Quote of the Day

.

Oh I love Carice van Houten so so so very very much. Vulture interviewed her mostly about her role as the red priestess Melisandre in the upcoming second season of A Game of Thrones (beware there are some spoilers regarding her character), and they asked her about the show's much-ballyhooed "sexposition" (i.e. sex exposition, meaning having characters bone and/or be naked whilst chatting forward the plot) and she had this to say:

"It's weird: We kill everyone in films, we see blood, we see war, we see killing machines, but you cannot see a breast that your mother has. It needs to be in an elegant way, of course. But who has their bra on during sex? It's so much easier if you just let it all loose. Let it hang. Let people see some flesh. It's not necessarily my favorite thing to do; it's not like I'm running around with my bra off on every set, or going, "Hey, when can I take my bra off?" But I'm lucky enough to still be young enough where it's okay. I could understand not wanting me to do that if I were older. But if you're making love in a film, you gotta take the bra off. Same if you're birthing a shadow."

.

Holding William Holden

.

Everybody wanted a piece. And can you blame them?

Pics of the Day

.

Collider has plopped down a couple of big new galleries for big new movies we are excited like bonkers over - that pic above is from a huge gallery of new pictures from The Avengers, and that is of course Chris Evans being the usual hot piece of meat. Supposedly there's a new trailer for the movie out? No doubt I'll be confronted with it at the theater or on TV at some point and be unable to look away, but for now I'm going to try and not watch more footage if I can help it. It's not like I won't be seeing this movie on opening weekend.

And speaking of movies I'll be seeing on opening weekend - hell, i already have my ticket! - Collider's also got a whole bunch of new images from The Hunger Games, including lots of shots of the over-the-top costumes from the Capitol, and most awesomely our first real look at Isabella Fuhrmann as the diabolical villanness Clove, a thousand exclamation points! (thanks Will!)

I Am Link

.

--- Young Girl - The female lead opposite Josh Brolin in Spike Lee's remake of Oldboy has been offered to Martha Marcy May Marlene star Elizabeth Olsen. I think this is terrific casting because my instinctual feeling upon hearing her name was a protective wince over what she'll have to endure, and that's about right.

--- Golden Globs - If you were following me on Twitter during the Oscars then you know I found the evening fairly abysmal - somebody send Billy Crystal to the glue factory, please - but instead of all my negativity why don't you take a gander at the ten things Nathaniel found interesting about the evening. Emma Stone totally was awesome.

--- High Octane - Kristen Wiig is going to star in an action-comedy from the writers of The Descendants. You know the ones - they stood behind a rambling egomaniac Alexander Payne and made fun of Angelina Jolie's leg. Yeah the one is the dean on Community, who I have a sudden crush on. That's them.

--- Hunger Olds - There are a couple new pictures from The Hunger Games over here, with new looks at Donald Sutherland as President Snow and Toby jones as Claudius Templesmith. Have we seen Toby Jones yet? And a better question: who the fuck is Claudius Templesmith? I can't remember. Should I go back and read the books? It's been quite awhile. It's probably better not to, see if I can finagle some surprise from it.

--- Eating Crowe - Seeing this news this morning that Russell Crowe is pretty much for sure going to play Noah in Darren Aronofsky's movie about the man who built that really big boat that one time, I'm reminded that I had a dream the night before last in which I saw new paparazzi pictures of Russell Crowe and he was looking hotter than he's ever looked. (Yes, these are the dreams I have now apparently.) I've never really been wild about Crowe but in my dream he looked very very good, like somebody had whittled him into an ideal form of what he could be. So, being reminded of this, I googled to see what he looks like now, and nope, he's still just him. 

--- Busted - While I'd love to have a third Ghostbusters movie with the old crew around one more time, I am tired as hell of hearing Dan Akyroyd go back and forth and back and forth about what's up with Bill Murray, so I hope his new quote about Murray absolutely not wanting to do it the end, is the end.

--- And finally, Fassy fans this is your chance to put your mouth where his eyes are (so to speak) - head over to Fassinating Fassbender and send Simone a note before March 15th and she'll include it on a birthday present they're gearing up to send the man for his upcoming 35th birthday. And keep it classy, folks. (That means limit the wang mentions to subtle innuendo at most.)
.

Five Frames From ?

.

What movie is this?

.

Meine Liebling Leapling

.

My favorite Fassbinder actress Margit Carstensen turns 72 today. She would be a Leap Year Baby. Somebody like her can only come into the world when the planets are perfectly aligned, when the ocean level's at just the right height, when there's a noticeable lack of bird song in the air as if all the world's creatures are simultaneously holding their breath but all at the same time thinking, "Yes! Yes! Oh god yes!" So is Margit, most wondrous woman.

Good Morning, World

.

Happy 40, Antonio Sabato Jr.!

.

poll by twiigs.com

.

Who Wore It Best?

.

Amputee hotness?

.

poll by twiigs.com

.

All this banter about Angelina Jolie's wayward gam got me thinking.

It also kept reminding me of this amazing bit from Frankenhooker.
This post is dedicated to the memory of Luis Buñuel.

Pics of the Day

.

That picture of Brad Pitt and Dead Brad Pitt from behind-the-scenes of The Assassination of Jesse James is cracking me up. I would so have that thing in my home if I were him. Can you imagine the practical jokes you could play with a fake corpse of yourself? Angie's coming downstairs in the middle of the night to warm a bottle for the twins and there's Dead Brad sprawled across the linoleum, a bottle of pills spilled beside it, some shaving cream foaming from its mouth. Hilarity ensues! (I bet you ten to one she'd have the body tied down with rocks and tossed into the nearest river by her child army within an hour.)

Anyway I'm not even sure how I stumbled upon this but Christien Tinsley is an Oscar-winning make-up artist (he won for Passion of the Christ, so think "multiple lacerations") and on his website he's got a terrific gallery of his work, like Dead Brad Pitt up top. Beware there's some gory stuff at that link, but awesome as that is that's not what we're actually talking about this for. What we're excited about is the gallery of custom tattooing he's done for movies, specifically of the "on hot males" variety. Case in exquisite point:

Just the fact that there's a shot of Justin Theroux circa Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle that I haven't seen before (and a really large copy at that, click it to embiggen) is enough heaven, but there's so much more. If you hit the jump I've collected my favorite shots, including Jason Behr, Eric Balfour, Ben Foster, Vin Diesel, Johnny Knoxville, and Justin Timberlake.

Five Frames From ?

.

What movie is this?

.

The Moment I Fell For... Markéta Irglová

.

.

Happy 24, Markéta! I've been thinking I need to go back and watch Once again - there have been ads for the Broadway version all over the place lately, reminding me it's been a couple of years since I watched the film. I love the film. I'm probably too cheap to ever go see it on Broadway, but without Glenn and Markéta I don't especially see much point - it was their sweet low-key chemistry that won me over more than anything. Okay I love the soundtrack too, but I can watch the movie for free and I am cheap, so that's that. Sorry, Broadway! And double sorry to the-hot-guy-playing-the-Glenn-part named Steve Kazee.

Good Morning, World

.

Unfortunately Ben Mackenzie didn't follow his Southland co-star Shawn Hatosy's spectacular lead and take to running around with only a washcloth covering his bits and pieces, but Ben Mackenzie's always been weirdly shy so I guess we should just be happy we got this super-shaky super-brief scene of him in his underpants at all. See a couple more after the jump.

And The Oscar For Best Man On Man Goes To

.

I was waiting for somebody else to make this, but I got tired of waiting. Michel Hazanavicius and Jean Dujardin are my favorite couple today. (Bérénice who?)

Return in 240 Words or Less

.

For a movie as low-key as Return is, it seems strange I was holding my breath so much. I was just so nervous it might topple into the standard melodrama of the situation as we've seen it played out so many times before (vet comes home from service, freaks out) that I couldn't help myself. But the film doesn't topple - it pushes aside the cliches gently, but confidently.

Similarly Linda Cardellini gives an unshowy performance, presenting a capable woman adrift in a sea of semi-recognizable faces that seem as if they're coming at her from a distant sorta hazy past, and not quite standing in front of her here and now. It's as if she's found herself in an alternate universe, and only she can see how it's not quite right anymore. We watch as Cardellini shuffles and reshuffles, trying to shake out the right shape - she stares at her friends, her husband (Michael Shannon ceding the PTSD to somebody else for a change, playing a light dude who even smiles some), and even her children with unease.

Instinctively you can't help but like Cardellini, who never comes across as anything less than genuine, but she never lets this woman off the hook - she's difficult, frustrating, and even weak. But with so little said and even more deflected, we come to see exactly who she is anyway.

Today's Fanboy Delusion

Today I'd rather be...

... getting hammered with David Morrissey.

I could also pun about getting nailed and/or pounded by David Morrissey here I suppose, but the way today's going I kind of need a drink first. No offense, David! It's just been one of those days. 

Anyway the news is that the actor David Morrissey will be playing the Governor on AMC's slightly-revitalized zombie series The Walking Dead. The Governor is a big important character in the comics, one we fans have been waiting for. Even describing what he's all about would get spoilery, but if you don't care click on over here for his character's Wiki, at least as far as the comics are concerned. The show will probably be changing that up some. 

As for Morrissey we have the abysmal Basic Instinct 2 to thank for cluing me in to his undercover hotness - I don't think I would've seen it without that stupefyingly stupid movie's aid, so something good came out of it. See a whole bunch of NSFW caps after the jump.

Pic of the Day

.

That's a pap-snap (via) giving us our first look at Shirley MacLaine on Downton Abbey. She's playing Cora's mumsy, you should recall. Doesn't she look oddly enormous? Like a half-deflated parade float stuffed into the backseat.

.

Do Dump or Marry - Return Trio

I went to a screening of Return this weekend at MoMA - it's a new little drama starring the woefully underrated Linda Cardellini and Michael Shannon; I'll write up some thoughts later - and right before it started who should happen to plunk down right near me?

Sam Rockwell, Josh Hamilton, and Billy Crudup! 

They are apparently friends, who knew. They seemed to like the movie from what I can tell - they shut their yaps and were respectful audience members at the very least. And what more can you ask for than a pack of hot famous talented men proving themselves civil in public spaces? It's a dream come true. Anyway I didn't stalk them or anything so I don't have more to add but I figure since they're a trio why not ask y'all who you'd Do Dump or Marry. So that's what this is.

Who would you do, dump or marry?

.

Five Frames From ?

.

What movie is this?

.