post grad posts.

Golden Globes 2012 Best and Worst Dressed

2012-01-16T22:12:00.001-08:00

Interesting notes about last night's Golden Globes awards:

I'm kind of tickled by the fact that Madonna and Johnny Depp decided it was cool just to speak in accent.
Why was Elton John so sad/mad last night?
David Furnish, Elton John's hubby, reeeeeeally didn't like Madonna's acceptance speech last night. Someone sounds a little upset about their significant other losing out to Madge. It's okay, David Furnish, the sooner you accept the fact that Madonna is the queen of anything and everything, the better you'll feel.
Ricky Gervais was surprisingly toned down last night. Perhaps he thought he went a little too far last time?
I kind of lost it during George Clooney's acceptance speech for best drama actor for The Descendants. When he referenced Michael Fassbender's full frontal nudity in Shame and how he could play golf with an appendage other than his arms, I just about fell over. Oh lordy, Fassy and Clooney. *fans self*
Overjoyed by Homeland's win for best television drama and Claire Danes' win for best drama actress. Well deserved. Now can we fast forward time to the premiere of season 2?
Stomping my foot like an angry child over Amy Poehler's loss in the best television comedy actress category. WHY is she always shafted? I feel like this injustice is especially heightened because of this Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. All I did was have a dream that my queen Amy would finally be acknowledged for her flawless work on Parks and Recreation.

Now onto my picks for this year's best and worst dressed.

Best:

Claire Danes in J. Mendel: You can always count on Claire Danes to look classy and put together. She just looks like a winner.
Emma Stone in Lanvin: Emma wins for best color choice of the night. That eggplant and burgundy against her red hair is perfection. I just wish she would have gone for a different belt or perhaps accessorized more to tie it in to her look.

Shailene Woodley in Marchesa: I love that Shailene is dressing her age, but still looks sophisticated and classy.
Charlize Theron in Christian Dior Haute Couture: Charlize is a flawless goddess. That high slit and those killer legs are insane. Plus, everyone loves a good sparkly headband.

Nicole Kidman in Atelier Versace: First thought: Nicole's body is ridiculous. It defies human nature. How old is this woman? How many children does she have? Damn, seriously. She does Atelier Versace justice, for sure.
Evan Rachel Wood in Gucci Premiere: I'm not normally an advocate of feathers on the red carpet, but it just works on Evan Rachel Wood. She's one of my favorites on the red carpet, because she never goes for safe, and she never goes for expected. Love her.

Michelle Williams in Jason Wu: Michelle Williams always just looks so darling. No exception here.
Tilda Swinton in Haider Ackermann: Tilda just kills it in Haider Ackermann. KILLS. SLAYS. Only Tilda could pull off a look like this. On anyone else, it would look like a disaster. On Tilda, it looks incredible.

Worst:

Sarah Michelle Gellar in Monique Lhullier: Ooh girl. This is what happens when you let your daughter pick your dress. Charlotte is adorable, but she's just a 2 year old! She'll point at a garbage bag if it means she'll be able to have an extra cookie tonight.
Lea Michele in Marchesa: See, this is my issue with Lea Michele. Year after year, awards season after awards season, she always dresses so much older than her age. I just don't get it. It's like she wants to look like a 40 year old woman.

Amanda Peet in Marc Jacobs: I appreciate Amanda Peet doing a throwback of S/S '06 Marc Jacobs, but this look just fell flat on the carpet. This would, however, be a great look for a Little House on the Prarie themed party.
Jessica Biel in Elie Saab Couture: I'm convinced Amanda Peet and Jessica Biel got on the phone prior to arriving and decided to coordinate grandma wedding dress style. I want to try and understand this look, but all I can think of is how hot and sweaty she must be under all that lace.

Naya Rivera in Vera Wang: This dress is just not doing anything for Naya, which is such a shame because she has such a beautiful body.
Piper Perabo in Theyskens Theory: I just don't even understand what's going on here.

Zooey Deschanel in Prada: I see where Zooey was going with this dress, but her hair is just so wrong. It's too perfectly coiffed, like an American Girl doll.
Madonna in Reem Acra: It pains me to put my girl Madonna on this list, and I love it from the waist up, but then when my eyes follow the length of her body, a look of absolute horror just crosses my face every single time.

Wes Anderson's "Moonrise Kingdom" Trailer

2012-01-12T22:42:00.000-08:00

Finally, a new Wes Anderson movie for me to obsess over! Set in the 1960's on an island off New England, Moonrise Kingdom is about two young lovers who run away together, which causes various search parties to mobilize in order to find them. I kind of love it already.

Also, are you kidding me with this cast? Tilda Swinton, Edward Norton, Bill Murray, Frances McDormand, Bruce Willis, and obviously, no WA movie would be complete without Jason Schwartzman. Insane. So excited for this movie!

Best of 2011

2012-01-04T23:53:00.000-08:00

(Cinema 2011 -- A beautiful montage of movies in 2011)

I love making lists because I'm just that kind of neurotic, obsessive person who likes to categorize, organize, and catalog. Frankly, lists just wrap things up in a bow and make them look pretty, and hey -- I'm all for that. Always.

Now that's it's 2012, and seeing as the world may end this year (yeah, I'm also just that kind of paranoid, conspiracy theory believing person too), I thought it'd be best to reflect on my 2011.

Top Movies of 2011 (all in no particular order):

Drive - This may be my favorite, although I may be just slightly biased as I will basically watch anything with Ryan Gosling in it, as made obvious by this list.
Midnight in Paris
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Bridesmaids
Moneyball
50/50
X-Men: First Class
Contagion
The Ides of March
Crazy, Stupid, Love

Top Film Performances of 2011:

Michael Fassbender in Shame
Elizabeth Olsen in Martha Marcy May Marlene
Rooney Mara in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in Moneyball
Melissa McCarthy and Kristen Wiig in Bridesmaids
Ryan Gosling in Drive

Top Television Shows of 2011 (a mix of returning and new):

Homeland - Definitely my favorite of the year. A brilliant piece of work. This is definitely Claire Danes' best performance ever.
Parks and Recreation
Fringe
Shameless
New Girl
Happy Endings
Revenge
The Walking Dead
The Big C
Breaking Bad
Suits - A real dark horse. I realize there was a huge uproar following Patrick J. Adams' SAG nomination, but this show is truly great, as is he as the lead. Really surprised at this little USA dramedy. Really entertaining.

Top Television Performances of 2011:

Claire Danes in Homeland
John Noble in Fringe
Amy Poehler in Parks and Recreation
Glenn Close and Rose Byrne in Damages
Jessica Lange and Evan Peters in American Horror Story
Laura Linney in The Big C
Madeleine Stowe (ultimate ice queen) and Emily VanCamp in Revenge
Ty Burrell in Modern Family
Adam Pally and Damon Wayans Jr. in Happy Endings
Emmy Rossum and William H. Macy in Shameless

Sh*t Girls Say

2011-12-20T03:36:00.000-08:00

See, I would be offended by this if it wasn't so damn true. Seriously, spot on.

A Golden Globes and SAG Awards Nominations Rant (aka a thinly veiled Parks and Recreation fangirl post).

2011-12-16T03:18:00.000-08:00

I do this every year, but I feel as if I'm particularly annoyed with this year's Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild Awards nominations. After the nominations were announced, I was about two vodka tonics and several heavy breaths away from a good old fashioned hair flying, crazy eyed, foot stomping temper tantrum. But HFPA and SAG, it's just not fair!

It's clear to me now that both lists of nominations are invalid because they exclude Parks and Recreation from their best comedy ensemble/series categories. Seriously now, seriously?! Where's Seth Myers and his SNL Weekend Update bit when you need him?

Season three of P&R was perfection, and there's not even a shred of embellishment in that statement. I mean, come on people -- flawless cast, a comedy that favors optimism instead of insult, Leslie freakin' Knope, Ron effing Swanson, all on a pretty little platter.. for god's sake, what more do you want?! At least the HFPA came to their senses and nominated Amy Poehler for best actress in a comedy series. So that's one less reason to hurl my TV across the room come awards night. The real disrespect comes from the SAGs, because the nominations come directly from their peers. And when you're snubbed altogether, that just hurts. Damn.

It also hurts when you've been edged out of a Golden Globe nomination by a show in its infancy that's barely even had nine freaking episodes. I mean, I love Zooey Deschanel and I love New Girl, but let's not pretend that playing a weird, quirky, yet lovable indie girl is a far stretch for Zooey. If that's worth a Golden Globe nomination, maybe I should star in a show about a nerdy Asian girl who is pressured by her parents to become a doctor/lawyer and get married in order to populate the world with even more overachieving children and overbearing parents.

I've come to some conclusions about these snubs. Clearly, the SAG voters who did not nominate P&R nor Amy Poehler are either:

all blind,
all jealous of the comedy gold that is Parks and Recreation,
are all receiving bribes from Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk,
or all of the above.

Sounds about right, no?

On the upside, Claire Danes has been nominated for Homeland and that makes me beyond happy because girlfriend is certifiably crazy on that show and it is awesome. Thank you for getting something right, HFPA and SAG!

Coming in March 2012: Marni for H&M!

2011-11-29T21:45:00.001-08:00

I am beyond thrilled with H&M's recent announcement that their newest collaboration would be with Italian brand, Marni! I'm so excited! I'm a huge fan of Marni, so this obviously has me salivating with anticipation. Leave it up to H&M to keep its loyal customers on their toes for its next collaboration. I didn't even see this coming, but yet this makes alot of sense for H&M, considering Marni's fashion forward, yet completely wearable aesthetic. Versace for H&M was a little too loud and gaudy for my own personal taste, but Marni's quirky, print and colorblock based aesthetic is right up my alley. The spring collection will include both men's and womenswear, along with jewelry, accessories, and shoes.

The collection will launch March 8, 2012 in 260 stores worldwide and online (where available). The H&M US online shopping site is set to launch in 2012, but no word on whether or not that will happen before the Marni launch. Let's hope so!

First Look at Mary Katrantzou for Topshop

2011-11-23T01:45:00.000-08:00

Um, hi. Forget about Missoni for Target. I am officially in love with this collaboration and all I've gotten is this one little, teeny tiny taste.

You're looking at Topshop's latest collaboration with Mary Katrantzou, whose signature style is a blend of complex digital prints on the backdrop of a feminine silhouette. Judging by this first look, seems like Katrantzou didn't hold back one bit designing this collection for Topshop and I am ever so grateful. Oh, Topshop, how I love thee. How did you know that my newest obsession was this budding London designer?

The 14-piece spring 2012 collection will be available for purchase next February. For now, I'll be collecting my pennies, because I'm afraid I may need each and every piece. Damnit.

New "Arrested Development" Episodes Coming to Netflix in 2013

2011-11-23T01:18:00.000-08:00

I just blue myself.

I have been waiting for years, and I mean friggin' YEARS, for the Bluths and Tobias Funke to come back into my life, and after stringing me along for five excruciatingly long years filled with movie rumors and empty promises, I finally have some something concrete to hold onto and obsess over. That's right. Arrested Development will be returning for roughly 9-10 episodes that will air on Netflix in 2013. So from now until 2013, I will put my AD DVDs on a continuous loop in my house, paint myself in varying shades of blue, and always trust that there's money in the banana stand, or at the very least, a handful of new Arrested Development episodes five years after it was so viciously taken off air.

Oh thank you, Mitch Hurwitz and all the powers that be! THANK YOU!

First Hunger Games Trailer

2011-11-23T01:09:00.000-08:00

Okay, okay! I've been MIA, I know. I think it may be because I fell into the black hole of Missoni for Target. I spent a good month stalking Targets and eBay looking for those precious Missoni items. Now that I've gotten my hot little hands on everything I wanted, I can come back to the real world. Aaand the good news is that in the real world, we finally have a Hunger Games trailer! I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm a little bit obsessed with this franchise. That's right. No shame in a grown woman this obsessed with a young adult series. I'm looking at you, TwiMoms.

Hunger Games releases in theaters on March 23, 2012.

Fringe Season 4 Premiere Preview

2011-09-16T12:38:00.000-07:00

I AM SO READY FOR THIS.

Season 4 premieres next Friday, Sept 23 at 9pm on FOX.

Fall TV Premiere Schedule

2011-09-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks to TV Line, here's a clear, organized schedule of fall premiere dates.

Click to enlarge. (image credit: tvline.com)

Shows I'm excited to see coming back:

Parks and Recreation (premieres 9/22, 8:30pm, NBC)
The Amazing Race --this show could go on for 50 seasons and I'd still watch, mainly because I will forever be one of those obnoxious people who immediately picture themselves doing every single challenge. I have in depth conversations with BF over how we would strategize going into every single detour. No joke. I think I could totally rock out TAR. (premieres 9/25, 8pm, CBS)
Fringe --I have literally been freaking out everyday since last season's finale. That may be overexaggeration, as it may be every other day. (premieres 9/23, 9pm, FOX)
Dexter (premieres 10/2, SHO)
House --last season's finale really threw me for a loop and not in a good way, but it's okay, I still love you, Hughie. (premieres 10/3, FOX)
Modern Family --second season was a little bit of a letdown, but I'm cautiously optimistic. (premieres 9/21, 9pm, ABC)
Law and Order SVU --I'm still shedding a tear over Christopher Meloni's departure, but at least I have my Mariska, albeit in limited capacity. (premieres 9/21, 10pm, NBC)
Happy Endings (premieres 9/28, 9:30pm, ABC)
The Vampire Diaries --this used to be my guilty pleasure show, but then it turned into all kinds of awesome. (premieres 9/15, 8pm, CW)
Nikita --hell yeah! My Maggie Q is back! (premieres 9/23, 8pm, CW)
How I Met Your Mother --I'm late to the train, but I just started marathoning this show starting with season one. Here's hoping I can catch up before the season's end. (premieres 9/19, 8pm, CBS)
The Voice --I am literally obsessed with this show. OBSESSED. (midseason, NBC)

New shows I'm adding to my rotation:

Pan Am (premieres 9/25, 10pm, ABC)
Up All Night -- I will watch anything with Christina Applegate, Will Arnett, and Maya Rudolph in it. ANYTHING. (premieres 9/21, 8pm, ABC)
Ringer --I, just like every other 20something year-old TV geek out there, have been anxiously awaiting Sarah Michelle Gellar's return to TV ever since that one sad, fateful day when Buffy went off the air. (premieres 9/13, 9pm, CW)
Smash--this looks like Glee, except the adult version, and not a trainwreck. (midseason, NBC)
Good Christian Belles --Cheno is back on ABC! My heart is still hurting after Pushing Daisies was pulled, but at least I'll have her back on my TV soon. (midseason, ABC)

Shows I'm on the fence about (but will probably end up watching anyway):

Glee -- Agh. This show. I know I should give up on it, I really do (especially after last season's hot mess finale), but I can't seem to. I have problems. (premieres 9/20, 8pm, FOX).
The Office --will this ever be the same without Michael Scott? Guess we'll find out. (premieres 9/22, 9pm, NBC)
NEW: Revenge --I watched the pre-air pilot, and while it does seem intriguing, I can also see it turn into a soap opera revenge story. Who knows. (premieres 9/21, 10pm, ABC)
NEW: New Girl --Again, saw a pre-air of the pilot, and while Zooey D makes a living off being delightfully weird, she was a little too weird in the pilot --like can't take you out because you're not socially acceptable weird. But there's potential there that the painful social awkwardness could get fine tuned to a point of hilarity as the season progresses. I have high hopes for my favorite indie pixie girl, Zooey D. (premieres 9/20, 9pm, FOX)
NEW: The Playboy Club --this definitely has a cool vibe and look to it, but I'm not 100% convinced it'll be anything more than a bunch of bunny tails, low cleavage, and a slew of men sipping whiskey and generally looking pretty pervy while eying said bunny tails and low cleavage. (premieres 9/19, 10pm, NBC)
NEW: 2 Broke Girls --Kat Dennings, on TV, in a comedy? Okay, I'll take it. (premieres 9/19, 9:30pm, CBS)
NEW: The Secret Circle --I saw the pre-air pilot for this as well. It was better than expected, and I will watch this for Thomas Dekker alone.

(image credit: tvline.com)

Lanvin Fall 2011 Campaign Video

2011-09-08T13:13:00.000-07:00

...Aaaaaand this is why I love Alber Elbaz.

Also, Karen Elson and Raquel Zimmerman can really shake it. Amish style.

Anderson Cooper @Google Talks & A Post Grad Reflection

2011-08-29T13:05:00.000-07:00

I often watch (and find great joy in) these @Google Talks, so imagine my excitement when I heard Anderson Cooper would be on to promote his new daytime talk show, Anderson. I am a huge fan of the silver fox, and I'm still sad that our paths never crossed when I worked at CNN. I've somehow convinced my (deluded) self that if we met, he'd decide that we would have to become bffs. Come on, Anderson! We're biffles! I've been known to giggle like a high-pitched girl too, except I am a girl. But that's beside the point.

At around the 12:00 mark, he starts talking about his college experience and his life post-graduation. He made the comment that he didn't find his college experience that fulfilling and that he didn't understand why people always say college is the best four years of their lives. I often have that same thought and I've spent a long time reflecting on my own experience, trying to pick apart decisions that led to taking classes, making friends, etc., and I always somehow end up blaming myself for thinking it wasn't that great. Like Anderson says, it was okay, but if that was the greatest four years of your life, then you're screwed. College is like a timewarp where you put your life on hold in a little bubble, and spend time studying abstract theories, memorizing facts like your life depended on it, and scribbling in blue books like you were writing an epic novel. Sprinkle in (or heavily douse) some lame fratboy kegger parties with too many drinks and too little regrets, and you have yourself the typical college experience. Come graduation, you have high hopes and big dreams. Fast forward a couple of months later, and you wonder if you'll ever use your political science degree for anything even remotely related to what you want in life, and where you and your dreams fit into the whole workplace/world. I think I missed the course on what do after college and how to cope when letter grades and GPAs don't mean a thing in the real world.

Nothing like a mild dose of self-deprecation for a Monday!

Anderson then goes on to say that A) his political science degree was basically useless (hey, guess who else majored in poli sci?) and B) upon graduation, he made a list of the things he wanted in life.

Here's my list (roughly):

Happy life. This is a work in progress.
Travel. I'd love to see you, ____ (Tokyo, Milan, Paris, Sydney, etc. etc.).
Own french bulldog(s).
Keep and nurture longlasting friendships and relationships. I'd also at some point, like a totally gratuitous, self-indulgent Sex and the City montage. I'm talking about the clothes, shoes, bags, and the strut down 5th Ave. This may or may not include my male buddies.
Live in New York.
Discover L.A. I've lived here all my life, but the city is still a stranger to me.
Learn to love myself, imperfections and all.
Learn to love the gym.
Find the perfect place to call home, and then decorate it with reckless abandon.
Achieve the perfect, no fuss, no muss, roll out of bed hair by actually rolling out of bed, not by spending 1 hour with an arsenal of product, tools, and growing frustration.
Visit (or work) on a television or movie set.

The Royal Totoraums

2011-08-23T12:50:00.000-07:00

This is pretty much the best thing ever.

via Fanartica

Missoni x Target Full Lookbook; Wallet Already on Fire..

2011-08-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

I am in trouble. My credit card is already starting to smoke.. poor thing.

My only gripe is that so much of the collection is only available online! Come on, Target! I need immediate satisfaction.

There are about a bagillion products, so head over to Nitrolicious to get a full look at the lookbook, including prices. Missoni for Target hits stores September 13. It's so close, I can taste it!

Things I clearly need:

Cardigan, $49.99:

Skirt, $39.99:

Sweater Coat, $79.99:

Rainboots, $34.99:

Scarf, $24.99:

Clearly, there's a trend here. If I could deck out my walls in Missoni print, I would.

Duvet and Pillow Sham Set, $99.99

Quilt, $39.99. THIS QUILT IS AMAZE.

Serving trays, $19.99-$24.99:

Espresso Set, $39.99:

Wood Frame, $12.99:

6 Pack File Folders, $4.99, File Sorter, $9.99. I don't know why I need these, but I just do, okay?!

Sweater Box, $14.99:

I bet you'd want to come over to my house if I let you ride my Missoni bike and lounge on my tres chic patio sectional.

Awesome bike, $399.99:

Patio Sectional, $599.99

Missoni x Target Lookbook Preview

2011-08-11T15:48:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Nitrolicious, we now have a first look at the Missoni x Target lookbook. They weren't kidding when they said the collection would include 400+ items from a wide variety of household and clothing departments. I'm feeling some of these pieces, but I'm a little underwhelmed. I think I need that stack of coffee cups in my life, though.

Also, a legit serious question. Is a $400 Missoni bike frivolous? I need that in my life, right?

Just kidding, guys. I'm a responsible adult! Obviously I'm smarter than that and I'm going to get that lone $430 Hello Kitty bike sitting in the corner of the Sanrio store I've been obsessively eying for over a year now. Everytime I see that friggin' bike I start to squee! and the thought of actually biking everywhere creeps into my head for just a second. It's just a second, though. I'd probably die of exhaustion 200 feet away from my house.

Missoni for Target launches September 13. You all better get in line behind me at the housewares department. Check out the rest of the sneak peak of the Missoni lookbook at Nitrolicious.

Currently:

2011-08-11T15:24:00.000-07:00

This pretty much sums up my mood to a T right about now.

To preface: I'm on yet another job search. My contract expiration date at work is nearing, and soon I'll be out on the street, begging for job-sized scraps once more. That's not too much to ask, is it? College education schmeducation.

Speaking of, I got a call from a sweet, young student from the UCSD alumni office last week asking for a donation. She was perfectly nice, but girl, please. First of all, if UCSD had actually helped me find a job post-graduation, sure, maybe. Second of all, girl, please.

Also, sidebar: I kind of love how they train the people in the office who have to make cold calls for alumni donations. They start off with this really chipper tone, and then ask about your life, how you're doing, and all that jazz (i.e. charm you into thinking your life is totally awesome now, even though it's a little far left of awesome, and a little more mediocre). Then they thinly veil the premise of the phone call with a contact information update and mention of the alumni events schedule. Yeah, okay, right. Like I don't know where this is going. And just when you think you can politely hang up, they start hounding you for donations. And you know what? You can't just say no because then you seem like a total jerk. So you've got to indulge them, right up until the point when they make you feel guilty for not being able to donate a measly $100 for their fantastic establishment. Oh, I'm sorry, UCSD! I didn't realize that the thousands upon thousands of dollars I spent on a piece of paper simply wasn't enough. Oops. Here's another $50. Can we call it even now?

Okay, Bitter Betty is cutting herself off.

AMC Unveils "The Walking Dead" Season 2 Trailer at Comic Con

2011-07-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

Can't wait! This show is so beautifully shot, it's like one fantastically long zombie flick.

The Walking Dead season 2 premieres on October 16, on AMC.

Lionsgate Releases motion poster for "The Hunger Games"

2011-07-19T12:05:00.001-07:00

Who's ready for this movie?!

That's right, I READ YOUNG ADULT. Deal with it.

2011 Emmy Nominations

2011-07-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

I'm still trying to recover from this morning's Emmy nomination announcement, so I'll just provide some quick thoughts:

The Good:

Parks & Recreation and Amy Poehler's comedy series and comedy actress nominations. I couldn't think of any show or anyone more deserving of these nominations. If they don't win, I'll picket outside the Academy, compose precisely worded, 140 character-long angry emo tweets, and cry for days. Those are obviously the most logical and normal responses you'd expect from anybody come September 18th and their names aren't inside the ballot.
Laura Linney for The Big C. I know she's up against my beloved Amy P, but Laura Linney is fantastic on this show.
Conan and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon nominations in the Variety, Music, or Comedy Series category. Guess what wasn't nominated? Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Strangely enough, neither was Letterman. I wonder when the last time at least one of these shows wasn't nominated in this category.

The Bad:

All the adult actors on Modern Family receiving supporting actress/actor, comedy nominations. Let's be real here. This season of MF was considerably weaker than the last. I'd say Ty Burrell and Eric Stonestreet's nominations were well deserved, but I don't think it was necessary to nominate everyone. Maybe next year the kids will get some Emmy cred. Doubt it, though. The Academy usually turns their noses up at nominating youngin's.
Glee for best comedy series. Was I watching the same season as the Academy was when they decided on nominees? This has to be by far, the worst season of Glee that has ever been produced. Am I being harsh? Maybe. Was this season of Glee cringeworthy? Definitely.
Kathy Bates for best actress, drama series in Harry's Law. Hey, I know it's Kathy Bates and I've seen Misery and everything, but I've also seen Harry's Law. That should sum it up right there.
No major Walking Dead nominations? None, not at all? Wow, ok.
Not sure if this belongs on the bad list, but I'd say it lies somewhere in limbo between good and bad: the absence of The Killing in the best drama series category. Did they shoot themselves in the foot with the much talked about and (mostly) hated season finale? Looks like it, doesn't it?

The Ugly:

Um, I'm sorry, but where the hell is Fringe? Don't tell me John Noble doesn't deserve to be nominated for his Walter/Walternate portrayals. JUST DON'T TELL ME THAT!
Another slap in the face: Nick Offerman for Parks & Recreation. I challenge anyone to find a character any more flawlessly awesome than Ron Swanson. COME ON, TRY. No one sums up this great injustice better than the fabulous Amy Poehler:
"A lot of people don't know that just last week, Tom Selleck presented him with a Lifetime Mustache Award, which a lot of people don't know. He'll always have that, and they can't take that away from him. But it's a hot load of bullshit that he didn't get a nomination, and you can quote me on that. But I suspect and hope that will change. And certainly that field, there's a lot of talented men vying for that position. If you asked Nick, he'd say the show is represented. But I would say his work on the show is the best stuff on TV, and he deserves every award." (via Hitfix)
Shameless being snubbed almost completely, if not for Joan Cusack's guest actress nomination. I thought at least Emmy Rossum would receive a nomination because of her great performance during the show's freshman season, or maybe even William H. Macy, because he's William H. Macy, but no. No dice.

See the rest of the nominees below. View the whole list on Emmys.com. The Emmys will take place live on Sunday, 8/7c, 9/18 on FOX.

OUTSTANDING DRAMA
Boardwalk Empire
Dexter
Friday Night Lights
Game of Thrones
The Good Wife
Mad Men

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Kathy Bates, Harry’s Law
Connie Britton, Friday Night Lights
Mireille Enos, The Killing
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
Julianna Margulies, The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Kyle Chandler, Friday Night Lights
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House
Timothy Olyphant, Justified

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Peter Dinklage, Game of Thrones
Josh Charles, The Good Wife
Alan Cumming, The Good Wife
Walton Goggins, Justified
John Slattery, Mad Men
Andre Braugher, Men of a Certain Age

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Kelly Macdonald, Boardwalk Empire
Archie Panjabi, The Good Wife
Christine Baranski, The Good Wife
Margo Martindale, Justified
Michelle Forbes, The Killing
Christina Hendricks, Mad Men

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA
Bruce Dern, Big Love
Beau Bridges, Brothers & Sisters
Michael J. Fox, The Good Wife
Paul McCrane, Harry’s Law
Jeremy Davies, Justified
Robert Morse, Mad Men

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA
Mary McDonnell, The Closer
Julia Stiles, Dexter
Loretta Devine, Grey’s Anatomy
Randee Heller, Man Men
Cara Buono, Mad Men
Joan Cusack, Shameless
Alfre Woodard, True Blood

OUTSTANDING COMEDY
The Big Bang Theory
Glee
Modern Family
The Office
Parks and Recreation
30 Rock

OUTSTANDING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Laura Linney, The Big C
Melissa McCarthy, Mike & Molly
Martha Plimpton, Raising Hope
Amy Poehler, Parks and Recreation

OUTSTANDING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Louis C.K., Louie
Steve Carell, The Office
Johnny Galecki, The Big Bang Theory
Matt LeBlanc, Episodes
Jim Parsons, The Big Bang Theory

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Chris Colfer, Glee
Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Modern Family
Ed O’Neill, Modern Family
Eric Stonestreet, Modern Family
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Jon Cryer, Two and a Half Men

OUTSTANDING SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Jane Lynch, Glee
Betty White, Hot In Cleveland
Julie Bowen, Modern Family
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Kristen Wiig, Saturday Night Live
Jane Krakowski, 30 Rock

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY
Idris Elba, The Big C
Nathan Lane, Modern Family
Zach Galifianakis, Saturday Night Live
Justin Timberlake, Saturday Night Live
Matt Damon, 30 Rock
Will Arnett, 30 Rock

OUTSTANDING GUEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY
Kristin Chenoweth, Glee
Dot-Marie Jones, Glee
Gwyneth Paltrow, Glee
Cloris Leachman, Raising Hope
Tina Fey, Saturday Night Live
Elizabeth Banks, 30 Rock

OUTSTANDING REALITY SHOW HOST
Phil Keoghan, The Amazing Race
Ryan Seacrest, American Idol
Tom Bergeron, Dancing With the Stars
Cat Deeley, So You Think You Can Dance
Jeff Probst, Survivor

OUTSTANDING REALITY SHOW COMPETITION
The Amazing Race, CBS
American Idol, Fox
Dancing With the Stars, ABC
Project Runway, Lifetime
So You Think You Can Dance, Fox
Top Chef, Bravo

OUTSTANDING VARIETY, MUSIC, OR COMEDY SERIES
The Colbert Report, Comedy Central
Conan, TBS
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart, Comedy Central
Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, NBC
Real Time With Bill Maher, HBO
Saturday Night Live, NBC

OUTSTANDING TV MINISERIES OR MOVIE
Cinema Verite, HBO
Downton Abbey, PBS
The Kennedys, ReelzChannel
Mildred Pierce, HBO
The Pillars of the Earth, Starz
Too Big To Fail, HBO

H&M's Newest Collaboration: Versace

2011-06-21T16:18:00.000-07:00

(photos courtesy of H&M)

H&M announced today that their next collaboration would be with Italian fashionhouse, Versace. I guess Donatella changed her tune, because back in '08, she turned down an offer to collaborate with H&M because she believed it would diminish the notion of luxury that is associated with the Versace brand. I guess it just goes to show that no one's unaffected by this economy.

Judging by the preview, it looks like we have alot of leather and print to look forward to, and that means it won't come cheap, especially if the released version of that studded leather dress has all those details on it.

Versace x H&M launches in select stores November 19. Donatella also designed an H&M online exclusive pre-spring collection which will be available to countries with online shopping on January 19, 2012.

I'm having mixed feelings, although I do like the print on the dress. You?

Missoni x Target First Look!

2011-06-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

The Missoni and Target collaboration has been kept under lock and key, with a preview hosted a couple of weeks ago that had a strict no tweet, no blog, no picture policy. However, the paparazzi caught Margherita Missoni and Carolina Crescentini shooting the ad campaign in Milan and managed to snap a few photos. Voila! We now have our first look.

From the photos, I spy with my Missoni-loving eye... roller luggage, laptop cases, sweaters, scarves, headbands, and dresses, all in their signature zig zag print.

It's a promising start! Can't wait to see the rest. The full collection will feature 400+ pieces and will launch in Target stores across the US on September 13, 2011.

"Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" First Official Teaser Trailer

2011-06-01T11:35:00.000-07:00

Sony has finally released the first official trailer for David Fincher's highly anticipated Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. This comes after last weekend's "leak" of the redband trailer that had everyone talking. There are suspicions that Sony leaked the trailer themselves in order to gain buzz on the Internet, and obviously, it worked, because it spread like wildfire. That's not to say we haven't all been waiting with nail biting anticipation for the trailer anyway. Everyone knew from the get-go that this movie would be huge considering David Fincher's theatrical style when given these kinds of juicy movie plots, and judging by the trailer, we probably won't be disappointed by the outcome, especially if Karen O continues to collaborate with Trent Reznor on the score and soundtrack. No disappointment here. None. Nada. Zilch. Karen O's cover of Led Zepplin's "Immigrant Song" is INSANE. Fincher's direction isn't so shabby either.

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is based on the wildly popular Millennium Trilogy books by Stieg Larrson. The books have since been adapted into movies by the Swedish cinema, but this is the first American adaptation with David Fincher directing, Rooney Mara starring, and score produced by Trent Reznor, all of whom worked with Fincher on his last Academy Award nominated feature, The Social Network.

Here's the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo book synopsis from Amazon.com:

Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.

Girl With The Dragon Tattoo releases in the US on December 21, 2011.

Check out the trailer below. It doesn't explain anything plot-wise, but it sure as hell looks cool, and I guess David Fincher can get away with that.

2011 Emmy Roundtable: Drama Actresses

2011-06-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

I love these roundtable discussions that THR hosts every awards season. It's a film and TV nerd's dream come true. So, as you can imagine, I wait for these with bated breath. They always breed interesting conversation and anecdotes that give unique insights into each actor's work. It's refreshing to watch an interview that doesn't dwell on or involve, for this matter, any gossip or hearsay about their personal lives.

As the Emmys approach this fall, The Hollywood Reporter has assembled a roundtable with seven drama actresses that are all contending for a nomination. This year's Emmy roundtable includes: Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Regina King (Southland), Melissa Leo (Treme), Julianna Margulies (The Good Wife), Kelly Macdonald (Boardwalk Empire) and Katey Sagal (Sons of Anarchy).

The roundtable is just a little over an hour long, but as always, it's worth the watch.

Tim Burton at LACMA

2011-05-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

I visited New York this past January with high hopes of catching the tail end of Tim Burton's exhibit at MoMA. Bf and I carved some time out to visit the museum and of course, I got the month and days right, but I was off by a whole year. Apparently I didn't realize that this year is 2011, not 2010. Genius. Really, a very proud moment for me.

Luckily, Tim Burton's exhibit picked up and came right to me. The exhibit is on display from now until October 31, 2011 at LACMA. It will include artwork from his movies and original drawings, with a total of 700+ pieces on display.

Can't wait to feast my eyes inside Tim Burton's crazy whackadoodle head. This time I know I have the dates and times right, too. Success!

A little tip: LACMA is open everyday except for Wednesday. This exhibit is a special ticketed event and must be purchased ahead of time. You can purchase them directly from the website, and you must specify time and date. The cost is $20 for the general public, and free for any LACMA members.

Now head on over to LACMA, check out the exhibit, and take one of those token photos in front of the ginormous array of lampposts outside and make them your facebook profile picture.

Sound like a good plan?

(Image credit: LA Times Blog)

Showtime Cancels "United States of Tara", "The Big C" Season 2 Promo and Behind the Scenes

2011-05-31T11:09:00.000-07:00

Showtime canceled United States of Tara last week, and I cried into a bowl of cereal. Okay, not really, but something to that pitiful, depressing effect. I thought they'd at least give this show a 4th season to wrap things up, but alas it just wasn't in the cards for my once beloved show. I admit it was going downhill in seasons 2 and 3, but come on Showtime, show a little love and respect for the fabulous Toni Collette, and her portrayal of Tara Gregson, which earned her an Emmy and a Golden Globe right out of the gate.

Ah well. Time to find a really big cookie.

On the upside, The Big C, another female led Showtime dramedy (I loathe this word and I loathe that I actually use this word) that I absolutely adore, is returning June 27. Words cannot express how much I love Laura Linney and this show. If you haven't watched it, you obviously have been missing a whole lot. Catch up. Now.

Guest stars this season include Alan Alda, Parker Posey, and Hugh Dancy (yes, yes thank you Showtime). Preview season 2 and a behind the scenes snippet:

Target's Next Collab: MISSONI!

2011-05-04T14:06:00.000-07:00

Holy crappola. It's been awhile since I've been excited about Target collabs, but come this fall, I will be lining up with the masses for Target's collaboration with Italian fashionhouse Missoni. What girl doesn't love their trademark zig zag patterns and whimsical colors? I can't wait! Missoni x Target is coming to stores this fall from September 13 through October 22. The collection will include 400+ (!) pieces that will range from bed sheets to clothing. This is Target's biggest collaboration yet!

Who's excited?

Steve Carrell Says Goodbye to The Office

2011-04-28T13:17:00.000-07:00

Tonight Steve Carrell says goodbye to The Office after seven seasons of playing Michael Scott. Boy, will I be crying tonight. Not just little tears, but big, embarrassing sobs. I've been a fan of the show since season one and a loyal viewer. It's a bit like the end of an era.

The super sized episode of The Office airs tonight at 9pm on NBC.

Check out Angela Kinsey's flipcam interview with Steve Carrell:

I can feel the sobs starting already deep down in my gut.

The Outnet's $2 Anniversary Sale & Weekend Sample Sale Roundup

2011-04-15T09:04:00.000-07:00

Last year the Outnet (Net-A-Porter's sale site) had a $1 sale to commemorate their first anniversary. It was a hot mess. First of all, it started at an ungodly hour on the west coast (think 4:30am), and while it featured tons of fab items, the traffic on the site was crazy because people managed to buy more than one item. Needless to say, this resulted in tons of angry shoppers and plenty of happy resellers that unloaded all their $1 goods onto eBay and made a hefty profit on Pucci dresses, Matthew Williamson caftans, and other fancy shmancies. Thank goodness I was jobless then and could stay up at all hours staring at my gmail, willing my inbox to load an email from the Outnet that the sale was on. Unfortunately I only managed to nab a Marc by Marc Jacobs terry dress that was a size too big.

This year the Outnet announced a $2 anniversary sale, except this time only 2,000 shoppers were invited to shop the sale. Let me put this in perspective: the Outnet has 100k fans on facebook and about 25k fans on Twitter alone. 2,000 invites mean squat. So I entered the drawing without any expectation, and then BOOM. I get an invite! OH OUTNET, HOW I LOVE THEE.

This morning I trekked it to work, coffee in hand, and game face on. I sat down at my desk and played that same waiting game, except this time around the Outnet was kind enough to provide a time window for the start time. When the email finally hit my inbox, I was off to the races. I wanted to take my time and scroll through all the pretty, but I was frantic with shopping anxiety. I clicked through the shoes, made sure the pair of Alexander Wang boots I'd been stalking on the site weren't on sale for $2, made a quick pass at the dismal selection of bags, and headed over to the clothing.

I hemmed and hawed over this Proenza Schouler leather dress, but ultimately decided the chest situation was a no-go. Uni-boob is not so cute on me. I bet the leather on this dress feels like BUTTAH though.

I ultimately ended up with this pretty little Anna Molinari number. Retail was $2695. Yikes! It it doesn't fit I may just cry. Just a little bit.

The sad thing is that the Outnet shut you out of the sale after you made your purchase, so I couldn't get a lay of the land, I couldn't survey all the pretty that was out there! If anyone bought anything from the sale, I want to see!

Alright, if you didn't get an invite to today's Outnet $2 sale, there are still other deals to be had.

I'm thinking of checking out UO's sample sale this weekend at Space 15 Twenty in Hollywood. They're providing eco-totes, and it's an all you can grab situation, where anything that you can fit in the bag is a flat $50. Sounds pretty sweet. $5 from each sale will also go to the American Red Cross:

Space 15 Twenty: 1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Los Angeles 90028

Other sales happening this weekend:
Mighty Fine Easter Friends and Family sale: Stock up on graphic tees with Hello Kitty, NBA, Marvel Comics, etc. 2010 E. 15th St., Los Angeles 90021, 4/15: 3:30-6pm

LnA warehouse sale: basic tees, leggings, tops, and more. 6344 Arizona Circle, Los Angeles, 90045, 4/15: 9-5pm

BCBG Friends and Family sale: footwear, handbags, accessories, clothing, and more. 2737 E. 54th St., Vernon 90058, (entrance on 54th St. off Pacific). 4/16: 8-3:30pm.

Happy shopping, all!

FOX Renews "Fringe"!

2011-03-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

HOLY MOLY. Time to eat my words. Friday night isn't the place where shows go to die. Not at FOX, at least. The brilliant sci-fi underdog, Fringe, has been renewed! Now that is some damn good news. I mean the dance in streets, yell at the top of your lungs, and clearly embarrass yourself kind of good news. I've never been happier to be proven wrong. To top it all off, it has also received a full season order of 22 episodes! Hooray! I am seriously so excited. My favorite scientific drama lives to see another season! With gems like the sheer genius of John Noble's Walter Bishop and the made up term 'vagenda' (YES, it is exactly what it sounds like), what's not to love?

Floating "Up" House Scene Recreated in Real Life

2011-03-08T21:28:00.000-08:00

How amazing is this?

Incredible, right? These pictures make me giddy! Just look at how huge and colorful those balloons are! Makes my inner eight year old squeal with delight!

This unbelievable feat was created by the brilliant team behind National Geographic and a group of talented scientists and engineers. The house measures approximately 16'x16'x18' and it reached an altitude of approximately 10,000 feet.

Check out the house in action:

Rodarte States of Matter MOCA Exhibit

2011-03-08T20:43:00.000-08:00

I spent a lovely Sunday last weekend roaming around L.A. with the wonderful bf. He knew I had been jonesing to go to the Rodarte States of Matter exhibit and me being me, I had to go ASAP. We strolled in at a perfect time as it was relatively empty and we scored a parking spot right in front of the exhibit. Nothing like free parking and free admission, and in L.A. no less. I'd say that's more rare than a piece of steak at the butcher's.

A couple of notes about the exhibit: no photography is allowed and admission is free, but it's located at the MOCA Pacific Design Center. The venue is very small, and I mean itty bitty. The exhibit is comprised of two small rooms with several distracting light installations that frequently flash on and off, and even leaves you in complete darkness for a few seconds at a time. Very odd. Pieces on exhibit include dresses from '08 and '10 collections, along with the original, unaltered costumes from Black Swan. They are phenomenal up close. I spent a good two minutes with my mouth agape. The detail that go into these pieces are so intricate and awe-inspiring. Trust me, you'll want to see these. If not to appreciate the sheer craftsmanship and art, then to appreciate how trim and teeny tiny Natalie Portman had to get in order to fit into those costumes. I don't know how the girl did it, but just looking at these costumes made my ribs hurt.

Rodarte States of Matter is on display at the MOCA Pacific Design Center from now until June 5th. Go check it out!

Oscars 2011 Recap: Winners and Best/Worst Dressed

2011-02-28T22:43:00.000-08:00

Thoughts on last night's show:

Oh boy. Last night's live show was like watching a sinking ship. Anne put up a valiant effort, but even she could tell it was going downhill fast and poor thing, she had to hold it together while James was somewhere off in nonchalant-land thinking about some homework assignment he missed. Don't get me wrong, I love me some James Franco and I appreciated his live-tweeting, but he seemed like he wished he was somewhere else last night, which leaves me to think things were happening in the background which threw the whole show off. I mean, I seem to recall him saying there would be some punchy musical numbers, but Anne was singing about Hugh Jackass up on that big stage all by her herself.
Billy Crystal was the highlight of the night. Please host every show from now on Billy, pretty please.
The musical parodies of The Social Network, Harry Potter, and Twilight? So awkward and out of place. Did I miss something? Was this the MTV Movie Awards in disguise?
The Oscar folks recruited Anne and James to host the show in order to draw in ratings from a younger demographic, yet ratings were down 10% from last year. Oops.
Disappointed that there were no shakeups this year. All the wins were exactly as predicted, and usually, we have a couple of surprises here and there. I'm still raging mad that Hailee Steinfeld didn't get the best supporting actress win she so deserved, and don't even get me started about best director. Fincher was robbed.
Melissa Leo. Oh, Melissa Leo. First with the Oscar campaign she started for herself, and then with that blatantly rehearsed acceptance speech? I get it, Melissa, you can act.
My heart breaks for The Social Network, especially for Jesse Eisenberg (although Colin is brilliant and shall from now on only be referred to as King Colin) and David Fincher. I can only hope that another project comes along that will eventually turn into an Oscar win for both of them.
Last night's Oscar telecast was so depressing in so many ways for me that I had to pop in Love Actually to make myself feel a little better. That should pretty much sum up how I felt about the show right there.
My Oscar ballot tally: 19/22 (I omitted best live action short and best documentary short subject)

The full list of winners and my assessment of the best and worst dressed below:

BEST PICTURE
127 Hours
Black Swan
The Fighter
Inception
The Kids Are All Right
WINNER: The King’s Speech
The Social Network
Toy Story 3
True Grit
Winter’s Bone

BEST ACTOR
Javier Bardem, Biutiful
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
WINNER: Colin Firth, The King’s Speech
James Franco, 127 Hours

BEST ACTRESS
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter’s Bone
WINNER: Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Michelle Williams, Blue Valentine

BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan
Joel & Ethan Coen, True Grit
David Fincher, The Social Network
WINNER: Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech
David O. Russell, The Fighter

BEST SONG
“Coming Home,” Country Strong, Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
“I See the Light,” Tangled, Alan Menken, Glenn Slater
“If I Rise,” 127 Hours, A.R. Rahman, Dido, Rollo Armstrong
WINNER: “We Belong Together,” Toy Story 3, Randy Newman

BEST EDITING
127 Hours, Jon Harris
Black Swan, Andrew Weisblum
The Fighter, Pamela Martin
The King’s Speech, Tariq Anwar
WINNER: The Social Network, Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS
Alice in Wonderland, Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1, Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
Hereafter, Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
WINNER: Inception, Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
Iron Man 2, Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

BEST DOCUMENTARY
Exit Through the Gift Shop, Banksy and Jaimie D’Cruz
Gasland, Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
WINNER: Inside Job, Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
Restrepo, Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
Waste Land, Lucy Walker and Angus Aynley

BEST LIVE-ACTION SHORT
The Confession, Tanel Toom
The Crush, Michael Creagh
WINNER: God of Love, Luke Matheny
Na Wewe, Ivan Goldschmidt
Wish 143, Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT
Killing in the Name (Nominees TBD)
Poster Girl (Nominees (TBD)
WINNER: Strangers No More, Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
Sun Come Up, Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
The Warriors of Qiugang, Ruby Yang and Thomas Lenno

BEST COSTUME DESIGN
WINNER: Alice in Wonderland, Colleen Atwood
I Am Love, Antonella Cannarozzi
The King’s Speech, Jenny Beaven
The Tempest, Sandy Powell
True Grit, Mary Zophres

BEST MAKEUP
Barney’s Version, Adrien Morot
The Way Back, Eduoard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk, Yolanda Toussieng
WINNER: The Wolfman, Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

BEST SOUND EDITING
WINNER: Inception, Richard King
Toy Story 3, Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
TRON: Legacy, Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
True Grit, Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
Unstoppable, Mark P. Stoeckinger

BEST SOUND MIXING
WINNER: Inception, Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo, and Ed Novick
The King’s Speech, Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen, and John Midgley
Salt, Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan, and William Sarokin
The Social Network, Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick, and Mark Weingarten
True Grit, Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff, and Peter F. Kurland

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
127 Hours, A.R. Rahman
How to Train Your Dragon, John Powell
Inception, Hans Zimmer
The King’s Speech, Alexandre Desplat
WINNER: The Social Network, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR
WINNER: Christian Bale, The Fighter
John Hawkes, Winter’s Bone
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King’s Speech

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
Hors la Loi (Outside the Law) (Algeria)
Incendies (Canada)
WINNER: In a Better World (Denmark)
Dogtooth (Greece)
Biutiful (Mexico)

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY
Another Year, written by Mike Leigh
The Fighter, Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson;  Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
Inception, written by Christopher Nolan
The Kids Are All Right, written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
WINNER: The King’s Speech, Screenplay by David Seidler

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY
127 Hours, Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
WINNER: The Social Network, Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
Toy Story 3, Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
True Grit, written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
Winter’s Bone, adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

BEST ANIMATED FILM
How to Train Your Dragon
The Illusionist
WINNER: Toy Story 3

BEST ANIMATED SHORT
Day & Night, Teddy Newton
The Gruffalo, Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
Let’s Pollute, Geefwee Boedoe
WINNER: The Lost Thing, Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
Madagascar, Carnet de Voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary), Bastien Dubois

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King’s Speech
WINNER: Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit
Jacki Weaver, Animal Kingdom

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Black Swan, Matthew Libatique
WINNER: Inception, Wally Pfister
The King’s Speech, Danny Cohen
The Social Network, Jeff Cronenweth
True Grit, Roger Deakins

BEST ART DIRECTION
WINNER: Alice in Wonderland, Robert Stromberg, Karen O’Hara
Happy Potter and the Deathly Hallows — Part 1, Stuart Craig, Stephenie McMillan
Inception, Guy Hendrix Dyas, Larry Dias, Doug Mowat
The King’s Speech, Eve Stewart, Judy Farr
True Grit, Jess Gonchor, Nancy Haigh

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Best Dressed:

My two favorites up first:
Mila Kunis in Elie Saab: Mila is annoyingly gorgeous in every way and in this dress, she just gets even more annoying because she is perfect in it.
Cate Blanchett in Givenchy Couture: Cate is my top pick for best dressed. I am OBSESSED with this little Givenchy number with the crazy beading and armor-like cut-out in the front. It's gorgeous. It's like a couture ninja (and I when I say ninja, I'm totally picturing the Mortal Kombat ninjas) get-up and I love it.

Gwyneth Paltrow in Calvin Klein: If anyone can do simplicity well, it's my Gwynnie. This dress is like a silver waterfall. It's dripping with pretty.
Jennifer Laurence in Calvin Klein Collection: First thoughts. 1) Damn Jennifer Laurence has a banging body and 2) time to hide the snacks and hit the gym. I think Jennifer did a great job at keeping classy and keeping it sexy as all hale.

Hailee Steinfeld in Marchesa: Okay, how perfect is this dress on Hailee? She's like a mini Audrey Hepburn. This outfit is literally styled perfectly, from the thin hairband, to the neat, sleek hair, and the adorable little champagne pumps -- age appropriate and lovely, just lovely.
Mandy Moore in Monique Lhullier: I think this dress is gorgeous, but it would be so much more perfect if it were a shade darker than Mandy's skin color. She's just a tad too pale in it, but nonetheless, it's a gorgeous puff of a dress.

Hilary Swank in Gucci Premiere: The gag reflex is usually on autopilot when I see an excess of feathers, but this dress has the perfect balance of texture. Not too much, not too little. I also have a slight weakness for dip-dye, so I can't deny Hilary's beauty in this ensemble.
Michelle Williams in Chanel Couture: Michelle with her pixie cut and simple, yet lovely Chanel couture reminds me so much of Twiggy it's ridiculous.

Worst Dressed:

Nicole Kidman in Dior Couture: I just -- I just don't even know what to make of this hot mess. It's just atrocious. It baffles me as to why Nicole even chose this dress. She looks like a tacky, embroidered napkin, except I fear even that that may have looked better on her. Nothing could save this outfit, not even a life raft.
Jennifer Hudson in Versace: See, I respect the fact that J Hud wanted to show off her new bangin' body, but this dress is doing nothing for her except exposing a whole lot of boob. Imagine how gorgeous she would have looked in that Calvin Klein number that Jennifer Laurence wore. What a shame.

Anne Hathaway in vintage Valentino: I wanted to love this dress, I really did. I squinted my eyes, I tried to make justifications in my head, and at one point.. it was a 'it's vintage... I love it, right?!' kind of moment. See, folks-- this is a perfect example that just because it's vintage doesn't mean it's amazing. Or even remotely amazing. In the end, the bubble butt just couldn't be justified away.
Reese Witherspoon in Armani Prive: I think I understand where Reese was going with this, but in the end in just ended up looking like a bad high school prom outfit, and we all know that 60's high ponytail updo didn't help either.

Halle Berry in Marchesa: Tell me the bottom of this dress doesn't look like her kid ran around amok with some tulle and some super glue. You can't, can you?
Marisa Tomei in vintage Charles Edwards couture: This dress was gorgeous, but the bust line wasn't working for Marisa.

Jacki Weaver in Collette Dinniga: I'd say this is pretty self-explanatory.
Melissa Leo in Marc Bouwer: Really now, Melissa, really now? A doily with giant shoulders and a mandarin collar? This is what you wanted to accept your Oscar in?

Let's hope next year will be better!

John Galliano Arrested & Suspended from Dior

2011-02-28T21:50:00.000-08:00

So here's a disgusting story. John Galliano was arrested last week for harassing bar patrons in Paris and making anti-Semitic remarks, and today a video surfaced online where he's heard saying, 'I love Hitler'. The video is out there, but I'm too appalled to even post it here. Galliano has been the head of the house of Dior since 1996. He's is now suspended from Dior pending an "investigation". I don't know how much more proof you can get. I don't care how talented or "important" you are, no one is allowed to make disgusting comments like that. What's even more puzzling is that Natalie Portman, who is Jewish, is the new face of Dior. I feel bad for all parties involved-- Natalie, the house of Dior, and everyone else affected by the hateful slurs that Galliano has put out there.

*Update 3/1: Galliano has been fired from Dior! Good riddance.*

Oscars 2011 Ballot

2011-02-27T00:55:00.000-08:00

Tonight's the night! It's Oscar Sunday! You know I'll be glued to my TV like the true nerd I am (nail biting and all) watching the year in movies come to its close. I managed to watch all ten best pictures in just the nick of time, and I have to say, they were all very well deserved of their Oscar noms. My pick for best picture of the year? Definitely The Social Network. That's not to say that they will win tonight because The King's Speech (another great movie this year -- and I say great, because while it was well acted and scripted, it was not the year's best) has given them quite a run for their money. I can only imagine what it would be like sitting in a room with both Harvey Weinstein and Scott Rudin as they each attempted to lobby for their respective movies. Alot of spit flying, I assume.

Alrighty, so here's my 2011 Oscar ballot! Hurry on up and put your bets in for tonight, people!

Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
Colin Firth in “The King's Speech”
James Franco in “127 Hours”

Who will win: Colin Firth -- it's pretty much in the bag at this point. He's swept awards across the board, and he will finally get the Oscar that has eluded him. I loved Colin in this movie, but honestly, I thought he was better last year in A Serious Man. He broke my heart in that movie. Beautiful, just really beautiful.
Who deserves to win: See, I'm torn here between Jesse Eisenberg in The Social Network and Colin Firth. I was really blown away by Jesse in TSN. The way he delivered Aaron Sorkin's acerbic, quick-witted screenplay was nearly a masterpiece. No one could have done it better.

Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
John Hawkes in “Winter's Bone”
Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush in “The King's Speech”

Who will win: Christian Bale -- another sweep this awards season, although I'm not sure it's completely warranted. Bale is notoriously known as a method actor and that's exactly how he prepared for the The Fighter. He transformed his body into the body of a gaunt, crack addicted boxer who has fallen on hard times. In my eyes, his performance was too much of a gimmick, a little too show me, show me, and a parody, if you will. However, since Hollywood has pretty much been jumping on the The King's Speech bandwagon these days, Geoffrey Rush might just win.
Who deserves to win: Geoffrey Rush in The King's Speech. Geoffrey was flawless in this movie. Without the heart that he delivered in his role, the relationship between himself and the king would have fallen apart, and subsequently, so would have the rest of movie since that strong bond was exactly what the plotline rested upon.

Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter's Bone”
Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

Who will win: Natalie Portman in The Black Swan. Natalie has won every major award this awards season in this category and we will see her on Sunday night, waddling up to that podium, preggers and all. Let's just hope her dress will be better than all of the other red carpet choices she's made this awards season. Hey Natalie, just because you're pregnant doesn't give you a pass to wear terribly ill-fitting bags that you think pass for dresses.
Who deserves to win: Michelle Williams in Blue Valentine. Michelle blew me away in this movie and she completely deserves to win. I'm disappointed that Natalie has consistently won for The Black Swan, because while the movie was thrilling and beautiful, her performance was not exactly Oscar worthy. Now don't get me wrong, Natalie was great in the movie, but I didn't leave the theater feeling altered by her performance, like I did after seeing Michelle in Blue Valentine.

Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter in “The King's Speech”
Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”

Who will win: Hailee Steinfeld in True Grit, although let's be real here -- everyone knows Hailee was undoubtedly the lead in True Grit. Another flawless performance this year. I was truly amazed by her performance in the Coen brothers' remake of this classic western. She completely deserves to win and I suspect she will, although she'll have tough competition from Melissa Leo, who has consistently won for her role in The Fighter.
Who deserves to win: Hailee Steinfeld

Animated Feature Film
“How to Train Your Dragon” Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
“The Illusionist” Sylvain Chomet
“Toy Story 3” Lee Unkrich

Who will win: Toy Story 3 -- pretty obvious, right?
Who deserves to win: Toy Story 3

Art Direction
“Alice in Wonderland”
Production Design: Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”
Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
“Inception”
Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
“The King's Speech”
Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Judy Farr
“True Grit”
Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

Who will win: Alice in Wonderland. I'd say this would be well deserved considering the fact that the production and set designers had to create a whole new fantasy world, and one that reflected Tim Burton's crazy eye for imagination, no less.
Who deserves to win: Alice in Wonderland

Cinematography
“Black Swan” Matthew Libatique
“Inception” Wally Pfister
“The King's Speech” Danny Cohen
“The Social Network” Jeff Cronenweth
“True Grit” Roger Deakins

Who will win: True Grit, Roger Deakins -- Roger has been nominated several times in this category and I suspect he will win this year. True Grit was visually arresting and the story was really brought to life thanks to Deakins' amazing eye for cinematography.
Who deserves to win: True Grit, Roger Deakins

Costume Design
“Alice in Wonderland” Colleen Atwood
“I Am Love” Antonella Cannarozzi
“The King's Speech” Jenny Beavan
“The Tempest” Sandy Powell
“True Grit” Mary Zophres

Who will win: Alice in Wonderland, Colleen Atwood. Colleen is a previous winner in this category and she will most likely win again this year for her whimsical costumes in Tim Burton's take on Alice.
Who deserves to win: Alice in Wonderland, Colleen Atwood.

Directing
“Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter” David O. Russell
“The King's Speech” Tom Hooper
“The Social Network” David Fincher
“True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Who will win: Tom Hooper, The King's Speech. Just when I thought The Social Network was riding high on its Oscar wave, The King's Speech caught up and surpassed the latter in the race towards Oscar after securing wins at the PGAs, SAGs, and DGAs. After nabbing the top prize at the DGA, I'm pretty certain Tom Hooper will win for The King's Speech.
Who deserves to win: David Fincher, The Social Network. How can you watch this movie and not feel a deep appreciation for Fincher's work? It was artfully directed and fantastically paced, and I stand by that for all time.

Documentary (Feature)
“Exit through the Gift Shop” Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz
“Gasland” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
“Inside Job” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
“Restrepo” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
“Waste Land” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley

Who will win: I can't really speak about these documentaries with much knowledge, but from what I've been hearing, Inside Job, a documentary about Wall street and the financial crisis that ensued after a corporate world meltdown, will win.
Who deserves to win:

Documentary (Short Subject)
“Killing in the Name” Nominees to be determined
“Poster Girl” Nominees to be determined
“Strangers No More” Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
“Sun Come Up” Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
“The Warriors of Qiugang” Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon

Who will win:
Who deserves to win:

Film Editing
“Black Swan” Andrew Weisblum
“The Fighter” Pamela Martin
“The King's Speech” Tariq Anwar
“127 Hours” Jon Harris
“The Social Network” Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

Who will win: The Social Network, Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter. Anyone who can make a bunch of nerds writing code and battling over millions inside a conference room look not only appealing, but fast paced and exciting, deserves to win an Oscar.
Who deserves to win: The Social Network, Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter.

Foreign Language Film
“Biutiful” Mexico
“Dogtooth” Greece
“In a Better World” Denmark
“Incendies” Canada
“Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)” Algeria

Who will win: Having not seen any of these movies, I still suspect Denmark's In a Better World will win, considering they won the same prize at the Golden Globes earlier this year.
Who deserves to win:

Makeup
“Barney's Version” Adrien Morot
“The Way Back” Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
“The Wolfman” Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

Who will win: I'm thinking The Wolfman here, because that's the movie that consisted of the most makeup work, and I suspect that's usually what Academy voters usually look for in this category.
Who deserves to win:

Music (Original Score)
“How to Train Your Dragon” John Powell
“Inception” Hans Zimmer
“The King's Speech” Alexandre Desplat
“127 Hours” A.R. Rahman
“The Social Network” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Who will win: The Social Network, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Words cannot express how much I loved the score in this movie as it was so critical in every scene. Just a really hauntingly beautiful piece of work. You can't listen to the score in this movie and not feel moved by it.
Who deserves to win: The Social Network, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Music (Original Song)
“Coming Home” from “Country Strong” Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
“I See the Light” from “Tangled” Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
“If I Rise” from “127 Hours” Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
“We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Who will win: "We Belong Together", Randy Newman. The Academy just loves some good 'ole sentimental music by Randy Newman, especially if he wrote it for a fantastic animated franchise, such as Toy Story.
Who deserves to win: "Coming Home" from Country Strong.

Short Film (Animated)
“Day & Night” Teddy Newton
“The Gruffalo” Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
“Let's Pollute” Geefwee Boedoe
“The Lost Thing” Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
“Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)” Bastien Dubois
Short Film (Live Action)
“The Confession” Tanel Toom
“The Crush” Michael Creagh
“God of Love” Luke Matheny
“Na Wewe” Ivan Goldschmidt
“Wish 143” Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Who will win: "Day and Night"-- I predict this adorable little animated short that played before Toy Story 3 in theaters will win.
Who deserves to win: "Day and Night"

Sound Editing
“Inception” Richard King
“Toy Story 3” Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
“Tron: Legacy” Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
“True Grit” Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
“Unstoppable” Mark P. Stoeckinger

Who will win: Inception. I'm thinking Inception will pick up sound editing and mixing, as these two awards usually go together.
Who deserves to win: Inception

Sound Mixing
“Inception” Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
“The King's Speech” Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
“Salt” Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
“The Social Network” Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
“True Grit” Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

Who will win: Inception
Who deserves to win: Inception

Visual Effects
“Alice in Wonderland” Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
“Hereafter” Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
“Inception” Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
“Iron Man 2” Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Who will win: Inception, simply because the visual effects team managed to roll up a street like a piece of paper.
Who deserves to win: Inception

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
“127 Hours” Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
“The Social Network” Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
“Toy Story 3” Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
“True Grit” Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Winter's Bone” Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

Who will win: The Social Network by Aaron Sorkin -- totally and undeniably deserved win, and not to mention pretty much locked in.
Who deserves to win: The Social Network by Aaron Sorkin

Writing (Original Screenplay)
“Another Year” Written by Mike Leigh
“The Fighter” Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson;
Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
“Inception” Written by Christopher Nolan
“The Kids Are All Right” Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
“The King's Speech” Screenplay by David Seidler

Who will win: The King's Speech -- I suspect Oscar voters will jump on The King's Speech bandwagon to up its Oscar count come Sunday night.
Who deserves to win: The Kids Are All Right -- a lovely screenplay with fantastic character development. I can't really speak confidently in this category though, because I haven't seen Another Year, which I hear had an amazing screenplay.

Best Picture
“Black Swan” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
“The Fighter” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
“Inception” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
“The Kids Are All Right” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
“The King's Speech” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
“127 Hours” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
“The Social Network” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
“Toy Story 3” Darla K. Anderson, Producer
“True Grit” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
“Winter's Bone" Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers

Who will win: The King's Speech. It pains me to have to admit that this movie will most likely win. For awhile I was convinced The Social Network would take home the top prize, but the Weinstein Company must be in overdrive this Oscar season because they've really managed to come from behind and take the reins during this awards season.
Who deserves to win: The Social Network. Scott Rudin is one of the best producers out there and I was really hoping that he'd edge out Harvey Weinstein in this Oscar race. The Social Network is not only the best of the year and a social commentary of modern times, but it's the kind of movie that defines a generation. It's not just about a bunch of nerds coming up with the concept of Facebook, it's about the proliferation of social networking and how it has fundamentally altered the way we communicate today. Not only that, but it was terrifically acted, directed, and edited. Even the score was phenomenal. Shouldn't all of that be the basis for a best picture win? I guess not in this day and age. It seems pretty obvious to me that Academy voters would rather vote for a movie with older actors playing historical figures who have to overcome some kind of challenge or hurdle, rather than a bunch of fast-talking, witty nerds who set out to change a little something called the Internet.

"The Office" Promo: "Threat Level Midnight" Trailer

2011-02-17T13:30:00.000-08:00

Lo siento. I've been MIA. Time to start blogging again. This trailer made me come out of hibernation. Any fan of The Office knows what Threat Level Midnight is, but just in case you don't, it's the movie script that Michael was secretly developing and was discovered by everyone else in the office during a long night at work. So what is it about? Watch the trailer and find out.

This episode airs tonight at 9pm. I have high hopes, considering this year has been somewhat of a throwaway season for The Office, which has caused me much grief considering it's Carrell's last.

Oscars 2011 Promo w/Hosts Anne Hathaway and James Franco

2011-01-27T15:03:00.000-08:00

First promo for the 2011 Academy Awards, hosted by Anne Hathaway and James Franco.

Cute!

They're Here! 2011 Oscar Nominations!

2011-01-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

The 83rd annual Oscar nominations were announced this morning at 5:30am PT/8:30 ET by Mo'Nique and Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Tom Sherak.

The ten best picture nominees were pretty predictable, and I've still yet to see The Fighter, Winter's Bone, and The King's Speech. Time to get on that. Christopher Nolan (Inception) got edged out of the best director race by the Coen Brothers, who many believed wouldn't get a nomination because of the late December release of their Western, True Grit. Also noticeably snubbed was Ryan Gosling for Blue Valentine, despite his costar, Michelle Williams, nabbing one of the five best actress nomination slots. Instead, Javier Bardem, who has been largely overlooked for his emotionally charged role in foreign film Biutiful, managed to slide into the best actor category. This is a huge surprise, considering he wasn't nominated in any of the other major award ceremonies this year. The Oscars have a habit of doing that though, surprise nominations that creep their way in when you least expect it. We all remember Roberto Benigni's win for Life is Beautiful, right? How could anyone forget? His fantastically enthusiastic acceptance speech was probably where Tom Cruise got his eccentric couch jumping antics from. Good for Javier though. It's widely agreed that he deserved more recognition for this movie. I'm a little irked by Hailee Steinfeld's best supporting actress nomination because she was undoubtedly the lead in True Grit, but hey, the Academy makes it a habit of putting young actors and actresses in supporting categories, regardless of the size of their role in the movie. I guess it worked out better that way because had she been considered in the Best Actress category, there would most likely not have been enough room for her.

All in all, a great bunch of nominees. Now it's time to fill out your ballots! Outguess Roger Ebert and you could win $100,000! I mean it'll never happen, but I'm still entering. It's all for the fun of it anyway. You know, if you consider this movie geek type of fun, actual fun. I know I do!

The 83rd Academy Awards will air Sunday February 27th at 8PM EST / 5PM PST on ABC.

Actor in a Leading Role
Javier Bardem in “Biutiful”
Jeff Bridges in “True Grit”
Jesse Eisenberg in “The Social Network”
Colin Firth in “The King's Speech”
James Franco in “127 Hours”

Actor in a Supporting Role
Christian Bale in “The Fighter”
John Hawkes in “Winter's Bone”
Jeremy Renner in “The Town”
Mark Ruffalo in “The Kids Are All Right”
Geoffrey Rush in “The King's Speech”

Actress in a Leading Role
Annette Bening in “The Kids Are All Right”
Nicole Kidman in “Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence in “Winter's Bone”
Natalie Portman in “Black Swan”
Michelle Williams in “Blue Valentine”

Actress in a Supporting Role
Amy Adams in “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter in “The King's Speech”
Melissa Leo in “The Fighter”
Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”
Jacki Weaver in “Animal Kingdom”

Animated Feature Film
“How to Train Your Dragon” Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
“The Illusionist” Sylvain Chomet
“Toy Story 3” Lee Unkrich

Art Direction
“Alice in Wonderland”
Production Design: Robert Stromberg; Set Decoration: Karen O'Hara
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1”
Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan
“Inception”
Production Design: Guy Hendrix Dyas; Set Decoration: Larry Dias and Doug Mowat
“The King's Speech”
Production Design: Eve Stewart; Set Decoration: Judy Farr
“True Grit”
Production Design: Jess Gonchor; Set Decoration: Nancy Haigh

Cinematography
“Black Swan” Matthew Libatique
“Inception” Wally Pfister
“The King's Speech” Danny Cohen
“The Social Network” Jeff Cronenweth
“True Grit” Roger Deakins

Costume Design
“Alice in Wonderland” Colleen Atwood
“I Am Love” Antonella Cannarozzi
“The King's Speech” Jenny Beavan
“The Tempest” Sandy Powell
“True Grit” Mary Zophres

Directing
“Black Swan” Darren Aronofsky
“The Fighter” David O. Russell
“The King's Speech” Tom Hooper
“The Social Network” David Fincher
“True Grit” Joel Coen and Ethan Coen

Documentary (Feature)
“Exit through the Gift Shop” Banksy and Jaimie D'Cruz
“Gasland” Josh Fox and Trish Adlesic
“Inside Job” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs
“Restrepo” Tim Hetherington and Sebastian Junger
“Waste Land” Lucy Walker and Angus Aynsley

Documentary (Short Subject)
“Killing in the Name” Nominees to be determined
“Poster Girl” Nominees to be determined
“Strangers No More” Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon
“Sun Come Up” Jennifer Redfearn and Tim Metzger
“The Warriors of Qiugang” Ruby Yang and Thomas Lennon

Film Editing
“Black Swan” Andrew Weisblum
“The Fighter” Pamela Martin
“The King's Speech” Tariq Anwar
“127 Hours” Jon Harris
“The Social Network” Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter

Foreign Language Film
“Biutiful” Mexico
“Dogtooth” Greece
“In a Better World” Denmark
“Incendies” Canada
“Outside the Law (Hors-la-loi)” Algeria

Makeup
“Barney's Version” Adrien Morot
“The Way Back” Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng
“The Wolfman” Rick Baker and Dave Elsey

Music (Original Score)
“How to Train Your Dragon” John Powell
“Inception” Hans Zimmer
“The King's Speech” Alexandre Desplat
“127 Hours” A.R. Rahman
“The Social Network” Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Music (Original Song)
“Coming Home” from “Country Strong” Music and Lyric by Tom Douglas, Troy Verges and Hillary Lindsey
“I See the Light” from “Tangled” Music by Alan Menken Lyric by Glenn Slater
“If I Rise” from “127 Hours” Music by A.R. Rahman Lyric by Dido and Rollo Armstrong
“We Belong Together” from “Toy Story 3" Music and Lyric by Randy Newman

Best Picture
“Black Swan” Mike Medavoy, Brian Oliver and Scott Franklin, Producers
“The Fighter” David Hoberman, Todd Lieberman and Mark Wahlberg, Producers
“Inception” Emma Thomas and Christopher Nolan, Producers
“The Kids Are All Right” Gary Gilbert, Jeffrey Levy-Hinte and Celine Rattray, Producers
“The King's Speech” Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers
“127 Hours” Christian Colson, Danny Boyle and John Smithson, Producers
“The Social Network” Scott Rudin, Dana Brunetti, Michael De Luca and Ceán Chaffin, Producers
“Toy Story 3” Darla K. Anderson, Producer
“True Grit” Scott Rudin, Ethan Coen and Joel Coen, Producers
“Winter's Bone" Anne Rosellini and Alix Madigan-Yorkin, Producers

Short Film (Animated)
“Day & Night” Teddy Newton
“The Gruffalo” Jakob Schuh and Max Lang
“Let's Pollute” Geefwee Boedoe
“The Lost Thing” Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann
“Madagascar, carnet de voyage (Madagascar, a Journey Diary)” Bastien Dubois
Short Film (Live Action)
“The Confession” Tanel Toom
“The Crush” Michael Creagh
“God of Love” Luke Matheny
“Na Wewe” Ivan Goldschmidt
“Wish 143” Ian Barnes and Samantha Waite

Sound Editing
“Inception” Richard King
“Toy Story 3” Tom Myers and Michael Silvers
“Tron: Legacy” Gwendolyn Yates Whittle and Addison Teague
“True Grit” Skip Lievsay and Craig Berkey
“Unstoppable” Mark P. Stoeckinger

Sound Mixing
“Inception” Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick
“The King's Speech” Paul Hamblin, Martin Jensen and John Midgley
“Salt” Jeffrey J. Haboush, Greg P. Russell, Scott Millan and William Sarokin
“The Social Network” Ren Klyce, David Parker, Michael Semanick and Mark Weingarten
“True Grit” Skip Lievsay, Craig Berkey, Greg Orloff and Peter F. Kurland

Visual Effects
“Alice in Wonderland” Ken Ralston, David Schaub, Carey Villegas and Sean Phillips
“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” Tim Burke, John Richardson, Christian Manz and Nicolas Aithadi
“Hereafter” Michael Owens, Bryan Grill, Stephan Trojanski and Joe Farrell
“Inception” Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb
“Iron Man 2” Janek Sirrs, Ben Snow, Ged Wright and Daniel Sudick

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)
“127 Hours” Screenplay by Danny Boyle & Simon Beaufoy
“The Social Network” Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin
“Toy Story 3” Screenplay by Michael Arndt; Story by John Lasseter, Andrew Stanton and Lee Unkrich
“True Grit” Written for the screen by Joel Coen & Ethan Coen
“Winter's Bone” Adapted for the screen by Debra Granik & Anne Rosellini

Writing (Original Screenplay)
“Another Year” Written by Mike Leigh
“The Fighter” Screenplay by Scott Silver and Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson;
Story by Keith Dorrington & Paul Tamasy & Eric Johnson
“Inception” Written by Christopher Nolan
“The Kids Are All Right” Written by Lisa Cholodenko & Stuart Blumberg
“The King's Speech” Screenplay by David Seidler

Golden Globes 2011 Winners and Best/Worst Dressed

2011-01-24T18:47:00.000-08:00

I know I'm a week late, but hey, I was on vacation. Even on vacation I couldn't help but sit down and watch this, a decision which I immediately regretted after watching the whole thing. Ricky Gervais has been on the receiving end of alot of heavy criticism and straight up lashings (see Judd Apatow's total distaste for Gervais' performance at the Globes), but honestly, what did you expect, Hollywood? He's a comedian, it's an awards show, and what do award show monologues always turn into when you put a comedian in the driver's seat? A freakin' roast. Judd Apatow, sit down, calm down. Thanks.

What irked me was the total lack of entertainment in the show, and the fact that it seemed awkwardly put together. The scripted blurbs actors read out prior to announcing winners was just too painful to watch at times. The absolute WORST though, was the total upset on the carpet. Even my best dressed picks are only mildly interesting. There were plenty of worst dressed picks to choose from, and if I had all day, I'd have picked nearly everyone to be on this list. What a damn shame and a totally atrocious showing. Seriously, did everyone fire their stylists the day before the Globes?

Before I get into the nitty gritty on the carpet, I have a few thoughts on the winners. Let me just say, I'm pleasantly surprised by the HFPA's decisions. I thought The Social Network was perfectly deserving of Best Motion Picture (drama) because it was a fantastic, brilliantly acted movie with a powerful script, penned by Aaron Sorkin, who took home Best Screenplay. The Kids Are All Right was the obvious win for Best Motion Picture (Comedy/Musical) and rightfully so, because it was great, and Annette Bening was phenomenal in it. It'll be interesting to see how these movies will fare once we get to a single best picture category at the Oscars. Keep in mind that this year will again have the 10 Best Picture nominee format, so that will make room for plenty of movies in the race. The most fantastic win by far Sunday night was Laura Linney's win for The Big C, a fantastically deserving show about a woman who suddenly discovers that she has cancer. I am a huge fan of the The Big C and I'm happy to see Laura Linney recognized for her amazing work on the show. Biggest upset of the night by far was Glee's win for best comedy television series, because when compared to the other shows in its category, it's the most disjointed, awkwardly scripted show with themes that tend to repeat themselves on a continuous loop. I would have much rather seen Modern Family win because that show is simply hilarious. Too bad.

A full list of the winners:

Best Motion Picture - Drama
"The Social Network"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Drama
Natalie Portman, "Black Swan"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama
Colin Firth, "The King's Speech"

Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
"The Kids Are All Right"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
Annette Bening, "The Kids Are All Right"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical
Paul Giamatti, "Barney's Version"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Melissa Leo, "The Fighter"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Christian Bale, "The Fighter"

Best Director - Motion Picture
David Fincher, "The Social Network"

Best Television Series - Drama
"Boardwalk Empire"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama
Katey Sagal, "Sons of Anarchy"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Drama
Steve Buscemi, "Boardwalk Empire"

Best Television Series - Comedy or Musical
"Glee"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
Laura Linney, "The Big C"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical
Jim Parsons, "The Big Bang Theory"

Best Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
"Carlos"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Claire Danes, "Temple Grandin"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Al Pacino, "You Don't Know Jack"

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Jane Lynch, "Glee"

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Chris Colfer, "Glee"

Best Screenplay
Aaron Sorkin, "The Social Network"

Best Original Song
"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" from "Burlesque"

Best Original Score
"The Social Network"

Best Foreign Language Film
"In a Better World," Denmark

Best Animated Feature
"Toy Story 3"

- - - - - - - - - - - -

Now onto the mess of the red carpet. I'll start with the best, or what I could salvage and haphazardly label as the "best". It's not to say they didn't look great, but everyone could have stepped their game up a little more tonight.

Best of the Golden Globes '11:

Claire Danes in Calvin Klein Collection: Simply perfection. This pink reminds me of that famous baby pink Ralph Lauren Gwyneth Paltrow wore when she won the Oscar for Shakespeare in Love, and it looks like this dress was lucky for Claire too because she came home with a best actress in a mini series or TV movie for her portrayal of Temple Grandin.
Amber Riley in Oliver Tolentino: Really exquisitely well done, and perfect for her body type. She couldn't have chosen a better dress to show off her figure.

Julianne Moore in Lanvin: This normally wouldn't warrant a best dressed pick, but I appreciate Julianne's effort here, I just wish the dress had been ironed out, or rather, in a material that wasn't so susceptible to wrinkles. 'A' for effort, Julianne. Besides, how could I possibly put a queen like Julianne Moore into the worst dressed list?
Hailee Steinfeld in Prabal Gurung: Young actresses take note. What an incredibly classy, gorgeous choice. I also love her hair in a straight ponytail; absolutely perfect for the dress.

Elisabeth Moss in Donna Karan: I love this deep forest green, and I love those interesting pleats. What don't I love? Elisabeth's hair. Looks like she just hopped out of the shower and let it air dry.
Ryan Gosling in Ferragamo: I love that Ryan went with a velvet suit. He was the only interesting male on the carpet, the rest blended into a sea of matte black and white.

Milla Jovovich in Armani Prive: You know what, Milla Jovovich could wear a paper bag and it would look good. The best part of this outfit are the finishing touches -- the hair, the makeup, the clean accessories: beautiful.
Mila Kunis in Vera Wang: Easily my favorite dress of the night. Freakin' amazing.

Worst Dressed of the Golden Globes '11:

Jennifer Love Hewitt in Romona Keveza: The big hair and this oddly shaped dress does nothing for JLH. I'm still trying to understand what's going on in the top half of her dress.
January Jones in Versace: WHATINTHEHELL? I don't know what's happening here and I honestly can't comment because it's that atrocious.

Catherine Zeta-Jones in Monique Lhullier: Deep forest green seems to be a trend tonight, except it's too literal in this dress. Looks like a big ole puffy mess of moss to me.
Heidi Klum in Marc Jacobs: Why, Heidi, why? I love Marc, I really do, but this dress belongs in St Tropez, not at the Golden Globes.

Emma Stone in Calvin Klein Collection: I love this dress and I love Emma Stone, but damn, she's too pale for this dress. It doesn't help that she recently dyed her hair blonde for the Spiderman reboot, because there are so many light colored neutrals here that my eyes can't catch a break.
Piper Perabo in Oscar De La Renta: This dress makes me shudder, and then it makes me sad--very, very sad.

Natalie Portman in Viktor & Rolf: Alright Natalie, I know you're pregnant, but that is not an excuse to wear a bag of a dress with a beaded applique that looks like something your grandma sewed for you onto your pillow.
Lea Michele in Oscar De La Renta: Oh Lea. Every time there's an award show she seems to think you have to wear this big, grandiose atrocity of a dress. This time was no exception.

Helena Bonham Carter in Vivienne Westwood: Helena's in a fashion world of her own, so she usually lands in worst dressed lists, and it's not surprising that this year she showed up in this crazy dress with mismatched shoes.
Julianna Margulies in vintage Yves Saint Laurent: I can appreciate vintage and I see how this dress would have worked, but where in the hell did you get the idea that those shoes would be a good idea, Juliana? Come on now. Close toed, ancient looking, pointy satin pumps are never the right answer when you're wearing a full length gown. How could you go and do that to a vintage YSL?

Newsweek's Oscar Roundtable

2011-01-24T18:23:00.000-08:00

Who else is excited about the Oscar nomination announcement tomorrow? I know I am, but I'm a geek, and you know I've already made a mental ballot. Look out for Oscar nominations at 5:30am Pacific, 8:30 Eastern.

Check out Ebert's Oscar nomination predictions. They're pretty much in line with my own thoughts, except instead of Justin Timberlake in The Social Network for best supporting actor, I'd go with Andrew Garfield instead. His performance was undoubtedly better. All of Ebert's other predictions, however, seem pretty sound.

In honor of the upcoming Oscar nomination announcement, I'm posting the Newsweek Oscar Roundtable featuring Nicole Kidman (Rabbit Hole), Annette Bening (The Kids Are All Right), Colin Firth (The King's Speech), Natalie Portman (Black Swan), Michelle Williams (Blue Valentine), and James Franco (127 Hours). There are multiple videos, but I'm only posting a few, although they are all worth watching. Check out the rest of the videos and the transcript on Newsweek's website.

Fringe's Friday Debut Ratings

2011-01-24T18:06:00.000-08:00

Fringe made its debut last Friday in its new timeslot, and thankfully, it premiered to similar ratings it posted on Thursdays, and actually beat out its last airing in the previous timeslot. 4.9 million viewers tuned in with a 1.9 in adults 18-49.

Keep in mind that Fox entertainment prez, Kevin Reilly, told the Television Critics Association that if Fringe managed to keep its Thursday numbers in its new Friday timeslot, it would get renewed. Let's just hope fans keep tuning in! Now, if only I had a Nielson box, my viewership would be counted, because you know I'm watching!

Adele's "21", A Track by Track Walkthrough

2011-01-21T14:36:00.000-08:00

Adele is so fantastic, and easily one of my favorite female vocalists. I definitely had 19 on repeat when it first came out, and from time to time, I'll revisit it because it was such a phenomenal record. Her new album, 21, debuts February 22 in the U.S. It's basically perfection.

Here Adele walks you through the album, track by track.

Parks & Rec: Swanson's Pyramid of Greatness

2011-01-21T12:49:00.000-08:00

I'm still reeling from last night's premiere, because it flawless. I love this show a little too much, and I will continue my fangirling by offering up this awesome pyramid that will only be understood by P&R fans. Obviously we'll all be shifting our moral codes and paradigms of healthy living to the Swanson Pyramid of Greatness from now on.

Click to enlarge. (Trust me, you'll really want to.)

First Male Asian Supermodel New Face of Louis Vuitton

2011-01-21T09:44:00.000-08:00

Well it's about damn time. Louis Vuitton has signed Godfrey Gao, the first male Asian supermodel, to appear in their ads, which will run well into 2012. It's no secret that Asians have been largely underrepresented in the modeling world and only recently have they started making waves, most notably with Chinese model Liu Wen, also the face of Estee Lauder, who is the 10th highest paid model in the world. Male Asian models, however, are few and far between, especially when we're talking supermodel status. It's quite a strategic move on Louis Vuitton's part; reaching out to Asian models, especially since much of its revenue is generated in Asian markets. Asians love their Louis Vuitton. It's more than just luxury goods to them, it's a status symbol. Asian women save up their wages and extra pocket money for months just to be able to carry one of those bags. It's a cultural phenomenon, and Vuitton is fully aware. Someone in the marketing department has their thinking cap on.

Gao is a 26 year old Canadian born Taiwanese TV star turned into model. With his face hitting ad campaigns this year, I'm sure revenue in men's accessories will be going up tenfold.

I'm back!

2011-01-21T09:20:00.000-08:00

After a disastrous return trip home, I'm finally back from vacation. Don't get me wrong, I love the cold, sharp air of New York and Boston, but I definitely don't love the flight delays the weather creates. Such a pain. A little splatter of rain and all means of transportation are suspended. What ensued after that is too much of a clusterfuck to lay out here and explain, so let me just say, boy, am I glad to be home. It just so happens I returned to 75 degree weather in the middle of winter-- only in CA.

Alrighty. Much to catch up on, most notably the Golden Globes, which was just a big hot mess. Someone please tell me what happened this year on the red carpet. I had to watch with my eyes half closed because it just hurt to look at some of those dresses. What a shame and what a sad, sad way to kick off awards season. Post coming.

On a brighter note, NBC debuted its new Thursday comedy night, which means Parks & Recreation has finally come back and it was AMAZING. Last night's show was also its series high in ratings. Good to see all my fellow Parks & Rec came back for a midseason premiere. Maybe that will teach NBC execs not to bench it next year. Anyone who isn't watching this show needs to start watching right about NOW. The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, aka my not so secret guilty pleasure, had its season finale last night and now I'm pretty much convinced that this is the best Housewives show in the franchise, although Atlanta comes in a close second because that show will always be a big ole crazy mess, and I love it.

More importantly, today is Fringe's debut on Friday, and I will hold onto the delusional hope that this show is staying on air for as long as I have to. So why don't well all spend a nice Friday night in and watch TV's best sci-fi show on air right now? K, thanks.

Principato Young Banner Promotion Announcement

2011-01-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

Well, this is awesome. The partners at Pricipato Young promoted two assistants last Friday and announced their promotion on a banner hung on the roof of the building across the street.

Via Deadline Hollywood:

Getting promoted from assistant to deal maker is itself an unforgettable day in the life of an assistant. The partners at Principato-Young ratcheted up the grandeur last Friday for newly minted managers Pete Dealbert and Meghan Moeller. Principato partners Allen Fischer and Paul Young tell me they gathered the entire assistant staff into a conference room, ostensibly to discuss the important issue of new chairs for expansion to the ninth floor at their 9465 Wilshire Blvd headquarters. While they closed the blinds to view chair choices on a monitor, partner Brian Dobbins hung an 18-foot banner off the roof of the building across the street. Filmmaker client Zack Pearlman rushed in to ask if they’d seen the commotion across the street. When the blinds were opened, Dealbert (1.5 years and Susan Solomon’s assistant) and Moeller (a 3.5 year vet and Peter Principato’s assistant) realized their coffee pouring days were over. The promotions swell the roster of Principato-Young managers to 16.

Now this is the kind of company you want to work for. What an incredibly great gesture to build morale at work and to really show appreciation for your employees. I know where I'm sending my resume in the future.

Why Fringe is Amazing: An Awesome Use of Guerilla Marketing

2011-01-06T14:42:00.000-08:00

I mean, I clearly know why Fringe is amazing, but in case you don't, here's an obvious reason.

Via Michael Ausiello:

Exclusive: Fringe Spoilers, but there's a twist..
by Michael Ausiello

...they’re hidden in an independent record store near you! Allow me to explain: In Fringe's Jan. 21 episode (its first in its new Friday time slot), Walter comes face-to-face with his musical hero — the keyboardist for the ’70s band Violet Sedan Chair, Roscoe Joyce, played by Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future).
As a genius tie-in, producers created a vinyl album for the group titled Seven Suns and shipped it to select independent record outlets nationwide. “They’ve been in stores for a couple of months now,” says a show insider.

The best part: Each individual album is different, including specific spoilers and clues about the show embedded in the lyrics (and possibly elsewhere). “They all have unique properties,” says the source.

Now fans just have to find the stores that carry the album. Well, that and figure out who are the real musicians behind the faux group. Says the insider: “We’re keeping that a secret for now.” (Sure, now they decide to be tight-lipped!)

Anyway, Fringe fans, that’s your mission, should you choose to accept it. Find those albums — and email me pics and intel at askausiello@tvline.com! Hurry!

Um, so I guess that means I need to hit up my local Amoeba store, right?!

Happy New Year! Here's your gift!

2011-01-06T10:48:00.001-08:00

It's a new year and I've been delinquent on posts already. I haven't quite gotten used to 2011, but it's a good thing I no longer use pens or pencils and therefore have no need to acclimate myself with the year change when writing the date. Funny how dependent you are on your electronic gadgets, like iPads, e-Readers, laptops, smartphones, etc. etc when you're out of school. Goodbye bluebooks and college rule notebooks, hello netbooks.

Anywho, I'm off on vacation next week, so in the meantime I've been trying to catch up on movie releases, especially since the Golden Globes are a mere 10 days away! So far Black Swan, The Kids Are All Right, and 127 Hours have been crossed off my list and this weekend I'm squeezing in The Fighter and True Grit. I still need to see The King's Speech and I'd love to catch Sofia Coppola's Somewhere as well.

Alright, here's your new year's gift, or more like my new year's gift to myself. A sneak peek of Parks & Recreation's third season! I have been waiting too friggin' long for this show to come back.

Cinema 2010

2010-12-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

Last year I posted Kees van Dijkhuizen's 'Cinema 2009' mashup of 342 movies in 2009. With the year's end upon us, Kees released 'Cinema 2010' today. Amazing! The most astonishing part? This kid is only in high school! Great music choice, and an incredible number of movies featured. I really applaud this level of dedication, hard work, and attention to detail. What a fantastic way to wrap up this year in cinema.

Check out this interview with Kees. Definitely doesn't sound like your average high school student.

HBO "True Blood" Holiday DVD & Blu Ray Commercial

2010-12-20T20:27:00.000-08:00

I'm kind of in love with this commercial right now.

2011 Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Nominations

2010-12-16T15:09:00.000-08:00

After the travesty known as the Golden Globe awards nominations announcement yesterday, my spirits have been lifted by today's 17th Annual SAG awards nominations announcement this morning. Considering the Golden Globes have become somewhat of a joke in recent years, I wouldn't count on them for any early Oscar predictions. I would, however, put my money on some of these SAG nominations. SAG nominations have been pretty consistently on par with Oscar nominations and eventual wins. Last year alone the SAG and Oscar ballots were almost exactly identical in the 4 categories they share with a 19/20 match. The winners of the 4 SAG categories went on to nab the Oscar. The SAGs are easily my favorite awards show, right behind the Oscars because I almost always agree with the nomination choices, and it's not as flashy as the Golden Globes.

However, with all that said, there are some noticeable snubs, but that's just the name of the game. So many great actors, and only 5 nominee slots in each category. Can't win 'em all. I am surprised to see both Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling left out of the best actor and best actress race for Blue Valentine considering they both received Critics Choice Awards and Golden Globe nominations. Mark Wahlberg was also left out from the best actor race for The Fighter, but the rest of the cast received SAG recognition. Not surprising though, considering how tight the best actor race is this season. Colin Firth (The King's Speech) is looking pretty good for the win right now. I'm disappointed to see that Andrew Garfield didn't make the cut for best supporting actor in The Social Network, although he received a GG nomination yesterday. Justin Timberlake has also been left out of SAG and GG ballots, despite his hard push during this awards season.

The one, huge point of contention I have with this year's list of nominees has to do with the television categories. While I pretty much agree with all of the nominations, I would REALLY love to know what the hell happened to Toni Collette's and Laura Linney's nominations for The United States of Tara and The Big C. This is a huge disappointment. I can only be comforted by Glenn Close's nomination for Damages, a show that was left out altogether by the Golden Globes.

Now on with the good. The SAG has recognized the Coen brothers' True Grit and finally put them on the awards map with a best actor nomination for Jeff Bridges and a best supporting actress nomination for Hailee Steinfield. I'm pleasantly surprised by Mark Ruffalo's nomination for The Kids Are All Right, and I'm glad to see that Hillary Swank is being recognized for her work in Convinction, a movie that hasn't been able to gain momentum this awards season. This is good news for all of the above nominees as they have now earned a much needed boost into Oscar territory.

The SAG awards ceremony will take place on January 30. Here's the full list of nominations:

FILM:

Male Actor, Leading
Jeff Bridges, True Grit
Robert Duvall, Get Low
Jesse Eisenberg, The Social Network
Colin Firth, The King's Speech
James Franco, 127 hours

Female Actor, Leading
Annette Bening, The Kids Are All Right
Nicole Kidman, Rabbit Hole
Jennifer Lawrence, Winter's Bone
Natalie Portman, Black Swan
Hilary Swank, Conviction

Male Actor, Supporting
Christian Bale, The Fighter
Jon Hawkes, Winter's Bone
Jeremy Renner, The Town
Mark Ruffalo, The Kids Are All Right
Geoffrey Rush, The King's Speech

Female Actor, Supporting
Amy Adams, The Fighter
Helena Bonham Carter, The King's Speech
Mila Kunis, Black Swan
Melissa Leo, The Fighter
Hailee Steinfeld, True Grit

Cast in a Motion Picture
Black Swan
The Fighter
The Kids Are All Right
The King's Speech
The Social Network

TELEVISION:

Male Actor, TV Movie or Miniseries
John Goodman, You Don't Know Jack
Al Pacino, You Don't Know Jack
Dennis Quaid, The Special Relationship
Edgar Ramirez, Carlos
Patrick Stewart, Macbeth: Great Performances

Female Actor, TV Movie or Miniseries
Claire Danes, Temple Grandin
Catherine O'Hara, Temple Grandin
Julia Ormond, Temple Grandin
Winona Ryder, When Love Is Not Enough
Susan Sarandon, You Don't Know Jack

Male Actor, Drama Series
Steve Buscemi, Boardwalk Empire
Bryan Cranston, Breaking Bad
Michael C. Hall, Dexter
Jon Hamm, Mad Men
Hugh Laurie, House

Female Actor, Drama Series
Glenn Close, Damages
Mariska Hargitay, Law & Order: SVU
Julianna Marguiles, The Good Wife
Elisabeth Moss, Mad Men
Kyra Sedgwick, The Closer

Male Actor, Comedy Series
Alec Baldwin, 30 Rock
Ty Burrell, Modern Family
Steve Carell, The Office
Chris Colfer, Glee
Ed O'Neill, Modern Family

Female Actor, Comedy Series
Edie Falco, Nurse Jackie
Tina Fey, 30 Rock
Jane Lynch, Glee
Sofia Vergara, Modern Family
Betty White, Hot in Cleveland

Ensemble, Drama Series
Boardwalk Empire
The Closer
Dexter
The Good Wife
Mad Men

Ensemble, Comedy Series
30 Rock
Glee
Hot in Cleveland
Modern Family
The Office

STUNT ENSEMBLES:

FILM
Green Zone
Inception
Robin Hood

TV
CSI: New York
Dexter
Southland
True Blood

LIFE ACHIEVEMENT AWARD:
Ernest Borgnine

FOX "Fringe" Friday Promo

2010-12-16T12:32:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago FOX decided to move Fringe to Friday. Let's just take a moment to really let that settle in. You can't imagine the fit of rage I flew into when I first heard the news. Friday night is where shows go to die. It's essentially the kiss of death, the sayonara from the network, and the last stop before the train pulls into cancellation station. So how could they put my beloved, awesomely fantastic, creepy as all hale, Fringe onto the Friday night schedule? Well, it was because they wanted to make room for American Idol on Thursdays. If I wanted to watch a group of people constantly get berated by an off-putting British man and have their talent and self esteem get cut down week after week for all of America to see, I'd just watch one of Gordon Ramsey's 10,000 shows on air.

Knowing that they've ruffled some feathers, FOX has released this promo to try and ease our concerns. Frankly, I'm still depressed Fringe is on Friday. I almost refuse to believe it. WHY? For the love of all things great and sacred in network television, WHY?!

2011 Golden Globes Nominations

2010-12-14T12:36:00.000-08:00

Golden Globes nominations for the January 16 awards ceremony were announced today, and I really have no words. Actually, I do have some things to say, but none of them are good. Frankly, the Golden Globes continue to lose their credibility year after year with these ridiculous nominations. I have no idea where to start. Off the top of my head..

Some obviously flagrant offenses -- Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp's nominations for the The Tourist? The movie itself also got a nomination, despite its massive critical and box office failure. Oh, wow HFPA. I know the Golden Globes nominations usually read like a popularity chart, but how do you give Jolie and Depp nominations, and totally snub Julia Roberts for Eat, Pray, Love? Or hey, how about Gwyneth Paltrow's performance in Country Strong? Gee, let's see. She only plays a country music singer in that movie, of course she'd be left out of a comedy or musical nomination and naturally Angelina Jolie deserves one for her (hilarious, I'm sure) performance in The Tourist. Let's also mention that Burlesque received 3 nominations, and somewhere out of left field Emma Stone received a best actress in a comedy/musical nod for Easy A. Cute movie, but I didn't realize her performance was worthy of a Golden Globe nomination. Clearly, I was wrong.

Biggest offenses of all: the total lack of recognition for the Coen brothers' True Grit, despite widespread acclaim and its spot on critic's choice and AFI top ten lists. To be left out altogether is just a total slap in the face. Also missing is Danny Boyle in the best director category and 127 Hours in the best drama picture category, along with True Blood and The Office in their respective best television series categories.

The one bright spot (besides the nominations that were clearly a lock from the beginning) in this bleak announcement is Laura Linney's nomination for The Big C and the show's nomination as well. Extremely well deserved as the The Big C is easily my favorite newcomer this year; I'm totally rooting for Linney to win, although I will always have a soft spot for Toni Colette in United States of Tara. It's good to see her nominated, but I noticed the series nomination was missing -- and I totally get that. Season 2 was definitely not as strong as the first. I'm also glad to see Julia Stiles nominated for her recurring guest spot on Dexter because she definitely gave a strong performance. Having just watched the whole season, I thought she did great. Dexter has some amazing storylines for their guest spots. I am disappointed, however, that Jennifer Carpenter didn't receive a nomination. I thought this season of Dexter was her strongest season yet. I could have done without Jane Lynch for Glee as her character is very one-note, and it doesn't seem to be evolving any time soon. I can appreciate slapstick, but I would have preferred to have seen Jennifer Carpenter in her place in the best supporting actress series, mini-series, or TV movie category.

Let's just say I can't wait for the Oscars.

Alright, see the full list of nominations for both movies and television below. Judge for yourself.

Motion Pictures:

BEST MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
BLACK SWAN
THE FIGHTER
INCEPTION
THE KING’S SPEECH
THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Halle Berry, FRANKIE AND ALICE
Nicole Kidman, RABBIT HOLE
Jennifer Lawrence, WINTER’S BONE
Natalie Portman, BLACK SWAN
Michelle Williams, BLUE VALENTINE

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – DRAMA
Jesse Eisenberg, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Colin Firth, THE KING’S SPEECH
James Franco, 127 HOURS
Ryan Gosling, BLUE VALENTINE
Mark Wahlberg, THE FIGHTER

BEST MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
ALICE IN WONDERLAND
BURLESQUE
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
RED
THE TOURIST

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Annette Bening, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Anne Hathaway, LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
Angelina Jolie, THE TOURIST
Julianne Moore, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Emma Stone, EASY A

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A MOTION PICTURE – MUSICAL OR COMEDY
Johnny Depp, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
Johnny Depp, THE TOURIST
Paul Giamatti, BARNEY’S VERSION
Jake Gyllenhaal, LOVE AND OTHER DRUGS
Kevin Spacey, CASINO JACK

BEST DIRECTOR
Darren Aronofsky, BLACK SWAN
David Fincher, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Tom Hooper, THE KING’S SPEECH
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION
David O. Russell, THE FIGHTER

BEST SCREENPLAY
Danny Boyle, 127 HOURS
Lisa Cholodenko and Stuart Hart, THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Christopher Nolan, INCEPTION
David Seidler, THE KING’S SPEECH
Aaron Sorkin, THE SOCIAL NETWORK

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Alexander Desplat, THE KING’S SPEECH
Danny Elfman, ALICE IN WONDERLAND
A.R. Robin, 127 HOURS
Trent Reznor, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Hans Zimmer, INCEPTION

BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM
BIUTIFUL
THE CONCERT
THE EDGE
I AM LOVE
IN A BETTER WORLD

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Amy Adams, THE FIGHTER
Helena Bonham Carter, THE KING’S SPEECH
Mila Kunis, BLACK SWAN
Melissa Leo, THE FIGHTER
Jacki Weaver, ANIMAL KINGDOM

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
Christian Bale, THE FIGHTER
Michael Douglas, WALL STREET: MONEY NEVER SLEEPS
Andrew Garfield, THE SOCIAL NETWORK
Jeremy Renner, THE TOWN
Geoffrey Rush, THE KING’S SPEECH

BEST ANIMATED FILM
DESPICABLE ME
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON
THE ILLUSIONIST
TANGLED
TOY STORY 3

BEST ORIGINAL SONG – MOTION PICTURE
“Bound to You” – BURLESQUE
“Coming Home” – COUNTRY STRONG
“I See the Light” – TANGLED
“There’s a Place for Us” – THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE DAWN TREADER
“You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” – BURLESQUE

Television:

Best Television Series Drama
BOARDWALK EMPIRE
DEXTER
THE GOOD WIFE
MAD MEN
THE WALKING DEAD

Best Television Series – Comedy/Musical
30 ROCK
THE BIG BANG THEORY
THE BIG C
GLEE
MODERN FAMILY
NURSE JACKIE

Best Television Series – Miniseries/Movie
CARLOS
THE PACIFIC
PILLARS OF THE EARTH
TEMPLE GRANDIN
YOU DON’T KNOW JACK

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Comedy/Musical
Toni Collette, UNITED STATES OF TARA
Edie Falco, NURSE JACKIE
Tina Fey, 30 ROCK
Laura Linney, THE BIG C
Lea Michele, GLEE

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Comedy/Musical
Alec Baldwin, 30 ROCK
Steve Carell, THE OFFICE
Thomas Jane, HUNG
Matthew Morrison, GLEE
Jim Parsons, THE BIG BANG THEORY

Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Drama
Julianna Margulies, THE GOOD WIFE
Elizabeth Moss, MAD MEN
Piper Perabo, COVERT AFFAIRS
Katey Sagal, SONS OF ANARCHY
Kyra Sedgwick, THE CLOSER

Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Drama
Steve Buscemi, BOARDWALK EMPIRE
Bryan Cranston, BREAKING BAD
Michael C. Hall, DEXTER
Jon Hamm, MAD MEN
Hugh Laurie, HOUSE

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Scott Caan, HAWAII FIVE-0
Chris Colfer, GLEE
Chris Noth, THE GOOD WIFE
Eric Stonestreet, MODERN FAMILY
David Strathairn, TEMPLE GRANDIN

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television
Hope Davis, THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
Jane Lynch, GLEE
Kelly Macdonald, BOARDWALK EMPIRE
Julia Stiles, DEXTER
Sofia Vergara, MODERN FAMILY

Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Idris Elba, LUTHOR
Ian McSHane, THE PILLARS OF THE EARTH
Al Pacino, YOU DON’T KNOW JACK
Dennis Quaid, THE SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP
Edgar Ramirez, CARLOS

Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television
Hayley Atwell, PILLARS OF THE EARTH
Claire Danes, TEMPLE GRANDIN
Judi Dench, RETURN TO CRANFORD
Romola Garai, EMMA
Jennifer Love Hewitt, THE CLIENT LIST

THR Awards Watch Roundtable: Actors

2010-12-06T16:29:00.000-08:00

Last month I posted the actress awards watch roundtable conducted by The Hollywood Reporter and today, I bring you the actors awards roundtable.

Another good watch. Here's the full video, which is just over an hour long. Definitely worth it to watch the whole thing, especially with Robert Duvall participating in the discussion, but you can go to THR and catch truncated clips of it as well.

"127 Hours" Movie Review

2010-12-06T10:52:00.001-08:00

I originally set out to watch Black Swan this past weekend, but considering its extremely limited release and my general laziness, I was unable to catch it. It is playing in the L.A. area right now at The Landmark and at the Pacific Arclight Hollywood, for any interested parties in the area. It will also open up to more theaters on 12/10 (namely Pasadena's Laemmle Playhouse where I frequent) and 12/17. For a full list of theaters, see Fox Searchlight's website.

After becoming disappointed that no theater within a 10 mile radius was playing Black Swan, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my local theater was carrying Danny Boyle's (Slumdog Millionaire) 127 Hours, another movie which I meant to see. Last year, I challenged myself to The Big 10, which included reviewing and watching all 10 best picture nominees before the Oscars took place. This year, I decided to get a headstart with 127 Hours, a movie that has built quite a bit of momentum on the awards circuit, and I'd be extremely surprised to find out that it hadn't been nominated for an Oscar (nominations will be announced January 25, 2011).

Director Danny Boyle's latest release is based on the true story of canyoneer Aron Ralston (depicted by James Franco), and the movie is subsequently based on Ralston's book, Between a Rock and a Hard Place. It follows the story of a young, capricious adventurer who goes on a weekend excursion alone in Utah's Big John Canyon without informing anyone else of his trip. Before I continue, I should preface this review with a disclaimer that if you do not want to know what happens in this movie, you should not read on. If you want to go into this movie completely surprised, I suggest you stay away from any and all blogs, TV spots, or interviews referencing this movie because the main plot point WILL be given away.

With that said, almost immediately you find Aron pinned down by a rock which has fallen into a small crevice in which he was attempting to pass through. He's unable to move because his arm is trapped, and the rock is too heavy to lift on his own. This marks the beginning of an emotionally grueling and physically harrowing 127 hours of his imprisonment under this seemingly harmless boulder. Note that this took place in 2003, when cell phones weren't so prolific, and you couldn't just reach into your pocket for your iPhone to make an emergency call.

The movie opens with Aron hurriedly packing for his excursion, letting the phone ring and go to the machine, where multiple messages from various family members and friends have gone ignored. While on his excursion, he meets two other young, female hikers (played by Kate Mara and Amber Tamblyn) who are lost, and Aron helps them find their way. It's clear in their encounter that Ralston is a peculiar character, one who seeks adventure and a life with no rigidity or plans, except ones that include solo canyoneering and cave diving. This sets up a series of flashbacks while Aron is delirious and trapped under the boulder, that relives his defining moments in life-- moments that portray him as the loving son, brother, and boyfriend, and others that portray him as the selfish son, brother, and boyfriend.

James Franco's emotional progression in this movie is astounding. The reason why the climactic amputation scene is so gruesome is not only because it's visually arresting, but because of the emotional investment into Aron's past and journey into the darkest 127 hours of his life. Hands down, Franco's performance is worthy of an Oscar nomination, and I'd say the same for Boyle. Danny Boyle has such a signature style that is so gritty and unpolished, and he loves to examine the depths of humanity and the value of human life. That's exactly what he does here. This story is an examination of inner strength and courage, and the element of reality that's attached to it makes this movie so powerful, that you can't look away, although you'll really want to, especially in the amputation scene. Ralston had to break both of his bones in his arms, and then cut through his flesh, tendons, veins, and nerves with just a dull 2'' pocket knife. This scene is definitely not for the faint hearted. I had to look away for the majority of the scene, because not only did it look real, but it felt real. It was terrifying. This isn't just some Saw franchise gore, this is the heartbreaking amputation following 127 hours of desperation and deprivation. Never has an arm, nor the inner strength of sacrifice, been more precious.

There's much more to outline and note here, but I'll just leave it at this. Go see 127 Hours. You won't regret it.

Black Friday/Cyber Monday/Cooper Building + CMC Building Sample Sales Roundup

2010-12-05T17:29:00.000-08:00

With the holidays upon us, I thought it was only appropriate that I do a huge, long winded shopping post, since shopping is my expertise. Heh heh. This is a recap of my Black Friday/Cyber Monday and Cooper Building/CMC sample sale buys. Read on for deals galore!

This Black Friday was somewhat of a bust for me, but I took my buddy out shopping with me and she managed to snag everything off of her want list, which is a score for both of us, in my eyes. I'm a total enabler and I love helping people find great deals. I just took advantage of Gap's storewide 50% off and grabbed some winter essentials -- a chunky knit infinity scarf, an awesomely soft pashmina scarf, and a long sleeve tee all for $40. Not bad. I also used my Groupon and headed over to American Apparel and got two tees (one for me, one for the bf) and three nail polishes for $32. I love the colors the AA nailpolishes come in. They're so fun and festive! I always take advantage of Cyber Monday deals to bulk up my DVD collection and this year I stocked up on two seasons of Friends and the first season of Fringe.

Here's my BF/CM loot:

Today I'm wearing AA 'Office' (Sidebar: check out these cool Sanrio x McDonalds watches available now in McDonalds happy meals, celebrating Sanrio's 50th anniversary. Cute, no? It's kind-of-sort-of-really set off an obsession for me to collect them all.):

One of the biggest advantages of living in L.A. is the access to tons of sample sales. Sample sales here are a weekly occurrence, and this is definitely the time of year to hit them up as designers get ready to unload their stockrooms for the holiday season. I have a love/hate relationship with these type of sales though because I hate thumbing through racks and I am definitely not a pusher. There are definitely ladies out there who attend these sales who know how to pull the claws out. I, however, am a big 'ole sissy and I will surrender the $10 silk blouse if you give me the stinkeye. On the other hand, I love a good bargain and if there is a coupon/deal out there on something I'm about to buy, I will find it. I refuse to pay full price as a principle, especially since I've been to the stockrooms of many designers and I know how much alot of items go for wholesale. The wholesale vs retail prices of many goods will make you shed a sad, painful tear. So my ultimate point? I am a total sucker for these sales and will continue to go no matter how haggard they will run you.

Last Friday bf and I headed to the sample sales in the Cooper building and the California Market Center in downtown LA. Many designer showrooms are located in these buildings and while they're usually closed from the general public and open only to buyers, every other Friday they are open for public sample sales to get rid some of their inventory stock. Prices are usually rock bottom, and I love coming here because you'll never know what you're going to find. Last time I went I got a $5 silk Loeffler Randall dress (retail $450), a $5 loose black tee, and a $10 chambray romper. Not too shabby. This time I really lucked out.

Here's my loot:
7 for all mankind 'Josefina' studded shorts ($20) / Barlow sweater ($15)

Mike & Chris cotton/leather mix pants ($15) / William Rast leather pants/leggings ($50)

William Rast 100% silk shirts ($25 each -- love the slit sleeves on the first)

Funktional jacket ($20) and tee ($10) paired w/an H&M necklace

These sales are definitely worth checking out if you're in the L.A. area and just for this holiday season, sales are taking place every Friday! Check 'em out! If you do stop by, remember to bring cash (although there are BofA kiosks in the CMC building) and to bring your own eco-totes to store all of your buys as some showrooms do not provide bags.

Happy shopping this holiday season!

Anne Hathaway and James Franco To Host the 83rd Academy Awards

2010-11-29T14:27:00.000-08:00

It's official! The 83rd Annual Oscars have their co-hosts. James Franco and Anne Hathaway will be joining each other on stage for the February 27 Academy Awards. Expect plenty of awkward jokes and a musical number or two.

Strange pairing or just a subtle marketing ploy on 20th Century Fox's end? Rumor is that both actors are attached to Ridley Scott's Untitled Alien prequel, with a script penned by Lost's Damon Lindelof.

Either way it's still a little odd. I feel like I've been seeing too much of Anne Hathaway lately, especially after seeing her entirely (and awkwardly) naked in Love and Other Drugs.

Organized Chaos at the Lanvin Loves H&M Launch

2010-11-22T09:58:00.001-08:00

I got up at an ungodly hour on the morning of the 20th all in the name of Lanvin. To make matters worse, it was raining, and what was I wearing? A thin leather hoodie, short boots, and I was toting a janky umbrella. Good job! The ONE DAY it rains in southern California, I decide to trek it to my local H&M and wait in line for hours on end for this collection. The good news is that the bf kindly waited with me so I wouldn't have to brave the rain alone and so that I'd have an extra pair of hands. Now that's an amazing man! Not only that, but I dragged the poor boy to Smallgift L.A. the day before to check out Sanrio's 50th Anniversary celebration at Barker Hangar in SaMo. Now that's a keeper!

Bf and I arrived at around 5:50AM with about 100-120 people in front of us. Word is that the first person in line arrived at 5pm (!!) the night before. At around 7am, the sweet H&Mers and concierge at Americana went down the line and handed out coffee, pastries, and free valet until the end of the year. Not too shabby. 20 minutes later, we were given our wristbands with our designated timeslot. Each group of 20 was given a colored wristband, which also indicated the 15 minute interval during which they could shop the collection. We got grouped into the 9:45-10AM timeslot. At around 7:30AM, H&M girls clad in happy Lanvin for H&M tees handed out little giftbags which included the winter H&M mag along with a 100% wool Lanvin for H&M scarf. Now that's a nice touch. I grabbed both mine and bf's scarves and wrapped them around my neck. Whoever said California had lovely weather year round has clearly never woken up early to stand in line, in the friggin' rain, for some sparkly, designer goodies.

H&M security was tight, and very organized. I was definitely impressed with the way things were handled. The back section of the store was roped off for the collection, and they ushered us inside at about 8am to wait. As soon as we got the okay to go inside, it was a mad dash up to the men's section. There was no wait to shop it, and within minutes, it was demolished. H&M employees were hard at work moving in new displays of regular merchandise, and at 20 minutes past 8, you would've never known they carried the men's collection. Totally wiped out. Finito. None left to grab.

While in line, I surveyed the cashwrap and noticed the Lanvin for H&M totes especially designed for UNICEF. I snuck out of line, casually went over to the cashwrap, and discreetly asked for two. By the time I was back in line, I was getting stares, whispers, and finger pointing. These were definitely a group of people who were interested in buying whatever they could get their hands on that had the Lanvin for H&M label on it. It's easy to get into that kind of mentality when you're sleep deprived and in fear that you'll score next to nothing on your wishlist, so you'd pretty much settle for anything. I was keeping my hope alive though. I had one mission: to score two tees, the long fur coat, sunglasses, the turqouise heels, and some lipstick. I was not about to get derailed by a men's bowtie I'd never wear, or a $200 dress with questionable quality. Don't get me wrong, they were beautiful, but just not worth the $200, because at the end of the day, it was still just H&M, and H&M quality. However, at $3.95 a pop, and with 30% going to UNICEF, I couldn't say no to these super adorable, albeit thin, flimsy, totes. Neither could anyone else in line, because within minutes of me returning with the totes, they were all gone. Surprise, surprise.

Fast forward nearly two hours later, and I was finally right outside the roped shopping area. Right as we're about to be let in, the head of security blasts through her loudspeaker that this was all of the collection that was left, and that they wouldn't be replenishing stock. The hipsters behind me in their A Wang tees and bags start to claw to the front of the line. I look over at the bf in horror. This is definitely not my scene, and a little girl like me is not equipped for such madness! After we get the okay from security, bf and I head in. It's such a small shopping area, and 20 people in such a confined space starts making me feel claustrophobic. Bf is calm as a cucumber though, and starts scouring the clothes for my tees. The sunglasses, lipsticks, and shoes were all wiped out. No fur coats either. The first thing I grab are both the tees I originally had my eye on -- the legs t-shirt dress and the tee with three girls. I manage to get my size in the short tee, but I have to settle for a size up in the legs tee dress. The hipsters (note that these are men) manage to grab two, short fur coats out of the hands of an employee who's doing go-backs. Darnit. After fifteen minutes of scurrying (delayed momentarily by a minor freakout on my end because of the vultures who are grabbing and pushing for these clothes like they're free), I head to the dressing room. I managed to grab both tees, along with the embellished blazer (which I wasn't planning on purchasing originally, but it's just so darn pretty in real person), and a pair of patent red pumps. I knew the dressing room was the place to score go-backs, so I headed there in search of the elusive fur coat. While in there, I was admiring the one shoulder, pink dress with exaggerated shoulder, but as soon as I touched it, I had to recoil. It straight up felt like a dyed potato sack. A quick peek inside the garment label -- what do ya know, 100% polyester. These were selling like hotcakes though. Even if you managed to snag a couple of these exclusive dresses, the joke's on you for paying $200 bucks a piece for 100% polyester wares. Seriously though, they're pretty, but they don't feel it. Big disappointment.

While in the dressing room, I did manage to snag the short fur coat in a size too big, but once I got over my initial excitement and tried it on, I realized I looked like Chewbacca had swallowed me whole. Seriously ridiculous. I had to pass. I also had to pass on the heels because damn, they hurt. They HURT. I have been known to sacrifice comfort over beauty for a pair of pretty, sparkly shoes, but these were just unbearable.

So what's in the bag? Two tees, the embellished blazer, and two UNICEF totes. Sadly, I couldn't score the elusive sunglasses, long fur coat, or the lipsticks. I'm keeping hope alive though, and hitting up this H&M for any possible returns! This was my strategy last year for Jimmy Choo x H&M, when I skipped the launch all together and chanced upon a pair of those coveted leather leggings, and at 60% off. Score. All in all, I'm a happy girl and I'm very impressed by the quality of the tees and the blazer. They're probably some of the best out of the collection, quality wise. The details are incredible. I also love the shopping bags that came with this collection. Really adorable. I was really pretty heartbroken that I couldn't score a garment bag though. I guess those are only reserved for the dresses.

So there you have it, my long-winded, retelling of the organized chaos that was this H&M launch. I have to give major props to H&M for having such an organized, orderly method of helping people shop. All in all, I'm pretty satisfied!

Now to the goods!

Pretty, no?

ETA: Just read an article on WWD about Alber Elbaz's secret visit to the H&M flapship store on Madison in NY. He pulled up in his towncar around 8am and watched the madness go down and marveled at how many people had showed up. How adorable is that?

Carey Mulligan is Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann's "The Great Gatsby"

2010-11-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

Baz Luhrmann has officially cast Carey Mulligan to play female lead Daisy Buchanan in an upcoming adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic, The Great Gatsby. Also starring is Leonardo DiCaprio who will play the main lead of Jay Gatsby, and it's rumored that Tobey Maguire will play Gatsby's friend, Nick Carraway.

I have a little itty bit of a girl crush on Carey because I think she is such a fantastic, understated actress. And you know what? She's just such a lady. Not too many of those out there in Hollywood today. I think she'd be perfect as Daisy. I can't wait to see how this turns out with Baz at the helm. It's very appropriate, actually. The Great Gatsby is such an iconic, classic literary piece, and the era and social climate it takes place in will look phenomenal on camera. Can't wait for Carey!

Photo credit: Deadline Hollywood. Taken 11/2/10 in NYC during auditions.

NBC Unveils New Thursday Comedy Block; PARKS & REC COMES BACK!

2010-11-15T15:19:00.000-08:00

ALRIGHT NBC, ABOUT DAMN TIME. Parks & Recreation will finally return on January 20, 2011 at 9:30pm as part of their new Thursday night comedy block. I made a big stink last May during upfronts when NBC decided to push Parks & Rec out of the fall schedule to make room for newcomer Outsourced (which has since received a full season pickup). While NBC assured us all that Parks & Rec would be back during midseason, it was looking a little scary there when Outsourced received its full season pickup. In a move that I doubted NBC had the guts to make, they have subsequently moved 30 Rock from it's 8:30 timeslot to 10pm in order to make room for midseason newcomer Perfect Couples. Outsourced will follow at 10:30pm, and Parks & Rec will enjoy The Office audience spillover at 9:30pm.

I can't say I have forgiven you for all the grievances in the past, NBC, but at least my beloved Parks & Rec has a place somewhere in the Thursday night comedy lineup. If they had put it anywhere else or canceled it altogether, it would be the end of our more-than-rocky relationship, and I may have needed to have gone old-school protest style on them, pitchforks and all.

Here's the full midseason NBC schedule:

MONDAYS
8-9 p.m. - “Chuck”
9-10 p.m. - “The Cape” series premiere with a two-hour episode on Sunday, January 9 (9-11 p.m.). New episodes start in its regular time period on January 17 (9-10 p.m.)
10-11 p.m. - “Harry's Law’ (new series beginning January 17)
9-10 p.m. - “The Event” (returns on February 28, 9-11 p.m.; resumes in its regular time slot March 7)
10-11 p.m. -- “Parenthood” (debuts in this slot March 7 with all originals)

TUESDAYS
8-10 p.m. -- “The Biggest Loser: Couples” (beginning January 4)
10-11 p.m. - “Parenthood” (beginning January 4 for four episodes)
10-11 p.m. -- “Law & Order: Los Angeles” (beginning February 8)

WEDNESDAYS
8-9 p.m. -- “Minute to Win It” (beginning January 5)
9-10 p.m. -“Chase” (beginning January 12)
9-10 p.m. - “America's Greatest Restaurant” (new series beginning March 16)
10-11 p.m. - “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” (originals beginning January 5 with two-hour episode, 9-11 p.m. ET)

THURSDAYS (beginning January 20)
8-8:30 p.m. - “Community”
8:30-9 p.m. - “Perfect Couples" (new)
9-9:30 p.m. - “The Office”
9:30-10 p.m. - “Parks and Recreation”
10-10:30 p.m. - “30 Rock”
10:30-11 p.m. - “Outsourced”

FRIDAYS
8-9 p.m. -- “Who Do You Think You Are?” (beginning January 21)
9-11 p.m. - “Dateline NBC” (beginning January 7)

SUNDAYS
7-8 p.m. - “Dateline NBC”
8-9 p.m. - “The Marriage Ref” (beginning March 6)
9-11 p.m. - “The Celebrity Apprentice” (beginning March 6)

Adele - "Rolling in the Deep"

2010-11-15T14:52:00.000-08:00

19 is still on frequent rotation for me on iTunes. I can't wait for Adele's new album, 21, because I'm sure it will be fantastic. 21 releases on February 22, 2011.

Listen to Adele's new single, "Rolling in the Deep". It's lovely.

More Lanvin Loves H&M Tidbits: Closer Looks, H&M Shopping Intel

2010-11-03T14:37:00.000-07:00

The Internet has gone Lanvin loves H&M crazy as we all wait with bated breath for the launch. Here are some closer looks from the line (images courtesy of Racked and Mizhattan):

My favorite pieces have to be that yellow one shoulder ruffled dress, the poufed one shoulder dress, both fur coats, the tees, the non-patent heels, the red lipsticks, and the sunglasses. If I just make it out with a tee or two, a pair of those leopard sparkly heeled pumps, the teal trimmed pumps, a pair of sunglasses, and some lipstick, I'll be happy.

All items will come in the packaging pictured. That means shoes and accessories will come in those adorable Lanvin loves H&M boxes and clothes will be zipped up in garment bags upon purchase. Isn't that such a lovely touch? I just hope the quality is up to par with the prices, as this will mark H&M's most expensive designer collaboration yet. As lovely as some of these dresses and tees are and as much I can appreciate the vast differences in price between their namesake brand and this collaboration effort for H&M (that beautiful poufed one shoulder dress normally retails for just under $4k, and the whimsical tees will usually run you about $800), the regular, middle class shopper simply does not have $200-$300 to spend on a dress. So with prices like these can we expect women and resellers to flock in hoards to try and snap these up at H&M's across the U.S. by lining up at 4am? Who knows. I guess we'll have to wait in the cold and see, but thankfully not for as long as we were all anticipating. For the first time since H&M has started their designer collaborations, the stores will open earlier at 8am (rather than 10am) to accommodate the anticipated demand. I have a feeling, despite this economic climate, that these babies will still go like hotcakes.

THR Awards Watch Roundtable: Actresses

2010-11-03T14:20:00.000-07:00

With the Golden Globes and Screen Actor Guild Awards approaching in January and the Oscars in February, awards season is definitely under way. One of my favorite products from awards season is definitely the roundtable discussions. I'm a geek, I know, but I love watching all of these, and I love watching them in their entirety. They're such interesting, earnest looks into the work of so many great actors and actresses.

This year's Hollywood Reporter Actresses Roundtable includes Helena Bonham Carter (who starred alongside Colin Firth in big awards contender, The King's Speech), Natalie Portman (who has received critical acclaim for her role in The Black Swan), Annette Bening (who co-starred in The Kids Are All Right with the equally amazing Julianne Moore), Nicole Kidman (in the emotionally-jarring, small indie pic Rabbit Hole with Aaron Eckhart), Hilary Swank (in Tony Goldwyn's Conviction), and Amy Adams (who played a supporting role in The Fighter, which also stars Mark Wahlberg and Christian Bale).

A little over an hour long, but very interesting. These women are incredible.

Conan's Show Zero

2010-11-02T15:54:00.000-07:00

Catch a glimpse of what Conan's show will be like with this cute low budget, mini-episode that the folks over at Team Coco cooked up. It features Conan O'Brien (of course), faithful sidekick and announcer, Andy Richter, and guests Jim Parsons and Steel Train, along with a special appearance from a dancing taco.

Who's excited for November 8, 11pm?!

In some related news, GUESS WHO GOT TICKETS TO THE THANKSGIVING TAPING? You probably guessed it by the caps, but ME! I've been doing the happy dance every day since I got the tickets. WOO! This, combined with the upcoming Lanvin for H&M launch? I'll be a very happy a girl! A very happy, albeit poor, girl!

LANVIN FOR H&M Full Ad Campaign & Price Lists

2010-11-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

Over the past few weeks we've been getting some sneak peeks of the Lanvin loves H&M line, and now we finally have a full ad campaign and it's delicious! Scroll for the price lists on the full line, to get an idea of how much damage you'll be doing to your wallet on November 20 (launch in North America) or November 23 (launch in the rest of the world).

LANVIN FOR H&M Full Lookbook & Video!

2010-11-02T10:28:00.001-07:00

HERE IT IS, DARLINGS. Christmas has come early. We finally have a full lookbook (and prices!) of the Lanvin loves H&M line and let me tell you: IT IS AMAZING. Just glorious. I've just now stopped hyperventilating. I am so in love it's ridiculous. So what will the damage be come November 20? I don't even want to think about it. I'll just hand over my credit card with eyes closed and just hope for the best. Hope that it doesn't start smoking and hope that it doesn't spontaneously burst on fire.

In all seriousness though, how phenomenal is this collection? This has to be my favorite designer collaboration so far. It's outstanding! When I first got wind of Lanvin's collection for H&M I was highly skeptical, but now I'm totally eating my words, because Alber has really outdone himself. I MEAN LOOK AT THOSE SHOES. Tell me those shoes don't give you shoe envy. Tell me you wouldn't throw a jealous side-eye at some random chick walking down the street in these shoes. Jesus. And for $99? Oh ok, I'll take them all, please! Size 37.5, box 'em up! I'm also lovin' those classic Lanvin tees -- they're so ridiculously girly that it's chic. I seriously can't decide what I love and need, because it seems like I love and need everything. Looks like there will indeed be a throwdown in the accessories aisle in H&M on November 20. Now I'm a girl that always plays nice, but this is an exception. My only gripe is that the jewelry is looking a little weak and we're lacking some Lanvin 'Happy' bag lookalikes and those signature Lanvin ballet flats.

Ok kids, ready? Behold! The Lanvin for H&M women's and men's lookbook. Click to enlarge.

Left: Skirt: $59.95, Coat: $199, Shoes: $99, Leather gloves: $49.95, Earrings: $19.95, Sunglasses: $19.95 / Right: T-shirt: $39.95, Skirt: $59.95, Jacket: $149, Shoes: $99, Necklace: $29.95, Belt worn as necklace: $19.95, Sunglasses: $19.95

Left: Dress: $199, Belt worn as necklace: $19.95, Leather gloves: $49.95 Bracelet: $29.95, Brooch: $19.95, Necklace worn as belt: $29.95, Shoes: $99, Sunglasses: $19.95 / Right: Dress: $99, Leather gloves: $49.95, Shoes: $99

Left: Dress: $199, Earrings: $19.95, Belt worn as bracelet: $19.95, Sunglasses: $19.95 / Right: T-shirt: $39.95, Blazer (styled with pin from men's tuxedo jacket): $99, Skirt: $99, Shoes: $99, Pink necklace: $39.95, Sunglasses: $19.95

Left: Dress: $249, Pink necklace: $39.95 / Right: Dress: $149, Necklace: $29.95, Earrings: $19.95, Bag: $49.95, Shoes: $99, Leather gloves: $49.95, Sunglasses: $19.95

Left: Coat: $199, Necklace: $39.95, Shoes: $99, Sunglasses: $19.95 / Right: Dress: $199, Necklaces each: $29.95, Shoes: $99, Leather gloves: $49.95, Sunglasses: $19.95

Left: Dress: $199, Vest: $99, Necklace: $49.95, Shoes: $99, Bracelet: $29.95, Sunglasses: $19.95 / Right: Dress: $199 Shoes: $99 Gloves: $49.95 Necklace: $49.95 Sunglasses: $19.95

Left: Dress: $249, Shoes: $99, Bracelet: $29.95, Bag: $49.95, Sunglasses: $19.95 / Right: Dress: $199, Shoes: $99, Brooch: $19.95, Necklace: $49.95, Bracelet: $29.95, Sunglasses: $19.95

Left: Coat: $349, Earrings: $19.95, Shoes: $99, Sunglasses: $19.95 / Right: Dress: $249, Bag: $49.95, Shoes: $99 , Earrings: $19.95, Sunglasses: $19.95

Left: T-shirt: $49.95, Jacket: $49.95, Shoes: $99, Belt: $19.95, Necklace: $29.95, Sunglasses: $19.95, Necklace (worn as bracelet): $49.95 / Right: Tuxedo (only jacket shown): $299 for pants and jacket, Vest: $49.95, Shirt: $49.95, Bowtie: $29.95, Pants: $59.95, Shoes: $79.95

Left: Coat: $149, Blazer: $149, Shirt: $49.95, Bowtie: $29.95, Pants: $59.95, Cap: $19.95, Shoes: $79.95 / Right: Tuxedo: $299, Bowtie: $29.95, Shirt: $49.95, Shoes: $79.95, Sunglasses: $19.95

Left: Shirt: $59.95, Bowtie: $29.95, Tuxedo (only pants shown): $299 for pants and jacket, Shoes: $79.95, Sunglasses: $19.95 / Right: Blazer: $149, Shirt: $49.95, Tie: $29.95, Pants: $59.95, Cap: $19.95 , Shoes: $79.95, Sunglasses: $19.95

Now feast your eyes on this lovely Lanvin for H&M fashion show vid:

Target Go International Designer Collaboration Re-Releases

2010-10-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

Target will be re-releasing select pieces from their most popular designer collaborations in order to commemorate the 5 year anniversary of the Go International designer collab line. The re-release will include 34 pieces from 17 past designers. Pieces are scheduled to hit stores March 13, 2011, with a press release of featured dresses in February 2011.

Who do you guys want to see featured in the re-release? I'd like definitely like another chance to grab some McQueen pieces, along with Thakoon, Temperley, Anna Sui, and Proenza Schouler.

Past designer collabs include: Luella, Tara Jarmon, Paul & Joe, Behnaz Sarafpour, Proenza Schouler, Libertine, Alice Temperley, Erin Fetherston, Jovovich-Hawk, Rogan, Richard Chia, Jonathan Saunders, Alexander McQueen (McQ), Thakoon, Tracy Feith, Anna Sui, Rodarte, Jean Paul Galtier, Zac Posen, and Tucker.

Oh Snap! New The Lonely Island Album Coming in 2011!

2010-10-26T16:50:00.000-07:00

THIS IS EXCELLENT NEWS!! So excellent that it deserves an all caps, double exclamation mark moment. For all of you who don't know The Lonely Island, they are a parody group whose members consist of SNL regular Adam Samberg and two SNL writers, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer. Samberg, Schaffer, and Taccone are also long time friends who grew up together. These are the guys behind Dick in a Box, I'm On A Boat, and Jizz In My Pants. THAT'S RIGHT. These are the type of people who automatically make you feel inferior for being less hilarious and less clever on all accounts. It's okay though, because I wholeheartedly accept the fact that I will never reach their level of genius. I've probably listened to their first album, Incredibad, about a bazillion times and for the past year, I've lived in fear that a new album would never come. Well those days are over because we're getting a new album in '11!

Celine F/W 2010 Shoes and Accessories

2010-10-25T11:40:00.000-07:00

I'm currently obsessed (as is the rest of the world right now) with Celine's fall/winter 2010 shoes and accessories line. Every season there's a new much hyped about bag, and in seasons past it's been the Chloe paddington, the Marc Jacobs stam, the YSL muse I & II, and the Balenciaga City, and this season it's definitely Celine's Boston tote. Every single damn time I see that bag somewhere my heart leaps. Phoebe Philo is the best thing that could have possibly happened to Celine during this recession. Celine needed that punch-kick combo in order to spruce up the French brand's image and now it's pretty much safe to say she's catapulted it into youthful cult status. I've been a Philophile for quite awhile now, ever since her days at Chloe, but it's obvious from what she's currently doing at Celine, that that's where she'll really make her mark into mainstream recognition.

If they add a shoulder strap option to the luggage tote, I may really need to invest in one. I'm just blown away by the execution and simplicity of the line. I mean, just look at the beauty in this collection. Never has minimalism looked so good.

The Boston tote will run you anywhere from $1250 to $2500 depending on size and/or color variation.

Some of my faves from F/W 2010/11:

Also, check out Jak&Jil's pictorial on fellow Philophiles. Here's a peek to get you salivating:

Phenomenal.

Liam Neeson's "Unknown" Trailer & Casting in "The Hangover 2"

2010-10-25T10:12:00.001-07:00

Check out the trailer for Liam Neeson's new movie, Unknown, opening February 18, 2011. It's a movie that is very much in the same vein as the sleeper hit, Taken, in which he also starred. If you haven't seen Taken, then maybe you don't know that Liam is fierce as all hell, and he still kicks ass at his age. Unknown is another thriller set in Europe and it stars Liam Neeson, January Jones, Diane Kruger, and Frank Langella. Neeson plays a man who wakes up from a car crash while on vacation with his wife (Jones), and discovers that his identity has been stolen and his wife apparently no longer recognizes him. Kruger and Langella help him uncover what really happened to him and the people behind the conspiracy. From what I see from the trailer, it's Taken 2, but I'll still probably see it because Liam Neeson is a man not to be messed with, and when Liam wants you to watch a movie in which he kicks ass in (literally), then you do it.

Check out the trailer below.

More Liam Neeson news on this fine Monday! Liam Neeson has replaced Mel Gibson in The Hangover 2. Mel was cast in a cameo role of a tattoo artist in the film but after several uproars in the cast (most notably, Zach Galifianakis, who hinted in an interview earlier this month that he was in "deep protest" on the set of a movie he's currently shooting, aka The Hangover 2), he's been fired. No shocker, considering the bad press Gibson has been receiving as of late, including his spews of anti-semitism, and more recently, the violent, misognystic, conversations that have leaked between him and ex-girlfriend, Oksana Gregorieva.

Kanye West's 35 Minute "Runaway" Short Film

2010-10-25T09:31:00.000-07:00

Kanye West's "Runaway" short film premiered this weekend on MTV and it featured West along with Selita Ebanks, who plays a phoenix who falls down to earth. The 35 minute long video, directed by Kanye himself, features tracks from his highly anticipated new album, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", which releases November 22. Selita looks phenomenal in this video. Those wings were perfect. No wonder, since they were designed by Phillip Lim.

Interesting video, and highly conceptualized. It's kinda crazy, but so is Kanye. See for yourself below.

Darren Aronofsky's "Black Swan"

2010-10-21T14:19:00.000-07:00

Aren't these promotional posters for Darren Aronofsky's new film, Black Swan, phenomenal? Someone in the 20th Century Fox marketing department deserves a raise. I love the film noir feel of the ads, and I'm not exactly sure how they pertain to the movie specifically, but eh, who cares. It looks amazing-- and how many modern day movie posters can you say the same for these days?

Black Swan stars Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and Vincent Cassel, and is a thriller which centers around a star ballerina and a rival who threatens to steal her spotlight. It was directed by Darren Aronofsky (The Wrestler, Requiem for a Dream, Pi), so you know it'll be dark, twisted, and fantastic. The film has also generated some glowing reviews, especially for Natalie Portman's role, and has also been gathering some considerable Oscar momentum. It'll be interesting to see if Portman or Black Swan gets a nomination, considering horror movies very rarely, if ever, receive Academy recognition.

Black Swan opens December 3, 2010.

Second Sneak Peek at Lanvin for H&M

2010-10-21T09:29:00.000-07:00

Another ad has popped up on the web, and this time we have print! I love it. They're so whimsical and those accessories are so punchy and fun. Loving the footwear so far as well. I'm clearing out space in my closet, Alber! Can't wait. CANNOT WAIT! I'm really loving that they're taking styles from their line and creating a similar version for H&M.

(Left: Lanvin Spring '09 Runway, retail: $1,530, Right: Lanvin for H&M, high res photo courtesy of Nitrolicious)

Lovely, no? I just hope these translate as well as they do in print when these hit stores later next month.

LANVIN FOR H&M FIRST LOOK.

2010-10-19T10:39:00.001-07:00

I've been long overdue for a new post because I've been sick as a dog, but I've finally gotten over it and have since been immunized with a flu shot to prevent further sickness, so hooray for health!

Alright, first post in awhile and it's a doozy. Vogue Paris has provided us all with a glorious, much anticipated first look from Alber Elbaz's Lanvin for H&M collection and HOLY MOTHER OF BLACK. I need. I NEED. Oh Alber, how ingenious of you to have kept in mind that black is every girl's color while designing this collection. I am so in love with everything, but that black one shoulder dress? Amazing. So glad they made a modified version for H&M. I loved Maggie G in the leopard version at last year's Golden Globes.

A preview of the collection will be launched on November 2nd, and it will hit stores in U.S. and Canada on November 20th, and the rest of the world on November 23rd. November 20th is so close yet so far away. I need some wallet-friendly Lanvin RTW in my life right about now. Now if only we could get a sneak peek at the accessories as well.. if there's a modified version of the Lanvin 'Happy' bag, my wallet credit card may burst in flames the day this collection launches. Who's ready for a fashion throwdown at H&M on the morning of November 20th? You know damn right I am.

Lanvin Happy Partage bag in Metallic Lamé, Ret. $1,915

And I leave you with an adorably adorable video of Mr. Elbaz himself:

Justin Timberlake, Jimmy Fallon, and The Roots Perform a Medley of Rap Through the Decades

2010-09-30T10:09:00.001-07:00

LOVE THIS. This is a must watch.

New Trailer: "Yogi Bear"

2010-09-28T11:46:00.001-07:00

New Trailer of "Yogi Bear" in 3D, out December 17. I'm only posting this because I find Justin Timberlake as the voice of 'Boo Boo' hilarious and ridiculous. Good thing he's making good with his time off from music, eh?

Why, Justin, why?

Flight of the Conchords on The Simpsons!

2010-09-27T14:25:00.001-07:00

I am a big fan of good 'ole Bret and Jemaine, aka Flight of the Conchords, so what could be better than seeing them immortalized on an episode of The Simpsons?

Nothing!

Well, maybe not nothing. I'd love to see another FotC season above anything else, but I'll take what I can get.

"The Social Network" Cast Interviews and Movie Previews

2010-09-27T13:46:00.000-07:00

Alright, I've officially succumbed to the hype. When buzz surrounding The Social Network first hit the web last year, when the film was still in production, I was interested. Not only because the adorable (and talented) Jesse Eisenberg would be playing the main role of Mark Zuckerberg, or that Justin Timberlake would be tackling the role of Sean Parker, creator of Napster, but because I knew that David Fincher was directing and that Aaron Sorkin had written a (most likely) masterful script. Fast forward a few months later and snippets of the movie were finally being released, accompanied by that haunting choir rendition of Radiohead's Creep, and my interest had come to an all time high. Tell me that the score from the commercial didn't have you reeling. A full choir doing a mellowed out, chilling version of Creep and a whole score cut by Nine Inch Nail's Trent Reznor? Brilliant. Today, I am in full force, and totally, completely, and unabashedly excited for this movie. The Social Network opens this Friday, October 1st. There are already Oscar campaigns for this movie, and the damn thing hasn't even opened yet. Please don't let me down, David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin.

Watch this exclusive webcast with the cast of the "Facebook movie" and its screenplay writer (Aaron Sorkin), brought to you by none other than MySpace, and uploaded onto YouTube(Hilarious, right? Right.):

I also loved this interview with Jake the Movie Guy. I like that this guy always does his research and actually asks some thought provoking questions, making movie junket interviews less vanilla and repetitive. I also have a newfound love for Andrew Garfield, who is just lovely and eloquent. Still waiting to see him in Never Let Me Go. Interview features Jesse Eisenberg, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfield, Armie Hammer, and Aaron Sorkin.

Preview featuring Kanye West's Power:

And.. if you're up for it, the 40 minute panel at the New York Film Festival, held last Friday, September 24. It's interesting, and worth it to watch. Part One:

Watch the rest here: http://www.filmlinc.com/nyff/2010/new-york-film-festival-video

Jeff Zucker Fired by NBC Comcast CEO Steve Burke

2010-09-27T12:51:00.000-07:00

Well the day has finally come!

Jeff Zucker has been pushed out of NBC by new NBC Comcast CEO, Steve Burke. Zucker was quietly told to leave in a face to face meeting with Burke two weeks ago. He's already sent out a company wide email on his resignation, and his leave will be effective once the merger between NBC and Comcast (which owns a 51% share) is finalized.

And of course, Zucker couldn't think of a reason why he was given the boot, and claims that he was only fired because Comcast wanted to make a "change". Those of us who aren't in denial all know that Zucker's shortcomings have gone on for far too long without punishment. We all know he was the mastermind behind the late night shakeup between Leno and Conan, but that was just one of his many zuck-ups.

Good riddance, I say. Besides, it's not like he didn't walk away with a hefty severance package.

Check out Nikki's extensive coverage on the matter.

Conan Behind the Scenes Shoot + Promos aka Coco Spam Post

2010-09-20T14:11:00.000-07:00

I'll pretty much post anything that involves Conan. Can you tell how much I miss this man on my TV screen?

Behind the Scenes of Conan's TBS Photoshoot w/Twilight the Owl:

Conan 'Missing You' (I can relate) promos:

Conan premieres November 8th on TBS! I'm ready!

Gwyenth Paltrow and Javier Bardem on "Glee"

2010-09-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

You ready for some unexpected news?

Gwyneth Paltrow and Javier Bardem are the newest stars to jump on board the Glee overnight success train. Javier Bardem's deal is on lock and he's set to appear as a rock star who befriends Artie in this upcoming season (which premieres tomorrow night at 8pm). Gwyneth's still undergoing final negotiations, but it's looking pretty good, seeing as Ryan Murphy specifically wrote this part for her. She will be playing a substitute teacher and a love interest for Will. Do I smell a love triangle between Emma (Jayma Mays), Will (Matthew Morrison), and Gwenny P's character? I think so. But really though, when my Gwyneth is involved, it's no contest. Once the deal becomes finalized, Gwyneth will star in two episodes, which will be airing in November.

Two huge Oscar winners for Glee? That's a major score. I am completely in love with Javier Bardem and it's my firm belief that once Javier and Penelope Cruz have their baby together, the universe will implode from too much beauty. God, those two infuriate me yet make me so happy at the same time. Gwyneth Paltrow is also a longtime favorite of mine, she won me over a long time ago. The woman can do no wrong in my eyes. I loved her karaoke in Duets and from what I've seen so far from her latest release, Country Strong (12/22/10), her country isn't so bad either.

I'm looking forward to watching them grace the small screen.

Fact or Fiction: Arrested Development Movie Teaser Poster

2010-09-17T10:05:00.000-07:00

This poster has been hitting the viral circuit lately -- and no one is fessing up on where it originated. The Arrested Development movie has been in talks for awhile now, and I've been following its very move. It's definitely an on again, off again relationship I have with this movie. One moment, it's a green light and I'm brimming with anticipation, the next moment, stars of the movie are quoted saying it will never happen. I want to be excited, but I don't want to jinx anything. This movie has been teetering on a tightrope since the very idea of it began -- and you don't want to do anything that will adversely affect its delicate nature.

Good news though: Mitch Hurwitz did mention at the TCA awards, held earlier this year, that the script was halfway done. Do you hear that? Halfway done! Alright, I'll contain myself.

Even better news: If the movie is happening, the entire cast is on board. I mean, come on, you can't make an AD movie without the original cast. I'm so glad they're all back! If not everyone was signed on, you may as well throw that script out the window. No AD movie is complete without Michael Bluth, George Bluth, Lucille Bluth, Gob, Buster, Lindsay Bluth, George Michael, Maeby, and my personal fave (although really, it's so hard to choose), Tobias Funke.

Who's ready for Development?

HOUSE Season 7 Premiere Preview = Huddy Love

2010-09-15T12:52:00.000-07:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am a diehard House fan, so it should come to no surprise that I've been anxiously awaiting the September 20th premiere. I AM SO READY.

I expect this season will be epic because of Huddy!

Mulberry for Target Featured in Teen Vogue

2010-09-12T14:54:00.000-07:00

(Scan courtesy of Nitrolicious)

Honestly, the most appealing thing from this ad is the french bulldog in the bottom corner.