'Blowup'

Modern media -- films, books, records, Internet -- have created this vast tapestry of ... art or culture or whatever you want to call it to the point that it's OK that nothing is completely original, but if you aren't inspired by something else, you're kind of missing the point.

Modern media creates a system where it's more important what you're referencing or who your influences are. It's not a knock, it's just the truth. I'm sure to a point that non-modern art was sort of the same way.

Blowup has a signature scene: The Veruschka photo shoot.

Blowup is about a randy fashion photographer, who kind of lives life on the edge of his pants. Kind of, if he gets laid that's OK and if he doesn't that's just as good. In fact, not getting laid is this delayed satisfaction that you could've gotten laid at any moment if you really wanted to.

Anyway, near the beginning of the film, he has a photo shoot with Veruschka, a Prussian model, who's heyday took place in the 1960s. It's extremely sexy and has provocative as you can get without any actual penetration.

This is this movie's scene. That's it. It's not a bad film. A bit of intrigue with an interesting plot that is not unlike The Conversation or, to a certain degree, 8MM with Nicolas Cage. Crime scene through the eyes (or ears) of a mechanical instrument.

However, without Veruschka getting probed with a camera, I don't know if we're talking about this film.

As I stated, art today is a mishmash of someone else's idea. Thanks to Veruschka, Austin Powers can do a provocative photo shoot with Ivana Humpalot. Culture is great!