That Iconic Green Suit from "The Birds"

by Cláudio Alves

After last year's paltry offerings, Horror Costuming is back in full force. Throughout October, the series will address the fantastic fashions of the undead and his bride, a monstrous metaphor born from Second-Wave Feminism, vampire chic, and more. Yet, before we get to the main courses, why not enjoy an aperitif? After all, though my writing can be protracted, even I would have trouble justifying the analysis of an entire movie's wardrobe when all that matters is one suit. I'm referring to Tippi Hedren's lovebird green dress and matching jacket from Hitchcock's The Birds, a striking look devised by the Master of Suspense's favorite designer – Edith Head…

Click to read more ...

Lana @ 100: Love Has Many Faces

Celebrating Lana Turner's Centennial. Here's Baby Clyde...

1965 was the year Martin Luther King marched on Selma, The Civil Rights Act was signed and Malcolm X was assassinated. The Vietnam War was raging, London was swinging, The Beatles played Shea Stadium and Dylan went electric. The times they were a changing, but some things stayed the same because this was also the year Lana Turner starred in the trashiest of all her tawdry melodramas, the Acapulco-set potboiler Love Has Many Faces or as it should have been called ‘Lana Has Many Costume Changes’.

In it she plays Kit Chandler a rich, international glamourpuss, with luxury apartments around the globe, who chooses to reside in the luxury Mexican resort with her estranged husband Pete (Cliff Robertson). When a dead body washes up on the shore it transpires that the deceased beach boy was one of Lana’s many conquests and she's the main suspect in the murder investigation....

Click to read more ...

How had I never seen... "White Christmas"?

by Cláudio Alves

As someone who loves Christmas and the musical genre, I'm ashamed to say I'd never seen 1954's White Christmas until this year. Irving Berlin's classic is beloved by many, and it has become one of those immortal holiday movies that seem to have everlasting popularity. Starring Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, Rosemary Clooney, and Vera-Ellen, the picture's a jolly affair full of merry dance breaks and one of those ridiculous "let's put on a show" stories that were so common in musicals of this particular era. 

It's with great sadness that I admit I wasn't won over by White Christmas, not completely. That being said, there's plenty to love about this Yuletide affair. Because now's a time for merriment and celebration, let's sprint through the negatives to get to the positives…

Click to read more ...

The Best Costumes of 1965

by Cláudio Alves

Last month, before the 1938 Best Supporting Actress Smackdown, Nathaniel and I discussed what could have been the Costume Design Oscar lineup had the category existed back then. Now, before the '65 Smackdown, I return to the topic of costuming and the Academy Awards. This time, though, there are actual nominees to consider, both for black-and-white films and color pictures. Furthermore, we know some of the runners-up that came close to the nomination.

Before the reveal of my personal Best Costume Design ballot for 1965, let's examine AMPAS' choices…

Click to read more ...

35 days til Oscar

Edith Head is our icon of the day. She was nominated for 35 Oscars for Best Costume Design with an astounding run from 1948 through 1966 wherein she was nominated every consecutive season. It helped that they used to split the category into black & white / color (thus allowing 10 nominees per year)...

Click to read more ...