Ghost Town (2008) is one of the finest romantic comedies ever made. It’s a grown up film about grown up problems (regret, companionship, second chances – they’re all themes); it’s not a sickly sweet teen romance. Even though the situation is fantasy, the characters themselves are totally believable in their world. Moreover the screenplay by David Koepp and John Kamps is written with absolute economy and constructed without an ounce of fat. Not one scene in the movie is wasted, each being packed with character and story revelations – some subtle, some part of the main plot, but all driving the narrative towards a deeply satisfying and moving conclusion. One…

It should go without saying that costume design for short film is an entirely different beast to features. Apart from the practical implications – generally fewer costumes, less money – any ensemble will surely register more emphatically with an audience. When there is less to look at and less opportunity to do so, we take more in. Everything collects meaning, from style to colour to fabric; carelessness in a 5-10 minute film can detract from, and worse still alter the message of a story. Ashes is a thought provoking and sometimes uncomfortable short written and directed by Sophie Black. Set entirely in one room dressed and re-dressed accordingly with just…

Check out the trailer HERE The first trailer for Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood has hit the internet. Hit is the right word, as this is more battle royal than Prince of Thieves. Looking exactly the same as he did in Scott’s Gladiator (2000), obviously with a few more layers for the English cold, Russell Crowe has apparently not aged a day in nearly ten years. His Robin Hood is a tunic, cloak, suede and leather clad ass-kicker. Looking less interested in stealing from the rich than just killing them this new Hood is certainly going to be a fresh cinematic take on the character. Costume designer Janty Yates has created…

A seven minute interview with Harold Ramis by movie site Making Of has just gone online. Here Ramis talks candidly about Ghostbusters 3, why he doesn’t want another Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, that none of the original cast need the work, and how committed he is to making the film (if it officially goes ahead) just as great as it can be. Watch it HERE This provides the perfect opportunity then for a tenaciously related look at the Ghostbusters’ iconic work uniform – the jumpsuit. Despite best efforts of couture designers, the jumpsuit has never really made the ‘jump’ from high fashion to high street.…

Starring: Kathy Bates, James Caan, Richard Farnsworth Directed by: Rob Reiner Screenwriter William Goldman applies his mastery of the clean, lean literary adaptation to this Stephen King penned shocker. Apart from the daft fist-fight ending, Goldman works well with Misery (1990) director Rob Reiner. They let the story unfold at a relaxed pace with cleverly integrated subplots to keep things moving. The narrative is steered by the health of its ailing protagonist, novelist Paul Sheldon (James Caan). The better he gets, the worse his situation becomes. Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) wears a grey wool pinafore dress as she tends to Paul for the first time following his accident. The pinafore,…

Fashion’s original bad boy Alexander McQueen has died aged just 40 years old. We will keep to the facts as they are known at this time and report that McQueen was found dead in his London home just after 10 am, Thursday 11th February. From The Guardian, UK: “A post-mortem has been scheduled but police said his death was not being treated as suspicious. They would not comment on reports he had killed himself.” Formerly an apprentice on Savile Row, son of a taxi driver Alexander McQueen was well known for his performance art style shows and fashion extremism that precipitated a new age of futurist design in the naughties.…

If you can get yourself to London’s West End for 11.00 am on Sunday 20th June, you could be watching Disney PIXAR’s Toy Story 3 at a very early screening – one month before the film is released in the UK on 19th July. Exciting, huh? Thought so. Read on. Just fill in the blank below to tell us the name of Ken’s safari style outfit he wears in the movie (hint: have a look around Clothes on Film, it may just help): _ _ _ _ _ _ LOVIN’ KEN That’s it. Send your answer to: competition [at] clotheonfilm.com (replace the ‘at’ with an [email protected]) by TUESDAY 15TH JUNE,…

A young man goes on the lam for supposed sabotage of an aircraft factory in California where he works during the Second World War. Some immediately judge him innocent, others guilty; though there is one point on which they all agree: to be a saboteur you must surely dress like one. The ‘saboteur’ in question is Barry Kane (played by Robert Cummings). Kane spends the entire story chased from West Coast to East Coast by law enforcement officials and, eventually, those responsible for his predicament – the real saboteurs, a shadowy group of mostly high society types who dress in top hat and tails and have friends in very high…

On 10th November, Julien’s presided over the sale of 800+ lots for their ‘Hollywood Icons and Idols’ auction, featuring movie costumes, props and assorted memorabilia. The auction’s big draw was a (not ‘the’; there were several) blue and white cotton gingham pinafore dress and original blouse worn by Judy Garland as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. It exceeded lowest expectations selling for $480,000, perhaps not as much as hoped for bearing in mind it is such a well loved costume – top estimate was $600,000. Much of the bidding went this way, certainly high and above estimates, but nowhere near the record amounts seen at the Debbie Reynolds auction…

This week this happened in costume… Diana Rush, Alpha Papa and now Diana, costume designer Julian Day is everywhere at the moment (good, because he’s very talented). Here Day explains a little about undertaking what must have been one of the trickiest costume jobs of the year. Revenge All about Emily Thorne’s (Emily Van Camp) wedding dress. Preview: Jill Ohanneson designed it herself. Trish Summerville Video: The 2013 Stylist award winner looks understandably bemused throughout Pop Sugar’s excitable interview. Riddick Helen o’Hara skilfully pulls apart the film’s frankly disgusting misogyny. Northern Costume Social Event Advice for those in the TV/film costume game. Toronto International Film Festival Leaving aside award friendly…