LinkoManiac

Flicks and Bits cool fan-made posters for X-Men Days of Future Past 
Playbill is Jewel up for the part of Cinderella in Into the Woods? I am always rooting for thirtysomething and forthy something ladies on up (as everyone knows) but isn't she at least 15 years too old for this part? 
Cinema Blend Emily Blunt will play the very plum role of the Bakers Wife -- does anyone know if she can sing?
Le Noir Auteur on Angelina Jolie's recent op-ed
Tom & Lorenzo Julianne Moore's photospread in Madame Figaro 
Variety well this is unexpected... Uma Thurman to play Anita Bryant in a biopic about the famous orange-juice peddling homophobe

Allure Zoe Saldana naked for Allure. And also revealing her weight for some reason
THR the assembled cast of Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac photographed... It's almost like a less cozy messier Vanity Fair cover
In Contention The Bling Ring reviewed from Cannes
Broadway.com now that Smash is cancelled, here are five ideal roles for Megan Hilty shoud she return to Broadway. Ooh, I love the idea of her as Queenie in The Wild Party 
Salon equates The Great Gatsby to Spring Breakers because someone had to
Variety Ralph Fiennes to star in Two Women based on a Russian play about a landowner's wife who falls in love with her son's tutor. No word on who will play the title characters or what part the other woman plays. I'd happily take Ralph Fiennes back in leading man roles, please.

James Franco Can't Help Himself!
Did you read the actor's thoughts on The Great Gatsby for Vice Magazine? And make sure to look at their attached graphic, a cheeky recasting of the film.

And Neither Can Gwynnie...
Just days after Gwyneth Paltrow's "unfun" comments about the "Punk" Met Ball (which we wrote about here) finished circulating, the latest edition of GOOP hits and it's all about what Gwynnie decided to wear to the "Punk" Met Ball -- that pink dress with the horizontal cutout which I personally might have been more appropriate at the SuperHero themed Met ball a year or three back. As previously noted I don't read GOOP but since Pepper & Marge have got me on a Paltrow kick, so I did this time. Turns out her hairdresser tried adding a few blue strands to her hair but the actress nixed the idea and went with a natural ponytail. So punk! I love Gwynnie but I am horrified that this hideous look too 5+ people and three separate fittings and adjustments to come into being.  

Goodbye Glamour! Until Next Season. *Sniffle*

We'll wrap up the Oscar coverage this afternoon with the final podcast in a bit, but for now, please to enjoy some more beautiful dresses that I'll remember forever... (aka until the next awards show several months from now).

Nicki, Halle, Zeéeeee, CZJ, & Charlize

poll by twiigs.com

Did you notice the gold, silver, black & white theme this year. A huge batch of former Oscar winning goddesses and the new Best Actress looked like they'd coordinated their outfits.

Bond GIrl, Cannes Fashion Plate, Captain Kirk, Marcia Gay, Jane

Yikes with that slit Naomie Harris. Carefully of your stride. Who invited Fan Bingbing? (No offense but she is at every high fashion movie event and isn't it hard to get tickets to the Oscars?). Is it too much to ask that Marcia Gay Harden and Jane Fonda get another Oscar caliber role soon? It feels like forever since...

Olivia Munn, JGL, Zoe Saldana, Eponine, Rachel Mwanza

Fresh! Olivia Munn is my prediction for next year's Sci-Tech awards (Nick always makes me guess. I called this one first!). Zoe Saldana wass the only actress who was battling it out with Jessica Chastain for Best Dressed of the night in my head. And I included Rachel Mwanza because she was so colorful and also as apology for not mentioning foreign film nominee War Witch on my CNNi spot -- it was not an intentional slight. We just ran out of time.

I would have loved to have discussed these with special guests but after the nominees with Courtney and the men with Guy we were red carpet convo'ed out. The season has finally ground me down into a powdery nothingness.  I drift away...

It's your final chance to sound off on this year's Oscar fashions. Go!

A Good Weekend for Zoe Saldana

Though I mentioned yesterday that we'd probably skip the weekly box office report this Sunday, I had to note one major development. Despite it being a down weekend overall (thanks to hurricane stormy Irene), it's worth noting that the two top grossers were both headlined by actresses of color when it comes right down to it. Viola Davis and company remained on top with The Help (which will pass $100 million this week) and Zoe Saldana's first solo above-the-title gig Colombiana did pretty well despite overall attendance taking a hit. 

The plight of ethnic actresses and role opportunities has long been a pet topic of The Film Experience.  It's a far more important conversation than the lazy "the Academy is racist!" business you hear about every year. If the roles aren't there the Oscars simply cannot be; they can only react to what's placed before them.

I think it's worth noting and then watching what happens next with Zoe Saldana. Consider for a moment that she had the second billed role in the biggest hit of all time (Avatar), she was the only major female in another blockbuster (Star Trek) and now she has opened her own picture. Will she be "in demand" now in the way, say, Carey Mulligan already is without having to prove anything in the way of bankability? However distasteful and subjective "bankability" is, it is unarguably a factor in careers. So, isn't "Zoe Saldana?" a question you should be hearing Hollywood asking itself on a regular basis?

Do you think Hollywood will even notice this box office peculiarity or just go about their business as usual?

Red Carpet: Emma Floats, Zoe Swims, Jennifer Drowns

For today's Red Carpet Convo, I'm joined by both of my usual coconspirators, Kurt and Jose. In this episode Kurt will lose all his motor skills, Jose will reveal psychic fashion powers, and I will prove my abject sports stupidity. Enjoy!

Nathaniel: W‪e'll start by pretending we're in London -- which none of us are (we've got the East Coast and South America in the house) -- to visit a BAFTA function‬.

‪Kurt: ‬ ‪I'm there -- un-straightening my teeth as we speak‬.

Jose: ‬ ‪it's rainy and grey down here so consider me in Sweeney Todd "no place like London" mood‬

CHENO, HER ROYAL ASSNESS, MRS BEN AFFLECK, NICKI, and MLP

‪Nathaniel: ‬ ‪At first I was all "Why are ALL the stars out for a "Brits to Watch" award -- the recipients of which (who?) are quite outshadowed by the starpower  -- but then i realized it was hosted by the royals Prince & Kate which explains it.‬

‪Kurt: ‬ ‪Hey, excuses to dress up... I thought for sure we'd be chatting up the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 premiere.

Nathaniel: ‬ ‪Patience, would be skydiver, patience.‬ So before we speak of individuals I must say that one of my favorite things is when all the beauties wear different colors. Rainbow is the absolute best red carpet color.‬ 

Kurt: ‬ ‪yes...lovely little spectrum here‬. Are we going to play Guess The Bum? Because my eyes can't focus on anything else
‪
Jose: ‬ ‪Someone should tell this to the Red Globes, the Purple Oscars and the Black SAGs‬

Nathaniel: Exactly! And it's quite representative too. I couldn't spot any hive-mind aesthetic at the Bafta shindig‬
‪
Kurt: ‬ ‪There i go again, getting ahead of things...we can stick with the color convo sorry‬ 

Jose: ‬ ‪I'm curious as to who chose the guests though, why the hell is Mary Louise Parker there and not Cate or Meryl or Kate?‬

Nathaniel: ‬ ‪I can't help you there. As to guess the bum. C'mon on. Look at it. Y'all know who that is.

‪Jose: ‬ ‪Her royal ass-ness‬

Kurt: ‬ ‪I figured‬

Nathaniel: ‬ ‪Jenny's block has moved to London‬

Kurt: ‬ ‪Can we talk for a sec about her music? I'd like opinions from the group‬

Nathaniel: ‬ ‪i have none.‬ Jose?

‪Jose: ‬ ‪meh, it's fun when you're drunk‬

Kurt: ‬ ‪now there's a quote‬. put that on the album cover 

Nathaniel:  ‬ ‪Blurb Whore!‬

‪Jose: ‬ and 'my spinning instructor loves her too‬.'

‪Kurt: ‬ ‪hahaha‬. All i'm saying is, i'd have a hard time takin' criticisms from her assness, if i were an American Idol. the end.‬ but, she is stunning. that skin

Nathaniel: ‬ I always feel like JLo is always trying too hard. I mean that dress is SO busy with the cutouts and the arm decor.‬

Jose: ‬ ‪she is an American Idol though, she embodies everything pop music has become about: mediocre voice, crazy antics and lots of merchandise‬

Kurt: ‬ ‪oh yea her fashion is nuts...remember that thing from "Savage Beauty"?‬

Nathaniel: ‬ ‪I'd prefer not to.‬ Kristin Chenoweth's dress is reminding me of something and I can't think what for the life of me. That color combo...

‪Jose: ‬ OMG it's reminding you of Dazzler, just say it 

Nathaniel: ‬ ‪SHUT IT.‬ I have retired my Dazzler obsession. It was a weird K-Hole of spring 2011.

‪Jose: ‬ ‪Hahaha the moment I saw her, I thought of Dazz and I blame you Nathaniel!‬

Nathaniel: ‬ ‪again: RETIRED. much like Jennifer Garner until quite recently.‬
‪
Jose: ‬ ‪Cheno reminded me of when Nicole won the Globe for MR!

Nathaniel: ‬ ‪Jose you have a sick memory.‬ Photographic so long as there's an actress and a dress

Jose: ‬ ‪I chose to take that as a compliment‬. My friends are annoyed by my fashion memory, they think I'm like a version of Lisbeth Salander who's into Vogue‬

Nathaniel: ‪Maybe Cheno's dress reminds me of some high-end old-school hotel ballroom corporate function draping? I dunno. it's really bugging me. It's so old money whilst being completely boring.‬

Kurt: ‬ ‪I'm getting lampshade-cum-business drape‬ 

Jose: ‬ ‪I kinda like it though, it's very Cher at Studio 54‬ but I think she needed higher heels to pull it off better.

Nathaniel: ‬ ‪Hmmm. I can't imagine Cher in it unless there were like a headpiece with it.‬

Kurt: ‬ ‪i don't think chenoweth should ever try for cher anything‬

Nathaniel: ‬ ‪Cheno does "Half Breed". JUST IMAGINE IT.‬

poll by twiigs.com

Jose: ‬ ‪LOL‬

‪Kurt: ‬ ‪i am NOT feeling this bolt of fabric Jennifer Garner is rocking. my goodness‬. she's drowning in fabric. save her!‬

‪Jose: ‬ ‪you just broke my heart Kurt‬ J. Gar's YSL is the thing couturier wet dreams are made of. It's so simple it's just perfect‬

‪Kurt: ‬ ‪well let's get something straight here: in all likelihood you are a much better judge of fashion than me, but from this angle, I see a fabric attack‬

Jose: ‬ ‪but it's supposed to be about movement, it's very flowy and watery‬. Imagine some sort of Greek goddess thing going on.

Kurt: ‬ ‪i get that...your explanation is kinda working...‬

Nathaniel: ‬ ‪I was going to say that i love the color on Garner so much but maybe anything other than Elektra Red I love on her because I just can't... you thought i was obsesed with Dazzler? You dont wanna know about my Elektra thing. Hated Garner doing her so much.‬

Jose: ‬ ‪she pulls off color quite well, remember that crazy orange thing she wore to the Oscars?‬

Kurt: ‬ ‪that was gorg

‬‪Jose: ‬ It was! but it was such a crazy Fanta color that few people would've dared to use it. Sigh. I miss her at the Oscars, never knew what the hell she was doing there but she always looked stunning‬

Red is just easy I guess, like Halle and nude color‬

Nathaniel:  ‬ ‪or everyone in black.‬

‪Kurt: ‬ ‪oh god, i just finally caught the arm thing on JLo's dress. what is wrong with her‬?

But wait there's more! Nicole's goddess scoop, Nathaniel plays Marco Polo, Swoosie Kurtz is lactose tolerant, and Jennifer Aniston's secret messaging.

Click to read more ...