Long Hot Summer

We rented The Long Hot Summer the other night. It's a nice film with a cheesy happy ending and, as always, Paul Newman is amazing in it. The only disconcerting aspect of the film is Orson Wells' makeup. He has a weird, unnatural tan that seems to change shades every couple of scenes - and it doesn't help that he is almost impossible to understand (he mumbles quite a bit, but I suppose he thought that made him sound more southern).

Bad makeup and southern accents aside, movies and magazines always seem to influence my taste in fashion and after watching The Long Hot Summer I found this very 1960-ish dress at fredflare.com for $30. Usually I hate cutesy, floral patterns, but after watching Joanne Woodward shine in her elegant dresses on screen, I seriously thought about purchasing it. Luckily, I came to my senses before I clicked on the "add to cart" button. I'm sure quite a few girls would look great in it, but not me! I mean, I'd look like a walking banana in heels.

Still, watching the film was a good educational experience. Who new Paul Newman could make Faulkner so palatable?