Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Robert Duvall Directed by: John Hillcoat Viggo Mortensen stars as ‘Man’ in director John Hillcoat’s adaptation of Cormac McCarthy’s unfilmable novel The Road; proving that it is filmable, if not exactly fun. The Road (2009) is about as miserable a Hollywood film as you are likely to see. Watching it is like dying for two hours. It is pegged as a journey for survival, yet as the story offers no possibility of this, life becomes merely a reprieve. If such wretchedness does not put you off however, a rewarding passage awaits; to vicariously experience what you hope to god you will never have to face…

Featuring exclusive insight from Sherlock Holmes costume designer Jenny Beavan, we commence our sartorial analysis of Guy Ritchie’s Victorian-set mystery adventure, and with not a deerstalker in sight. “Wear a jacket” barks Dr. Watson. “You wear a jacket!” retorts Sherlock Holmes. And he does. Watson sits down to dinner with Holmes and bride-to-be Mary Morstan wearing arguably the most unusual and interesting jacket in the entire film. It is dark blue with a stand collar and pleats across the chest. But more on that later. Sherlock Holmes (2009) is Guy Ritchie’s re-imagining, re-boot, re-whatever of Arthur Conan Doyle’s renowned fictional detective. It’s greater fun than any of us dared hope…

The full trailer for Joel and Ethan Coen’s adaptation of True Grit starring Jeff Bridges as Marshal Reuben J. Cogburn has moseyed onto the internet. If this turns out terrible we will eat our oversized cowboy hat. For the uninitiated, True Grit is the story a drunken marshal, Ruuben ‘Rooster’ Cogburn, and his blood quest to find Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin), the killer of 14 year old Mattie Ross’ (Hailee Steinfeld) father. Hot on their trail is Texas Ranger LeBoeuf (Matt Damon), in pursuit of Cogburn for the slaying of another man. Costume design for True Grit 2010 is by the masterful Mary Zophres. Having worked with the Coen brothers…

You can watch the first trailer HERE, or this one HERE is the new post 100,000 Facebook followers sequel, which is even better and so totally bonkers it makes Kick-Ass look mainstream. Based on the ‘Scott Pilgrim…’ series by Canadian cartoonist and writer Bryan Lee O’Malley, the premise requires hero Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera), bass player and slacker in a band called Sex Bob-omb, to defeat the seven ‘evil exes’ of new girlfriend Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), occasionally with a flaming sword. The style of the comic books, indeed the film by the looks of it, is pseudo video game (many of them nineties classics like Sonic the Hedgehog…

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Mark Ruffalo, Ben Kingsley Directed By: Martin Scorsese Only daft final act revelations offer release from Scorsese’s cinematic madhouse; otherwise the smart, scary onslaught of insane ideas and imagery is inescapable. Does a film need a satisfying story to succeed? It’s a question worth asking of Shutter Island (2010) because, by any sane criteria, its narrative is founded on one of the most ludicrous premises in memory – a suspension bridge of disbelief that comes crashing down the minute it is revealed. And yet, aptly considering Martin Scorsese’s film is in part a loving tribute to Hitchcock, Psycho has a rubbish ending too, and it doesn’t stop…

As a preamble for costume designer Kristin Burke’s upcoming analysis of Rosemary’s Baby (1968), here is an (edited) chat we had about the film, US/UK insults, rude knitting and the Virgin Mary. It’s worth a read. Kristin Burke: So what I thought was interesting about your review was that it focused on fashion – I think that the film was terribly fashionable, especially for the time. At first glance, the meaning, the purpose of the costumes was lost for me in terms of its fashion. And you really addressed it in talking about Mary Quant. Chris Laverty: You’re right; I did see it as a fashion movie, at least on…

HBO are about to own all television again with their upcoming 1920s set series Boardwalk Empire. Period costume fans, set your jaw to dropped. Watch the trailer HERE Adapted from Nelson Johnson’s well researched book Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and Corruption of Atlantic City by The Soprano’s screenwriter Terence Winter, Boardwalk Empire is a prohibition era drama starring Steve Buscemi as Enoch Thompson, an Atlantic City kingpin who rules the infamous gambling playground by corruption and violence. Seemingly with his sticky fingers in every criminal activity going, Thompson is dressed to the nines in rounded stiff collar shirts and pinstriped suits, a forerunner to the 1930s movie gangster…

Directed by: Mike Newell Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Gemma Arterton, Ben Kingsley Ridiculous, colourful, cringeworthy and loud enough to make a roadie wince, Prince of Persia has nearly all the ingredients to be the new Pirates, and it just about cooks up a hit. What might fail to initially register with Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is the extraordinarily detailed costume design by Penny Rose. This is mainly because for the most part the film is good at its job. Thanks to Mike Newell’s fidgety direction, it moves at such a pace that clothes become part of the fabric as it were. For example, who would know that shady…

Unfortunately that’s the truth. While fashion designer/director Tom Ford has stated that he will make another movie, nobody yet knows what it is. Tom Ford’s debut as a feature film director A Single Man (2009) was lauded almost universally by critics and audiences, and with good reason. It is a sincere adaptation of Christopher Isherwood’s 1964 novel of the same name featuring an immaculate performance by Colin Firth. In 2008 Ford provided suiting for what presently stands as Daniel Craig’s second and last James Bond film. Ironically not praised with anywhere near the enthusiasm as for his directing ability, it is not known whether Ford plans to travel down the…

How Richard Burton’s character in Villain (1971) dresses to impress and intimidate. A few costume design links on this fine day. Orange is the New Black Jenn Rogien talks about this season’s costumes. Colleen Atwood She’s making handbags now, which, perhaps unsurprisingly, look a bit like a cross between Fendi and Hermès. Jem and the Holograms Soyon An is the stylist tasked with bringing the best dressed cartoon of all time to life. The Women Kay Noske nails it again with this post about Adrian’s brilliant and totally bonkers costumes. Pretty Little Liars Video: Even if you haven’t seen the show (it’s huge in the US), this interview with uber…