182 days 'til Oscar

Which power couple will be obsessing over in just six months time? The 87th Oscars approach and as long as the movies have been around there have been fabulously wealthy and glamorous movie star couples. Take Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks for instance, the original celebrity power couple. If you must know (I know you are too shy to ask) my favorite films of theirs are His: The Thief of Bagdad (1924) and Hers: Stella Maris (1918) though admittedly I have many more left to see.

Fairbanks & Pickford were married in 1920 when both were superstars, he the original Zorro and she Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm and other big hits. He famously gave Pickford "The Star of Bombay," a 182-carat sapphire which was not actually from Bombay but from Sri Lanka. She later bequeathed it to the Smithsonian where it remains. There's your priceless (okay, $½ million in today's dollars) piece of trivia for the day. You're welcome.

Pickford (the original "America's Sweetheart") and Fairbanks (the original "King of Hollywood") were among the 36 co-founders of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Fairbanks served as its first President and both would eventually receive Honorary Oscars with Mary also winning a regular statuette for Coquette). Could they have ever imagined how obsessive we'd all be about their little annual banquets 87 years later? 

At the 86th Oscars, contemporary Hollywood's most glamorous megastar couple Angelina Jolie & Brad Pitt famously ate a pizza (well, he did) but they were also honored. She took home an Honorary (albeit non televised. argh) and he won his first competitive Oscar for producing 12 Years a Slave. They could theoretically both take home Oscars again if Fury and Unbroken are massive hits with AMPAS and reasonably well liked by audiences. 

Do you think they will be?

CURRENT OSCAR PREDICTIONS (which category needs a major rethink?)

Curio: Iron Men (and Women)

Alexa here.  I'm a tad caught up in all the Iron Man 3 anticipation in the air this week, probably because I am a sucker for Robert Downey Jr.'s form of charm, Lederhosen and all.  I guess this is why the franchise gets a bit more attention from me than, say, the latest tired Superman reboot might. (Okay, I don't know yet how tired it will be, but aside from Michael Shannon the idea makes me tired.)  So here are some curios that celebrate eccentric egomaniac Tony Stark. 

Glow-in-the-dark reactor necklaces, available here.

And with Mother's Day close at hand, I'm focusing on the female side of the equation (although Pepper Potts curios are hard to come by, sigh). More after the jump including ...stilettos?

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Curio: Rosemary's Bric-a-brac

Alexa here. This Halloween I am taking advantage of the fact that I'm pregnant by dressing as my favorite film heroine, Rosemary Woodhouse. Some may find it in bad taste to dress as the mother of the devil's spawn when you are with child, but I'll use any excuse to celebrate Polanski's masterpiece Rosemary's Baby (1968), which has its Criterion release today.

Rosemary paper doll by Ana Camamiel.

I've ordered my copy, and while I'm at it I may buy one of these these great Rosemary curios I stumbled upon while searching the web for my costume pieces. Tannis, anyone?  

Three more vintage pieces...

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FYC Best Supporting Actress Michelle Pfeiffer

Too early?

In all seriousness though, the only thing we know for certain about the 2012/13 Oscars is that Dark Shadows will be up for Costumes (Colleen Atwood) and Art Direction (Rick Heinrichs). The Burton Factory can usually bank on those honors. I'd also personally like to thank Ms. Atwood ahead of time for La Pfeiff's plunging neckline with fancy Medieval cross necklace. Love.

Sorry! As you were. Back to the 2011/2012 Oscars for 33 more days. Every Oscar chart is updated.

Curio: Saint Werner

Alexa here.  I heard someone say once that Werner Herzog is as close as the cinema gets to a saint, and I agree. Of course there are the films (Aguirre, the Wrath of God, oy, the magic!), but there's also the exuberant man himself; he feels like a beacon in the middle of a wasteland sometimes.  Nathaniel's perfect festival wardrobe choice of a Herzog tee reminded me of this Herzog wearable I want for my birthday:

I imagine people would assume I'm wearing my grandfather or something, and I'd love to see the different reactions I'd get when I tell them it's an image of Herzog.  (I spied it Seacave's etsy shop; unfortunately he doesn't have any for sale right now, but he does have a sweet Bonnie and Clyde pendant necklace for the lawless out there.)

Recently I spotted this portrait embroidery of Werner, and knowing me, if I had $185 to burn I just might buy it.  You can find him at this etsy shop, along with Peter Sellers and Jean-Luc Godard.