Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Mod Gone Wrong: Quadrophenia 'Mod' Guy

Yeah, you probably think I'm a one-trick pony when it comes to criticizing Jimmy from Quadrophenia. You probably think I'm going to spend the rest of this post pondering why Jimmy would be wearing chunky, beat-up desert boots with, from what I can remember, a newly bespoke suit.*

But today, I'm letting ol' Jimmy off the hook. Instead I want to talk about the guy marching on his right. Seriously, what's up with that guy? Let's zoom in on him a bit to see what I'm talking about:

Was this a bad costuming choice or did this random dude, taking his lunch break, see some filming going on and run over to join the crowd? Look at the lapels on that 2-button suit! Did Quadrophenia not hire a gaffer to check up on things like this?

And I love just how cocky he looks. He probably has no idea what the movie's about, but he's still just so pumped up thinking about how impressed his friends are gonna be when they see him up on the big screen.

The guy looks totally wrong in this scene, but he's having such a great time, it's hard to hate on him.

*It's been almost 10 years since I've last seen the film (something I plan to rectify if I'm to engage in informed discussions on all things Quad). For those of you with a fresher knowledge of the film, remember the (possibly deleted) scene where Jimmy's getting measured by his tailor and later picks up his new suit? Is this the same suit he's wearing with those desert boots as he goes off to fight rockers? If so, ooh... Mod gone wrong... and a great way to ruin your bespoke suit.

6 comments:

  1. must have read my mind as me and my mates discussed this picture probably back in 1980,he probably ended up with the naff gear due to his part in "SCUM" or was it a wardrobe/budget thing? Great blog from the seven hills

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  2. This whole crowd scene pic is rife with horrible looking "mods", even worse is the guy behind your subject with the perm and white Capezios who looks like he just got off work in a U.S. pseudo New Wave band (Blondie?). Even as a 14 year old ticket I was baffled that Jimmy would be wearing desert boots that looked like Timberlands worn on a building site with a suit (luckily though he's wearing black tassled crocs with his stripey bespoke suit, which led me to my next type of teenaged mod footwear after desert boots).

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  3. Hey Pete, thanks for the kind word!

    I actually do love this photo/scene just for how bad everyone looks around the main cast. Bill, I was going to comment on the white Capezio guy too, but then realized I'd have to go on about ALL those people.

    My favorite Quad gaff of all time, though, is during the scooter line-up scene when the camera pans on that one big scooter boy who isn't even TRYING to look '60s.

    With the way movie-making is going these days, I foresee a remake of this film within 10 years.

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  4. One more thing... Bill, I you're ahead of me on Friday's post!

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  5. We've often joked at the scene where they roll into Brighton and Jimmy yells "Oi Bonzo.." and earlier in the shot there's this older, long haired, bearded biker guy on a scooter(original scooterist?)and said it was John "Bonzo" Bonham.

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  6. Bill, I never knew that about that guy (if it's the same one I'm thinking of).

    I'm waiting for the re-release of Quadrophenia before jumping in again for future 'critiques.' How did you learn about Bonzo?

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