You asked for it, so here’s an occasional open thread to bitch about anything tangentially related to history, costume, movies, or TV shows! Or whatever else is on your mind right now. Note that URLs are automatically held for moderation, but most anything else goes as long as you’re not bitchier than we are!
Spring is springing, and at least PBS has some new frock flicks for us. But ever the backlog beckons.
What are you watching next?
If you ever wanted to see Sir Ben Kingsley wearing a golden eyepatch, “William Tell” is the very silly looking film for you.
Not really a bitch, but since I’ve made historical costuming my latest obsession, it makes watching costume flicks WAY more annoying as I can’t help study it all and wonder why they will sometimes do SOME of it accurate, and some of it not.
Oh, and separately. Bad wigs, seems to be a lot of it about. Sometimes they’re amazing and it’s only a little way in you realise it’s a wig, and then other times it looks like it was bought on temu.
You’re singing Kendra’s song about the bad wigs :D
The other day, I saw photos of Margot Robbie as Catherine in the new Wuthering Heights adaptation. Needless to say, I was not impressed.
Well I hope they at least make her a brunette. Her beautiful dark hair was emphasized in the book.
Well I hope they made her a brunette. That was key to the description of her in the book. Sounds a bit like when she played QE 1. Not the right physical type.
Nope, she has her trademark blonde hair in the photos:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fauxmoi/comments/1jhpnq4/margot_robbie_on_the_set_of_emerald_fennells/#lightbox
Considering that Wuthering Heights is set in the late 1700 to very early 1800s the wedding dress in this picture is way wrong since it is white and far too high school prom or quinceanera in style.This is not a favorite story for me so that and the actress and the costume I’m seeing dissuade me from watching it.
WTFrock is up with the latest BTS photo of Margot Robbie as Cathy?! Please stop adapting this novel FFS!
Seriously, WTFrock! Is it a modernized adaption? Or is it just shitty costuming? I’m so confused. And yes, there’s no need for more adaptions of that book.
It looks like a shitty version of a Victorian Wedding dress?! I can see the modern corset and lack of proper underpinnings! Just wait for Margot’s corset whining! Did Emerald even read the book? Just ugh!
Who’s excited for some early 1930s fabulousness on Downton Abbey! The 1930s is one of my favorite fashion eras! I’m balancing my negative comment with something positive!
It does look glam for sure!
If you’re looking for something unique, watch “time stalker” on YouTube-definitely recommended.
We have a review coming up :)
How are the costumes in Netflix’s The Lady’s Companion? I don’t know much about costuming, but I love the historic buildings used for some of the sets. 1880’s Spain.
It felt a bit like Bridgerton to me – wacky but I went with it, since it matches the tone of the show.
I’m considering it, TBD!
Overall, terrible and confusing, but also pretty fun? It’s hard to nail down the era of the show. Some of the political references suggest it can’t be more than 1850 at the latest. The interior architecture is 1890s to 1910s or so. And then most of the dresses are somewhere between 1870s and 1890s. There’s a lot of historic inspiration behind the dresses, but most aren’t super accurate and seem to struggle from poor tailoring, overly thick synthetic fabric, and extremely chunky trim.
Ultimately, it’s a very interesting look that suits the show’s atmosphere, but even if I don’t hate it, the costumes would be absolutely perfect for Snark Week.
I’ve been watching Sisi on PBS, but it seems to be a different series than the one reviewed here. But also German? And recent? So confused. And the costumes are lavish but crazy…riding a horse in a fluffy organza dress? Sure. With a gigantic skirt that would have hoops but you took them off before getting on the horse?
Finally watched My Brilliant Career – what a beautiful movie! I mean, not just the story, but it’s just so beautiful to look at, the costumes are gorgeous, everybody looks gorgeous and it doesn’t look like a 70s film at all – which for me is one of the best marks of a good costume movie, in that you don’t see in which decades it was made because there’s no modern-looking hair or make-up or modern-influenced costumes. And Sam Neill – wow, so handsome! Whose heart wouldn’t melt? I hadn’t realised though that Robert Grubb was in this too as the other guy – how fun! I’ve been a fan of his since my teens and managed – quite unexpectedly – to see him on stage a few years ago in Melbourne in a musical. What a multi-talented man!
I saw this in the theater when it came out in 1979 and found it so compelling I couldn’t wait for another Gillian Armstrong film and I fell in love with both Judy Davis and Sam Neill. It was and is a fresh, delightful take on the life of a creative and independent woman. So glad you discovered it and enjoyed it so much. As a feminist in the late 70s it spoke to many of the women with whom I work and were friends with.
Are you guys planning to review the second season of Marie Antoinette? I read somewhere it was better than the first season
Yep, it’s on the schedule!
Except in Great Britain, much to my indignation – I haven’t even seen it advertised over here, despite ‘Auntie Beeb’ being involved with the production.
Clearly we are going to have to do what the British working classes did in that dramatic Year of Revolutions 1848 – put together a mass meeting, thoroughly panic the upper classes, put together a long list of signatures and then get rained off.
Only this time we sign in BLUE ink!
Watch french movies. No custom rights yet!
Monte cristo is quite good and you can read the review (become a patreon)
Madame de Sévigné- Lady J- Lost illusions- Eternity
Are you planning an in depth review of the 1995 Buccaneers mini-series?
Super-tangental, but I need to share with people who will understand. I was reading this https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62gjj774ldo about modern crime drama This City Is Ours, got as far as the ‘House of Bamboo’ pic, and immediately thought, “I’ve definitely seen worse French hoods than that hairband”!