Red Carpet: Best Dressed Women at the Oscars

Here's Jose with best looks from the 2016 Academy Awards...

And on Oscar Sunday Meryl said "let there be fashion", and then there was fashion.

The 2010's should not only be remembered for being the decade in which the greatest living actress earned her record-breaking 20th nomination, but also as the decade when she found a red carpet style that fit her iconoclastic image as both the Grand Dame of American cinema and someone who wants the world to think she "woke up like dis". In 2017 she even had her very first fashion feud (paging Ryan Murphy) when she had a PR battle with couture supervillain Karl Lagerfeld over a Chanel dress that was to be worn by no one (perhaps we will see Nicole wear it at Cannes someday?) In the end Meryl showed up in a statement-making Elie Saab couture creation in deep regal blue that combined pants with a ballgown, perhaps a nod to Hillary and the ultimate dig at T**** who believes there is only one way for women to "dress at work"? 

PS: She also forgave Karl.

Following in Meryl's magnanimity this year I present you my favorite looks from the Oscar red carpet unranked... 

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Podcast: Oscar Afterglow... or is that Sleep Deprivation?

Katey phones in from Los Angeles to talk Oscar night with Nathaniel and Joe in New York and Nick in Chicago. What a crazy night that was, huh? Some of us didn't sleep much. We talk about that shocking messy finale, the history-making decision to name Moonlight Best Picture, debate which celebrity was having the most fun on the big night, judge the musical performances, name the craft wins we were confused by, and answer the age old question: junior mints or twizzlers?

You can listen to the podcast here at the bottom of the post or download from iTunes. Continue the conversations in the comments, won't you? 

P.S. The podcast will return at the end of the month for a new season. If we get a few more patron saints this week I'll buy a professional mic. 

89th Oscars, Reactions. Season Finale

Interview: Céline Sciamma on "My Life as a Zucchini" and life after "Girlhood"

The past couple of years have featured many conversations about the need for fresh voices of all races and genders and sexual orientations in the movies. Consider it a healthy sign for the future that when this conversation comes up, there are dozens and dozens of young directors out there to champion. Certainly one of the most exciting newish female writer/directors working is Céline Sciamma in France. In the past ten years she's established herself as a revelatory voice in the genre of coming-of-age films, starting with her César nominated debut Water Lilies (2007) and reaching a new level of critical interest and popularity with Girlhood (2014). But, in something of a left turn -- which she says is no left turn at all -- she hasn't been behind the camera this past year but behind the screenplays of two acclaimed pictures.

She cowrote Andre Techine's well received LGBT film Being 17 and this past weekend her latest film, her first to win an Oscar nomination, My Life as a Zucchini, opened in US theaters. You should definitely go see it. She adapted the screenplay for this charming melancholy story about orphans hoping to find a home from a novel by Gilles Paris. Our interview is after the jump...

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Nitpicking The Oscar Packages

by Glenn Dunks

I think for the most part we have been quite complimentary towards this year’s ceremony, yes? From its typically lush art deco set and its effectively-staged musical numbers to the surprisingly adept Jimmy Kimmel as host. But you’ll have to forgive me a few minutes while I nit and I pick at the one part I feel like they flubbed: the craft nominee packages.

Let's take a look...

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Moonlight's Speech that never was

Moonlight’s best picture win is historic. It’s the first gay themed film to win the big award. Also the first one to win with an all black cast (more trivia here). However its big moment of course was stolen by the big debacle that was the best picture presentation.

Let’s shine a light back on Moonlight and its director Barry Jenkins. Here is the speech he would’ve given, had the presentation went as planned...

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