Goldmember, the final film (so far) in the Austin Powers series again shifts its timeline. However, rather than a negligible, though comparatively significant, jump from late to very late 1960s, here we dive into that most raucous of decades – the 1970s. And then back to 2002 (do keep up). For costume designer Deena Appel it was a wildly ambitious undertaking. Not to mention the film also features a well-known music and movie star, just about to launch into the stratosphere: Beyoncé.
Speaking exclusively to Clothes on Film and closing out our epic in-depth look at the Austin Powers trilogy, Deena Appel explains her inspiration and research for Goldmember, complete with never seen before sketches of all the pivotal characters.
Sketch and fabric swatch of the flight suit worn by Austin Powers (Mike Myers / Tom Cruise) during the opening sequence of Goldmember. Illustration by Felipe Sanchez.
Clothes on Film: So, let’s start at the beginning.
Speaking exclusively to Clothes on Film and closing out our epic in-depth look at the Austin Powers trilogy, Deena Appel explains her inspiration and research for Goldmember, complete with never seen before sketches of all the pivotal characters.
Sketch and fabric swatch of the flight suit worn by Austin Powers (Mike Myers / Tom Cruise) during the opening sequence of Goldmember. Illustration by Felipe Sanchez.
Clothes on Film: So, let’s start at the beginning.
- 10/9/2018
- by Lord Christopher Laverty
- Clothes on Film
The second installment (part one Here) of our extensive interview with Austin Powers trilogy costume designer Deena Appel, this time focusing on The Spy Who Shagged Me.
Things change up in The Spy Who Shagged Me, for in addition to costuming the modern and swinging sixties world of Austin Powers, his character also travels to 1969, i.e. the ‘hippie era’. The first film was a tremendous success and Appel’s contribution solidified her as the only person who could return to costume this fabulous, vibrant landscape.
Speaking exclusively to Clothes on Film, and providing never before seen or published costume sketches from the movie, Deena Appel explains her inspirations and process for The Spy Who Shagged Me.
Sketches and fabric swatches for background characters in The Spy Who Shagged Me.
Clothes on Film: We start the film essentially where the first one left off, with Austin in his dressing gown.
Things change up in The Spy Who Shagged Me, for in addition to costuming the modern and swinging sixties world of Austin Powers, his character also travels to 1969, i.e. the ‘hippie era’. The first film was a tremendous success and Appel’s contribution solidified her as the only person who could return to costume this fabulous, vibrant landscape.
Speaking exclusively to Clothes on Film, and providing never before seen or published costume sketches from the movie, Deena Appel explains her inspirations and process for The Spy Who Shagged Me.
Sketches and fabric swatches for background characters in The Spy Who Shagged Me.
Clothes on Film: We start the film essentially where the first one left off, with Austin in his dressing gown.
- 10/2/2018
- by Lord Christopher Laverty
- Clothes on Film
With Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (1997), costume designer Deena Appel created one of the most iconic screen looks of all time. That is no overstatement; Austin Powers has been copied and homaged and wheeled out every year as a Halloween costume, with very little credit put Appel’s way. It is a rather sad indictment of how the industry works that, despite its importance, especially in a film such as Austin Powers, a costume designer will rarely see any kudos come their way.
Awards? Well, you might have a chance if your film is set in Victorian England or Disney-verse, but other than that not so much. With this in mind, it seems an apt a time as any to celebrate Appel’s incredible achievement with the Austin Powers trilogy, by interviewing the designer herself and publishing a raft of costume sketches from each movie.
Excerpts of this interview,...
Awards? Well, you might have a chance if your film is set in Victorian England or Disney-verse, but other than that not so much. With this in mind, it seems an apt a time as any to celebrate Appel’s incredible achievement with the Austin Powers trilogy, by interviewing the designer herself and publishing a raft of costume sketches from each movie.
Excerpts of this interview,...
- 9/25/2018
- by Lord Christopher Laverty
- Clothes on Film
Since 19th July, The London Film Museum has been running an exhibition of props and costumes from 20th Century Fox movies to celebrate the studio’s 75th anniversary. Clothes on Film decided to make a visit, a bit late in the day, but we had a good look round anyway.
There were not that many costumes in the Fox exhibition (certainly considering the history of the studio), but the museum itself has plenty more to see. Just to be in the same room as some of these memorable outfits is a thrill, especially from more recent movies where memories are fresh. With this is mind, here is our pick of Fox’s lot and the best the museum has to offer:
Australia (2008):
One thing about Baz Luhrmann’s Australia, regardless of the quality of the film itself, is that the World War II era costumes are dazzling . This red...
There were not that many costumes in the Fox exhibition (certainly considering the history of the studio), but the museum itself has plenty more to see. Just to be in the same room as some of these memorable outfits is a thrill, especially from more recent movies where memories are fresh. With this is mind, here is our pick of Fox’s lot and the best the museum has to offer:
Australia (2008):
One thing about Baz Luhrmann’s Australia, regardless of the quality of the film itself, is that the World War II era costumes are dazzling . This red...
- 8/16/2010
- by Chris Laverty
- Clothes on Film
Although it's poised to flex boxoffice muscle when it opens Thursday for Easter-weekend action, "Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous" is neither buff nor fabulous, the high concept more wearying than delightful on the second go-round. Even as agile a performer as Sandra Bullock seems to be straining here amid the repetitive jokes and muddled girl-power message.
Returning screenwriter Marc Lawrence finds a smart, logical hook back into the story of klutzy FBI agent Gracie Hart (Bullock) but merely leads her through familiar paces, the sequel's giddy potential unrealized. A sure sign of trouble: Even a Las Vegas chase scene involving Dolly Parton falls flat.
In the first installment (a Christmas 2000 hit), Hart went undercover as a contestant in the nationally televised Miss United States pageant, leaving one to wonder how she'd ever do undercover field work again. She can't -- but somehow the FBI needs a botched assignment to figure out the obvious. So at the urging of her boss (Ernie Hudson), Gracie the tomboy puts her newfound celebrity to work for the Bureau as "the new face of the FBI," a face adorned with false eyelashes and pink lip gloss. Guiding her through appearances with Regis is stylist Joel; in place of Michael Caine's nuanced image consultant we get Diedrich Bader's obvious, if likable, walking stereotype.
When Miss United States (Heather Burns, reprising her role as ultraearnest, homespun Cheryl) and pageant host Stan Fields (William Shatner, making the most of his brief screen time) are kidnapped in Nevada by not-quite-believable sibling thugs (Abraham Benrubi and Nick Offerman), Gracie jets into Vegas headquarters as the FBI's spokeswoman. Besides her hair-and-makeup people, her entourage includes a pugnacious pit bull of a reluctant bodyguard (Regina King).
That King's character is an agent named Sam Fuller is an odd and distracting nod to the tough-guy independent filmmaker amid this pic's formulaic plot turns, not to mention the pearls and Chanel suits. An hour into the film, when Gracie defies orders and goes undercover with Joel and Sam, a certain comic shtick kicks in, briefly. But mainly the proceedings feel as faux and eager to please as the Vegas renditions of Venice and New York. The inevitable drag extravaganza, though it's a shot of adrenaline, has an air of desperation about it.
When given the chance, Bullock and King are so good at showing the friendless little girls beneath their characters' grown-up swagger that it's a shame they have to spend so much time going mano a mano. And while it's hard to argue with the film's message of female self-reliance, "Congeniality 2" clearly revels in the dumb brawling, playing to some ill-defined middle with the notion that beating people up is cool -- or funny -- when girls do it.
Treat Williams is suitably bureaucratic as Gracie's FBI nemesis in Vegas, presiding over production designer Maher Ahmad's striking neon honeycomb of a situation room. Enrique Murciano makes an impression as a sympathetic, if somewhat slow on the uptake, Nevada agent.
With solid creative support, notably Deena Appel's costumes, helmer John Pasquin ("Joe Somebody") and DP Peter Menzies Jr. orchestrate the proceedings in a straight-ahead manner that works intermittently. But it also underscores the thinness of Lawrence's script, which can take the quips about designer latte and highlights only so far.
MISS CONGENIALITY 2: ARMED AND FABULOUS
Warner Bros. Pictures
Castle Rock Entertainment, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures presents
a Fortis Films production
Credits:
Director: John Pasquin
Screenwriter: Marc Lawrence
Producers: Sandra Bullock, Marc Lawrence
Executive producers: Mary McLaglen, John Kirby, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Peter Menzies Jr.
Production designer: Maher Ahmad
Co-producer: Gesine Bullock-Prado
Costume designer: Deena Appel
Editor: Garth Craven
Cast:
Gracie Hart: Sandra Bullock
Sam Fuller: Regina King
Jeff Foreman: Enrique Murciano
Stan Fields: William Shatner
McDonald: Ernie Hudson
Cheryl: Heather Burns
Joel: Diedrich Bader
Collins: Treat Williams
Lou Steele: Abraham Benrubi
Karl Steele: Nick Offerman
Carol Fields: Eileen Brennan
Regis Philbin, Dolly Parton
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 115 minutes...
Returning screenwriter Marc Lawrence finds a smart, logical hook back into the story of klutzy FBI agent Gracie Hart (Bullock) but merely leads her through familiar paces, the sequel's giddy potential unrealized. A sure sign of trouble: Even a Las Vegas chase scene involving Dolly Parton falls flat.
In the first installment (a Christmas 2000 hit), Hart went undercover as a contestant in the nationally televised Miss United States pageant, leaving one to wonder how she'd ever do undercover field work again. She can't -- but somehow the FBI needs a botched assignment to figure out the obvious. So at the urging of her boss (Ernie Hudson), Gracie the tomboy puts her newfound celebrity to work for the Bureau as "the new face of the FBI," a face adorned with false eyelashes and pink lip gloss. Guiding her through appearances with Regis is stylist Joel; in place of Michael Caine's nuanced image consultant we get Diedrich Bader's obvious, if likable, walking stereotype.
When Miss United States (Heather Burns, reprising her role as ultraearnest, homespun Cheryl) and pageant host Stan Fields (William Shatner, making the most of his brief screen time) are kidnapped in Nevada by not-quite-believable sibling thugs (Abraham Benrubi and Nick Offerman), Gracie jets into Vegas headquarters as the FBI's spokeswoman. Besides her hair-and-makeup people, her entourage includes a pugnacious pit bull of a reluctant bodyguard (Regina King).
That King's character is an agent named Sam Fuller is an odd and distracting nod to the tough-guy independent filmmaker amid this pic's formulaic plot turns, not to mention the pearls and Chanel suits. An hour into the film, when Gracie defies orders and goes undercover with Joel and Sam, a certain comic shtick kicks in, briefly. But mainly the proceedings feel as faux and eager to please as the Vegas renditions of Venice and New York. The inevitable drag extravaganza, though it's a shot of adrenaline, has an air of desperation about it.
When given the chance, Bullock and King are so good at showing the friendless little girls beneath their characters' grown-up swagger that it's a shame they have to spend so much time going mano a mano. And while it's hard to argue with the film's message of female self-reliance, "Congeniality 2" clearly revels in the dumb brawling, playing to some ill-defined middle with the notion that beating people up is cool -- or funny -- when girls do it.
Treat Williams is suitably bureaucratic as Gracie's FBI nemesis in Vegas, presiding over production designer Maher Ahmad's striking neon honeycomb of a situation room. Enrique Murciano makes an impression as a sympathetic, if somewhat slow on the uptake, Nevada agent.
With solid creative support, notably Deena Appel's costumes, helmer John Pasquin ("Joe Somebody") and DP Peter Menzies Jr. orchestrate the proceedings in a straight-ahead manner that works intermittently. But it also underscores the thinness of Lawrence's script, which can take the quips about designer latte and highlights only so far.
MISS CONGENIALITY 2: ARMED AND FABULOUS
Warner Bros. Pictures
Castle Rock Entertainment, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures presents
a Fortis Films production
Credits:
Director: John Pasquin
Screenwriter: Marc Lawrence
Producers: Sandra Bullock, Marc Lawrence
Executive producers: Mary McLaglen, John Kirby, Bruce Berman
Director of photography: Peter Menzies Jr.
Production designer: Maher Ahmad
Co-producer: Gesine Bullock-Prado
Costume designer: Deena Appel
Editor: Garth Craven
Cast:
Gracie Hart: Sandra Bullock
Sam Fuller: Regina King
Jeff Foreman: Enrique Murciano
Stan Fields: William Shatner
McDonald: Ernie Hudson
Cheryl: Heather Burns
Joel: Diedrich Bader
Collins: Treat Williams
Lou Steele: Abraham Benrubi
Karl Steele: Nick Offerman
Carol Fields: Eileen Brennan
Regis Philbin, Dolly Parton
MPAA rating PG-13
Running time -- 115 minutes...
- 4/20/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Like a groovy 1960s concept album with only one or two disappointing tracks, "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" is a gas for those in the same goofy state of mind as writer/co-star Mike Myers. The former "Saturday Night Live" regular's fourth film takes aim at perhaps too broad a demographic spectrum -- with crude physical humor and English-style satire vying for laughs -- but there's enough craziness and great gags to overcome its shortcomings.
A frequently hilarious spoof of British spy movies and the sexual revolution, with Myers playing both hero and villain, the New Line Cinema release is an underdog needing "shagedelic" word-of-mouth to break out. Myers is in top form as a randy Mod spy reawakened after 30 years in the present day, and Elizabeth Hurley ("Dangerous Ground") is delightful in her best role, promising potent international business and a strong video release for director Jay Roach's feature debut.
Myers' screenplay is a gem, starting with the musical-like opening that introduces gawky, dentally impaired Austin Powers (Myers), an effusive lover of women, all of whom he enthusiastically calls "baby." It's 1967 England and, decked out in bell bottoms and horn-rimmed glasses, Powers is a fashion photographer and top agent partnered with voluptuous, leather-clad Mrs. Kensington (Mimi Rogers).
Myers also plays the pale, bald, cat-loving Dr. Evil. In the prologue, Evil fails to assassinate Powers and escapes by cryogenically freezing and launching himself into space via a rocket disguised as a giant Bob's Big Boy statue. Powers agrees to be frozen for the day when Evil returns, and he's revived three decades later and teamed with sultry Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley), the daughter of his now-retired comrade.
The film has a seemingly endless storehouse of jokes about the Ian Fleming-like milieu -- from the heroes' droll superior, Basil Exposition (Michael York), to Evil's sexpot companion, Alotta Fagina (Fabiana Udenio), whose name makes everyone giggle. Cars, clothes, language, history, inflation, sex, crime -- Powers and Evil have a lot of catching up to do, and there are many priceless moments.
Contributing to the peppy pacing are several short interludes that are dead ringers for '60s pop-music television shows, with Powers fronting a band and playing the teen idol. While cockeyed Evil learns that $1 million is too little a ransom to demand for not destroying the world and gets to know his airhead son (Seth Green), cloned by his allies in his absence, Powers learns through Vanessa that "shagging" all the time with many partners and without protection is now irresponsible.
Robert Wagner provides solid backup as Evil's menacing colleague, while Burt Bacharach, Carrie Fisher and Tom Arnold appear in spirited cameos.
A big "far out, man" to the filmmakers, including production designer Cynthia Charette, costume designer Deena Appel and cinematographer Peter Deming ("Lost Highway"). The soundtrack is also a winner, with great tunes including Susanna Hoffs' version of "The Look of Love" and "BBC" by Ming Tea.
AUSTIN POWERS:
INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY
New Line Cinema
in association with Capella International/KC Medien
A Moving Pictures/Eric's Boy production
Director Jay Roach
Writer Mike Myers
Producers Suzanne Todd, Demi Moore,
Jennifer Todd, Mike Myers
Executive producers Eric McLeod,
Claire Rudnick Polstein
Director of photography Peter Deming
Production designer Cynthia Charette
Editor Debra Neil-Fisher
Costume designer Deena Appel
Music George S. Clinton
Casting John Papsidera
Color/stereo
Cast:
Austin Powers/Dr. Evil Mike Myers
Vanessa Kensington Elizabeth Hurley
Basil Exposition Michael York
Mrs. Kensington Mimi Rogers
Number Two Robert Wagner
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
A frequently hilarious spoof of British spy movies and the sexual revolution, with Myers playing both hero and villain, the New Line Cinema release is an underdog needing "shagedelic" word-of-mouth to break out. Myers is in top form as a randy Mod spy reawakened after 30 years in the present day, and Elizabeth Hurley ("Dangerous Ground") is delightful in her best role, promising potent international business and a strong video release for director Jay Roach's feature debut.
Myers' screenplay is a gem, starting with the musical-like opening that introduces gawky, dentally impaired Austin Powers (Myers), an effusive lover of women, all of whom he enthusiastically calls "baby." It's 1967 England and, decked out in bell bottoms and horn-rimmed glasses, Powers is a fashion photographer and top agent partnered with voluptuous, leather-clad Mrs. Kensington (Mimi Rogers).
Myers also plays the pale, bald, cat-loving Dr. Evil. In the prologue, Evil fails to assassinate Powers and escapes by cryogenically freezing and launching himself into space via a rocket disguised as a giant Bob's Big Boy statue. Powers agrees to be frozen for the day when Evil returns, and he's revived three decades later and teamed with sultry Vanessa Kensington (Elizabeth Hurley), the daughter of his now-retired comrade.
The film has a seemingly endless storehouse of jokes about the Ian Fleming-like milieu -- from the heroes' droll superior, Basil Exposition (Michael York), to Evil's sexpot companion, Alotta Fagina (Fabiana Udenio), whose name makes everyone giggle. Cars, clothes, language, history, inflation, sex, crime -- Powers and Evil have a lot of catching up to do, and there are many priceless moments.
Contributing to the peppy pacing are several short interludes that are dead ringers for '60s pop-music television shows, with Powers fronting a band and playing the teen idol. While cockeyed Evil learns that $1 million is too little a ransom to demand for not destroying the world and gets to know his airhead son (Seth Green), cloned by his allies in his absence, Powers learns through Vanessa that "shagging" all the time with many partners and without protection is now irresponsible.
Robert Wagner provides solid backup as Evil's menacing colleague, while Burt Bacharach, Carrie Fisher and Tom Arnold appear in spirited cameos.
A big "far out, man" to the filmmakers, including production designer Cynthia Charette, costume designer Deena Appel and cinematographer Peter Deming ("Lost Highway"). The soundtrack is also a winner, with great tunes including Susanna Hoffs' version of "The Look of Love" and "BBC" by Ming Tea.
AUSTIN POWERS:
INTERNATIONAL MAN OF MYSTERY
New Line Cinema
in association with Capella International/KC Medien
A Moving Pictures/Eric's Boy production
Director Jay Roach
Writer Mike Myers
Producers Suzanne Todd, Demi Moore,
Jennifer Todd, Mike Myers
Executive producers Eric McLeod,
Claire Rudnick Polstein
Director of photography Peter Deming
Production designer Cynthia Charette
Editor Debra Neil-Fisher
Costume designer Deena Appel
Music George S. Clinton
Casting John Papsidera
Color/stereo
Cast:
Austin Powers/Dr. Evil Mike Myers
Vanessa Kensington Elizabeth Hurley
Basil Exposition Michael York
Mrs. Kensington Mimi Rogers
Number Two Robert Wagner
Running time -- 88 minutes
MPAA rating: PG-13...
- 4/25/1997
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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