Jake Davis Blog

Style: Some Kind Of Wonderful

  

Well, I like art, I work in a gas station, my best friend is a tomboy. These things don't fly too well in the American high school.

- Keith Nelson

Amanda Jones wears a beautiful chambray just right. Watts in that perfect black leather Schott Perfecto. How do you choose? No easy task for Keith Nelson in a classic black t-shirt, those amazing worn-out denim jeans splattered in paint and a pair of Chucks. Here's another one of those films that has this amazing staying power decades later and looks so current it's kind of amazing... The Elvis cover of Can't Help Falling In Love over the credits by Lick the Tins seals the deal...

Lick the Tins - Can't Help Falling In Love

New York I Love You

"New York is a city where one can get a more intense view of our society than any other place in the world."

- Alan J. Pakula

New York state of mind today for obvious reasons. Been thumbing through two of my loves... New York and filmmaking. Filled with so many beautiful pictures, quotes, and stories, Scenes From the City: Filmmaking in New York captures the essence of my beloved city as well as the films and directors it features. An amazing book from James Sanders and Rizzoli, which never disappoints.

 

Sometimes this city is tough. Sometimes this city shows no remorse. Sometimes this city is the most beautiful thing I know... New York...

Cat Power - New York

Scenes from the City: Filmmaking in New York amazon link

Style: State Of Grace

"You believe in the angels or the saints or there's such a thing as a state of grace. And you believe it, but it's got nothing to do with reality. It's just an idea. I mean you got your ideas and you got reality, and they're all... they're all fucked up."

- Terry Noonan

Almost twenty years later and State of Grace is as good as ever. Great style, gritty poetic dialogue, emotional characters, and a classic narrative. Gary Oldman's Jackie Flannery is my highlight as the wreckless livewire that can spark at any moment. Black leather jacket, white v-neck t-shirt, jeans, and permanent wet hair breathe life into the streets of New York's Hells Kitchen.  

With an ending as powerful as any, take a look when you have a moment and study up on how to do all the wrong things right...

State of Grace amazon link

Style: Class

Another great style film in the library is the 1983 classic Class. Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy and John Cusack wear traditional attire at a pre-Rushmore prep school. Class is filled with great clothing and hilarity. It's worth watching just for the scene at Burberry with a stunning Jacqueline Bisset properly outfitting a young McCarthy. I consider it the complimentary movie to The Official Preppy Handbook.

I'm not going to give away any spoilers even though the film is over 25 years old. Throw it on the netflix que for a rainy day and if you've already seen it, it's worth a re-watch...  

Style: Get Carter

You know, I'd almost forgotten what your eyes looked like. Still the same. Pissholes in the snow.

- Jack Carter

The man was one stylish motherfucker. He knew how to talk too. Great inspiration for when it's time to dress up or seek vengeance. Not only are the clothes classic but the score by Roy Budd is just as timeless... If you're tired of chambray, selvedge, and canvas... Take a look at Michael Caine's brilliant performance as the sartorial killer Jack Carter. He didn't need workwear to do his work... 

Get Carter link

Style: Three Days Of The Condor

"I don't remember yesterday. Today it rained."

- Joe Turner

Three Days of the Condor is one of my favorite films of all time. Once again it isn't just the incredible narrative, acting, and direction but the element of style. Robert Redford's sartorial confidence as Joe Turner in either a popped collar peacoat or tweed jacket and jeans running through the streets of New York is amazing. And the chemistry between him and Faye Dunaway's Kathy Hale is electrifying. It's worth watching just for their dialogue exchanges. Take notes on cool because there's plenty of it...

Three Days of the Condor link

Ford Fiesta Movement

 

Vintage Ford Fiesta Ads from the late 70's

So I mentioned briefly here that I would be working with Ford in their campaign to spread the word about the brand new 2011 car they're promoting, the Ford Fiesta. Basically for 1/2 year... free car, gas, insurance, parking... blah, blah, blah. But what's really interesting about it all is once a month I'll be filming an adventure for you guys. A trip into my world that will hopefully introduce you to new people, places, and things. I'll try to keep it relevant to why you come here in the first place, which I'm assuming is some element of style. And I'm absolutely down to hear some suggestions from you. Where to go? Who to kick it with? What to see?... So stay tuned as the first adventure starts this weekend. More on that in a sec... 

For now you can check out my director's profile as I've come to realize some of you have no idea what it is I actually do on the day to day (besides sit in my living room overdressed pondering the difference between chambray and denim, staring at this computer screen, punching the keyboard profusely... LOL...) 

Walk with me...

Ford Fiesta link

Rockers

"I'm like a stepping razor don't you watch my size I'm dangerous."

- Peter Tosh

A couple weeks ago I picked up Beth Lesser's amazing book "Dancehall: The Rise of Jamaican Dancehall Culture" (The Jamaican Take Ivy) and posted a few scans from it. I received some e-mails and comments about how the images reminded people of the classic film Rockers. I've looked to Rockers on several occasions for inspiration. Even though the overall style is pretty flamboyant, the color combinations and individual pieces are beautiful. But more than anything the way the DJs and selectas carry themselves with confidence is wicked.

The stee and attitude in Rockers is the embodiment of what I'd like this site to be. Great style, great music, great vibes... With your help... This is a take over...

Rockers amazon link

Supreme Damien Hirst Skate Video

 

Just in case you haven't seen the Supreme Damien Hirst Skate video I directed, that came out this week I thought I'd post it. 

Sorry for the tardiness. The decks look beautiful and sold out in a couple hours. The video is a cool, low-fi kind of vibe and simply put... show kids skating the decks, which is Damien's hope...

Shout to everybody that was involved in the project especially the driving force, my man Angelo Baque. To watch the video and learn a little more about the brilliant artist Damien Hirst check the link below...

Supreme Damien Hirst Skate Video link

Classic: The 400 Blows

"Oh, I lie now and then, I suppose. Sometimes I'd tell them the truth and they still wouldn't believe me, so I prefer to lie."

- Antoine Doinel

The films that have resonance and I continually watch over and over not only have great stories, characters, and direction but there's always an element of style. François Truffaut's 1959 classic The 400 Blows is one of the defining films of the French New Wave. 

One of the most understated stylish characters in cinema is the teen Antoine Doinel. It just goes to show you no matter how young or old, trends come and go but style is forever...

One of the most beautiful endings in all of cinema. Even out of context it exhibits everything I love about filmmaking... the truth...

The 400 Blows criterion link

Cinema Now

Cover of Cinema Now published in 2007

The most exciting book about modern filmmaking is the soon to be classic Cinema Now by Andrew Bailey from Taschen. Covering all continents and all genres of film, it's a definitive source for inspiration. I often look to it for inspiration for my own work... Framing, color compositions, concepts... And if you're not that into reading or looking at pictures it also comes with a DVD.

The section on Alejandro González Iñárritu is reason enough to purchase it. "I don't care about the chronological order of the facts but rather the emotional impact of the events, because after all is said and done, cinema is just a fragmented emotional experience."

Cinema Now taschen link

Classic: La Haine

"Hatred breeds hatred."

- Hubert

La Haine link