All the boys think she's a spy...
Maybe I'm decades late on this one -
but I just discovered Bette Davis.
The other night I delved deep into my Foxtel recordings to find a whole bunch of TCM films I had yet to watch. Amongst them was What ever happened to Baby Jane?. With my feet up, ice cream bowl resting on my chest, so that the cool creamy goodness would fall effortlessly into my mouth (in true lazy boy fashion) I began to watch.
The film was riveting, horrifying and mind blowing. So mind blowing in fact that I had to stop half way through due to a piercing headache. I spent that night wriggling in bed due to an excitement-induced migraine and images of Bette Davis' psychotic eyes kept popping up during some bizarre visual mash up playing in my mind.
The next day I couldn't wait to watch the rest. I must say that not many modern day gore/horror films can scare me quite like a classic psychotic thriller. What struck me most about the film was Bette Davis. How her acting was so piercing, bold and intimidating that, for me, it induced a migraine attack.
As I do with all my new born fascinations I hastily typed her name into YouTube. After being misled by the Bette Davis Eyes song (which I am now shamefully humming 24/7) I stumbled across clips of Bette in films at all different ages. She seems to take on a character like a new skin - she's so believable as a different person that I felt I was watching clips of a diversity of people. And boy, was she strikingly beautiful - and yes, ugly when she wanted to be - but doesn't that make someone more beautiful?
For some reason I find something endearing about her intimidatingly independent, brass and somewhat frightening personality off-camera. I giggled mischieviously at her famous cold-hearted quotes, such as:
"Strong women only marry weak men." and
"Why am I so good at playing bitches? I think it's because I'm not a bitch. Maybe that's why Miss Crawford always plays ladies."
I couldn't help but put her high on my list of strong women who inspire me ...(even if she inspires me to step all over people and do whatever the heck I want in order to be brilliant).
From the dainty, pint sized white-blonde pixie with expressive pin-thin eyebrows, to the gracefully enigmatic dark haired, full lipped tyrant and the white washed monster who paraded around the inside of my eyelids during a headachey trip - one thing never changes; that certain thing they call 'je ne sais quoi' that shone out through her big, full-moon and frighteningly wide eyes. Those Bette Davis eyes.
but I just discovered Bette Davis.
The other night I delved deep into my Foxtel recordings to find a whole bunch of TCM films I had yet to watch. Amongst them was What ever happened to Baby Jane?. With my feet up, ice cream bowl resting on my chest, so that the cool creamy goodness would fall effortlessly into my mouth (in true lazy boy fashion) I began to watch.
The film was riveting, horrifying and mind blowing. So mind blowing in fact that I had to stop half way through due to a piercing headache. I spent that night wriggling in bed due to an excitement-induced migraine and images of Bette Davis' psychotic eyes kept popping up during some bizarre visual mash up playing in my mind.
The next day I couldn't wait to watch the rest. I must say that not many modern day gore/horror films can scare me quite like a classic psychotic thriller. What struck me most about the film was Bette Davis. How her acting was so piercing, bold and intimidating that, for me, it induced a migraine attack.
As I do with all my new born fascinations I hastily typed her name into YouTube. After being misled by the Bette Davis Eyes song (which I am now shamefully humming 24/7) I stumbled across clips of Bette in films at all different ages. She seems to take on a character like a new skin - she's so believable as a different person that I felt I was watching clips of a diversity of people. And boy, was she strikingly beautiful - and yes, ugly when she wanted to be - but doesn't that make someone more beautiful?
For some reason I find something endearing about her intimidatingly independent, brass and somewhat frightening personality off-camera. I giggled mischieviously at her famous cold-hearted quotes, such as:
"Strong women only marry weak men." and
"Why am I so good at playing bitches? I think it's because I'm not a bitch. Maybe that's why Miss Crawford always plays ladies."
I couldn't help but put her high on my list of strong women who inspire me ...(even if she inspires me to step all over people and do whatever the heck I want in order to be brilliant).
From the dainty, pint sized white-blonde pixie with expressive pin-thin eyebrows, to the gracefully enigmatic dark haired, full lipped tyrant and the white washed monster who paraded around the inside of my eyelids during a headachey trip - one thing never changes; that certain thing they call 'je ne sais quoi' that shone out through her big, full-moon and frighteningly wide eyes. Those Bette Davis eyes.
Click to view