One Dress a Day Challenge
November: Oscar winners
Wakanda Forever / Angela Bassett as Queen Ramonda
Year: 2022
Designer: Ruth E. Carter
After the success of Black Panther in 2018, Ruth E. Carter and Angela Bassett both continued to knock it out of the park with Queen Ramonda's costumes in Wakanda Forever. The queen wears this two-toned purple velvet gown to address the UN in the opening sequence. As with many other onscreen purple dresses, it looks considerably deeper in color in the movie than when seen offscreen. According to Ms. Carter, it took four to six months to create.
As in the first film, a 3-D printer was used to create the collar and crown. I found out the crown is modeled on a style of headdress worn by Zulu married women, called an isicholo.
119 notes
·
View notes
“Eat The Rich” — My Favorite Genre in Film
by Isobelle Cruz [February 1, 2022]
The Menu (2022) dir. by Mark Mylod
The phrase in the title comes from political philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s quote, “When people have nothing to eat, they will eat the rich.” The last film I watched that had me surprised they did not literally eat the rich was The Menu by Mark Mylod.
This film never took itself too seriously despite its center around the wealthy and the lengths they go to just to experience the finer things in life. It is fully aware of its bizarreness and adds bits of humor here and there, making it enjoyable despite mostly taking place in one setting.
As the first film I had seen this year, The Menu truly sets up expectations and a fresh path to more of what the industry has in store for the rest of the year. Moving on, here are four more films to see if you enjoyed The Menu:
Triangle of Sadness (2022) dir. by Ruben Östlund
Starting off strong with one of my final watches of 2022 that had me saying “what the fuck?” under my breath every few minutes is Triangle of Sadness directed by Ruben Östlund. What initially caught my interest in watching this film was a clip in the opening part wherein we see a bit of the modeling industry and its quirks, or so, ridiculousness. What I didn’t know, and certainly wasn’t prepared for, was what I would witness next.
I went into this film after refraining myself from spoilers or even a hint of what it could be about, preparing myself to be either disappointed or pleased with what I was about to be met with. And that is exactly what I suggest to you as well. Ditch the synopsis and logline and head straight into this experience. Just know that you’ll be met with great dialogue, delicate cinematography, and a whole lot of shit—both figuratively and literally.
Parasite (2019) dir. by Bong Joon-ho
Behind my little song to the clouds to tuck its raindrops away, a certain thought would always lie at the back of my head while growing up. As we celebrate a class suspension and give thanks for the chilly weather in the desert-like heat of the Philippines, I wonder what life is like for those living by the rivers, whose roofs are made with cheap iron or yero and whose walls are made of thin wood.
It hasn’t occurred to me before how important these thoughts were until I encountered this film a few years back. Parasite presents its audience with the rich’s ignorance of their surroundings and several contrasts between the everyday life scenes of a wealthy and poor family.
Parasite is precise, well-written, and surely deserving of its multiple awards.
Knives Out (2019) dir. by Rian Johnson
Whodunnit—-they say that when you see them once, you’ve seen them all. And that may be true, but Knives Out’s fast pacing and quick cuts from past to present still kept my eyes glued to the screen. It’s a classic murder mystery, encouraging the audience to say things like “It’s too early on for such an obvious clue.”
This will keep you thinking throughout its length, asking questions again and again in your head, eager to beat the ending before the killer’s reveal. Though predictable for some, Knives Out nonetheless offers a fun view into the world of a money-starved family and their deceased father, along with a bunch of odd and entertaining characters.
The Handmaiden (2016) dir. by Park Chan-wook
Of course I found a way to sneak The Handmaiden into this list.
The film follows Kim Tae-ri’s character who falls in deep romance with Lady Hideko, the woman she works for. Just when you think it is about to finally end, a sharp turn comes and it’s as if the story had only begun then—this happens thrice, by the way.
As we go further along the story we encounter money’s play in the wickedness of men and are left with our mouths agape after another unexpected revelation or scene.
The Handmaiden is not only a story of forbidden romance between two women but also a showcasing of comradeship and care for another in suffering. Looking past its long length and adult scenes is a mind-boggling and thoroughly written story accompanied by excellent direction, camera work, and acting.
172 notes
·
View notes
One Dress a Day Challenge
June: Weddings
Marry Me / Jennifer Lopez as Kat Valdez
Wedding dresses simply do not come more "extra" than this. If you've ever wondered how much cloth any one human being can wear, this may answer your question. The whole thing was nine layers of silk taffeta, horsehair, and tulle. The gown was designed by Zuhair Murad and reportedly weighed about 95 pounds.
Caroline Duncan, the costume designer for the movie, said the dress was like a separate character: "It lived in its own truck and took five people to move it around just because of how large the train was… For example, in the limo, the dress dwarfed them in that car. It was evident it wasn't the two of them. And that dress represented with its volume and what was in the middle of them."
26 notes
·
View notes