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!
There’s actually a few new(ish) frock flicks out there, and we’re trying to get to them! Surprising for this time of year, usually being the doldrums of summer.
What are you watching?
Are we ready for the shit millionth Pride and Prejudice adaptation? Seriously, there are so many classics that could use an adaptation, why are they hell bent on remaking the same thing? You should do a top five list on classics that could use an adaptation!
We have a whole Forgotten History category that includes people & books that could be made into frock flicks (instead of the same old retreads)!
https://frockflicks.com/category/articles-by-era/forgotten-history/
Jane Austen wrote at least five other books, why not try Mansfield Park or Northanger Abbey again? Or try adapting Charlotte Bronte’s less popular works like Villette or Shirley, or the Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte? There are thousands of classics begging for a look!
The problem, of course, is that there’s a serious lack of name brand recognition complicated by a wealth of other options making it rather unlikely that a studio will take a flutter on content only a relatively small minority will watch – or, put another way, Execs will always need much, much more persuasion to sink their money into something they’ve never heard of (As opposed to backing yet another spin on the wheel of Prestige Drama Projects).
Having just read “Katherine” by Anya seton, I can conclude that it would make a great frock flick-but alas, I’m pretty sure it will never happen because Hollywood hates risk
SUCh a great suggestion!
I vote for a book based on Colette’s The Vagabond. It is one of my favorite books and the costumes could be fabulous. Yes, they did a film of Colette with Keira but she didn’t have what it takes to play the part. It did, however, have some lovely outfits.
The costumes made up for Keira ;)
I so agree about adapting Villette and/or Shirley and The Vagabond (and George Eliot). I’m tired of reading about directors’ and writers’ “vision” for great books that have been done to death, much as I love some of those books. A true artist is looking for something more than an easy sale.
I read that the Met recently acquired a wax medallion of Angelo Soliman, a Black courtier in the viennese high society at the end of the 18th society. The medallion represents him as a courtier and not with the usual « tropical » attire of the time. His life is fascinating, having rised to the higher cercles of society, even marrying into it.
Apparently a movie was made about him in 2018, if you want to put this on your watchlist.
“Angelo,” 2018: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelo_(film)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelo_Soliman
Thanks, Nico. Must look for this.
https://www.e-cinema.com/rechercher?q=Angelo
I watched the movie Angelo on this website: e-cinema.com
Don’t know if it’s available in your country
Thanks! It’s not working in my country unfortunately…
Would The Fantastic Four: First Steps count as a frock flick, since it takes place in a retro-futurist alternate 1960s and everyone (except the alien characters) wears 1960s fashions?
I just came from a Fathom Events showing of Sunset Boulevard (75th Anniversary) Not Historic, but Miss Swanson’s costumes by Edith Head were to die for!
I’ve looked through the archives and can’t find a MCM about Damian Lewis. It is time to look at his work. His ability to play such diverse characters as Henry VIII in Wolf Hall as well as more recent characters such as Nickolas Elliot in A Spy Among Friends shows a breadth of ability that other actors don’t necessarily share. Just a suggestion if you have the time.
I take it back. Found your MCM on Damian. Thanks!
I put on A Hard Day’s Night this morning, and I forgot there were actually quite a few people in period costumes in the backstage scenes, including David Langton of Upstairs, Downstairs fame.
The grandfather crashing the fancy opera was pretty great, although it’s the era-appropriate cashmere sweater that Victor Spinetti wears that I can’t take my eyes off of. It’s just so fuzzy!