2009 July | Clothes on Film
Posted by Chris Laverty on July 31, 2009
Though really nothing more than an extended backlit music promo, Flashdance (1983, directed by Adrian Lyne) has garnered a considerable cult following in recent years.
Savaged by poor reviews on its release, the film is now embraced as a musical and stylistic record of the second most hedonistic decade in western history. In this respect it is actually a stronger movie than, say, Wall Street (1986), and Flashdance even has a biracial woman as its star; unusual at the time, we should perhaps be grateful producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer didn’t opt for Goldie Hawn instead.
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Posted by Chris Laverty on July 28, 2009
Dark Horizons recently embedded a nine minute preview of AMC’s upcoming remake of The Prisoner. For costume alone it is certainly worth a look.
The original 17 episode TV series The Prisoner ran from 1967 to 68. It was co-created and starred Patrick McGoohan as the titular prisoner, or Number Six, a British government agent who on his resignation from the service is drugged and kidnapped. He awakes in a strange isolated village where the inhabitants live under an Orwellian-like order and his captives, led by their unseen master Number One, constantly probe him as to why he resigned.
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Posted by Chris Laverty on July 25, 2009
Starring: Alan Arkin, James Caan, Loretta Swit
Directed by: Richard Rush
Freebie and the Bean (1974) is the ultimate buddy movie. The constantly shifting dynamic of the two leads, the realistic, erratic inconsistency in their behaviour defines this sub-genre. Not by chemistry, but by sheer unpredictability. Although Bean (Alan Arkin) is the smartly dressed one, buttoned up in a 1960s rug salesman’s suit, he can be just as wild as Freebie (James Caan).
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Posted by Chris Laverty on July 22, 2009
Some of the fashions in 1960s set Mod drama Quadrophenia (1979) might seem a touch ‘off’ to the uninitiated. The Mod look has been replicated so much over the years that a skinnier, more fancy interpretation is currently sported by vintage connoisseurs than perhaps ever really existed.
Take Phil Daniels’ long sleeved polo jersey during the house party sequence. On initial inspection it looks too baggy to be Mod, but tell that to Quadrophenia’s costume scourers Jack English and Roger Burton (credited wardrobe by Joyce Stoneman). They were actually there; most of us weren’t.
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