Clothes on Film

Film Review: Kick-Ass

Chris Laverty — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 00:50:19 +0000

Starring: Aaron Johnson, Nicolas Cage, Chloe Moretz
Directed By: Matthew Vaughn

Smartly structured to sell the same old superhero story in a fresh way, Kick-Ass (2010) is more your Unbreakable or Watchmen style comic book adaptation as opposed to Spiderman or even Chris Nolan’s Batman. It’s a satire with severed limbs. And the C-bomb. From an eleven year old girl.

About an ordinary high schooler who one day decides to become a superhero for no real reason at all, Kick-Ass is a smooth as blend of cartoon violence and very real consequences. From wannabe hero Dave Lizewski’s (Aaron Johnson) first attempt at vigilantism resulting in his stabbed, battered body being carted into the Emergency Room, to a later scene when he shoots a guy in the face with a Taser gun ‘Hangover style’, the tone is all over the place, and yet, ironically, as steady as a rock.

Matthew Vaughn is an assured director; takes his time, gets things right. Despite the OTT brawling, he disciplines himself in terms of dialogue, shots, sound and production design in a way that guvnor Quentin Tarantino, for all his filmmaking genius, simply does not. Kick-Ass is loud and ludicrous, but not in your face.

Although, like Tarantino, Vaughn appreciates how important costume is to storytelling, especially in a superhero movie. It is the first thing the protagonist considers, how they will ’suit up’ to fight crime. Working with costume designer Sammy Sheldon, he has fashioned an exaggerated look, all from attire that can be purchased on-line. Johnson’s hero get-up is basically a wetsuit, while Nicolas Cage’s ‘Big Daddy’ wears an outfit comprised entirely of French Police riot gear. ‘Hit-Girl’ (Chloe Moretz) is a wilder concession of purple wig and plaid mini skirt, but then she is a kid.

Hit-Girl’s biker-inspired, awkwardly racy ensemble is a pseudo-Manga school uniform, most distinctively later for her briefly glimpsed disguise within a disguise, complete with knee socks, bunches and silencer. If Hit-Girl is sometimes an uncomfortable watch, then this is the director’s intention. Although, like everything in this film, you will not enjoy what you see if you analyse it to death. Kick-Ass is supposed to be fun, so get past your squirm and smile.

There has always been an inherent irony to superhero livery; that the wearer designs an elaborate costume to disguise their identity but actually attracts more attention than if they had just slipped on a balaclava instead. The hero costume, however, is a symbol. As Lizewski hilariously observes of his ‘Kick-Ass’ persona, “With no powers comes no responsibility”. Though by wearing the mask he wields implied power. “With expectation comes great responsibility,” might be more apt line, if about as funny as foot rot. Basically, you should not get in the ring if you do not want to fight.

For Italian/American mobster Frank D’Amico, Mark Strong is costumed to look like a fugitive from Martin Scorsese’s Casino (1995) in densely striped silk shirts and Shantung suits. The decor of his skyrise HQ resembles the nightclub Tony Montana shoots up in Scarface (1983). Frank might seen like a parody, yet his aggression is cold and calm and graphically depicted. Mark Strong judges this performance subtly. In the hands of some bloated Hollywood ex A-lister, Frank could have become a mess of facial tics and giant cigars. Strong, though, keeps his kingpin vulgar enough to be frightening, while dry enough to be human. Watch him eat breakfast like a regular dad and then shoot an innocent bystander dead in the street a few minutes later. Chilling.

Pleasingly, Strong is not an exception; Kick Ass welcomes the return of Nicolas Cage to acting (only slight sarcasm) as someone with a seriously screwed up moral centre. His Big Daddy ‘Adam…West’ voice is proof he was obviously in on the joke too.

How actors interpret tone is essential to why certain powerful scenes in Kick-Ass work. The reveal of Big Daddy instantly provokes titters at his peculiar Batman-on-a-budget costume, though Cage’s accent tells us it is okay to laugh. Likewise watching Mark Strong essentially beat up a child (i.e. Frank brawling with Hit-Girl) is both uneasy and exciting. When Hit-Girl drips blood under her nose, a moment of doubt creeps in: is this alright? Should I still be enjoying this? Two minutes later and a shaped charge projectile provides the definitive, very funny answer. Have faith in Vaughn, he knows where he is leading you.

Though not to disregard relative newcomer Aaron Johnson as titular Kick-Ass in a movie busy with (literally) colourful characters. He achieves believable and charismatic work as the goof with guts. As do his equally goofy if not half as brave friends, Marty and Todd (Clark Duke and Evan Peters). Also Christopher Mintz-Plasse as the pathetic ‘Red Mist’ and Michael Rispoli as Frank’s right hand man Big Joe, both are amusing and engaging with only minimal screen time. Really, however, this is Chloe Moretz as Hit-Girl’s movie; Hit-Girl owns this film like she would own your ass if you ever stepped to her.

She is Mathilda from Léon with added knives, Kung Fu and a lobotomised conscience. Busting chops with her single parent father Big Daddy, Hit-Girl treats death as playtime. Hardly ruining her innocence as she never had any to begin with; this has always been Mindy Macready’s life, practically since she was old enough to throw a punch. Sweary, cute and lethal from a child actor is a combination only possible through confidence, and Chloe Moretz has it in spades.

For problems in the film, count just two. Firstly, the villain lacks dramatic purpose. He is a white collar drug dealer who wants to rid New York of vigilantes. For some voters he actually ticks the right box. Secondly, it takes Kick-Ass just one not particularly impressive act of heroism to get a MySpace following in the millions and his costumed mug on Craig Ferguson. Everything just occurs a mite too fast. For the really picky there is the whole MySpace issue. Only about ten people use that site now and they’re all electro-pop bands looking for representation.

Humour though is the main reason Kick-Ass plays as effortlessly as it does. It is smart without being smart ass. Mathew Vaughn and screenwriter Jane Goldman (based on Mark Millar’s comic book) evidently ‘get’ each other in terms of translating an idea from page to screen. A wicked gag when Frank chats to his son Chris (a.k.a. Red Mist) about cinema snacks while a hoodlum is audibly tortured then shot dead off camera is pure The Naked Gun meets Scorsese. If the dialogue on Goldman’s previous adaptation for Vaughn, the charming Stardust (2007), felt a tad forced and out of place at points, here she seems more comfortable with the characters. Their words are supremely quotable without straining to be hip.

The Kick-Ass soundtrack is immense too, with Vaughn concocting all manner of dance/rock video nasties that combine slick, gory action and belly laughs. Ilan Eshkeri’s pastiche of Danny Elfman’s Batman theme for the ‘Mist Mobile’ cruise is just delicate enough not to feel forced.

All in all, for what it is: a foul mouthed, excessively violent, comedy comic book splatter-fest, Kick-Ass is better than even its title suggests. Thanks to Hit-Girl, it’s a monumental bitch slap.

Kick-Ass is due for release on 26th March in the UK and 16th April in the U.S.

Five Cool Movie Sunglasses for the Weekend

Chris Laverty — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:35:43 +0000

Because the sun is out making us all feel like we’re in Cannes (probably not by the time you read this), and because it’s the weekend, let’s have a look at some of the coolest movie sunglasses money can buy.

Of course there are hundreds of memorable movie sunglasses, so no list written will ever be enough – or no list written today will be enough anyway. These, however, should get the ball rolling. Iconic, purposeful, and above all, cool, here are five filmic shades to beat the Riviera rays.

Anthony Hopkins in Cutler and Gross for Hannibal

Supposedly hiding out in Florence, Dr. Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) cannot resist the odd ostentatious flair in his costume.

Although in Italy, a simple, elegant linen suit and Panama hat helps him blend in, those lime green, D-shaped acetate Cutler and Gross sunglasses are clearly a sartorial concession. For a man in his early sixties when Hannibal (2001) was filmed, Hopkins sure has no trouble pulling off what might traditionally be regarded as a younger man’s look. In lime green too. Shame Lecter eats people really; he would make an ideal travelling companion otherwise.

Tom Cruise in Ray-Ban Wayfarer for Risky Business

Jacques D'Azur's Casual Cannes look

Tom Cruise kick-started a whole industry again when his character Joel Goodson donned these classic Ray-Ban Wayfarer’s for Risky Business (1983). They totally summed up his cocksure demeanour as a rich high-schooler with not enough to lose.

Cruise almost looks to be on holiday for most of the film, down on the Cannes sands sipping cocktails with milkshake smooth Jacques D’Azur, a man renowned for his famous red carpet style. Along with the Wayfarer’s, Goodson’s preppy clothes give the story a youthful Ivy League vibe.

The eighties were responsible for a lot of so-called fashionable flings we may want to forget (did someone whisper shellsuit?), the Ray-Ban Wayfarer look, however, was not one of them.

Will Smith in Ray-Ban Predator-2 for Men in Black

Sticking with Ray-Ban (say ’sunglasses’, say ‘Ray-Ban’, it seems), their highest selling style of all time are the black Predator-2 model worn by Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones for Men in Black (1997).

As much a part of their characters’ costume as the slim black suits, these very-much-of-their-time shades projected that all-important image of relaxed cool, paradoxically synonymous with the anonymity of a ‘man in black’. Smith gets the timeless “I make this look good” line – and he is not wrong. Then again, it could be argued that Ray-Ban has already done most of the heavy lifting for him. Not really jet-setting attire, but you could always add a supermodel.

Bradley Cooper in John Varvatos for The Hangover

In a movie full of fun and stylish contemporary clothes, those John Varvatos sunglasses worn by Bradley Cooper perhaps remain the most coveted.

A simple Aviator style marked out by interesting pink lenses, they are not a look everyone can pull off; it helps to have Cooper’s smile and tan. The laidback personality of his character, embezzling school teacher Phil, helps too. Perfect on an unbuttoned spring day (some shades work with a suit, some don’t – these don’t), perhaps perusing a famous film festival? Phil’s silver Varvatos’ are, along with Zach Galifianakis’ ‘Human Tree’ t-shirt and that black J. Lindeberg suit, emblematic of The Hangover (2009).

Apparently fast becoming the costume set-up of choice for guys on a stag night in Vegas, it is a sure bet that everyone wants to be Phil. He is the new Han Solo.

Anthony Hopkins in Cinder Glasses for The Wolfman

Hopkins again, as if to prove once and for all that cool movie sunglasses are best on those with some years to their face, here he is in The Wolfman (2010) wearing the latest in 19th century fashion. For a brief time anyway, his character Sir John Talbot dons a pair of ‘cinder glasses’ with amber lenses. As there were no windows during early rail travel, these glasses were designed with the express intention of keeping coal soot out of passengers’ eyes.

Now embraced by the ’steampunk’ brigade and their weird and wonderful neo-Victorian costumes, these sunglasses are the Ray-Bans of their day. Difficult to imagine Tom Cruise wearing them with such aplomb as Hopkins though; respect to the septuagenarian. If you don’t think these would work on a Cannes beach, just try them. We won’t, but you can tell us how you got on.

New Robin Hood Trailer: Fighting Talk

Chris Laverty — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:55:55 +0000

The latest in a queue of trailers for Ridley Scott’s version of Robin Hood has arrived. This one shows us more than pain; we get some basic plot too.

Watch the trailer HERE

As based on the 12th century legend, spurred on by the death of his father, Robin of the Hood ( Russell Crowe) is fighting the rampant taxation and oppression of England’s green and pleasant land. This third Scott preview confirms that simple premise, now with more intense dialogue and even intenser stares. Also several clips of Mark Strong on typically ferocious form as Sir Godfrey. He receives a well-aimed arrow in the neck by Hood (guessing this won’t be fatal).

However not a lot more in the costume line for those eager to glimpse Janty Yates’ already interesting looking work. There is another shot of Matthew Macfadyen encased in that huge sheepskin collar though, and a couple of pretty reveals of Cate Blanchett as Marion.

This should keep us going until the film is released on 14th May. Or at least until the next trailer, which will probably be due sometime tomorrow.

Kick-Ass Character Posters: Costumed Superfreaks

Chris Laverty — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 02:50:24 +0000

Here are some new character posters for Matthew Vaughn’s upcoming Kick-Ass. If you do not yet care about the film, you may as well jump on board right now. It will be all over the place in a few weeks and you’ll need an opinion. Peppy costume design by Sammy Sheldon.

Big Daddy (Nicolas Cage) wears an outfit made from real French police riot equipment. He may look daft, not to mention just like another superhero in yellow and black with a chest plate, but laugh at him at your peril.

Don’t let the pink belt and plaid skirt fool you. Look closer at the poster image and you will see a switchblade – that is the Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz) you will come to know over the course of the movie. Only eleven years old and tougher than Clint Eastwood’s razor.

Red Mist (Christopher Mintz-Plasse) is a fledgling superhero who jumps on the bandwagon. His costume is more elaborate than anyone else’s in the story. If his kick looks fairly useless, that is for a reason.

Mark Strong, and this will come as no great shock to anyone, plays the villain of the piece, mobster Frank D’Amico. He favours lightweight wool and flashy grey tonic suits with seventies, Vegas style shirts and ties. This is one of his more sedate combos.

And, finally, regular American teenager Dave Lizewski (Aaron Johnson). He loves comic books and decides to become a superhero. That’s it. He doesn’t even have a good reflexes. His costume is just a slightly modified wet-suit worn with Timberlands.

Based on the comic book by Mark Millar and adapted for the screen by Jane Goldman, Kick-Ass is due for release on 26th March in the UK and 16th April in the U.S. We have seen the film in its finished form and will get a review online just as soon as the powers that be let us. Hopefully very soon…

82nd Oscar Results: Sandy Powell Shoots and Scores

Chris Laverty — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 09:41:31 +0000

Really though, there were no big surprises in the 82nd Annual Academy Awards. Apart from The Hurt Locker winning Best Picture, that was huge.

As this is a movie costume website, however, we shall start with that. It was BAFTA/CDG all over again as Sandy Powell won Best Costume Design for The Young Victoria. Well, we did say there were no big surprises.

Cannot fault Sandy Powell and her team for their incredibly detailed work on a movie that, frankly, demanded it, but when will the Academy reward costume design that isn’t period? Do casual moviegoers even realise that ‘costume’ is whatever a character wears, and that does not have to include breeches or a petticoat?

Sandy Powell understands the situation, so we will let her classy acceptance speech do the explaining:

“Well, I already have two of these, so I’m feeling greedy. I’d like to dedicate this one to the costume designers who don’t do films about monarchs and musicals, the designers who do contemporary films. This is for you – but I’m going to take it home tonight.”

Not to take one iota of praise away from Powell, who can sit at home with a cup of tea and a biccie (she is from England), content that she took all the big three costume gongs and deserved them. However, as the lady herself admitted, exceptional costume design does not have to be period; in fact most times it won’t be. So let’s reward all the other hardworking brothers and sisters some day too, eh?

Okay, if you have gotten this far we shall cover the rest of the winners:

Best Picture then was shock of the night. Although Kathryn Bigelow was widely tipped to win Best Director, James Cameron’s Avatar was always going to be Best Picture. Instead Bigelow scooped both. Fair play. The Hurt Locker is was what producer Robert Evans might describe as a ‘little picture that could’.

Every other major category was a given. Sandra Bullock’s speech for Best Actress was unexpectedly warm and funny (no disrespect to her as the precedent for this award is not great). Jeff Bridges took the not-before-time Best Actor statuette accompanied by zero gasps, same with Mo’Nique for Best Supporting Actress and Christoph Waltz for Best Supporting Actor. Best Animated Feature was Up – a popular choice.

Check out the full list of winners below. Don’t worry though; you guessed them all bar one:

Costume Design – Sandy Powell, The Young Victoria

Best Picture – The Hurt Locker

Directing – Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker

Actor In A Leading Role – Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Actor In A Supporting Role – Christoph Waltz, Inglorious Basterds

Actress In A Leading Role – Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Actress In A Supporting Role – Mo’Nique, Precious

Animated Feature Film – Up

Writing (adapted screenplay) – Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire

Writing (original screenplay) – The Hurt Locker

Art Direction – Avatar

Cinematography – Avatar

Documentary Feature – The Cove

Documentary Short – Music by Prudence

Film Editing – The Hurt Locker

Foreign Language Film – The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos) Argentina

Makeup – Star Trek

Music (original score) – Up

Music (original song) – The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart)

Short Film (animated) – Logorama

Short Film (live action) – The New Tenants

Sound Editing – The Hurt Locker

Sound Mixing – Paul NJ Ottosson and Ray Beckett, The Hurt Locker

Visual Effects – Avatar

If this must be twisted into an international sporting fixture, we should note that the Brits did not do well in all the headline friendly categories. Carey Mulligan and Colin Firth lost out for Acting, as did director Nick Park for Best Animated Short. This is presumably revenge for 2007 when all non-Americans nabbed the main acting awards and upset precisely no one. Or maybe, just maybe, the best people won on the night? You decide. All kudos to Sandy Powell however. She scored the costume hattrick.

Source: Sky News and Empire Live Blog.

Film Review: Alice In Wonderland

Ben McCarthy — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:29:39 +0000

Starring: Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Mia Wasikowska
Directed by: Tim Burton

When it was first announced that Tim Burton planned to direct the latest adaptation of Lewis Carroll’s ‘Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland’, most moviegoers were rejoicing as it seemed to be a match made in heaven. Burton’s gothic outlook would likely be used to great effect, knowing too that he would inevitably bring Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter into the mix.

Indeed what we expected with Burton’s version is what we’ve got. Though this is actually the main problem.

The story focuses on 19-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) who is faced with the unhappy prospect of marrying a stuck-up lord of the manor. Then fate intervenes as Alice tumbles down a rabbit hole to find herself in Wonderland, a magical world waged in war between the merciless Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and the peace-loving White Queen (Anne Hathaway).

There is no doubt the film is visually beautiful, from production design, costume and make-up and, of course, the CGI. Whether or not Carroll fans will enjoy the experience as much is debatable. With only cameo appearances from the Caterpillar and White Rabbit, there might be an air of disgruntlement.

Costume Designer Colleen Atwood does a predictably wonderful job with the costumes; they are dazzling; bringing the traditional Disney princess vibe back to life. So many lavish colours are employed, distinctly red = death for Red Queen and white = peace for White Queen. With all the various hues of blue and green, it is just awe-inspiring to look at.

Although a question mark still remains over the effectiveness of the 3D format, in Alice in Wonderland it worked surprisingly well. It was more immersive than Avatar; even some of the slightly gimmicky shots, like Alice disappearing down the rabbit hole. You felt as though you were in Wonderland itself.

Johnny Depp brings his usual weirdness and eccentricity to Mad Hatter. Fun, but there is a hint of Willy Wonka which is slightly distracting. Helena Bonham Carter is brilliant however, both cruel and funny at the same time; her Red Queen is hilariously pompous. The downside here is Anne Hathaway as White Queen. She has quite distracting movements within the character. You might wish you could strap her into a chair for the 110 minutes running time.

However it is Mia Wasikowska who holds Alice in Wonderland together. This is not a showy performance, it’s discreet. Not overreacting to every weird creature her character comes across, Wasikowska has a real calm presence that captivates the screen. Hopefully this is the start of a special career.

Though the film is enjoyable, you may not shake the feeling that this has all been done before by Burton: Imaginatively twisted oak trees, macabre sense of humour, those dark undertones about life-changing decisions – it is all there.

Even more disappointing is that the movie ends on a cliché battle sequence which undermines everything that has gone before. The director is going through his normal routine, yet this lacks the depth and gravity of his previous fantasy fare such as Edward Scissorhands (1990); Alice in Wonderland is all show and no emotion.

Enjoyable and certainly a visual treat (if not for the very young); this is, disappointingly, a missed opportunity for Tim Burton.

Whip It: Roller Derby Vogue

Brenda Hineman — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 12:25:55 +0000

Much was made of Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut. Barrymore, as a Hollywood veteran, however, used many of her connections to help with the success of Whip It (2009). One of those connections was the well-respected Costume Designer, Catherine Marie Thomas.

Known for her adept diversity, Thomas has been the designer on films as wide-ranging as Kill Bill (Vols. I & II) and The Prairie Home Companion. With Whip it, however, Thomas found herself in a position of freedom, as Roller Derby is traditionally known as having an “anything goes” approach to uniforms; from fishnets to feathers, nothing is off the table.

With team names like The Sirens, The Holy Rollers, and The Hurl Scouts, Thomas was able to work with themes for each team’s uniform. Additionally, because the actual sport of Roller Derby has no real guidelines regarding uniforms (i.e. skirt length, presence of “flair”), Thomas also had the freedom to create variations within the same uniform theme.

The team of protagonist Bliss Cavender / Babe Ruthless (Ellen Page) is called The Hurl Scouts. For their uniforms, Thomas worked with the traditional faded green colours of Girl Scout uniforms. From that point on, however, all bets were off. Some skaters wear shorts, while others don skirts. Ellen Page’s character sports a fitted top, while Drew Barrymore’s character opts for a vest. Eve’s character even goes strapless. This variation, in conjunction with different shades of green and the laissez faire approach to tights, creates what can only loosely be called a uniform. Instead, Thomas’ work is more like a collection in a fashion show tradition.

Thomas extends this approach across other team’s uniforms as well. One of the other spotlighted team in Whip It is called The Holy Rollers. Working with a Catholic school girl theme, Thomas started with three key elements: plaid skirt, sleeveless deep-V white top, and loosely-tied ruby/navy neckties. The variations within The Holy Rollers uniforms, however, is more subtle. Some skirts sport a lace hem while others don’t. Some shirts are tied in the front, while others use buttons. Tights are solid colours, stripes, or even absent. Yet the base design cues make it very clear that, despite all the variation between uniforms, these players are clearly part of the same team.

In effect, Thomas goes beyond the costume design requirements of many movies, and creates a sort of roller derby couture for Whip It. Yet it is this very sense of freedom associated with real roller derby uniforms that allows for a sense of creativity that is often not possible with other movies.

In as much as this is Drew Barrymore’s movie, it is also Catherine Marie Thomas’ runway to showcase a wide range of creativity – that same creativity that has already garnered her two Costume Designers Guild Awards for feature film in her career. That’s just how she rolls.

Whip It was released in the US on 2nd December and will be released in UK on 7th April 2010.

Brenda Hineman is a costume aficionado. She writes about Halloween costumes at the indispensable StarCostumes.com.

It’s The A-Team Teaser Trailer, Fool!

Costume Designers Guild Award for Doctor Parnassus

Chris Laverty — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 01:33:57 +0000

Award winners from the CDG are in for a celebratory weekend. Monique Prudhomme’s sensational costumes for The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus won in the ‘Excellence in Fantasy Film’ category, once again leaving fellow nominee, and all round big hitter, Avatar, out in the cold.

Other recipients at the 12th Annual Costume Designers Guild Awards included Doug Hall for Crazy Heart in the ‘Contemporary’ section, eclipsing our prediction Marina Draghici for Precious, which is unfortunately off the Academy’s list on March 7th as well.

In television, Janie Bryant took the prize for her continually exciting work on Mad Men in ‘Period/Fantasy’. While ‘Mini-series’ saw Catherine Marie Thomas get the nod for Grey Gardens, an enthralling TV movie about the kooky aunt and first cousin of Jackie Onassis. Lou Eyrich for Glee received the Contemporary award, which is a real result as the costume character representation on that show is so precise. The rather unfortunate Emma Pillsbury aping a young Bree Van De Kamp is a standout.

However big victor of the ceremony – as hosted by the gorgeous Parker Posey – has to be Sandy Powell. Fresh from her BAFTA success last Sunday, mustard hot Powell again won for The Young Victoria, here in the hotly contested ‘Period’ category. She left behind some real contenders too: Jenny Beavan for Sherlock Holmes, Colleen Atwood for Nine, Ann Roth for Julie and Julia, and Catherine Leterrier for Coco Before Chanel.

Yet, not content with one win at the gala, Powell was also recipient of the Lacoste Career Achievement in Film Award. Moreover her compatriot on The Young Victoria, actress Emily Blunt, took the Swarovski Award to ’spotlight exceptional talent and the prospect of a sparkling career’. The Young Victoria hit UK cinemas way back in March 2009 (December in the U.S.), but it seems a limited re-release might not be out of the question with all this good publicity.

Two more honorary award beneficiaries were Michael Travis for Career Achievement in Television and late costume designer Robert Turturice (Emmy winner for Moonlighting, 1987), who was given a spot on the CDG’s Hall of Fame. And for those who like their ad promos, and don’t we all when they are done right, Casey Storm won for Milkquarious, which was about milk, unsurprisingly.

What this means for Oscar night is precisely nothing as the votes have already been cast. We would not bet a penny against Sandy Powell getting something else heavy for her sideboard though.

Incidentally drop by FrockTalk in the next couple of days to read the inside scoop on what Guild member Kristin M. Burke has to say about the winners and losers. She voted, you know.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Live and Let Die: Yaphet Kotto’s Brown Suede Trench Coat

Chris Laverty — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 11:27:30 +0000

James Bond is unlikely to ever again face a group of antagonists so interested in what they are wearing as those in Live and Let and Die (1973).

Here freshman 007 Roger Moore faced off against a hotchpotch of hip, and some might say stereotypically racist, New York and Caribbean hoodlums. Yaphet Kotto as Mr. Big lead the fight with his anti-establishment, anti-fashion suits, while his gang reinvigorated the excesses of 1930s street style for a sartorially chaotic decade where elegance would take second billing to experimentation.

Experimentation, though, is not necessarily a bad thing. The flared trousers, brightly coloured trilby hats, ginormous shirt collars, heavily lapelled leather coats and animal print vests sported by Mr. Big’s mob (and, it would appear, virtually all of Harlem’s black inhabitants) are an important symbol of youth and minority rebellion. They may look riotous, even silly by today’s standards, but at the time they were radical and emblematic of a repressed culture desperate for self expression.

The first time we meet Kotto as Mr. Big he is laying out his most iconic line (“Names is for tombstones, baby!”) while wearing what was one of the seventies’ more successful attempts to modernise fashions of the past: a long suede trench coat. The film’s veteran costume designer Julie Harris once commented, “I liked Live and Let Die, where money was no object”. With the means to procure a coat as plush and extravagant as this, it is easy to understand why:

Full length 6 on 2 double breasted trench coat in tan suede, belted with spymaster collar, wrist straps and rear vent. Brown silk ‘Nehru’ collar shirt. Chain necklace with bar pendant. Dark brown leather gloves.

The wet weather trench coat was first produced on a mass scale by Thomas Burberry for officers during the First World War. Back then it would have been finished in Burberry’s patented Gabardine fabric, but as can be seen here the coat looks just as good, if not as functional, in suede or leather. That the trench coat was also trendy in the 1930s points to yet another influence borrowed from this era.

Socio-economic conditions of the 1970s meant that this so-called ‘pimp look’ was primarily sported by the lower classes, which was exactly the same situation during the 1930s. During this era of criminal and financial turmoil, street gangs would appropriate then amplify popular fashions and Hollywood gangster style (such as those sported by Edward G. Robinson and George Raft). This lead to ever-broadening pinstripes, lengthier lapels, higher trousers and wider shoulders with tighter jackets and louder checks. 1970s Street style was merely a continuation of this trend.

As Dr. Kananga, Yaphet Kotto’s style is dialed down to reflect a contemporary rather than fancy taste: lots of brown double breasted jackets and polyester suits with tonal brown ties, and nearly always a splash of red for the ‘voodoo’ subtext Live and Let Die pushes so vehemently throughout.

Then again this film was never intended as subtle Bond. Controversial on its release for those aforementioned racial overtones, but now more of a time capsule for fashionable experiments than anything else, Live and Let Die may not feature the most memorable villain for raspy nastiness, but – along with perhaps Emilio Largo in Thunderball (1965) – he is one of the most memorably dressed.

Running Scared: Costume Designer Kristin Burke – Pt2

Chris Laverty — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:06:41 +0000

Part two of our chat with costume designer for Running Scared (2006), Kristin M. Burke. If you thought part one was interesting, this will blow your socks off.

Chris, Clothes on Film: Regarding the ‘beefy dudes’ in Running Scared that you mentioned, they did all look massive on screen; it was like their clothes made them intimidating, especially ‘Mac Daddy’ pimp Lester (David Warshofsky). He is clearly dressed OTT and this suits his character and the tone of the film perfectly. How much do you know about the intended tone of a film when you start on the costumes?

Kristin Burke: Man, that Lester the Pimp story is epic. I will try to be brief. We had cast another actor – the original actor was 6′ 4″ and about 250 lbs. Size 13 shoe. His deal was not inked before I left LA, but the director’s vision was very strong for this character. He wanted Lester to have an ‘Honest John’ from Pinocchio vibe to him. The whole film was a fairytale, heightened reality seen through a child’s eyes. So this ‘Honest John’ look on a pimp would be, naturally, a pimp suit.

We bought four or five copies of the suit in downtown LA, complete with hat and jewellery in multiples, packed it up and shipped it off. When the actor’s deal was done, I called him to check in. We can’t legally call an actor until their deal is inked. I had procured this guy’s sizes from another costume crew with whom he had recently worked, so I knew the suit would fit him.

Long story short, he had some creative differences with production and was replaced at the last minute. The actor who was cast, David Warshofsky, called me from the airport as he was in line to board the plane. By this point I am sh*tting a brick, because I know he is probably going to be a different size. And he was: 5′9″, 150 lbs. Size 9 shoe. Further, the schedule was such that he had to get off the plane, come to the studio, get in the costume and immediately shoot the scene where he dies in a pool of blood. Which. Means. We. Need. All. The. Multiples. Ready. To. Fit. Him.

This is where I learned the bulk of my Czech swear words and tailor vocabulary. We had to cut those suits down, massively. There is no ‘pimp store’ in the CZ, and besides, we had to get this together overnight for him. I sent out one of our costumers to try to find ‘pimp shoes’ in his size, and thank God, with good luck and a lot of grace, she found a pair, in his size, with doubles. That was serious.

He arrived the next day, completely jetlagged from the flight and we had a suit ready for him. We continued to cut, alter and sew as the day progressed, so we had at least three suits completed for use in that scene. It was really unbelievable. I have never had to pull something so big our of my a$$ so quickly. It was kind of crazy. So, yes, in the end, that suit does look a bit comical on him. Now you know. Cutting it down overnight from a 52 to a 40 was quite a stretch.

Chris: You did an amazing job on the sleeve length; the looseness of the suit looks intentional, even the very long jacket.

KB: Thanks. We based the look on ‘Mr. Whitefolks’, a pimp (real-life pimp) from the documentary Pimps Up, Hos Down (1999). You should see it.

Chris: What was the idea behind Vera Farmiga’s ‘Virgin Mary’ look as Teresa? I can only assume she was cast on the way to the set for the first day’s shooting?

KB: Ha-ha. No, Vera was cast well in advance, actually. The problem was that she lives on the East Coast. We didn’t get to fit her until we were in Prague, but we had purchased a number of options for her while we were in LA. We did some studio shopping on memo (with an extension from the store) and sent back what we didn’t use. She was really, REALLY into the ‘Jersey-ness’ of the character. Vera has a lot of personal ties to New Jersey, and she knew the character inside and out.

As for the Virgin Mary stuff, the director Wayne Kramer and I spent a lot of time thinking about what images (from literature, culture, etc.) were iconic enough to use in this ‘fairytale’ world we were creating. Now, there is no disrespect intended in using the Virgin Mary in this context. She saves Oleg (Cameron Bright) and is the moral compass in the film. We just wanted a maternal icon that would be familiar enough (and subtle enough) to influence the audience without being overpowering.

Chris: I found it interesting that the immediate ordinariness of Vera’s costume drew attention away from her character. It was a surprise when she turned up later kickin’ ass for arguably the film’s most memorable scene.

KB: What do you mean by that? Do you mean that because she looked ordinary/Jersey, we didn’t have expectations of her ass-kicking?

Chris: Yeah. I was not sure how she’d fit into the story at first. Then WHAM, out of nowhere she turned up packing heat. I loved the jolt. Almost cheered. Terrific performance from Vera too.

KB: She was amazing. I had not seen her in anything before this film, so I had no expectations of her at all. I went to set to watch the scene where Oleg calls her from the bathroom of Dez and Edele’s house (the pedophiles). It was her coverage – just her on the phone and the script supervisor was reading Oleg’s lines. Vera had to act and emote with urgency and what she was reacting to was the script supervisor’s monotone, accented line-reading. Vera’s sense of place, character, situation and emotional level is superb. I knew, when I saw her in that moment, that she would be huge some day. And look at her now!

By the way, people in the audience where I saw the film DID, in fact, cheer when Vera does the whole ‘paedophile’ thing…I don’t want to spoil it for your readers.

Chris: I’ll put a spoiler in. Actually I want to get onto those two lovelies in a second. Just one more point about Teresa – there did seem a deliberate attempt to sexualise her from the get-go. I’m referring to her G-string popping out the jeans, then no jeans at all while making the dinner; much of the dialogue from peripheral characters refers to her in this way too. Is this correct or am I just being pervy here?

KB: Well. The G-string thing is a bit of a joke, especially for Teresa’s ‘type’. If we didn’t have the G-string, we would have missed the mark. As it was, Vera was hiking the sides of her undies up so that they would really show in the laundry room. It was funny. It’s really Vera’s embodiment and understanding of the character. I can’t recall the dialog of the other characters re: her sexuality. I think that, as a character, she embodies the best in womanhood. She’s a good mom, good neighbour, good wife and good person. She just presents herself in a way that suits the neighbourhood, her own self-perception and self-image. If you ever watch Dog the Bounty Hunter, take a look at Beth Chapman. Here is a woman who is taking her look to the extreme. It’s not all that uncommon here in the States. I know it must look tragic and unreal to eyes unaccustomed to such expression, ha-ha!

Chris: We Brits are so repressed. Bending over with your pants popping out would put you in The Tower. Vera’s dress at the funeral is beautiful by the way. Where was it from? US or Czech?

KB: I think I got that dress at the Burlington Coat Factory outside of LA. It’s a cheapo store that sells ‘Jersey-like’ clothes. I wanted to find something that was budget-appropriate for the character, but also tarty enough (the keyhole neckline) to be in line with her previously-established style. After all, she’s not REALLY in mourning. And I loved the giant 1980s sunglasses, too.

Chris: I must admit I laughed out loud when I saw the creepy paedophile couple (Elizabeth Mitchell and Bruce Altman). Never trust a woman in florals or a man in lemon! Just knew something serious was up with them. From an audience perspective this was fun costuming; it’s like you gave us clues to follow.

KB: Well, yes. We wanted them to have kind of happy, sing-song colours so as not to appear threatening. The colours of their house also fall into this scheme. They were really fun to costume, that’s for sure.

Chris: The silhouettes against the glass when Oleg is in their bathroom scared the living hell out of me.

KB: Ha, ha! We actually tweaked those silhouettes, adding shoulder pads and the finger extensions. Very creepy, but very fun to create!

Chris: The fingers reminded me of The Wicked Witch from the Wizard of Oz (1939). Excuse me while I check the doors are locked. Now, finally, how did Wayne Kramer’s decision to shoot an entire scene under UV light affect your costume choices? Surely whites would suddenly become very white? Or was there camera trickery involved?

KB: Yes, it was very important that we take the blue-light into consideration. James Whitaker, the DP (Director of Photography), and Wayne collaborated on the lighting for this scene at great length. First they tried black-light and then settled on blue-light, as it was (I think) easier to see the details of peoples faces, etc. while still getting the effect of black-light. I designed the hockey uniforms here in LA, and we did a lot of fabric testing under black-light to make sure the fabric would glow. Once we found the best ‘fluorescent’ fabrics, we turned them over to Sportsrobe (a costume house in LA known for sports equipment rental and manufacturing) and they constructed the hockey jerseys. If you look closely at the names on the back of the jerseys, they are Russian, and literally translated, mean things like ‘goat sucker”, etc. I wanted it to be extra creepy for anyone paying attention.

As for the rest of the guys on the ice, it was a continuation of what they were wearing before. Of course we knew from the beginning that we would end up here, in the blue-light, so we didn’t want any of their items to really pop as it might be too distracting. We teched John Noble’s (Igor Yugorsky’s) shirt so that it wouldn’t spike in the light. And come to think of it, we bought all of his stuff in Prague as well. We shot that ice rink sequence over the course of five days, with a little extra time in there for 2nd unit, fighting, etc. The lighting was no trick and the ice was real. Paul Walker was my personal hero. He really was face-down on that ice for days. And he never complained or had an attitude. I love him so much.

Chris: He had all that fake blood dripping from his mouth as well. Presumably one of the reasons to shoot with UV was to have all that excess blood without falling foul of the censors, as it would look black on screen?

KB: Wayne does not like the censors or the MPAA. We had such a good laugh about how offensive this film could be. I mean, they gave The Cooler (2003) an NC-17 rating because of a 1.75-second-long glimpse of pubic hair. So I think the idea was: give them all the violence they can handle, because they don’t seem to have an issue with blood and death.

Chris: Pubic hair?! Nooooooo!!!! Kristin, thank you so much for taking the time to chat during what I guess must be about breakfast time in LA.

KB: No, by now it’s noon!! Ha-ha, lunch time.

Any time you’re not perusing Clothes on Film, drop by Kristin’s immense movie costume review site FrockTalk for some education.

With thanks to Kristin M. Burke