Ideas for Film Fancy Dress

Calling all freshers and uni students! You're starting or returning to university, stuck for ideas for those fancy dress parties and bar crawls. And what about Halloween? That's coming up soon too!
Ticket Stub has come up with some creative, cheap and quirky choices to make you look like the best movie character of all time.

Have you made any awesome film costumes? I'd love to see your creations.
Tweet @TicketStubBlog with your pictures or comment below.

On a budget? 

This is a very simple idea and you can get all the bits from Primark. The Blues Brothers (1980) are instantly recognisable and suits everyone (short, tall, fat, slim, male, female) - you can't really go wrong! 

Image: picniccinema.co.uk

Team up with a friend and get yourselves: an old white shirt, black tie, black blazer and black trousers.
The main things you'll need to complete the look will be:

The sunglasses:

And the hats:

Draw on some sideburns, (or grow them if you have time!). And that is it.
 Stand next to each other, look like you're on a mission...a mission from God and you'll be rocking to Shake a Tail Feather in no time.

Feeling adventurous?

If you have some spare cardboard boxes, the world is your oyster! You can create so many unique ideas for fancy dress - especially if want to be an object, famous vehicle or a big scale building. You could go for Titanic? Or Optimus Prime? Or maybe King Kong on top of the Empire State? Haven't quite worked out how to do that yet, but how about this one?

Andrew in the finished costume: Carl and Ellie's house from Up (2009)

A few years back, my brother attended a party as Carl and Ellie's house from Up (2009). With help from my sister, they used cardboard boxes to make the structure, held the house by a pair of braces and attached a bunch of mini balloons to the back.

The costume in progress. Made with cardboard boxes, sticky tape and lots of paper.

The result was awesome and certainly made for a truly unique costume!
To find out how to make this, head over to Louise's blog.

Time on your hands? 

If you love make up as much as I do, you'll jump at the chance to try creative, bold looks. The make up and costume from Black Swan (2010) is a great idea for Halloween, especially if you have coloured contact lenses to partner the creepy yet captivating eye make up.

Image: etsy.com

I had a go trying out one of my eyes using the tutorial below:

And this was the result:

instagram.com/helenashappenings

 It is surprisingly easy to do. Make sure you have the time to take care with the design. It definitely looks effective and I had great fun recreating it.
Complete the costume with the black tutu, corseted top or black vest along with a tiara or silver headband. If you have a black dress which fans out (as the lady in the tutorial does) then this will go perfectly together. 

Don’t have much fancy dress?

If you haven't got much and can't really be bothered to make a huge effort, how about taking inspiration from The Big Lebowski (1998)? Jeff Bridges as The Dude in his dressing gown, sunglasses, white tee and sandals - all the standard things you can easily find in a student wardrobe.

Image: warosu.org

If not Jeff Bridges, you could also go for Arthur from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005). Again, a dressing gown and pjs - just hop out of bed and you're ready!

Image: hitchhikers.wikia.com

Quirky Couples

For those who want to go for couple fancy dress, why not try something different?
I've selected the best quirky film couples. Can you think of anymore?

Dr. Emmett Brown and Marty McFly 
Back to the Future (1985)

Marty: A red puffer jacket is the key piece of Marty's outfit. Team up with a checkered shirt, denim jacket and jeans. That's right - double denim. Don't forget a comfy pair of white trainers - Converse would do nicely. Don the dazed and confused look to fully match Marty.

Doc: A white one piece would be best, if not you could get away with a lab coat. White hair is a must - a wig or lots of talcon powder or even dry shampoo (not rubbed in) will do just the trick. Make sure is big and crazy like the good man himself! Add a black belt and some tools you think the Doc would have handy. Remember to express, with wide eyes, the 'OH MY GOODNESS THIS ACTUALLY WORKS' reaction.

Image: lifebetweenframes.blogspot.com

Shaun and Ed
Shaun of Dead (2004)

Sean: Another simple costume - white shirt, black trousers and a red tie (either around your head for the look seen later in the movie or as below). Include a name tag which you can print off from Google. Make sure you have the all important 'red on you'. Include the cricket bat to attack those zombies.

Ed: You can purchase Ed's 'I Got Wood' t-shirt from Amazon. Add a pair of long shorts and comfy trainers for the basics. To make it look like you didn't just turn up in your casual Saturday outfit, pop a splatter of fake blood on the t-shirt and hold a garden spade. You can always do Ed's look at the end of the film too - a great idea for Halloween.

Image: galleryhip.com

 Tweedle Dum & Tweedle Dee
Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Take some inspiration from Neil Patrick Harris and husband David Burtka. They have some incredible Halloween costumes and include the whole family too!

Image: graziadaily.co.za

Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee: Bright and bold. Yellow shirt, blue bow ties and striking red trousers. Include the white collars (or waistcoats as above) and the adorable hats to finish off. You can easily vary certain parts of the costume - for instance you could replace the trousers for red leggings and heels or perhaps a red skirt.

Image: alice-in-wonderland.net

Mia Wallace and Vincent Vega

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Mia: Brilliant if you have a black bob haircut with a fringe. If not, you must get a wig for this costume. Pair it with a white shirt with long sleeves and cropped bootcut trousers. We only see Mia's shoes for a split second - she spends most of her time bare foot. However, if you want to save your feet, pop on a pair of gold or metallic flats. Add a dark bold lip and blood red nails to finish.

Vincent: Again, great if you have long hair to tie back in a pony. If not, go for the wig option. Simply wear a blazer, white shirt, black trousers and black shoes. To complete, add a bootlace tie. Oh, and don't forget to twist.

Image: en.wikipedia.org

The Classic Couple

If you don't want to go down the quirky route, keep it classic with one of the most iconic movie couples.

Sandy and Danny
Grease (1978)

Sandy: This is the sexy Sandy. Big curly hair, preferably blonde - if not go for a wig. For the face, a bright red lip, a subtle smokey eye and small hooped gold earrings. Don't worry, you won't have to get sewn into this outfit, as Olivia Newton John did! Instead go for black fitted leggings or disco pants. For the top half, go for an off shoulder black top and add a belt round the waist. Finish with some sexy red heels. Feeling a little chilly? Throw on a leather jacket too.

Danny: Another simple costume idea. Black t-shirt and black trousers. The main thing? The hair. Slick it back and have a comb as a prop. Again, you can always go for a wig.

Image: pinterest.com

Need a group fancy dress?

Definitely for those medic bar crawls or if you have a huge group of you attending a party together, why not try going for a group fancy dress?

Ghostbusters (1984)

A popular costume favourite. Go for all beige, preferably with some overalls but you can easily improvise. Make your own name tag and print off the Ghostbusters logo and attach to the sleeve. You can even get a badge to sew on if you want to go all out. The other important component is the proton pack. You can buy an inflatable one, but making your own is way more fun. Check out the different versions you can go for by clicking here.

Image: insidemovies.ew.com

Oompa Loompas from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971)

My housemate at uni did this with her medic friends and it was hilariously brilliant. Be prepared to brave the orange make up and green wigs. White eyebrows are important too! Wear a brown t-shirt and white dungarees over the top. If you can't source the dungarees, go for white shorts and braces. Complete the costume with a stripey collar and stripey socks.

Image: telegraph.co.uk

The Addams Family (1991)

Da-na-na-na *click click*...

There are plenty of characters to chose from with the Addams Family. You could always go as one of them for an individual costume idea. Think gothic - lots of black, eyeliner and stripey tops. Key things to remember: plaits for Wednesday, bold red lip for Mortica and dark eyes and bald head for Fester.

Image: sgnewwave.com

Also, someone with very long hair has to go as Cousin Itt. Pop a pair of sunnies and a bowlers hat on top and you're done!

Image: weku.fm

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Everyone will know exactly what movie you're from with this one. Dorothy, the Lion, Tin Man, Scarecrow and Toto are the key characters. You could also include Glinda or even one of the flying monkeys! The Wicked Witch of the West is perfect as a Halloween costume in itself. The great thing about these iconic costumes is you can be creative to achieve each look. For instance, you could make the Tin Man have a modern look with a bold metallic silver eye and lip makeup. Or if you're really stuck, you can always just wrap yourself up in foil!

Image: primetime.unrealitytv.co.uk

Hopefully that has given you some cool ideas to impress your friends at your next party.

Show me your film fancy dress creations by tweeting @TicketStubBlog or in the comments below.

Happy Birthday Johnny Depp

Image: deppimpact.com

One of my favourite actors turns 51 today! (I can't quite believe he is in the over 50 category now). Yes, it is Mr. Johnny Depp's birthday and to celebrate the occasion, I have picked my top five favourite Depp character costumes. 

Arguably one of the best character actors, Depp has worn many iconic costumes. Wardrobe, hair and make up are vitally important for an actor. Putting on any garment - whether it be a fancy hat or a restrictive suit -literally places the actor into the shoes of their character. They can start to feel the way their character moves and fully get into the mind set of their role. That is probably a key reason why Depp is notorious for keeping all his costumes after films have wrapped.

Check out my favourite designs below, but are there any I have missed? 

Comment below or tweet @TicketStubBlog 

1. Captain Jack Sparrow 

in 

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

I was very lucky to see two of the costumes on the list at the V&A Hollywood Costume exhibition last year, and this is one of them. Probably on par with no. 2 as the most iconic of Depp's costumes, Captain Jack Sparrow's outfit oozes sex appeal whilst maintaining the classic pirate attire. Penny Rose who designed the costume worked collaboratively with Depp to achieve Captain Jack's 'rock 'n' roll' pirate look. 

'I must give 98% of the credit for this costume to Johnny Depp. It's the walk, the mannerisms, the asides - he created it, I just helped him a bit. Of course, I know what works shape-wise and whether we're getting the look of a character, but he arrived with Jack Sparrow in his head already as he does with all his characters. ...The hat is very special. I had six styles of hat made by Peroni in Rome. He came in, took a look, and picked up that leather tricorn hat, which I had made on a whim - you rarely see a tricorn in leather. 

I've never been able to prize it off him since.' Speaking in The Times, 'Meet Hollywood's Costume Gurus'. Oct. 2012

Left: Johnny Depp in Captain Jack Sparrow's costume. Right: The full costume display at the V&A Costume exhibition, 2012-2013.

2. Edward Scissorhands 

in 

Edward Scissorhands (1990)

The second most iconic costume from the first ever film Tim Burton and Johnny Depp worked on together. As you will see from the rest of the list, the duo have created some fantastical and distinctive character looks with the enormous help from designer, Colleen Atwood. Atwood's combination of Victorian elements and punk style hair, along with Depp's ghostly white face, creates a quirky mix of danger and innocence. This proves how important costume is to informing our understanding of a character. As despite the threatening exterior of his sharp hands and dark metallic suit, Edward is a gentle and innocent soul which you can see in his eyes. 

Left: Tim Burton's original design of Edward. Right: Depp in the Scissorhands costume. Not far different from the original concept.

3. The Mad Hatter 

in 

Alice in Wonderland (2010)

Colleen Atwood's design for The Mad Hatter costume is colourfully crazy. The bow tie had a mechanism that Depp could use to droop down when the Hatter was sad and perk up when he was happy. There are various layers and hidden components to his costume which are explained by Atwood in the video below:

The entire look is based on real hatters who went mad by their use of poisonous mercury in the trade. Atwood states that the mercury 'caused the hair to turn a very fried red colour and their skin to get very pale'. 

You can clearly see this result in the final picture below. 

Left: Burton's original drawing. Centre: Atwood's design. Right: Depp in the end result, complete with hare. 

4. Sweeney Todd 

in 

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)

This is the second Johnny Depp costume I saw at the V&A. What I particularly love about the costume is how the hair and make up completes the menacing look. The music inspired Atwood for all the costumes in the film. 'It's the starting point of all of it. It's a moody piece, so I wanted a lot of texture in the costumes. I wanted you to be able to feel them on screen.' Atwood speaking in USA Today. 

Here is another costume design video from Coleen on the set of Todd:

Left: Atwood's Sweeney Todd design. Right: Depp in full costume

5. Willy Wonka 

in 

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

The final choice was created by designer Gabriella Pescucci. Johnny Depp's Willy Wonka may be nothing on Gene Wilder's, but the costume certainly takes inspiration from him - with the top hat, cane and brightly coloured coat. The bob haircut also adds comedic value to the look. I saw this costume back in 2009 when I went to the Warner Bros. VIP Studio Tour in LA. They have a museum full of costumes from Harry Potter to the Batman series. Well worth the visit if you get the chance.

Left: The full Wonka costume. Right: The costume on display at Warner Bros. Museum in LA.

What are your favourite Johnny Depp costumes?

Who is his best character?

Comment below or tweet @TicketStubBlog

Soundtrack Saturday: Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)

Image: impawards.com

"Come with me and you'll be in a world of pure imagination"

Continuing the Easter themed posts this weekend, I have picked an appropriate Soundtrack Saturday for your ears to sink into (and you'll probably fancy eating some chocolate too!) 

Yes, this week I have chosen Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory.

Although the film may not stay true to Roald Dahl's childhood classic, the film is enriched with catchy songs and has gained a cult following over the years.

The best song, undoubtedly, has to go to Pure Imagination sung by the genius Gene Wilder. He sings this as the children and adults enter the world of Wonka's factory in the Chocolate Room. I distinctly remember watching this as a child and it quickly became my favourite moment in the film. Purely magical. 

It has been covered quite a few times too. I highly recommend Jamie Cullum's version. Also check out Maroon 5's and Fiona Apple's interpretations.

Remember the Oompa Loompa song? Each of the five children have Willy Wonka's helpers singing the tune before each of their fates in the factory. Here is a compilation of them all together:

Veruca Salt also gets her own brilliantly bratty song - I Want It Now:

The Candy Man and (I've Got A) Golden Ticket are two other highlights. However, listening back, can Charlie actually sing in tune? I don't think so, but hey, it adds to the charm doesn't it?

If you fancy a charming and sweet trip down memory lane, I highly recommend this soundtrack for this Easter weekend.

Available on Spotify? Yes

Best track? Pure Imagination

Do you have any favourite movie soundtracks that should feature on Ticket Stub?

Comment below or tweet @TicketStubBlog