Few films have tried to deal with child bereavement and the nature of fatherhood, which is why The Boys Are Back (2010) is so refreshing. It thrusts the issue right out in front of the audience and may cause every father watching to re-think his own parental approach. Based on the memoirs of The Independent political columnist Simon Carr, The Boys Are Back tells the story of Joe (Clive Owen), who has recently lost his wife to cancer and is left to raise his six year-old son by himself. Soon after, his elder son from another marriage travels to Austraila to live with him. During this time Joe employs a…

Part two of a new Dual Analysis costume film review. Beetle Juice (1988) is one of the landmark films in my life. There is “Before Beetle Juice” and there is “After Beetle Juice”. The film is important to me because it was the first film to reflect a subculture that I recognized firsthand: goth. I was a teenager in 1988, and the gothic movement had started (on the West Coast of California, in any case) in about 1984 – 1985. It wasn’t called goth, or gothic, at that point. In fact, I don’t even remember hearing the term ‘goth’ to describe this look until the mid-nineties, when the movement had…

An American Werewolf in London A screening at the Billy Wilder theater in Los Angeles on the 26th, with Deborah Nadoolman Landis in attendance to sign copies of her book ‘Hollywood Costume’ (we’re in that!). Shawna Trpcic It’s question time with Shawna Trpcic. What a fun idea! Halloween FrockTalk’s guide to looking suitably fab and/or disgusting. Thor: The Dark World Costume designer Wendy Partridge (another new set of hands for Thor) chats briefly about her work on the upcoming film. Rush Inspired by her friend Ellen Crawshaw working as a costume assistant on Rush, fashion historian and all round sartorial resource Amber Butchart analyses cars and Formula 1 style in…

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. Also rather memorable during this party sequence is a bobbed hair ‘modette’ girl wearing a cute…

Costume designer Gary Jones took on the difficult task of bringing The Wizard of Oz back to life for a new millennium and a new audience that had grand expectations. Yet in the end his overall look for Oz the Great and Powerful was more grounded in reality than most of us expected. This is about as far away from pantomime fantasy as you can get. Some of the outfits are, dare we say, wearable, even if you don’t have a costume party to go to. We inspected four of them close up back in February (read our analysis HERE) so can attest at their relative simplicity. However don’t underestimate…

Here is something irresistible for fans of British costume design in film: Dressing the Stars, an exhibition of largely Oscar winning pieces from some of the most famous designers in the business, including Jenny Beavan’s recent work on The King’s Speech. The exhibition will take place at the Fashion Museum in Bath, running from 12th July – 29th August. Emphasis is predominantly, though hopefully not exclusively, on period and fantasy. Expect to see Orlando Bloom’s costume from the original Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy (designer Penny Rose), Gwyneth Paltrow’s from Shakespeare in Love (Sandy Powell), Meryl Streep’s from The French Lieutenant’s Woman (Tom Rand), Keira Knightley in The Duchess (Michael…

Well known and respected Hollywood costume designer, Theadora Van Runkle, passed away from lung cancer in West Hollywood on 4th November. She was 83. Van Runkle essentially fell into costume design. While working as a fashion illustrator she happened to meet costume designer Dorothy Jeakins at a function who required a sketch artist for her upcoming project, Hawaii (1966). Van Runkle then took the job that Jeakins turned down as costume designer for Bonnie and Clyde (1967). This was her first experience in the industry. She may not yet have understood the finer realities of costume design (“I just stumbled through” Van Runkle later admitted) but she knew trends inside…

Clothing retailer Banana Republic are following up their profitable Mad Men tie-ins with something altogether more romantic, an official Anna Karenina inspired collection to coincide with the film’s release in cinemas this Autumn. Late 19th century set Anna Karenina starring Keira Knightley is costumed by Jacqueline Durran, best known for Atonement (2007) and recently BAFTA nominated for Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011). Durran was asked to curate the new capsule line by selecting and styling pieces from Banana Republic. According to creative director and executive vice president of design Simon Kneen, this will follow her costume brief of “a more fifties-influence of Dior’s New Look. It was historical but had…

We defy you to watch this first trailer for Tim Burton’s Dark Shadows starring Johnny Depp and not burst with costume excitement. Go on, try it. If the tone is even close to this perfect balance of eerie and stupid, Dark Shadows will be Mars Attacks style laughs with Beetle Juice’s heart and a hint of Edward Scissorhands’ melancholy. Colleen Atwood’s costume design leaps out from the screen, tickling your funny bone and hopefully twitching a latent 1970s revival of gaudy prints and check poly-blend sports jackets. Based on an American soap opera that ran from 1966-71, Dark Shadows the movie takes its daft premise of resurrected vampire Barnabas Collins…

Here’s a link to a video Clothes on Film editor Chris Laverty shot for men’s style journal Mr Porter as part of their Ask the Experts section. The topic is denim jackets in movies, from Hud (1963) to Back to the Future (1985) to Drive (2011), with a potted history of the garment thrown in for good measure. It is about three minutes long and definitely worth a watch, even if we do say so ourselves. © 2013 – 2014, Lord Christopher Laverty.