Swag Watch: Lincoln Cooks, Brave Looks

Two yummy gifts arrived, courtesy no doubt of my BFCA membership. But I always pretend the gifts are bribes (don't judge) since I am CLOTHED IN IMMENSE POWERS OF FOR YOUR CONSIDERATIONING. I thought you might enjoy peeks at these.

Lincoln has been going all out. They have an elegant info-heavy free download app for everyone who wants to learn more about the movie and this week a cookbook arrived. The cookbook isn't new -- it existed before the movie -- but why not?

Lincoln isn't really a foodie movie but the recipes are from the Presidential Library -- some of them from Lincoln's own lifetime and family. The subtitle is "a cookbook of epic portions" but really I can't see Honest Abe eating all that much. So lanky.

The very first recipe in for caramel ice cream so I have no choice but to approve.

Brave gifted us with "The Art of Disney Pixar BRAVE" which is a book filled with info about the development of the movie and amazing artwork along the way. I've barely made it through the preface and forward but the moody paintings thus far are awesome.

I'll leave you with  two images, one that delighted me and one that grabbed my attention.

This pencil sketch is by Director Brenda Chapman's own daughter, six years before the film as we know it was released. The indelible pairing of feisty ginger Merida and mama bear were already a part of their lives. Emma Rose was Brenda's inspiration for the movie after all. She writes:

When I came up with the idea of Brave, my predominant inspiration was the bundle of passion, stubbornness, determination and strength of character that is my daughter. Having been a shy and submissive child myself (wink), I was completely unprepared for the impact she had on my life. We locked horns, we butted heads, and we control-freaked each other to distraction. And this was when she was only five! I wondered what she was going to be like as a teenager.

And here's two early sketches of Merida by the artist Steve Purcell back when he envisioned her much younger than she ended up being in the final version of the story. I love that her hair grew and grew and grew until the final version of the character. Hair so big it's full of secrets.

Red Carpet Convos: Critics Choice Easter Eggs

Awards season is truly upon us. The red carpets are unfurled and waiting for the glitterati to trample them. Tomorrow night is the Golden Globes (we'll be here live-blogging it old' style if you'd like to join us!) but for now one last look back at the Critics Choice Awards held Thursday night. For this edition of Red Carpet Convos I've invited Joanna Robinson from Pajiba to join me. Joanna is a longtime reader of The Film Experience (she even won a contest once years ago!) and a delightful person, too. 

Nathaniel: Hey Joanna. Welcome. Let's start with the pastel field and uh... HAPPY EASTER!?!

Olsen, Pyle, Woodley, Miller, and Kruger

Joanna:  ‪As faberge as Elizabeth Olsen looks, I think she looks better than her "fashion plate" sisters have looked in years‬.

Nathaniel: ‪Give her time. If the Olsens practice hand-me-down fashions she's in trouble.‬ 

Joanna:  ‪I see burlap sacks in your future, girl!‬ Also, whoever designed Diane Kruger's dress hates both women and their anatomy.

This is Joanna! Go read her stuff.Nathaniel:  ‪Speaking of women and their anatomy. We've gone so "exotic" for this red carpet convo. I'm speaking to a biological woman.‬ 

Joanna:  ‪I have anatomy!‬ 

Nathaniel: What IS going on with that dress though. It's like her breasts are being caged in.

Joanna:  ‪And around her, um, lady garden?  Are those horns?  I am baffled.‬ 

Nathaniel:  ‪I was thinking it was a rare moment of restraint. The designer wanted to ‬‪trap her vagina in as tight as her breasts but decided to go "subtle"‬ 

Joanna:  ‪Speaking of subtlety, I actually think Missi Pyle looks lovely.  Really sweet.‬

Nathaniel: Agreed. Though sweet, lovely, and subtle aren't the adjectives I normally think of with Missi for which I entirely blame her for being so convincing and hilarious as a crude perpetually drunk and horny partier in Spring Breakdown. Tell me you've seen it!

Joanna:  ‪I haven't!  But her larger than life performances in Dodgeball and Big Fish are enough to make me a Pyle fan.  And her Lina Lamont impression in The Artist was perfection.‬ 

Nathaniel: Yes. I almost wanted there to be sound just so she could say "I CAINNNNNNtSTANNIT."‬

Funereal Black, Dashing Men, and "Team Help" after the jump...

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Say What? Jessica & Chloe

Amuse us. Add a caption or dialogue for this photo of Jessica Chastain and Chloe Moretz from last night's BFCA red carpet...

You know you want to!

"Critics Choice" Winners From Viola to The Artist

Kirsten Dunst presented Best Supporting Actress to Octavia SpencerWe tried a live blog experiment which was very chaotic though conversational if you'd like to relive it vicariously through us if you weren't here. But otherwise, let's review the big speeches and the winner's roster.

Do you think all five of the major acting wins will translate to Globe and SAG hoopla... and then on to Oscar? It's been a surprising season to date so will it suddenly become a normal season where the same films and performances win each time?

SUPPORTING ACTRESS -Octavia Spencer for The Help

Okay um. Well I'm not prepared. I wasn't a Girl Scout. I guess the operative word here is Best Supporting  becasue I was truly supported by the most amazing cast and crew. Oh my god this is really kind of crazy. Okay. Uh. I'd like to thank everyone at Dreamworks -- Stacey Snyder thank you for giving me this chance. Holly Barrio. Chip Sullivan. Everyone at Disney. Rich [series of names that all blurred together for us] ...and then of course my two champions Tate Taylor and Brunson Green who have always believed in me. And thank God you believed in me enough to give me a job that actually paid this time!

But thank you so much to the BFCA. I am truly truly humbled by this. Thank you.

SUPPORTING ACTOR - Christopher Plummer for Beginners

Christopher Plummer, young againWinners and a Tearful Viola after the jump...

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"Critics Choice" Live Blog

We're trying 'Cover it Live' for tonight's event. We experimented yesterday and we'll see how it goes on an actual awards night. It allows a bit more interaction with any readers who are watching it as we are. I am a member of the BFCA which runs the "Critics Choice" awards though I am not in LA for the event. Sniffle. Play your violins for me people!

So that you may laugh at me during the evening -- I've never claimed to be good at predicting the BFCA prizes -- my predictions are below the live blog window. 

Will you join us?

My predictions
PICTURE The Artist |  DIRECTOR - The Artist  ACTRESS -Meryl Streep (I doubt they'll risk a third "tie" for Meryl) Viola it is! |  ACTOR - George Clooney | SUPP ACTRESS - Melissa McCarthy Octavia it is! | SUPP ACTOR - Albert Brooks Christopher Plummer it is | ENSEMBLE - The Help (though if it's Bridesmaids I bet supporting actress will be Octavia Spencer instead) | YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS - Shailene Woodley wow, Thomas Horn. |  ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY - Midnight in Paris | ADAPTED SCREENPLAY - The Descendants nope, it's Moneyball

I can't remember which of these are presented live and which are off air...
CINEMATOGRAPHY - The Tree of Life (yes, but War Horse also won) | ART DIRECTION -  Hugo |  COSTUME DESIGN - The Artist | EDITING - The Artist nope, it was Dragon Tattoo | MAKEUP - Harry Potter | VISUAL EFFECTS - Rise of the Planet of the Apes
SOUND - Hugo nope, another one for Harry Potter | ANIMATED FEATURE - Adventures of Tintin nope it was Rango | ACTION MOVIE - Drive | COMEDY MOVIE - Bridesmaids | FOREIGN FILM - A Separation |  DOCUMENTARY - Project Nim nope it was George Harrison. They were going full Marty tonight (except for Hugo) | SONG - Life's a Happy Song | SCORE - The Artist (or maybe War Horse. Hmmmm)