Familiar Faces: Woody Allen's Cast Hierarchy

Several Woody Allen's ago we began a very short lived series called "Familiar Faces" in which I surveyed repeat usages of the same actors in a director's ouevre. The series was short lived because my god do you know how long each post took? Nevertheless, I'd love to revive it if I've ever afforded the budget or time and I thought with Blue Jasmine, Woody Allen's 43rd complete directorial feature, rocking it at the box office the time was ripe to revisit and republish with a few minor adjustments. If you see a half point trust that it's from Play It Again Sam which Woody wrote and starred in but did not direct or New York Stories which he directed only one segment of. One of the key factors in why I don't think Woody Allen films are as strong as they used to be is his weird shift from loyal employer to fickle star-gazer. Nowadways its rare for an actor to return to his filmography. 

Will Cate follow in other muse footsteps or is Blue Jasmine a one-off?

Take Blue Jasmine for example. The only performers with a previous Woody under his belt are Alec Baldwin who had the "pleasure" of playing an ill-defined role in To Rome With Love and (a long time ago) a small role in Alice and Ginger herself Sally Hawkins who previously appeared in Cassandra's Dream

Herewith my findings... from Mia through the Dian(n)es and on to the Scarletts 

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A "Yes, No, Maybe So" Quadruple Feature!

Hollywood is insisting that we move on to the current calendar year (What is this thing called "2012"?) before we're wrapped with the 2011 Oscar Contenders. Boo! Don't they know we prefer things all regimented like? So we've fallen behind. We've no choice but to abbreviate our Yes, No, Maybe So feature to get caught back up. So let's talk about four new trailers that have...

What's that?!? They're not new anymore? Stop rushing me.

None of the movies have opened yet so they're fair game. Care for a nerve-wracking conversation with Sigourney Weaver? Some senior mugging with Diane & Kevin? Think Jeremy Renner can fill Matt Damon's big shoes?

"Help. I'm lost in the thick woods of movie trailers."

Which of these movies are you eager to see, which will you avoid, and which of these first tastes leave you undecided? Four new(ish) trailers after the jump. Discuss! You've been too quiet and are freaking me out.

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RuPocalypse Now

Did any of you watch the premiere of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 4? I'm always wanting to write about it because, more than most performers, drag stars love to mash up pop cultural influences including movies. It's not only the typical Gay Films that get referenced but camp classics of all sexual persuasions (Waterworld classifies as a straight camp classic, right? I mean it's dreadfully serious about itself but it's terrible) and even regular classics, albeit usually the feminine ones. The theme of the first episode was the apocalypse and the first part of the contest was a photoshoot in which the queens were sprayed with "toxic waste" while Ru shouted out instructions. At one point Ru yelled "give me Karen Silkwood!" I can't picture The Great Lady Streep watching this sort of thing but I bet she would have chortled.

Despite all the cultural referencing its evident (sometimes) that many queens are merely parroting the past without actually knowing what they're referencing. So I tend to gravitate towards the smarter queens who are a little more savvy about drag as art and understand gay culture's magpie qualities

WillamIt's dangerous to choose favorites early on in competition shows but I love Willam (Willam Belli) because he seems smarter than the room and could actually back up the bravado and name dropping. He's got a long list of film and TV credits.

 I'm a successful drag queen. I'm not some bitch who has to show for a dollar."

"I've worked with Oscar Winner Diane Keaton," Willam bragged in the after show. Not just Diane Keaton, bitches. Oscar Winner being a title like Dame, see. 

My other instant favorite was Sharon Needles who won the apocalypse challenge by understanding what they were looking for: creative scary theater. The winning look and more movie notes after the jump.

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Links

I apologize straightaway for the slower-than-usual posting the past few days. it's just been one of those weeks. co-miserate with me in the comments.

Pajiba "Goodwin's Law: Celebrity Edition" starring Susan Sarandon, Lars von Trier and more celebrities whose exaggerating mouths get them into trouble.
Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal tons of W&G items up for auction starting on November 1st. I love Wallace and Gromit.
EW Joss Whedon plots his return to the web with the apocalyptic Wastelanders.
In Contention I know you've heard this but it's worth noting that the NYFCC, arguably the most important of the 17 million critics awards out there, have taken the crazy crazy "first!" position in awards season by jumping to (gasp) November.

Animation Magazine that animated marvel Persepolis is still shaking things up years later.
Self Styled Siren remembers Barbara Kent (1906-2011), another silent film star who has left this earth.
Awards Daily is excited for the new Diane Keaton memoir. So am I but I'm honestly surprised as she seemed so the don't-kiss-and-tell type.
Scanners good piece on cinephilia and our separate lines in the sand when it comes to horrific imagery, whether of the standard horror or pyschologically disturbing variety.

Keyframe Nick Davis on Derek Jarman's Blue.  

Indeed, it’s hard to escape an undertow of privation while watching Blue, not just because its premise is the imminent demise of a great filmmaker (still absurdly undervalued by all but the most self-selecting audiences,) but because its form is austere enough to come across as like a mid-level gallery gimmick."

just 4 fun
Skedrawdles "it's a cloud eat cloud world."
Towleroad "It Getteth Better"
Hark, a Vagrant! Spider-Man vs. Kraven.  

Curio: Woody's Women

Alexa here.  Matthew's question for today's Q&A ("Woody Allen has chosen a new, unexpected muse...Pick the actress") got me thinking about the special qualities of Woody's muses.  As noted in June's W, Woody surrounds himself (or his actor fascimilie) with fascinating, seductive, unnerving women. He told the magazine that "I have great adoration and lust and interest in all of the women in my films. It would thrill me to go out with all of them.”  Here are a few fan art celebrations of Woody with his dream dates.

Woody and Scarlett, hand painted on a t-shirt by ElenaDiNatale.

Woody's brain reflects on Scarlett, Mia, and Penelope. By Gabriel Moreno.

Click for more, including Annie...

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