027. Bohème, Housekeeping, Best of Asian Horror
The ultimate grown-up fashionable Halloween costume, some housekeeping notes, and the end of Horror Month
Hi! I’m Maggie, and welcome to Tender Forms Off-Camera: a weekly newsletter about slow beauty and slow living. If you enjoy and would like to support this newsletter, click the button below! No pressure but thank you if you do.
I love hats. I know this may be hard to picture. Since I rarely venture outside being the homebody I am and, therefore, never wear hats in my photos, how would you know that I love them? Well, I am head over heels for them. Millinery is an under-appreciated art form but very beloved by Tender Forms.
I currently own three hats, four caps, and two beanies, give or take (sometimes because I steal Husband’s too), in all shapes, sizes, and materials. At the end of August, I pre-ordered a hat that I regretted not ordering the first time around. I’d seen my beautiful friend, Salwa, in it, and immediately went to stalk the Instagram account, and soon the website. I mulled over it for a day, and when I ventured back, it had already sold out! Cue the long, sad sighs, and telling myself, this was how the universe wanted it. Fast forward maybe a month later, and a limited run came back for pre-order! This time, I did not hesitate. It took a month before it finally delivered, but it was very much worth the wait.
Bohème Bucket Hat ($95, cotton canvas)
This is the bucket hat of my dreams. I’m not a bucket hat lover, but when I saw this, I recognized that this was what I wished all bucket hats looked and functioned. It’s handmade using stiffer cotton canvas and has a wide brim. The wide brim was what attracted me the most.
And of course, I love when an object delivers in both form and function. I want to be able to wear hats out in the rain and wind! This does great in light rain. I’ve yet to try it in a torrential downpour but don’t imagine it would survive. At some point, it would definitely soak through. However, the brand recently came out with a waxed version to help repel moisture, described as “water repellent” (not waterproof), so if rainy weather is a concern, I suggest checking out this version!
The one I have is unfortunately currently unavailable. It seems like it’s been brought back a few times, so never say never! I’d suggest signing up for their mailing list so you’ll be in the know if there’s ever a restock. Aside from these brilliant hats, the founder has also started her own clothing line. It’s stunning, especially the more recent Collection 02. I would like all the dresses, one of each, please.
*Shipping note: This is a Canadian based brand, so if you’re here in the U.S., know that International Shipping will cost you $25 alone! They ship via UPS but expect delays with the abnormal shipping time and the likelihood of accidental rerouting.
I never dress up for Halloween; I hated doing so when I was a kid. It was always frigid on Halloweens growing up in New Jersey. And your costume was forever ruined by the layering of long off-colored shirts beneath your princess gown or witch costume or covered up entirely by your coat. However, I’ve found my perfect Halloween costume, which is the outfit in these photos. I can’t take any credit for putting this together because I was never brave enough to go full denim. Can you name the character this outfit is 100% inspired and copied from? Below are three clues:
From a movie
Female character
When you gotta go, you gotta go
And if you’re looking to recreate this outfit yourself, I’ve linked what I can of the outfit details below and some dupes:
Bohème Waxed Canvas Hat $136
Miha Flat Brim Wool Fedora in Desert Sand (not a bucket hat but would be great for Fall/Winter) $69
Uniqlo Women U Double Pocket Oversized Long-Sleeve Shirt $29.90
Uniqlo Men Denim Long-Sleeve Shirt (closest in wash) $29.90
Boyish The Billy in Great Dictator (similar wash) $168
Free People Boyish The Billy (in several washes) $168
Gap Sky High Straight Leg Jeans (in Dark Indigo) $63
A small housekeeping note! I've updated my discount links list! Everything is now in alphabetical order by brand name; there’s beauty, fashion, and lifestyle. I've since added a bunch more, so have a look through if you need some discounts! Full disclosure: all links are referral or affiliates (noted if so). If you're purchasing through the link, I'll get a discount too for the referral or a small kickback if it's an affiliate link. It's another way to support Tender Forms also! If you do shop through the links, please know I appreciate it so much! Every little bit helps. *If you ever have an issue with a link, just email (tenderformsbymaggie@gmail.com) or DM me over at Instagram, and I’ll try and get it sorted out!
And if you’re here for the first time and enjoyed this newsletter, it would mean so much to me if you subscribed! They go out every week on Sunday at 7am PT/10am ET.
It wouldn’t be right to have Horror Month without mentioning the cult-classic category of Asian horror movies. This category dates back, and I mean a long way back. But in all honesty, I’m not a fan of the originals and the classics. They’re a bit cheesy, too slow, or a tad too weird for my liking (which is saying a lot). It’s definitely an acquired taste and apparently one that I don’t possess.
However, modern-day Asian horror films are fantastic. As I was putting together my list, most of them turned out to be horror in the psychological sense. They’re more thriller, mystery, or drama, but include enough gore and violence to edge it to horror. Psychological terror is still as terrifying as haunting terror, after all, so below are some of the best broken down by director(s).
Park Chan-wook
Let’s start with my favorite. When I think Asian Horror, I think Park Chan-wook. Again, his work is just shy of the horror genre. There’s plenty of violence, death, and gore, but the “horror” is in terrorizing the mind. If his films were an animal, they would be a leech. Slow, quiet, and unassuming, but once they latch on, they withdraw your life’s blood.
His top three films are 2003 cult classic ‘Oldboy,’ his 2009 unique vampires revisioned ‘Thirst,’ and his 2013 romantic thriller ‘The Handmaiden.’ All three are fantastic. I especially gravitate towards ‘Thirst’ because everything came together for that one: cast, cinematography, direction, story. The most visually stunning is ‘The Handmaiden,’ hands down. While I don’t love ‘Oldboy’ only because I figured out what was happening way too early in the film, it’s a cult classic for a reason and warrants at least one viewing! It also contains one of the most well-choreographed action scenes that inspired many after it.
I have to mention his 2013 not Asian but English language film, ‘Stoker;’ one of my favorites of all-time. If you’re not used to watching Korean thrillers, might I suggest dipping your toes with this one?
He’s also currently or about to shoot his latest film, ‘Decision to Leave.’ It stars Chinese actress Wei Tang, so I’m wondering if it will be bi-lingual. Nevertheless, very exciting.
And speaking of bi-lingual films…
Na Hong-jin
Na directed 2016’s ‘The Wailing,’ which is an exquisite horror-mystery. Superbly shot, it’s a slow-burn worth the wait. It captures the detail and deception of folklore and oozes undetectable poison every twist and turn. His debut film, ‘Chaser,’ also received significant critical praise, though I haven’t seen it. I hope he has another film in the works because if it’s anything like ‘The Wailing,’ sign me up.
Timo Tjahjanto, Kimo Stamboel aka The Mo Brothers
Tjahjanto and Stamboel are both Indonesian directors who occasionally team up as the better known directing duo, The Mo Brothers. They directed 2014’s ‘Killers,’ a crime thriller that holds some of the smartest but disturbing storylines and outcomes to date. This is an intense watch. I would not recommend it to the faint-hearted. Even for the strong-hearted: ye who enter here abandon all hope.
However, it’s excellently cast, and the acting is stellar, especially from Japanese actor Kazuki Kitamura. I also love that this is an international multi-lingual film. It captures an inspiring blend of Indonesian and Japanese filmmaking—incredibly impressive. If you love psychological crime thrillers, this one’s for you.
Takashi Miike
It wouldn’t be right not to mention a Japanese director since Japanese horror is so renowned. Like I said, I haven’t watched many classics, but there’s one that stands out among the rest. I view it more as action, but it is categorized as horror too, and that’s Miike’s 2001 cult-classic, ‘Ichi the Killer.’ This film is messed up in the best of ways. Again, not for the faint of heart. It’s twisted and gory, but it’s great—like ‘Kill Bill’ but grittier.
His 2015 ‘Yakuza Apocalypse’ is another to watch. This one is much easier to digest and can be rather comical. Very stylish and another action-packed film. I don’t want to say anything else for fear of spoiling it! It’s best you go in not knowing what’s what.
These are the only two that I’d consider horror in his catalog. Still, Miike is truly the Japanese master of action films. Really, he deserves his own newsletter (which I’m sure I’ll get to someday in the future).
Yeon Sang-ho
I’ve only watched one of Yeon’s movies, and that’s 2016’s ‘Train to Busan.’ This is a very approachable horror film because…zombies. It’s a great little action flick, fast-paced, enjoyable. While nothing really new, it’s very watchable. I’m also currently impatiently waiting for his 2020 follow-up ‘Peninsula’ to arrive on any streaming service.
Satoshi Kon
This is my wildcard pick because Satoshi Kon’s films are all animated features (or television series). Because it’s animated, I think, in a way, it’s more accessible for the general public. But that’s not to diminish his ineffable directing capability nor the stories. They’re very heady, messes with your logic, and the animation is freaking superb. I caught his 2004 ‘Paranoia Agent’ back when it aired on network cable’s Adult Swim. It really messed with my head and burrowed its way into my subconscious that I was indeed paranoid for a bit. But it left such an impression that I then dove into his cult classic ‘Perfect Blue,’ ‘Tokyo Godfathers,’ and 2006’s ‘Paprika.’ There’s a thread of hallucinatory, dream-worlds in his films. He’s unafraid to explore the darkness though his work can be bright, dense, and colorful.
If you’re afraid to watch live-action horror films and want to test the strength of your logic and paranoia, any of these would be an exciting watch.
Thanks so much for reading! And just to bring horror month full circle, I binge-watched ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor,’ and unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. I wouldn’t categorize it as horror; maybe gothic romance would be better. It’s very different from ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ to say the least, but the production team was also very different this time around. Only episode 8 made the viewing worth it. It feels more like a Lifetime series than a Netflix/Mike Flanagan one. However, if you are a romance lover, you might enjoy this one’s darker take. In the end, it’s a love story. But let me know if you enjoyed it by leaving a comment or replying directly to this email!
As always, I hope you have a great start to your week. See you next Sunday!
