Time for the Tuesday countdown. In celebration of Halloween, this week's list focuses on a subject that's been on my mind since screening the notably "wiggy" Elizabeth: The Golden Age in which Cate Blanchett emoted beneath a parade of hair pieces. Thus, I give you:
10 "Hedwig" in Hedwig and the Angry Inch (2001)
John Cameron Mitchell's German rocker grabbed that "Wig in a Box," helping to kick-off the return of the movie musical with style. The Farrah Fawcett hairdo, with an edge.
09 "Amadeus" in Amadeus (1984)I'd like to consider Tom Hulce's Mozart a distant relation to Hedwig. They certainly share a certain flair when it comes to wigging out.
08 "Ron Burgundy" in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
Will Ferrell has made his career through kitschy bad hair. In the case of this smug portrayal of a 1970s news anchor, his hairpiece (it is a rug, right?) is frighteningly similar to one my father used to wear.
07 "Bernadette," "Mitzi" and "Felicia" in The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert(1994) The costumes took the prize at the Oscars, but each of these lovely drag queens (brilliantly embodied by Terence Stamp, Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, respectively) topped their sparkly duds off with fantastic and outrageous faux hair.
06 Owen Wilson as himself in anything. Yes, I know he's not wearing a wig, but he makes the list because he's got the kind of hair I'd most like to see copied by others hoping for that perfect crown of California sunshine. Farrah, eat your heart out.05 "Hobbits, Elves, Wizards and Men" in The Lord of the Rings (2001, 2002, 2003)
Whether it was the eighties-like curly mullets sported by the Hobbits, the "never had a bad hair day, EVER" tresses of the Elves, the unruly locks of "Galdalf the Grey" (replaced by the sleek style of "Gandalf the White," who apparently discovered conditioner when he made his return), or the greasy rocker look of "Aragorn," nearly every character in the trilogy was be-wigged.
04 "Elizabeth" in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)
Immediately after a screening of this film, I declared that the film should have been called "Elizabeth: A Wig for all Seasons." My personal favorite was her long and luxurious look for battle. It went so well with that shiny armour.
03 "Marie Antoinette" in Marie Antoinette (2006) Living the decadent lifestyle as the doomed French queen, Kirsten Dunst and her royal gal pals wear wigs that are as tasty looking as a beautifully layered cake.
02 "Velma Von Tussle" in Hairspray (1988)No disrespect to Michelle Pfeiffer's '07 incarnation, but Debbie Harry's Velma has one of the most gloriously loopy wigs in movie history.
01 "Mia Wallace" in Pulp Fiction (1994)
While there are certainly more outrageous movie wigs, Uma Thurman's black-haired bob (an update of the stunning look made famous by silent star Louise Brooks) is the most iconic. I think I have a special affinity for the 'do, since it turned into my lazy Halloween costume option during the mid 1990s.
Which fake hairdo is most inspiring to you? What movie-themed wigs have you sported on Halloween in the past and which one will it be this year?
