I'm dying to see this movie, but being a child of the 80s myself I'm afraid of seeing James Spader in a peach coloured off the shoulder t-shirt and sweat bands.
So...just how 80s is it?
I wanted to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture... and kill them.
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...actually, it's one of the best-looking mullets i've ever seen ;-). i think laura san giacomo's wardrobe is the most 80's thing about the movie, but it's fun anyway.
seriously, though, it's pretty great, still. love its message, too: a life based on lies can destroy you.
that is SO not a "mullet." You guys don't know what a mullet is -- short in front, long in back. That is the defining characteristic.
Spader has Farrah hair in this. Circa '70s, really. It's FOXY!
Mrbun,
see your post is very recent! Were you just watching this movie on tv too? :)
I LOVE this movie
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...well, Spader's hair is short enough in the front (above his ears) and long enough in back (to his shoulders) to qualify as a mullet...it looks like Farrah hair mainly because it's so wavy. did you know Farrah wore extensions in a lot of her "Farrah hair" shots?!?!?
shareIt's late 80s, and James Spader wears black through most of the film.
shareIt shouldn't matter.
shareHe wears black shirts with blue jeans. That only half qualifies as wearing black.
Any ideas on why the black shirts? Is that another thread?
He wears blacks shirts because that is what he wears. John made a comment about it at dinner. Obviously he stripped away his frat boy preppie look of his college years.
I worked in the Gap when the movie was shot. Andi McDowell came in and bought a red bandana- I think she wore it in the movie.
Yes, but what draws him to black as a colour??????? Any guesses?
shareto Radiant Rose:
On a very personal basis, I say that black is a color that can be responsible for many, if not for all the emotions that the human being is capable of expressing and feeling. It is dark, mysterious and exotic, it can wrap the soul of a person up to display the emotions of the soul without even saying a single word.
Or, to be more common and less dramatic, it represents melancholy and passion.
In one of the first scenes, where Ann is talking to her therapist, she is wearing a black dress, and yet throughout all of the other scenes (up until about the last three), she wears mostly white. Avoiding the clichéd white = good and black = bad, I think the intention of the colors is for white to represent naivety and black to represent understanding.
I also see this with Graham, the black represents his current emotional state, distant yet inquisitive, calm and yet in ‘control’. He has just reached a point where all is neutral to him and is working hard to keep at it. This goal is broken over by Ann, yes, but it transcends him to become an even more comprehensive person in the end, without altering him, just modifying him.
Does this make any sense? Maybe, maybe not. Just my 2 cents.
TO: the original question ... no the movie does not depict any flashy 80's style wardrobe or hair, even though some seem to think that Spader's is a bit outdated. It's worth watching it.
"After all, we're playing the most dangerous game of all. Musical chairs? No! Love"
Yeah, this could come out today and you'd never know it was 80s. The fashions are basic, the dialogue is still pretty ear-catching, and the Spader's hair thing...guys still wear their hair like that. It's just kinda fluffy/feathered. Not down his neck or overly gelled or moussed (think Miami Vice or rock bands).
shareIn one of the first scenes, where Ann is talking to her therapist, she is wearing a black dress, and yet throughout all of the other scenes (up until about the last three), she wears mostly white. Avoiding the clichéd white = good and black = bad, I think the intention of the colors is for white to represent naivety and black to represent understanding.
If I didn't know otherwise I'd think that this was a 90s movie. Its too solemn for a typical 80s flick.
shareThe story is strong enough for you to forget about thinking "Hey that looks late 80s."
It isn't like "Smokey and the Bandit" where the only real entertainment is the kitsch.
"Sex, Lies, and Videotape" is a really good movie and it is no different than watching other older movies. (does Steve McQueen's turtleneck distract you in "Bullitt"? I think not.)
Watch it, you'll love it.
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I see a great movie as great regardless of the era. Every movie that is set in the time it is filmed will have a stamp of that era. I think that is a cool thing! All fashion is temporary - I remember when polyester was a true joke! Then, in the late 90's, it was cool again....lol. So, to answer your question: the clothes, hair, furniture, etc. were all in style in the late 1980's. In that sense, it can't be anything other than very '80's. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been set in the 1980's.
So the real questions is this: If something is very '80's, is that a bad thing?
There's nothing wrong with a film being "'80s" IMO! And regarldess, this is a brilliant film - James Spader's finest hour!
shareSmall point, but the bow tie and especially the suspenders on the Peter Gallagher character. Very 1986 yuppie.
shareTrue, the hair and clothes are '80s hallmarks. But, this is no John Hughes fluff piece; it is a complex and fascinating character study so don't please don't be put off by the release date!
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The hair is so 80s it's funny, however the clothes aren't so dated. Esp. compared to other films of the era.
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