Right here at Frock Flicks HQ we now have entry to Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu, and a few, ehem, different sources to look at historic costume films and TV reveals. Hey, we might even watch films on ye olde DVDs generally! So we spend a number of time in entrance of a display screen, trying to look at our limitless queue. Alas, not each flick set up to now is value our time (although for ones we DO overview, use the search field or menus to peruse the archives!).
Right here’s a bit of behind-the-scenes data: There are a number of mediocre historic costume films and TV reveals on the market! We’re not speaking Snark Week-worthy travesties — we LURVE watching these. However some stuff is simply distinctly common. These are boring films, the boring reveals, those with meh costumes and tales that may’t even rise as much as the extent of camp leisure. Or those which can be mildly entertaining, perhaps have ‘good-enough’ costuming, or are reasonably snark-worthy, however we will’t be arsed to work up a sweat about it.
Thus, that is an occasional collection with our one-line opinions of issues we’ve tried to look at however simply don’t care sufficient about to jot down an entire weblog submit or podcast. Your mileage might differ!
I attempted to look at this for Snark Week functions, nevertheless it’s REALLY targeted on the boys so there’s not sufficient to snark. Chad Lowe’s father (Tommy Lee Jones) doesn’t perceive him, however then the redcoats go marching by city and he will get to affix the militia. All of it takes place over about 24 hours, and never a lot of curiosity occurs. Many of the girls are tremendous background and carrying very butter-churny sacks; love curiosity Ruth must put her hair up, however in any other case, meh. — Kendra
Carmilla (2019)
When, oh when, will a superb model of Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla be made? As a result of this ain’t it. Not vampiric, simply vaguely bizarre, with boring costumes. — Trystan
Concord Lane (1935)
The lifetime of composer Stephen Foster, raging alcoholic, who ripped off Black musicians through minstrel reveals to make a reputation for himself. Nicely, that’s what I bought out of this film. It’s free to look at on the Web Archive, if you happen to’re curious. — Trystan
We have already got Kendra’s mini-review of this collection, however people go wild about it once we submit pix, so I assumed I’d watch it for a full overview and take screencaps ‘n stuff. Nevertheless it felt distinctly MEH to me, and the costumes had been simply FINE nothing particular. What am I lacking right here? — Trystan
Perhaps it was fabulous in comparison with different crap within the early Nineteen Nineties? I don’t keep in mind! — Kendra
I needed to love this miniseries about sisters, Vanessa Bell and Virginia Woolf, and the entire Bloomsbury set, nevertheless it was slow-going whereas additionally fast-talking. I used to be solely sporadically within the plot, and there was minimal in the best way of 1900s costuming to curiosity me. — Trystan
We’ve raved about Orry-Kelly’s designs — and sure, they’re attractive — and bemoaned how onerous it’s to seek out this movie starring Dolores del Rio as King Louis XV’s mistress. Nicely, I discovered it, and meh? Del Rio tra-la-la’s her approach by being a historic manic pixie dream woman, Louis XV is all jovial creepy uncle, Marie Antoinette is snooty from the beginning. About the one fascinating efficiency (moreover del Rio) is Verree Teasdale because the Duchesse de Granmont. I feel the principle drawback is I couldn’t discover it in excessive res, so I couldn’t see the costumes clearly sufficient. — Kendra
Mourning Turns into Electra (1949)
Based mostly on the Eugene O’Neill play which is, in flip, based mostly on Greek tragedies, this film has a labyrinthine plot filled with hateful characters. That, plus hoopskirts post-Civil Struggle made me lose curiosity quick. — Trystan
Respect (2021)
Aretha Franklin IS a genius, and her life appears actually fascinating, and Jennifer Hudson is tremendous gifted … however by some means this biopic didn’t actually assist me to know the singer’s life any higher. I feel the issue is in that there’s some thriller across the core ache in Franklin’s life, which the movie must be fuzzy about as a result of nobody is aware of the reality … however then that makes it more durable to know her. I don’t know. It’s not horrible! It’s fairly good! — Kendra
The Underground Railroad (2021)
I attempted, and perhaps I’ll come again to it. However the ugly first episode was sufficient. It felt very “eat your vegetables” to look at that — right here’s the horrors of slavery in HD element. It could possibly solely get higher from there, I hope, however I’m not particularly engaged sufficient to seek out out. — Trystan
The Struggle of the Worlds (2019)
This was the BBC three-part model set within the Edwardian period with Eleanor Tomlinson, Rafe Spall, and no costumes of be aware. It’s only a post-apocalyptic factor however vaguely 1900s, and I simply couldn’t get into it. — Trystan
The Winery aka La Templanza (2021)
The place’s the wine? This telenovela promised shenanigans based mostly round a household vineyard however I bought nothing however tacky mid-Victorian costumes and a few not-very-racy romantic longings. MEH. — Trystan
What did you consider these films or TV reveals? What different stuff ought to we take away from our queue? Have you ever searched our web site not too long ago to see if we’ve already reviewed your faves?
Extra Frock Flicks
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