Monologue: "Like a Virgin"

Having revisited Tarantino's love of little piggies and Jackie Brown's Best Shots we end the Tarantino 50th Birthday festivities at the appropriate place given the director's love of circular plotting: The Very Beginning. When Quentin Tarantino was, essentially, a nobody, he was still Quentin Tarantino. Long before he was training his camera on knives and hands threatening Jamie Foxx's upside down junk in Django Unchained, he had the balls to open his debut feature with a monologue about big dicks... or Madonna's suggested love for them in her then 8 years old hit single "Like a Virgin".

This is the very first shot of Reservoir Dogs (1992).

Over the black of the credits Mr Brown (Quentin Tarantino) has introduced his thesis "The entire song is a metaphor for big dicks." more...

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Happy Easter, Dakota!

Dakota Fanning photographed by Matt Jones

I totally forgot it was Easter but appropos of nothing I did wake up this morning wondering where Dakota Fanning went to. Where ya been, girl? Didn't you film Effie like 2 years ago? And no the Twilight films don't count so you've really been slacking since The Runaways (2010). 

Or it seems like it. Do you think Dakota can pull a Jodie and become an important adult actress? The 19 year-old star does seem to be challenging herself with multiple genres and adult topics. Will the next two years be big for her? Up next: The Motel Life a thriller with Stephen Dorff (DVD release?), Very Good Girls a loss of virginity drama with Elisabeth Olsen, Night Moves from acclaimed indie auteur Kelly Reichardt about young environmentalists, Effie a period romantic drama biopic that seems like it films years ago, and the Hollywood scandal drama The Last of Robin Hood about Errol Flynn's (Kevin Kline) affair with a much much younger woman (Dakota). 

 

Review: "The Place Beyond the Pines"

This review was originally published in my weekly column at Towleroad

Handsome Luke at the Fairgrounds

The opening shot from THE PLACE BEYOND THE PINES, is a stunner. And not only because it starts with a view of a well-muscled and inked masculine torso. The camera follows the man (we don't see his face) as he paces back and forth, plays with a knife and then walks through a fairground where he turns heads and prompts amateur snapshots. Finally the camera catches his face. It's "Handsome Luke" (Ryan Gosling), a daredevil motorcylist about to defy death and gravity in a round metal cage. As soon as we've seen 'Handsome Gosling,' though, Luke throws a motorcyle helmet on depriving us of his Movie Star mug and enters the cage to perform miraculous stunts. As I recall there aren't any edits in this shot and I have no idea how it was filmed unless Ryan Gosling moonlights as a stuntman in addition to his many many other talents (like naming his body parts, and inspiring hilarious fandom and popular internet memes).

This lengthy continuous shot with its 'now you see him, now you don't' movie-star tease is a pretty apt description of the movie to come which is something of a bait-and-switch with a prominent throughline. [more]

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March. It's a Wrap

Well that went by quickly. We're just pretending the month isn't over when it comes to Reader Spotlights / Reader Appreciation Month. But I hope you're as excited for Spring as I am.

Tilda. She's found another place to sleep.

Highlights
Pocahontas Quiz come roll in all the riches all around us
Tilda in a Box I watched the goddess sleep. I couldn't take photos so I drew it
Vintage 1983 I chose a random year for this survey of its crop 
In Old Chicago a look back at an odd Oscar legend and the accompanying film
Vanya & Sonia & Sasha & Spike Sigourney's Weaver's sublime silliness on stage 

She Jane? That Jessica Chastain Tarzan rumor. And her competitive set?
The Wonderful Best Shots of Oz this season of Hit Me With Your Best Shot sure kicked up a dust storm as we left Kansas for the Emerald City for a few days
Horizontal Lovelies there weren't many comments -- do you prefer your stars vertical? -- but I had great fun making it 
Top Ten 1950s these list-attacks were good fun 

Most Discussed
Stars Without Competitive Oscars a top ten list through nomination stat lens 

Coming in April
The First Oscar Predictions of the new year, Oblivion, Jurassic Park, A Star is Born, the Nashville Film Festival, Kon-Tiki, Big Anniversaries for two Oscar battles:  Lawrence of Arabia vs To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Last Emperor vs. Moonstruck, "Mad Men at the Movies" (television's very best show returns) and more...

Ewan-in-a-Blanket

Happy 42nd birthday to Ewan McGregor! The giants in Jack The Giant Slayer earlier this month were super gross and dumb but they were right about one thing.

Ewan McGregor is delicious!

        Especially in blankets.

So herewith a (not entirely sfw) photo gallery of Ewan-in-a-blanket in semi chronological order. If you can add to the gallery, please do!

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