HG Black Carpet Winners and Losers

As we inch closer to the magical March 23rd theatrical release of The Hunger Games, my HG hysteria grows ever stronger. Last night the cast hit the black carpet for the Los Angeles premiere. Guess who obsessively watched the Yahoo! Movies live feed and squealed like a 12-year old girl when Josh Hutcherson arrived? Yep, that would be me. But let's not stand on circumstance. Let's talk winners and losers!

Winner: Jennifer Lawrence in Prabal Gurung

Photo courtesy of FabSugar

Jennifer Lawrence is a tough girl not to like. For starters, she's absolutely gorgeous. She's also sassy, sarcastic, incredibly talented, and crazy smart. And then she laughs. And she kind of sounds like Beavis from Beavis and Butthead. Love that! So I may be a bit biased, but I thought she hit this look out of the park. I wish she wasn't slouching in this picture because her posture makes the dress look like it was pulling across her hips, which it wasn't (quick tip: stand up straight when someone is taking your picture!). Jennifer's dress is both on trend (Prabal Gurung sent a lot of gold down the runway this February in NY's Fall Fashion Week) and reminiscent of the Mockingjay pin Katniss wears on her tribute outfit in the arena. Foreshadowing Katniss' impending transformation into the Mockingjay, perhaps? My HG partner-in-obessession, F, found Jennifer's hair to be a bit on the prom-y side. I thought it tied into the cutouts in her dress perfectly. To each her own. Jennifer Lawrence's red carpet fashion history has been admittedly spotty; she either gets it entirely right or entirely wrong, but she goes all-in and I appreciate a girl who commits. Last night was JLaw's night, and she got it entirely right.

Loser: Shailene Woodley in Honor 

Photo courtesy of FabSugar

Oh, COME ON, Shailene! Really? Are you doing this just so that I have something to write about?! I applaud you for not trying to upstage Jennifer Lawrence on her night, but that is where my applause stops. I'm not saying that you have put all of your goodies on display (Miley Cyrus, I will deal with you later!), but you don't have to wear a printed potato sack either. I'm not trying to harsh on Honor, which showcased a brightly colored, but mostly covered, collection at Fall Fashion week last month. Honor sent some beautiful dresses with sheer lace overlays down the runway, any one of which would have been perfect for this premiere and beautiful on Shailene (if you have seen The Decendants, you are well aware that Shailene's body is sick, so that's clearly not the problem here). Shailene, I understand that you are only 20-years old. We all make fashion mistakes at 20 (see that phase I went through in undergrad when I was certain that tube tops were the last word in evening attire). But please, try to find your aesthetic. And if you can't find it, hire someone to find it for you.

Winner: Elizabeth Banks in Atelier Versace

Photo courtesy of FabSugar

Representing the over-30 set, Elizabeth Banks was a winner in her orange, one-shouldered Atelier Versace mini dress with nude peep toe pumps. This dress had just the right amount of futuristic avant garde-iness for Banks, who plays Capitol fashionista and District 12 escort, Effie Trinket. Obeying the cardinal evening attire rule, that you may showcase your cleavage or your legs, but not both, and not neither, Banks elected to put the gams on display. If, like me, you have not been gifted with lengthy stems, a nude heel will provide you with the almost Copperfieldian illusion of longer legs. It's all smoke and mirrors, friends.  

Loser: Miley Cyrus in Emilio Pucci

Photo courtesy of FabSugar

Miley, we get it. You can't be tamed. You could, however, stand to be a little more covered. There is a lot of cleavage and a lot of midriff going on here. As if that were not enough, the bottom of the skirt is sheer. Cleavage or legs, but not both. And if you are not standing on the beach with your toes in the sand or in front of someone's tailgate barbecue, your midriff should not be showing. Elegant is the new black.

Winner: Amandla Stenberg (Rue) in Colette Dinnigan

Photo courtesy of FabSugar

Okay, how cute is Amandla Stenberg?! This is exactly what a 13-year old should wear to a movie premiere.  This ombre seafoam green confection is simply beautiful and has just the right amount of sparkle. Bonus points for the 40's hair and strappy kitten heels.

Loser: Kalia Prescott (District 3 Tribute Girl) in Cengiz Abazoglu

Photo courtesy of FabSugar

Why does little Kalia Prescott make my "loser" list? Because she wore white to Jennifer Lawrence's wedding, figuratively speaking. This is a beautiful, if highly involved, dress and Kalia looks stunning in it; but this is an Oscar dress. It is not particularly appropriate for this premiere, nor is it appropriate for someone playing an unnamed character in said premiere. Had this dress been cocktail length rather than full length, I probably would have been all over it. Maybe. Kalia, I'm not saying that you shouldn't try to look your best, but it was Jennifer's night. You shouldn't try to be the belle of someone else's ball.   

So there you have it. Just over 9 days until The Hunger Games is released in theaters. If you are watching in the U.K., your film will be exactly 7 seconds shorter than the U.S. release. British censors required that 7 seconds of "blood" footage be cut from the film in order for it to maintain its 12A rating (12A is the U.K. equivalent of the MPAA's PG-13 rating). 

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What I'm Running To: Somebody That I Used to Know by Gotye (feat. Kimbra)

Yes, this is the alternative song du jour. No, I don't care if this means that I am not as cool as the hipsters who  are already over it. WARNING: This video may be NSFW if your office is kind of squeamish about slight nudity and body paint. But on a side note, how cute is Kimbra's chin-length bob with blunt cut bangs?! Happy Tuesday!  Pin It

Award Season Winners and Losers: Part 2, The Stars

Have you ever started an argument by saying "first . . . ," only to realize that you didn't have a "second . . . "? Happens to me all the time. I begin an argument that I am sure is multi-faceted and multi-layered only to realize that I actually only have one point. With zero facets. And no layers. And no "second . . . " So imagine my surprise when it turned out that I had a "Part 2" to my "Award Season Winners and Losers: Part 1" post. But am I really making a second point? Or is this merely a facet of my first point? You decide (because I can't!).

Winner: Michelle Williams
I was slow to jump on the Michelle Williams train. She was Jen Lindley. I was Team Joey. She made multiple suspect project choices early in her career like Dick, Halloween: H20, and Killing Mr. Griffin. I make it a policy never to trust a Kirsten Dunst movie that doesn't start with "Bring" and end with "it On." Then something miraculous happened; Michelle started making good career choices. She met the late Heath Ledger on the set of Brokeback Mountain, and became one half of the most interesting celebrity couple ever to grace that magical land called Brooklyn. She gave birth to the cutest baby ever to come out of The Creek (sorry, Suri Cruise, you have nothing on Matilda Ledger!) and started toting vintage Coach around the city rather than the newest Balenciaga. Michelle exhibited quiet grace after Heath Ledger's death in 2008, all the while continuing to stretch herself as an actress. She has been nominated for three Academy Awards in the last six years with two back-to-back nominations in the leading actress category for 2010's Blue Valentine and 2011's My Week with Marilyn. She somehow also manages to say the most beautifully insightful things. Well played, Michelle Williams. I'm now very definitely a fan.

So let's talk clothes! Michelle has one of the most defined aesthetics in Hollywood. Don't believe me? Google "Michelle Williams street style," and you'll see what I mean. Michelle favors clean lines, minimal prints, and defined, but unstructured silhouettes.

"I feel like something has changed for me, but it's a new change, so it's going to be hard to describe. Maybe it has something to do with turning 30. I don't feel as shy or nervous or self-conscious. I have more confidence that I can handle what life brings me. I don't feel scared to have an idea or express it. I feel giddy about it because it is a complete transformation. It's like I've found my voice." -Michelle Williams

Loser: Shailene Woodley
Oh Shailene, how you have surprised me. If you had asked me two years ago what I thought about Shailene Woodley, I would have told you that she had the best hair on the worst show on television (ABC Family's Secret Life of the American Teenager). But Shailene's turn as George Clooney's eldest daughter in 2011's  The Descendants was unexpected. Turns out she just may have more to contribute to modern entertainment than a great head of hair. The bar has been raised, Shailene. I'll expect more from you now. I will also expect more from  your wardrobe, because your first foray into Award Season attire has been ill-fitting, poorly conceptualized, and positively schizophrenic. You really have nowhere to go but up in that department. Get it together, Girl. You're in the big leagues now!

"I fell into this business by accident. It wasn't something I ever aspired to be: an actress. It just happened. It has evolved into an insane passion . . . a creative outlet. But nothing more. It's my hobby . . . one of the ways I express myself as an artist. And the day it becomes a job . . . a career . . . I will quit." -Shailene Woodley

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What I'm Running To: Somebody to Love by Justin Bieber

Can you keep a secret? Because I have a confession to make. Sometimes, when no one is looking, I eat Nutella straight out of the jar. By the spoonful. While standing on one foot. Like a flamingo. Carrie Bradshaw dubbed it "secret single behavior." I dub it "damn good."

Unfortunately, my secret single behavior has some not-so-secret consequences. Nutella, while delicious, is not exactly calorie free. Which leads me to my second bit of secret single behavior: I'm a Bieber Believer. Like Nutella, Justin Bieber hails from Canada. Unlike Nutella, Justin Bieber does not add inches to my hips. He does, however, move my feet. Happy Monday, friends!

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What I'm Running To: Daydream Believer by The Monkees

To say that my mother was averse to change would be a bit of an understatement. Reportedly, when my parents first moved to Long Beach from the San Gabriel Valley in the late 1970's, my mom found the task of finding a Long Beach-based hairdresser so daunting that she drove the 30 minutes back to Alhambra every time she needed a haircut. It allegedly took her almost a year before she felt comfortable enough to try out a local stylist. Flash forward to 1990. While my 5th grade classmates were listening to Dee Lite, Biz Markie, and Vanilla Ice, my sister and I were dancing to The Beach Boys, Elvis Presley, and the occasional Simon and Garfunkel (my dad's influence). Modern pop music had no place in my house. Thus, it should come as no surprise that my first crush was not New Kid on the Block, Jordan Knight, but Monkee frontman, Davy Jones.

I was pretty convinced that "Daydream Believer" was about me. Even though it was recorded 13 years before I was born and even though I would end up at a high school that didn't have homecoming queens. I was sure that The Monkees really meant "international ambassador," but didn't know how to make that rhyme with "sleepy Jeanne." That's okay. Sadly, my first crush, Davy Jones, passed away earlier today in Martin County, Florida. He was 66 years old.

Rest in peace, Davy. You will be missed.  Pin It

Award Season Winners and Losers: Part 1, The Trends

The day after the Oscars always feels a little like the day after Christmas. Award season is over. It's time to examine the booty, separate the good from the bad and the ugh, and pack up the glitter and sequins and put it all in storage for next year. But before we move on to other things (hello, Hunger Games!), let's debrief. Want to be trendy in 2012? Here's what you should embrace from this past award season:

1. Embrace your inner high school goth.
Black nail polish is not just for 5th period lunch anymore. Kristin Wiig (Bridesmaids, seen below), Melissa McCarthy, Zoe Saldana, and Kate Mara all sported black nails on the red carpet this year. Interested in embracing the dark side? Consider having a manicurist perfect your polish if you don't have the steadiest hand when it comes to painting your own nails.

Photo courtesy of People

2. Embrace your shape.
Christina Hendricks, take notes. This season's big winner, both in statues and in style, was The Help's Octavia Spencer. Proving that if it ain't broke, you shouldn't fix it, Spencer shined in Tadashi Shoji at the Golden Globes, the SAG awards, the BAFTAs, and the Academy Awards. If you're a curvy girl, you're not going to fool the world into thinking you're a waif. Even if you are packing industrial strength shapewear. So stop thinking "camouflage" and start thinking "highlight." Shoji used ruching, sequins, patterns, and belts to define and spotlight Spencer's waistline. The result is a perfectly proportioned hourglass silhouette.

3. Embrace your age.
I'll be honest, I was pulling for a Viola Davis win in the Best Actress category. However, there is no denying that Meryl Streep looked stunning in Lanvin. Streep was beautiful, sexy, and appropriately dressed for her age (cough, 62!).

Photo courtesy of People

And now for my first award show loser: Jane Seymour. No doubt Dr. Quinn has a rockin bod. If I look that good at her age (cough, 61!), I will kneel down and pledge my eternal servitude to the whims and wishes of the mighty metabolism gods. What I will NOT do, however, is wear the dress she wore to last night's Oscar ceremony. Why? It was the sequined first cousin of the dress that then-20-year-old Jennifer Lawrence wore to last year's Academys! Great on Lawrence, wrong on Seymour. It's too much arm, chest, and slink for a woman in her 60's. Here's the lesson: don't try to dress like a 22-year old if you are not 22! The 22-year old will beat you at that game EVERY SINGLE TIME. Stop buying into our country's obsession with youth and start embracing the wonderful things that come with being 32 or 62 or 82 (way to go, Christopher Plummer!).

4. Embrace your pallor.
It took 31 years, but I am finally en vogue! Pale is the new tan. Here are some of the A-listers that did not take a single step into a spray tan booth this season: Michelle Williams, Jessica Chastain, and Emma Stone. It's hip to be porcelain, so pick up the SPF 70 and start slathering it on, friends!

All photos courtesy of People

5. Embrace your inner frugalista.
Fashion is not just for the rich. Best Actress nominee, Michelle Williams, made headlines earlier this month by wearing a dress from fast fashion powerhouse, H&M, to the BAFTAs. Just because you have it, doesn't mean you have to spend it. It's chic to save!

Photo courtesy of People

6. Embrace your bestie.
No boyfriend? No worries! Rather than stress over not having an Oscar date, single lady (and Best Actress nominee) Rooney Mara rolled with sister and best friend, Kate Mara (American Horror Story). Other award season besties included Michelle Williams and Busy Phillips (Cougar Town), Best Supporting Actress winner, Octavia Spencer, and Josh Hopkins (Cougar Town), and Best Supporting Actor nominee, Jonah Hill and his mom, Sharon Lyn. Best Supporting Actress nominee, Jessica Chastain, also kept it in the family by bringing her Nana as her date to the Academy Awards. The lesson here? Stop stressing your single status. Next time you need a plus one, phone a friend!

The Mara sisters, Photo courtesy of Zimbio

7. Embrace your inner Anna (Wintour).
I still hear people refer to the "Katie Holmes bob" like it was "the Rachel." Sorry Katie, you may have worn the blunt bob with bangs for a minute in 2007, but Anna Wintour has been wearing it since Pangaea.

Ain't nothing like the real thing: Anna Wintour with her signature coif. Photo courtesy of Telegraph.

The "Anna Wintour" made an award season appearance on funny ladies, Anna Faris (What's Your Number) and Rose Byrne (Bridesmaids).

Photos courtesy of People 

8. Embrace your sparkle.
All that glitters is not gold, but some that glitters is. Get back to me when you figure that one out. If it glittered, sparkled and/or was covered in sequins, it went down the red carpet this season. Some got it all right (like E! News correspondent, Giuliana Rancic).

Photo courtesy of People

And some got it all wrong (Melissa Leo, this is two years in a row. Please fire your stylist.).

Photo courtesy of Makeup Talk

9. Embrace the mane event. 
Last night was all about Viola Davis's hair. The Best Actress nominee, who usually wigs it out on the red carpet, wore her brown hair close-cropped and natural. Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding, who sang last night's "In Memoriam" tribute song, "What a Wonderful World," also kept her hair loose and natural.

Photos courtesy of People

 Note: treat your hair like an accessory. When your hair is the highlight, keep everything else minimal.

10. Embrace your Diddy.
Because it's always good to be Diddy.

Photo courtesy of People 

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Happy (almost) Hunger Games: An Education in Who's Who

FINALLY. T-30 days until I can stop talking about watching The Hunger Games, and get to the business of actually watching the movie! I know I'm ready for what is sure to be an instant cinema classic, but are you? If you, like me, are keeping a Hunger Games countdown calendar similar to the ones kept by prison inmates, you have probably already logged on to Fandango and bought your tickets for March 23rd. If you are reading this and thinking "Hunger huh?" clearly you have some homework to do. I can say "read the books" yet again, (le sigh. It's for your own good, really!) but what else can I do? I can lead you to water but I can't make you drink. So, here is some Hunger Games homework of the cinematic variety.

Photo courtesy of Just Jared Jr.

Katniss Everdeen: Jennifer Lawrence

21-year old Academy Award nominee, Jennifer Lawrence, slips into the leather hunting boots of our braided heroine, Katniss Everdeen. If you are unfamiliar with Lawrence's work, WATCH: Winter's Bone. Lawrence plays 17-year old Ree, a girl trying to track down her drug-dealing father and keep her family intact. Lawrence earned an Academy Award nomination for this performance in 2011 (she lost to Black Swan's Natalie Portman). SKIP: X-Men: First Class. It's a totally average big box superhero movie. I can safely say that it is not as bad as X-Men: The Last Stand, but I wouldn't call it good. Spend your two hours and your $1.29 on Winter's Bone instead.

Photo courtesy of The Hunger Games Movie

Peeta Mellark: Josh Hutcherson


19-year old Josh Hutcherson plays one of the most unfortunate lottery winners ever; baker's son, Peeta Mellark. Like Katniss, Peeta is chosen in the reaping to represent District 12 in the Hunger Games. My favorite thing about Peeta? Katniss repeatedly describes him as smelling like bread. Yum . . . . bread. If you are thinking to yourself, Hutcherwho? WATCH: The Kids are All Right. Hutcherson plays 15-year old Laser, the younger son of a lesbian couple (played brilliantly by Academy Award nominees Annette Benning and Julianne Moore. Benning was nominated for her work in Kids in 2011, but, like Jennifer Lawerence, lost out to Swan's Portman. Moore has been nominated for an Academy Award four times over the course of her career but has never taken home a statue.). Laser begs older sister, Joni (Mia Wasikowska), to track down their biological father, Paul (played by Mark Ruffalo). Hijinks ensue. SKIP: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. I want to like this movie. I really do. It's got Michael Caine. And The Rock. And Vanessa Hudgens. Not to mention my newest little crush, Peeta Mellark Josh Hutcherson. But the critical consensus is that Journey 2 is totes forgettable, and I have to agree. Save your $10.

Photo courtesy of Deadline

Gale Hawthorne: Liam Hemsworth 

Liam Hemsworth, most famous for making out with Miley Cyrus all over the tabs, plays Games's resident tall, dark, and handsome brooder, Gale Hawthorne. Assuming Games stays true to the novel, you won't see much of Hemsworth in this first installment. Gale will likely be spending most of his time off-screen brooding it up until Catching Fire hits theaters in 2013. If you have never seen Hemsworth in action, you are not alone. Older brother, Chris Hemsworth (Thor), is the more famous of the Hemsworth brothers. For more on Liam, CHECK OUT: The tabloids. Or Google. SKIP: The Last Song. Forget Liam Hemsworth, Song is two hours of having to deal with Miley Cyrus's voice. And I just can't take it.

Photo courtesy of Pop Tower

Haymitch Abernathy: Woody Harrelson

Woody Harrelson, perfectly cast as Haymitch Abernathy, plays Katniss' and Peeta's mentor in the Games. Haymitch, best described as a surly and somewhat violent alcoholic, is charged with keeping Katniss and/or Peeta alive in the Hunger Games arena. If you are in The Hunger Games target audience, you are likely too young to remember Harrelson's turn as bartender Woody in Cheers. In that case, WATCH: No Country for Old Men or Rampart. Or White Men Can't Jump. Or maybe not. If you're too young to remember Cheers,  you are almost certainly too young for No Country or Rampart. See if your parents taped Cheers. Like on VHS. We used to do that back in the day. Or check out the upcoming HBO movie Game Change. It is unfortunate that Harrelson has been better known recently for some of his activist activities rather than his filmography because he is an extremely talented actor. That said, SKIP: Seven Pounds. I am used to Will Smith's unabashed attempts to manipulate my emotions (see The Pursuit of Happyness). But Seven Pounds is just too much.  

Photo courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes

Elizabeth Banks: Effie Trinket

Elizabeth Banks may very well be the Ryan Seacrest of Hollywood actresses. You seriously cannot walk 10 feet in any direction without running into something that Banks has worked on. Banks portrays District 12 escort, Effie Trinket. Effie is most widely known for being the pinnacle of Capitol fashion and for uttering the film's famous tag line: May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor. Unless you are a member of a group that prohibits watching movies or television, I guarantee that you have seen Elizabeth Banks before. If, however, you cannot remember where you have seen her before, WATCH: Role Models. Single best movie about LARPing (Live Action Role Play) ever made. Fun fact: I can recite the entire movie line for line from credit to credit. SKIP: Zach and Miri Make a Porno. Like Lawrence's X-Men role listed above, Zach and Miri is not terrible and it's not great. But Banks has made so many films that there is just no need to waste your time on one that is only ah-ight. EXTRA CREDIT: Check out this short film Banks directed and starred in for Go Red for Women. I told you this woman is everywhere. Think you've seen Banks's on-screen husband before? If you watched 2011's Something Borrowed, you have. In Borrowed, Colin Egglesfield plays the object of Ginnifer Goodwin's desire, Dex.

Photo courtesy of IMDB

Director: Gary Ross 

Gary Ross co-wrote (along with Hunger Games creator, Suzanne Collins) the screenplay for and directed The Hunger Games. Ross reportedly campaigned hard for directing duties on Games, and fortunately for him (and us), got the job. Unfamiliar with Ross' work? WATCH: Pleasantville. Not only is Pleasantville well-paced and visually stunning, it also happens to be my second favorite Reese Witherspoon film (favorite: Alexander Payne's Election). SKIP: Dave. Note: Ross wrote and did not direct Dave, but that's of little consequence to me because the film just isn't funny. Skip it.






The world, or at the very least I, will be watching on March 23rd when The Hunger Games opens in theaters. Also, new trailer alert! Now with more Peeta  (and by "more Peeta," I mean about two seconds more Peeta than in the other trailers. What's up with that? It's like they're trying to advertise this movie as Peeta Lite. No one wants that. More Peeta!)!
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