"you are a part of me that i could never link without. khob-khun-ka khob-khun-ka"

Chicago Reader insightful piece on the troublesome editing of both Bridesmaids and Margaret.
Critical Condition on why Shame is his least favorite movie this year.
Mark Harris does the best job yet of mapping out that crazy weekend just past of awardage that happened to us.
OQ David Kinzer goes down the rabbit hole to bitch about Sasha Stone bitching about David Denby and Shame. Oh, the internetz.  
Fandor "The Spielberg Face" a video essay

How much do you love the dueling speeches in "Bridesmaids". I think it's the best scene." 

List Mania
IndieWire 25 Best Movie Moments of the Year
The AV Club has a communal top 15 of the year.
Scanners on Shame, The Artist, awards season backlash and the effortful compilation of one's own "best of" lists.

20:11 Just Go With The Eagle. Never Say Never!

Year in Review Fun... Much more to come! Herewith the 20th minute and 11th second of the movies of 2011 in chronological order of US release date. It's like flipping channels for snapshots of the film year! For those who like a mnemonic challenge, I've written the film titles in invisible ink below each screencap (you can highlight to see them). Would any of these tiny glimpses make you want to stop channel surfing and watch?

january | february | march | april

Part 2: February

- I even stole some once.
- I know. "

THE ROBBER Very intense movie. They're supposedly going to remake it with Andrew Garfield rumored for the title character.

-We passed that on the way up.
-I know."

Hotels make people naughty. They do! This is a still from ...THE OTHER WOMAN ... which I did not like at all.

He's a blue?! Not a blue!!!"

GNOMEO & JULIET   ...... which is hoping for animation and original song nominations.

Seven more snapshots after the jump. How many have you seen?

Click to read more ...

Blurb Whore Overachiever of the Year

Top Ten List O' the Day: Peter Travers.
I don't know how many of you watch Rachel Maddow on MSNBC but during Herman Cain's brief presidential campaign she began to treat it, hilariously, as a piece of performance art i.e. This just can't be real! I feel much the same way about Rolling Stone's Blurb Whore Legend Peter Travers. I don't mean to fixate on him as much as I do -- every year I marvel for the same reasons --  but I grew up reading and loving his reviews and only later, as I began to read more film criticism did he come to embody the Film Critic as Film Publicist problem. The man can definitely turn a phrase which is why if he wasn't making the presumably big bucks he makes at Rolling Stone, he'd surely be a highly paid ad man.

But this top ten article made me laugh so much. It's performance art. It has to be. He begins with Drive and literally the first words are...

Screw Oscar..."

After which comes a top ten list that includes not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven, not eight but  literally all the contenders you'll see on anybody's Oscar prediction top ten Best Picture charts barring the unscreened 'Extremely Loud'. Which is to say that The Artist, The Descendants, Moneyball, Midnight in Paris, Hugo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and The Tree of Life... are all accounted for. To make sure he's covered all the Oscar bases there's a three way tie at #10 between War Horse, The Help and Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part 2. Seriously. 

I bow down to one of the greatest pieces of year-end list-making performance art that film criticism has ever seen. Peter Travers, you are genius.

November. It's a Wrap

I regret to inform you that there is only one month remaining in 2011. It's been quite a year but we weep that it's nearly over. How can this be? In case you've recently rejoined us -- fair weather friend! -- here's a dozen must-read highlights from the month that just was.

• How Long Has it Been Since You've Seen Close Encounters? It holds up.
• "Consider"... Harry Potter live blogging an FYC ad.
• The Covers, The Dreamers and Me JA reminisces about childhood love for The Muppets.
• Do Movies About Movies Win Oscars? Bad news for Hugo, The Artist and My Week With Marilyn.

• Nicole Kidman's Perpetual Elephant Love Medley a new biopic for one of our favorites. 
• Will "Monty" Consider Bridesmaids a feline Oscar pundit. 
• Theodora Van Runkle (RIP) a costuming giant passes.  
• Happy 50th Meg Ryan a look back at a supernova career
• Mirror Mirror vs. Snow White and the Hunstman a double whammy of fairy tales for our Yes No Maybe So series.

Most Discussed: Roles for Which Meryl Streep was Not Nominated Though her nomination record is insane such roles do exist and Q&A: Favorite Kubrick Films and Grace Kelly casting. 
Most Popular: "Once More With Feeling" a 10th anniversary celebration of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's musical episode.

Coming in December: YEAR IN REVIEW MANIA in... 3...2...1

20:11 Season of the Hornet's "No Stings" Dilemma

Year in Review Fun... Much more to come! 

Herewith the 20th minute and 11th second of the movies of 2011 in chronological order of US release date. It's like flipping channels for snapshots of the film year! For those who like a mnemonic challenge, I've written the film titles in invisible ink below each screencap (you can highlight to see them). Would any of these tiny glimpses make you want to stop channel surfing and watch?

january | february | march | april

Part 1: JANUARY

Our ranks have been decimated. You must deliver her."

THE SEASON OF THE WITCH

Holy....! Kato, are you a pervert?

THE GREEN HORNET

We are trying to relax! Everything is going to be fine."

THE DILEMMA

["Did i have sex with anyone...?" and other awkward January moments more after the jump.]

Click to read more ...