Cinema Style is ready for its close-up Mr. DeMille

This marks the debut of Cinema Style, my blog that will chronicle, celebrate and detail both the past and present in design, inspiration and trends in the movies.

The spark of this idea actually came to me in the eighties (long before blogs were invented) when a client asked me to duplicate a movie interior. The set in question was the sensual yet elegant Park Avenue via Queens soundstage apartment in the Tom Berenger-Mimi Rogers film Someone To Watch Over Me.  I didn't have to rent the video as the sets left an indelible image. Of course today the over-the-top master bedroom is a bit dated but gives us a great snapshot of Manhattan interiors during what I call the "Bonfire of the Vanities" period -- a time when Wall Street, abundance and chintz were king.

Since this time  I have married my two passions of film and design into a writing career, covering the topic of film and television production design and set decoration for both national and international magazines. I have also been working for the past several years on a book on the history of Hollywood art direction for Harper Collins (one of these days it will be finished). My travels have taken me everywhere from a backlot in Burbank to Fox Studios in Australia and it has been quite an education.  

While movies are one of the greatest forms of escape, they also entertain, educate and in many instances, set the trends.  In future posts,  I plan to cover the influence and inspiration of the cinema through set decoration (think interior design), architecture, fashion and style.

Photo Credit: Columbia Pictures