940s into the 1960s with her self-made, dazzling costumes and dancing. She got her start in San Francisco’s Chinatown nightclubs, then traveled the world. In 1962, she and her family took over Forbidden City and ran it until 1970.

Ms Yee was a beloved member of the burlesque community and a brilliant influence to so many. She paved the way for Asian-Americans and People of Color in show business and burlesque. We so appreciate her performances and leadership in The Grant Avenue Follies, as a solo performer, and with her partner Stephen whom she continued to perform with until very recently.

Coby Yee is our Burlesque Hall of Fame, 2020 Legend of the Year, presented by Miss Exotic World, Frankie Fictitious.

All of us at BurlyCon miss her and are deeply appreciative of her influence and work as a true pioneer in burlesque. Her passing reminds us of how precious a resource our legends are, and how essential it is that every day we learn all that we can of their individual histories.

We offer our deepest condolences to her family and those close to her.

Note: as of this posting, Gaspar Noe's LOVE is no longer available to stream, unless you're in the UK, via Amazon.

Warning: this movie can be triggering, and I'm not sure how to put a specific on that. It's quite sexy but the feeling it leaves you with is one of tragedy. It's also over two hours long and I had to break up my viewing into two parts.

So I'd heard about this movie a couple of years ago, but didn't think anything else of it. Gaspar Noe made the movie Irreversible, and that was a good movie, but one that I NEVER EVER need to watch again.

First things first, LOVE is beyond NSFW. As a matter of fact, most people would consider it pr0n, although Mr. Noe himself doesn't think so.

Quoted from that interview: 

"It's a melancholic drama portraying lost love, and in its essence, love is mostly carnal," Noé says. "When you fall in love, you can get into these hard-core addictions that turn you crazy and make you feel like you've got tunnel vision. You get stoned by love. 

And then you don't just get addicted to a person who you've designated as your object of desire; you get addicted to the fact of being in that mental state. I've heard people walking out of the movie and saying, 'Oh, I did not get aroused by that movie. I felt like crying.'"

Here's the trailer.

It wasn't well-received at the box office, at all. It premiered at Cannes (out of competition) in 3-D. Yeah, the graphic sex scenes and all.

So here's a new column for this site. How about Movie Mondays?

Today I received my amazing Vampira lashes from AshLash. If you haven't checked out AshLash, you should, because their lashes are cruelty-free and amazing! Perfect for both retro and modern looks.

One of their lashes is called Mantrap x Lovewitch. Coincidentally, I thought of the movie The Love Witch again. You must see it if you haven't already done so. 

Don't be a square like me and wait until earlier this year to do so. Come to think of it, I've waited a long time to see particular "must-see" movies and I make no apologies for that. Again, super square. Most of the time, it was unintentional.

One of the gals in my burlesque class at the beginning of the year (seems soooo long ago, right?) had mentioned her costume ideas and inspirations during class. Me: "what's The Love Witch?"

Here's the trailer:

It's a campy and now cult classic. The attention to detail, between the set and costume design, and everything else really, is impeccable.

Here's an interview with Anna Biller, the writer, director, stylist, etc.. and a tutorial for makeup inspired by The Love Witch.

Samantha Robinson plays the title character, Elaine Parks. The movie reminds me of Valley of the Dolls, movies by Russ Meyer, and 60's horror films. The film was shot in 35mm, which is unusual these days.

Note that the movie is set in modern day, but is designed to seem otherwise.

Here are some stills from the movie. 

I highly recommend this movie. All of the scenes are stylish and I can't say that about most any movies or tv shows.