"Oh, you are so full of s***"

Kevin: I'm not. I'm not. In fact, I'd like a raincheck.

Joan: Oh, it's not gonna happen. This was like... Haley's Comet. It's not coming around again for 57 years."

10 movie minutes later.

Joan: That was a real misstep.
Kevin: Awwww, that was a sweet thing to say.

[Great Moments in Screen Bitchery #544
Joan Allen to Kevin Costner in The Upside of Anger]

P.S. Joan so deserved the Oscar in '05. Just sayin' repeatin'. The film is totally unworthy of her but she's firing on all cylinders. Wasn't even nominated. What a world. What a world.

Birthday Suits: ABBA Alert!

Celebrating cinema-related birthdays of the day. Is November 15th your special day?

1879 Lewis Stone star of the only lost Oscar Best Picture nominee, The Patriot (1928). No, you'll never see 100% of the Best Picture or Best Actor nominees. Not even if you try
1932 Petula Clarke singer/actress
1937 Yaphett Kotto actor
<--- 1945 Anna Frid "Frida" Lyngstad, my favorite member of ABBA. I love her so much I'm letting her wear a jumpsuit instead of the traditional suits favored in these posts. ABBA's flamboyant fashion sense could never be contained! [see also ABBA: The Movie recap]
1951 Beverly D'Angelo actress
1957 Ray McKinnon actor, best known for Deadwood on HBO. He's currently in movie theaters doing fine work in That Evening Sun. And, surprise, he's actually an Oscar winner already having won the Best Live Action Short Film category in for his directorial debut The Accountant (2001)
1972 Jonny Lee Miller, actor, Trainspotter, Angelina survivor, Friend of Jude, visionary lawyer.
1976 Virginie Ledoyen French actress to whom I am largely indifferent and, thus, a rare creature indeed. Well known films include The Beach, 8 Women, Bon Voyage and The Valet.

Finally, Georgia O'Keeffe the artist was born 122 years ago today. No one but Pfans will remember this but Michelle Pfeiffer wanted to portray the magnificent vagina flower-loving icon for many years. She never did. Instead we had to wait until this year when Joan Allen took a crack at it for Lifetime Television. I love Joan Allen but the poster alone, which photoshopped all the life from Joan's wonderful face until she looked positively doll-like and disturbing (why?) stood like a threatening "Beware of TV Movie" sign. But O'Keefe did have a bio worthy life. Did anyone dare that basic cable experience? If so, tell us what you thought.

Happy Birthday (And Where Are You?), Joan Allen

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JA fgrom MNPP here. The boyfriend and I went and saw Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons on Broadway in the play Impressionism last Fall. The show stunk something fierce, but Joan looked ridiculously fantastic - the costumes were to die for and were tailored to her like a glove. A slutty glove of wow-she's-hot!-ness. Click this link here to understand. Saucy minx! For a boy that worships at the altar of what Joan Allen's been selling for years now, it was bliss, watching her strut around like a sexy lady on-stage even if the show itself was lacking (did I mention it stunk? God it stunk).

But that was then, and now is now, and where the heck are you, Joan Allen? Today she turns 53 so a very happy one to her, so let's keep it low on the complaining, but man alive, lady, get out here! She and Irons did a Georgia O'Keeffe biopic called creatively enough Georgia O'Keeffe, but that's been sitting there on her IMDb page for ages and I've heard nothing about it. Nothing! I guess it's gonna air on Lifetime? Ack not worthy of her. There's also something called Good Sharma but.. well, that title makes me feel queasy so whatever. She's had such an odd run of roles these past few years! I get that it's tough for a broad to find good roles at her age, but she's effing Joan Allen! She should be fighting them off. Instead, Death Race.

Whatever. At least there are some credits coming up and maybe they'll be worthy of her. Maybe. That's a tall order. But I hope so. And I went looking just now and see that I've posted on her twice here at The Film Experience in the past! Wacky! I guess she's the actressexual obsession I bring over. Here those previous posts are:

Post #1 - WWJAD?
Post #2 - on the Georgia O'Keeffe movie last November

As for at my own blog, click here for my previously-posted five favorite performances of hers from her birthday two years ago. What's yours? And happy birthday again, Joanie!
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Top Ten: After Kate Winslet, Who?

Kate Winslet finally won her Oscar, delighting the bulk of fans who have been rooting for her since she dreamt of Hollywood in '94 -- 'they're desperately keen to sign me up!' -- or nearly drowned in '97. She never let go. So, who is next?

Or rather... who is most overdue?

Contrary to popular belief, it ain't easy to win an Oscar. It certainly wasn't easy for Kate the Great. You need more than an accent, a disability, a good or popular movie, old age makeup or mimicry skills. You also need star charisma, a role that compliments or complicates that charisma and media support. Above all else you need luck combined with surgically precise good timing. History is full of performers who never won the movie's top prize despite plentiful contributions to the art of acting.

For the following list I'm ignoring outstanding performers who have never been nominated because I already made that list. But, yes: Donald Sutherland, Mia Farrow, Christopher Plummer and Christian Bale would certainly have cause to hate the Academy for pretending they don't exist. This list only concerns itself with previously nominated actors who are still working.

Top Ten Nominees Who Are Really Overdue For an Oscar Win

Honorable Mentions: Albert Finney, Debra Winger, Helena Bonham-Carter, Joan Cusack, Laura Linney, Jude Law and Ed Harris. Peter O'Toole has an honorary and Glenn Close gave up so I'm skipping them.


10 Sigourney Weaver 3 nominations
Sigourney strikes me as a Holly Hunter type: not easy to cast but riveting / perfect when the role fits. Historians sometimes think of the Oscars as a movie culture time capsule but as such they sometimes fail miserably at capturing the larger picture of the careers of famous actors. Weaver's case is interesting because her three nominations (Aliens, Working Girl and Gorillas in the Mist) actually paint a compellingly accurate portrait of her whole career. Think about it. Those three represent all the things she does best: sexy amazons in genre films, bitchy women in comedies and intense almost scarily obsessive women in prestige dramas. Unfortunately none of these three types are what Oscar voters go for unless they're tricked into it by some other mitigating factor or completely unable to deny the skill involved. Since she turns 60 this year I think that her only hope for a statue is a killer comedic supporting part -- preferrably in a well loved Best Picture nominee. The kind of role Maggie Smith got in Gosford Park could win Weaver the elusive gold, couldn't it?

09 Annette Bening. 3 nominations
The Bening is in the unenviable position of (arguably) finishing in second place every time she's been nominated. Second at the Oscars isn't any different than fifth... the math flatlines. 1990's The Grifters, her first nomination, established her unique star persona: calculated erotic cunning, theatricality and twinkly eyed laughter. She lost that first Oscar to a famous comedienne who was anchoring a mammoth hit (Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost) and then she lost twice to someone she's twice as talented as (the first time was justifiable. We'll let it slide ;) ). When will it be her turn? Maybe never. AMPAS passed her over for Bugsy, The American President and Running With Scissors despite, respectively, 10 other nominations, popularity and a baity role all of which suggests that they're not always keen on her. Perhaps its the envy factor? It can't suck to be her. Mr. Annette Bening, never won for acting either and he's a true screen legend.

08 Joan Allen. 3 nominations
I used to joke that this great actress needed only two seconds of screentime to start Oscar buzz. Her presence alone is so commanding that you're glued to her. You're ready for every line reading, gesture and closeup from the moment the camera first spots her. But that was then. This is now and the now is not looking like an Oscar is coming. Which is very frustrating. She was arguably the best of the nominees on her first and second nominations (Nixon and The Crucible) but the films themselves weren't loved enough to bring that winning momentum. Her third nomination (The Contender, 2000) was one of those "I'm just happy to be nominated" situations since that was Julia Robert's Oscar to lose even before the previous year's Oscars were handed out (Erin Brockovich was released a week before the 1999 Oscars were held). Most agonizing of all is that in 2005, a very weak Best Actress year, the Academy missed a golden opportunity to give Ms Allen one of those career style statues for The Upside of Anger. Her sexy, funny, dramatic and film carrying star turn topped anything that any of the nominees that year were up to. The Academy didn't even nominate her.

07 Sir Ian McKellen 2 nominations
The Academy's anti-genre bias cock blocked his second move towards that naked gold man (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring). I still don't know WHAT THE HELL happened in 1998, the first time he was up for the prize (Gods and Monsters). I don't even wanna talk about that. Shut up!

06 Meryl Streep. 15 nominations / 2 wins
It's been twenty-seven years since her last win (Sophie's Choice, 1982) and she's the only previous acting winner working whose career since her last triumph completely justifies an additional statue. She's given at least three performances in those ensuing 27 years that would have won most other star actresses an Oscar and would stand as their all time best work. Raise your hand if you think she's winning on her next nomination.

05 Jeff Bridges 4 nominations
Some people actually think he's the greatest American actor of his generation. If you think about the range, depth, effortlessness and conviction displayed in performances like The Door in the Floor, The Big Lebowski, Fearless, Seabiscuit, Cutter's Way, The Fabulous Baker Boys and The Fisher King it's hard to argue with that assessment. And that's just the major performances he was NOT nominated for. Add his four nominations (The Contender, Starman, Thunderbolt and Lightfoot and The Last Picture Show) into the mix and we're not talking 'overdue' so much as 'let's riot until he gets one!'


04 Ralph Fiennes 2 nominations
His performance in Schindler's List was not only the best of its category but in the running for best of its entire decade. Shame that they didn't hand him a statue right then. Now he's one of the biggest mysteries in Oscar land. He's British (extra points), he does lots of period pieces (big plus), he's regularly brilliant (that helps), he has no tabloid drawbacks (that sometimes distracts), he does prestige pics and stars in multiple Best Picture nominees (huge plus) he's great with other actors (lots of goodwill earned, presumably). Solve this mystery in the comments please. This man practically screams "Oscar winner" and yet he's only been nominated twice.

03 Julianne Moore 4 nominations
As noted before, winning an Oscar is about managing the tricky combination of star persona, role choice, luck and timing. Julianne has had trouble working all four of those elements simultaneously. It's frustrating. If a much lesser actress with a goody two shoes persona had stumbled into a performance as great as the one Julianne gave in Boogie Nights, they would have won --playing against type is a time-tested awards ploy (especially if you go from good to bad). Since Julianne was already considered a consummate, experiment-friendly and altogether brave actress, she was only considered to be doing her job if rather brilliantly. Sometimes the best actors have the hardest time winning because expectations are so high. There's no surprise factor when they knock us out. She also tends to be most magical in difficult films from true auteurs (think Paul Thomas Anderson and Todd Haynes) and Oscar doesn't reward those types of pictures with statues, just scattered nominations. What could she do to win? Give her great unsolicited advice in the comments.

02 Johnny Depp 3 nominations
If you ask young up and comers who their favorite actor is you'll hear his name pop up a lot. Trust me, I've tested the theory. It may have taken the Academy a long time to notice his gifts but certain pockets of the public (especially younger generations) and many critics were with him much earlier. As early as Edward Scissorhands and Cry-Baby (his very first leads in 1990) he was proving what an imaginative and committed actor he was, adept at spinning drama from comedy and the reverse, too. After that he excelled in biographical dramas (Oscar's favorite genre) like Ed Wood, Donnie Brasco, Blow and Fear and Loathing... and still they ignored him.


Perhaps he was too original. He was definitely too young (Oscar wants the men to have some years on them) and the performances themselves were sprung from weird or comedic impulses that don't resonate with stuffier aesthetics. But eventually everyone caught on to his gifts (Hello Pirates of the Carribean!). Now he can even get acclaim and nominations for performances that aren't any appreciably better than the ones he used to give (Sweeney Todd) or are way more boring than what he used to offer (Finding Neverland) which means that the Academy finally loves him. It also means he'll be winning real soon.

<--- Michelle Pfeiffer and Jeff Bridges in 2007

01 La Pfeiffer 3 nominations
The evidence: Scarface, Married to the Mob, Dangerous Liaisons, The Fabulous Baker Boys, The Russia House, Frankie & Johnny, Batman Returns, Love Field, The Age of Innocence, What Lies Beneath and White Oleander. I rest my case.

Percentage of this list that I think WILL eventually win the coveted statue: 30% Johnny Depp, Meryl Streep a third time and Ralph Fiennes... and in roughly that order, too.

previous top ten lists
for past articles on any of these actors just chase the labels below
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Joan Allen Set To Paint Large-Scale Pastel Vaginas

JA from MNPP here. Via The Hollywood Reporter this morning comes some interesting news on one of my very favorite actresses:

"Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons are set to star in a Lifetime biopic about the late American artist Georgia O'Keeffe, with Bob Balaban on board to direct....

"Georgia O'Keeffe," from Sony Pictures TV, is something of a passion project for the three exec producers, who conceived and have been developing the movie as a team for four years; at one point, it was in development at HBO.

"Georgia" will follow the turbulent 20-year love affair between the celebrated artist (Allen) and photographer Alfred Steiglitz (Irons). The movie, set to premiere in third-quarter 2009, was written by Pulitzer Prize winner Michael Cristofer ("Gia"). Tony Mark ("And Starring Poncho Villa as Himself") is producing."

What's that? HUH? I can't hear you over sound of the sirens in my head set to detect whenever fatal levels of estrogen are present. Must be something about the co-mingling of Joan Allen, notorious flower-to-labia equater Georgia O'Keeffe, the Lifetime Network Television For Women and/or Homosexuals and/or Golden Girls aficionados, and the writer of the movie that introduced us to Angelina Jolie's 22-year old breasts having torrid lesbian sex... something about that brew seems to be signaling a raise in lady-fumes in the air... hmm...

But in all seriousness, can we cross Emmy off of Joan's checklist now? If only that Oscar weren't so damned elusive...
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WWJAT?

JA from MNPP here, asking the question on all of our minds these days: What Was Joan Allen Thinking? I think it every time I see the trailer for Death Race... which seems to have been every time I've gone to a movie theater for the past eight months. They've seriously worn out their welcome with that thing by now, no? I'll be sooooo happy once next Friday comes and goes and the flick dissolves from my consciousness (until it's set for DVD of course, when the whole dance begins again).

The thing is, I had some interest in the movie at first. The 1975 version is a terrifically schlocky good-time. The director of the remake, Paul W.S. Anderson... well, he's given us a good movie (Event Horizon), a good-bad movie that I unrepentantly love (Resident Evil - love you, Milla!), and then... well and then he's given us Mortal Kombat and AVP: Alien vs. Predator (a film that I will never ever forgive for casting the lovely Raoul Bova and then burying inside a giant parka the entire running time).

And the cast started filling in and I was curious. Jason Statham seemed perfect, not to mention is a hot piece. Ian McShane was suddenly all popular due to that western program filled with profanities I'd heard such wonderful things about. And then.... Joan Allen? What's that? Huh? Say that again, stranger? Are we talking about the same Joan Allen?

Yes, yes we were. And I thought I got it at first... everybody needs a break from the heavy-lifting, right? She just wanted to have some fun. But the doubts have come home to roost. The trailer wore me down, and now... now I really just don't understand, Joan Allen.

So I'm asking y'all to explain this to me. I need my view of the world, of humanity, placed back into order. Why is Joan Allen in Death Race?

A) Atheism - She's a witch in hiding whose goal in life is to prove the absence of a Divine Power, which she's doing by acting in this film.

B) Blackmail - They have photographs of her in an orgy that they were going to release if she didn't sign on to the picture.

C) Community Service - She got caught stealing from the local pharmacy, and doing this flick counts as Time-Served.

D) Drunkenness - She'd been on a bender for weeks when they approached her and was so wasted that she had no idea what she was doing.

E) Mama needed a vacation home, stupid.

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The Dark Knight's First Five Minutes?

Heath Ledger's body language is so... unsettling in its wrongness. It's as if he's got scoliosis of the soul. Ick (in a good way)



This is apparently not new but intermittently new as in. Shows up. Gets pulled. Shows up again. People freak like it's new each time. I haven't seen the movie yet so it's still new to me...

[tangent] although I totally have this theory that if you get all teaser and trailer and released clips from any excessively hyped movie you can actually edit together a short film approximation of the whole experience. Especially if the main trailer is of the 'give the entire movie away' school of marketing.

To whit, have you seen the Death Race trailer? I watched it out of curiousity as to why the great Joan Allen was slumming. But the trailer actually gives you everything: characters, plot set up, action setpieces, central plot twist reveal and even the hero (Jason Statham) figuring it all out and seeking his real triumph in addition to the expected triumph. It gives you everything. I would say "who the hell would pay to see it after they saw it?" but I've learned by now that the public likes to know the plot twists ahead of time. sigh. [/tangent]

Third Year Anniversary / Joan Allen Tripled

September 8th 2007: the Film Experience Blog's 3rd birthday!
The Film Experience as a website is ...um... older than that but we'll pretend we're only turning three. Say nice things about it on the internets. There are still unfortunate souls out there who remain unfamiliar (a hitlist for new eyeballs)

You can also buy the blog birthday prezzies by hitting the donate button whenever you feel like it. *Ahem* Since we're only 3 we won't be needing the facelift Joan Allen is contemplating in the left portion of this triptych...


This will be a couple of weeks old to some of you but if you rarely read print magazines anymore (everything's online) you might have missed this fun Joan Allen feature in Vanity Fair. They gave her three instant character sketches and asked her to pose as them. It's like America's Next Top Model only she's 30 years older and 300,000 times more talented.

Give Joan three Oscars. She makes my heart beat faster.
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Joan Allen is 51

"Now that we’ve found Jason Bourne, you should all devote your time to
locating my Oscar. No excuses. This is top priority!"

Top Actress: What Are They Up To? (1 of 2)

One of the most successful projects in Film Experience history was the half decade review of top actors and top actresses of the Aughts (2000-2005). The plan is to revisit in a few years for an official "best of decade" but in the meantime let's check in with our former top 20 this is part one #20 through #11 [part 2: #10 through #1]. How've they done since the list was published? Will they yet pull rabbits out of hats or is their magic hour over?

[FWIW: La Streep and Jake Gyllenhaal's Sister were both outside the top 20 in the fall of 2005 --remember this was only counting film work done between 2000 and mid 2005-- but have been so busy and excellent these past two years that they're easily jostling for top ten ranking when the decade is done]

20-16

Tilda Swinton
"the movies are always better for her presence"
Age: 46
Since the list was published we've seen her projected on MoMA's walls and she's swung a nifty double blade as the icy queen in The Chronicles of Narnia . The immediate future looks solid: A supporting role (possibly Oscary?) in Michael Clayton, a gig opposite Brad & Cate in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and even a possible stab at my favorite Shakespearean actress role (Lady MacBeth) in Come Like Shadows with Sean Bean. But with so many actresses coming on strong it'll be tough for her to hold position.

Angelina Jolie
"so potent is her screen presence that the audience will let her get away with murder"
Age: 32
Apart from a controlled performance in A Mighty Heart (review), the movie career is a whisper while the personal life (thanks to the press) is ever shouting. The question with her ranking is whether or not she'll start focusing on movies. She's currently filming Wanted (for the director of the Russian series Night Watch) with the ubiquitous James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman. She's also got a Clint Eastwood picture on the fast-track: The Changeling. The rest is all rumor. She gets plenty of offers. Will she ever say yes.

The Lovely Laura Linney
"what this actress sometimes lacks in surprise she more than makes up for with consistency"
Age: 43
Just two months after the actress list was finalized, Linney amazed us again in The Squid and the Whale. The films after that haven't set the cinema on fire (Breach, The Hottest State, Man of the Year) though people say she's superb in the underseen Jindabyne. Next up: The Nanny Diaries and The Savages. Judging by the trailer of the latter it looks like a master class in comic delivery with dramatic bite. We shall see. I suspect she's moving up this chart by decades end but I worry... no matter how terrific or popular any actress is, the mid 40s seem to be the trouble spot with Hollywood. That's when Pfeiffer vanished, when even Streep couldn't find great roles and when the Oscar parts stopped coming to Glenn Close.

Holly Hunter
"one of the silver screen's MVPs"
Age: 49
Speaking of worrying... Holly should have screenplays written for her, her choice of plum roles, and star perks offered without question -- especially after what she did with The Incredibles (2004) and thirteen (2003), neither of which would have come off so magically in lesser hands. Instead things have been quiet and she'll be dropping in the ranks on this list. She is turning to television right about now. Say it ain't so. She may be a tiny woman but she's big screen all the way. Damn you Hollywood! She even shares your name. Show her some love.

Maggie Cheung
"her mystique is overpowering"
Age: 43
Maggie has already announced retirement (I'm sensing a theme here. uh oh) She hasn't made a picture since the list was published. Goodbye catsuits and noodle runs *sniffle*

15-11

Uma Thurman
"tremendous (if haphazardly applied) talent"
Age: 37
Uma neared the top ten on the strength of the Kill Bill saga alone. We've since seen her "flaunt it" as Ulla in The Producers (she was game though the film was gamey) and bomb in My Super Ex-Girlfriend. Next she'll be doing some heavy dramatic lifting for In Bloom. Will she be in the Actress Oscar race? I'm hoping she barrels into the top ten but her career is so uneven she could also fall dramatically.

Frances McDormand
"paints her characters with vibrant colors and leaves you wanting more"
Age: 50
She isn't considered a bankable star but the audience always seems to fall in love with her confrontational chutzpah, don't they? In the past two years she's co-starred with Charlize Theron twice, once for an Oscar nomination (North Country) and once, well, not (Aeon Flux). She was a bundle of enjoyable rage in Friends With Money just last year. Frances' next film will offer her a co-starring role (title character even!) with Amy Adams in Miss Pettigrew Lives For a Day which takes place in the 30s and is about a governess (McDormand) and the actress she works for (Adams). She'll then have a role in next year's Coen Bros picture (she's a regular and of course a Coen by marriage) Burn After Reading. George Clooney, Brad Pitt and John Malkovich are also starring.

Isabelle Huppert
"a model of sturdy excellence and bravery"
Age: 54
France's ballsiest actress is still headlining films at 54 (they revere their legendary actresses more than we do obviously) but I'm getting behind in my viewing even as she's slowing down a bit after a very busy few years. Since the list came out she's Private Property and Gabrielle have made it to US theaters. I'm guessing she slips a few to several notches in the final ranking.

Catherine Deneuve
"majestic presence: still a world great"
Age: 63
Iconic Deneuve (the oldest actress in the top 20) had a rather stunning run from 2000-2002 when US theaters showcased six of her films (though some were made in France in the late 90s) and most of them were very strong indeed. The second half of the Aughts has been the polar opposite, a Deneuve drought. She had a small role in Kings and Queen (the film is terrific) and will reunite with that film's director, Arnaud Depleschin, and most of its cast for Un conte de Noel but she'll probably be out of the top 40 by decade's end unless the pictures she is making in France make it across the sea.

Joan Allen
"needs about two seconds of screen time before inspiring hosannas and Oscar talk"
Age: 50
Joan Allen had a killer 2005 (Off the Map, Upside of Anger, and Yes all saw release) but otherwise it's been a rough decade with only the Jason Bourne films to showcase her acting gift and formidable presence. She brings it as Pamela Landy but expect a dramatic fall on the list.

The top 20 will look very different come 2010.

PART TWO -The Top Ten

For more on these ten actresses, chase the labels below
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Tuesday Top Ten: Women of Summer

I pretty much ignored the 'Lusty Month of May' and now it's June (My brain is on fast forward. Excuse) I'm already sweating from the humidity and abusing my air conditioner so I know that summer is here. Last week I celebrated the men so now it's time for the ladies who'll be raising the screen temperature from June thru August. Before we begin, this disclaimer: I know you're supposed to have Jessica Alba on lists like this. She'll be around again, all wooden and unfortunately invisible in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer. But until she removes that awful Sue Storm wig, until she tries to act with her face... I aint goin' there. Gripe all you like in the comments if you're an Albaniac.

Top Ten Women ~ Summer Movie Season 2007

La Pfeiffer - Stardust and Hairspray
She's eternally #1 but she's also a perfect 10 at any age. So this is more of an honorary nod. You know I'm f***ing celebrating when these movies finally arrive. Until then I'll shut up.

10 Joan Allen -The Bourne Supremacy
What? I have a thing for icy older blondes. Shut up. Pamela Landy will cut you.

09 Anna Faris -Smiley Face
Because she's willing to make a fool of herself for our amusement. This comedy is too stoned for a solid release date. Who knows...

08 Katherine Heigl - Knocked Up
As much as I hate Grey's Anatomy as a whole, the individual actors don't bother me so much. Heigl's "Izzy" makes me dizzy -enough with the tears and the George cockteasing, please! Yet as an actress she obviously has talent. I'm excited to see this pregnancy comedy (mostly on account of the creative team behind it). Plus, she's one of those rare generically gorgeous blondes that isn't boring to look at. Yay.

07 Demi Moore -Mr Brooks
Demi is my favorite movie star who can't act. I know it's wrong to love her but my cold jaded heart gets smooshy and warm when she's around. I blame this on the potent successive combo of St. Elmo's Fire + Bruce Willis x Vanity Fair³.


06 Claire Danes -Evening and Stardust
I've loved Danes ever since I first laid eyes on Angela Chase in my so called life. I'm not sure that she can do "sexy" per se... but don't you wish she'd try? I wonder if she'll reveal new charms in either of these pictures. For now the wondering is enough. Deliver, Claire, deliver. It's time.

05 Liv Tyler -The Strangers
I can't say that I'm looking forward to seeing Liv and Scott Speedman (the screen husband) terrorized in this thriller but at least they'll make a beautiful couple. When I heard she had a new movie coming out I realized those three years in gelled closeups as Arwen had earned her a tiny enduring place in my heart.

04 Ellen Barkin -Oceans 13
I'm hoping that she'll have enough to work with in this cool caper comedy that younger audiences will discover her weirdly compelling beauty and talent for themselves. Plus, in real life she's Julianne Moore's best friend. So: points for that.

03 Lindsay Lohan -I Know Who Killed Me
I've been trying to ween myself away from this wildchild. It's starting to work. I'm just so tired of the idiocy of this girl. All that talent going to waste. Still: if she has to alienate me and everyone who responded to her early promise, at least she'll go down in the kind of flames that prompt much posthumous writing: she's doing some sort of weird meta commentary on her own life with the movie roles... chucking talent aside for shallow pursuits (Mean Girls) , death wish (Prairie Home Companion), wild and vulgar (Georgia Rule), and now she's playing a stripper. Oh Lindsay... didn't you see what Striptease did to Demi? I know you were only 10 at the time but can't you do your movie homework?

02 Maggie Q -Live Free or Die Hard
Back when I was doing last year's film bitch awards and talking about performances that caught my eye that weren't at all foregrounded by their films, I noticed Maggie Q love in the comments for her cool M:i3 turn. This summer she's back in action with Bruce Willis. May she turn heads again.


01 Anne Hathaway -Becoming Jane
If Hollywood held a pretty party, I'm pretty sure she'd be the prettiest pretty princess, the fairest of them all. That's all.
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We Can't Wait #20 The Bourne Ultimatum

Oscar-nominated director Paul Greengrass (United 93) discussing a shot with Matt Damon

Matt Damon proved himself a gifted actor early in his career but carrying a huge action flick? That was a gamble in 2002. The risk paid off and this series, which supposedly concludes here with The Bourne Ultimatum, is now a no brainer bet for two hours of quality action thrills that don't insult your intelligence. Aside from the smarts of the series one of its key strengths has been in the casting. Damon carries the films but he's always had ample great support from name actors in small key roles. For the third installment wimpy Julia Stiles and steely Joan Allen reprise their roles. The Bourne Ultimatum opens in August.

Gabriel ranked this first on his list. What's the draw?

Lu: Yes. Really. WHAT is the draw?

Gabriel: What's the draw? What's the DRAW?!?! You gotta be kidding me. Matt Damon in buff mode (check those biceps!). Joan Allen, Goddess of All Things. The best director to emerge in the new century. Excellent new cast additions (Paddy Considine and David Straithairn). And the conclusion to the most intelligent and gripping action franchise our time. What's NOT to get excited about? I mean, you're all fussy, artsy types, but seriously...

JA: Who you callin fussy? Do I get to see Julia Stiles die if I go to this movie? I want that guaranteed with admission, or no sale here.

At this point I'm lying and saying I'm waiting for all 3 films to be on DVD so "I can experience the trilogy in its complete form" though.

Joe: When was the last time you’ve looked forward to an action movie for the acting chops? Yet here we are. I’m almost giddy waiting to see Joan Allen let loose again like she did in Supremacy. And, as if I wasn’t already hugely in his corner, Damon made yet another leap in skill level, I found, with his performances in The Departed and The Good Shepherd. Both artistically and commercially, he’s on one hell of a roll, and I don’t think he gets praised for it enough. From Ocean’s Eleven onward, the man has been on fire.

Nathaniel: I'm a little agnostic on the series since they killed off Franka Potente. You just don't kill my Franka! But, that said, I'm seconding Joe that Damon is hot right now and the thought of Joan Allen throwing us that Pamela Landy shade again. I'm totally there even if it wasn't actually on my list.

Readers, are you heeding this Ultimatum?

UPDATE: New set photos @ Random Good Stuff [src]

Dirty Girls or "Another reason why Amy Adams from 'Junebug' won't be nominated"

[This post has been rated R for sexual situations and offensive language] Feeling like choking your chicken? If you're an Oscar hopeful and you have a vagina -don't do it! Hands above the waist please. It's the dirty little secret of Oscar nominations. Girls who she-bop get snubbed. With guys... well, kids, that's just boys being boys, don't you know? Kevin Spacey's Oscar for American Beautydidn't go down the drain during his shower scene. Nicolas Cage's meat-beating in Adaptation didn't spoil his nomination. But with the distaff half of the populace, 'tis a different story.

Now, it's probably no surprise that Kim Basinger missed out for her 9 1/2 Weeks solo. There were larger forces at work there, than her moment alone with the slide projector. But some other missing nominations seem highly suspect unless you factor in those unbecomingly hairy palms. You might want to ask Joan Allen where her Pleasantville nomination went. Naomi Watts's Oscar hopes for Mulholland Drive disappeared somewhere along the way as well. It wasn't into that film's mysterious blue box but a box was probably involved. So goodbye Amy Adams in Junebug. We hardly knew you. Less time in the honeypot and more time weepily suffering about your inattentive husband would have probably been the Oscar key.

Keira, Charlize, Judi, Reese, and Joan

Oscar Updates November

Ahhh, for the love of BEST ACTRESS, my fav category. Films keep on arriving and failing. My early-bird pet (Joan Allen, beeyotches. Pour her another!) is looking like a stronger bet. Hooray. In one month the NBR kicks this off. Let's hope they go with someone who needs/deserves a jumpstart. The revamp of the Actress page is complete. This isn't the exact lineup... I think I'm but one player off. My crystal ball isn't so cloudy.

I might eat it on my continued lack of faith in two possibly major players: Felicity (too fussy. film not liked) & Ziyi (Li and Yeoh stealing her thunder). But you gotta make some tough calls. If you can't, you can't play the pre-precursor Oscar predix game (when it's actually quite hard to play). Read the rest -- now updated with new text and trivia on the dozen leading competitors. More categories soon...

Thurman. McDormand. Huppert. Deneuve. Allen.

The passion continues to grow. We have already moved into worshipful territory. #15 through #11 in the Actress of the Aughts countdown has been posted. They are [drumroll please] Tarantino's muse and America's amazon blonde Uma Thurman, 'as sexy as she wanna be' tradition buster Frances McDormand, France's mindblowing ice queens Isabelle Huppert and Catherine Déneuve, and the contender herself Joan Allen. (And she sure as hell better be a contender in this year's Oscar race)

Read and discussThe top ten begins tomorrow.

Actress + Performance: A to L

For no apparent reason I will now list my favorite performances by the top 17 actresses (in descending order) from the A to L poll last week.
* if a title is in all caps that means the performance would likely place somewhere in my all time lists for Best Lead Actress performance *

Nicole Kidman
1. Moulin Rouge! 2. Birth3. To Die For
Jodie Foster
1. Nell 2. Silence of the Lambs 3. Taxi Driver
Holly Hunter
1. THE PIANO 2. thirteen 3. Living Out Loud
Diane Keaton
1. ANNIE HALL 2. Looking for Mr. Goodbar 3. Reds
Glenn Close
1. DANGEROUS LIAISONS 2. Fatal Attraction 3. The World According to Garp
Joan Allen
1. The Upside of Anger 2. The Crucible 3. The Bourne Supremacy
Kathy Bates
1. Misery 2. Primary Colors 3. Titanic
Jessica Lange
1. Tootsie 2. Men Don't Leave 3. A Thousand Acres
Jane Fonda
1. KLUTE 2. 9 to 5 3. The Morning After
Judi Dench
1. Shakespeare in Love 2. Mrs. Brown 3. A Room with a View
Salma Hayek
1. Frida 2. TimeCode 3. Desperado
Judy Davis
1. Husbands and Wives 2. The Ref 3. A Passage to India
Julie Christie
1. McCabe & Mrs Miller 2. Afterglow 3. Shampoo
Sally Field
1. Norma Rae 2. Steel Magnolias 3. Places in the Heart
Madelin Kahn
1. Paper Moon 2. Young Frankenstein 3. Clue
Annette Bening
1. Being Julia 2. The Grifters 3. American Beauty
Angelica Huston
1. THE GRIFTERS 2. Prizzis Honor 3. The Witches

Joan, Russell, and Glenn

Fans of my site will be happy to know that Oscar-watching will continue. 'round about July 1st the Halfway Mark Oscar updates will happen. Though I must say that I don't have that much confidence that we've seen any significant contenders yet with the possible exceptions of Joan Allen if the campaign is handled well in terms of revival of The Upside of Anger and Russell Crowe if he can overcome his sociopathic bully tendencies and the middling box office for Cinderella Man.

Meanwhile fans of the Best Actress races in general should check out 80s superstar diva Glenn Close in her new filmThe Heights. Fans should do this immediately. It's not a great film but it is involving, the characters are well drawn and you may marvel again, watching it, at how Hollywood could have possibly ever lost interest in Ms. Close.