Link Shelf

Can we talk about the official Oscar site for a minute? The past few years they've really improved it but some things are questionable. Like their live blog of the nominee luncheon being just a series of photos or this weird article about the biggest Oscar surprises evers that seeks to rewrite history and imagine a world where everyone didn't know that Ben Affleck and Matt Damon were winning Screenplay for Good Will Hunting. LMFAO. Everyone knew that. But I have to say that I love their nominee questionnaire. Especially the handwritten responses from various celebrities and filmmakers.

Okay, Links
Pajiba Fox News' hilariously dumb war against the "anti-capitalist" The LEGO Movie. Hahaha. I swear they get dumber every year over there and they were pretty stoopid to begin with
Glenn Dunks Laura Dern's greatest faces
i09 the cast of Frozen, including Idina, did a live concert. Will Disney finally wise up and realize original voice recordings are better than overproduced lame pop versions of the song? 
/Film Weinstein Co drops a lot of money on Imitation Game (2014). We already thought it was an Oscar contender and this confirms it

Oh and have you seen McConaughey on Graham Norton talking about his Wolf of Wall Street chant? For some reason Julianne Moore is there, too, and eager to hear it. (I missed this episode, obviously)

Cinema Blend Anne Hathaway considering taking the lead role in The Intern, vacated by Reese Witherspoon opposite Robert DeNiro (but why are there two recent comedies about middle aged or senior guys doing internships -- is this a business trend I'm unaware of or just Hollywood being dumb?)
Grantland Mark Harris on Oscar season turning ugly
Pillow Tweets [NSFW] W Magazine has compiled a bunch of photos of stars in various states of undress with their white sheets and pillows including current Oscar nominee Pharrell Williams, increasingly naked Miley Cyrus, Joe Manganiello, noted homosexual Luke Evans and many more.

BOOKS!
I wanted to take the time out to congratulate some online writer friends. Manuel Muñoz's first full novel "What You See in the Dark" was inspired by and evolves as kind of an adjacent story to the making of Hitchcock's Psycho (we've discussed it a few times because it's awesome) and it's now been translated into French - here's a review if you're a francophone! Christopher Smith, who once upon a time vouched for me for BFCA membership, left film reviewing to become a best-selling novelist.He just keeps churning them out!  

But the real reason I'm posting this is three more online friends have new books out or arriving soon! Kenneth in the (212) wrote the pop culture saturated memoir "Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful?" which is available now. Dan Callahan, who was delighted when we coined the term 'actressexual' here (and definitely is one) has previously written a book on Barbara Stanwyck. His new book is  "A Life of Vanessa Redgrave" which doesn't arrive until May but I have a delicious looking copy on my coffee table because I am special. And last but not least, the Self Styled Siren (a must read blogger for you fans of classic cinema) also has a book coming out later in 2014 though I don't think we're allowed to share details just yet. Be assured that we'll discuss it when it arrives. I am officially now the only reasonably-somewhat-sort-of-well-known blogger I've ever met who never got a book deal. I am officially also quite happy for all of them. Well done! 

Nominee Luncheon: Who Was Amy Adams Last Time?

According to People magazine...

Amy Adams says she wants to "feel like myself" this year when it comes to her Oscars dress

Which sort of begs the question 'who did you feel like last time, Amy?' for all of those nominee dresses.

Hmmm, I'm thinking she felt like Sarandon, Cate, Uma and Penélope? How about you?

Nominee Luncheon: The Menu. The Leo.

This is what your favorite movie stars are nibbling on, during the speeches and the schmoozing...

You're serving Julia Roberts and Meryl Streep fish again?!? Who do you suppose is eating what?

I imagine a lot of them are on special diets and not eating at all and between Michael Fassbender, Barkhad Abdi, Sally Hawkins, and McConaughey & Leto are these the skinniest acting shortlists of all time? So many beanpoles. Who has the biggest appetite: June Squibb? David O. Russell? Barkhad Abdi (I just like typing his name)?

I know I'm not supposed to make fun of typos given that this blog is often typed as fast and as recklessly as my fingers will allow but I am desperate to try anything "Stir fired" because it sounds amazing.

Leo says 'hi'

The Ultimate "You Can't Sit With Us"

Jose here. True story, in ealy 1998 I was obsessed with the two women to the right. Julia was the star of the first non-animated movie I owned on VHS (My Best Friend's Wedding) and Gwynnie was my straight-crush du jour having stolen my heart in Great Expectations. That year I deemed them both as my favorite actresses (I was 12) and had forgotten all about how giddy they made me until I saw them together in this picture (taken at some gala celebrating Sean Penn). Of course, I started fantasizing/thinking about all of my favorite random celebrity couplings pictures (this one of Madonna making Pé drink champagne is a very close second), not to mention thinking about how Goldie would fare as Violet in August... but before I go down an endless pit of actressing, let us know:

What are some of your favorite random celebrity pictures? Which celebrities you'd like to see hanging out together?

"I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE"

I've been struggling and struggling to come up with something to say about Shia Labeouf's paper bag look at the Berlinale over the weekend. Thought it seems ready made for a meme -- think of all the has-beens that could be mocked! -- you wouldn't be able to tell who was being mocked once you'd photoshopped the bag over the head. 

I know only two things about this. First, that James Franco exploded when he saw it, both sexually aroused and furious that he hadn't thought of it first. Second, that at least one cinephile in each top film market will do this look for Halloween and not enough people will get the joke.