Beauty vs Beast: All About Actresses

Howdy folks it's Jason from MNPP here with this week's round of "Beauty vs Beast," wherein we ask you to take sides between infamous cinematic tête-à-têtes... if you've got a seatbelt I'm suggesting right here outta the gate that you might wanna fasten it because, as the saying goes, bumps ho. Yup, it's All About Eve time. I don't really have an excuse for choosing All About Eve this week - the film does turn 65 this year but that's not until October. Bette Davis' birthday is in April. Anne Baxter's birthday is in May. The 106th anniversary of writer-director Joseph L. Mankiewicz's birth was three weeks ago, we could pretend it's an overdue hurrah for that? Sure. A belated good job on this movie, Joe! Really though any time is a good time for All About Eve. To paraphrase a certain somebody, All About Eve looked great sixty-five years ago and it'll look great twenty years from now. I hate men.

Whose team are you on?

Team Margo

Team Eve

Poll Maker

That's a Wrap ~ All the 87th Academy Awards Coverage

Thanks for reading & listening. You should sign up for the forthcoming weekly newsletter so you don't miss important events like a new Actress Psychic contest, the April Foolish Predictions and films to watch before big articles hit. It'll take you 5 seconds. Do it! 

It's okay boys. Not everyone can go home with an Oscar.*

OSCAR RECAP COVERAGE
The Arrivals - Dakota Johnson, Rosamund Pike, The Streep
The Live Blog - Flu-ridden spontaneous responses
Best & Worst Moments - the Team speaks out
Birdman Post-Mortem - reflections on the Best Picture win
Readers Choice - who TFE's audience was rooting for. Sorry!
Nathaniel's Ballot - Nathaniel's 2014 favorites for comparison's sake
Title Cards - how beautiful was this year's art for each category?
Oscar Stages - how did this year's compare to past set designs?
Oscar Charts - updated. To be replaced with new predictive ones starting in April!
Best Oscar Tweets - from gaga gloves to great sex

Julianne Won an Oscar - a love letter
Julianne's Baby Boy Won an Oscar - who's next?
Best Supporting Actress Gowns - and a few presenters
Best Actress Gowns - and the Aussie goddesses
Lupita's Stolen Dress - we name suspects
Oscar Snacks - what did you serve at your party?
After Party Gowns - Andie Macdowell, Hailee Steinfeld, and more
New Trivia - several interesting things happened
Podcast - wrapping it all up. Final reflections.

and
The New Actress Hierarchy - Julianne Moore enters the royal palace

COMING IN MARCH: "We Can't Wait" 2015's Most Exciting Movies, Cinderella (2015), The return of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" with The Sound of Music (Tomorrow! Are you ready?), The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel, Chappie, and looks back at Paris is Burning, Pretty Woman, and the films of Ida Lupino.

* last chance to post a photo of Channing Tatum in a singlet - had to take it.

...and we'll sing once more.

Ripley is Forever

There are few movie characters as iconic as Lt. Ellen Ripley, the accidental but determined warrior so superbly played by Sigourney Weaver four times over in the five film Aliens franchise (1979-2012). Soon to be six or seven if Ridley pursues his Prometheus sequel and Neill Blomkamp and Sigourney actually make good on their plans to bring Ripley back in 2017 on the heels of their first collaboration Chappie (opening Friday). 

While James Cameron's Aliens (1986) hogs most of the attention when it comes to Weaver's franchise headlining work (including a well deserved but very out-of-comfort-zone Oscar nomination for Best Actress) she's actually pretty stellar in all four of the movies. [More...]

Click to read more ...

The Witches of Huntsman?

Manuel here with some casting news. I had this fabulous idea of celebrating Leo DiCaprio’s casting in that 24 multiple personality film with a list of the 24 various personalities he’s already played. But once I started listing them alongside one another I realized Leo definitely needs to spice it up; lately, when he’s not playing a grieving wifeless man he’s playing a wealthy soulless man. Why not embrace another full-on comedic role? His turn in Catch me if You Can is still one of his best. Why so dour lately Leo?

They do make quite the beautiful trio, don't they?

Instead, let’s focus on a film that’s become more of an actressexual dream than any of us ever hoped for. Did you hear that The Huntsman film now boasts Charlize Theron, Emily Blunt and Jessica Chastain?

I’m secretly hoping the trio of actresses will make The Huntsman more of a Witches of Eastwick type film, or maybe they can all band together against the eponymous protagonist in a 9 to 5 style workplace comedy? I mean, none of us would complain about a tied-up Hemsworth, now would we? Or perhaps they can work in a fun musical number a la The First Wives Club? The mind boggles imagining this trio of ladies making the film crackle with wit and chemistry; perhaps this is much too optimistic for what is presumably another tentpole blockbuster. I mean, are they even bringing back Colleen Atwood?

What other actress trio would you love these gals to channel in this sure to be pretty (and pretty drab?) spinoff?