Curio: Get Your Mutant On

Alexa here.  As far as Marvel superhero gangs go, I find the Avengers more interesting than the X-Men (although this may just be my inner Whedon fangirl panting in anticipation).  But mutants do have their outsider charm, and the 60s period mutants of X-Men: First Class are looking pretty slick (especially the "sullen, bosomy" January Jones). So in honor of mutant week, here is a collection of mutant goodies to satisfy your inner nerd.

Mike Sapienza is selling some sweet X-Men:First Class posters at his shop, in your choice of color.

Vandaleyez has created Women of Marvel-inspired eyeshadow sets! Here is Mystique.

Click for more, including Emma Frost art and Magneto headbands...

Click to read more ...

Links: Danish Girls & Norsk Men, Melancholia & Muppets

News
The Playlist Looks like more development hell for Nicole Kidman transgendered drama The Danish Girl
New York Magazine Can AMC survive its own success. Growing pains for the network (They've just rejected all six of the pilots they were considering.)

Randomness
Stale Popcorn Glenn continues to the best of the posterologists online
Just Jared interviews Kristin Chenoweth. She's tremendously busy but I sure hope this Tammy Faye musical works out. Wouldn't she be perfect?
Ultra Culture thinks Lars Von Trier's Melancholia is major.
Cineuropa loves the new Norwegian film at Cannes from Reprise's director and star (pictured left) and writer (not pictured) called Oslo August 31st. You may recall that I was absolutely nuts for Reprise -- and met and interviewed Joachim Trier (who was a doll) -- so I'm looking forward to this one.

And in other Cannes news, Hitler has already reacted to the Cannes Festival / Lars Von Trier kerfuffle...

It's a little long for a concept joke but there are some great lines.

List Fever
Pajiba The Five Coolest Muppets
La Daily Musto the two biggest lies actors always tell. I wholeheartedly co-sign. I've never seen an actor talented enough to sell either of these but they always try, bless.
Telegraph's 10 Best HairDressing moments in film
Movie|Line 13 Facts about Woody Allen and the Box Office

Deja Vu: Oscar On Franchise Tides Pt. 2

Though I was about to pronounce 2011 unusually sequel-infested, it might not be much different than any other year. Perhaps it's just the Animated Feature category that has made it feel that way with so many high profile continuations. The difference might just be in how much it seems to be confusing the Oscar Prediction Process. Generally speaking in The Academy's 83 year history, they haven't been much for remakes and sequels and long running series. But times they are a-changing and have been since oh... Star Wars? You can't really stay totally immune to the repetitive charms of franchises if 65% of the movies released are series of some sort, as if the cinema were just one giant television and we all eagerly awaited the next episode of Fill in the Blank: The Further Adventures of That Pt.3.

Franchises have been part of Hollywood forever. From left to right: The Thin Man (7 films), James Bond (22+ films), Tarzan (80+ films), The Pink Panther (11 films), Star Wars (6 films), Batman (6+ features), Aliens (4+ features), The Godfather (3 films). But they haven't always been Oscar magnets

Steven Spielberg and George Lucas shook Hollywood up in the 70s, not just by creating "summer movie season" as we know it but also by opening the floodgates to repetitive Oscar charms. Previous long running franchises like Tarzan or James Bond hadn't managed much in the way of Oscar attention, perhaps viewed more as popcorn entertainments than quality filmmaking. The six-film Star Wars saga amassed 22 nominations and 10 statues, the four-film Indiana Jones adventures amassed 13 nominations and 7 statues. The most obvious ancestor and ultimate champion of this new form of long-form Oscar pull was The Lord of the Rings; over just three films it managed 30 nominations and 17 statues which was even more than The Godfather trilogy (29 nominations and 9 statues)

Two of the world's most popular franchises return this year. What will Oscar do with the Boy Wizard and Captain Jack this time around?

Jack Sparrow (3 films | 11 nominations | 1 win)

• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
  5 nominations (Actor, Makeup, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects) 
• Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
  4 nominations (Art Direction, Sound Mixing, Sound Editing, Visual Effects*)
• Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
  2 nominations (Makeup, Visual Effects)

The Academy has been quite generous with this series though they snubbed its quite awesome first film costumes by the strangely never nominated Penny Rose. But will they tire of it now that it seems like the series will never leave us? Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides can probably count on a Visual Effects nod since the series has never faltered there but maybe it'll pick up Sound Editing and Makeup too if they're not shouting "Enough already!!!" in unison.

Harry Potter (7 films | 9 nominations | 0 wins)

• Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone (2001)
  3 nominations (Art Direction, Original Score, Costume Design)
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)
  N/A
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
  2 nominations (Original Score, Visual Effects)
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (2005)
  1 nomination (Art Direction)
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(2007)
  N/A
• Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2009)
  1 nomination (Cinematography)
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1 (2010)
  2 nominations (Art Direction, Visual Effects)

As you can see from the list, there's not much statistical basis to support the wishful thinking (in some quarters) that AMPAS is itching to reward the entire series this year as it finally closes in its eleventh year of hogging the world's money with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2.  The series best bet for a first (!) statue is obviously an Art Direction career-win for Stuart Craig who has done marvelous work on the series. Here's how much they love his work on the series: they even nominated him last year the year in which he arguably did the least. The most perplexing nomination in the series history in terms of 'why then and what does it mean?' would have to be the cinematography nomination for Half Blood Prince. A cinematography get is a big deal and that one does make you wonder how many sixth place finishes, just outside of nomination range, Potter has managed over the years. If the answer is MANY then we might see them rewarding the franchise with a series best showing.

We can probably save the discussion of the third Transformers films and the tech situation with all those superhero films for a later time though let it suffice to say for now that the credits for Thor and particularly Captain America: The First Avenger are stacked with former Oscar players in categories like Original Score, Art Direction, Costume Design, Makeup and Film Editing. Who knew? Marvel ain't playin' around.

VISUAL CATEGORY First Oscar Predictions of Year new
AURAL CATEGORY First Oscar Predictions of Year new
Previously: Animated Feature | Actor | Supporting Actor | Screenplay

Eye Candy: Visual Effects, Makeup and Animation

It's 2 days and 15 hours or so until Oscar nominations! Late tomorrow we'll do final predictions but until then, the FiLM BiTCH Awards continue wherein I share my own ballot of "best of the year".

Rapunzel lays down the law

If you read the top ten list, you already know my Animated Feature finalists (though I cheated a bit on the grounds of: if Oscar can keep changing the number of nominees, I can adjust as I see fit, too!). Each one of my nominees Toy Story 3, How To Train Your Dragon, The Illusionist and Tangled has at least one other nomination to show for it in another category, too (you can see a tally of nominations thus far at the bottom of the sound categories).

Visual Effects
You know what's funny? My single favorite visual effect of the year is the Winklevii in The Social Network but just as you can't really nominate a film for costume design just because it has one good dress, I didn't end up nominating it in that category

I generally applaud the use of visual effects as a supporting mechanism rather than as the goddamn raison d'etre of a film's existence. And it also just missed because as I was drawing up my charts I suddenly started giggling about how indulgent it all seemed. Why cast twins when you can spend millions playing with your technological toys?! Maybe this is why True Grit just barely misses my makeup nomination, too. Did they really need to go to that much work to make Barry Pepper hideous when he's a strong enough actor to sell dastardly and dangerous without any false grody teeth? I'm just thinking aloud here. Join in the debate at any time.

Dakota self applies in The RunawaysHere are my Visual Effects and Makeup nominees.
[You'll have to scroll down a bit to get past the wall of Black Swan posters in the unfinished categories.]

If you're wondering why Tim Burton's Eyesore in Wonderland is nowhere to be found it's because I think it's overworked in virtually every department. I don't mean to impugn the significant talents of all involved -- and you should skip this paragraph if you're tired of me bagging on it (I'm tired of me, too) but the film will not go away -- but it just doesn't work. It's probably a simple matter of direction but when makeup artists know that Johnny Depp will oversell the "mad" part of "mad hatter", for example, do they than have to work so hard that even an actor playing it straight would look crazy in their designs? Wouldn't something lower key have provided helpful balance, even whilst remaining within the basic register of INSANITY. 

And when you choose to make Anne Hathaway of all people unattractive, and it's not part of the character concept that she be so, I just can't go with you to the places they're going. White wig, white gown and...black lipstick? I'm dying here.

Anyway... I prefer makeup just like I prefer my visual f/x, supporting the narrative brilliantly whilst only drawing attention to themselves if they're the main show and should.

once again the nominees

And finally we end with a Black Swan makeup tutorial because it's amusing and we loved the Avatar tutorial this girl did last year.

She just wants to be perfect!

Live Blog Golden Globe Arrivals

6:09 Hi everyone! Another day in January, another punishing celebratory live blog. So far we've seen three dresses and I've already forgotten the names of the women who wore them. But for Olivia Wilde in a frankly enormous sparkly princess ball gown. E! Used their 360˚ Glam Cam on her and I swear she almost started singing a Disney "I Want" song as the camera spun round. Ryan Seacrest, whilst asking about the dresses, already felt the need to remind us that he was a man. If you need to remind us...

6:13 I hate the term "Baby Bump." It's not like these women are snorting teeny lines of cocaine or need their roads repaved.

6:16 They're showing Natalie Portman commercials mere minutes after showing flashbacks of her on other red carpets and after saying her name 31 times. This program is sponsored by Natalie Portman. (Aside: Um, there's an UP joke in No Strings Attached?!? Weird)

6:20 Inauspicious beginnings. Jennifer Love Hewitt as the first major interview?  Ryan Seacrest is talking about stepping on someones dress "Get Off My Dress" he says replaying the scene. I'm glad he didn't slip and say "Get Out Of My Dress."

6:36 Elisabeth Moss (Mad Men) is doing The Children's Hour with Kiera Knightley!? How is this the first I'm hearing of this? Which one plays the lesbian?

6:40 Seacrest just talked to Diana Agron which IMMEDIATELY made me flash back to Glenn's highlarious review of Burlesque in which he writes

Kristen Bell pops up occasionally, too, whenever the plot demands someone to scoff and scowl. And then Diana Agron of Glee appears momentary in a role so brief I can’t believe Andre Braugher wasn’t cast.

LOL. I'm still giggling about that one days later.

6:43 I wrote a drinking game for Towleroad Friday and if you are already playing it, God help you, but also: you've had to drink thrice (Three closeted gays already!)

6:44 "From this vantage point Natalie Portman looks stunning" That may be the most redundant sentence of all time.

6:49 Wait FOUR closet-cases already tonight? They're out in force.

6:53 Behold HELENA BONHAM-CARTER's shoes.

Helena Bonham-Carter's shoes

To quote PopWrap

Helena Bonham Carter's dress is 100% Helena Bonham Carter... #IGotYourCrazy

6:57 They are showing Lea Michele what she wore last year. Wouldn't you be horrified if someone showed you what you were wearing last year? I'm pretty sure I was clothed... at least. But I don't want a flashback.

7:02 I got lost in a PortmanHole.

Where am I. It's like all I can hear is her name. Her name is becoming ambient noise. Or like a droning suggestive trance. I love Natalie but if she suddenly starts talking about being a girl from a trailer park with a dream it'll be me having a psychotic break

7:11 I got so trapped in the Portmania that I forgot to mention that Ryan Seacrest just couldn't stop talking about asking Jake Gyllenhaal about  nudity in Love and Other Drugs. Naked Jake is to Love and Other Drugs was  Natalie Portman is to awards season. It's all anyone can talk about.

7:12 NICOLE KIDMAN on Rabbit Hole and reminding us that we're glad she married Keith Urban.

Nicole: He was the one that nudged me out of the nest.
Keith: It's important for Nicole to tell certain stories.

That it is.

7:13 I am so horrified that every MOVIE awards show is obsessed with teenage MUSIC stars that have nothing to do with movies.

7:18 Oh, I feel terrible for good filmmakers (Hi, Derek Cianfrance of Blue Valentine) when they try to discuss the fine points of their film on the red carpet. It just never works. Ryan Seacrest is not Charlie Rose.

<--- Speaking of roses... Natalie's

THE HORROR THE HORROR

That's going to give me appliqué nightmares. It's a special subsection of nightmares that one sometimes has, doesn't one?

7:26 This is moving so quickly that I have already missed talking about the two Janes. And Catherine Zeta Jones and the Movie Star She Sleeps With.

7:28 Angelina Jolie arrives in GREEN and suddenly every other star wearing green (and there are a lot of them) is probably mortified because, really, who can compete with Angelina. I mean besides Margaret Hamilton and her beautiful wickedness. I didn't get a photo, damnit.

7:33 Sandra Bullock's bangs.

Remember that scene in Edward Scissorhands where Edward sits with the dogs and performs one little snip for the sake of the dog's vision? ...That.

7:42 Halle Berry is wearing something that I think Demi Moore may have designed for her. (Sorry 80s joke. You are all too young for that joke).

And Michelle Williams was running late so she just wrapped her shower curtain around herself. Short hair is so easy. You can just shower and go!

7:45 Anne Hathaway's copper sequins -- she just called them CDs are as large as her vavavoom.

7:47 Megan Fox. Please do not wear a center slit while wearing pink. It's just... I just...it's...

Now might be the time to tell you that I hate when they ask people "WHO ARE YOU WEARING" Because it always makes me think of Buffalo Bill.

Q: Who are you wearing Jamie?

Silence of the Lamb's Jamie Gumm

A: "Uh.... a great big fat person."

I don't know how to follow that up. I am so sorry.

7:55 January Jones. Ryan Seacrest calls Matthew Weiner January's "creator" ... that didn't come out right. Maybe January does.not.exist.

7: 57 Olivia Wilde has now been on the red carpet for 2 HOURS. That's some dedication to your own camera whoredom!

7:58 Okay the show is about to start. We need to start a new post. This is so long but how cute that Tilda Swinton and Helen Mirren were hugging.

GROUP HUG!!!
okay, we're going to start a new post for the show itself.