Milena Canonero's Oscar glory

by Cláudio Alves

Since we're celebrating 1981 this week, let's shine a spotlight on the Best Costume Design champion of that Oscar year. The filmmaker in question is one of the best currently working on her field. Milena Canonero's vast filmography includes repeated collaborations with many great auteurs like Francis Ford and Sofia Coppola, Wes Anderson, and Stanley Kubrick just to name a few. With nine nominations and four Academy Awards to her name, she's not only talented but also one of AMPAS' favorite craftswomen, having earned recognition for a variety of projects that range from strict historical recreation to lunatic explosions of avant-garde style.

Her work in Hugh Hudson's Best Picture-winning Chariots of Fire is on the more conventional end of this is one artist whose Oscar history aptly reflects her range, mastery, and good taste. In fact, not one of her nominations is undeserved and her victories are very nearly as unimpeachable. If you don't believe such conclusions, just take a look at Milena Canonero's Oscar-nominated feats of costume design…

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Beauty Break: Marisa Berenson

Happy 67th birthday to Marisa Berenson. This New York born multilingual beauty, originally a model, has been around forever and in key films, too. Her film career couldn't sustain its major start but few careers could have. Consider that in her first decade acting she made  Death in Venice (1971), Cabaret (1972), Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (1975) and Blake Edwards S.O.B. (1981). Tough acts to follow, no? She was never prolific, opting for the occasional TV guest spot and films here and there in various countries, but that face -- memorable and impossibly beautiful.

According to IMDb she was rumored for a Vivien Leigh biopic in the 1970s (and wouldn't that be both a challenge and a coup for the right actress?) but the film sadly never materialized. 

More of the impossible beauty [nsfw] of Marisa Berenson after the jump...

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Ryan O'Neal 70th's Birthday

Alex aka BBats here. It’s Ryan O’Neal’s 70^th birthday today! He’s always been one of my favorite actors. In a few great movies, he showed incredible range and unbelieveable charisma.  After a few years of doing guest roles on television, O’Neal became a bankable star after Peyton Place's popular run. The Big Bounce (1969) was his first starring role in a film, but he’ll be remembered as bursting through to superstardom for Love Story (1970). 

Everyone’s seen Paper Moon (1973) and everyone should watch it again. (Its streaming on Instant Netflix, so no excuses!)  His collaborations with Peter Bogdonavich coincide with the peak of his career.  Look at his filmography in the 1970’s. It is an amazing assembly of films!  

I must confess that I still haven’t seen Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (1975).  I have a firm belief that one day some repertoire movie theater will screen it in 70mm (a man can dream, can’t he?). 

poll by twiigs.com

Go watch The Big Bounce, The Driver, What’s up Doc?, Nickelodeon, Wild Rovers, or any of his films.