Frock Flicks - Costume Movie Reviews

Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette Sep 04, 2007

A metaphor of 1980s consumer consumption and post-punk isolation, plus hardcore costume porn. Remember, what happens in Le Petit Trianon, stays in Le Petit Trianon.

Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth Oct 21, 2007

Is the Virgin Queen really a virgin? Does it matter? And check out the pants on that studly dude who'll later be flying around in a police call box. Bollywood meets Shakespeare in England's first golden age.

Justin Chadwick's The Other Boleyn Girl Mar 11, 2008

Ah, the great clash of history versus historical fiction! A best-selling book that toys liberally with the facts of Henry VIII and the two Boleyn sisters gets blown up on the big screen. Is it even more historically inaccurate than the novel? Does it matter? You may be surprised at what we think...

Wait, Wait, Don't Frock Me May 10, 2008

Instead of watching a movie, we quiz a live, studio audience about costume trivia! Tune into the gang at Costume-Con 26, where we boldly went where no historical cosutmers had podcasted before. NPR fans, frequent eBayers, and Showtime snarkers may get a giggle out of this episode.

Mira Nair's Vanity Fair Sep 28, 2008

Regency England gets an Indian flair in this adaption of William Makepeace Thackeray's novel. But this isn't just another Bollywood-ization -- the Indian themes are carefully woven into the story and visual effects. This could be the anti-Austen with nary a dull muslin gown in sight.

Charles Shyer's The Affair of the Necklace Jun 21, 2011

Fabulous 18th-century costumes plus bad casting makes 'The Affair of the Necklace' (2001) a contradictory endeavor. Listen as we analyze the costumes, praise Adrien Brody's towel, and ramble on about historical underwear.

Neil Jordan's The Borgias Mar 01, 2012

Power and intrigue at the Vatican during the Italian Renaissance. Listen as we geek out on shoes and eyeglasses, discuss historical body ideals, and bemoan the shy guys.

Michael Hirsts's The Tudors Nov 25, 2012

Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Henry VIII and a whole bunch of bad rental costumes ... and it only goes downhill from there! This time we record our discussion AS we watch episode 1 -- the horror!

Ronald D. Moore's Outlander Aug 27, 2014

This adaptation of the popular historical fiction/time travel books gets a lot right, but controversy ensued when the costume designer posted online some so-called facts about 18th-century hygiene. We review the movie and the costumes and discuss the controversy -- and how they REALLY handled hygiene back in the day.

Francis Ford Coppola's Bram Stoker's Dracula Oct 22, 2014

Bram Stoker's Dracula is an over-the-top costume extravaganza. We discuss the background of the film and source novel, the Art Nouveau aspects of the design, the arch theatricality, and Keanu Reeves attempts to NOT be Ted "Theodore" Logan.

Michael Hoffman's Restoration Nov 17, 2014

The adorable Robert Downey Jr. indulges in the sensuality of King Charles II's court but learns some Important Life Lessons, with the help of a surprisingly not annoying Meg Ryan. This flick has it all, from fabulous costumes to a great story, worth revisiting. Who knew?

Gillian Armstrong's Little Women Jan 12, 2015

This version of Little Women gets it nearly perfect, from a script that stays close to the Louisa May Alcott book and beautifully accurate costumes designed by Colleen Atwood. We discuss costumes, characterizations, casting, and a little bit of Transcendentalism and feminist theory.

Iain Softley's The Wings of the Dove Jan 12, 2015

This stunning adaptation of the Henry James novel is 99.9 percent perfect, from the amazing costumes designed by Sandy Powell to Helena Bonham Carter's performance in the lead role. We gush about the costumes, analyze the characters, and nerd out on early 20th-century fashion designer Mariano Fortuny.

Amma Asante's Belle Feb 24, 2015

This fascinating story of a mixed-race aristocratic woman living in 18th-century England is highly entertaining, even if it's not totally faithful to the historical record. Our discussion ranges from the movie itself, to the representation of non-white ethnicities in history and in historical costume films. We also analyze the costumes themselves, which are highly accurate but about 20 years too early.

Peter Kosminsky's Wolf Hall Apr 06, 2015

Wolf Hall purports to tell the story of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn through Thomas Cromwell's eyes. Based on the award-winning book by Hilary Mantel, this miniseries portrays a sympathetic look at Cromwell and a new perspective of the history you have probably heard before. It's an incredibly well done production, with amazing costumes (OK, we have a very few quibbles) and sets. We rave about the costumes (and nitpick a few elements), and debate the story and production.

BBC's Poldark Jul 06, 2015

The BBC (and Masterpiece PBS) brings back Ross Poldark and his lady-loves Elizabeth and Demelza in this reboot of the 1970's historical romance fave set in 18th-century Cornwall. While the costuming and hairstyles are a bit lackluster, Aidan Turner's broody manliness might just make up for the lack of historical accuracy.

Alan Rickmans's A Little Chaos Jul 27, 2015

Catching this film soon after its U.S. release, we admired much about the story but found the costumes a little lacking in historical accuracy. Yep, designer Joan Bergin reused some things from The Tudors and let a little gaposis shine into A Little Chaos, but at least we still have determined proto-feminist Kate Winslet, brooding Belgian Matthias Schoenaerts, and not enough of the awesome Alan Rickman playing around in muddy Versailles to distract us.

Wait, Wait, Don't Frock Me 2015 Aug 21, 2015

We quizzed a live Costume College audience about movie and TV costume trivia for fun and trivial prizes. Games included Who's Trystan This Time, Bluff the Costumer, Not My Costume with special guest Lauren of American Duchess historical footwear, and the Costumer Limerick Challenge.

Downton Abbey Season 6 Episode 1 Costume Recap Jan 04, 2016

We discuss the costumes worn in the first episode of Downton Abbey's final season. Middle Eastern embroidery, subtle details on the servant wear, and some sparkly evening wear make for a strong start to Downton's last season.

Downton Abbey Season 6 Episode 2 Costume Recap Jan 11, 2016

We discuss the costumes worn in the second episode of Downton Abbey's final season. EVERYONE has hat game, the Crawley ladies go artsy-craftsy, and Lady Mary wears the best dressing gown evah.

Downton Abbey Season 6 Episode 3 Costume Recap Jan 18, 2016

We discuss the costumes worn in the third episode of Downton Abbey's final season. Weddings! Fashion magazines! New love interests! Returning characters!

Downton Abbey Season 6 Episode 4 Costume Recap Jan 25, 2016

We discuss the costumes worn in the fourth episode of Downton Abbey's final season. Gwen is back, the bling is ON, and Mary gets frumpy.

Downton Abbey Season 6 Episode 5 Costume Recap Feb 01, 2016

We discuss the costumes worn in the fifth episode of Downton Abbey's final season. Mary goes racing with Henry Talbot, Edith and Bertie finally kiss, and Robert spews blood all over Cora's fancy evening dress. Whoa!

Downton Abbey Season 6 Episode 6 Costume Recap Feb 08, 2016

We discuss the costumes worn in the sixth episode of Downton Abbey's final season. Mary wears yet another stunning evening dress while Edith has her beat at daywear, both sisters make serious relationship progress, and we find out that the Crawleys know nothing about their house!

Downton Abbey Season 6 Episode 7 Costume Recap Feb 15, 2016

We discuss the costumes worn in the seventh episode of Downton Abbey's final season. Everyone is off to the races in smashing daywear and Edith makes some progress, but Mary and Henry hit a serious roadblock.

Downton Abbey Season 6 Episode 8 Costume Recap Feb 22, 2016

We discuss the costumes worn in the eighth episode of Downton Abbey's final season. Mary screws over Edith and we are pissed. Meanwhile, we admire Mary, Rosamund, and Edith's wardrobes - minus Mary's wedding dress.

Downton Abbey Season 6 Episode 9 Costume Recap Mar 03, 2016

We discuss the costumes worn in the ninth episode of Downton Abbey's final season. Edith gets a wedding dress, Rose is back with New York style, and everything gets wrapped up with a big shiny bow.

Stephen Frears's Dangerous Liaisons Mar 21, 2016

We take on the modern classic of 18th-century historical costume film, Dangerous Liaisons, starring the wickedly good Glenn Close as a marquise out for retribution and a disturbingly sexy John Malkovich as a vicomte who's happy to help in her amoral escapades. James Acheson won a well-deserved Best Costume Oscar for this film, even though he made these exquisite 18th-century costumes on a tight budget.

Outlander Season 2, Episode 1 Apr 12, 2016

Outlander is back for season 2, and we're finally in France to see all the shiny! This episode actually spends half of its time in the 1940s, so we discuss those clothes and how Claire's 18th century wardrobe is used as a plot device. Then, we're finally back in 1740s France, where there's some lovely men's clothes and wigs, and some back-lacing women's dresses to analyze.

Outlander Season 2, Episode 2 Apr 19, 2016

We're not in Scotland anymore, Dorothy. Jamie and Claire have finally made it to Paris, and they're living the high Jacobite life in some gorgeous 1740s costumes... with a few quibbles. We discuss character costume decisions, The Red Dress, The Bar Suit, and all that mash-up of 1740s and 1940s. Along the way, we talk about nipple piercing, pubic hair depilation, oh and wigs and hair - as one does.

Outlander Season 2, Episode 3 Apr 26, 2016

There's lots to love in this episode. Claire rocks a beautiful gown and riding habit, secondary characters get frilly, and Jamie finally gets something shiny of his own. But, there are problems in Jamie and Claire's marriage.

Outlander Season 2, Episode 4 May 03, 2016

We're joined by dress historian Brenna Barks, who is an expert in Scottish 18th century costume. We discuss a bit about Scottish history, then delve into the costumes worn in episode four. Finally, we get a real properly accurate dress back, plus some futuristic aniline dye and a dinner party full of shiny.

Outlander Season 2, Episode 5 May 10, 2016

Claire has new dressing gowns, Jamie's boots get analyzed, there's historical crochet, Bonnie Prince Charlie gets some gorgeous gold trim, and we finally see and exhaustively discuss the brown and yellow floral dress. Also, we discuss issues with changing the past and future, and the issue of rape as a plot device in Outlander.

Outlander Season 2, Episodes 6 and 7 May 24, 2016

Claire wears an historically accurate robe volante in episode six, and an evocative but not quite right francaise in episode seven. Oh, and boys wear things too. Recorded in Paris.

Outlander Season 2, Episode 8 Jun 01, 2016

Jamie and Claire are back in Scotland and back in wool. We are joined by two historical costumers and fashion historians, Lisa Vandenberghe and Francis Classe. Lisa is also a former professional costume designer for TV, film, and theater.

Outlander Season 2, Episodes 9 and 10 Jun 14, 2016

We cover two very wooly episodes, and get into Dougal's hotness, how the costumes are working with the characterizations, the recreation of an outfit from a real painting of Bonnie Prince Charlie, and the battle of Prestonpans.

Outlander Season 2, Episode 11 Jun 21, 2016

There is still lots of wool, but luckily the Duke of Sandringham and Mary Hawkins show up to give us a small taste of shiny. We discuss wigs, the lack of shagging, and various plot points as we hurtle onwards in the Jacobite Rising.

Outlander Season 2, Episodes 12 and 13 Jul 12, 2016

We're joined by Brenna Barks, historian of 18th century Scotland and its dress. We discuss the finale, but spend even more time on the second season as a whole, getting into the real history behind the Jacobite Rising of 1745, the historical accuracy of the costumes, and reflect on how well the season's costumes worked.

Guillermo del Toro's Crimson Peak Oct 26, 2016

We look at this gothic-horror story chock full of elaborate late Victorian costumes. Director Guillermo del Toro and costume designer Kate Hawley combine powers for a dark and spooky visual treat (with a few tricks).

Mel Gibson's Braveheart Jan 27, 2017

For Snark Week, we take on that clunker of medieval Scotland' Braveheart. Oh yes, shitty kilts, stretch panne velvet, and patriarchy abounds. Listen to us get progressively drunker and shoutier as we decry all the crappy costumes and history in this classic film. We're joined by Scottish dress historian Brenna Barks.

Patreon Preview Feb 22, 2017

Get a taste of our subscription-only Patreon podcasts with this preview where we discuss what we've been watching recently, including Victoria and Six Wives with Lucy Worsley. Plus we look at how criticism fits in an academic and journalistic context.

Versailles S2, Search Terms, Patreon Oct 12, 2017

We kickoff our new podcast format with bits of news from the costume drama world, a behind-the-scenes look at Frock Flicks HQ, and a review of the first episodes of Versailles season two. Get your snark on for a monthly or twice monthly romp through historical costume movies and TV.

Jamestown, Gunpowder, London Nov 09, 2017

We discuss the Association of Dress Historians conference in London and give you an inside peek at what's coming up with costume movies and TV as well as what's in the works for the blog. Next, we do in-depth reviews of the TV series Jamestown, which has aired in the UK, as well as Gunpowder, which stars Kit Harrington and is coming soon to HBO. Get your snark on for a monthly or twice monthly romp through historical costume movies and TV.

Yorgos Lanthimos's The Favorite Dec 10, 2018

We review this tale of court intrigue set in the early 18th century. Two women (Sarah Duchess of Marlborough, played by Rachel Weisz, and Abigail Masham, played by Emma Stone) vie for the attention of English Queen Anne (Olivia Coleman). With costumes designed by Sandy Powell and a historically accurate view of female power and sexuality, we find a lot to praise!

Josie Rourke's Mary Queen of Scots Jan 08, 2019

We review this attempt at a biopic about the famous 16th-century Scottish queen. This movie weirdly wastes time on a reductionist view of Elizabeth I of England at the expense of Mary's story. With costumes designed by Alexandra Byrne, whose designs feature denim, saddlebags, and a whole lot of WTF, we end up asking WHY a lot.

Downton Abbey - The Movie Sep 20, 2019

We review the Crawley clan's jump from TV to the big screen. Fans of this historical soap opera will delight in seeing the aristocratic family and their servants again. While we adored the glorious 1920s costumes by Anna Robbins, we have some issues with the predictable plotting.

Celine Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire May 08, 2020

We review this late 18th century-set French, female-focused film. We agree it is a beautiful movie, with well-done, if non-specific, costumes. We also discuss what we are watching during quarantine.

The Great, Episodes 1 and 2 May 22, 2020

We review the first two episodes of this darkly comedic take on 18th century Russian Empress Catherine the Great starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. The series is similar in tone to show runner's Tony McNamara's The Favourite. Costume designer Emma Fryer's work is close enough to Catherine's era, and most importantly, it is well-made and well-fitted.

The Great, Episodes 3 and 4 Jun 05, 2020

We review the third and fourth episodes of this darkly comedic take on 18th century Russian Empress Catherine the Great starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. The designer's departures from historical accuracy work well with the show's comic tone and only loose relationship to history.

The Great, Episodes 5 and 6 Jun 19, 2020

We review the third and fourth episodes of this darkly comedic take on 18th century Russian Empress Catherine the Great starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. Not much new happens in the costume department but we discuss it nonetheless.

The Great, Episodes 7 and 8 Jul 02, 2020

We review the seventh and eighth episodes of this darkly comedic take on 18th century Russian Empress Catherine the Great starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. Beautiful textiles and excellent fitting abound, but we are getting bored of all the repeats and want more from the court dress.

The Great, Episodes 9 and 10 Jul 23, 2020

We review the ninth and tenth episodes of this darkly comedic take on 18th century Russian Empress Catherine the Great starring Elle Fanning and Nicholas Hoult. We have mixed opinions about the finale, make some hopefully interesting digressions, and give season one a solid B grade for absurdist history.

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