INSPIRATION: FASHION & STYLE

Some of my favourite bits of Australian Fashion Week…

https://www.vogue.com/slideshow/australian-fashion-week-street-style-resort-2019?mbid=social_onsite_pinterest&verso=true#8

FILM 1994: MURIEL'S WEDDING

FILM 1994: MURIEL'S WEDDING

TRIVIA: The writer/director P.J. Hogan wanted to use the music of ABBA in the film. At first, permission for the music to be used was denied. When the director promised to fly to Europe to plead his case to the founders of the band, permission was granted, as long as the band received a percentage of the film profits. The film turned out to be a big international hit, and thus helped inspire the very successful Broadway show which became the movie Mamma Mia! (2008).

Toni Collette gained 40 pounds in 7 weeks with the help of a dietitian for this role.

Bill Hunter was filming The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994) and Muriel's Wedding (1994) at the same time, each requiring him to have different length hair, beard and to be in different parts of the country. Both films developed international cult followings and prominently featured the music of ABBA.

Included among the "1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die", edited by Steven Schneider.

In the video store where Muriel works, a poster for the movie Strictly Ballroom is visible. Bill Hunter, who plays Bill Heslop (Muriel's father), Is also in Strictly Ballroom in the role of Barry Fife.

P.J. Hogan based Muriel's personality on himself, but Muriel's actions were inspired by his sister, who embezzled $15,000 from their father and then disappeared to Sydney to live with a friend.

Betty Heslop passes a magazine called Womans Day in the supermarket. Womans Day is a real magazine which did a feature article about the movie. The same cover (as the one in the movie) was used.

http://www.we-are-scout.com/2016/05/henry-talbot-australian-fashion-photography-1960s.html

FILM 1468: MAD MAX: FURY ROAD 

TRIVIA: Over 80% of the effects seen in the film are real practical effects, stunts, make-up and sets. CGI was used sparingly mainly to enhance the Namibian landscape, remove stunt rigging and for Charlize Theron's left hand which in the film is a prosthetic arm.

In creating the look of the film, director George Miller laid down two stipulations for the production to follow. Firstly the cinematography would be as colorful as possible in order to differentiate the film from other post apocalyptic movies which typically have bleak desaturated colors. Secondly the art direction would be as beautiful as possible, as Miller reasoned that people living in the post apocalypse would try to find whatever scraps of beauty they could in their meager environment.

The film editor, Margaret Sixel, is director George Miller's wife. When she asked her husband why he thought she should do it as she had never edited an action film before, Miller replied, "Because if a guy did it, it would look like every other action movie."

In a Cannes press conference for the movie, Tom Hardy apologized to George Miller for the reportedly complicated relationship between the star and the director during filming. He stated: "There was no way, I mean, I have to apologize to you because I got frustrated. There was no way George could have explained what he could see in the sand when we were out there. Because of the due diligence that was required to make everything safe and so simple, what I saw was a relentless barrage of complexities, simplified for this fairly linear story. I knew he was brilliant, but I didn't know how brilliant until I saw it. So, my first reaction was 'Oh my god, I owe George an apology for being so myopic.'"

After George Miller screened some footage at SWSX film festival, a man stood up and asked: "How the hell did you film that!?" That man was none other than director Robert Rodriguez.

Riley Keough, the actress who plays the red-haired bride, Capable, is daughter of Lisa Marie Presley and grand-daughter of Elvis Presley. In real life, Elvis Presley purchased Cadillacs for his friends and family which outnumber his personal collection (in real life he purchased 14 1959 Cadillacs as 'give away' automobiles, mostly used for charitable causes; in real life he does not own the 1959 model since he was stationed in West Germany when serving in the U.S. Army). Only film to date where Keough is seen in an automobile connected with her grandfather, who was an admirer of the Cadillac product line.

In a July 2014 interview at San Diego Comic-Con International, George Miller said he designed the film in storyboard form before writing the screenplay, working with five storyboard artists. It came out as about 3,500 panels, almost the same number of shots as in the finished film. He wanted the film to be almost a continuous chase, with relatively little dialogue, and to have the visuals come first. Paraphrasing Alfred Hitchcock, Miller said that he wanted the film to be understood in Japan without the use of subtitles.

The second sequel to receive an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture without any of its predecessors being nominated, the first being Toy Story 3 (2010).

FILM 1206: MARY AND MAX

TRIVIA: It took 2400 teaspoons of lubricant to create the ocean when Max imagines himself on a desert island.

One Tomb Stone over from Ruby's reads "R.I.P. Adam Elliot", the writer/director of the film.

The street, Lamington Drive, is a play on words: Lamingtons are an Australian cake. They are sometimes used in fund-raising activities by schools and other organizations, whereby they are sold in bulk. Such activities are referred to as 'Lamington Drives'.

This is the very first animated film to open for the Sundance Film Festival.

Principal photography lasted over 57 weeks, using 133 separate sets, 212 puppets, and 475 miniature props, including a fully functional Underwood typewriter. This took 9 weeks to design and build.

The postage stamps in the film used by Mary feature an image of Dame Edna Everage, a character played by comedian Barry Humphries, who also narrates the film.

Barry Humphries (The Narrator) and Eric Bana (Damien) have both previously lent their voices to Finding Nemo (2003), playing the sharks Bruce and Anchor respectively.

Film 1003: Snowtown

Trivia: Justin Kurzel told Lucas Pittaway not to talk much to any of the actors on set, to help the emotional state of his character.

This movie was based on a true story.

On This Day…

Hugo Weaving was born on this day in 1960.

Hugo Wallace Weaving (born 4 April 1960) is a film and stage actor. He is best known for his roles as Agent Smith in The Matrix trilogy and Elrond in the Lord of the Rings film trilogy and The Hobbit film trilogy. Other notable works include Tick in The Adventures of Priscilla, V in V for Vendetta, Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger and multiple roles in Cloud Atlas. He has also provided the voice Rex in Babe, Noah in Happy Feet and Happy Feet Two and Megatron in the Transformers film series as well as starring in numerous Australian character dramas. He has received many award nominations and wins during his career, including a Satellite Award, an MTV Movie Award and several Australian Film Institute Awards.

Trivia: His father worked in the computer industry and moved around a lot. Hugo spent his childhood in South Africa and England before finally settling in Australia.

Attended the same high school as Australian actors Adam Garcia, Hugh Jackman, Andrew Johnston, Reg Livermore, writer Stuart Beattie and radio host John Laws.