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Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion And Disco DVD Review

“Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion And Disco” is an insightful but sometimes tedious documentary.

Directed by James Crump, “Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion And Disco” is a documentary about the late titular bisexual Puerto Rican fashion illustrator. It’s very much a celebration of the artist’s life via interviews with models, co-workers, friends, magazine editors, fellow artists, and photographers. Through the interviewees and stills, video footage and audio recordings, we learn about what he was like as a person, how he lived life to the fullest, how influential his colorful and stylistic work was, his relationships, his time in NY and Paris, the dynamic between Lopez and his working partner and lover Juan Ramos, and much more. 

As someone with very little interest in the fashion world, I was wondering how I’d react to this documentary film. It turns out it’s a rather absorbing piece about a man who lived a glamorous life by doing what he loved while also living it up by partying, dancing, and being a playboy essentially. Yes, his life was tragically cut short, but he seemed content via these first hand accounts and, really, isn’t that what we all want out of life?

From a historical perspective, the documentary also sheds light on the 60s and 70s art and fashion world as we get stories about Andy Warhol and major models that Lopez worked with such as Jane Forth, Pat Cleveland, Tina Chow, Grace Jones, Jerry Hall, and Jessica Lange. Structurally, the documentary may be a bit of a repetitive puff piece, but it’s also a very human celebration of a man who made a name for himself in a bygone era. Ultimately, this documentary is important in that it keeps his name alive and shows what he had achieved so that his legacy isn’t forgotten. 

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.40:1. How does it look? This is a quality looking documentary film. No more, no less.

Audio Track: 5.1 Surround. How does it sound? The 5.1 track is as lively as Lopez’s life.

Extras:
* “Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion And Disco” trailer and other Film Movement trailers
* 7 minutes of Bill Cunningham excerpts from his last interview
* A 14 minute collection of archival footage
* A short film titled “You Can’t Do Everything At Once, But You Can Leave Everything At Once.”

August 1, 2020 - Posted by nicklyons1 | DVD review | Antonio Lopez, Antonio Lopez 1970: Sex Fashion And Disco DVD Review, documentary, Fashion World, Grace Jones, Jessica Lange, Modeling