Thursday Movie Picks: Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Oscar Winners Edition): Wandering through the Shelves hosts a weekly movie challenge in which you choose 3-5 movies based on that Thursday’s theme and explain why you chose those movies. Today’s theme is Best Costume Design and Best Makeup and Hairstyling (Oscar Winners Edition) so here are my choices!
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
mad max: fury road (2015)
IMO, Mad Max: Fury Road should have won the Oscar for Best Picture! I don’t like to use the word “masterpiece” often, but I truly find this film to be a masterpiece. The acting, directing… everything. I loved the costumes in this movie. A near-perfect reflection of a future dystopia. This is a movie I watch a lot, especially if it’s on television. I just can’t turn away!
the return of the king (2003)
I absolutely love these films, which you can tell by all of the previous TMP: Oscar Editions where I’ve chosen one of the films from the trilogy. But I do think the costumes in these films were so fabulous. From the elves to hobbits, even the orcs, the detailing is exquisite. I nearly chose this for Best Makeup, too, but I resisted – somehow.
moulin rouge! (2001)
I need to watch Moulin Rouge! again. But this is such a fun, romantic, tragic movie, and I adore the entire look of it, including the costumes. Has Nicole Kidman ever looked more beautiful than as Satine? Catherine Martin (the designer) also won an Oscar for The Great Gatsby, and was deserving of it as well.
BEST MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLING
an american werewolf in london (1981)
Full disclosure: I have never seen An American Werewolf in London! But I’ve always meant to, and I always felt like it’s makeup and effects were so impressive given the time period when it was filmed. I also realized that my pics for Best Makeup are all from horror films (or comedy horror as the next pick) so… theme within a theme! But yes, I love that a horror movie won an Oscar because I don’t think it happens as often as it should.
beetlejuice (1988)
Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! I absolutely love this movie. Michael Keaton is at his finest. Catherine O’Hara, Winona Ryder, Jeffrey Jones, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, etc., etc.! It’s so fun and funny, and it’s one I definitely want to revisit this Halloween. But it’s not just the makeup of Beetlejuice himself, but all of the characters and those of the dead. I honestly hadn’t known this movie won an Oscar for it, and I was thrilled when I discovered it had won for today’s post.
bram stoker’s dracula
You can read my review of Dracula here. While I found the movie itself a bit middle of the road in terms of quality, I think the look of the film is really beautiful, and I love how they were able to transform Gary Oldman into so many variations of Dracula. I really do believe it deserved the Oscar, and if anything in this movie “holds up” today, it’s the makeup.
Joel
August 5, 2021My first thought was An American Werewolf in London for this week! I’d used it before so I moved on but it was so deserving of its win and if you haven’t seen it you are in for a treat. It seems weird to say but there is a lot of sweetness to the film mixed in with the horror elements.
I didn’t love any of your other picks as much but even for ones I was indifferent to (Moulin Rouge and Dracula) or thought were merely okay-Mad Max-or even the one I loathed-LOTR-I can’t argue that in this aspect they deserved their awards.
I will single out Beetlejuice. I liked but didn’t love the film but it is the sort of film these awards were created to honor. All the performers really create terrific characters but the make-up adds a special extra element that rounds out their portrayals.
I didn’t have time to do both costume and make-up so I focused on the first award with three from different decades that deserved their wins.
Les Girls (1957)-Lady Sybil Wren (Kay Kendall) writes a memoir of her time as a dancer in the Les Girl troupe headed by Barry Nichols (Gene Kelly). Upon publication she is sued for libel by Angele Ducros (Taina Elg) who along with Joy Henderson (Mitzi Gaynor) was also in the group. As the story unfolds Rashomon style it raises questions of what the truth is as both women and Barry present their versions all set to the music of Cole Porter. Nominated for three Oscars (Costume Design, Art Direction and Sound) this won Orry-Kelly the second of his three Oscars (out of four nominations) for his dazzling and stylish work.
Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)-Chronicle of the rapid rise of Anne Boleyn (Genevieve Bujold) to become Henry VIII’s (Richard Burton) second queen, nearly tearing the English Kingdom apart in the process and equally precipitous fall. Beautifully appointed and fiercely acted by the leads this received 9 other Oscar nominations (Picture, Actor, Actress, Supporting Actor, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Production Design, Score and Sound Mixing) besides Margaret Furse’s (her only prize out of 6 nominations) well deserved win for Costume Design for her elaborately intricate costumes which inform and enrich the characters rather than just being wardrobe.
Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)-Sydney based drag queen Anthony (Hugo Weaving) accepts a gig in far off Alice Springs inviting fellow cross-dresser Adam (Guy Pearce) and transsexual Bernadette (Terence Stamp) to tag along. Decked out in one jaw dropping ensemble after another the trio undertake an odyssey across the Australian Outback in their lavender bus, Priscilla encountering both friend and foe along the way. Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner won the film’s sole nomination for their memorably over the top costume designs with Gardiner creating a sensation by accepting the award in a dress made entirely of expired American Express cards.
Sara
August 6, 2021I think I’ll add An American Werewolf to my Halloween watches this October! I *think* I saw Adventires of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert a long, long time ago but I don’t remember much about it! Anne of the Thousand Days sounds interesting though. I love the story of Anne Boleyn.
Joel
August 7, 2021I’m fascinated by that period of Tudor England as well and all the drama surrounding Henry VIII and his many wives and his children. Having read extensively about all that happened I shy away from more current productions such as The Other Boleyn Girl and The Tudors which twist and often completely misrepresent the facts. The actual story is so complex and twisted I’ve never understood why modern producers feel the need to add false information since it was all so scandalous and dramatic as is.
Anne of the Thousand Days doesn’t do, it might tweak a thing or two for dramatic effect but sticks more or less to the actual story and is all the better for it.
Since you are interested in Anne’s story I’m assuming you are likewise so about the king’s other wives. There is a tremendous six part BBC mini-series from 1970 called The Six Wives of Henry VIII with each episode devoted to a single wife. The production values are a bit ragged compared to modern times but the acting is fantastic throughout and the historical accuracy is very good.
It was followed up the next year with another six parter from the BBC named Elizabeth R starring Glenda Jackson as Good Queen Bess from the age of 18 until her death. It is of equally high quality and Glenda Jackson is phenomenal. Both programs were showered with awards in their respective years.
I know both are on DVD-I own them-and would imagine that there was some streaming availability.
Sonia
August 6, 2021This is probably the first time I’ve seen all of your picks and they all fit perfectly! I wasn’t a fan of An American Werewolf in London but the makeup was so good.
Sara
August 6, 2021Woo! I need to watch American Werewolf… maybe this October!
Brittani
August 6, 2021I love how you edited these photos! Great picks.
Sara
August 6, 2021Thank you!
Katy
August 6, 2021Great list! So many good picks here – a few I wish I picked myself like LOTR. I’m so surprised Beetlejuice won an Oscar for make-up/hairstyling, but it deserves it. Glad we matched on Moulin Rouge and MMFR. Nice photo editing too!
Sara
August 6, 2021I was honestly surprised to see Beetlejuice won an Oscar too! But I felt like it was so deserving. I loved the makeup of the dead.
Ruth
August 6, 2021Love your picks in costume design, I adore all three of those movies. The make-up for Dracula is definitely Oscar-worthy, Gary Oldman is barely recognizable!
ThePunkTheory
August 9, 2021Moulin Rouge is a brilliant pick. I’d wear every single one of Nicole Kidman’s gorgeous outfits!
Sara
August 12, 2021Same! Even though I would never look as good as she does in them lol
Birgit
August 11, 2021Love your pics! We match with Dracula which I find amazing despite Keanu. The make up is excellent and so are the costumes which she won the Oscar for also. I love LOTR and the costumes , jewelry, everything is just beautiful and so is the make up..those orcs..yuck. I am not much of a fan of Mad Max but it is a good film. The freaky heavy me5al guys playing music kills me. Beetlejuice is hilarious and the make up lends to this. I love the shrunken head guy in the waiting room. Moulin Rouge is a much better film than Gatsby and Kidman looks great in her role. Apparently she broke a rib in that opening scene but carried on filming. The costumes are excellent for this classic retelling of Camille. I, too, still have to see American Werewolf because I get scared so easily that I couldn’t watch it but now, I think, I will be ok. It was revolutionary when it came out and it won the first Oscar for Best Makeup.
Sara
August 12, 2021Keanu isn’t the best actor but honestly, I find him so charismatic anyway lol LOTR could really be chosen for so many of these TMP. In MM, the dude playing the fire guitar… it’s so funny but cool at the same time lol. IDK. it’s so weird. I hadn’t heard that about Nicole on the set of MR! I have to be in the mood to watch it because the end depresses me so much.
Wandering Through the Shelves
August 12, 2021I had wanted to pick Dracula too. Not only for makeup and hairstyling but also costumes…that red armor really sticks out.
Sara
August 12, 2021Oooh yeah! The costumes were brilliant! The red armor and Lucy’s undead gown. Loved it.