80s Fashion + The Police

Long live aviator glasses and short shorts!

The Police

I have recently delved into the music of The Police and (re)discovered that there was actually a time when Sting rocked...Can you imagine?!

I've also developed an appreciation for the band and the uniqueness of what they were doing as artists of the time.

Fast forward a few years after The Police became popular, and we have Sting as Feyd-Rautha in David Lynch's 1984 movie Dune:



And for the sake of all things silly, also from the same said film:



My boyfriend declares that Sting is wearing a "space diaper". I agree that this is an accurate description, but I would like to refine this further by renaming the scary codpiece: "Harkonnen Space Diaper".

=)

Also, Sting (Gordon Sumner) wrote a biography about his childhood and the years leading up to his rock stardom, which I am currently plowing through. Like The Police's drummer, Stewart Copeland, Sting is also a rather vivid and eloquent writer.



Speaking of Stewart Copeland, props to him! He was/is such a hardworking and naturally talented drummer and musician who has managed to build up to a great level of expertise and to adapt and expand into a diverse musical career.

I've never had much interest in the drum component of a band, and this guy has completely ignited my interest:



This is what I enjoy most about The Police during the late 70's/early 80's; the unique rock-infused reggae trio dynamic, Sting's soaring voice singing those moody, angsty lyrics. This song gives me that tingly feeling, and lately, I wake up with it in my head...

"The Bed's Too Big Without You" (1979):

Winter in the 80's

Last night, I drove 20 mph to the gym in crazy snowy "Visibility...what's that?" conditions. If you grew up in the '80s and you lived in colder climates, these may bring a few snowball-throwing memories back to you:

The good people at Swany America really knew how to appeal to the imaginative sensibilities of kids when they designed Freezy Freakies. The gloves would reveal a complete design when exposed to cold temperatures. I remember putting mine in the freezer, taking them out, waiting for the design to disappear, then putting them back in again.

And who could forget moon boots?! =D





Neo-retro moon boots by Rubber Duck

Willow

I had no idea that Ron Howard directed the movie Willow. Nor did I know that the movie was considered a flop at the box office. To me, the movie with all its adventure, magic and special effects was the best thing ever. Also, I had a major crush on Warwick Davis. He inspired drawings in my notebook and I begged my mother to let me stay home from school because I just HAD to watch one of his television interviews. We didn't have a VCR at the time, so for me, there was no other alternative. Not surprisingly, my mother disagreed.



But back to the movie. I think its interesting that Warwick Davis was only 17 when he was cast in the role of Willow Ufgood, a father with a wife, two children, a home and land to maintain. No doubt his ambiguous appearance made that possible.

So anyways, Willow Ufgood just couldn't get a break. He is bullied by Burglekutt. His magic sucks and no one takes him seriously. When he tries to become the sorcerer's apprentice, he fails. But that's just the beginning. When he sets out to return the baby Elora Danan, he enters an entirely different world outside the comfort of his village were he is dissed even more! It seems that someone is always calling him" peck" and manhandling him. Even the tiny brownies taunt him.



Despite his many setbacks, Willow continues. Even though he doesn't believe in himself he has determination and wants to make sure the baby is safe. He eventually fulfills his goal. Now that I'm older, I see that this is what I appreciate the most and find most endearing about the movie.



They have the same hair!

Curt Smith and Tears for Fears

In honor of my first post in this shiny new blog, I'd like to do cartwheels of joy over Tears for Fears. They have been all over my iPod lately.



Expect much more about them during later posts, but today, I thought I'd mention Curt Smith, 1/2 of the somewhat recently reunited band:



Mr. Smith has a new solo album called Halfway, Pleased. I was delghted to discover that his voice is still refreshingly silky. He maintains a surprisingly candid blog at MySpace, complete with day-by-day tour diary entries and other interesting stuff. Also, this video--> Seven of Sundays is one of my new favorites.

Curt Smith Links:

Curt Smith at Wikipedia
HalfWayPleased.com
Curt Smith at MySpace