The Nomad presents Donnie Darko @ Brompton Cemetery

I have slightly exhausted the outdoor cinema experience in recent years. But one night i've missed out is the Brompton Cemetery film hosted by The Nomad every September. Although on reflection, last years offering -  The Shining -  may have been a little too jumpy for me in this environment! Donnie Darko was just the right kind of eerie - i don't care what anybody says though, that is one scary ass rabbit!!

The Nomad are slick. They know how to organise a good gig, without it being too in your face. Even the fizzy rain couldn't dampen my spirits, thanks to a roll of recycling bags (thank you Wandsworth council) and a thermos of coffee, that actually had more liquor in it than the hot black stuff! I also experienced my first ever fish dog, from the Hix van, with fresh doughnuts and hot, salted caramel sauce as dessert - to die for (bad joke?!). Overall a very cool night, in a beautiful cemetery that warrants a visit all in itself.

God's Own Junkyard @ Circus of Soho

If you haven't heard of Chris Bracey then head down to Beak Street and check out his pop up shop/ exhibition space. You probably already know more about his work than you think though. The guy has been 'the Neon Man' for the last 37 years, building up a huge body of work that's been used in films, fashion and beyond! You can't miss the inviting glow that practically beams you into this wonder emporium of neon...

Check out his site for more fabulous work.

Hollywood Costumes exhibition @ the Victoria and Albert Museum

I think this is possibly the most anticipated exhibition of the year. The press, quite rightly, have been going crazy for it since it was announced at the beginning of the year. 

The exhibition is guest curated by the Academy Award nominated costume designer, curator, author and historian, Deborah Nadoolman Landis, who along with her team, took over five years to bring together 100 of the most iconic costumes in films history. The roll call is to die for, but the exhibition also explores the integral role of the costume designer and how they bring a story to life...

''Costumes are one channel by which a character is transformed from the written page to a multi-dimensional people. The costume designer gives the clothes to the actor, the actor gives the character to the director, and the director tells the story. When a character and a film capture the public’s imagination; the costumes can ignite worldwide fashion trends and influence global culture. Cinematic icons are born when the audience falls deeply in love with the people in the story. And that’s what movies, and costume design, is all about'' - Deborah Nadoolman Landis. 

The exhibition opens this Saturday, October 20th until 27th January 2013. It's going to be very popular so make sure you book!

Test yourself, see if you can name all the costumes above. Answers at the bottom if you need a little help!

Top image from left to right...Cate Blanchett’s regalia from Elizabeth, Charlie Chaplin’s getup from The Tramp, Kate Winslet’s ship-boarding ensemble fromTitanic, Christian Bale’s Batman suit from The Dark Knight Rises, Meryl Streep’s coat from Out of Africa,Brad Pitt’s Fight Club outfit, Ginger Rogers’s dress from Lady in the Dark, Marilyn Monroe’s fur stole and sequined shift from Some Like It Hot, Judy Garland’s “Dorothy” dress from The Wizard of Oz, and Gwyneth Paltrow’s Elizabethan frock from Shakespeare in Love.

Bob Marley in London

A tenuous link to London maybe, but this guy gets me through my morning commute most days. Nobody calms the soul like Marley. i feel positively centred after the first bar of three little birds.
As you probably know, Marley spent a lot of time in London. I went looking for this plaque the other day in Camden, after reading about his 'footprint on London'. 

Now, i'm quoting a quote of a quote here, when i write that Marley believed London was his 'spiritual home'. I was surprised by that, but i will take it anyhow. I tried so hard to find a photo or some footage of him playing football in Battersea Park, but had no luck. hmmm. There might be something in the new documentary that comes out next week. Check out the trailer. It looks awesome. i feel like i've been waiting forever for it to come out.

Sinister Fairytales

The Stuff of Nightmares @ Museum of Childhood. The Brothers Grimm's Fundevogel, seen through the eyes of Caley Primary School, Morpeth Secondary School and Tower Hamlets College.

...by Paris based photographer Thomas Czarnecki

the battle to be the fairest fairytale film of all this summer...

Angelina Jolie in Maleficent (Evil villain in Disney's Sleeping Beauty), set for release March 2014

MCQ - The show must go on...

Much has been said about Sarah Burton since she deservedly took the helm at Alexander McQueen two years ago. Nobody can have any doubt that she has continued to take the brand forward with integrity, remaining true to McQueen’s vision, whilst putting her own stamp on things (ok, so that sounds very awards show schmaltzy, but I have just watched the Oscar highlights, so forgive me, it is sincere!)

The intro of the McQ diffusion line to LFW had the fashion world itching with excitement. Now, the collection was gorgeous, fusing a strict military aesthetic with that romantic flare that Burton seems to effortlessly conjure. But it was the spectacle of the show finale that had the audience and those streaming at home mesmerised. The dramatic twist gave a nod to the showmanship of McQueen and the spectacular theatrics within his catwalk history.

So let me set the scene. Kristen McMenamy walks out in the closing outfit (the most beautiful white dress, with a nipped in waist and full tulle skirt), stops dead, bathed in bright light, when leaves start falling around her…As she looks around, she finds a rope, hidden beneath the leaves, which guides her forward, into an alluring wood…

Did you see the techno hut coming? The show really got me reminiscing, leading to a monster you tube fest!

McQueen always began his collections with a concept for the show. The fashion then followed. Inspired by anything and everything, from Art, Film, Music, History; he looked to  a variety of sources, always leading to a richer experience. The shows were never trivial, never cosmetic, which is why they were so powerful. Each one had a message, a story, drama...

Joan A/W '98-99
This show was inspired by one of, what McQueen called, history's doomed women -  Joan of Arc. Like he would time and time again, McQueen covered the model's face. The focus was to be on the clothes, not the wearer. The finale was literally on fire...

The Overlook AW '99-00

Made to feel like a giant snow globe...this show had, well, snow, actual wolves and an ice skating rink in the middle. It was also an example of McQueen finding inspiration in film. In this case Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Remember the name of the hotel? If you are a fan of the film, you will also recognise the music in this clip and you may spot a pair of familiar looking (albeit slightly older) twins...

No. 13 S/S '99


''[The finale of this collection] was inspired by an installation by artist Rebecca Horn of two shotguns firing blood-red paint at each other.” – Lee Alexander McQueen

VOSS S/S '01
Inspired by a photograph by Joel Peter Witkin's, Sanitarium (pictured below).

This show is possibly my all time favourite, especially after seeing part of the collection up close at a VandA exhibition, Radical Fashion, way back in 2002! I loved how the audience sat down in front of this vast box, to find that, unnervingly, they were staring at their own reflection. As the lights went down outside the box, the lights went on inside, where the models then found themselves on the wrong side of a one-way mirror. “These beautiful models were walking around in the room, and then suddenly this woman who wouldn’t be considered beautiful was revealed. It was about trying to trap something that wasn’t conventionally beautiful to show that beauty comes from within.” – Lee Alexander McQueen

Joel Peter Witkin's Sanitarium (above and the actual show below)

What a Merry-Go-Round A/W '01-02
A sinister take on the fairground, staged on a dark and twisted Merry-go-Round outside a Victorian toy shop. The shows music featured the voice of the child catcher from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the kind of scary ass clowns that are the subjects of many nightmares! One of his many macabre moments

Widows of Culloden A/W '06-07
The final moments of this show saw a haunting hologram of Kate Moss, apparate out of the darkness, to the beautiful Theme from Schindler's List. McQueen rarely used supermodels, however he used Kate Moss in a number of his shows. This one was during the whole cocaine scandal, when brands were dropping Moss faster than you can say Daily Mirror! But McQueen stood by her.
The show was inspired by the last battle of the Jacobite risings between the Brits and the Scotts, alluding to McQueen's heritage. It is also the sequel to Highland Rape A/w '95-96. Not one to lament in silence, this is but one example of McQueen airing his political views, in this case, his disdain of the Brits treatment of the Scotts in the 1700s. 

…then there was Untitled S/S '98 (formally known as Golden Showers...), It’s only a Game S/S '05 (a giant game of Model Chess, inspired by a scene in the 1st Harry Potter), Scanners A/W '03/04 (featuring a beautiful, oversized kimono installation)...and that's not even the half of it! This post has taken me 4 days to write, due to all the revelling in his catalogue of gorgeous work. He is truly captivating. Long may his talent inspire.

those Summer Cinema nights...

The outdoor film experience is winding up for the Summer...in what ironically looks to be one of the hottest weeks of the year! The Rooftop Film Club, Dalston Roof Park and The Scoop all have their final curtain call this Friday, so take advantage of these last few summer nights and get on it!

Thanks to the free film screenings at The Scoop (outside City Hall on the South Bank), i have now joined the rest of the world in watching The Kings Speech. I'm glad i held out. The film was brilliant but the setting was spectacular, especially as night fell. i loved the sound of open air laughter, which you miss at other outdoor headphone wearing film venues. It was also a great place to people watch! There was such a varied crowd...city guys arriving in their suits, braving the stone steps with their bare behinds, families with kids, friends, lovers, all mushed up together, making things nice and cosy. What i loved the most though, was that everyone brought their own supply of food, drink and cushions, even though there was a well stocked bar and £1- a -go pillows on hand. When did Londoner's become so frugal? Did it start in '08 with the 'R' word?? 

Maybe it's my Northern roots, but i've been packing my own cinema picnic for years now, having become jaded with ridiculously priced revels and the lack of savory snacks - word of warning, sushi and cinema do not mix!But you knew that already, right?!

The whole 'make do and munch' thing just made for a great community atmosphere. Although I did get a serious bout of snack envy. My sandwich, wine and wasabi pea combo was lame compared to take away pizzas and champagne. Next year i will to know what i'm up against!

It's been a great summer of film.