Episode #182: Knives Out – Consolation Rewatch

This week, we’re discussing considered one of our all-time favourite consolation watch films for decor and residential inspiration. That is an ongoing collection for us, and this week’s choice is Knives Out!

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Present Notes:

Harlan’s Mansion:

• It’s a brick mansion with a number of inexperienced detailing.
• It has a whole lot of customized stained glass.
• The home is stuffed with props and antiques.
• There’s a hidden window.
• It’s a little bit bit gothic and spooky.
• There’s a chair with prop knives throughout it.

Favourite Wardrobe Piece:

• The sweater Ransom is sporting on the restaurant with Marta

Different Cozy Inspiration:

• Classic video games
• Ransom’s mid-century home

We point out Emma’s weblog submit: 5 Ways to Make Invisible Ink

Price the Film from 0 to five Prop Knives: 

Emma – 10 out of 5 – Favourite film of all time!

Elsie – 10 out of 5 – It’s the most effective film!

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Episode 182 Transcript:

Elsie: You’re listening to the A Lovely Mess Podcast, your cozy consolation pay attention. This week we’re discussing considered one of our all-time favourite consolation films for decor and residential inspiration. That is an ongoing collection for us, and this week’s choice is Knives Out written and directed by Ryan Johnson. Hell sure. I’m so excited.

Emma: It’s considered one of my favourite films of all time. Really, I feel it’s my favourite film. 

Elsie: Yeah, I feel it’s my favourite film of all time, particularly since I watched it yesterday and now I’m like all seven out about it. It’s the whole lot to me. Okay, so are you able to describe the film to those that haven’t watched it earlier than?

Emma: Yeah, so it’s a homicide thriller they usually do a enjoyable factor the place you see the homicide to start with or manslaughter or suicide, you kind of must uncover that. After which all through the film, you understand that there’s much more to it, and that’s kind of the thriller that you just’re uncovering. So it’s a couple of rich crime novelist named Harlan, and he’s invited his prolonged household. So all his youngsters, their family members, their wives, their husbands, their youngsters for a giant party, and his mother can be there. Who appears to be a lot, a lot older than him, she’s a little bit outdated girl in a chair who by no means actually speaks. They’re all gathered for this huge birthday dinner collectively and all through the evening you see that he has a little bit, probably not fights, however like they every have a motive for homicide, mainly. And so they’re having some form of tiff with Harlan. So he additionally has a younger girl who works for him as a nurse, I assume, you’ll say, so she helps give him his treatment and various things like that, and she or he’s with him when he dies. It looks as if he’s overdosing on a drug that she’s given him, after which he kills himself. I assume, in order that she wouldn’t get in hassle, that’s the thought. The detective who exhibits up doesn’t know who’s employed him, so he’s kind of determining two mysteries in a method. And he additionally has probably the most hilarious accent of all time, and he simply has a whole lot of bizarre colloquialisms. 

Elsie: There’s a faux American accent from films that’s like Kentucky Fried Hen accent or no matter. 

Emma: Sure, it’s very foghorn, leg horn. I do declare form of factor. 

Elsie: It’s very enjoyable. I’ve by no means heard of an actual one who had that accent. However I really like that it’s a trope or no matter. 

Emma: Yeah, they do a whole lot of that as a result of the principle character who dies is against the law novelist. So I feel they’re form of attempting to present us just like the traditional detective and his complete home is adorned and we’re gonna discuss his home so much, however his complete home is adorned with issues from his books. So there’s a whole lot of homicide weapons round seemingly as a result of he’s against the law novelist.

Elsie: Sure. It’s magical. From the very opening scenes of the film, they’re displaying the home. They present the home like loopy, it’s not like that in each film. There are such a lot of films with nice homes that you just form of barely see. You actually get to see a number of angles, a number of photographs. A big a part of the film is filmed in the home, in order that’s actually enjoyable for us to geek out on. Let’s get into the decor inspiration.

Emma: Wait, I wanna know your recollections from if you first noticed this film. Do you keep in mind the primary time? Did you see it in theaters? 

Elsie: I didn’t, I noticed this film for the primary time at first of Covid in our home, so it wasn’t actually that way back, and I keep in mind instantly, clearly I felt obsessive about it. I actually like outdated films and it actually captures the spirit of outdated films, like Clue. Lots of people would say it’s impressed by Clue. I watched The Clue from the seventies lately additionally, and I’ll say, it’s not even near this entertaining, however they’re each actually entertaining it. It form of outdoes its personal class. It’s only a shining star, it’s an A plus. After which on high of all of it, it gave me the home inspiration of a lifetime as a result of actually I feel from this film I found part of myself as a result of I used to be nonetheless in my mid-century period and I began to comprehend, I feel I’m in love with darkish wooden and carved wooden and massive curtains and rugs and identical to antiques. I didn’t know that was a method that I might personally like for my own residence on the time once I first watched this film. So it’s form of life-changing. 

Emma: Yeah, these set designers, we bow down as a result of they love all the units on this film a lot however Harlan’s Home specifically. I didn’t watch it an excessive amount of earlier than you then, as a result of it truly got here out in November, or December of 2019. So it hadn’t been out tremendous lengthy earlier than 2020, it was the very finish of the yr of 2019. I noticed it in theaters and I keep in mind when it was over I simply had the sensation of, I may watch that complete film once more and that’s fairly uncommon for me. That’s occurred three or 4 occasions in my complete life. So I knew it was simply a type of films that I cherished that I might watch once more proper now. In the event that they had been gonna play it once more and I used to be allowed to remain on this theater. I used to be thrilled about discovering out the thriller. I additionally simply cherished watching the whole lot and the second that the detective comes on together with his loopy accent, I used to be like, what are we doing, and by the top of the film, I used to be like, I really like him. I wanna see an entire collection the place he does homicide mysteries. I actually need to see extra. I must know the place he got here from. I wanted the whole lot about this film I really like. 

Elsie: 10 out of 10. Okay, so let’s begin breaking down the decor inspiration. There’s a lot, so it’s cherished, hated, robust reactions, something you have got. Let’s begin with the mansion. So Harlan Thrombi’s mansion, it’s form of like each of our dream homes in our particular neighborhood in Missouri. There’s this one home that form of resembles it.

Emma: I name it the knives outhouse. 

Elsie: Yeah. It’s form of elusive as a result of you may’t actually get take a look at it from the road. And there aren’t any footage on Zillow, imagine me, we’ve tried. Anyway, it’s only a sort of home, it’s a brick mansion. Simply Google Knives Out home if you happen to haven’t seen it in order that you understand what we’re speaking about. As we undergo this, however yeah, beginning with the outside, it’s identical to a surprising, attractive, however very bizarre and creepy mansion cuz it’s like a brick mansion however with a number of inexperienced detailing and I feel a inexperienced roof. I want to take a look at it. 

Emma: I really feel prefer it has a inexperienced roof, but in addition I do know the home that I name the knives outhouse has a inexperienced roof so I’m like, have I simply put these homes collectively? A lot on my thoughts. It additionally sits on, I don’t understand how huge the land is, but it surely sits on a chunk of land. They do just a few drone photographs of this home within the film, and it simply seems to be like in some methods a tiny citadel however not. Not like an precise citadel. It’s only a very huge dwelling and appears a little bit bit gothic. A little bit bit spooky. It’s beautiful. 

Elsie: Okay, confirming that it has a daily shingled roof and we had been mistaken, but it surely has a whole lot of inexperienced on the detailing. Anyway, it’s spectacular, it’s a spooky mansion, a dream come true. So a few of my favourite issues about it, it has a whole lot of customized stained glass. Not in only one place in the home, simply form of in every single place you look it’s heaps and plenty of stained glass. So that’s actually magical. After which in each room, it appears to be that the whole lot is both an vintage or a prop. You’d think about it’s from a few of his films as a result of he’s a well-known author and he would have a lot of his novels made into films. There are simply a number of relics in the home. There’s this chair with prop knives throughout it. There’s a large dollhouse, I’ll by no means, ever, ever have the ability to forgive that it doesn’t present the within of the dollhouse. And I’m like mad about it until I die. I wanna see that dollhouse. After which, simply so many rooms with candles and sconces and each little gothic element that you would be able to probably think about. 

Emma: Yeah. It’s additionally a home that simply has tons of rugs and tons of wallpaper. So many books, books, books, books in every single place.

Elsie: There’s a two-story library. 

Emma: Yeah. After which heaps and plenty of framed images and paintings. And so they do the factor the place the matting is form of completely different. It’s not like a wall the place it’s like, plain black frames with excellent matting and it’s very eclectic. The set designers did such a tremendous job as a result of it does really feel like a home that somebody has lived in for many years and many years. It seems like a home the place somebody has collected so many issues and cherished so many issues. And so they defined all through the film that lots of the issues are props he’s had made out of his books or no matter, or simply issues he purchased from Spirit Halloween and made seem like his e-book or no matter. He’s only a collector of issues, he’s a really dramatic older man as a result of he likes to write down dramatic homicide mysteries. And there’s not any specific wallpaper in the home that I’m like, that one wallpaper, I would like that in my home, or that one statute. Simply the entire thing simply seems like I might like to stroll round this home. I might love to take a look at the whole lot. I may most likely spend hours strolling round this individual’s home and all their little collected issues. In some methods, it jogs my memory of our grandmother, our late grandmother, Karina as a result of she was fairly the collector of issues. She even had these spooky masks that she had hung up above the bunk beds once we had been youngsters. Now that I’m serious about it, and that’s actually bizarre. That was truly actually spooky now that I’m serious about it. However they had been cool. They had been identical to, 

Elsie: We preferred taking part in with them. 

Emma: We preferred taking part in with them, yeah, we preferred it they usually had been bizarre and in some methods it made me really feel that it was only a one who may recognize a number of completely different kinds.

Elsie: Let me say one factor about our grandma so everybody will perceive. She had a taxidermy blowfish, blown up with spikes throughout it and it was considered one of my favourite issues to play with. You would maintain a blown-up blowfish. 

Emma: There was additionally a piranha and you can see its tooth, and it was dried out. It was the stuffed piranha. We might play with that on a regular basis. Why she had this piranha, I don’t know. 

Elsie: It’s the whole lot although, for positive. By these two issues, you will get an image. I feel what I aspire to about the home is the extent of element. To have a home that’s considerate of recollections and relics and particulars which have some form of story or that means simply to the proprietor is probably the most particular factor on the planet. I can’t think about something higher. 

Emma: One among my favourite little spots in the home is his examine, which is the room the place he dies early within the movie and it has this built-in arch that appears to have all paintings and books throughout it. 

Elsie: Form of like a rounded ceiling. It’s a really unique-shaped room, and if you happen to’ve ever tried to construct a room like I’m doing proper now in an attic, you perceive that it’s essential factor that you must do is be very inventive with angles. Yeah, they made one thing within the tippy high of the home that optimized the area. I really like that room and I additionally love the hallway that has a trick window. And so they say at one level within the film, one of many detectives, that is considered one of my favourite characters, is there’s a detective that’s a mega fan who’s learn all of the books. And thru the entire film, his operate is just about simply calling out issues which can be from books, which I really like and it was very good. Anyway, he says, that’s the trick window and he says what e-book it’s from, from some well-known novel and I simply thought that was superb. And it’s additionally used within the film as part of the thriller. So yeah, hidden doorways, I’ve a factor, an affinity for hidden something. 

Emma: Hidden home windows, hidden doorways. In case you don’t like that, get outta right here. I additionally suppose whoever did the sound enhancing or, I don’t know what their title could be, however there are such a lot of little creeks and it seems like an outdated home as a result of it appears like an outdated home. There’s one specific scene the place the creeks wake one other character up and so she’s giving an alibi for sure folks cuz she was awake cuz she heard all of the creeks within the ground. However even all through the film, they do such an important job. You’ll be able to’t scent a film however apart from that, the whole lot about it to me is like that is an outdated home. That is somebody’s actual outdated home that they’ve lovingly curated with spooky stuff for years and years and years. 

Elsie: Sure, it’s unbelievable. And one very last thing I wanna point out is if you’re watching the film, simply take note of the rugs as a result of his rug assortment is a ten and people forms of rugs, you may actually purchase them on Etsy for a pair hundred {dollars}. It’s not an unattainable factor they usually’re so stunning and so inspiring. So I’m like filling my Etsy cart proper now. It’s so cool. After which, we wished to say, there’s additionally a phenomenal restaurant the place Ransom and Marta eat lunch. And it’s very stunning. It’s very cozy. If it had been a restaurant in my city, I might go there each week most likely. It’s attractive. 

Emma: What they serve her is like this very rye bread, it’s very brown bread. I’m assuming it’s rye, I don’t actually know. And it’s like developing the perimeters of a bowl after which a bunch of beans within the center, and that’s the meal they serve. It’s one thing about this restaurant and the meal and simply the whole lot. It may also be the sweater that Chris Evan’s character Ransom’s sporting. It’s a cable knit cozy, it seems like Norway or Sweden or one thing. One thing about it simply feels a little bit bit worldwide to me, in such a comfortable, glad, chilly method. A chilly place is what I imply. 

Elsie: I’m glad you talked about it as a result of that sweater is my favourite piece of wardrobe from the film. It’s what everybody needs from a false sweater. Now, if you all watch the film, you’ll see it too. It’s like the proper fall sweater.

Emma: It seems to be like it’s a nice quantity of itchy, you may’t put on it on a heat day. It’s gonna be too thick, but it surely’s the coziest factor on the proper day.

Elsie: Sure. Okay, so different cozy inspiration, there are such a lot of issues. I really feel like this can be a film to look at if you happen to’re about to go vintage procuring or if you happen to’re ever about to for a giant vintage hunt, undoubtedly watch this film first. However I wanna get some classic video games now as a result of there’s a scene with that the place they’re taking part in a sport collectively and it’s so candy and it’s simply the whole lot, I really like how the whole lot in the home seems to be outdated as a result of considered one of my issues, that is undoubtedly considered one of my poisonous traits. Once we watch television I’ll be like, that cup is from Creighton Barrel, that’s not what a billionaire would have. I simply know issues about homes and name them out. However this set is so genuine, each single factor seems to be like an vintage. I can’t spot a single factor in it that I imagine is from Amazon. Which is so cool. 

Emma: The one factor, and I feel this makes it good, is there’s this espresso mug. The servants deliver his breakfast within the morning and that’s when she discovers his physique and the mug says one thing like my home, my guidelines after which on the very finish of the film when Marta is taking on and her character has risen as not the assassin, and it wasn’t her fault, she’s holding that mug, watching the household go away from the home and that mug once more says, my home, my guidelines. But it surely doesn’t seem like an outdated mug. It does seem like one thing newer, but it surely’s very poignant why they’ve included this mug, feeds into the story since you see the mantle has been handed actually as a result of this mug has been given from Harlan to Marta.

Elsie: I like it. Oh my gosh, I’m so excessive off this film. I really feel like I’m being form of annoying. 

Emma: We most likely are. I’m not sorry. 

Elsie: Every other cozy inspiration you may consider? 

Emma: I used to be simply gonna say, I do love Ranson’s home. They don’t present it a ton, but it surely’s this boxy, modern-looking home, but it surely doesn’t look essentially model new. It seems to be prefer it was fashionable. 

Elsie: It’s a mid-century home for positive. It’s attractive, but it surely’s very misplaced it matches his character rather well. Mm-hmm. 

Emma: Yeah, as a result of he’s the entire household’s form of odd. It’s not like they’re all the identical aside from this one, and he’s the black sheep. It’s like, properly, I don’t know if I might even say that, however. It form of exhibits the distinction between him and Harlan. As a result of in some methods I feel they’re so related and even Harlan says that they’re very related folks, however there are these form of main variations, form of like what’s of their coronary heart. And I feel they’re displaying that via structure a little bit bit in a method as a result of this can be a very completely different type of dwelling. And it actually seems to be form of like a bond villain too. I dunno if villains are at all times in these fashionable homes like they don’t care concerning the world.

Elsie: That’s true. Yeah. Like why is that? That’s humorous. 

Emma: They’re sterile, they’re not heat and comfy. I don’t know. 

Elsie: Too many home windows. One thing suspicious about that. 

Emma: Very suspicious. 

Elsie: The very last thing I wished to say is there’s this scene within the film, it’s from the occasion the place they’re all sitting in the lounge and the fireside goes. There are candle sconces and there’s a lamp lit, but it surely’s very darkish. And that was most likely my final, I wanna be in that room. I need to reside in that home sort of second. 

Emma: They’re all like magic birthday cake too, cuz it’s at his household dinner. So that they’re simply consuming birthday cake round this hearth and speaking, I take into consideration politics like households have you learnt? And combating a little bit bit and it simply felt magical. 

Elsie: Additionally, there’s a component within the film the place he does invisible ink for his daughter and she or he reveals the ink by holding a cigarette lighter behind the letter and kind of like warming it up, not burning it, however warming it up and I really like that half a lot. His character is like dwelling all of his little thriller issues, which makes me so glad. 

Emma: And he or she performed a number of video games along with her father and it was clear that she knew instantly like, oh, this might be invisible ink. And I’ll learn what my dad cherished me and is simply actually candy to consider that form of relationship that’s kind of like playful and kooky and I don’t know, significant. And he’s handed, he dies early on within the film and so it’s very particular. Additionally simply mentioning this for funsies, I lately did a submit on childhood magic that’s 5 methods to do invisible ink. And three of them you must warmth up the paper beneath, identical to she does within the film. And I used to be serious about her once I was photographing it. I feel I made a little bit video for it too, so you may see the way it reveals the message, but it surely’s enjoyable.

Elsie: Unimaginable. That’s tremendous cool. I like it. Okay, so trivia time. Ought to we shuttle and browse some trivia? 

Emma: Yeah, let’s do it. 

Elsie: A number of artworks and window designs within the mansion function the Motif Memento Mori depicting scenes of on a regular basis life populated by skeletons or skulls. The motif, which roughly interprets to recollect, you might be mortal in widespread and Victorian occasions and used to remind people that dying comes for all folks, whether or not wealthy or poor. I like it. I’m screaming. I like it a lot. I wanna make a stained glass window that claims that. That’s so cool.

Emma: Yeah. And the film is a type of sorts of themes, I suppose it’s a little about class and wealth. He has a whole lot of fights together with his household about cash. There are a whole lot of fights about cash. And so wealth and wealth inside a household undoubtedly is a theme. One other piece of trivia, the director Ryan Johnson, stored strict management over how a lot every actor knew concerning the script to ensure these taking part in characters at midnight had been as confused because the folks they had been portraying, which I feel would make it a lot simpler as an actor. In case you didn’t know who the assassin was, that will make your job simpler now since you don’t must even act. You actually don’t know. That will be enjoyable. 

Elsie: That is my favourite one. The portraits of Holland modified to replicate the scenario, culminating on the finish with a satisfying smile. I used to be screaming once I first learn this as a result of I by no means seen that earlier than. However they confirmed the portraits shut up so many occasions. It makes a lot sense, however I by no means seen it. I’m so glad. 

Emma: I undoubtedly noticed the portraits of him and I used to be like, how cool to have portraits of your self up in your house? I wanna do this. And I by no means even seen that they’re altering all through the film to inform us what chapter we’re at, which could be very cool.

Elsie: It’s magical. Oh, I like it. That’s so cool. 

Emma: Regardless of taking part in his mom within the movie, Kay Kellen, I feel that may be the way you say her title is six years and 27 days youthful than Christopher Plumer, who performs her son. That is kinda like Golden Ladies. The golden lady who is meant to be the oldest was truly I feel the youngest actress out of the group. Have you ever ever heard that? Anyway, that’s actually humorous as a result of they actually do go outta their option to make her appear very outdated within the film, very feeble. She’s at all times in form of a cloak and at all times sitting down and she or he has these enormous glasses and she or he barely talks. So it truly form of shocked me as a result of I really feel such as you couldn’t even inform how outdated she is. They’re attempting to make her seem to be she’s 100 years outdated.

Elsie: Effectively, to have an 85-year-old whose mom is at his party, I feel is fairly uncommon. And he or she could be 100 years outdated, proper?

Emma: Yeah, I assume so. 

Elsie: Greater than that most likely. So it’s fairly superb. I believed it was, I believed that was a enjoyable reality too. I wouldn’t have seen actually, but it surely’s undoubtedly humorous. Okay, in keeping with Ryan Johnson, whereas making the movie, he found that Apple has a rule of not permitting villains to make use of iPhones on digital camera, presumably speaking about Jacob’s telephone in movies the place the stated product seems. Out of concern that doing so would damage the model’s picture of their product. So that they’ve apparently made this rule that extends to any film involving their product. That will be annoying. I’ve to say, that will be annoying as a result of if you happen to’re going to make a contemporary film, you form of must put iPhones in it. I at all times discover after they put the prop telephones. I simply suppose it’s extra pure to place iPhones in fashionable films. But when in a homicide thriller like this the place any character may very well be the villain they usually all form of seem to be a villain sooner or later, that’s a little bit complicated. I don’t know what the rule means for a film like that. 

Emma: I additionally suppose a few of my favourite characters are villains, so I’d like iPhones extra as a result of the villain’s utilizing them. 

Elsie: That’s true. Yeah. I feel we must always do villain costumes once we’re doing our Halloween movies this yr. 

Emma: So now we’re gonna get to charge the film. Possibly we must always do 10 out of 5 prop knives is what I’m gonna give it. It’s superb. Essentially the most superb film, my favourite film of all time. 

Elsie: 10 out of 5, I agree. It’s the most effective film. And I’ll say some folks have messaged me about like, what do you consider Glass Onion in comparison with, and I simply suppose, don’t evaluate them as a result of Glass Onion is a very enjoyable film. It’s kind of like half two of Knives Out. You need to undoubtedly watch it if you happen to loved Knives Out and if you happen to get pleasure from mysteries, it’s tremendous enjoyable, but it surely’s not on this home, and a giant a part of what we like concerning the film is the home and the aesthetic. So it has a unique aesthetic for positive. It doesn’t have what this film has the place I might rewatch it 50 occasions, but it surely’s 100% simply nearly as good of a narrative.

Emma: Yeah, it has the identical detective. The detective is identical character. However yeah, apart from that, it’s only a very completely different homicide thriller. And I believed it was a blast, but it surely’s not this. I don’t actually see why you must evaluate. I wasn’t anticipating a Knives Out two. I used to be simply anticipating one other homicide thriller, and I feel it actually delivered on that personally.

Elsie: Sure, I agree. It was very enjoyable. I preferred it. However yeah, I don’t suppose we’d most likely do it on the podcast, simply because it’s not an aesthetic film and a whole lot of what we discuss right here is the homes. It’s cool in a foul method, but it surely’s not cool in a great way. 

Emma: Yeah, I don’t know the factor that’s inspiring us, like this Harlan’s home. Harlan’s home is the whole lot. 

Elsie: Sure. Okay, so now’s time for our particular phase a joke or a reality with Nova. Right here’s Nova, Nova this week do you have got a joke for us or a reality? 

Nova: Reality. 

Elsie: A reality. Okay, go forward. 

Nova: As we speak’s reality is, do you know that pickles had been product of cucumbers? 

Elsie: Oh, actually? How’d you be taught that? 

Nova: I realized it in school, as a result of I’ve a instructor, Ms. Thompson, and she or he loves studying about just like the previous and like issues that world. 

Elsie: Good. Thanks for sharing. 

Nova: Bye everybody. 

Elsie: Have week. We hope you loved this episode. Please proceed to ship us your request anytime. We love listening to what films you need us to do on our rewatch episodes, and we’ll contemplate just about something so long as it’s inspiring. E-mail us at [email protected]. Subsequent week we’re going to do our summer time bucket checklist episodes, so we’ll see you subsequent week.