Change Your Image
PourRire
Reviews
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century (1979)
More, Much More, than you know!!!
As the original costume designer for the feature movie that introduced "Buck Rogers in the 25th Century," I can only say that the only thing I have learned from reading all these reviews is that there are a great many silly rumors circulating out there about the show.
It was always meant to be campy, and therefore all the costumes for the movie/pilot were intentionally done to be outrageous. Gil Gerard started off like a sausage and became the Michelin Man during the first shoot. And not only did he stuff his mouth, he stuffed everyone else's head with his opinions about EVERYTHING. He was the biggest blow-hard this side of the Great Gildersleeve (old time radio). He always wanted things changed for him. It continued after BR was over, and need I say more about how stellar his career has been. The chicken always return to roost!
Pamela Hensley, Erin Grey, Tim O'Connor, Felix Silla, and Duke Butler were impeccably professional, and so much fun and joy to work with. Henry Silva was a horror and not in the least professional.
I loved creating the exotic, colorful Draconian garb that contrasted with the sterile Earthlings who had lost joy in their existence. It gave it a true comic book look that was completely different from the earth tones I gave to the military uniforms and civilian attire in "Battlestar Galactica." It thrills me to no end when I hear from people that I had done both since they look nothing alike.
Designing for television is extremely hard because of the time turnaround. Everyone connected with the show only has seven days from the beginning of the shooting of one episode, to it end, and then starting a brand new episode following it. It's no wonder that some of the processed shots of pilots in their crafts sometimes got confusing.
It's not as bad as having an actress come in wearing a dress and then leave the room in a blouse and pants because it was edited wrong.
Princess Ardala was cast first, before Wilma. Therefore, because Pamela Hensley was a brunette, Universal requested Erin Grey to become a blonde.
I was rather thrilled a year later when I was given the best costume achievement for a film award by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Academy. My competition, was strangely enough, "Battlestar Galactica."
And it's quite rewarding after three decades to find out that there have been so many devoted fan of this show. Thank you.
Crimson Peak (2015)
Faux Fantasy
It would be TRULY WONDERFUL if Del Toro only knew what he was going to write about when he sat down to do so. But the story in this opus appears to be glued together from bits and pieces of other stories and images seen in past classic film. The over-the-top, gaudy, improbable costumes, the pretentious art direction, and the lame direction (who cleaned the house and took care of the fires, food, and cleaning of the mansion, bedding and clothing?)along with acting that is so wooden, you could have repairs the gaping holes in the crumbling ceiling with all the clapboard verbiage being mumbled by the actors who, most of the time, look as though they have wandered in from another film set accidentally. There are more holes in the tale than decades old Swiss cheese and just as stale and unappealing. Rent THE SPIRAL STAIRCASE if you want shivers up and down your spine. All you'll find here is a lot of yawns as you look at your watch wondering when this mishmash will end!
Mae West (1982)
Roddy McDowall's character
RODDY McDOWALL'S character Rene Valentine was based on the legendary stage and film star JULIAN ELTINGE, and not the drag queen that is mentioned above. Mr. Eltinge was quite influential in creating the sexy style and alluring mannerisms that became Ms. West's trademarks in the long run. Before she was tutored by him, she was nothing more than a raucous singer that had little style. The costume she wears in the scene at the vaudeville theater, after working with him, is based on factual information researched by Costume Desinger, JEAN-PIERRE DORLEAC, who was nominated for an Emmy for the film. The same goes for all the other costumes in the film.