Category Archives: TV, Movies, & Theatre

Entries about television, movies, and theatre experiences.

The Great Gatsby

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Last night I did something I’d never done before…I wore a 20s dress.  Why? Because I had one, and I was going to The Great Gatsby.  More on that later…right now, let’s just focus on my amazing thrifted 20s silk velvet gown.

I don’t do the 20s for a several reasons… one being that it’s far too scarce and thus expensive.  The other being I simply do not find the cuts and styles flattering on me.  Even this dress, as elegant as it is, I don’t care for all that much.  I simply dislike the lack of shape that the 1920s produced.  However, even with that being said, I am by no means going to get rid of this beauty.

And now maybe the topic a lot of you have been waiting for…the film itself.  Director Baz Luhrmann has been under a lot of fire lately from the vintage community regarding the film.  People are up in arms over the costumes and the music.  Calling the costumes horrifically inaccurate and the music (which features artists such as Jay-Z and Jack White) disrespectful.  I don’t care, and nor should you.  Why?  Because it’s Baz Luhrmann.  Luhrmann has only five, count ‘em, five major motion pictures under his belt and they are all the same. And by that I mean they are all in the same vein of each other, which is a hyper-stylized depiction of the time and events taking place.  Luhrmann’s films are like paintings, works of art.  Each one shows his influence, his brush strokes, his style. They are flashy, garish, yet beautiful and completely over-the-top on nearly every level.  He produces pure escapism and entertainment with doses of historical bits and pieces (such as the Bohemian movement in Moulin Rouge! and the Stolen Generation in Australia).  The two films that he directed which took place in the time that they were filmed, Strictly Ballroom (1992) and Romeo + Juliet (1996), hardly reflect the time in an accurate manner.  They both suspend reality, and make the ordinary extraordinary!  It is because of Luhrmann’s resume that I am able to overlook the extreme exaggerations of the roaring twenties and the music.  And I feel that this is how every person going to go see this film should view it as well.

And I loved the film. I loved every second of it.  I love the insane headdresses, over the top dancing, huge champagne bottles and inflatable zebra pool floaties (need to get me some of them).  The cast was top notch too.  Leonardo DiCaprio is Gatsby.  He portrays the role with such kindness and emotion that you can’t help but feel for Gatsby and his pain and longing.  I can’t wait to see it again.

Outfit
Dress & Shoes: Thrifted
Brooch: Belonged to my grandmother
String of Pearls: Belonged to my mother
Bracelet & Earrings: Don’t remember…
“Headband” (Actually a choker, I know, I’m brilliant) & Dress Clip: Gifts
Pearl Clutch: Antique Alley, Portland

“Who’s Gonna Help Me File My Claim?”

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Last night, after weeks upon weeks of sewing and beading, I finally completed by Dixie Cousins costume for this weekend’s ComicCon here in Portland and today I had photographer and friend Anthony come by to shoot it.  I can’t even express how wonderful Anthony is to work with. He took so many amazing photos, it was so difficult to narrow it down to these! So this is still a pretty picture heavy entry!

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While Dixie wears a large selection of beautiful costumes in the series, this I felt was the most iconic, due to the fact it is the outfit you first see her in when she is introduced in the pilot.  I may venture to make her purple traveling outfit and I really would like to make her other show outfits as well, one of which is a bright teal and gold number which she and her sister wear while doing a sister act.

In terms of sewing specs… I bought Simplicity 2535 off Etsy from eetenpie and used really only the bodice portion of the pattern.  I completely winged the skirt since none of the skirts from the pattern worked. I also totally winged the bustle, using screenshots from the show as reference.  Over 8,000 beads were strung together to make up the fringe, and the whole piece took roughly 110 hours to complete. I like to keep track by watching television shows and movies on DVD and then adding up the running times… Yep, crazy girl, right here.  Additionally, this is my first ever lined piece!  In the show, Dixie has an ostrich feather boa that appears to be a ten ply boa based upon how thick it is, however, those run over $100. And I just wasn’t prepared to part with that kind of cash, so this is simply a turkey feather boa I purchased off Ebay.  I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. I’ve been dying to make this since I can remember and I just hope it is well received at the Con.

Tomorrow is the first day of the Con and I’ll be wearing my Marion Ravenwood costume. And then Saturday is the big day when I’ll be wearing this and meeting Bruce Campbell! I’ve decided not to dress up on Sunday, seeing as I may bail early due to the fact that it is also the Daytona 500 as well as the Oscars!  Seriously, who plans these things!? Don’t they know there are people out there who love comics/cult classics, NASCAR and movies? Seriously, the only thing that could make it worse is if there was a huge antique show too. God forbid!

Just Keep Beading…

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Part of the reason for the lack of blog posts lately is the fact that most of my time lately has been taken up by the making of my Dixie Cousins costume which needs to be completed by February 24th when my dream of meeting Bruce Campbell will come true! Additionally, it’s a costume I’ve always wanted to make…I mean, come on, just look at it!

Dixie’s debut costume is a beautiful red and gold concoction that features triangles of gold glass bugle beads along the bust, edge of skirt as well as arm drapes.  I checked out the aisles of trim at the country’s largest fabric store (thankfully located right here in Portland, Oregon!), Fabric Depot, in search of what I needed, only to come up empty.  There wasn’t anything remotely close to what I needed. So, here I am, hand beading my own triangles…

When all is said and done, I approximate that just over 8,000 beads will be on the costume.  Call me dedicated, obsessed or just plain crazy. It’s okay. It’s certainly a labor of love, that’s for sure. I can’t wait to show it off when it’s all done!

“Look at it! Isn’t it Beautiful?”

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One of my all-time favorite television shows is I Love Lucy. Not only is the show utterly brilliant, Lucy became an instant style icon for me. One episode she’d be wearing a wonderful slacks number, the next a gorgeous embroidered gown. Later in the series Lucy and company find themselves in Hollywood as Ricky is to star in a film. While in Hollywood, Lucy sees this as her only opportunity to own a Don Loper Original and she and Ethel go off to Don Loper’s salon in Beverly Hills where Lucy ultimately ends up in Loper’s celebrity wives charity fashion show after agreeing to purchase a dress without seeing the price tag, which turns out to be way over how much she told Ricky she would spend.

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The amount proves to be so much, she is fearful of a reprisal from Ricky and intentionally gets a sunburn so Ricky will feel sorry for her and thus not get upset over the hefty price tag, however she is then told that instead of wearing her original dress for the show, that she is told by Mr. Loper that she needs to wear a recent tweed creation of his (because, of course, tweed is a sunburn’s best friend!), however in return she will receive the dress she already purchased for free.

The fashion show is a wonderful display of some of the most stunning garments of the 1950s and all worn by the real-life wives of famous stars of the period including the wives of Dean Martin and William Holden.

  

  

Ever since I saw this episode (titled “The Fashion Show”) I found myself with a hunger to own a Don Loper dress of my own.  However, the usual price tag of a Don Loper is a bit uncomfortable for me, although much less than what a dress cost originally in 1955.  I wasn’t sure how I would get my hands on one, but I knew one day I would.  And today, my years of patience paid off.

 

And Now for Something Completely Different

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I’ve mentioned a handful of times that I’m a big fan of western wear as well as a few western themed shows and movies.  One of my favorite shows of all time is The Adventures of Brisco County Jr., a shortly lived series in the early 1990s which starred B-Movie actor Bruce Campbell.  In my opinion, it’s his best work and the show is top notch. While at first it may appear to be an A-typical western of a son seeking revenge for his slain father, it is in fact an fantastic fusion of the wild west, science fiction, steampunk and popular culture.  The show was my introduction to Mr. Campbell and I fell head over heels for the man with the chin. And on February 23rd, my dreams of meeting him will come true.

That weekend is the Portland Comic Con. While of course it can’t compare to San Diego, it’ll be my first every comic con of any sort and I am totally stoked. Patrick and I purchased the Bruce Campbell VIP Experience tickets which include an autograph session as well as photo op, and I’m deciding that one (of three) of my costumes will be Dixie Cousins from Brisco, specifically her debut scene when she sings “I’m Gonna File My Claim”…

I just purchased a burlesque/showgirl costume pattern off of Etsy and am off to the fabric store to buy the goods. Thank goodness I have about a month to get this in order!

As for my other costumes…I think I will wear the Emma Peel-esque jumpsuit I purchased awhile back and go as Mrs. Peel from the 1960s cult hit The Avengers and rewear the labor intensive Marion Ravenwood costume from last Halloween.

Observing James Dean

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Here I am! Coming to you from California! We made it in to see family today, however earlier in the day we visited the Griffith Observatory.  Not only is it a beautiful art deco building, but it is also the site of the famous fight scene and ultimate climax of one of my favorite films, Rebel without a Cause, and guess what, there’s even a statue of James Dean!

After hamming it up with Jimmy, we took a turn around the outside of the observatory, attempting to spot Los Angeles landmarks through the smog, and then inside, where we witnessed fun displays regarding the sun, moon and planets and a demonstration of the Tesla Coil they have!

And on our way out I noticed that the tunnel you pass through to get to the observatory is the same as the tunnel leading to Toontown in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (in addition to many other films, including Back to the Future II and TV shows), yeah I’m that good, or have seen Roger Rabbit way too many times. You decide.

Tomorrow we’re off to Orange for shopping! Planning on revisiting the awesome stores I visited last time we were down in February.

Frankenweenie

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Last night Patrick and I went to the cinema to see Frankenweenie.  And I’ll admit, you really can’t keep me away from a Tim Burton film.  Burton is one of the few directors out there who really can make the morbid truly charming and even lovable.

I grew up watching the original Frankeweenie on The Disney Channel every Halloween, and was so very pleased when it was released with The Nightmare before Christmas.  Thus, I was familiar with the story, a parody of Frankenstein, in which a boy loses his dog, only to be inspired by his science teacher and brings his dog back to life.  The original was a live action short and shot in black and white, while this full-length, also in black and white, is stop-motion in the perfect Burton style.  While I was still charmed by all of the Burton touches and adorableness of a dog brought back to life, I felt the additions to the plot line forced and unnecessary.

With regards to my outfit, I went a little more caricature retro than I normally go for, but I felt it in the vein of Burton’s work. I’m just glad I finally wore my stripper shoes somewhere! And even the ticket boy commented on them saying he liked them!

Outfit
Blouse & Skirt: Buffalo Exchange, Portland
Sweater: Yours, Portland
Tights & Pumpkin Bow: Target
Shoes: Thrifted
Purse: Disneyland
Bracelet: Gift
Earrings: Umm…