Curio: Tim Burton Terrariums

Alexa here.  I, like the rest of the world, saw The Avengers instead of Dark Shadows last weekend. My hopes for Joss Whedon's big budget career weren't dashed, as I presume they would have been if I'd seen Dark Shadows and hoped for any of Tim Burton's glorious whimsy of yore. Speaking of, I recently became enchanted with these terrariums created by Rachel Bishop. Rachel sculpted models out of wax and used moss, roots and other natural materials to create these tiny sustainable ecosystems in tribute to Beetlejuice and The Nightmare Before Christmas. They make me wonder what other film universes I'd want to see living under glass; perhaps the Wilcox family home from Howard's End? Or the shire from Lord of the Rings? You can see more of Rachel's terrariums here.

Curio: Totes, Totes

Alexa here. Lately I've been stress eating and stocking up on tote bags, which probably means I am turning into Liz Lemon, but really it's just that I am very busy and preparing for outdoor concert season. I can never own enough tote bags any time of year, but during the summer they become indispensable.  Here are some especially great ones I've spotted recently that cleverly celebrate some beloved film icons.

Handmade Bette tote, available here.

A tote for the Truffaut lover, available here.

Psychedelic Mia tote, available here.Click for more, including Woody and E.T....

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Curio: Jacks of All Trades

Alexa here. I couldn't let Jack Nicholson's 75th go by without weighing in. In the past I've spied some curios that feature moments from his long career, like an Academy's Players Directory from 1961 that featured him as a young actor, and some amazing finger puppets inspired by The Shining that are, alas, no longer available. So here are some that feature my favorites of his performances, along with a odd little item from my own collection.  

Chinatown poster by Claudia Varosio, available here.

Czech poster for Prizzi's Honor, designed by Zdeněk Ziegler, available here.

German poster for One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, available here.Click for more, including Heartburn matches and an As Good As It Gets hankie...

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Curio: Hollywood's Garage Sale

Alexa here.  The 2012 Hollywood Legends Auction, held recently by Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills, made some news because it included the first sale of Whitney Houston's belongings since her passing. I recently perused the catalog and was interested to see many items from Rue McClanahan's estate (Golden Girls caftans!) and artifacts from Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's life together (including some patio furniture). There were hundreds of interesting film curios, including costumes, original artwork and odd, lifelike mannequins. Also fascinating was how much many of the items went for.  Why did Debbie Reynolds' Singin' in the Rain Costume fetch $10,000 more than Natalie Wood's Gypsy ensemble? Who knows.  Here is a small selection of the hundreds. You can flip through the catalog here.

Orson Welles self portrait, sold for $8,960.

Eyes Wide Shut mannequins, sold for $1,408.

Cabaret, Cleopatra, Gypsy and more after the jump...

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Curio: Smart Alec

Alexa here. Alec Baldwin, newly-engaged and soon-to-be-upstaged by Benigni antics in Woody's "To Rome With Love" (if the poster is any indication) turns 54 today. Hearing him deliver a deliciously clever line of dialogue is truly one of lie's great pleasures, no? I've thought so as far back as Married to the Mob ("Tony, I had no idea you was puttin' the stones to Karen"), but his performance in Glengarry Glen Ross may still be his high water mark in scene-stealing. Here's praying Woody has written him enough quality dialogue that even Begnini's arm waving won't matter. If not, well, he still has Tina.  Here are a few arty celebrations of Alec's best lines.

Poster by Amy McAdams.

Glengarry closers mug, available here.

Click for some Jack Donaghy gems...

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