ICYMI

Busy week as usual. Seven highlights, in case you missed them...

Alfre Woodard - we talked to the great actress about her favorite roles from 12 Years a Slave to Passion Fish
Stage Door catfights - Anne Marie finally made it to the classics in her Katharine Hepburn retrospective. This one is deeply pleasureable
LA Confidential - this "Best Shot" edition didn't have the turnout of Eternal Sunshine but it sure was interesting to see this movie again after all these years. Such stellar performances 
Tom vs. Dickie - Jude and Matt were warring again in this Italian edition of "beauty vs. beast" in which both of them are both beauties and beasts. Have you voted yet?
Jai Courtney - the next big thing or the next shrug? 
Women's History Month - profiles of great actresses as real life women 
X-Men Days of Future Past - we yes no maybe so'ed the popular trailer 

DON'T FORGET "Best Shot"
The next three films have been chosen -- legendary bad movie Can't Stop the Music (1980) is our April Fools Day selection so watch it this weekend and join us on Tuesday with YOUR Best Shot.

Later in the season we'll be hitting films from all decades and genres and reputations as we do. (You can see the complete list of previous titles by season or by decade) but the best way to enjoy the series is not by waiting for your favorites to show up but by participating each time and blowing your mind, taste and eyeballs wide open. Sad Side Note: I'm dying to do Ken Russell's The Devils (1971) for this series but it's still very hard to find on DVD. Argh. I don't understand why Criterion doesn't come to the rescue - thank god I saw it at the Walter Reade when I had the chance a few years back.

COMING SOON
Our Annual April Foolish Predictions for the Oscar race won't be as early as usual since we're working on some behind the scenes coding. I'll be on a wee vacation as well from April 3rd through the 7th as well but the rest of the team may well pop in.

25 Years Ago Today... Marquise & Madame

These pictures were literally shot 25 years ago today - Michelle Pfeiffer & Glenn Close at the Governor's Ball for the 1988 Oscars on March 29th, 1989.  

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Cast This: "Magic Mike XXL"

Channing & Pettyfer in the originalThe Magic Mike sequel is gearing up to start filming in the fall. The Playlist reports that Steven Soderbergh's long time first AD Gregory Jacobs will direct so they're keeping it in house and the film will be called Magic Mike XXL a title of which we approve.

What we do not approve of is the rumors that most of the original cast will return. The last film ended with a clear parting of the ways so it makes sense to move on at least to some extent with new characters. Channing Tatum has promised in the past that the sequel will be more like what people were expecting from the first one so I guess that means more of a fleshy spectacle? Anyway, the first film was terrific (and not just for the fleshy spectacle) but this kind of project begs for fresh blood meat, not sloppy seconds you know? Frankly, they should only keep one or two of the players to keep the energy up while the clothes are off.

So, let's pretend they wise up and bring in new players. Last time they went with a mix of 20-40somethings and actors from both TV and film -- they can't be too famous though or they'd pass. But there are literally hundreds of men who would qualify. Here's a few suggestions to diversify a bit to get you started.

Nicholas Hoult, Max Greenfield, Jesse Williams, Kit Harrington, Michael Ealy, Diego Boneta, Harry Shum Jr, Lee Pace. I could go on and on...

And that's basically just eight hot affordable men with some degree of fame (but not huge movie careers ... apart from arguably Hoult) who don't have to do too much training to get in shape for it. Your turn! Who would you love to see dance their (clothes off) ass off with Chan?

Posterized: Russell Crowe

What was the precise moment that Russell Crowe became a superstar? Here's my guess. The moment LA Confidential introduced him, with that piercing stare (you can count the number of times he blinks in the movie on one hand) with his character name punched out on screen like a case file report.

They might as well have typed out

R-U-S-S-E-L-L C-R-O-W-E

...in giant letters right then. But enough about L.A. Confidential which we've been discussing a lot this week. His film career started 7 years earlier than that with Australian pictures in 1990. With Noah opening today his name is back on marquees.

I tried to find the earliest poster of each of his films since a lot of the posters have been retrofitted to put his face and name huge as the only selling point, even if he was a supporting characters. It's better to see the slow rise of his marketability with original posters. He's made 38 films thus far. How many of these have you seen? 

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Animal Pairs I'm Hoping To See in "Noah" This Weekend

I'm off to see Noah. No, I don't know how or why I missed the critics screenings (boo) but don't tell me which animal pairs get screen time or cameos. I love animals muchly and want lots of screen time for them. Except for maybe mice. Mickey and Minnie aside, I never want to see them and am really pissed that God made Noah take them.

I'm hoping to spot the following couples in the massive march, slither, hop, swim (or wait, maybe he didn't have to worry about the swimming animals?), scurry, swing, and run to the ark.

A full gallery at the jump...

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