HOW TO TALK TO GIRLS AT PARTIES

How to Talk to Girls at Parties – as demonstrated by Elle and Nicole

How To Talk To Girls At Parties is the title of a new movie by John Cameron Mitchell, based loosely on a Neil Gaiman short story of the same title.

But while I know Gaiman is a popular author among fetish folk, the primary reason the film is getting a mention here is more to do with its kinky costume content.

And for bringing that to my attention I must thank esteemed latex designer and energetic Corbyn campaigner Kim West.

Kim tipped me off that the movie features around 30 characters in latex outfits by designers including herself and Atsuko Kudo, as well as some of the butt-plug-heeled Plug Pumps featured in our recent piece on ainsley-t shoes.

Shot in Sheffield (standing in for south London), How To Talk To Girls At Parties is set in Croydon in 1977, just as punk lands there.

Punk is not, however, the only recent exotic arrival, as the town has also been targeted for a visit by a bunch of intergalactic space cannibals led by Nicole Kidman.

Unwittingly crashing a house party hosted at the alien HQ, graphic artist Enn (Alex Sharp) meets and soon falls for Zan (Elle Fanning), who is ‘one of them’ but lovable with it.

How To Talk To Girls At Parties was premiered in March at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, resulting in some less than glowing reviews.

Critics seemed to characterise it as a genre-hopping muddle, pitting punks against aliens in scenes that, to judge from the trailer below, might have been inspired by Brian Yuzna’s cult 1989 horror movie Society.

My favourite reviewer’s quote (I haven’t seen the film yet) is from the Guardian’s Xan Brooks, who wrote:

“If you only see one gritty punk-rock coming-of-age
sci-fi kids fantasy caper in this lifetime, maybe double-check the listings before you alight on this one.”

Nevertheless, How To Talk To Girls At Parties may yet find an audience among those who get excited whenever a mainstream movie, however dire, features a substantial amount of latex wardrobe.

You can read the original Neil Gaiman short story and the full Guardian review via the links below. Other reviews are available — Google is your friend. TM

neilgaiman.com/how-to-talk-to-girls-at-parties
theguardian.com/review/how-to-talk-to-girls

BELOW: More of Nicole and Elle in How To Talk To Girls At Parties; BOTTOM: the official movie trailer