Image credit: Slums of Beverly Hills, 1998.
There’s so much for me to relate to Slums of Beverly Hills (Disc/Download), including (but not limited to): the awkwardness of bra shopping, a childhood of dingbat apartments,; and most of all, a freakish obsession with the book Helter Skelter. That’s right, I was obsessed with true crime before it was cool.
In today’s world, teenage girls feel free to talk about sex and masturbation and vibrators like it’s nothing. They don’t wear underwires, and their shorts barely cover their butt cheeks. Watching Slums of Beverly Hills, it’s very clear that Vivian Abramowitz was born too early. The stuff that was scandalous in 1976 is tame by today’s standards, making this film an interesting time capsule. Even I had to Google a few things, such as—what the heck is a menstrual belt?? But while our societal norms have changed, a few things remain the same. Teenage girls will always feel awkward and out-of-place, they will always be embarrassed by their family, and there will always be people preoccupied with the crimes of the Manson Family (ahem, Quentin Tarantino. And me).
Viv’s cousin Rita (Marissa Tomei) is the quintessential California chick in the ’70s—beautiful, scattered, and fueled mostly by diuretics and vodka. This girl needs to get her vitamins where she can. Let’s celebrate Rita, and the superior fruit crops of California with this Avocado ‘Rita.
Avocado ‘Rita
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled and pitted
1 cup ice
2 oz Reposado tequila
1 oz Cointreau
1 oz Lime Juice
Pinch of salt, plus more for glass.
Rim a glass with salt, and set aside. Add remaining ingredients to a blender. Pulse until smooth. Pour into prepared glass.
Writer/Director Tamara Jenkins has made several films that’ve strongly resonated with me, but none more than this one. Because to be a teenage girl is to deal with a constant string of dingbats—things that promise the good life but never deliver. For anyone who’s ever had to accept life and all its disappointments, flaws, etc., this drink’s for you. Cheers!
Cinema Sips 