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!

Click to read more ...

Posterized: Ryan Gosling

This, the Ryan Gosling edition of Posterized, has the cleanest trajectory of any I've done. It's like Young Hercules never put a foot wrong once he left minor teen success on tv for the movies at 20. It's just one steady climb up to superstardom: the showy debuts, the solidifying his rep years, the Oscar nominated and populist breakthroughs and then on to superstardom in 2011.

Hey girl, how many have you seen?

Young Hercules (1998-1999) | Remember the Titans (2000) |
The Believer (2001, Spirit Nom)
Who Was That?

15 More Films & The Gosling Ascendance after the jump...

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Yes, No, Maybe So: "The Wolverine"

I have to believe that the superhero subgenre of action flicks reached its populist peak last summer (it'd be tough to have MORE of a glut than a summer season where The Avengers, Batman and Spider-Man were the three most popular releases). Though I grew up loving comic books and superheroes, too much of the same thing is bad for any artform, and the movies need a wee break from all the mutated testosterone... at the very least throw us a curveball with a female superhero. 

But it's hard to resist this mutton-chopped mug. Hugh Jackman returns for his sixth stint as an atypically rage-filled Canadian... aka Logan, The Wolverine.

What they did to me - what I am - can't be undone."

That's one of the many DRAMATIC lines in the trailer but I sincerely hope he's not talking about X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Undo, undo! The Yes No and Maybe So breakdown is after the jump...

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First & Last: Darkness & Decay

first and last puzzles
the first line of dialogue and the last image from a motion picture. 

Grandmother. Come closer.

Can you guess the movie?