Movie Monday

We had a mega film packed weekend with some real gems in the line up.

First up was Back to the Future. They were showing it in all it's remastered glory at cineworld on Friday night so we popped along for a late night viewing of the classic. None of us are old enough to have seen it on the big screen before and it was just like watching it for the very first time. There were so many things I hadn't noticed before especially how young and beautifully skinned Mr J Fox was! Gorgeous dresses due to the fifties 'back in time' and petticoats a plenty. 

 

Whilst we were at the cinema we also bumped into the Bristol Harbour Harlots Roller Derby Team, all awesomely styled as you would expect from roller girls and it was lovely to (if very briefly) meet them, slightly awkwardly as I didn't introduce myself! Show some love and support HERE

The next in line for Saturday was Misery, the Stephen King classic. I hadn't watched this before so Wing ordered a copy and we shared an evening of Misery with two friends :) No flamboyant dresses to talk of but it does have the legendary Lauren Bacall looking glam as ever in her 90's literary agent get up. Nail bitingly fabulous, I want to see lots more with Kathy Bates. 

After I picked up my new steam generating iron (mine broke and un-steamed dresses look rubbish!) we started our Sunday with Pedro Almodovar's Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. A brilliantly airbrushed colour feast and quirkily hilarious (on the same lines as Woody Allen) with the striking Carmen Maura. The visuals are glorious in a late 50's/ 80's pop video way in keeping with the 50's advertising style titles. I must see Broken Embraces next. 

Finally we watched the Godfather part II and again Connie has the most beautiful dresses, this time dark silhouettes with full skirts. I can't find a good picture but they were gorgeous. I'm not sure which I prefer part I or part II? We have part III next week! 

Also a very late night treat on Saturday was Mermaids on telly, I love Cher as an actress and her pink dotty dress. With Winona Rider and Christina Ricci being suitably cute and angsty what more good one want in a chic flick.

Movie Monday

We watched two amazing epics this Sunday and the costumes in both films were amazing.

Starting with Visconti's The Leopard, a sweeping Sicilian tale of aristocrats with a wonderfully dubbed Burt Lancaster and the most incredible crinolines on celluloid, designed by Piero Tosi.

Full of dramatic lip biting and sweating men's brows in a gorgeously set Sicily with beautiful palaces that take your breath away on the big screen.

I don't think any film has captured the vast amount of guests invited to a Royal ball in this way, the extras can hardly pass each other with the ginormous skirts, and the dancing is so squeezed together like flowers all squished into a gilded box. I fell in love with the dresses and the tiny pointed waists, I'm just trying to work out how to apply this shape to a dress without all the corsets needed underneath.

The second film, keeping with the Sicilian theme had to be The Godfather with costumes by Anna Hill Johnstone. I hadn't watched it around 5 years ago and forgot that even though it's a 'gangsta' favourite it's a very carefully made masterpiece.
The one thing I didn't notice so much the first time were the costumes. It's my most adored era set in the 40's and 50's and the Connie character has some of the best pieces. The lace wedding dress to begin, with it's puff sleeves and heavy satin skirt. My favourite outfit is this beautiful slipper satin, dressing gown with a finely appliqued bodice and a gathered belt which she wears above her bump. I'm so sorry it's a horrendous scene to choose but the gown is just so gorgeous and is everything I love about the 1940's. I must find myself a satin dressing gown to sweep round my studio in!