MISS MOOX: Movies

I watched St. Elmo's Fire over the weekend. Man is that one hell (said in a whisper) of a good movie! I'm totally going to incorporate "Aboogaboogabooguhuhuh" into my everyday vocabulary. If you know me or are a faithful reader of my blog you will know how obsessed I am with movies and that one of my dreams was/is to do set design. [If anyone reading knows how I can get involved doing this in Charleston, please let me know. I have tried several avenues and I've not had any success. I will get coffee for the set designer of a movie being filmed here...just want to be involved and learn!] So one of the things I love most about this movie is how the perspective character's apartments' represent the characters so well. Let's take a look, shall we?

Alec and Leslie define the ultimate yuppie couple! They have this huge loft apartment probably in the most up and coming neighborhood of D.C. The Nike poster as art on their wall is a literal nod to their love of status and consumption. As is this shot below which shows them ordering new furniture from big box companies.

As an architect, you can see Leslie's design influences, in the space as well with a mix of modern, traditional and industrial like the glass block wall, oriental rugs and architectural lights.

photo via dipity.com

Jules apartment, with help by her decorator Ron, is totally her...expensive and flashy! Very modern and minimalist with no antiques. The colors are feminine and current to the pastels that were popular at that time in the 80's. Also note the unique pieces like the neon Billy Idol wall art and the repurposed coffee table made of concrete risers that show she has some edge to her personality.

photo via apartment therapy

Kirby and Kevin's apartment definitely represents two bachelors post college! But I'd say it has more of Kevin's influence with the boho color scheme and eclectic mix of decor items including record album's, bongos, and let's not forget the coffin! He is a writer and has a poster of, I'm assuming, his idol Woody Allen over the mantle so right away you know he is a lovelorn romantic.

photos via http://warymeyers.blogspot.com

I couldn't find any images of Wendy's new apartment...but it was traditional, classic and comfortable just like her. I have always loved her quote and thought of it myself when I spent the first night in my house.

"Yea... ya wanna know what's great? Last night I woke up in the middle of the night to make myself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich... and ya know, it was my kitchen, it was my refrigerator, it was my apartment... and it was the BEST peanut butter and jelly sandwich that I have had in my entire life!"

I finally saw The Help last night. Man o' man did I cry my eyes out! I was literally exhausted from crying. Admittedly, I only read half the book. I put it down and never picked it up again (very rare for me as I always finish what I start) but I had a lot going on last summer and got distracted. Anyway, I wanted to do a post about the interiors of the homes but couldn't find any of the scenes I wanted to talk about. Bummer. Oh well, this will have to do...

The cabinets were a mint green color as was the peg board walls around the cabinets in the kitchen at Hilly Holbrook's house...

Lots of floral wallpaper! It is the South after all.

I'll give someone a dollar if you tell me who makes this lamp? Because I know it is current but cannot place it! (Shine?)

P.S. Sissy Spacek was awesome!

I loved the jars in the pantry, glad we've come full circle on that.

Elizabeth Leefolt had this adorable Chinoiserie chest in her daughter's bedroom...

I also spotted a few familiar fabrics including one of my all time favs which was on a sofa in Skeeter's mom's house in the foyer.

(I think Kravet makes it but I know Calico Corners sells it as Debbie Floral)

This was the drapery fabric in Aibileen's house...

Duralee Duragard Chestnut

I wanted to show you more but I guess you will just have to go see the movie!

I'm super excited about seeing The Change Up. However, how will I ever choose who to look at?

I fell in love with Ryan Reynolds when he was on this show...

Totally dating myself as many of you probably don't know what I am talking about. But if you do, then you know what I'm talking about. He was just as he seems in real life...funny and self-deprecating yet wildly confident..i.e. my perfect man.

Then he grew into this handsome thing.

Funny AND that body? Proving there is a God.

I even watched The Amityville Horror Movie (remake) because he was in it!

Yeah, it was worth the fear factor.

But do I keep my eyes on him or Jason Bateman? He was my first crush...ever since the Silver Spoon days!

Again, I like the sarcasm. He totally stole that show! I even watched Teen Wolf Too for you Jason.

He disappeared on us for a while but made a killer comeback with a cameo in Dodgeball...

And I fell instantly back in love.

Here he is all grown up...same dry humor.

And how precious is this pic???

So back to my dilemma...how am I going to watch this movie while taking in both pieces of eye candy AND following the plot? Not to mention it was filmed in Atlanta, my hometown, so I'm gonna want to look at the landmarks. Think I might have to watch this one twice. Back to back. Middle school double feature style.

I feel asleep! I cannot believe that I fell asleep during the Oscars. Boo! At least I dvr'd it but it is not the same. Anyway, I saw the red carpet and that is (almost) the most important part. I have my top three dresses and I will liken them to a room...

Mila Kunis can do no wrong these days!!!

1
Stunning

House Beautiful

Red is my least favorite color but it seems to be popping up all over the place this Award season. Jennifer Lawrence looked RED HOT in this Calvin Klein (genius) dress.

2
Sexy.

Elle Decor

She looks like a mix of Barbie and Bewitched so I had to pick the room I did!

3
Classy.

Oberto Gili

Honorable Mention
Ridiculous.

Elle Decor

Marion Cotillard in Psycho

Seth Rogen in North by Northwest

Gwyneth Paltrow and Robert Downey, Jr. in To Catch a Thief

Scarlett Johansson and Javier Bardem in Rear Window

Charlize Theron in Dial M For Murder

Jodie Foster in Birds

Renee Zellwegger in Vertigo

Naomi Watts in Marnie

I meant to post this on Friday in honor of Alfred Hitcock's birthday. Yes, Friday the 13th! And yes, I am that big of a dorky fan. But I forgot so here is is. These images are from a 2008 Vanity Fair shoot with modern day actors/actresses depicting Hitchcock's most famous characters. Brilliant! See the full article here. And if you are a dorky fan like me or just into fashion, get this book...

You can thank me later.

I saw my first Dorris Day film when I was in high school. It was a lazy Saturday afternoon and I was channel surfing when I became mesmerized by the interior shots of her character's apartment in the film Pillow Talk. I was hooked. Not only was her character an interior designer, but the movie was good! For those of you who don't know [shame on you!], Doris Day was the Julia Roberts/Cameron Diaz/Renee Zellwegger/Kate Hudson of the 50's/60's. Her (along with Rock Hudson) can be credited, perhaps, with creating the romantic comedy genre but if not, they certainly perfected the whole "miscommunication/sexual innuendo" style humor.

Although Dorris Day had many hits like Lover Come Back and Send Me No Flowers, Pillow Talk is by far my favorite of the Dorris Day franchise. As I mentioned before, Dorris Day's character, Jan Morrow, is an interior designer who shares a "partyline" with her playboy neighbor, Brad Allen, played by Rock Hudson. Without giving too much of the plot away, the movie plays out a little something like this...characters meet, something silly ensues, they hate each other, they fight, they exude massive amounts of sexual tension, then said characters realize they are in love, cue the bestselling movie soundtrack and finally roll the credits. Pretty much standard formula for a romantic comedy however this film is wildly entertaining, slightly provocative and despite being shot in 1959, it is still relateable today. Not to mention, it was nominated for several Oscars including Best Art Direction-Set Decoration. Here are a few images to wet your appetite...now go rent it or buy it today!!! Or watch the intro clip here.

~Images: Courtesy of hookedonhouses.net

Since Oscar fashions tend to represent the best of the runways and runways tend to influence interior design I thought I could get away with this post. Clearly metallics, "sparkles" and structure are the big trends and I am curious to see how that will translate to the home. Let's just hope companies won't start bedazzling lamp shades! But if they do, I will probably be blogging about how much I love them! ha! And I must admit that I am such a poser because I call myself a movie buff however, I have not seen one of the films that was nominated for best picture. Not...a...one. Seriously? What have I been doing all winter? Its like a banner year for movie making and I have been staying at home watching The Bachelor. Note to self: Get out more.

Anyway, here are my fashion comments (as if you care).
HITS

Kristen Stewart
This is a current take on a really classic look. I wish she just enjoyed wearing it more...she looked so uncomfortable!

Rachel McAdams
I might be alone on this one but I think this dress is stunning. It looks like a watercolor. I like her hair this color, her makeup was flawless and I covet the earrings!

Miley Cyrus
I cannot believe that she had on one of my favorite dresses.
I have never seen her look this good!

Elizabeth Banks
I especially loved this color! But I wanted to rip that headband off her head. You're not 12.
Sorry girl, your crazy funny though!

Maggie Gyllenhall
I am sure she will get slammed for this choice and I normally don't like prints but there was something about this dress. And it seemed very...her. She looked gorgeous!
(As if I know her.)

ON THE FENCE

Charlize Theron
I know it is high fashion but I can't decide if I like this one or not. It did look like Stewart was behind her wearing lavender gloves and holding up her "girls." I kept waiting for him to step out.

Sandra Bullcok
I was really hoping to love her's. It was her night. I totally lost it when she thanked her mom.

Demi Moore
I liked it but maybe it is because it reminded me of my Peaches 'n Cream Barbie!

MISSES

Sarah Jessica Parker
I didn't like SJP's dress. But it did remind me a bit of this...

Meryl Streep
I think Meryl stole her dress from the set of this movie...

Jennifer Lopez
It looked like a used condom. I am sorry but it did. As did her's...

Amanda Seyfried

Zoe Saldana
I was excited to see her dress because I love her style but this just looks like unraveling brush fringe. I do not likey.

I also have a few general (and rather snarky) comments to make.

1. Who was in charge of the backdrop for these photos? Shag red carpet and yellow roses along the ground? Eek.

2. ABC couldn't get anyone better than Sherrie Shepherd and Cathy Ireland to host the pre-show?Clearly the were scraping the bottom of the barrel. Since I am probably next on the list, give me a call for the 83rd Oscars. I am happy to do it.

3. Gabourey Sidibe IS precious.

4. I know that Dentyne was a sponsor of the Oscars but I cannot stand to watch people talk with gum in their mouth. I bet all of their publicists were dying!

5. Cheers to the John Hughes tribute!But is anyone else concerned with how old the Brat Pack looked? I am. Because that means that I am old. I mean heck, Robert Downey, Jr. was wearing Blue Blockers!

Ok, that is all. I am headed to Blockbuster...

Sorry, I have had a heck of a week, my brain is overloaded and I am a little burnt out on design (it does happen!). So, I am going to talk about what I just did which was finally getting around to seeing this movie...

I had such high hopes. An amazing concept!
At least it was when it came out the first time...

But what a horrible script! And how much did each of these big whigs get paid for their 15 minute appearance? Kinda makes me sick.
Thank heavens for you...

I know I know, but I just adore him!
(If you haven't seen this movie, you should do so immediately.)

And you Bradley Cooper...

Just please don't get over exposed!

I could have done without this story line...

But I assume it wasn't for my age bracket.

And this one...

Although you are both very charming.

And this one...

However, I do appreciate the eye candy.

I did like this story line...

And of course this one...

But this was my favorite part of the movie...

Have a great weekend!

I have been wanting to write the post for a while but didn't have the time to really research it like I wanted to. Thank you strep throat for giving me some time! I have posted before on my adoration for Nancy Meyers and her brilliant moviemaking "The Holiday," "Somethings Gotta Give," "Father of the Bride" just to name a few. She not only tells an amazing story but I love how much time, effort and detail she puts into the character's surroundings. Well, "It's Complicated" is her latest creation and as I sat in the theater watching the film, all I could hear was the audience's comments on the home of Meryl Streep's character, Jane's home which was set in Santa Barbara, California. And when I wasn't drooling over my boyfriend, John Krasinski, I was looking at the home too!

Who's Emily Blunt?
P.S. My face is so shiny because I am so happy.

I like that it looked lived in and you can see how it evolved over time. Nancy talks about the importance of creating the environment because as she sees it, it is an extension of the character. In this movie, "70% of the screenplay takes place inside three rooms, 70 pages. I was building a house, what I wanted it to look like. I get into it..."

When asked about the natural, earthy elements in the decor, Jon Hutman, the film's production designer, said the following: "It's the idea of classic elements used with a modern aesthetic. There's slipcovered furniture with natural linen, beautiful old wood on the doors, dining table and floors. There's also a very Italian influence in terms of color and materials. There's a casual comfort that's very approachable and appealing" according to an article by The Washington Post.

For those of you that haven't seen the movie, the main character is renovating her kitchen and as the owner of a famous bakery, you just know it is going to be good! So I was anxiously awaiting the end of the movie because I was dying to see Jane's new kitchen which sadly, was never reveled. The reason for that, Jon explains is that the kitchen was not the focus of the movie, it was Jane's life quest. And Nancy (I presume) thought it best to let the viewer's imagine what the newly renovated, dream kitchen looked like. Okay, okay, I get it but it would have been fun to see Jon's vision, right?

Well if you love this kitchen, as is, Remodelista did a post on ways to recreate the look. Check it out!

Carrie's Apartment (the TV show)

Carrie's Apartment (the movie)

I realize this isn't a timely post but I am fascinated with set design and came across this interesting article from the San Francisco Chronicle about the set decorator for the movie Sex and The City, Lydia Marks. She explains how her biggest challenge was recreating the character's apartments using key pieces from the TV show while updating the spaces in a way to show evolved time. Furthermore, she wanted each character's home to be a true reflection of their current place in life. Lydia also had to keep in mind that this was for film, not television which required more detailing of the set for viewing on the large screen. Want to read more of the article, click here.

Charlotte's Pre-War Park Avenue Apartment
reflects her new role as stay at home mom.

Miranda's Brooklyn Brownstone
reflects her new life as a wife and mother in which comfort and practicality are key!

Here are some tips Lydia Marks provides to give your space more of a Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda or Samantha vibe!

-- Lighting is one of the most important things to consider. Great lamps are sculpture and can change the feel of an entire room.

-- Color is an easy and inexpensive way to change the feel of a space. Look at the difference going from a pale blue to the intense electric blue made in Carrie's apartment.

-- Another way to change the color and feel of a room, without doing anything permanent, is with fabric. Recover a chair, make a beautiful new bed with a mixture of patterns and colors, make new curtains, make new throw pillows. All this can be done without investing a tremendous amount of money or time.

-- With accessories, often editing things out makes more of a statement than displaying a collection of things.

-- Most importantly to a set or a residential interior, keep it personal. The space should reflect the person who lives there. It should be filled with things you love, both newly designed and family heirlooms. That will give it the warmth and style that make it special and your own. (Amen to that!)

~Images: 1) Traditional Home July 2008 2) San Francisco Chronicle article June 14, 2008 and LATimesblogspot.com

I am curious at how many images into this post did you know who's apartment this was? Probably one of the most iconic sets from TV, obviously this is Carrie Bradshaw's apartment from Sex and The City. I came across an interesting article on hbo.com in which set designer, Jeremy Conway, explains how important it was to have the set apartment match the true essence of Carrie Bradshaw. I think he did a brilliant job by making the closet the epicenter of this space illustrated with a walk-through (versus a walk-in) in which you have to "tour" the closet to access most rooms in her apartment. The decor is also a reflection of Carrie, comprised of a few investment pieces but mostly flea market finds all put together with her signature style.

I am such a believer in having your home, apartment, dorm, whatever be an expression of who you are! I was fascinated to read the amount of dedication that Jeremy took to make this apartment authentic even building furniture himself when he could not find the right piece. (P.S. I would totally do the same thing!). Even when the details did not read on film, he wanted the actors on set to understand the true core of Carrie through the overall feel of her apartment. He went so far as to having peeling plaster in the bathroom and phone cords draped above door frames. Love it! If you are equally as fascinated, you can read more of the article here. And look out for tomorrow's post when I talk about Sex and The City's transition from television set to movie set!

~Images: Courtesy of HBO.com