Intensity

Catherine Zeta-Jones was accidentally hit in the face by a member of the paparazzi.  This was the result.

Nerd Alert!

Game of Thrones preview from HBO.

One month until London.

24-hour Movie Marathon

The Oscars are Sunday night (check out the LIVE BLOG), and I desperately wish I had the weekend off so I could attend AMC's 24-hour movie marathon showcase.  AMC has held the event in previous years, and I've seen all of the Best Picture nominees, but I'd love to participate in the marathon just to test my stamina.  It sounds like it's not for the faint of heart. 

Perhaps next year.

If you live in or near the following cities, let me know how the marathon goes: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, Washington DC.

Gentlemen

(via PassiveAggressiveNotes.com)

Oscar Predix

Oscar hosts: Anne Hathaway and James Franco

Oscar ballots are due tomorrow, and here are my predictions on who will win Sunday night. 

Check back at 8pm on Sunday!  I'll be live blogging during the ceremony.

BEST PICTURE

(Black Swan, The Fighter, Inception, The Kids Are All Right, The King's Speech, 127 Hours, The Social Network, Toy Story 3, True Grit, Winter's Bone)

What will win: The King’s Speech

I really enjoyed this movie, which is why back in November I predicted that it would win Best Picture.  The older contingent of Oscar voters loves the epic, feel-good movies, which is why after a loss at the Golden Globes, Harvey Weinstein put his PR machine into full gear.  It looks like it’s going to pay off. 

What should win: The Social Network
I did like The King’s Speech better, but The Social Network was a very close second for me.  I think it’s more deserving of the win because it’s one of those films that is a portrayal of the current cultural atmosphere.  In 1977, the feel-good film of the year, Rocky, topped All the President’s Men, Network and Taxi Driver, three films that reflected the sense of disillusionment the country had been feeling for some time.

Long stabby things

I desperately wish the United States had morning shows with anchors who unapologetically use sexual innuendo at the top of their show.

Fanny pack

Love is in the air!

People either seem to adore or fervently despise Valentine's Day.  I love it.  It's just a beautiful day with flowers and hearts everywhere.  And, it's also pretty fun to see men scurry around all day with worried looks on their faces.

Since I'm obviously a sucker for romance, I wanted to share a list of my all-time favorite fictional couples.

Rhett and Scarlett from Gone with the Wind are so perfect together.  They kind of hate one another, but it just works.

Wall-E and Eva from Wall-E.  Even robots fall in love.

Elinor Dashwood and Edward Ferrars from Sense and Sensibility are not as well known as Jane Austen's most famous pair, Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, but their story is far more romantic.  Mr. Darcy had it all and chose Elizabeth.  Edward Ferrars had it all and gave it up for Elinor.

 

Clementine and Joel from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; They fall back in love after erasing their memories of one another. 

 

Harry and Sally from When Harry Met Sally.  What kind of love could be better than two best friends realizing they're meant for each other?

 

Rick and Ilsa from Casablanca.  He loved her so much he let her leave with Victor Laszlo

My least favorite couple?

Grammy Cracker

I had no intention of watching the Grammys, but I did tune-in the red carpet arrivals.

I'm lovin' it.

The things I enjoy most in life are the highest quality, most luxurious and quite expensive, OR the most simple, basic and cheap.  I don't like mediocrity.  See examples below.

Current events:  Jeffrey Toobin's latest New Yorker article on the Supreme Court, OR TMZ's coverage on Lindsay Lohan's latest felony charges.

Food: Fuji apple foie gras on a brioche toast, from the three Michelin star restaurant, OR Chicken McNuggets with honey, fries and coke.

Christmas decor: The limited edition glass ornaments, hand crafted in Germany, OR the multi-colored large bulb string lights.

Accessories: The large Chloe Marcie bag, OR the Wal-Mart canvas tote.

Music: Beethovan's seventh symphony, Allegretto, OR Lil Wayne's "Gonorrhea."

Television: HBO's "Mildred Pierce," OR MTV's "Jersey Shore."

Please enjoy the mid-season preview for "Jersey Shore."

Comic book movies

I have a soft spot for comic book movies.  Sometimes they're bad (Spiderman 3) and sometimes they're great (The Dark Knight).  X-Men First Class looks heavy on the CGI, but has the potential to be pretty good. 

History Nerd

This year marks the 150^th anniversary of the Civil War and to commemorate the event there are a number of television shows and movies coming out in the next four years. 

As a self-proclaimed history nerd I’m really looking forward to what’s being labeled “Shark Week with muskets.”  The History Channel will feature a week of programming which will include Civil War-themed episodes of "Pawn Stars" and "American Pickers," a two-hour special called "Grant & Lee," and "Gettysburg" a film produced by Ridley Scott.  "Gettysburg" will focus on stories of the soldiers who fought, and strip away the romanticized veneer of war by presenting the battle as a visceral terrifying experience though reenactment footage and CGI.

Due out in April is “The Conspirator,” directed by Robert Redford, which tells the story of Mary Surratt the lone female charged as a co-conspirator in the assassination trial of Abraham Lincoln.

Then of course there’s Spielberg’s “Lincoln,” which is scheduled to begin filming this summer, and “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” which is still in the casting stages.

UPDATE: RHOBH + Heidi Montag = blasphemy

I’ve been quite vocal about my love for RHOBH and all of its awful glory.  There have been rumors that the New York season was postponed because Bravo execs are trying to bring Camille Grammar on as a late addition to the cast.  Unfortunately, Camille has not yet determined whether she’ll return for Beverly Hills season 2. 

Imagine my dismay upon learning that former MTV reality star Heidi Montag is actively pursuing joining the Beverly Hills cast.  Heidi and her husband set up a meeting between their people and Bravo, which took place yesterday.   Though there have been reports that the couple is bankrupt, they have said they would move to Beverly Hills if asked.

UPDATE: Bravo's Senior VP of Programming and Development, Andy Cohen, who is heavily involved with all aspects of the Real Housewives franchise said that Montag is delusional, and he'd rather stab his eyes out with knives than see that "trash" on the show.

Ex-girlfriend jeans?

First came the wildly unflattering boyfriend jeans for girls, and now there's the ex-girlfriend jeans for boys.  I can't decide if I'm really uncomfortable with boy skinny jeans, or if I kind of love them.  Or a little bit of both.  Either way, if an ex stole a pair of my jeans I'd be pretty upset.

Life is like a box of chocolates

The wisdom of movies:

Love Brad Pitt's accent.



Wild thing

For the last couple of years I've been in love with the jewelry designed by Solange Azagury-Partridge, and someday I'll be able to afford a couple of pieces.  My favorte items are the 3-carrot ring, and the Bleeding Heart.

Later this month she's releasing a line of Chinese Zodiac rings that are truly lust worthy.

On the record...

I cannot wait to send these: 

Barbie and Ken

Valentine's Day is next week, and I can't wait! 

Neither can Ken, who's in the process of trying to win back his longtime companion Barbie by V-day.  The pair split in 2004 so that Barbie could "assert herself as an independent woman," according to Mattel.  Seven years later, Ken is been flirting with his former flame via Facebook, and plastering billboards in Times Square and all over Los Angeles proclaiming his love.  Sounds a bit unstable. 

But perhaps they are a perfect match.  According to her bio, Barbie has owned over 40 different pets, including a lion, a panda and a zebra.  She has not had a normal and continuous career, opting instead to bounce around from job to job as a pilot, flight attendant, Nascar driver, doctor, astronaut, news anchor, etc.  Sounds a bit unstable.

Check out the photo of Ken after his new makeover.  What a douche.

Artisanal cheese

What I gathered from the Super Bowl last night was the following: 

• Christina Aguilera has a hard time remembering the eight lines to America's most famous song
• Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas should not impersonate Axl Rose (at least not in public)
• I'm really good at identifying awesome commercials, especially before they're released
• Glee gets progressively worse with each episode.  Do they even bother outlining a plot for that show anymore?  

I'm not from Pennsylvania or Wisconsin, so the outcome of the game was moot to me.  However, I did enjoy the new edition of "Mayne Street" during ESPN's pregame coverage, which examined Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy's humble background.  It also included a Matt Damon cameo.