Red roses to greet you in Sainsbury’s, tempting meal deal for two offers and an Instagram feed full of elegantly dressed retro couples. It’s Valentine’s Day, y’all – some things never change.
Whether you see it as the most romantic day of the year or just another commercially manufactured holiday, love is on the brain. To mark the occasion, our favourite kooky married couple and photography duo Denelle and Tom Ellis have cooked up a fabulously tongue in cheek film exclusively for HUNGER, based on the iconic television show from the 1960s ‘The Dating Game’.
“The original “Dating Game” was a showcase for gendered stereotypes typical of the era,” Denelle and Tom explain. “Something we wanted to highlight with humour in our version.
“We shot the entire project on VHS and medium format film working with our wonderful set designers Lucy Cooper and Francesco Napolitano and videographer Ruby Brown to create the illusion of a full TV set in our space, Peanut Factory Studio. Sam Beadle made original hair pieces for each cast member and worked closely with makeup artist Wilma Stigson to create three different characters for Tom. We wanted to experiment with what could be done with just one face and make this a male centred beauty story, complete with cheesy game show host played by Daniel Cristofori.”
Check out the full film and photo-series below. Meet the contenders: preppy, mullet and mushroom man…
The Bachelorette
The Host
Preppy Guy
Mullet Man
Mushroom Man
Check out more of the photography duo’s work on Instagram @amarriedcouple.
