SCÈNE 19. Sara Black McCulloch, Writer and SCENE IT Founder & Editor

Blood-soaked swagger: A lethal fashion statement illuminates the night at a roadhouse bar.

I’m inviting you in to edition number 19 of Mise-En-Scène. (This reference is relevant to today’s newsletter, I swear.)

Our guest curator is

Sara Black McCulloch

, a Toronto-based writer whose sharp cultural observations have graced the pages of The Believer, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and The Walrus. McCulloch also publishes

Scene It

, which I consider to be a gorgeous grown-up sister of sorts to my own newsletter! In Scene It, McCulloch discusses “in medium length” a scene from something she’s watched, her palpable curiosity leading her to excavate the perfect details and distill them into something meaningful, even revelatory, often in conversation with others: centering an “aura of authenticity” in the deceptive antics rampant in Bowfinger (1999), for example, or examining glamour’s bewitching qualities. I particularly loved her recent exchange with Mise-En-Scène alum

Colleen Kelsey

on costume design and “the New York working woman.”

Speaking of revelations, McCulloch's selection for this edition involves Bill Paxton's exuberant performance as Severen in Kathryn Bigelow's vampire neo-Western Near Dark (1987), a moody, transgressive entry in the bloodsucker canon, often referred to as the other notable vampire film released that year. Paxton’s unique photogenicity in this relatively under-seen but “IYKYK” cult film, Bigelow’s second as a writer and director, captures the essence of what makes cinema immortal. Case in point: Consider Luca Guadagnino’s excellent Bones and All (2022), the spiritual heir to Bigelow’s film, similar in setting a tender lovelorn romance amid horror that feels intimate, rag-tag, and distinctly all-American.

Up ahead, Sara Black McCulloch on splattered threads, along with her list of current cultural obsessions in SARA BLACK MCCULLOCH RECOMMENDS; her recommendation for the perfect blood-red lipstick might just inspire your next fixation.

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WRITER AND SCENE IT FOUNDER & EDITOR SARA BLACK MCCULLOCH ON BILL PAXTON’S GORY GARMENTS AND THE BAR SCENE IN KATHRYN BIGELOW’S NEAR DARK (1987)

I can’t remember the first time I watched Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark (1987), but this image of Bill Paxton (as Severen) has always stuck with me. Most of the colour in Near Dark is drained until this bar scene, when the vampires feed on locals as The Cramps’ “Fever” plays in the background. At this point, Severen is eyeing someone off-camera—the last man standing in the bar.

I’m eyeing his wardrobe because it really comes to life the more it takes a beating. It’s tattered and splattered on continuously. The blood brings out his red flannel and the emerald lenses of his sunglasses. Eventually, Severen’s body and clothing will undergo some life-ending wear and tear: sun burns, explosions and hit and runs. The only thing that will survive is a rowel from one of his boot spurs. But he’ll die the way that he lived: hootin’ and hollerin’.

“Right before we part ways with Severen,” writes Sara Black McCulloch of Bill Paxton’s character in Near Dark (1987), co-written and directed by Kathryn Bigelow. “That undershirt is hanging on by a thread.” [Film still courtesy of F/M Entertainment and De Laurentiis Entertainment Group]

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SARA BLACK MCCULLOCH RECOMMENDS

1. Mixing scents.

   
   Sara says: Right now, I’m mixing Le Labo’s Hinoki-scented body lotion with either Merge’s Balmy Summer (vanilla, tonka and spruce notes) or my old faithful, Nemat’s Egyptian Musk. I’d love for Le Labo to make a Hinoki perfume, but they don’t plan on it. (I asked.)
   
   

2. MOB Beauty lipstick in M166.
   
   Sara says: I’ve always looked for a particular shade of red lipstick, like the one you’d find in a Steven Klein editorial. It’s not blue-red, but a vibrant, deep reddish-purple. Kleins have a way with colour—Yves had his ultramarine and Steven has this deoxygenated blood-red. The closest thing I have right now is this lipstick by makeup artist @not_another_hanna for MOB Beauty. The red was inspired by dried blood.
   
   

3. Tartan registries.
   
   Sara says: There are countless tartans for different families, classes, occasions—you name it. I like to scan tartan registries for different colour combinations or tweeds. There are also some great plaid numbers from The Row, Gaultier, McQueen, and Phoebe Philo’s Céline.
   
   

4. Jean-Paul Goude's Chanel Égoïste Platinum ad.
   
   Sara says: I have yet to smell Égoïste Platinum, and yet I think about this ad at least once a year. And it’s because perfume marketing’s challenge is to sell something invisible. A great ad or campaign has to package a feeling, a time, a memory, a turning point—everything but the actual smell.
   
   

5. Vanna Speaks (1987) by Vanna White.
   
   Sara says: I have a trip coming up and I’m saving Vanna White’s autobiography for the first leg. It took forever to find a physical copy. Vanna White, in case you don’t know, is the co-host of Wheel of Fortune. She actually made her game-show debut on The Price is Right (as a contestant). If you can’t find a physical copy, you can read it here.

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Thanks for sticking around. Dive into Sara Black McCulloch's wonderfully offbeat world: follow her excellent curation of pop culture gems on Instagram (@sarablackmcculloch), read her writing, and subscribe to her Substack

Scene It

, which makes going down a cultural rabbit hole feel like spelunking for buried treasure.

Near Dark (1987) is sadly very difficult to stream at the moment, but here’s a bloodthirsty lead for the uninitiated. Grab it by the collar like Severen would.

In a few weeks, a new edition of Mise-En-Scène will ride into town. Until then, may your nights be long and may your culture of choice leave a mark.