Curio: Holiday Gift List

Alexa here. Every year I spot gifts that I can't quite find the right person for (oftentimes I just end up buying then for myself).  This year I've spotted some truly clever film-themed gifts on etsy that simply don't work for anyone on my list. Is there someone in your life who fits these profiles? If so, support these independent sellers!

1. For the fan of creepy Javier Bardem, how about this porcelain bust of Anton Chigurh?  Although I would love for there to be a companion bust of Silva, too. Bookends, maybe?

Channing Tatum, Les Miz and more after the jump 

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To Link or Not to Link...

Gawker on Roman Polanski's Rosemary's Baby, just issued in a deluxe Criterion version
BBC Skyfall wins the best Bond opening ever overseas. Remember when we didn't even know if we would get any more James Bonds due to legal issues and rights and studio problems?
The Guardian on Daniel Day-Lewis' infamous ghostly father sighting all those years ago when he played Hamlet on stage (he has not returned to the stage since) 

In Contention George Clooney lines up a very starry cast for his next Oscar attack, the World War II drama Monuments Men: Craig, Blanchett, Goodman
AV Club Mike D'Angelo on the directors cut of one of my favorite films Little Shop of Horrors (1986) 
The Film Doctor 8 notes on Cloud Atlas
Cinema Blend Cloud Atlas karmic interconnectivity infographic
Towleroad Madonna visits Ellen Degeneres! 
Coming Soon Tom Cruise isn't done with the Mission: Impossible franchise yet. And here I thought they brought in Jeremy Renner to replace him. 

CHUD has a 1688 word review of the new Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning movie with 80s action icons Jean Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren returning and refuses to say whether they walk around with asses out as they so famously did the first time. 1688 words and no time for ass? That's just mean.
Movie|Line Ugh. I was totally going to do this Grease-centric Hurricane Sandy thing but a ton of sites beat me to it. I type so fast but I don't have all the time in the world or a huge paid staff to jump on everything. BOO.
Tom & Lorenzo Mad Men filming in Hawaii, eh? Jessica Pare and Jon Hamm in cute bathing suits. Oh I have to share the photo... I can't just link!

Lovely! I've never been to Hawaii, have you? It's nice to dream of Hawaii in the aftermath of dismal, windy, grey, wet destructive Hurricane Sandy.

R.I.P. Cha Cha

Raise your arms. Wave goodbye to Annette Charles aka Annette Cardona aka Cha Cha DiGregorio, "the best dancer at St. Bernadettes!" The former actress turned speech professor died Wednesday at the age of 63 of cancer. Strange that her death so closely followed Jeff Conaway's (Kenickie), her date to Grease's big "Born to Hand Jive" high school dance.

Her brief acting career consisted mostly of guest spots on 70s TV shows and two feature films but everyone associated with Grease (1978) will live on forever in the hearts of millions. Grease is still the word.

[Related: Here's a fine article from Clothes on Film on her Amazonian presence in Grease.]

Curio: Fotonovels

Alexa here.  Seeing Super 8 this holiday weekend left me with nostalgia for its template, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  And that brought to mind one of my favorite bits of 70s movie kitsch, Fotonovels. 

Fotonovels were "a collection of books that were filled from front to back with photos from a particular movie" and had "a shorter life than disco itself." Like comic books, but with real photographs! They were so exciting to me as a child. Grease was my favorite; before I even saw the movie I wore out my copy. I also loved Ice Castles (I was especially taken with the "Lexie" embroidered on her collar).  Recently, I scored a copy of the Close Encounters version. Here are some pictures of mine, as well as some I've spotted around the internet.

Click for The Champ and Ice Castles...

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Goodbye Kenickie

 

A hickie from Kenickie is like a Hallmark card!

Rest in Peace Jeff Conaway. The Grease (1978) actor, who recently become a sublebrity again on the reality program "Celebrity Rehab With Doctor Drew" passed away last night at the age of 60 with family surrounding him. We knew it was coming after that medically-induced coma but that doesn't make it any sadder.

We used to watch Grease so much in high school. *sniffle*

How long did your Grease phase last? Oh, don't pretend you never had one.