The weird and wonderful world of Doctor Who...

With the devastating news that we won't be getting any resolution to the latest Doctor Who cliffhanger when Ncuti Gatwa's 'Doctor' seemingly regenerated into the Time Lord's old companion 'Rose Tyler' (played with glee by Billie Piper) I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane and revisit the times I visited the Doctor Who Experience in Cardiff Bay, Wales. Whenever I travelled back to see my Welsh family I'd always find the time to check out the latest screen-used costumes, props and set pieces from the iconic BBC show on display at the Doctor Who exhibition and I'd thought that my photos from that time had been lost when my old laptop died and I discovered I hadn't backed up the images. To my surprise (and delight) I was able to power up that laptop the other day and retrieve the missing files, so I thought I'd share an eclectic selection of photos from classic and revival era episodes.

First up is a trio of Doctor costumes and accompanying TARDIS for each from the 50th anniversary Doctor Who special, which saw Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor team up with David Tennant's Tenth Doctor and uncover the secret of John Hurt's 'War Doctor'.

The special also featured the metamorphic Zygon aliens, so make sure you take a closer look at all these costumes and more from The Day of the Doctor.

One of the many cool things that I got to see at this ever-changing Doctor Who Experience were TARDIS interior consoles and set design. This particular retro console was featured for the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Doctors during the Eighties, which was when I grew up watching the sci-fi series.

The exhibition also featured this uncanny Matt Smith waxwork and on this occasion it was dressed in the Doctor's purple Victorian frock coat with fur collar from the 2012 Christmas special, The Snowmen.

The costume beside him is one of Jenna Coleman's 'Clara Oswald' outfits from the show.

Back in the old days the Doctor Who sets and costumes maybe have been a bit wobbly and held together with sticky back plastic, but the villains were always iconic, no more so than 'Davros', the creator of the Daleks. I used to have nightmares about him and the metal killing machines, so be sure to take a look at all these various Generations of the Daleks.

Another formative night terror came in the form of the Cybermen. Alas, poor 'Adric'. The death of the Fourth and Fifth Doctor's Companion really haunted me.

This particular Cyberman and Cyber Conversion Unit are the upgraded versions from the TV revival era, but be sure to also check out other Cybermen designs through the ages. 

The revival era not only brought back classic monsters and aliens like the Daleks, Cybermen, Sontarans and more, but they also introduced new and deadly fan-favourite foes like the statue-like Weeping Angels.

Another instantly classic new race of aliens introduced in the new era were the Ood. These scary-looking squid-like aliens share a telepathic hive mind, communicate through an orb-shaped translation device, and were first introduced enslaved by humanity in the 2006 episode, The Impossible Planet.

Another great looking creature introduced in Russell T. Davies revival era was the 'Face of Boe'. This over-sized head with tentacles is an old friend of the Doctor's and in the Last of the Time Lords episode is revealed to be what the immortal 'Captain Jack Harkness' has evolved into in the future.

The reptilian Silurians were also given a makeover in the new era of Doctor Who, like military commander 'Restac' in The Hungry Earth/Cold War two-parter.

The actress under that scaly prosthetic makeup, Neve McIntosh, later went on to play the Victorian-era Silurian lesbian detective, 'Madame Vastra'.

The Doctor and his Companions adventures in time and space also brought him into the path of The Silence in the opening episodes of the sixth season.

These eerie, tall, long-fingered suited aliens with their almost The Scream painting homage faces were a great addition to the Doctor's pantheon of foes.

Christmas specials were also a brilliant strategy for the success of the new era, making the show must-see holiday viewing millions of festive households.

This cryogenic storage chamber and Wood Queen and King props are from 2011's playfully-titled The Doctor, the Widow and The Wardrobe.

Like most classic foes, the Ice Warriors also received an upgraded look for a new generation of viewers.

Be sure to compare this 'Grand Marshal Skaldac' suit from 2013's Cold War episode with Martian Ice Warrior from the 1960s.

And totally letting nostalgia get the best of me here, the Doctor's robotic dog 'K-9' was one of my favourite characters when I was watching when I was younger. I mean what kid wouldn't want a loyal robot dog who fired laser beams?!?

And finally for this collection of photos from my visits in May and December 2013, here's the Third Doctor's canary yellow vintage roadster, 'Bessie', that Jon Pertwee drove when he hung out with UNIT (known at the time as the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce) as their scientific advisor.

I hope you've enjoyed this trip down memory lane with all these costumes and props. Let's hope we won't have to wait years into the future before we see Doctor Who back on the small screen.

10 men's Halloween costume ideas from the big screen from recent times...

At the weekend we received our first invite to a Halloween party, so of course I immediately thought "what am I going to wear?!?". As luck would have it I was able to turn to some recent movie exhibits I've encountered to provide some inspiration that could work.

Dojo Mojo Casa House Ken costume

from Barbie

Ryan Gosling wasn't just 'Ken' in 2023's blockbuster Barbie movie, he was more than "Kenough" in the role, even earning himself an Academy Award Supporting Actor nomination.

Jacqueline Duran was the Oscar-nominated Costume Designer on director Greta Gerwig's film, but I'm not sure I have the abs to pull off Ken's "Dojo Mojo Casa House" costume (plus Palm Springs can still be super hot in October so I'm uncertain all that faux fur would work).

Napoleon Bonaparte costume

from Napoleon

After a summer of Paris Olympics, maybe a little something French is in order, like Napoleon Bonaparte.

Joaquin Phoenix wore this Napoleon costume in director Ridley Scott's historical epic and Janty Yates and David Crossman were the Oscar-nominated Costume Designers on the film.

Willy Wonka costume

from Wonka

With something with a bit more whimsy, there's a young 'Willy Wonka' from 2023's Wonka, played by Timothée Chalamet.

Lindy Hemming was the Costume Designer on this musical fantasy comedy, which depicts the early days of Roald Dahl's character as a chocolatier.

Phil Knight costume 

from Air

In 2023's biographical sports drama, Air, which tells the story of the partnership between basketball rookie Michael Jordan and athletic apparel brand Nike, Ben Affleck played the company's co-founder Phil Knight.

This sporty 1980s ensemble would make for a fun Halloween look, and Charlese Antoinette Jones was the Costume Designer responsible for helping the film step back in time fashion wise, so be sur to check out more screen-worn Air costumes on display.

David Von Erich costume

from The Iron Claw

For another sporty look, what about this flamboyant wrestling costume worn by Harris Dickinson in 2023's biopic about the Von Erich brothers, The Iron Claw.

Jennifer Starzyk was Costume Designer on the film, so be sure to enjoy more of her flashy pro-wrestler costumes from the movie on display.

Oliver Quick Midsummer Night's Dream Party costume

from Saltburn

In writer-director Emerald Fennell's 2023 dark psychological comedy, Saltburn, Barry Koeghan plays the cuckoo in the nest character, 'Oliver Twist', who ingratiates his way into an wealthy and eccentric English aristocratic family by deceit and slowly eliminates them one by one to claim their fortune and family estate.

This leafy embroidered white outfit he wears for the Midsummer Night's Dream Party would be a great Halloween costume if you added the deer antlers he sports in the film, designed by Sophie Canale.

Dr. Godwin Baxter costume

from Poor Things

If mad scientist is more your thing, then maybe the Frankenstein-inspired 'Dr. Godwin Baxter' from 2023's Poor Things is for you, especially if you recreated Willem Dafoe's character's scarred face from the movie.

Be sure to check out more of Holly Waddington's Oscar-winning Poor Things costumes on display for more inspiration.

Prince Eric costume

from The Little Mermaid

If you want to be a real charmer this year, then maybe this 'Prince Eric' costume worn by Jonah Hauer-King in Disney's live-action version of The Little Mermaid is for you.

Colleen Atwood was Costume Designer on the reimagined 2023 movie, and for more regal looks be sure to check out these Prince Charming costumes from the big and small screen.

Drax spacesuit

from Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3

For a more out-of-this-world look, then maybe one of the colourful spacesuits worn in 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3, like this red one worn by Dave Bautista's 'Drax', evoking 2001: A Space Odyssey's astronaut 'Dave Bowman'.

Judianna Makovsky was the Costume Designer on this third installment in James Gunn's MCU GOTG trilogy.

Andy costume

from Alien: Romulus

For another futuristic, yet easier to recreate look, maybe it's the Weyland-Yutani Corporation jumpsuit worn by David Jonsson as the android 'Andy' in 2024's Alien: Romulus on display.

Carlos Rosario was the Costume Designer on the movie responsible for evoking the fashion of the original Alien and Aliens franchise movies.

There's some great looks here, I'm still not entirely convinced about a party costume for this year, so I think I'll peruse through my archives of previous men's Halloween costume ideas for more even inspiration. 

Screen-used film props from Alien: Romulus on display...

Alien movie fans and film buffs alike should love today's blog entry as it features cool screen-used props and models from Alien: Romulus on display. Director Fede Alvarez's film is set between the events of 1979's Alien and the 1986 movie sequel, Aliens. At the start of the film the Xenomorph that 'Ellen Ripley' ejected into space in Alien is found floating in an organic meteorite mass in the wreckage of the USCSS Nostromo star freighter. When scientists laser cut the meteoroid in half the ruthless life form is revealed within.

Xenomorph meteorite prop from Alien: Romulus

This assortment of movie props were photographed temporarily on display at Hollywood's infamous El Capitan Theatre on August 19, 2024.

Also part of the movie exhibit were screen-worn costumes from Alien Romulus designed by Carlos Rosario.

Alien: Romulus movie poster

This is the filming miniature model of the Weyland-Yutani Corporation probe that scoops up the asteroid containing the Xenomorph and takes it to the scientific research station for study, dissection and cloning.

Weyland-Yutani Echo 203 probe miniature model

from Alien: Romulus

These cargo crates and computer monitor also featured in the film. To try and ward off the Xenomorphs on the derelict space station 'Rain' and 'Tyler' arm themselves with M56 self-aiming pulse rifles, even though they can't fire them for fear of rupturing the station's hull.

Movie props from Alien: Romulus

The station's synthetic science officer 'Rook' (who is given the likeness of Ian Holm who played the android 'Ash' in the original film via animatronics, CGI and deepfake AI technology) wants them to transport "Prometheus fire", a black gooey substance, that has been extracted from the aliens in a sample container to the mining colony on Jackson's Star to give to the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.

I hope you've enjoyed this assortment of screen-used props from the sci-fi horror film and be sure to check out more costumes from the Alien film franchise on display.

This is the last survivor of Hollywood Movie Costumes and Props Blog signing off, for now.

Alien: Romulus movie poster

Aileen Wu's movie costume from Alien: Romulus on display...

Director Fede Alvarez's Alien: Romulus is set between 1979's Alien and 1986's Aliens and sees a young crew of scavengers from a mining colony break into a derelict space station to steal some hypersleep chambers in order to travel through space to a better life on a terraformed world. In the film Aileen Wu plays 'Navarro', the pilot of the Corbelan IV hauler that flys them to the orbiting abandoned scientific spaceship. Aboard the station Navarro is attacked by an alien "facehugger" (as strikingly seen on the movie's theatrical posters) which impregnates her with a "chestburster" that leads to her violent death.

Navarro costume worn by Aileen Wu

in Alien: Romulus

Aileen Wu's costume was photographed on display at the infamous El Capitan Theatre along Hollywood Boulevard on August 19, 2024. Her leather jacket may be a lighter colour, but it certainly evokes the jacket worn by Sigourney Weaver's 'Ellen Ripley' in Aliens.

Carlos Rosario is Costume Designer on this latest installment in the Alien film franchise and you can see more of his work with this costume from The Girl in the Spider's Web and these other screen-worn Alien: Romulus movie costumes temporarily on display at the El Capitan Theatre.

Alien: Romulus movie billboard