and the oscar goes to...

vintag.es

Happy Oscar Day! Don't you just love this photo of Audrey Hepburn with her Oscar? Here are some other great Oscar photos.

My pick for Best Picture is 12 Years a Slave. It was a heart-wrenchingly beautiful film with, what I think, is some of the rawest and most honest performances of all the nominees.

And I just read this article about the Oscars? It definitely makes me think differently about the whole event, but I'm still going to watch it and "oooohhh" and "awwww" the entire time.

This year I'm not doing an Oscar inspired menu. I wish there had been time to come up with something because this has always been a fun thing to do. I guess it's ok to skip one year since I am busy acting and that's what makes me the happiest anyway.

Do you have any Oscar favorites?

the great gatsby

via themovieblog

I admit I wasn't too excited about a remake of this classic even with the imaginatively talented Baz Luhrmann writing and directing it, but then I saw this trailer. Wow! I think they've cast this perfectly. However, I'm going to try not to compare this Gatsby to this Gatsby (or to this one or this one or this one).

"He smiled understandingly – much more than understandingly. It was one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it, that you may come across four or five times in life. It faced – or seemed to face – the whole eternal world for an instant, and then concentrated on you with an irresistible prejudice in your favor. It understood you just as far as you wanted to be understood, believed in you as you would like to believe in yourself, and assured you that it had precisely the impression of you that, at your best, you hoped to convey." ~ The Great Gatsby

and the oscar goes to...

via minimalmovieposters

I know it's a long shot but I'm really hoping that this movie wins the Oscar for Best Picture tonight.

Jiro Dreams of Sushi

via pushydreamers

For anyone who is trying to master a skill, who is practicing a craft, who has a passion burning deep inside them or if you just like sushi...watch this documentary, Jiro Dreams of Sushi, it is pretty amazing!

happy birthday, bill murray!

via derekeads

Happy Birthday, Bill Murray!

Ebert and I watched this movie to celebrate. A Friday evening at home with my husband, a bottle of wine and Bill Murray. What more could a girl ask for!?

film map

via wearedorothy as seen on kottke

This film map is awesome. There's Field of Dreams, Revolutionary Road, On The Waterfront, Valley of the Dolls, and Funny Farm to name just a few. It even has its own Red Light district. Brilliant!

a long weekend

via greenlikebathwater

Hello friends! It's been awhile and I am in much need of a long weekend. I wish my weekend was going to be spent on a porch like this enjoying the outdoors, being away from it all but I think I'll only be able to visit this place in my dreams. That's ok because in dreams is where the magic is born. I'm looking forward to what these next few days will bring...I'm taking a class, I'm going to bake a delicious dessert, and I must absolutely, no matter what, see this movie...or maybe this movie.

Whatever plans you have for this weekend I hope you are creating your happy.

the hunger games

via happinessis by sleepisfortheweak

I finally saw The Hunger Games last night. Was it good? Yes. Did I love it? No. But that's what happens when a great book is adapted into a movie. There's only so much character development and sub-plot that can fit into a 2 1/2 hour time frame. If you enjoyed the movie, then go read the book. I'd go ahead and get the other two books as well because once you finish one you'll want to start the next one right away. Also, don't plan on doing anything else for like a week.

And may the odds be ever in your favor.

the artist

Here are a few reasons why I loved 'The Artist'...

The dancing...

via thenewyorktimes

The fashion...

via nonsensesensibility

Uggie, the dog...

via paperblog

The charm...

via cinyma

The love...between George Valentin & Peppy Miller, the love for black & white movies, the love for silent movies, the love for the golden age of Hollywood.

via fromthefrontrow

and the oscar goes to...

via splendidandlovely

I loved this movie and am so glad it won the Oscar for Best Picture. If there wasn't sleep to catch up on I would elaborate, but sleep is beckoning and I must follow. There will be a why I loved 'The Artist' post and an Oscar night festivities post in the next few days...I promise. In the meantime, nighty night!

the princess bride

via entertainmentweekly

This picture is awesome! Seriously, my heart is singing right now. The Princess Bride is one of my all time favorite movies. And it's this kind of story that I can't wait to tell, a movie like this that I want to be a part of. Wallace Shawn was wrong- it's not "inconceivable", it's most definitely conceivable. You just have to believe.

beginners

These images of LA from the movie Beginners is really making me miss my former west coast home. It seems like another lifetime ago. I wanted to see this movie when it was first released, but when Chicago only has a few months of gorgeous weather I just can't imagine spending any of that time indoors. Although, I did still spend quite a bit of the summer indoors escaping the humidity so I should have made an excuse to see this film. Hopefully, it's still playing somewhere or I might just have to wait until it's on Netflix. An even better idea would be to plan a trip to LA to see all the sights and persons I'm missing in person.

via focus features

happy birthday bill murray

via billmurray.tumblr

It's Bill Murray's birthday today! What's your favorite Bill Murray movie? Mine is this, this, this and... oh the list could go on and on. Seriously, I don't think there's a movie of his that I don't like. Although Ebert is shocked, shocked I tell you that I haven't seen this one yet.

happy birthday bill murray!

midnight in paris

via collider

via filmbabble

via pinterest

I saw Midnight in Paris last night and what an absolute lovely and whimsical film it was. I'm longing to walk the streets of Paris now...with my lover, at midnight, maybe even in the rain because I do believe it's good for the soul (#27 on 'the list').

Thanks Woody! It's a film like this that makes me want to continue on this journey because "only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go."

one more week

Next Friday is going to be amazing, I can hardly wait! It will be a double rainbow kind of day- the final Harry Potter movie comes out and it's my birthday!

via nanlawson

via fuckyeahmovieposters

via minimalmovieposters

top 5

Ebert's in the suburbs again, so I'm home alone watching High Fidelity. I forgot what a fantastic movie this is- great location, great soundtrack, great actors.

Since I'm missing my husband I thought I'd list the "Top 5 Songs That Remind Me of Ebert". I know, kind of cheesy, but if John Cusack can have his top 5, why can't I?

1. I Found A Reason . . . . Cat Power

2. Such Great Heights . . . . The Postal Service

3. Sending the Photographs . . . . Julie Doiron

4. Slow Graffiti . . . . Belle & Sebastian

5. Ooh La La . . . . The Faces

win win

Ebert and I went to see this movie last night.



If you haven't seen it yet, then you need to do "whatever the f%#@ you have to" and go see it. You'll understand the expletive afterwards!

On on a side note, one of the best parts of the evening was walking to the movie theater. It's finally warming up in Chicago!

art of the title

Another cool video.

A Brief History of Title Design from Ian Albinson on Vimeo.

I saw this over on Black Eiffel this morning and because I love movies so much I wanted to share it with all of you.

italiano

We went to ZaZa's last night for dinner. Every time we eat Italian food Ebert always brings up this scene . . .



Hilarious, right? If you haven't seen Big Night then I highly suggest you plan an evening this weekened to make a big bowl of pasta, drink a glass or two of red wine, and enjoy the sibling squabbles of Stanley Tucci and Tony Shalhoub. Buon appetito!

And Happy Weekend!

sunday supper: oscar inspired menu

The only thing I enjoyed about last week's Oscars was the 5 minutes that Billy Crystal was on stage. I really, really hope he comes back to host next year. I mean, come on, he received a standing ovation everybody wants him back.

Even though I was not inspired or entertained like I want to be when watching the Oscars we did have a plethora of delicious food to enjoy and that made up for a disappointing show.

Here's what we ate, and we ate a lot, while watching the Oscars. Some of the dishes were based on a character's name, which was a lot harder than I thought it would be but a really fun menu to create nonetheless. The other dishes were inspired by the overall theme of the movies, also quite clever and creative. Good thing it's such a long show, it allowed our bellies time to rest so that we could enjoy eating throughout the entire evening.

Here are the dishes for the 10 Best Picture nominees . . .

THE SOCIAL NETWORK: WinkleVOSS Water
&
TOY STORY 3: Mr. Potato Heads

WINTER'S BONE: ThREE Cheese Mini Macs
&
INCEPTION: "Layered" Taco Dip

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT: Bacon Wrapped MedJULES
&
127 HOURS: Mixed Green Salad w/PoMEGANranate Dressing

TRUE GRIT: Whiskey Smoked Chicken
&
THE FIGHTER: Spotted DICKY

BLACK SWAN: Black Oreo Truffles
&
THE KING'S SPEECH: Champagne