The Love Witch (2016) Review : A Feminist, Technicolour Homage to 70's Sexploitation

The Love Witch is a film that's been on my radar for a couple years now, and I'm so thrilled I finally sat down to watch it. Shot and projected on 35mm film with rich and lush colours, The Love Witch pays homage to the 60s and 70s exploitation films, and Italian Gaillo. Visually, it's done so perfectly, it's hard to believe this treat came out in 2016.  Its director, Anna Biller, is a powerhouse herself, having wrote, produced, and directed the film, PLUS having made the costumes and much of what you see on screen. 

The story follows a witch, Elaine (played by newcomer Samantha Robinson), as she moves to a new city and is on the hunt for the perfect man. Along the way she entraps men through her love potions, however, things don't ever go as planned. Samantha does a phenomenal job in this role, with her sultry and often humorous performance, combined with absolutely stunning physical features and makeup. Although the film has a feminist message, in particular the seductive powers women have on males, The Love Witch doesn't shove this down your throat. In fact, Samantha's character has a lot of qualities that aren't ideal, and she too, is flawed. 

Elaine does however, have immensely quotable lines and some viewpoints that are spot-on. In a scene where she's mixing a love potion, she throws in a used tampon, commenting on the fact that women bleeding isn't something men should be grossed out about. "Women bleed and it's a beautiful thing", she says. Her finest and most powerful delivery lies near the end, however. As she's fighting to explain her rationale she states that society teaches males to be stoic and that, "a woman's intuitions and emotions are illnesses that need to be cured." In our day and age this rings a very strong bell, and it's wonderful to see a heroine challenge society's ideals. 

All in all, this film is wrapped in such a vividly beautiful technicolour package, one that never ceased to amaze me. Elaine's striking blue eye makeup, her Victorian apartment with brightly coloured walls, to the tea house where the ladies gossip all while wearing ornate and colourful flowered hats; it's all such a treat for the eyes. Sure, some reviewers have commented on the acting being at times, overdone, but to be entirely honest, stilted performances are the point and a complete throwback to the pulp genre. Another bonus? Biller takes actual soundtracks from Giallo films, and hearing the music of Morricone makes my heart skip a beat. As for the length of the movie? If you're a fan of vintage horror and exploitation genres, the 120 minute run-time will be heaven for you. 

The Love Witch is the exact sort of film I adore - blending classic horror with ultra-feminist ideals. And it's these ideals that Biller manages to drive home, or at least makes us want to talk about it. Questions about the way men deal with female sexuality and gender relations in general, are wonderful points of discussion long after the movie is over. Samantha Robinson's character on the other hand, blazes a path and teaches us that she too is "just a little girl dreaming of being carried off on a white horse" but as her life and society taught her, she has been reduced to something else, not much more than eye candy. It's because she has been denied that basic respect that Elaine has become a narcissistic monster; brainwashed by the patriarchy and obsessed with murder. 

If you want a seriously beautiful sensory overload that harks back to vintage genres, I suggest you go see The Love Witch. It's certainly not a film for everyone, but with its layers of complexity it's poignant, touching upon society's norms that are definitely worth questioning.

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Twin Peaks - Fire Walk with Me

In celebration for an event that I've waited years and years and years for, I have decided to write a lil bit on David Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me. Why you ask? Well, because David Lynch and Mark Frost have decided to do a continuation of the original series, 26 years after the last episode. 

Lynch was recently heard explaining to the press that Fire Walk with Me was "required" as a mini refresher, as it chronicles Laura Palmer's last seven days. He acknowledged that the prequel movie is "very much important" to the mini-series that will come out.

In case you were wondering, the 18 episode mini-series will premiere on Showtime on May 21st, 2017. Many of the original cast members are coming back, including Kyle MacLachlan as Agent Dale Cooper (YAS). Another incredibly awesome thing about this is that Angelo Badalamenti is going to return as the composer. This is obviously great because he brought us this:

enough said.

As much as I want to talk about the original (and trust me, I'm already planning a few posts about that prior to the release in May), I think it's time to revisit Fire Walk with Me.

The sad thing about Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me, is that it was met with so many pitfalls even before filming had begun, that by the time it was released in 1992, it was absolutely slaughtered. Mark Frost wasn't on board because he figured a prequel isn't what fans wanted and some of the main characters opted out. The biggest blow came from Kyle MacLachlan because he didn't want to be typecast (which was a terrible move on his part because he later on went to do the absolute cringe-worthy Showgirls). He ended up with a very minor role, which to me is still better than no Agent Cooper regardless. 

Anyway, Fire Walk with Me is probably one of the darkest Lynch films ever made. It's disturbing, and nerve-wracking, and a lot more destructive than the show ever was. It's almost like Twin Peaks deserved to be put on the big screen, so people could finally come face to face with what was exactly going on in Laura Palmer's world. Although we've all known what happened to Laura through Cooper's investigation in the series, seeing it actually go down is absolutely jarring. 

Sure, some characters backed out. Sure, it wasn't as peppy and quirky as the show sometimes was, but this was Lynch's baby, and he made sure to add all the Lynchian touches that we've grown to recognize in his other films. There are bizarre dream sequences that seem to carry on and on, confusing the hell out of you. There is a mega-important club scene where all the dialogue is absolutely inaudible. There is also an alarming amount of very unsettling silences with shots that seem to be held for eternity. 

I highly recommend everyone take a trip down memory lane and watch Fire Walk with Me. It's become such a cult classic that has counteracted all the initial reviews, and such a must for any Twin Peaks fan. Lynch changed the way TV worked. He had the ability to create such place where you cared for these characters and cared for their entire world. Not to mention cinematic style. If it wasn't for Lynch, shows with that dark and twisted edge like Stranger Things and True Detective wouldn't be what they are today.

David Lynch is a genuine mastermind at transforming you and taking you into his world, and making you feel like you're in a disoriented dreamscape. If you think about it, Laura was a total junkie. The movie plays out like a junkie's paranoid nightmare and you're left in Laura's shoes, confused about reality and looking for the answers. This movie is perfect if you're open-minded and willing to engage in a terrifyingly complex and well-pieced together Lynchian dream.

**

PS; Can we also briefly discuss that Bowie had an absolutely brilliant cameo in this?! I don't know about you, but any amount of Bowie is an excuse to watch something regardless! 

The Shining: Eradicating the American Dream

It's October! My favourite month. Partly because of my birthday, partly because of Halloween. As you most of you already know, I'm a huge horror movie fanatic. Like, absolutely, totally, entirely. 

Anyway, I was talking to the bestie the other day (speaking of which, she's an artistic maven and everyone should look at her instagram)  and trying to brainstorm some stuff to do for the month of October and she got super excited and suggested I dedicate a month to horror on the blog! It made perfect sense. Soooo anyway I figured, why not ramble on about some horror classics, some contemporary gems, and maybe even throw in a Halloweeny-inspired fashion post here and there too? Sounds like a dream.

Cue The Shining! This was such a good excuse to watch one of my all-time favourite horror classics. Kubrick is a God and does wonders. From creating a sense of isolation in a massive hotel, to his fluid use of a Steadicam, this movie is a complete masterpiece. The music is painstakingly scored to be absolutely menacing, and the set work is beautiful and beyond unsettling.

Moving along, as I'm sure most people know, the movie centers around a writer (Jack Nicholson) and his lil' family who all agree to watch over a hotel in its winter down season while it is empty. The catch? The hotel is probably (definitely) haunted and the last groundskeeper went nutso and axed his whole family. LOVELY. 

Obviously, Jack goes mental, giving way to historic one-liners, but there's so much more to this film. Nothing Kubrick does is by chance, and there are so many theories out there for what it's truly about. Some say it's a metaphor for Danny (the son) being abused by Jack. Others say it's a metaphor for the American treatment of Indians. With so many different theories and contradictions, it's really up to the viewer to interpret it how they will, and honestly, after seeing this movie countless times, there's always a different thing I pick up on as well.

After watching it this time..I thought I noticed something clever, and it really stuck with me. It was a sort of downfall of Americana,and the perfect American dream. So many things about this are anti "white picket fence." From things like Danny's Apollo pullover (after it gets shredded, suggesting a symbol of a torn-apart American icon), to the obvious breakdown of Jack shouting the classic, "Honey, I'm home"-esque line, "here's Johnny!", this movie is riddled with little clues. 

The colour palette throughout the entire movie is the good ol' American red, white, and blue. The frustration with the american dream and family runs so deep, it's nuts. Right off the bat, you can tell Jack isn't happy with his family. Doesn't get on with his wife too much, takes a sneaky peek at the rumps of two lovely ladies as he enters the hotel. Driving to the hotel you notice he's short with his boy. Irked by his questioning, he only lights up when Danny tells him he's learned about cannibalism on TV. TV after all, is the driving force of a structured family life. With his "here's Johhny" breakdown near the end, it's essentially a quote from popular TV culture, and in a way, the breakdown of the nuclear family. 

Jack's run-ins with the ghosts as well are jabs at American culture. Dealing with racism and class, all these elements are quintessentially a part of American history and the slow deterioration of society. When he's talking to the old caretaker of the hotel, and he brings up Jack's son intermingling with a coloured man, this whole scene takes place in a red and white bathroom, with Jack standing in the middle, in his working class blue jeans. Coincidence? 

Even more so, when we see the Grady girls murdered in the hall, it's interesting to see that they're both dressed in blue, doused in blood (red), with the blue and white walls surrounding them. Kubrick, you're a legend.

With all these sprinkled little clues, the most obvious one, is the fact that Jack in fact out to kill his family, just how the groundskeeper did before him. If that's not an attack on the quintessential nuclear family, I don't know what is. 

The Shining is unforgettable. It's beautiful, it's terrifying, and it's spun to such perfection, it shows that horror films don't have to rely on cheap scares to leave its audience transfixed. It's a timeless film, and truly shows Kubrick at his absolute best.

Pierrot le Fou - Costume Review

Hello hello!

I thought it would be fun to do a review on one of my all-time favourite movies, one that's a classic yet filled with so many gorgeous fashion gems. Jean-Luc Godard's Pierrot le Fou is a 60s delight and is such a piece of cinematic artistry from so many different perspectives, be it from cinematography to dialogue.

The movie centers around Ferdinand (also called Pierrot), who becomes bored of his routine, high-society life. He decides to run away with a former love interest Marianne, who he finds out is entangled with mobsters from Algeria. The two run away together, searching for adventure as Pierrot finally discovers how to feel alive.

Watching this movie, you slowly realize that the plot is irrelevant; you watch it more for the gorgeous experimental approach to cinema and the way Godard uses a primary colour palette in the character's costumes to convey their emotional states and the differences between men and women (I promise I'll get a bit more into that later.)

 Anna Karina is absolutely adorable and basically my style icon.

First off, let's take a peek at Marianne. The free spirited protagonist has a really feminine and pastel colour palette the first time we see her. A baby blue robe she wears at home and then a pale pink dress with a pale blue cardigan. These pieces attract an almost childlike innocence to her and could explain why Pierrot decides to run away with her. The pale pink dress has a frilly trim at the top and bottom and suggests a delicate quality about her, which she later on sheds for a different persona.

As the movie goes on, Marianne starts opting for more fiery red tones, slowly getting rid of her delicate persona for a more adventurous one. She wears a red and white striped dress with a white bow in her hair at one point, the feisty red peeking through the white innocent details.

One of the final outfit changes consists of a red dress with a u-neck collar and small white trim on the sleeves. This is Marianne at her most passionate and feminine. She even says she doesn't care about money or buying records or clothes, all she wants to do is live and this piece proves it.

Pierrot on the other hand goes through a completely different experience through his clothing choices. His palette becomes less boring and free spirited, as well as  gaining some delicate hues which show emotion. Starting off with a tweed grey suite, Pierrot is living a dull life and you can definitely tell. Although always fashionable, he isn't exploring colour just yet.

Upon running away and breaking out of his shell, Pierrot has on a colourful striped button up with shades of red, blue, purple, green, and yellow. He's loosing up and his emotions are running wild after being confined for so long. He moves on to a pale blue suite after a while, subsiding his emotions and becoming content with what his life is becoming. Near the end (and I promise I won't ruin it), he finishes the movie with a bang and wears a bright red shirt; Godard's way of telling us the passionate state he's in.

Still a babe even with blue face paint.

As for Godard's use of primary colours in the movie? It's definitely visually pleasing to see so many variations of red and blue contrasting, but there must be more to it! If you think about it (and this is just my interpretation, mind you), The red and blue represent opposites in the movie. Red is there for the emotion and and desire in the film, all of the fiery emotions a human can feel. Red in this case can also display femininity, like in Marianne for example. Blue on the other hand can convey masculinity, order, peace, and structure. These two colours are in constant contrast with one another, and it's no wonder this is why our two leads are stuck in a constant struggle to communicate properly.

Welcome to life between men and women.

All in all words cannot express how much I recommend this movie. It was so much fun to review as Godard really is a genius, and nothing is left to chance when it comes to his directorial style. If you guys want a peek at some modern day inspiration that came from this movie, take a peek at what I assembled below!

xx

M

Anna Karina - Pierrot le Fou by marta-djordjevic featuring a red top

Moonrise Kingdom - Costume Review

So this week I was once again tasked with the job of deciding what movie to pick for my weekly costume review. All the Oscar nominated movies with worthwhile costumes are still in theatres, and I've recently been boycotting going to the movies for personal reasons (someone actually took their baby with them to see The Hobbit a few weeks ago, all I'll say is it didn't turn out well for anybody).  Anyways, this left me in a bit of a pickle so I decided to stick to my recent Wes Anderson binge and re-watch the 2012 gem, Moonrise Kingdom.

It's so cute and so fun and anybody who knows me knows I'm a sucker for anything 60s related, which is the time period where the movie is set. The story follows a pair of young and infatuated lovers who decide to run away together from their small New England island, which causes a frantic search party to chase after them.

Sam Shakusky, our lead character, is a Khaki Scout, so his main piece is the traditional boyscout uniform. He wears his badges proudly, along with his Coonskin cap, which is completely true to the time period. Boys during the 50s and 60s emulated Davy Crockett with these hats, it being a huge trend of the time. Sam's a bit of a know-it-all as well, and you can totally tell from the way he's dressed. Unlike Some of the other scouts, his uniform is always put together to perfection, with his socks always pulled up high. He carries a backpack with all the things a well-rounded Khaki Scout should have, and his camp leader even mentions at one point that whoever is to run away with him is in good hands.

Isn't this simply the cutest dress ever? I've been on the lookout for something even remotely as charming.

Suzy Bishop, the other half of this duo, I would say is completely inspired by her French icons of the time. She says at one point that her favourite record is one by Francoise Hardy and you can definitely tell she borrows elements from her overseas idols. Dainty Peter Pan collars, mini dresses, knee-high socks, and berets all add to the Parisian charm of the 60s. Suzy also keeps her clothing palette to girly pastels, which serve as as dead give-away to her sensitive nature. She acts really tough but deep down has a romantic soul that ultimately did run away to be with her love interest.

 As for the other characters, like the Khaki Scouts for example, paying close attention to their uniforms gives a glimpse to their personalities as well. The badges that each scout wears vary, the one's closer to their shoulders signify what they specialize in and fit with their personalities. For example, one kid has a badge with the words "Judo Expert" on it. His uniform is slightly darker than the rest and he just generally has a bit more of a reckless personality, rides a motorcycle, and asks if he can use "force" to bring back Sam to the campsite.

Imagine how long it must have taken for all those badges to be sewn on!

There are so many intricate details to this movie that the best thing I can say is to see for yourself if you already haven't.

Re-watching Wes Anderson's films I can only compare to that of reconnecting with an old flame that you'll always have a soft spot for. You just so happen to run into his movies, decide to spend all of your waking hours watching them engulfed in a whirlwind of emotions, only to stop and go your separate ways with fond memories of your adventures together.

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Want to try something similar to what Suzy has on? Take a peek.

Moonrise Kingdom Outfit Inspiration by marta-djordjevic featuring white knee length boots

The Owls Are Not What They Seem - A David Lynch Inspired Shoot

I thought I'd share with you guys a little photoshoot I did for my class a while back that was inspired by one of my favourite directors: David Lynch.

I named the shoot Neon Dreams, which was inspired by the director famous for his surrealist approach to cinema. With movies such as Blue Velvet, Mulholland Drive, and his hit show Twin Peaks, Lynch has always been able to transport his viewers into a dream-like world filled with bizarre lighting and extensive imagery.

My interpretation of Lynch takes the form of a stunning floor length black velvet dress, in combination with the abstract lighting and distorted reflections. The goal is to transport the viewer into one of his transcendental stories.

The hair and make up application I was going for was big and glamorous, with big teased hair and long winged eyeliner. A good source of inspiration for this application came from Lana Del Rey (whom I absolutely adore!)

Lana Del Rey is perfect. She actually is.

I had a ton of fun with this shoot, it's so awesome when you get a chance to incorporate people you're inspired by into your work. Hope you all enjoy what I came up with!

xx

M

Photography - Matthew Burditt

Hair/Makeup - Terra French

Model - Nicole Gibson @ Charles Stuart

Finally Back from Vacation // A Review on the Netflix hit: Mr. Selfridge

Hello hello!

Back to the grind finally after being away and relaxing for a good two months! Vacation was swell, it was nice to see family and friends in Belgrade, and Amsterdam was phenomenal, to say the least. Everything was absolutely stunning and I've never fallen more in love with a city in my life! I'll make sure to add photos soon enough, as everything looks like it came out of a fairy tale. 

Now, for the movie business. I've been sitting and racking my brain trying to decide what movie or show I should do my next costume review on, and then came across a gem of a TV show on Netflix: Mr. Selfridge.

Three words to describe this show? Oh.My.God.

Those hats, those fabrics, those chocolates!

I don't want to give too much away, but the show (which is based on the book Shopping, Seduction, and Mr. Selfridge) essentially revolves around the creation of the first ever department store, Selfridge and Co. The owner of the store (Mr. Selfridge himself), is an American that has come to London in the 1910s, in hopes of creating a new shopping experience for the world.

It's really interesting to see how the theory behind a department store comes together, I can't even imagine how dull shopping must have been like prior to Selfridges. It just seems absolutely bizarre to only buy items out of utility purposes and not guilty personal pleasure.

Look how excited everyone is to shop. This would be me, basically.

As a viewer you also get to witness the first ever idea of a massive store-wide sale that every shopper now holds dearly in their hearts, as well as the first ever creative window displays, which are a gem to see.

And the costumes? A delight. The show's costume designer, James Keast really captured Edwardian fashions of the time, especially for the females. The show is filled with fancy millinery, choker necklaces, and over-the-top dresses. The cool thing is is that as time progresses in the second season, as do the fashion trends! The colour palettes of the characters are suddenly brighter, furs are being worn more and more (probably due to colonial ties between Britain and Canada at the time), and conversations about big-name designers of that era are being had such as Paul Poiret, for example.

I totally sound like a complete geek but this show genuinely excites me so much. We take all these elements of modern day shopping for granted, and it's so cool to finally see how they came to be. Throw in a little bit of sex and scandal into the mix and this show will have you hooked. Even my boyfriend, who could care less about becoming educated on fashion adored the show and couldn't stop watching.

The 3rd season starts in March, so I highly recommend all of you get hooked on it immediately and then share your thoughts with me :)

Happy binging everyone!

xoxo

M 

Costuming in Film: Funny Face - The Evolution of Audrey Hepburn's Look

Hello hello,

Before I get into the costume review I must mention my going away for a little 3 week vacation to Europe now that I’m done school! The itinerary will consist of Amsterdam and Serbia (random, I know) for some sightseeing and visiting family and friends. I’m extremely excited as I haven’t been travelling since I started school and it’ll be nice to get away and decompress.

Will I be updating the blog you ask? Most definitely. I thought it would be fun to include some photos of my travels as well, so I'm really looking forward to making some worthwhile memories in the next coming weeks!

Now for the review…

I thought it would be fun to do a throwback costume review and mix things up a little bit, and what better movie to do it with than 1957’s Funny Face? For those of you who haven’t seen it, it is a fashionista’s dream. I'm not even a huge fan of musicals at all and this movie holds a dear place in my heart. The film revolves around a doe-eyed and young Audrey Hepburn, who works at a book store, only to be scouted as the new face of a fashion magazine. Along the way she falls for the Dick Avery, (the photographer who scouted her) played by Fred Astaire. She also grows to be liked by the magazine’s editor, played by the hilarious Kay Thompson. A fun fact about the movie is that Thompson's character is said to be modelled after Diana Vreeland, the late editor of Vogue.

The film's legendary costume designer, Edith Head was one of the best in the business, working with all of the top Hollywood starlets at the time. She also boasts an impressive 8 Academy Awards as a costume designer, which is to this day more than any other person. However, Edith can't take all the credit for the movie's extravagant garments. Givenchy designed all of Hepburn's Paris wardrobe, as stated in the film's opening credits. The gowns are absolutely spectacular, and I'll get to them later as there are a total of 9 I believe (!)

I thought we could get started with the adorable Jo, played by Audrey. When we first see her she is portrayed as the polar opposite of a fashion icon (I still found her cute, but that’s beside the point). She’s wearing frumpy clothes that are extremely shapeless, telling the viewer that all Dick Avery had to go by when scouting her was her “funny face”. This also speaks to her character, who doesn't believe in fashion magazines and “silly women” as she calls them. She’s wearing shapeless clothes to rebel and show her discontent to anything fashion-related.

As she later on gets hauled to Paris for numerous photoshoots, we see her slowly changing her style. She escapes her frumpy wardrobe and while not being photographed she wears all black. She's still an individual that won't succumb to trends, wearing all black keeps her neutral and unaffected by fashion. She also spends a lot of time in underground Parisian cafes and bars, home to intellectual and artsy beatniks at the time. Her all-black style is pretty beatnik in itself, with the black cigarette pants and black turtle neck.

Her gorgeous pieces she wears while she's being photographed I don't believe really speak to her character, as she's posing in them for a magazine, but it would be treason not to include them, so...

Lovely, aren't they?

Next on our list is Maggie Prescott, editor of Quality magazine. She is the polar opposite of Jo, completely enthralled in a fashionable lifestyle. Dressed to the nines in a plethora of one of her dazzling ensembles, Maggie always looks in charge. An interesting observation about Maggie’s costumes is that her neck is almost always covered by what she’s wearing, speaking maybe to her character and how uptight she is.

Dick Avery, Jo’s love interest and photographer, isn’t as uptight as Maggie although he works in the same industry. His colour palette includes soft colours; pastel blues, pinks, and yellows. He’s got a kind heart and delicate colour palette to go with it.

Dick’s shirts usually aren't buttoned all the way and his ties are undone, which speaks to his laid back personality, unlike Maggie’s. He usually rolls up his sleeves while he’s working, or casually drapes a sweater on his back. In the fishing scene, he sports a pair of white sneakers, speaking to his character yet again.

I thoroughly encourage whoever hasn't seen this classic to do so, as it’s a must for anyone interested in fashion. It really was a delight to watch it again, proving that this film goes against the test of time. 

I hope everyone is having a lovely start to their Saturdays, and has a wonderful weekend ahead of them.

xx

Marta