Episode #182: Knives Out – Consolation Rewatch

This week, we’re discussing certainly one of our all-time favourite consolation watch films for decor and residential inspiration. That is an ongoing sequence 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 plenty of customized stained glass.
• The home is full of props and antiques.
• There’s a hidden window.
• It’s a bit bit gothic and spooky.
• There’s a chair with prop knives throughout it.

Favourite Wardrobe Piece:

• The sweater Ransom is carrying 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

Charge 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 very best film!

• Miss an Episode? Get Caught Up!

Episode 182 Transcript:

Elsie: You’re listening to the A Lovely Mess Podcast, your cozy consolation hear. This week we’re discussing certainly one of our all-time favourite consolation films for decor and residential inspiration. That is an ongoing sequence 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 certainly one of my favourite films of all time. Truly, 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 every thing 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 and so they do a enjoyable factor the place you see the homicide to start with or manslaughter or suicide, you type of should uncover that. After which all through the film, you notice that there’s much more to it, and that’s type of the thriller that you simply’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 kids for a giant birthday celebration, and his mother can also be there. Who appears to be a lot, a lot older than him, she’s a bit previous girl in a chair who by no means actually speaks. They’re all gathered for this massive birthday dinner collectively and all through the evening you see that he has a bit, probably not fights, however like they every have a motive for homicide, principally. And so they’re having some type of tiff with Harlan. So he additionally has a younger girl who works for him as a nurse, I assume, you’d say, so she helps give him his treatment and various things like that, and he or she’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 concept. The detective who reveals up doesn’t know who’s employed him, so he’s type of determining two mysteries in a method. And he additionally has probably the most hilarious accent of all time, and he simply has plenty of bizarre colloquialisms. 

Elsie: There’s a pretend 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 type of factor. 

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

Emma: Yeah, they do plenty of that as a result of the principle character who dies is against the law novelist. So I feel they’re type of attempting to provide us just like the traditional detective and his entire home is adorned and we’re gonna speak about his home lots, however his entire home is adorned with issues from his books. So there’s plenty 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 simply type of barely see. You actually get to see a number of angles, a number of pictures. 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 reminiscences from once you first noticed this film. Do you bear in mind the primary time? Did you see it in theaters? 

Elsie: I didn’t, I noticed this film for the primary time firstly of Covid in our home, so it wasn’t actually that way back, and I bear in mind instantly, clearly I felt obsessive about it. I actually like previous films and it actually captures the spirit of previous films, like Clue. Lots of people would say it’s impressed by Clue. I watched The Clue from the seventies not too long ago additionally, and I’ll say, it’s not even near this entertaining, however they’re each actually entertaining it. It type 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 similar to antiques. I didn’t know that was a method that I’d personally like for my own residence on the time after I first watched this film. So it’s type 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 particularly. 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 12 months of 2019. I noticed it in theaters and I bear in mind when it was over I simply had the sensation of, I may watch that entire film once more and that’s fairly uncommon for me. That’s occurred three or 4 occasions in my entire life. So I knew it was simply a type of films that I beloved that I’d watch once more proper now. In the event that they have 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 beloved watching every thing 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 sequence the place he does homicide mysteries. I actually need to see extra. I must know the place he got here from. I wanted every thing 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 beloved, hated, sturdy reactions, something you’ve gotten. Let’s begin with the mansion. So Harlan Thrombi’s mansion, it’s type of like each of our dream homes in our particular neighborhood in Missouri. There’s this one home that type of resembles it.

Emma: I name it the knives outhouse. 

Elsie: Yeah. It’s type of elusive as a result of you possibly can’t actually get an excellent take a look at it from the road. And there are not any footage on Zillow, imagine me, we’ve tried. Anyway, it’s only a kind of home, it’s a brick mansion. Simply Google Knives Out home should you haven’t seen it in order that you recognize what we’re speaking about. As we undergo this, however yeah, beginning with the outside, it’s similar to a shocking, beautiful, 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 would like 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 massive the land is, however it sits on a chunk of land. They do a couple of drone pictures 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 massive dwelling and appears a bit bit gothic. A bit of bit spooky. It’s pretty. 

Elsie: Okay, confirming that it has a daily shingled roof and we have been flawed, however it has plenty 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 plenty of customized stained glass. Not in only one place in the home, simply type of all over the place you look it’s heaps and many stained glass. So that’s actually magical. After which in each room, it appears to be that every thing is both an vintage or a prop. You’ll 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 big dollhouse, I’ll by no means, ever, ever be capable of 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 you could 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 all over the place.

Elsie: There’s a two-story library. 

Emma: Yeah. After which heaps and many framed pictures and paintings. And so they do the factor the place the matting is type of completely different. It’s not like a wall the place it’s like, plain black frames with good matting and it’s very eclectic. The set designers did such an incredible job as a result of it does really feel like a home that somebody has lived in for many years and a long time. It looks like a home the place somebody has collected so many issues and beloved so many issues. And so they defined all through the film that most of the issues are props he’s had constructed from his books or no matter, or simply issues he purchased from Spirit Halloween and made seem like his ebook 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 need that in my home, or that one statute. Simply the entire thing simply looks like I’d like to stroll round this home. I’d love to take a look at every thing. I may most likely spend hours strolling round this particular person’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 have been youngsters. Now that I’m interested by it, and that’s actually bizarre. That was truly actually spooky now that I’m interested by it. However they have been cool. They have been similar to, 

Elsie: We preferred taking part in with them. 

Emma: We preferred taking part in with them, yeah, we preferred it and so they have been bizarre and in some methods it made me really feel that it was only a one that 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 certainly one of my favourite issues to play with. You would maintain a blown-up blowfish. 

Emma: There was additionally a piranha and you may 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 every thing 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 reminiscences and relics and particulars which have some type of story or that means simply to the proprietor is probably the most particular factor on this planet. I can’t think about something higher. 

Emma: Certainly one of my favourite little spots in the home is his research, 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 should you’ve ever tried to construct a room like I’m doing proper now in an attic, you perceive that it’s mandatory factor that you need to do is be very inventive with angles. Yeah, they made one thing within the tippy high of the home that optimized the house. 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 certainly 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 perform is just about simply calling out issues which are from books, which I really like and it was very good. Anyway, he says, that’s the trick window and he says what ebook it’s from, from some well-known novel and I simply thought that was wonderful. 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. For those who don’t like that, get outta right here. I additionally suppose whoever did the sound enhancing or, I don’t know what their title can be, however there are such a lot of little creeks and it looks like an previous home as a result of it seems like an previous 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 incredible job. You may’t odor a film however aside from that, every thing about it to me is like that is an previous home. That is somebody’s actual previous home that they’ve lovingly curated with spooky stuff for years and years and years. 

Elsie: Sure, it’s unbelievable. And one last item I wanna point out is once 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 possibly can actually purchase them on Etsy for a pair hundred {dollars}. It’s not an unattainable factor and so they’re so lovely 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 stupendous restaurant the place Ransom and Marta eat lunch. And it’s very lovely. It’s very cozy. If it have been a restaurant in my city, I’d go there each week most likely. It’s beautiful. 

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 every thing. It may also be the sweater that Chris Evan’s character Ransom’s carrying. It’s a cable knit cozy, it looks like Norway or Sweden or one thing. One thing about it simply feels a bit bit worldwide to me, in such a comfy, completely happy, 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, once you all watch the film, you’ll see it too. It’s like the right fall sweater.

Emma: It seems to be like it’s a nice quantity of itchy, you possibly can’t put on it on a heat day. It’s gonna be too thick, however it’s the coziest factor on the right 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 should you’re about to go vintage buying or should you’re ever about to for a giant vintage hunt, positively 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 every thing, I really like how every thing in the home seems to be previous as a result of certainly one of my issues, that is positively certainly one of my poisonous traits. After we watch television I’ll be like, that tumbler 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 convey 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 depart from the home and that mug once more says, my home, my guidelines. However it doesn’t seem like an previous mug. It does seem like one thing newer, however it’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 find it irresistible. Oh my gosh, I’m so excessive off this film. I really feel like I’m being type of annoying. 

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

Elsie: Every other cozy inspiration you possibly can consider? 

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

Elsie: It’s a mid-century home for positive. It’s beautiful, however it’s very misplaced it suits his character rather well. Mm-hmm. 

Emma: Yeah, as a result of he’s the entire household’s type of odd. It’s not like they’re all the identical apart from this one, and he’s the black sheep. It’s like, effectively, I don’t know if I’d even say that, however. It type of reveals the distinction between him and Harlan. As a result of in some methods I feel they’re so comparable and even Harlan says that they’re very comparable folks, however there are these type of main variations, type of like what’s of their coronary heart. And I feel they’re displaying that by structure a 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 type of like a bond villain too. I dunno if villains are all the time in these trendy homes like they don’t care in regards to 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 get together the place they’re all sitting in the lounge and the fireside goes. There are candle sconces and there’s a lamp lit, however it’s very darkish. And that was most likely my final, I wanna be in that room. I wish to reside in that home kind 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 are you aware? And combating a 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 he or she reveals the ink by holding a cigarette lighter behind the letter and type of like warming it up, not burning it, however warming it up and I really like that half a lot. His character is like residing all of his little thriller issues, which makes me so completely happy. 

Emma: And she or he performed a number of video games along with her father and it was clear that she knew straight away like, oh, this will likely be invisible ink. And I’ll learn what my dad beloved me and is simply actually candy to consider that type of relationship that’s type of like playful and eccentric 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 not too long ago did a submit on childhood magic that’s 5 methods to do invisible ink. And three of them you need to warmth up the paper beneath, similar to she does within the film. And I used to be interested by her after I was photographing it. I feel I made a bit video for it too, so you possibly can see the way it reveals the message, however it’s enjoyable.

Elsie: Unbelievable. That’s tremendous cool. I find it irresistible. Okay, so trivia time. Ought to we travel and browse some trivia? 

Emma: Yeah, let’s do it. 

Elsie: A number of artworks and window designs within the mansion characteristic 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 in style and Victorian occasions and used to remind people that loss of life comes for all folks, whether or not wealthy or poor. I find it irresistible. I’m screaming. I find it irresistible 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 plenty of fights together with his household about cash. There are plenty of fights about cash. And so wealth and wealth inside a household positively is a theme. One other piece of trivia, the director Ryan Johnson, saved strict management over how a lot every actor knew in regards to the script to verify these taking part in characters at the hours of darkness have been as confused because the folks they have been portraying, which I feel would make it a lot simpler as an actor. For those who didn’t know who the assassin was, that might make your job simpler now since you don’t should even act. You actually don’t know. That might be enjoyable. 

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

Emma: I positively 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 observed that they’re altering all through the film to inform us what chapter we’re at, which may be very cool.

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

Emma: Regardless of taking part in his mom within the movie, Kay Kellen, I feel that is perhaps 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 woman 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 solution to make her appear very previous within the film, very feeble. She’s all the time in type of a cloak and all the time sitting down and he or she has these big glasses and he or she barely talks. So it truly type of shocked me as a result of I really feel such as you couldn’t even inform how previous she is. They’re attempting to make her look like she’s 100 years previous.

Elsie: Properly, to have an 85-year-old whose mom is at his birthday celebration, I feel is fairly uncommon. And she or he can be 100 years previous, proper?

Emma: Yeah, I assume so. 

Elsie: Greater than that most likely. So it’s fairly wonderful. I believed it was, I believed that was a enjoyable reality too. I wouldn’t have observed actually, however it’s positively 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 worry 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 might be annoying. I’ve to say, that might be annoying as a result of should you’re going to make a contemporary film, you type of should put iPhones in it. I all the time discover after they put the prop telephones. I simply suppose it’s extra pure to place iPhones in trendy films. But when in a homicide thriller like this the place any character may very well be the villain and so they all type of look like a villain in some unspecified time in the future, that’s a 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 12 months. 

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

Elsie: 10 out of 5, I agree. It’s the very best 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 extremely enjoyable film. It’s type of like half two of Knives Out. It is best to positively watch it should you loved Knives Out and should you take pleasure in mysteries, it’s tremendous enjoyable, however it’s not on this home, and a giant a part of what we like in regards to the film is the home and the aesthetic. So it has a special aesthetic for positive. It doesn’t have what this film has the place I’d rewatch it 50 occasions, however it’s 100% simply nearly as good of a narrative.

Emma: Yeah, it has the identical detective. The detective is similar character. However yeah, aside from that, it’s only a very completely different homicide thriller. And I believed it was a blast, however it’s not this. I don’t actually see why you need to 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 might most likely do it on the podcast, simply because it’s not an aesthetic film and plenty of what we speak about right here is the homes. It’s cool in a nasty method, however it’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 every thing. 

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

Nova: Reality. 

Elsie: A reality. Okay, go forward. 

Nova: In the present day’s reality is, do you know that pickles have been fabricated from cucumbers? 

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

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

Elsie: Good. Thanks for sharing. 

Nova: Bye everybody. 

Elsie: Have an excellent 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 record episodes, so we’ll see you subsequent week.