Links: Dorff, Franco, Hendricks, Robyn

My Life as a Blog "Why I Want a Golden Globe" satiric piece on the greatest awards show gong of all.
Vulture I'm not sure how I missed this enjoyable interview with Stephen Dorff but...
My New Plaid Pants quotes all the funny bits about working on Tarsem Singh's Immortals Movie "abs, abs, abs, abs, abs."
Self Styled Siren another look back at Blake Edwards, and three personal favorites.
Cinema Blend Christina Hendricks will play friend to Sarah Jessica Parker in romcom I Don't Know How She Does It. Sigh. Can we talk about Hollywood's refusal to give Hendricks her own romcom? I don't understand why she has to keep playing second fiddle. Give her a chance to bloom, Hollywood.
Your Movie Buddy offers up 'things to love about The Social Network' a great reminder list should you be feeling a touch put out by its total dominance of precursor season. A damn good movie it is.
In Contention interviews Coen Bros' costumed designer Mary Zophres

Year in Review Goodies
Slant Magazine chooses its (collective) Top 25 of 2010
Movie|Line the most ridiculous controversies
Movie|Line the ten best James Franco stories. Seriously, that man needs a vacation in 2011.
Popcorn For Dinner details favorite movie posters
Uproxx "the least fascinating people of 2010" bitchy but amusing. And we entirely undersign the notion that famous ≠ fascinating.
AV Club looks at the 25 best TV series
Criticial Condition best songs of the year

Blake Edwards (RIP)

Mrs & Mrs Blake Edwards (1974)

Our heart goes out to the divine Julie Andrews in what is surely a difficult time as her husband the writer/director Blake Edwards passed away a few days ago. We apologize for the delay in honoring him. Edwards was long beloved and praised for his comic sensibilities as a writer and director, most famously within The Pink Panther series starring Peter Sellers.

What was less often noted is that he was often responsible for shining a flattering light on actresses, no matter your feelings about him getting Julie out of her clothing. His late career efforts in this realm (Ellen Barkin in Switch and Kim Basinger in Blind Date) weren't as magical as his earlier work but he had a hand in big moments in the careers of Natalie Wood and Audrey Hepburn and was absolutely crucial to Julie Andrews career.

Blake and Natalie Wood in 1965

If you haven't seen many of his pictures, program yourself a festival at home with these highlights.

• Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) the most universally beloved Audrey Hepburn movie.
• The Pink Panther (1963) though any in the series will do. My favorite as a wee toddler was the one where Sellers is wearing a facial disguise that melts and his nose starts dripping. Anyone remember which in the series that was?
• The Great Race (1965) Check out how jaw droppingly gorgeous Natalie Wood is in this all-star comedy. Some consider it the peak of her beauty.
• "10" (1979) A massive hit when it appeared making Bo Derek and Dudley Moore incredibly famous. Julie Andrews co-stars.
• Victor/Victoria (1982)-You know this one already. Watch it again. Isn't it one of the most rewatchable films ever?
• And maybe end with one of his other collaborations with wife Julie Andrews. He directed her frequently. I didn't personally like their last film together That's Life (1986) but you could try Darling Lili (1970) a war film where Julie sings and is paired with Rock Hudson or  The Tamarind Seed (1974) where Julie is romanced by Omar Shariff or their infamous showbiz satire S.O.B. (1981). Though moviegoers who liked Julie Andrews abso-squeaky clean sometimes resented her husband for his playful and frisky remolding of his wife's image whether that was striptease musical numbers or gender bending (clips from Darling Lili and Victor/Victoria follow), Julie herself obviously enjoyed it.

Julie Andrews in S.O.B. (1981)

 As is true with most comedically gifted filmmakers, Edwards had to wait for an honorary Oscar late in life rather than win one in competition. He was only nominated once, for the screenplay to the wonderful gender-bending farce Victor/Victoria (1982) which happens to be the last musical hurrah of Julie Andrews. Along with Breakfast at Tiffany's it will undoubtedly live forever.







A dream maker and heart taker, indeed.

Related post: A History of... Julie Andrews
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