Every Stain a Story: The Use of Textures on Costumes in Hollywood Action, Horror, and Sci-Fi Movies

Dirt on clothing in Hollywood movies signifies cultural agreement about what is seen as defilement in everyday life. Artificially aged and distressed costumes are common in Hollywood films, and especially in genres like action, horror, and sci-fi. This thesis presents three case studies of the making, representation and reception of artificially aged and distressed costumes in Mama (2013), Hunger Games (20120, Die Hard (1988). Using an object-image-artefact model, this thesis critically analyzes how clothing and textures are developed as physical costumes for specific bodies to create characters on camera; how meaning is conveyed through the film image using textures on costumes; and how meaning changes once those costumes are recontextualized in museum collections and displays. This thesis approaches contemporary discourses of Hollywood film costumes from the perspectives of body, material, and memory.