Costume Thread.... OF DOOOMM!!!!

[doug*platypus]

Excellent, I knew that would get your attention. The only thread I could find dedicated to the <B>best part!!!</B> of the movies was this one on <A HREF="http://forum.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=4&t=001371" TARGET=_blank>Which character has the coolest costume?</A><P>The costumes and makeup in these movies are absolutely amazing, no matter which way you look at it. I personally love the way that Aragorn's hands are dirty after being in the wilderness, and the only time you see pressed, freshly laundered costumes is when this fits into the plot (e.g. Rivendell).<P>The Easterlings in TTT really threw me, though. I've had their costumes explained since, and appreciate them a little more, but I'd have to say they were <I>not</I> what I was expecting! How did the costumes stand up to everyone else's expectations?<P>Oh, two more things before you start:<BR><UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Nazgûl = *drool* wow so good<LI>Gollum's loincloth - how was it not torn off on a shrub? (eeeuyucch!)</UL>

[Gorwingel]

You got my attention, but what is this thread about? Is it about what costumes you think are the best or anything?<BR>All I can say about the costumes is I think they are amazing, and absolutely wonderful. I wish I could have them. From the orc to the wizards they are spectacular

[The Saucepan Man]

I would say the orcs. I just like the way they come in so many different varieties. They don't just have different features, they look like different breeds. It makes them seem a lot more alien and, well, just plain evil.<P>If I had to pick one, it would be the little guy in Moria, just before the Balrog makes his entrance, with the cat-like eyes. Creepy.

[-Imrahil-]

I love the costume of Gandalf the Grey and the White. Aragorn's costume is awesome also.

[Vardadurwen]

Gandalf's white costume is amazing, and Galadriel's costume and hair is absolutely beautiful! I really like hobbits outfits because they look so adorable in them, especially the little kids. <P>All in all, though, the costuming was amazing, and done with such detail! Kudos to the makers and such.<P>Saucepan Man, interesting how you noted the different appearances of orcs, since there are different breeds. The Moria orcs' eyes are so large because they're so used to a deep darkness that their eyes have grown abnormally huge to try and get whatever light they can to pass through their retinas, down in the mines.

[Deathwail]

The armor the Elves had on that came to Helms Deep in the film really looked cool to me.

[The Saucepan Man]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> The Moria orcs' eyes are so large because they're so used to a deep darkness that their eyes have grown abnormally huge to try and get whatever light they can to pass through their retinas, down in the mines. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><P>Thanks, Vardadurwen, that makes perfect sense. It had not occured to me before. It shows that a lot of thought went into how to portray the orcs - ie not just as one generic breed.

[maikafanawen]

I thought Eowyn's costumes were briliant!<P>And the orcs ... wicked!!

[elven maiden Earwen]

eowyn and arwens costoms were the best<BR>nazgul and orcs cool 2

[Fingo]

The Hobbits costumes were great! I know they were really simple to describe but the use of certain colors and fabrics told of each Hobbit's particular status of his family. Frodo, while dressed mostly in brown, wore velvet most of the time, befitting the heir of Bag End, Merry wore that pretty bright yellow vest showing how well to do the Brandybucks were, Pippin, while there was nothing very rich about him could be explained by the size of the Took family. He's a romper in a BIG family, he's probably not going to be weraing as fine of things as Merry and Frodo. And of course Sam comes from a simple farming family, so he even more rustic than the other three, dressed in grays and tans. Ngila Dickson (the head costume designer)did an AWESOME job as well as the WETA team who did most of the orcs.<BR>My next favorite costume was Eowyn's white frock with that gorgeous silver belt and silver sleeve bindings. <BR>And the Ringwraiths... rock on! Very hot and heavy no doubt but totally freaking awesome. <BR>And Arwen's riding dress in tFotR. I WANT IT, PRECIOUS. That's my favorite outfit of hers.

[elven maiden Earwen]

i loved eowyns green dress and arwens dress she was wearing durring the dream <BR>also gladrials white dress and cape was bueatiful

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

One of my favorite costumes is Boromir's. There is great detail there and his costume is like no others'. Theoden's armor at Helm's Deep is also very gorgeous.<BR>I enjoy the women's clothes. My favorite of Arwen's dresses is the red one that you can see in the promo shot for ROTK. I really like Eowyn's blue dress that she has on when you first see her, but the white is also quite nice.

[King_Elessar]

I adore Eowyn's white dress, and Aragorn's costume which has the lightness of the Elves, unlike the heavy rich clothing that Boromir wore.<BR>I love any clothing worn by an Elf

[Thor]

I agree with Tigerlily. Boromir's costume was rather spectacular. The embroidery on the sleeves and the very rich red are a highlight. I also thought Faramir's costume was great. He was in green just as the book said but the leather vest he had on has a brilliant image of the White Tree on it - a detail I think is inspired. Looks like these Gondorians have the best designers

[Cibbwin]

I really like the Halfling's costumes, they are simple, yet they look quite comfortable and are colorful. I liked Haldir's elves' armor at Helms Deep, that was amazing. And I love Gimli's and Eomer's helms. <P>I just want to see Eowyn fighting in a breastplate and a platemail skirt, showing that she is a strong, but feminine lady. Then the costume designer's will have a new slave. <P>I loved Boromir's costume, as well, it made him noble in appearance, yet was still wearable in battle. I especially like his cloak.<p>[ April 13, 2003: Message edited by: Cibbwin ]

[doug*platypus]

True, Boromir's costume was a real standout. Incredibly good looking but functional, too. His horn wasn't exactly as I imagined it, though, a bit too rustic and uncrafted. Didn't really fit in with the rest of his elaborate gears. By the way, how did Aragorn recognise the sound his horn made when (in the schmovies) he hadn't heard it before?? Chalk up one more mistake.<P>One of my favourite costume bits from TTT was the first time we see the Rangers of Ithilien, with their cloaks and masks, hidden in the trees with their bows. So cool, and just the way I think they should have been. I think bookFaramir would have wasted movieFaramir in a fight, though, and I would have been keen to see some more of his battle prowess.

[Greyhame]

Ummm... well Doug, I don't see how Aragorn could have NOT recognized the Horn of Gondor at Rauros.<P>Remember, if you will, that in his youth Estel spent some time as a soldier of Gondor (this is even alluded to in the movie at Boromir's death). I'm sure the army was keenly aware of what that horn sounded like. <P>Chalk one up to you rushing too quickly to judgment.<P>Anyway, the costuming is outstanding. I have a deep appreciation for Saruman's costume, single-colored as it is (watch the Appendices on the FOTR EE DVD to find out why), and all the Rohan costuming is near flawless.<p>[ January 15, 2003: Message edited by: Greyhame ]

[Tigerlily Gamgee]

It was actually Legolas, in the movie, who had the line stating, "The horn of Gondor," when it was first heard. Just a sidenote.<P>I do like Faramir's costume, but everytime I see the archers in the trees it makes me think of Robin Hood and his merry men. I guess it's just a little parallel I draw at that part.

[Gorwingel]

Yeah, the archers did kind of look like Robin Hood's merry men. I loved the Easterlings, especially the shields with the very artistic eye on them, really cool. My favorite costume of the females is Eowyn, I loved it, I hopefully am going to make one just like it, I especially loved the green one. And the hobbits are great too, they all look like little colonial farmers, with their vests, coats, and everything.

[Beruthiel]

My fave costume was Eowyn's white dress. It looked so good, I want!! The hobbits were good too and the nazgul, 50 yards of material you know! I agree with Fingo, Ngila Dickson did a great job on all of the costumes.

[doug*platypus]

Quite right, Tigerlily, thanks for pointing that out. Got any new theories, Greyhame, or should I reach for my chalk?<P>The mithril shirt was a costumery disappointment for me. Here's what I said about it on another thread:<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> I think the Mithril shirt was the worst prop in the whole movie, and looked more like something you'd wear to a dodgy nightclub than a shirt of chainmail. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>Which is perhaps a shame, since it is next to the most amazing prop ever - the magnificent sword Sting.

[Greyhame]

No need for chalk, doug. As usual, I spoke too quickly, and ask for your forgiveness.<P>Anyway, my biggest costuming disappointment so far has honestly been Gandalf the White. I can't put my finger on it, it's certainly not terrible or impossible to look at, but I just expected something more... intimidating, I guess, like longer hair and beard with FLOWING robes. That's the picture I get in the book.

[Neferchoirwen]

Eowyn's white constume kinda looked like what Galadriel had all the time. Confused me, but it looked great. Her other constumes were not only beautiful, but <B>wearable</B> as well. Seeing her "peasant" outfits made me appreciate the fact that there is something I can actually wear from the movie on a rather daily basis. Less grandeur (except for the white dress), but it shows how simple and strong her character is.<P>Gandalf's new costume is awesome as well..and his staff looks more "alive" than the old grey one.<P>The Uruk-Hai costumes were great, too.

[doug*platypus]

No problem, Greyhame. I was a bit quick to pass judgment on the movie before, and the chalkboard with the number of mistakes on probably does more harm than good.<BR> <BLOCKQUOTE>quote:<HR> my biggest costuming disappointment so far has honestly been Gandalf the White. I can't put my finger on it <HR></BLOCKQUOTE><BR>I think it's the boots! And possibly his hair, as well. I've heard comments from a few confused people about his white sneakers. I wouldn't be suprised if they were old skool Converse Chuck Taylor hightops. Craziest shoes in the movie!

[dunadan_aragorn]

ARAGORNS AWESOME COSTUME PERIOD, NO QUESTIONS ASKED!

[Diamond18]

The mithril shirt was just a tight T-shirt doctored up a bit to look like chain mail. Actually, the one Bilbo lifts up (and I assume the Mouth of Sauron will as well) was chain mail, but the one Frodo wears is a T-shirt.<P>I never liked it, but when I was watching the cast commentary and Elijah Wood shared this info, I thought, "Well, thanks a lot, Elijah; now I'll <I>never</I> be able to tolerate that thing!"<P>But Sting is the best. <P>Check out the new costumes for Aragorn (<A HREF="http://warofthering.net/images/mainsiteimages/aragornandlegolas.jpg" TARGET=_blank>One</A> and <A HREF="http://www.kojiroabe.com/rotk/aragorn.jpg" TARGET=_blank>Two</A>) and Arwen (<A HREF="http://www.kojiroabe.com/rotk/arwen.jpg" TARGET=_blank>One</A> and <A HREF="http://www.warofthering.net/movies/photos/calendarfull/images/d.jpg" TARGET=_blank>Two</A>).

[Nuranar]

I, too, loved Éowyn's costumes, especially the blue and brown one. Like <B>Neferchoirwen</B>, I think it shows the simple strength of her character, but I also think it demonstrates the character of the entire nation as well. The people of Rohan aren't as "high" and lordly, but they are noble and true. I always loved that land in the books.<P>Oh, and <A HREF="http://www.alleycatscratch.com/lotr/" TARGET=_blank>here</A> is a terrific site <I>dedicated</I> to nothing but the costumes. (I found it on the <A HREF="http://forum.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=4&t=001380" TARGET=_blank>Best of... Movie Links</A> page - many thanks to <B>Estelyn</B> for compiling that thread!) It has a vast number of pictures and information, including how to replicate them. And <B>Fingo</B>, there's a huge section all about Arwen's chase dress. Enjoy!

[Annúntindomeiel]

I loved all of the costumes... and the make-up was absolutely amazing. Am I the only one who noticed Galadriel's eyelashes, it might be just me but they were perfect. Also in TTT, the two evil groups of men who are assembling for Sauron, all of their costumes were absolutely amazing and completely evil/freaky looking.

[Grimbold]

I can guarantee that Aragorn's costumes in ROTK will be really awesome--we've already seen at least a couple images of that, featuring the stars and the white tree on his breastplate. Can't wait to see the helmet!<BR><A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/LeenolaLite/Eowyn_Pictures_1.html" TARGET=_blank>Eowyn Costume Pictures</A><BR><A HREF="http://groups.msn.com/LordoftheRingsFairElvenLands/justarwen.msnw" TARGET=_blank>Arwen Costume Pictures</A><BR>Does anyone have any pictures at all of Denethor?

[Gorwingel]

<B>doug*platypus</B> you said that you got to be an orc in the movies. I was wondering, since this is the costume thread of Doom, what was your costume like? Was it cool? Did it have as many details as the other main charater costumes in the movie? and any other details you could tell us.

[doug*platypus]

Very cool. The best part about the Orc costumes were the one-piece latex head masks. Looking around at sixty or so of Weta's different Orcs was just like walking down the street in Mordor. Every single one was completely individual. Not enough slight deviations of each other. Completely individual, as if you plucked sixty people at random from all over the world. Simply amazing.<P>The detail on the deep background extras was sick. In <B>any other movie</B> they would have been good enough to be the main actors! This is how detailed it was: between takes, Weta staff would come around and squirt fake drool into my orc nostrils and around the mouth! How cool is that?! I was only filming for three days, but you could tell that the entire production was a labour of love.<P>Each of the armies has a very individual look to it, something you can notice in the films but only fully appreciate at close range. Our Orc (not Uruk-Hai) weapons and costumes were all shabby and decrepit! There were many (plastic) rustry scimitars, and I myself had a particularly nasty looking pike that could easily have come out of my grandfather's garden shed! Being Orcs of Mordor, our costumes were partially made up of armour scavenged from Gondorian equipment. Here and there were pieces of shoulder armour held on by strips of leather. And all this was just for the deep background extras, in the hope that all of the detail would help the overall impression. LOTR is the costume king.

[Diamond18]

And to think Moulon Rouge won Best Costume. Humph.<P>That sounds like FUN. Maybe... Wasn't it terribly uncomfortable in the costume, though, Doug? (More uncomfortable than a mithril T-shirt, I'll bet. ).

[Gorwingel]

It would have been amazing to have any part in that film, too bad I don't live in New Zealand <BR>That is very cool, thanks for responding to my inquiry, I wish I got to do that.<p>[ February 03, 2003: Message edited by: Gorwingel ]

All the costumes were wonderful, but I liked Arwen's and Gladriel's the best. Does anyone know if the movie was nominated last year for costumes, did it when any awards?

[Gorwingel]

FOTR was nominated for the best costume Oscar last year, but was beaten by Moulin Rouge. I also think it was nominated for the Costume guild award too.

[VanimaEdhel]

You could have just whispered "costume" and I would have run in. I want to be a costume designer, so...<P>And I love all of the costumes equally. I especially love Eowyn's costumes. Arwen's are also fantastic. Haldir's armor was also very well-done, I thought.

[Andephelien]

I say that the costumes of the Roherrim were the best. The armor designers were not allowed to use any modern welding and smelting methods. Only those that they would have had in middle earth. Like instead of using blow torches, they used peet-welding (striking two pieces of hot metal together to make a spark). That, I think made those costumes the best.<P>"Those who do not wield swords, can still die by them" ~ Eowen

[Elfchick7]

Well. I love all the elf costumes especially the females. I also Love Aragorn and Eowyn's costumes. <BR>Actually I was Arwen for Halloween I sewed a costume that was a pretty simple remake of the chase dress. I was able to do this because I found this site that researches costumes from movies <A HREF="http://www.alleycatscratch.com" TARGET=_blank>www.alleycatscratch.com</A> <BR>check it out all.

[elven maiden Earwen]

ohh another one of the coolest was Saurons definitly and u have to love gollums you know that skimmpy little loin clothe

[Lady_Báin]

WOW best week ever, on wednesday i had archery in the morninig, great fun!! Then later that day i went to a Tolkien lecture, then this morning (friday) we watched ttt at school!! with no subtitles!! awesome week.<P>anyway back to the subject, there was not a single costume i did not like in either movie (though i saw the aragorn gondor costume and was a bit frightened ) and i have made a nazgûl costure as well as two elf cloaks (lotr characters do NOT wear capes ) and a hobbit cloak, <P>my absolute fave of all time are the ring-wraiths, for obvious reasons . then (for difficulty) i also looooooooved the dwarves *drool*, i liked the baddies costumes better than the good guys though. And i think lotr has inspired me to open up a costume shop . but yeah i predict that they will get more awards next time, even though that dosen't matter! because lotr is the best anyway.<p>[ February 21, 2003: Message edited by: Lady_Báin ]